Day: October 12, 2017

On October 6th, my practicum school partnered with another local school to invite Google-certified educators and innovators in to share a variety of tools to implement Google into the classroom and make teachers’ lives easier. I decided to make these tools the basis for my 2017-2018 inquiry project and further my research to make it directly applicable to TRB Standard 5 – “Educators implement effective practices in the areas of classroom management, planning, instruction, assessment, evaluation and reporting.”

Throughout this blog, I will go through each of the areas mentioned in Standard 5 and highlight the tools I took away from the workshop as well as others I have found throughout my research. My goal is to make these tools applicable and accessible for all, regardless of experience level.

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.” – Maya Angelou

The following information is taken from this article.

It’s 2017 and you can bet your bottom dollar that any class that you are put into these days is going to be diverse. For some teachers who are stuck in traditional ways of teaching, this is intimidating, but for some it is a challenge to incorporate each learner into the woodwork and to make sure each of their needs are met.

Research shows that, “traditional teaching methods are often ineffective for learners outside of the majority culture.” The article states that many students from minority groups, especially women and people of colour, are most likely to prosper when their classroom has a focus on collaborative work where they can share personal experiences and, “examine relationships between persons and ideas”. In parallel, more competitive learning environments may cause students from minority groups to feel isolated and unable to speak their mind. In classrooms that model competitive learning, such as calling on students who raise their hands quicker than others, some students fall between the cracks. In environments such as this it is important to outline clear expectations for when it is appropriate to speak, to always show respect, and that it’s OK to make mistakes.

Some of the questions outlined in the article are:

• Do your examples or illustrations acknowledge the experiences of people from different backgrounds in non-stereotypical ways?
• Have you examined your own conscious or unconscious biases about people of other cultures?
• Are the students welcome to share from their own lives and interests? Are they treated as individuals?

I found the question regarding the resources used in the classroom showing perspectives of people from an array of backgrounds to provoke a lot of thought around what that would like in a BC classroom. Incorporating materials written from the perspectives similar to those of students in your class could seriously promote empathy and acceptance within your classroom dynamic. For example, including stories or books by First Nations peoples into social studies lessons or science lessons could spark new ideas for many students in your classroom and could also allow for First Nations children in your classroom to take pride in their culture and share their own experiences. Again, it is important to allow room for cooperation, sharing, and relationship building in the diverse classroom.

Ultimately, if you are working to create an inclusive classroom then you are also making strides towards making your classroom a safe space for every child. By incorporating times for students to connect, share experiences, and work collaboratively you are creating space for students to celebrate and respect their diversities as strengths rather than weaknesses. Keep in mind that small group work should be monitored so that students are working in new combinations of partners often.

“Whichever methods you choose to make your classroom more inclusive, know that remaining sensitive to and flexible about the ways diverse populations communicate, behave and think, will help create a supportive learning environment for all students.”

 

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.” – Maya Angelou

The following information is taken from this article.

It’s 2017 and you can bet your bottom dollar that any class that you are put into these days is going to be diverse. For some teachers who are stuck in traditional ways of teaching, this is intimidating, but for some it is a challenge to incorporate each learner into the woodwork and to make sure each of their needs are met.

Research shows that, “traditional teaching methods are often ineffective for learners outside of the majority culture.” The article states that many students from minority groups, especially women and people of colour, are most likely to prosper when their classroom has a focus on collaborative work where they can share personal experiences and, “examine relationships between persons and ideas”. In parallel, more competitive learning environments may cause students from minority groups to feel isolated and unable to speak their mind. In classrooms that model competitive learning, such as calling on students who raise their hands quicker than others, some students fall between the cracks. In environments such as this it is important to outline clear expectations for when it is appropriate to speak, to always show respect, and that it’s OK to make mistakes.

