Integrated Unit - TLCP Framework

Prezi Presentation: http://prezi.com/fshn6vsgndvu/brent-furtney-tlcp-framework/

Brent Furtney Blog: www.brentfurtney.blogspot.ca

Reflection Final Project

This is my final assignment for EDUC 9F77 – Basic Junior Qualifications. We were required to create an integrated unit with a TLCP framework. For a variety of reasons I chose to focus my unit on the Olympic Games. First, it is a relevant topical focus that I believe students have great interest in, and second, the possibilities for a cross-curricular focus are immense – as you will hopefully see in the text and presentation component.

I began by focusing on a big idea – something that I wanted to frame the unit. From there I developed the culminating task – and while this is depicted in the last slide of my Prezi presentation, it came first in my “scribbles”. After I figured out where I wanted the unit to end, I had to decipher the skills that needed to be taught (in order to get there). A diagnostic assessment is needed to decide how much teaching – and using what strategies – would be needed. Now obviously I have a framework here. The lessons (which are only an overview) are fluid in nature and would be altered based on the information gathered during the diagnostic, and the assessments performed throughout the unit. I spent a significant amount of time pulling both overall and specific expectations from the Ontario Curriculum documents. This was – quite honestly – the most time-consuming aspect of the assignment (well that and figuring out Prezi).  I had certain tasks I wanted the students to do, and early in the process I just hoped that they would fall into a category here and there. However I changed my thinking soon thereafter and used the curriculum expectations to frame the tasks I had in mind. This was an appropriate change of course.

After speaking with my instructor Zoe a number of days before I began the assignment, she introduced me to an organizing website called Prezi. This was my first time using the resource and I found it to be quite beneficial – and really added an element to the final piece that I otherwise would not have had. I am sure that I have not created the most innovative or bountiful Prezi presentation, but it being my first time, I believe it was a success...especially with the amount of information that needed to be displayed.

Overall I found this to be a very cathartic experience because it tied together most of the elements of the course – and gave us the opportunity to apply our knowledge into an assignment that we can use in the classroom. I want to thank Zoe and the educators that have taken part in this course, because I am a much better educator and reflector now than I was before.

5 paragraph Junior assignment

ONE REASON: Good Source of Exercise -          Walking 18 holes of golf 2-3 times a week can improve your fitness -          Walk 5 miles and burn 1450 calories if you play 18 holes -          Oxygenate the body -          Improve flexibility and posture -          Lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer	ALSO: Strong Social Component -          Spend quality time with getting to know new friends and your current friends better -          Conduct formal business in a friendly environment considered the sport of the business world -          Spend time with loved ones while introducing them to a fun activity that can be relatively inexpensive if you pick the course wisely
AS WELL AS: Competitive in Nature -          Can compete against yourself by trying to keep your handicap down and best your own score -          Enter tournaments to win prizes competing individually or with a group -          Participate in long-drive and putting contests during charity events	IN CONCLUSION: Golf is a popular pastime because it is an addicting source of exercise, has an alluring social component, and is highly competitive in nature.

     Golf courses around the world, at this very moment, with their beauty and intrigue, are trying to pull the human race into their utopia. And they are winning. For three to four hours every day millions of people use the golf course as a place for refuge and the opportunity to forget about the outside world. The rolling hills, pristine horticulture, and the lurking wildlife, make this the perfect setting for an afternoon stroll. In addition, playing golf has many physiological advantages. Golf is an excellent source of exercise, takes place in a competitive environment, and contains a strong social component that many find quite attractive. As a result, many factors come together to make golf one of the most popular pastimes for athletes and non-athletes alike.

     Nothing feels better than being outside, the wind on your cheeks, and working up a sweat taking part in an enjoyable activity. For many, golf is that activity. Golf is conducive to people of all shapes and sizes because it does not take a significant amount of individual fitness to be enjoyed. That being said, it is an excellent source of exercise that can improves fitness levels significantly depending on the amount of golf played each week. It is a fact that walking eighteen holes of golf each week is a source of exercise that improves personal fitness and health, and lowers risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. A golfer walks approximately five miles and burns 1450 calories on an average eighteen-hole golf course. Furthermore, the exercise involved helps oxygenate the body and improve posture and flexibility. Playing golf allows individuals to gain fitness benefits that are imperative to a longer and happier life.

     The fact that golf is a form of exercise that can be enjoyed socially is another benefit of the game. Golf provides a forum for which people have the opportunity to spend quality time getting to know new friends and current friends better. People come together to talk about everything from cars to technology, literature to carpentry – with golf being the secondary focus during the conversations. In addition, golf has become an opportune place to connect with loved ones while introducing them to a fun sport that can be relatively inexpensive if you pick the course wisely. It is also an easy sport to participate in, in a low-energy environment, which allows for easier conversation. Finally, the golf course has become a popular place to conduct formal and informal business because of the friendly surroundings. Thousands of business deals get started – and finished – on the golf course. Most business people would rather be outside than inside on a warm summer day.

     Competition is not for everyone, but for some people it is everything. For that reason golf is the perfect activity because you can play it with varying degrees of competitive intentions in mind. For the low-competitive individual, golf is a good game to try and beat previous scores by beating the golf course. In this way, golfers focus on lowering their handicaps and improving different aspects of their game. If golfers heading to the course are looking for a more competitive round, they can choose to play with more competitive partners, or they can enter tournaments to win prizes competing individually or with a group. There are also competitions on the golf course that look at the specific skills involved in the game, such as long-drive and putting contests that may occur during charity events. The degree of competition is up to the golfer playing the game. This degree can be lowered or heightened by making smart choices relating to who you play with and where you play the sport.

     There are many factors that intrigue people about picking up the game of golf. Aside from the scenery, golf provides many benefits that people long for. Golf is a popular pastime, for a wide-array of individuals, because it is an excellent source of exercise, has an alluring social component, and is highly competitive in nature. The next time you want to get outside, think about picking up a golf club, walking a few holes, and spending some time with friends. Just remember, the person with the lowest score picks up the tab; either that or the highest score – the choice is up to you.

