Learning in a Real Life Context

January 16, 2012January 16, 2012 Samantha.Perrin Communication with Parents and Guardians, Learning in a Real Life Context, Wellness

New Year’s Resolutions

Happy New Year!!!

The New Year is a great time to reflect on the previous year and to set goals and resolutions for the year ahead. I spoke to my students about New Year’s resolutions and shared some of my personal goals for school and for myself at home. I felt it was important for the students to see that setting goals help to make a person ‘better’ and that it is no different than the practice and work that they put in every day into their learning. The message was not lost on them, and they were enthusiastic to prove that you’re never too young to start goal setting. In fact, I think that my young students really understood the purpose and value of goal setting because they grow, learn and improve so quickly (for example, in learning how to read).

Together the students came up with their own definitions of resolutions and we discussed the purpose and value of articulating a goal and coming up with a plan for meeting that goal. Then, we all took turns sharing one resolution that pertains to school and one that pertains to home life. The students then wrote about their goals for display in the school. This week I will be sending a copy of the students’ resolutions home with them to serve as a reminder and a discussion point for parents in helping their children achieve their goals.

Click here to see some pictures of this activity from my classroom.

It’s important to strive for improvement, whether it is for the benefit of work or school, but also as busy teachers, for achieving health and balance, which I will be working on myself in 2012.

December 27, 2011December 27, 2011 Samantha.Perrin Diverse Learning Needs, Learning in a Real Life Context, Resources

More About Not Reinventing the Wheel…and Being Resourceful

It is sage advice for us as teachers not to reinvent the wheel’, and it is so nice when it is followed up with a good idea. Carmen’s Financial Resource link will go in my ‘back pocket’ of resources to use when in an upper grade, as will many of the ideas and suggestions from the teachers in this blog. To add to the blog’s repertoire of ‘resourceful ideas’ I have one to share that can be adapted to any grade and it has been successful with my Grade 1’s.

One of the initiatives at my school is to be more ecologically conservative (waste less, conserve, recycle and reuse). In this spirit, I have planned some creative cross-curricular art activities that have the students re-using found materials and scrap materials in the classroom. It’s a simple formula for me to follow, requiring us to use what’s available in the classroom and it results in art work that the students become very engaged in and that is meaningful to them:

I start with a picture book or unit theme to act as a springboard to the task. From the unit/book I select something for the students to create in their own image (for example, at the beginning of the school year we read the story ‘Chrysanthemum’ by Kevin Henkes).

I then have the students design a ‘plan’ of their work, mapping out the materials and colour schemes of their work (in this case, a flower that reflects their own individuality, much like Chrysanthemum’s name in the story book).

I give the students a wide variety of materials to choose from (scrap paper, coffee filters, markers, crayons, pastels, water, old wrapping paper, foil, foam etc. ) to construct their item and encourage them t o follow their plan as they create.

I usually follow up the activity with a writing task which can be linked to a variety of Language expectations (writing in the voice of their created item, descriptive writing, narrative etc.)

It’s incredible how enthusiastic and engaged the students are in these kind of activities because it reflects their own creativity and individuality. There is no wrong answer as the artwork and writing is the students’ own creation, and it is a rich task that acts as a vehicle for me to teach and assess specific strands of the curriculum that need to be applied to their work.

I am attaching a picture of the flowers created at the beginning of the school year, and I will attach more photos in the new year of the students’ more recent creations (*the leaves of the flowers show student writing: “I am special because…”)

December 12, 2011December 12, 2011 Sangeeta.McAuley Assessment, Diverse Learning Needs, Learning About Your Students, Learning in a Real Life Context

Preparing students for their generation

Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about how much I count on technology on a daily basis. There’s a mental checklist running through my mind before the day even begins. Laptop for note- taking, check. iPhone with recorded message for students, check. SMART Board lesson set up, check.

Most recently, I’ve added the best one of all to this list: iPad to encourage higher-level thinking and problem-solving. CHECK!!! (no, I do not work for Apple on the side…).