Some of the questions outlined in the article are:

• Do your examples or illustrations acknowledge the experiences of people from different backgrounds in non-stereotypical ways?
• Have you examined your own conscious or unconscious biases about people of other cultures?
• Are the students welcome to share from their own lives and interests? Are they treated as individuals?

I found the question regarding the resources used in the classroom showing perspectives of people from an array of backgrounds to provoke a lot of thought around what that would like in a BC classroom. Incorporating materials written from the perspectives similar to those of students in your class could seriously promote empathy and acceptance within your classroom dynamic. For example, including stories or books by First Nations peoples into social studies lessons or science lessons could spark new ideas for many students in your classroom and could also allow for First Nations children in your classroom to take pride in their culture and share their own experiences. Again, it is important to allow room for cooperation, sharing, and relationship building in the diverse classroom.

Ultimately, if you are working to create an inclusive classroom then you are also making strides towards making your classroom a safe space for every child. By incorporating times for students to connect, share experiences, and work collaboratively you are creating space for students to celebrate and respect their diversities as strengths rather than weaknesses. Keep in mind that small group work should be monitored so that students are working in new combinations of partners often.

“Whichever methods you choose to make your classroom more inclusive, know that remaining sensitive to and flexible about the ways diverse populations communicate, behave and think, will help create a supportive learning environment for all students.”

 

Meeting the Needs of Digital Learners (Curtain & Dahlberg, 2016)

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/every-learner/6776

 

Reading and Video on using technology to help students with learning disabilities.

The following video is a TED Talk by the late Rita Pierson. Rita had been around the school system her entire life. Her parents were educators, her parent’s parents were educators, and she had been an educator for 40+ years herself when she gave this talk. In all of Rita’s experience in the school system she had found that building relationships with students is probably the most effective thing a teacher can do to help their students be successful.

Building relationships with students is a very important key to creating an environment where students feel safe and supported. In this TED talk Rita explained that in her time in the school system she had witnessed many students drop out from poverty, low attendance, negative peer influences, etc. Rita said that educators know why students drop out, but they rarely discuss the importance of human connection — relationships.

“No significant learning can occur without a significant relationship.” – James Comer

Rita explained that, “kids don’t learn from people they don’t like”. She believed that relationships are built on simple concepts, such as apologizing and honesty. Rita had classes that were so academically deficient that she would cry and she would often find herself asking,  “How do I raise the self-esteem of a child and his academic achievement at the same time?”

In times where Rita found herself in front of a challenging class she decided to give them a motto. She would tell her students to say,

“I am somebody. I was somebody when I came and I will be a better somebody when I leave. I am powerful. I am strong. And I deserve the education that I get here.”

Rita believed that if her students said this long enough then it would start to become them, and she was right.

Something that I found extraordinarily valuable when listening to Rita’s talk was when she spoke of her mother. She said that she would watch her mother go out and buy combs, brushes, crackers, and peanut butter to put in her desk for students who needed it. I found this to be incredible, and something that I wish to emulate as a teacher myself. When I think of a safe learning environment I think of a role model like Rita’s mother. She was so intentional and compassionate with her students that when she passed on she left a legacy of relationships that would never disappear. A teacher like touches the hearts of so many lives and thats what children need – a champion.

A final note from Rita’s talk that I think is important to mention is the fact that you won’t love every single one of your students but they can never know that. Rita said, “The tough ones show up for a reason.” The classroom needs to be a safe and supportive place for each and every student. Teachers are great actresses and especially so in this case and the toughest kids are the ones who need the most support and connection.

“Teaching is tough, but it’s not impossible.”

I think that any teacher that is looking to create a safe space in their classroom can learn a lot from Rita Pierson’s work. Relationships are important and a teacher can never know just how much they will impact a child’s life, they can only do their best to make that impact a positive one. “Every child deserves an adult who will never give up on them. An adult that understands the power of relationships and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be. Every child deserves a champion.”