Did you indent each paragraph (five times)? YES

Do you have your capitals and periods? YES

Did you write from margin to margin? YES

Grammar at the Junior level

Grammar appears to be a concept that some teachers – and schools themselves – lean away from (i.e. stay away from). There are a number of reasons why this is the case: philosophies that devalue the need for grammar in school, belief that grammar is taught implicitly through reading and writing, and perhaps primarily – a lack of confidence teaching grammar. I have a terrible memory to begin with; my memories of my schooling revolve around sports, social interactions, and lunchtime. I have very little recollection of being taught grammar, aside from common sentence errors and parts of speech instruction. Ten to fifteen years later, I experienced a radically different environment. Straight out of university I began teaching at Bell High School in Nepean (Ottawa). I was handed a grade twelve College English course and a grade eleven University English course, and grammar was to be a daily focus. This was a very tiring and trying time of my life. I felt my classroom management skills were fine, my ability to relate to the students even better, and my organization and creativity lead to some success; however, my knowledge of grammar details and strategies to teach them, were relatively minimal. That being said, I took advice from the English department, picked their brains constantly, and stayed up very late learning and relearning the finer aspects of grammar. That first semester was ended up being one of the periods of my life that I am most proud of. It made me a stronger and more knowledgeable teacher (and person).

How do I feel about this? Where do I fall on the grammar continuum? I am not entirely sure; I suppose I fall somewhere in the middle. How much effect does persistent grammar instruction have on students? How do I consistently develop creative lessons and captivating activities based on grammar; a subject generally detested (too strong?) by students? These are the questions that we face as Language Arts teachers. Whether teachers fall on the left, right, or middle of the continuum, it is important for educators to understand why grammar is taught – the intentions behind it and the goals this teaching practice is meant to attain. Grammar is important because it provides the framework for effective writing and positively increases oral communication. Furthermore, understanding the elements of grammar allows students to be better peer editors – which may seem like a minor benefit, but certainly is an added bonus in the classroom. Tompkins’ text suggests that an effective approach to teaching grammar is to connect it with reading and writing activities and to develop minilessons about different grammar components.  When I was teaching intermediate/senior level English teacher I found some success using both correct and incorrect sentences from students’ work to highlight these components. As a class we would take time investigating the sentences and the students would identify why the sentences were put on the board. Another strategy that was effective followed more closely with the minilesson approach.  Students would take partial sentences and combine them with conjunctions (as an example). One thing you may have noticed, is that the concepts discussed here seem to link closely to the junior curriculum. I would agree wholeheartedly after taking some time exploring the Ontario documents. However my students (especially the College stream) needed more practice – more focus spent on these things. The reality is that teachers must focus their grammar teaching on what the students actually need – rather than what the curriculum documents dictate should be taught.

                Reading has a huge influence on improving students’ grammar comprehension. Although direct connections – for example the use of proper nouns in certain texts – may be difficult to see, students indirectly learn new ways to apply language practices into their work. Unfortunately today’s students are reading far too many texts that are poorly written, and they engage in practices that are not conducive to proper writing. Students spend an enormous amount of time texting, tweeting, writing informal emails, and reading blogs that are poorly constructed. These ‘new’ forms of text certainly aren’t aiding in students’ comprehension of grammar rules. However it is important that teachers avoid shying away from these texts and try to embrace them in the classroom. One strategy that might be effective is to take these tweets and emails and have students make corrections. That being said it is important for teachers not to curb students’ interests in these forms of text, but rather have students realize that different writing styles are appropriate for different mediums.

                As I mentioned previously – tying the elements of grammar to the editing stage of writing works quite well. It seems that grammar (especially at the junior level) is not an implicit focus for students during the writing process. Consequently students need to make adjustments, and know how to make adjustments, when they are revising their work. Teachers must be persistent during this phase though because students seem have a tendency to fast-forward through this stage of the writing process. I think one strategy that might work is to have students pull out sentences from either their work or their peers, and have them discuss the purposes of sentences, and what makes them unique, interesting and complete. If the sentences don’t fall into one of these categories or if the sentence doesn’t meet its intended purpose it might need to be revised.

                Spelling is linked with the elements of grammar. Students that understand the rules of both will almost assuredly find great success in reading and writing. But how do we properly assess students’ progress in these areas? More importantly how do we ensure that this assessment is authentic? Tompkin’s text provides strategies that have shown success in the classroom.

1.       Teachers also assess students’ spelling during the editing process. Students’ ability to locate errors in their work, or that of their peers, is a strong indicator of their spelling abilities. If students can locate their errors, teachers are then able to assess whether students are capable of fixing them. In order for this strategy to work efficiently, teachers must have excellent organization and attention to detail skills. I suspect that it could be difficult for teachers to stay on top of this, especially in large class sizes.

2.       A second way to assess spelling – and determine the reasons behind spelling mistakes – is to have students present the words (or a piece of their work containing these words) orally. This allows teachers to figure out whether or not spelling errors occur because students are misinterpreting the pronunciations of words. While this strategy makes sense, it could be very difficult for teachers to precisely decipher and decode students’ words. The final strategy seems to be the most effective. 

3.       Teachers must assess students’ work periodically in order to ensure that the results from their spelling tests are authentic. Students must be able to transfer their spelling abilities to written pieces in order for students to successfully achieve spelling goals. It makes sense that spelling test results may be flawed because the students have spent so much time rehearsing how the words are spelled. However in their written work students must spell words subconsciously. It seems errors are more likely to be experienced here. I believe teachers should follow spelling tests with a writing activity that complements the words being focused on and forces students to use those words in their writing.

Thank you.

Music Lesson Investigation

I have never been musically inclined; nor have I ever really had a thirst for music. Do I appreciate it? Absolutely, but my go to answer when someone asks me, “What kind of music do you enjoy?” usually sounds something like, “Whatever sounds good.” I dreamed about playing on a soccer field the entire year my parents made me take piano lessons. I once purchased a No Doubt CD – only because that was the fad at the time. And every time I sat on my cousin’s drum set – I prayed that some untapped potential would finally be realized...but my feet and my hands didn’t want to cooperate. So when it comes to teaching music inside a junior classroom, I don’t have a whole lot of experience to draw from. That being said I have had the privilege of observing my cousin teach music to his grade six class in the DSBN. He approaches music with an ideology that it can be investigated much the same way that science and geography can. In his classroom, music is experienced through activities that engage students (e.g. an air-bands group assignment) and promote active learning. In this way he is able to inject musical theory and the elements of music into his lessons more subtly. This approach is a (Tony) stark contrast to Dr. Rodger Beatty’s methods demonstrated in the video on the Brock iTunes page. In this two-part video, Dr. Beatty offers junior-level music teaching strategies to Brock University pre-service students. The following looks at some of the teaching strategies Dr. Beatty utilized.