I have used the iPad to teach my students a number of skills:

-how to make webs as a springboard to writing (using Popplet)

-how to use audio recordings to explain what they do when they choose the “right” books to read

-how to make puppet shows that re-enact some tough choices they have made in their lives (using Puppet Pals)

I’ve never been a huge fan of paper-pencil tasks because I see how they can sometimes limit students who have a lot to say and who are creative thinkers. By using technology to engage my students, not only am I getting a more accurate picture of what they can do, but I am also preparing them to be what we always talk about in teaching: critical thinkers.

Their generation will be asked to do more thinking, more analysis, more decision-making, so why not start now?

December 4, 2011December 4, 2011 Carmen.Oliveira Learning in a Real Life Context, Planning

When Our Teaching Comes Full Circle

There are moments in our teaching career when we can say that all the lessons that really mattered manifest themselves in the way our students think about and live their life. Once in a while we’re lucky enough to experience how they apply what they’ve learned to real-life contexts which demonstrate their deep understanding of certain issues or concepts and their ability to surprise us with unexpected levels of maturity.

This year, my grade team partner and I decided to base our teaching on the theme of responsible citizenship. Our teaching focuses on and supports the belief that “we can all be the change we want to see in the world,” as Mahatma Ghandi stated. What we read, write, and talk about involves issues linked to social justice and how each and everyone of us has a gift that we can use to make our world and environment better and healthier. We try to structure our units of study so that we follow an inquiry model. Students have control over what they learn because it’s based on their questions with respect to the issue we’re focusing on. We guide the students through a gradual release of responsibility as they dig deeper into their learning. The difference we see in many of our students is amazing. Their questions, connections, perspectives, and opinions have demonstrated more critical thinking and their analytical skills are developing nicely.

This past week when I told the class that I had registered the school for the Holiday Food Drive, they came up with a phenomenal inquiry which, I have to admit, proved that the model is becoming embedded into their learning. They suggested that we learn about hunger in the GTA (the cross-curricular links with Literacy, Math, Healthy Living, and Drama were obvious) and that as part of the inquiry and performance tasks they could educate younger students about hunger while leading the food drive for the school. They then asked if we could go to the Daily Bread Foodbank to drop off the food ourselves and possibly volunteer as a way of using what they learned to help their community. This is what it’s all about! When students understand how to use what they’ve learned and apply it to a real-life context in order to better the world around them, I believe our teaching comes full circle.

November 23, 2011November 25, 2011 Roz.Geridis Assessment, Diverse Learning Needs, Learning in a Real Life Context, Planning, Professional Learning and Growth

Combined Grade Planning

Like Alison’s Blog on Meaningful Connections, I too have a combined grade (5/6) and have to find common curriculum connections within both grades. I recently have been able to attend a multi day board workshop on planning Science and Social Studies for a combined grade classrooms. After one session, I volunteered to take on the challenge of becoming a Demo Classroom to discuss my planning process with a group of colleagues and have my class lesson as a demo to allow the opportunity for my colleagues to see how the planning is implemented.

Although I was a little nervous to find the connections, the experience to have one on one time with a board instructional leader was very valuable to my professional learning. I also was able to take the new skills learned and implement them to other areas of the curriculum. The main idea is to find connections between the each grade’s curriculum. Sometimes it is a research skill or an investigation, I also have found connections in the big ideas or concepts in the overall expectations. Remembering Science and Social Studies curriculum are related to topics, you look to find ways to teach the skills and tools needed in combined lessons to allow students to complete some individual or grade group work related to each student’s grade topic.

I also look for ways to combine expectations within my lessons. For example, one lesson I took the kids out for a community walk. While the grade 5s looked for (and took pictures of) areas of concern within the community, the grade 6s went into a Sobey’s, looked for imported food and recorded the data on a chart (country of export and what the product was). The grade 6 students were encouraged to find products from a variety of countries. We then took the information gathered for both grades; the grade 5s selected one area of concern and wrote a letter to City Hall describing the location, what the concern was, and how to fix the concern. The grade 6s completed a research project (in pairs) of a country from the list developed in Sobey’s which Canada imports products from.