 

The following video is a TED Talk by the late Rita Pierson. Rita had been around the school system her entire life. Her parents were educators, her parent’s parents were educators, and she had been an educator for 40+ years herself when she gave this talk. In all of Rita’s experience in the school system she had found that building relationships with students is probably the most effective thing a teacher can do to help their students be successful.

Building relationships with students is a very important key to creating an environment where students feel safe and supported. In this TED talk Rita explained that in her time in the school system she had witnessed many students drop out from poverty, low attendance, negative peer influences, etc. Rita said that educators know why students drop out, but they rarely discuss the importance of human connection — relationships.

“No significant learning can occur without a significant relationship.” – James Comer

Rita explained that, “kids don’t learn from people they don’t like”. She believed that relationships are built on simple concepts, such as apologizing and honesty. Rita had classes that were so academically deficient that she would cry and she would often find herself asking,  “How do I raise the self-esteem of a child and his academic achievement at the same time?”

In times where Rita found herself in front of a challenging class she decided to give them a motto. She would tell her students to say,

“I am somebody. I was somebody when I came and I will be a better somebody when I leave. I am powerful. I am strong. And I deserve the education that I get here.”

Rita believed that if her students said this long enough then it would start to become them, and she was right.

Something that I found extraordinarily valuable when listening to Rita’s talk was when she spoke of her mother. She said that she would watch her mother go out and buy combs, brushes, crackers, and peanut butter to put in her desk for students who needed it. I found this to be incredible, and something that I wish to emulate as a teacher myself. When I think of a safe learning environment I think of a role model like Rita’s mother. She was so intentional and compassionate with her students that when she passed on she left a legacy of relationships that would never disappear. A teacher like touches the hearts of so many lives and thats what children need – a champion.

A final note from Rita’s talk that I think is important to mention is the fact that you won’t love every single one of your students but they can never know that. Rita said, “The tough ones show up for a reason.” The classroom needs to be a safe and supportive place for each and every student. Teachers are great actresses and especially so in this case and the toughest kids are the ones who need the most support and connection.

“Teaching is tough, but it’s not impossible.”

I think that any teacher that is looking to create a safe space in their classroom can learn a lot from Rita Pierson’s work. Relationships are important and a teacher can never know just how much they will impact a child’s life, they can only do their best to make that impact a positive one. “Every child deserves an adult who will never give up on them. An adult that understands the power of relationships and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be. Every child deserves a champion.”

 

So far, I have been focusing on researching how to teach printing. I have found that: “A grapheme is the written symbol either an individual letter (s, m, a) or sequence of letters (th, sh, ch, oy) that are used to represent a single phoneme” (Right Track Reading). I have been specifically reading about the order in which to teach letter formation. I have found a few different orders that different programs say are the best, but what they all have in common is that they teach the letter out of order, in both printing and when teaching phonemes.“ A phoneme is the smallest speech sound example the sound /s/ or /ch (Right Track Reading). Most programs state that you should focus on printing lower case letters first because they are more common in text and more useful when writing. Many teachers stated that the first letters they teach are those in the students name since it is meaningful to them. Then an interesting order that I read about was to start with the straight line letters (l, i, t, f, j) and then move into the letters that start like a ‘c’ (c, o, a, d, g, q), then letters that are like an ‘r’ (r, n, m, p, b, h) and then the extras (e, s, k, u, x, v, w, y, z). I observed my sponsor teacher doing an order similar to this when doing printing practicum with my practicum class.

***Add rainbow letter picture!!

Hi, and welcome to my first ever blog post. I cannot guarantee action, or drama but if it helps, try reading this in Jim Carey’s voice.

New things are exciting– particularly when it has to do with trying new foods, convincing your significant other to see a movie you want to see, or the day you start investigating literature circles. For people like us, today is the day for at least one of those. I picked this topic based on my belief that reading skills can be applied in all aspects of learning and fosters enjoyment. I want to help students gain confidence with their writing and have fun while doing so. As many educators realize, people do their best and demonstrate growth most often when they have a sense of enjoyment and engagement in their learning. I am hoping to realize what it is about literature circles that makes it a widely practiced methods. I asked the greatest resource on the planet–google. Then, I asked the greatest person. I have censored her name, so we will call her Hermione.