Dr. Beatty was clear with his intentions and strategies in the classroom. I suspect he wouldn’t be so explicit when talking to his junior students, even though he certainly didn’t shy away from it here. He asked the students to listen to his teaching process as he taught them a song through the rote approach. In fact, he specifically pulled out the Arts curriculum document to show the expectations he would be examining. Adding to his explicitness, he provided an agenda on the overhead projector. Now that being said, I think providing students with an (fluid) agenda and emphasizing the curriculum documents have great value in teaching. I believe that in many cases, students should know what they are going to be learning. Once Dr. Beatty began, his students saw a lot of enthusiasm, humour, and talent in his abilities. His ability to command the room was effective – as his presence alone would no doubt keep students interested in the lesson (initially anyway). Throughout the lesson he used the Irish Song “Michael Finnegan” to teach the elements of music. Dr. Beatty’s rote approach to learning the song consisted of: 1. singing the song in its entirety, 2. discussing the lyrics of the song, 3. chunking the phrases, and 4. adjusting students’ behaviour during the process. This tried and tested method has been around for years, but I found Dr. Beatty’s vision of the exercise to be innovative at the very least. I suspect that his ability and knowledge gives him an aura of authority compared to some of the less musically inclined teachers I have seen.

Another teaching strategy that Dr. Beatty used effectively, was “asking questions”. While this may seem like an obvious approach in teaching, there isn’t a guarantee that the strategy will be successful. That being said, he offered questions that were relevant, thought-provoking, and ones that successfully linked prior knowledge to new findings. In fact, I found his methods for eliciting prior knowledge to be both humorous and successful. One example saw him provide a driving example (a police officer asking for a driver’s...) to bring forth the concept of “Poetic License”. Dr. Beatty also used questions to draw links to other subject areas. He acknowledges that students think holistically rather than compartmentaling different subject strands (i.e. think exclusively about science, math, or art). Similarly, he used the questioning period to provide praise to students, which I thought was an added benefit to the strategy.

While Dr. Beatty’s use of technology was minimal, it was still present. And I think it’s clear that technology should have a huge presence when teaching music in the junior classroom. Beatty used a program called Finale Notebook to change the look of sheet music, making it easier to read for students. He then magnified it onto the front board using a projector, giving students a more conducive learning exercise. I believe that current technology (and developing technology) will continue to give students even more opportunities to learn, feel, and experience music. Because I have a strong inability to play music, my lessons will be built heavily through technology. I eagerly anticipate embracing YouTube videos to identify rhythm and melody in certain pieces of music. I look forward to experimenting with video games like Rock Band if it sparks students’ interests in creating music. Learning opportunities for an inept “musician” (like me) continue to grow at a rapid pace with the advent of new technology.

A few other strategies that Dr. Beatty implemented include: Kinesthetic activity (clapping and stomping to the beat of music), demonstrations (his piano-playing was spot-on), and the use of visual aids (music scales), and note-taking...a lot of note-taking. On this note...it’s important for me to reflect on some of the negative aspects of the video. I alluded to the fact that his presence alone will keep kids interested – but their attention spans have expiration dates. To be perfectly honest, I would have a hard time remaining focused if I had to endure this example of Dr. Beatty’s teaching style for a long-period of time. Seriously though, I will be pleasantly surprised if I don’t have nightmares about Michael Finnegan!! Another thing I found disturbing was Dr. Beatty’s reluctance to acknowledge students with learning disabilities when discussing those that might not be able to read music in grade five. ESL learners or New Canadians are not the only students that have difficulty reading English. I believe Dr. Beatty left out an important teaching opportunity for his pre-service students. Teaching music to students with exceptionalities is probably a whole different course, but even scratching the surface would have been beneficial in this module. That being said, I want to leave off on this topic, and hear what others have to say. I would love to know if I am being overly critical as well.

Thank you

Harry Potter Diary Assignment

Book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Character: Harry Potter

Background Information: I fount this entry to be interesting. As students we have performed tasks of this nature, and as teachers we have likely asked for a “diary” entry from our students. This assignment made me think about what we ask of our students, and how clear we are in our instructions. I tried to think of this assignment from the perspective of a junior learner – and wondered if the instructions would be clear enough. I suspect there would have to be more of a rationale provided for students of this age group. I was rather pleased to see that characters from Harry Potter were appropriate for the junior level. It gave me an edge with the assignment because I am such a big fan of the series. That being said, writing “Dear Diary” is not for me. Therefore I had Harry write to his owl Hedwig. At the point of this entry, Hedwig had already passed away after saving Harry’s life. Also, I believe that Harry would be reluctant to write a diary, because Tom Riddle (Voldemort) had once written a diary as a student at Hogwarts. I hope you enjoy the entry; I look forward to the feedback.  

Dear Hedwig,

                So much is changing. There has been so much destruction, so much pain. I wish you were with me, even though I am glad you are not here to see what has happened. Hogwarts is no longer recognizable. I can’t imagine how it will ever be rebuilt, and more sadly, if there will even be a purpose to do so. The Order of the Phoenix put up a valiant fight, but we are fading. I do not know if I have the strength to carry out our mission. Why was I put in this situation? Why did it have to be me? I was just a child; I did not have any say in the matter. I certainly did not ask to be the centre of attention the past seven years, or the boy that everyone leered at or told stories about. For the past seven years I have had to deal with this idea that everyone knows who I am…and for what? So we could all end up right here, right now, moments away from anarchy and death? I miss everyone, and I feel guilty for what has happened to them. I know my parents’ deaths were not my fault, but somehow I feel responsible. It is because of me – Voldemort’s hatred of me, his desire to kill me – that many people lives have been lost. Sirius, Dumbledore, Professor Lupin, Fred Weasley and so many others gave their lives to save me…and I fear that they may have died in vain.