Another combined lesson was looking at Immigration and how it affects Canadian Trade. I used the Frayer Model defining immigration, what it looks like, what it doesn’t look like, and examples of how it affects Canada’s trade. I need to highlight, I am just short of 2/3 of the class having an IEP with the range from gifted to learning disabilities. All the students did great on all of these activities and one reason was the activities were connected to their community and their families. Giving the students real life context really does help to engage and make the connections for their learning.

With the many needs in my class and teaching lessons combined, I was worried the students might not have understood the concepts. When I used an exit card for assessment (or assess in any other way) the students have shown me their understanding of the new knowledge and their ability to learn and apply new concepts in a very busy classroom. There are many ways to connect combined curriculum but you do have to think outside the box and sometimes away from the resources provided by your school. I do still look at the resources and team plan with my colleagues. But when I team plan, I take the time to find connections ahead of time so I am ready to expand the team planning ideas into both grades.

November 17, 2011November 17, 2011 Tina.Ginglo Learning in a Real Life Context, Mentorship, Professional Learning and Growth

The Power of Co Teaching

I have heard about the power of co teaching for some time now, but I have only had the opportunity to experience co teaching first hand in recent weeks. I am sold! Co teaching mathematics with my teaching partner and Family of Schools Math Coach challenges me and engages me in authentic context based professional learning. For those who are not familiar with co teaching, co teaching is not synonymous with team teaching. In team teaching, the students basically have two teachers teaching them a lesson. Each teacher takes a turn leading a specific part of the lesson. When co teaching, one teacher is the Lead Teacher and the other is the Co-teacher. The Lead Teacher teaches all parts of the lesson and the co-teacher is the “kid watcher” as well as “teacher watcher”. For example, today I was the co teacher for a third grade number sense lesson. In addition to paying close attention to the strategies my students were using to solve an addition word problem that required them to add two large numbers, I was also paying close attention to the probing questions the Lead Teacher asked the students.

Valuable learning occurs at a number of levels. First, I value the opportunity to observe my students closely, recording every noteworthy observation, what challenged them, student “aha” moments, and evidence of understanding or confusion. I am free to concentrate fully on my formative assessment. On another level, I am also gathering data on the questions and instructional strategies the Lead Teacher used while teaching the lesson. During the debrief (which usually occurs during lunch or a common planning time) we first focus on what the students were doing. We assess the problem we presented to students, analyze the different types of responses students provided and we determine where we are going to go next. For example today, we concluded that our students are ready to move on to adding and subtracting larger numbers. We also noticed that many students use place value algorithms to solve addition math problems, but they don’t understand why they are “carrying a 1 over.” We decide that we need to review grouping and tens and ones with my class.

After we have decided on our next instructional steps. We then reflect on the Lead Teacher’s instruction. How were the questions? Is there a different way we could ask students a particular question? How might we phrase questions in our next lesson? On the days that I am part of a co teaching experience, I leave for home feeling confident about where I am headed in my math instruction and committed to following through on the next steps that were collaboratively planned. For the next co teaching lesson, teaching roles will be reversed and I will be the Lead Teacher.

My teaching partner and I both value this professional learning and instructional strategy. We are now looking for creative timetabling ways to make co teaching part of our literacy program as well. If you have an opportunity to participate in a co teaching experience, I strongly encourage you to go for it!

November 4, 2011November 4, 2011 Alison.Board Diverse Learning Needs, Learning in a Real Life Context

Meaningful Connections

Learning in a classroom has its challenges and restrictions, especially for a diverse group of learners who like a hands on approach. I often hear adults say that they would rather do something than read about it. Children likely feel the same way, though don’t express it in those words. Experiences like a visit to the Apple Store (as Carmen blogged earlier), are opportunities that connect the student’s learning with a realistic context. Some excursions are very controlled and are presented as a program, but an excursion that connects learning in the classroom with a real context or environment is more meaningful for the learner.