 

Hermione  referred me to a book called literature Circles by Faye Brownlie. The book is not currently in at the library or at chapters but it is on Amazon and I will have it shortly. However I found these 6 principles that represent the 6 T’s of Exemplary Elementary Reading Instruction on SD.5s Literature Circle guide on line–it refers directly to Faye Brownlie’s research.

http://www.sd5.bc.ca/staff/literacy/curriculum/litcircles/Documents/LitCircles.pdf

Literature circles aim to create meaningful connections between student and text. Often, writing and journalling can seem tedious and laborious as a student–given a topic they have no control over. One aspect of literature circles that I think is worth noting is the use of conversation in small groups with other students. As I understand it, students are encouraged to share what they believe about content they read, often with students who are reading the same book. Additionally, literature circles utilize discussion groups as a method to practice many skills including the following.    

Discussion groups are key to literature circles. This is the part where 4-7 students at a time meet with a teacher to discuss a reading. The teacher has a simple role and is not intended to dominate conversation, but instead, to foster and facilitate student ideas and sharing. How is this done? I will get back to you. Lets continue this overview.

The student role is to come prepared with a contribution to share with their classmates and to follow the rules listed along the left side. Students practice discussion, taking turns, listening and making connections to theirselves, to the text, and to the world around them. You probably just read this twice, but on the off chance you didn’t read it the first time– cool-awesome-great.

 

Accountability and learning how to best critique oneself and others is another great skill developed by literature circles. What I like most about this method so far is the use of journalling. Most journals that I see (my pink unicorn diary) are only edited by maybe one source (thanks mum). Editing and learning how to create a finished product for various levels of publication and showcasing is one of the strengths of this method. For examples, students have 3 key edits on a given piece of learning. Students learn to edit and give themselves feedback to enhance their work in addition to receiving suggestions from peers, and their teachers. Feedback is meant to be constructive and very descriptive–this helps learners identify how to check their own work and their peers. The online passage outlines a few more helpful and meaningful intentions including that not all work should be marked. I like this idea and I think it reflects a more natural way of writing and flow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope this acts as a successful teaser into round world of literature circles. If you are just tuning in and looking for a summary, be honest, then this last paragraph is what you are looking for.

What we know about literature circles so far:

Discussion groups: 4-7students, students led, teacher facilitated, important rules for active listening and contributing respectively. Use stories and sharing to help develop connections to self, the text, and the world.

Journaling: Allows students to share their knowledge and create work that has received 3 different edits/feedback including from ones peers, a teacher, and an edit by the original author. This also acts as a great opportunity for teachers to assess student learning as students will develop a piece of writing 3 times.

 

What I am going to focus on next:

I hope this is easy enough to follow–as a learner I tend to start by taking a subject, finding major parts of a subject, loosely studying those parts and then diving in to particular intricacies and specifics. My next post will be based on Faye Brownlie’s Grand Conversations – A Unique Approach to Literature Circles and will focus on group discussion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

graphic sourced from pixabay

I found this resource online and it offers a different approach to teaching spelling in the classroom. Rather than giving students a list of words and testing them on it, students analyze words to find patterns, compare, and sort words into categories. They learn the different sounds of letters and recognize words in their reading that match what their current focus may be. I think it would be cool to implement a word wall in the classroom to add to their vocabulary. and it would help with learning proper sounds. I like this approach because it doesn’t focus on what students can memorize. Instead, students make connections by finding patterns, by learning through phonemic awareness and getting reinforcement that a spelling test doesn’t offer.

I think this resource would be great for all grades and it sounds much more meaningful and effective than the traditional ways of spelling tests and memorization.

Check out the Word Study Approach.