                It is time for me to confront Voldemort. I am about to walk out and meet him in the forest. I am ready to confront the demon that robbed me of my parents. I have said goodbye to Ron and Hermione – it was the most difficult thing I have ever done; they have no idea what lies ahead. They believe in me, they believe that I can defeat Voldemort, and that our lives will be restored, but they have not seen what I have seen.  How could I have been so wrong about everything? For seven years…SEVEN YEARS…I was too blind, too naïve, too innocent to recognize that Professor Snape was doing everything in his power to protect me. I can never forgive myself. All I can hope is that I will be able to see him again when this war takes my life. And that’s how it will end – I have sensed it would end this way for a while now – either Voldemort will kill me with the “Avada Kedavra” curse, or I will die killing him. A part of Voldemort lives inside me. I don’t know how to feel knowing that his evilness lurks deep in my heart. Has everything been a lie? The truth has been kept from me my entire life. Why has everything become so clear to me now? Why do I have to know the truth now? Why didn’t Snape come to me sooner with the truth – with his true intentions? I would have kept his secret. Why did I have to find out the truth from Snape’s memories…not Snape himself? – or Dumbledore. Dumbledore…I trusted him more than anyone – I have always done what he has asked. Why didn’t HE tell me that one day Voldemort would return…and that my life would end? I feel so alone. I feel like everything has been a lie. I want to rewind the past seven years and spend more time getting to know Professor Snape. I know they were trying to protect me, but maybe all this could have been prevented had I known the truth from the start.    

                I am not afraid to die, nor am I afraid to die at the hands of Voldemort. I will face him in the forest not out of spite, or anger, and not to avenge my parents’ death or those that I love. Instead I will face Voldemort for Ron and Hermione. I will confront Voldemort for Professor McGonagall and for those that still believe in Hogwarts and using magic for good. And I will defeat Voldemort for everyone in the world that doesn’t understand his power. And when I die defeating Voldemort I will think of Ginny, protecting her from afar for the rest of her life.

See you soon Hedwig.

Math Lesson Investigation

There is a theory (or idea) in Sports that questions whether or not great athletes – or superstars – can become successful coaches after their playing days are over. The theory acknowledges that superstar athletes don’t understand what it’s like to fail, or what it’s like to need to learn the intricacies of the skills and strategies required for success in their trade. The assumption being that in each of these superstars there is an inherent understanding of the game – and that a superstar’s athleticism allows them to do things that others cannot. In effect, their ability to teach the finer details of a game, or help struggling athletes to fix the errors in their game, is unlikely because the superstar hasn’t experienced conflict of the same nature. Furthermore, their ability to teach is compromised because they likely skipped steps in the processes of skill development because they were picked up naturally.  Perhaps the theory is outrageous and simply an observation built upon limited data. But there are enough examples of superstars being failures and role players being incredibly successful as coaches for me to have bought into the theory and consequently spent a paragraph discussing its merits. So how does this relate to my reflections on teaching mathematics? Trust me, I am not that arrogant! However I was always very good at math. I was able to pick up math strategies very early and seemingly very easy. I realize that everyone has their strengths, but I am concerned that teaching math may not be one of mine. I do not have the experience to answer this question yet, but I wonder what will happen when I have given my lesson, allowed students to work in groups, handle implements, and exhausted every one of my teaching strategies...and found that some students still “don’t get it”? This is where the lifelong learning that we have discussed previously comes into play. But this time the onus isn’t on creating a thirst in students to obtain as much knowledge as possible, the onus is on me to continue to better myself as a teacher and gather as much education as I can for my students. This is the reason why I am taking this course, and this is the reason I found great value in the videos required for module nine.

                I viewed a number of videos for module 9.1; one depicted an instructor exposing pre-service students to mathematics teaching strategies, while the others were based on practice at the junior level in the Toronto District School Board. While the videos showed instruction to different audiences (not to mention much improved editing capabilities in the latter video), the material supported one another quite effectively. After acknowledging my fears about my capabilities of teaching math at the junior level, I think it is important to look at some of the strategies identified in the videos and reflect on their effectiveness.

·         Side note: I will likely bounce back and forth between videos – so I apologize if this results in any confusion; I will try and be as clear and concise as possible.

There needs to be a balance between direct and indirect instruction when teaching mathematics: and neither have to be boring. I found that while the instructor was teaching to the pre-service students (using the overheads), he was animated, passionate, and humorous. I am concerned though that this necessary teaching strategy will be received negatively by students. As a student I remember these types of lessons being my least favourite. How do I combat this (universal) reality? In my opinion direct teaching needs to be attacked using ferocious enthusiasm (ferocious could potentially be a bit of an exaggeration), especially in mathematics. In addition, the content needs to have some real world application in order for students to find merit and authenticity in it (e.g. the oranges from the video). The instructor expects teachers to engage students in helping the math program. He encourages teachers to encourage students to acquire ownership of their learning. He provided a number of oranges to the pre-service students and asked them to (in words junior students would use) investigate what areas of mathematics are viable to them (the students would think about buoyancy, measurements, fractions, etc. Too often it seems that mathematics is presented to students without their ability to examine its use on their own. And too often problems that nobody cares about are given, rather than students discovering their own questions concerning how a specific area of math might be useful.

                In order for students to gain ownership of their learning, the instructors use grouping as a primary learning strategy. Grouping in mathematics (similar to language) can be a difficult process. What if I have a weak student coasting along in a group with two or three strong ones? How do I keep groups working at similar paces (and do I even want that to happen)? What are groups doing when I am providing feedback to others? What is the perfect group size? The teacher in the TDSB mentioned that each group should have a pre-determined leader, and that this is a prestigious position to hold. I understand the value of having a “leader”, but one potential drawback is for the low students that may never be given a chance to hold this honour. Personally, I probably wouldn’t make this leadership position so explicit. Despite the questions and potential hiccups, the benefits of grouping are valuable. In order for teachers to put themselves in advantageous positions though, they must develop learning centres with appropriate resources, and a detailed set of carefully designed instructions (keeping in mind that we want students to hold ownership of their learning). In this way the teacher can back off and allow students to engage in self-directed learning. An extension of this strategy is breaking down larger groups into pairs. One strategy used by the teacher in the TDSB, was Think/Pair/Share. Students are given some instruction, and are asked to think about strategies needed to solve the problem or attack the task. In either case teachers can move from group to group providing immediate feedback pertinent to the needs of that specific group. Consequently teachers can use this information to revise their future lesson plans. Once again I need to think about strategies that ensure students remain on task while I am with other groups. Obviously this should be addressed and modeled from the beginning of the year, with students contributing to a set of class “expectations of group work behaviour”, but I suspect some “foul play” is inevitable.