When planning for a combined grade one and two class, I looked for commonalities in the curriculum that could be approached similarly or in the same context. At the time of planning, I was also reading a variety of articles that ranged in subject from nature deficiency in children to mindfulness in the classroom. I came across one article that demonstrated the value of science notebooks for observation and inquiry. So, in September every student in my classroom received a blank notebook that was introduced as a “field journal”. Every week our class takes our science lesson outside with field journals to observe what we have learned in a real world setting. The children date each entry and record their observations and questions using pictures and words. A ravine that is located within a block from our school provides a rich context when looking for signs of the water cycle or evidence of the sun’s energy. We have also carried our journals around the school to find examples of energy use and consumption by tracking how many classrooms use their lights, some lights, or rely only on the light from the windows. The use of the field journals is effective because they are purposeful and the children are investigating their environment with specific intent. When we discuss their observations back in the classroom, the children learn from each other as their perspectives or findings differ. Often, new questions arise, which leads to more investigation or research.

Although it has only been two months since the introduction of field journals, it has become routine to our science program and the children look forward to applying the knowledge acquired in the classroom to their own natural and constructed surroundings. The journals integrate concepts and skills that we learn from other areas of the curriculum such as language, visual arts, and mathematics. But best of all, the children are visibly engaged in their learning while making meaningful connections to their world.

November 2, 2011November 2, 2011 Carmen.Oliveira Diverse Learning Needs, Learning in a Real Life Context

Weaving Inspiration Into the Curriculum

One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching is the creativity and inspiration we can weave into the curriculum to bring deep and meaningful learning experiences for our students (and ourselves!). This past week my class enjoyed an art lesson integrated with media, oral communication, and writing expectations. It served as a perfect example of how students become more engaged when our lessons are filled with what inspires us.

A friend of mine emailed me a phenomenal video depicting the sheer beauty, simplicity, and breath-taking scenery found in nature around the world. It moved me deeply and I knew I had to somehow share it with my students in a meaningful way. I decided to use it as the foundation for an art lesson. We have been exploring cool and warm colours, texture, and patterns. We watched the video and had a class discussion using sensory prompts (I see…, I hear…, I feel…, I smell…). The descriptions were profound and all the students were eager to share their thoughts and feelings!

Next, students chose an aspect of nature (ocean, rainforest, sunset, etc.) to create a frame for a sensory poem using warm/cool colours and different textured paper.

Lastly, using a template as a guide, students created their sensory poem. Students were encouraged to experiment with word choice and powerful images to portray their scene. I cannot begin to describe how excited and proud they were to share their art and poetry with me and each other! At the end of the experience, they asked to watch the video again. I gladly shared it once more and silently thanked my friend for the inspiration that created a beautiful teaching opportunity.

Rainforest

plants, rivers, animals

I see butterflies and nature everywhere

beautiful, colourful, fresh

I smell the fresh scent after rainfall

creeping, crawling, flying

I hear peace and quiet

silence, beauty, nature

I feel at home in the rainforest

Rainforest

October 20, 2011October 20, 2011 Carmen.Oliveira Diverse Learning Needs, Learning in a Real Life Context

Finding Opportunities for Learning Outside the Classroom

This week we participated in an excellent real world learning experience outside the classroom (and it was almost free!). My Grade5/6 class has been exploring biographies, memoirs, and looking at the features and format of recounts. We have also been using our MacBooks to support our learning in various ways. An opportunity arose to bring the two together by visiting an Apple store to learn how to create an iMovie in the form of a biography about each student. The entire trip, including transportation, came to $1.50 per student. It ended up being a meaningful, incredibly fun, and real world learning experience for everyone!

This year, our division is committed to creating as many of these powerful learning opportunities as possible for our students because the enthusiasm, eagerness, and results we see back in the classroom support the belief that applying concepts and new learning to real life experiences is what creates long-term understanding.

When you begin to explore all the possibilities to have students apply classroom learning and experience in a real world setting, with a little creativity and investigation, it’s amazing how many opportunities are out there! The only expense our students had was the bus trip to the Apple store for $1.50. In return they received lessons and support from a team at Apple, a free t-shirt, the opportunity to use the latest technology to create their iMovie, and a certificate of participation in the program! It can’t get better than that!

Students working with the crew at Apple

Students watching their video biographies!