                I mentioned resources in the previous paragraph. I think that people (not just students or teachers) forget that math is a language that needs to be felt, held on to, and experienced. Math needs to be felt physically just as much as it needs to be seen visually (sorry if that doesn’t make sense). Providing students with an array of implements (shapes, counting blocks, string, etc.) that can be manipulated is imperative. In most classrooms (especially ones where math is taught) there should be a designated area that contains these manipulatives. This should be an area that is inviting and that students feel confident exploring. However, I have worked with students that only “work” with what is given to them. In other words, if you don’t put what they need in front of them, they are unlikely to respond, or seek out what they need to be successful. In these cases, what makes the most sense? Should I give the students what I think they need, let them fail, or have their parents come up with the answer with them? I suspect finding the strategy that works best for each specific case is the “right” answer (did I mention frustration in my first paragraph?).

                Demonstrations used to extend learning were another strategy depicted in the videos. Demonstrations are something that can easily show authentic applications in the sciences or the arts, but at first glance these might be harder to develop for math (or at least more difficult to come up with). However the merits of this (coupled with the enthusiasm we talked about earlier) are profound. The only thing that I would be concerned with is trying to find applications (through demonstration) that are relevant to all students (whether there are 20 or 40 kids in your class). And that is why I was impressed with the instructor’s demonstration about the buoyancy of oranges. Everyone ‘gets’ oranges, yet it seems so simple. So my next logical thought is...am I over thinking this strategy? Another benefit of introducing students’ interests into teaching is the possibility to further reach students through interdisciplinary approaches. The instructor was able to discuss oranges – at first in a math context – then in a geography context. Obviously this is an incredibly condensed simplified example – but it seems so simple. I think sometimes teachers are focused on reaching the expectations of a certain subject that obvious “tangents” (i.e. connections) pertaining to other subjects are either ignored or forgotten. As a teacher I am eager to encourage discussions that veer off into other subject areas (whether it’s intentional or unintentional).

                In the interest of not losing my audience, I am going to add a final paragraph to add a few things that intrigued me in videos.  The instructor mentioned that sometimes teachers need to say “never mind curriculum pressures – I have to construct learning”. Obviously this isn’t the education tagline, but learning occurs in many ways and I think most educators realize the importance of facilitating learning whenever possible. Another strategy I found effective (although a bit condescending to pre-service students) was the instructor saying “starts with an R, ends with an O” (ratio). This is a useful strategy when trying to elicit learning prior to knowledge. Finally, checking frequently (through a variety of means) for understanding, and including peer evaluations in the assessment process are two strategies that work well in math and other subjects.

Thank you.

     

               

                 

                 

Field Trips

Field trips can have a tremendously positive influence on a school’s culture and on students’ overall learning if there is a consistent pattern of rationally chosen and effectively organized excursions. It seems that two general problems occur that keep teachers from achieving this lofty standard: First, as module 8-2 alludes to, organizing field trips can be a painful process. I suspect many teachers ask themselves whether the time spent organizing the trip is worth the learning opportunities the students get from it.  Second, I suspect in some cases field trips are planned and executed, but very little (if any) follow-up (or prior learning) occurs. While I have very little first-hand knowledge or experience planning a field trip, I have enjoyed many as a student that employed zero follow-up exercises or demonstrated only minimal connections to the course curriculum. Obviously this needs to change. We need to fix these problems so teachers and learning institutions can utilize all available resources (inside the school and out) in order to transfer the expectations of the Ontario curriculum to students.

Conducting field trips can be advantageous for both students and staff. Teachers can use venues, museums, outdoor activity centres, etc. as a source of investigative learning or simply as a vehicle to observe concepts or events that build on students’ knowledge and/or prepare students for further learning. In the back roads of Niagara lies St. John’s Outdoor Education Centre. I suspect that anyone who went to school in Niagara, or has lived in Niagara, would be familiar with this place. The facility is quite large; there are sections that focus on orienteering, nature, 19^th century schooling, and arts & crafts (and more). I probably visited St. John’s at least once a year from kindergarten to grade six. Before taking the field trip, we would take part in activities designed to enhance the learning experience. For some reason I can remember certain aspects of those trips quite vividly. As an LTO teacher in Ottawa, I chaperoned a group of students to the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto. I believe we had six teachers on the trip and two busloads. The trip was an example of “trip planning perfection”. The trip also fell on my birthday…which was a nice treat. 

Field trips can also be used to increase class camaraderie and reward students for positive behaviours. At the junior level an example of a trip of this nature that is fun and can be tied to curriculum would be to take students to drama productions put on by local high schools. These trips are relatively easy to organize, and the themes of the production can be tied to the junior curriculum fairly easily. Another benefit of field trips is the opportunity it gives students to visit places that they otherwise wouldn’t choose to go to, or wouldn’t have the opportunity to go, and likely at a reduced cost from the regular rate. Additionally field trips can help bridge the divide between parents and teachers by providing opportunities for parents to get involved in school activities as a trip chaperone. My mother will never forget the time she accompanied my grade seven class to see the Lion King, and got ‘stuck’ with the five most obnoxious boys in the class (yes…they were my friends).  She continues to exaggerate about the negative effects it had to her mental state.

On the other hand there are many concerns that arise when planning a field trip. As the 8-2 document explains, many things must come together before a trip can take off. Some of these obstacles include:

1.       Parental permissions: Parents may be reluctant to send their children on field trips if they are concerned with the venue, costs, or safety. There could be a variety of other reasons, but these come to mind.

2.       Transportation: Buses cost money and can be unreliable especially if the trip is a good distance away. My experiences at Columbia have taught me that buses break down, have a tendency to be late or not show up.

3.       Liability concerns: Some venues have students sign waivers to alleviate liability away from their facility. This could disuade some school or teachers from visiting. In addition, teachers must be very concerned about students’ safety on these trips. Injuries or much worse can happen to students – so every precaution must be taken into consideration.

4.       Appropriate child supervision: Finding parent or community volunteers to chaperone a trip with teachers is usually not problematic. However, there will never be a ratio of 1:1 or even 10:1 (students : chaperones), and usually trips seem to be a more likely opportunity for “things to go bad”. My suggestion – teachers must visit the venue, meet with the staff, and be as proactive as possible to plan for any concerns.

5.       Weather / Venue Alterations: Always be prepared for last minute trip cancellations. This is my final warning.

If you think any of these obstacles will become a significant issue, the trip is unlikely to occur. I suspect that principals follow field trips quite closely. As problems arise following the conclusion of a trip, the likelihood of another trip happening again decreases.

My experiences this summer at Columbia International College have been interesting to say the least. I have learned an incredible amount about managing people, interacting with international students, and working in a private school environment. I have also been introduced to an educational outdoor facility associated with Columbia. Bark Lake Leadership Centre is located near Haliburton, and focuses on providing a Total Outdoor Leadership Experience for students of all ages. They tie their activities to the Ontario Curriculum expectations, and give students an opportunity to learn at a facility that is truly “Canadian”. Bark Lake provides all food and accomodations – which takes the pressures off of teachers/schools planning the trips. http://www.barklake.com/

Thank you  

Exemplars

I will never forget when I was about 6, my brother 11, and my sister 9, and our parents asked us to pull out the pea plants in the garden (for they had already been picked). So we set out to work (per the parents’ request) pulling out plant after plant. We had done great work... fantastic work... work we thought was so great... until our parents returned. They informed us that not only had we pulled out the pea plants, but the bean plants as well. And as you may have guessed, the beans had not yet been picked. And as you also may have guessed, we were ecstatic... because we did not like beans (unfortunately my parents would feed us frozen beans, which were way worse).

As with most anything in life, showing somebody how to do something, or showing them exactly what is being asked of them, is beneficial to the process. The model or showcase to strive for in education is the exemplar. For assignments, assessments, and evaluations, it is imperative that students are given examples of what is expected of them. These exemplars can be created by the teacher, or by students from previous years. Equally as important, is to show the student a variety of exemplars that show how the same assignment can be done successfully in different ways. Going a step further, it is advantageous for teachers to show level 1, 2, 3, & 4 exemplars (and the reasons why those exemplars fall into each category). Usually this process is performed with an accompanying rubric. I have utilized exemplars both effectively and ineffectively in my (brief) experience in the classroom. As a first year teacher in 2008, I was in the midst of teaching curriculum that was foreign to me, in a position that I had never held before. Some of the assessments I used were passed down to me by my co-workers. I re-worked them to fit my class, but I failed to provide students with a concrete example of what I wanted. I thought that the instructions I had given them would lead to the finished product I had constructed in my head. And for some this (kind of) happened... but for others... not so much. It was a big eye-opener, and I ended up not counting it for much of anything, but rather adapting my final assessment to include some of the things I wanted previously. Optimistically, I like to think this process bettered me as a teacher (my first students may or may not agree). That semester I rarely did anything significant without an exemplar... even if I was up till 3am creating one.

The Ontario Curriculum Guides offer teachers (and parents and students) examples of what is expected from students at different grade levels. The exemplars that I am going to examine (I use that term a bit loosely given the amount of space I am expected to use) come from The Ontario Curriculum – Exemplars Grade 5 & 6 document http://www.ontla.on.ca/library/repository/mon/3000/10303844.pdf. Specifically I am going to look at grade six exemplars – which should coincide nicely with our module 8 group assignment.

First and foremost, it is nice to know, after reading the first few pages, that the performance tasks and scoring scales (rubrics) – depicted in the document – were used in classrooms, given changes to, and marks provided, resulting in  actual student work being used as exemplars (for all levels) in this document. This tells me that a large amount of time was spent with these documents, encompassing a large group of people (which is very encouraging, and demonstrates that an authentic process has taken place). The exemplar documents show two examples of student work for each achievement level (1, 2, 3, &4), for an assignment in each course strand (in this case Early Civilizations). This gives teachers an artillery worth of exemplars to draw from in the classroom. In addition, the teacher package is something that first year teachers (who may not have a lot to draw from – especially in subjects that may not be their strong-suits) can utilize, and experienced teachers can build on and liken other tasks to.

Unfortunately though, these documents are difficult to find, and not as easily available in a school setting (in my experience) as one would expect. If a set of these exemplar documents were found in each classroom (maybe that is unrealistic), teachers could show these more efficiently. That being said if each classroom had a Smart-board or a projector, we could just beam the examples to the head of the classroom. Now that would be ultra effective. In any event, having the chance to use these documents more practically would have been extremely beneficial for me as a first-year teacher (and beyond). The thoroughness of these documents gives students no excuse for achievement fogginess – if the documents are shown to them properly. Additionally, there is a substantial amount of information here for students and teachers to grasp. A quick look through its pages shows a variety of graphs, bullet points, charts, rubrics, etc. There is a lot going on. Even teachers can be quickly over-whelmed by the content. The specific exemplars of student work on pages 40-58 from the task for Ancient Civilizations grade six are quite convoluted – even in level one. While the information following each exemplar gives first year teachers a good idea of what they should be noting (e.g. understanding of concepts, communication of required knowledge, application, comments / next steps), and the type of assignments they can provide to students, the information overall seems quite daunting. Furthermore, it is unclear if the specific tasks are the golden standard that teachers should be holding all of their tasks up to. Perhaps some of the tasks provided in the exemplars will not, a) work for my students, or b) work for me. If this is the case, does it reflect negatively on me?

Moving on, the Ontario Curriculum Exemplar Documents are not just designed for teachers (and consequently students). Parents should also eat this information up (Sorry, I realize the preceding sounded incredibly informal). The document acknowledges that, “the samples in the document provide parents with examples of student work to help them monitor their child’s progress” (Ontario Document p.3). Communication between teachers and parents can also be fostered through this process. Parents can look through the document to give them a better understanding of the type of work their child should be striving for.  And while I believe that these documents are difficult for parents to peruse, if given the opportunity to look through (and perhaps are made more readily available), these documents can educate parents with the “here and now”, regarding current assessment tools, expectations, and achievement charts that are being used in Ontario’s classrooms and learning institutions. Through this document parents can be given (some of) the knowledge to better help their child progress and reach the appropriate achievement levels. A much better summery is given in bullet points on page nine of the document.

Finally, principals also share an invested interest in these documents. They should use these documents as guides to help ensure their teachers are using the appropriate measures provided within. Principals can use these documents to help ensure that their teachers are following similar methods of assessment, especially in larger schools where multiple teachers are teaching the same grades. I believe that schools should have a variety of teaching personalities within its walls – teachers with unique skills and strengths that give the building character. I find a school can truly thrive if constructed with an approach of this nature. But I also think there needs to be a level of accountability... a level of similarity and conformity. The Ontario Curriculum Documents and Exemplar Guides help facilitate this desire.

Thank you.

The teacher's role in the writing process

Writing is something I am very fond of. Truthfully though, rarely do I have anything of value to write that anyone else would want to read. However, some of my life goals involve writing. I want to write a book (still molding my ideas), and I want to write a comedy movie script (I’m more close to writing the script than the book). In fact I enjoy writing more than I enjoy reading (major works especially), which probably doesn’t make a ton of sense. But I enjoy the process of creating a picture – so to speak – using words. I’m not sure where I picked up this interest, but I suspect that over the years the education system has fed this interest. The joy for writing that I have incurred comes as a result of an inner urge/desire to improve it. If I had this same desire towards other things (perhaps cooking or learning to fix a car), major improvements to my home life could be made.

After teaching English at the intermediate and senior levels, I completely understand the value of writing in the classroom. The only negative – as far as I could see – was the increase in my marking load (tongue in cheek). I believe the focus on writing literacy has increased significantly since my days as a student. That being said, from what I experienced in the classroom, I think there is room for improvement. Students need to develop a joy for writing, and to do that they need to be taught (and given more time to practice) how to maximize their writing abilities. Learning the writing process is integral to this idea. Tompkins’ text identifies the writing process as “a process that involves recurring cycles” that focuses on “what students think and do as they write” (Tompkins p. 136). There are five stages in the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. It is important to remember that just because these stages are labeled and ordered, does not mean that the process is linear. Instead it is a revolving process; when writing is performed properly, these stages will be touched on multiple times. Teachers must play an integral role in this process. The teachers’ role in the writing process is to, a). Give students many authentic opportunities through a variety of assignments, to explore their writing abilities and improve on them, and b). “Serve as a model in the writing process by writing class collaborations” and by teaching minilessons that look at the procedures, concepts, strategies, and skills of the writing process. Much in the same way teachers need to be enthusiastic about reading, we must also express an eagerness to write, and to do so frequently in the classroom using a modeled and collaborative approach. The junior level is the time for teachers to instill in students a sense of “writing pride”, and fine-tune the skills and strategies for effective writing.

I am going to talk about the five stages more thoroughly in time, but before doing so I want to highlight ‘editing’ as a source of frustration in my teaching career. From students’ perspectives, I can understand some of the reasons why the editing stage is ignored. First, some students just want to be done with an assignment. The last period signals the end – it can be submitted and forgotten. Second, I imagine some students might be embarrassed by their work. I’ve heard a few students hand something to me – already shaking their heads, muttering “it’s bad” under their breath. I suppose the “great reflector” that I am must take some responsibility here. That being said, one of my strongest attributes was helping students take the work they hand in – and help them to turn it into something more special. I am encouraged by what I experienced in the classroom in this regard, and am eager to use these skills at the junior level.

Module 7-1 gave us an example of a grade six student’s work titled ‘Mummification’, and asked how I would help edit this piece. One teaching strategy that I found to work successfully was pulling students’ sentence errors from their work, and taking them up as a class. One day I might work on sentence fragments, the next run-on sentences. At the junior level I would include minilessons on capitalization and comma use as well. Editing checklists are also imperative. Checklists give students reminders of what they need to be looking for during the editing process. Figure 4-6 in Tompkins’ text provides a good guideline for a checklist, but I also would be inclined to add more boxes that should be checked after I have edited their work. Too often I found that students wouldn’t review my edits – and would either stuff it back in their notes, or perhaps put in the special filing cabinet they labelled “waste-paper basket”. By adding categories such as, “I have fixed all comma errors” they would expected to correct their work and then resubmit it. That being said, for this “Mummification” assignment, I might have been more inclined to assess their work from a research perspective, and just read this paragraph for enjoyment! I have to admit it is pretty interesting – if not a bit morbid (beeswax in the nose?!?).

Mythology has never been my strong suit, and don’t get me started on Clash of the Titans. However having students write myths as part of a theme cycle about Ancient Greece is an interesting place to discuss the teacher’s role in all five stages of the writing process. This will be fairly brief, only because this will be a grand generalization. I suspect my role in the writing process could vary significantly from student-to-student and from year-to-year.

1.       Prewriting: It is important to give students the opportunity for choice in their writing. Not complete freedom perhaps, but allow them to choose the style of writing, or choose from one of four or five culminating tasks. For this assignment it is important to give students the choice of their topics from ancient Greece. But the more often students have the opportunity to choose what they want to write about, the more successful writing (and learning) opportunities will be. In addition, it is the teacher’s job to instill a sense of value for brainstorming in the classroom. Students need a framework or a roadmap in order to gather their thoughts and plant their ideas. I have written before about the importance of organization, and this stage is where that begins. Teachers can model several graphic organizers for students along the way – giving them options to use the ones that work best.

2.       Drafting: I have seen far too many (and embarrassingly have done it myself) times where students write one draft and hand it in. A second, third, or fourth draft can improve an assignment immensely. Teachers encourage ‘drafting’ by forcing students through the process. Force may sound like a harsh word, but drafting needs to become habit-forming. Teachers must acknowledge when drafts have been written. Additionally, it is important not to emphasize spelling and grammar during this stage; the content and organization of ideas should be the main focus.

3.       Revising: This stage is multi-faceted. The more eyes that view the paper prior to, and during the revising stage, the better. The teacher’s role is to be the last set of eyes, and (especially during major works) hold conferences with individual students to help them “make choices and define directions for revision” (p.143). It is important to keep in mind that conferences work best when the students speak first, when questions (rather than answers) are posed to the students, and ask students to identify the revisions to be made that were discussed during the conference.

4.       Editing: As much as I like being redundant, I kindly ask those reading to refer above for information relating to the teacher’s role during the editing stage (and yes this sentence was edited for excessive sarcasm).

5.       Publishing: The most important thing a teacher can do at this stage is to provide opportunities for students to be proud of their work. Tompkins highlights a number of relatively easy ways for teachers to do this: 1. Making books, 2. Sharing writing orally or by putting published work in the library, 3. Produce videos of the work, 4. Help students create a classroom blog, etc. I think all of these could be beneficial for a myth-writing assignment. I think creating some sort of mythological haven somewhere in the school to support the writing would be huge! The advantages of sharing work can really have a positive impact on a student’s psyche. Teachers can also create genuine audiences that know how to respond to their classmates, by modeling this behaviour when students perform in class.

The final necessity of this reflection piece before I can call it a completed draft (and this follows several drafts & revisions, plenty of peer- and self-editing processes, and a whole case of RedBull) is to acknowledge the importance of providing a variety of writing options in the classroom and differentiating between forms of writing. Common errors occur in the classroom when teachers fail to distinguish between informational (or expository texts) and narratives. Both forms of writing can be a joy to read – each should be essential bookmark holders in a junior student’s knapsack – and both can be a joy to explore in writing.

Thank you.

Lifelong Learning

I wanted to share a few thoughts on Lifelong Learning before diving into Tompkins’ Language Arts text. In this way I can show how out of touch I am, and then consequently spend a few paragraphs having to change my way of thinking (hopefully not though)!

Lifelong learning is a goal that educators may have difficulty imposing on others because – I believe for the most part – we have an innate drive to continue developing ourselves and bettering ourselves as teachers, communicators, and in a perfect world bettering ourselves as people. This innate drive is not carried by everyone, including many students that live in the moment and may not see the benefits of working hard in the classroom, let alone putting themselves in positions to learn outside of it. Therefore, I believe that it is our job to provide students with transferable learning strategies that can be engrained (and retained). As a result these strategies become – in essence – skills that can be kept in their “toolboxes” for future use. All that being said, if students aren’t interested in things the desire to learn is suppressed. Generally, people take part in activities, seek employment in, and surround themselves with things that interest them. Thus, our secondary goal must be to create interest in a wide variety of subject areas and topics. Not artificial interest either, rather genuine interest in exploring topics that are both familiar and foreign. Perhaps the single most important avenue to create this interest is to encourage, create a passion for reading: lifelong reading.

                Guided reading is one strategy – that when used effectively and with purpose – has been found to instill a strong reading desire and positive reading skills for/to students. Guided reading brings readers with similar reading ability together to help “meet the varied needs of all students” (Tompkins p. 122). Texts that are slightly above student’s ability to read independently are used with guided instructional support designed to build reading strategies and increase independence. Through this approach teachers are able to more close monitor and assess students’ progress. In smaller groups with students working at or near the same level, they have opportunities to more clearly demonstrate their reading strategies, and teachers can more easily (and effectively) clarify misunderstandings, point out key words, and provide a stronger foundation for students to improve reading and grow their passion for language arts. In the text, a six step process is revealed.

1.       Teachers choose a book or selection for a group based on their reading abilities.

2.       Books are introduced with pre-reading strategies (more on this). These strategies are designed to set a purpose for reading.  Predictions are made.

3.       Guided reading is beneficial because teachers can more easily observe students’ reading. Anecdotal notes are written to pave the way for more direct instructional teaching later.

4.       Assistance is given while students are reading to aid in comprehension and word identification.

5.       Students talk about the selection. In smaller groups students can investigate the text – and what they have learned – with (ideally) a stronger urge to share and explore what has been found.

6.       Teachers continue to instruct after reading. Minilessons are used to review/practice/introduce skills and strategies. These lessons can be developed and introduced prior to reading or be developed following the observations made during reading.

The text suggests that Guided Reading is best used when students are learning to read or when developing new reading strategies.  However I believe that guided reading is important at all levels and in a variety of settings. I have experienced forms of guided reading (perhaps the strategy component was not explicit focused on) during university, in work related sessions, and in the 90+ division in the nursing home (I wish!). More importantly I have observed and attempted to introduce Guided Reading at the Junior, Intermediate, and Senior levels. I found smaller groups worked quite effectively while teaching grade eleven university preparation English. The Great Gatsby is a difficult text – especially for ESL learners. In smaller groups though I could more easily teach strategies designed to battle the difficult words that F. Scott Fitzgerald used to paint his work. While students still found it difficult to wrap their heads around the novel – I found some improvement by the end of the novel (crazy Daisy Buchanan).

                One aspect of Guided Reading that I can focus on more closely to in the future is providing activities during the pre-reading stage that excite students prior to reading. Here are some strategies that I have discovered and some activities that can encourage each.

1.       Activate prior knowledge –

Mind Maps, as individual or group activities, can be used to help trigger prior knowledge concerning ideas that the text will present. This might work better in groups because students combine their knowledge. In instances where one student knows something that others do not (prior to reading), that student can teach the other what he or she knows. As the students begin reading, the mind map can be continued. 

2.       Make Predictions –

Anticipation Guides can be used to encourage students to make predictions about what they are about to read. Students can anticipate based on the text’s cover, title, a small passage, or even a few keywords.

Book Boxes can be used as a form of Anticipation Guide (Tompkins p. 131). Teachers select a group of objects that relate to the text’s characters and themes. Students can explore the box and predict what the objects have in common and how they might come together in the text.

3.       Preview the text –

Students can read reviews of the text or supporting texts that allude specifically to the one being used for Guided Reading. Obviously positive reviews or works that paint the text in an encouraging light are imperative.

4.       Connect to prior personal and literary experience –

Think-Pair-Share activities combine other strategies (including writing strategies) to encourage students to make connections. Teachers must provide texts leading up to the one being used for Guided Reading, that have similar themes, or like-minded characters in order for students to be able to attach to. Teachers can prompt students to think about these literary connections, and perhaps even personal experiences by means of some type of a thinking exercise. After students have the opportunity to find their connections (genuine or not), they pair with another student to share their findings.

5.       Set purposes for reading –

The KWL strategy can be used to set purposes for learning (it should be used throughout the reading process). Students are informed about topics and themes the text presents. They make notes about what they already Know about the topics and What they Want to learn about them. In this way they take ownership of their learning and it encourages them to seek answers that the text may not address. When this occurs they can go outside the text to get the information.  

                Guided Reading and guided viewing are necessary in the classroom as an aid to help develop the skills students need to perform lifelong reading and lifelong learning.

Thank you