PGP Update

I thought I would give you a quick update on my progress toward my PGP goals.

 

 

1. Inquiry: The Buck Institute Project Based Learning 101 has propelled me into a new level for inquiry learning.  I am striving to teach and assess both curricular outcomes and 21st Century Leaning skills.  Our Recess Fun Project has come to life with my students.  Just yesterday, a pair of my students told me that they found someone who was lonely on the playground and invited them to play.  They reported that they were all having fun.  Outside classroom application of learning makes my heart sing.  Oh happy day!

 

 

2. Smart Learning: We continue to build our skills by practicing partner talk and thinking about the coaching cards.  We have been working on a Sequence using The Hockey Card.  To my surprise, the students did not have much connections to hockey cards.  They did however have connections to Montreal.  This sequence became a lovely way to tie in Social outcomes regarding rural and urban communities.  I love how Smart learning uncovers prior knowledge  of individual students that can be shared and built upon for the whole class.

 

 

3. Gender Based Differentiation:

 

I have a few male students who are really struggling with literacy and numeracy.  I have seen some exciting "aha moments" for them.  Interestingly, these transformative moments have been happening during times when students have been building or exploring learning in non-traditional ways.  For example, one of my kiddos has not been able to count past 13.  When he built an enormous vehicle during center time and showed me, I asked, "How many wheels does that vehicle have?"  He counted 18 without any hesitation.   Oh happy day!!!  (Oh how I wished that there had been a few more wheels to count).

 

I will share another example from show and tell.  We use a format that has somewhat of an element of competition.  Students hide their show and tell item and give clues to the class.  The students ask questions and try to deduce what the item is.  It has become a prestigious thing to "stump the class."  During show and tell time, I noticed one of my students standing off to the side of the group saying "t, t, t, t".  He had heard an initial sound.  This was already an "Oh Happy Day" moment, but it got better.  I asked, "Which letter says t?"  He thought for a second and replied "t".  I am amazed at how this young man's brain is able to grasp difficult concepts during active learning times. 

Although these students are not "at grade level" yet, I am so encouraged to see them making significant strides toward our learning goals. I am motivated to learn more so that I can facilitate more of these productive learning times for all learners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



One Laptop Per Child?

When I was in high school we played a game that changed my perspective.

The global community was represented in our gym.

Each student was randomly assigned a nation to live in.

 

I honestly do not remember which country I was "living in"

but

I do remember that I was not living

in North America.

 

I remember sitting on the floor with nothing to eat or drink

while watching the kids from North America sitting on

comfy furniture and eating PIZZA.

 

Although I have not yet travelled to any of the "developing nations",

the heartbreak of the injustice has stayed with me.

 

How can I contribute to change?

 

It is easy to turn a blind eye.

After all, there is a lot of need in our own neighborhoods.

But

is there something I can do?

 

I am working on it.

I have been thinking about:

 

One Laptop Per Child

 

because last year I discovered this educational experiment:

 

Can Kids Teach Themselves?

 

Could this be a powerful way to impact the developing world? 
What do you think?

 



Inquiry Resources

Oh my!  I LOVED the Project Based Learning 101 

that I have been participating in 

this week.
This video from High Tech High really explains the process and student progress in Project Based Learning.  This school works with the same training institute that did the Project Based Learning 101. 

There is SO much to share, so this will be my running resource list.  

Alberta Developed Inquiry Resource

Buck Institute Project Based Learning Blog

Elementary Project Based Learning Example: Monarch Butterflies Journey North

Framework for 21 Century Skills

mattering- Nicos Theodosakis

Calgary Science School

I will keep them coming when I have time to link them :)

What do you think about Project Based Learning?  Have you tried it?  Willing to share?

I have a big learning week ahead.  I am spending 4/5 of the days learning about designing authentic learning tasks.  I am hoping that this will move me forward toward my goal of implementing Inquiry Based Instruction. 

 

On Friday, I am privileged to see Nikos Theodosakis. Our superintendent forwarded us the link in September.  I forwarded it to one of my professors from my graduate studies.  She was also inspired and is adding it to the syllabus for one of her undergraduate courses.  Do you have a few minutes to check it out? 

 

What could we accomplish if we could just think outside the box? 

What do you think?

October 16 Reflections

Smart Learning: I have been working on my first sequence.  I have been using the book Prairie Fires in order to cover some Social, Language Arts, and Health Outcomes.  My main focus has been working with the first three boxes on the coaching card (who, what is happening, and feelings).  I want the students to become very familiar with these terms and concepts.  We have been modelling and practicing a lot through this first sequence.  We are also working on making powerful predictions, sharing, and partner talk. 

Inquiry Project:   I am currently building toward a larger project with smaller projects.  We have been thinking about pumpkins in grade one.  We have been learning about life cycles and the needs of plants.  On Friday we made a 3-D pumpkin that shows the stages of a pumpkin's life cycle.  Yesterday, we were able to make the connection that a life cycle is a pattern.  We also thought about other patterns in nature such as day and night.  I am hoping that students will begin to see more and more complex patterns as we continue thinking along these lines.  

There is a pumpkin in our room.  We are going to use our senses to explore different aspects of the pumpkin.  Although we do not have a specific end task product, we are working towards it through our modeled exploration in this first math science project.

Gender Based Differentiation: This goal has been my most challenging to implement of the three.  I really want to explore more active ways for male learners to engage in meeting outcomes, but I need to find ways to balance classroom management with these goals.  We brainstormed a number of good ideas in our Professional Learning Team time last week.  I need to continue to try these.  I also need to find authentic measures of engagement.  I have decided to stick with performance measures as my main method of data (how many letter sounds has the child mastered correlated with the methods of instruction used).   Enjoyment and visible engagement will be things that I monitor as well.

How are you doing with your professional goals?  Willing to share?  

Learning together we all excel :).

Happy Learning, 

Terri

Professional Growth Plan

Professional Growth Plan 2012-2013

"Resulting from my analysis of the various provincial models and the literature on school effectiveness and school improvement, a number of Canadian trends are evident.  First, research and practice are focused on student learning and the need to accommodate the diverse learning needs of individual students and those with special needs.  Second, there is an emphasis on a culture of continuous improvement.  More recently, the emphasis has shifted to developing capacity for learning communities.  Such as shift assumes that all stakeholders are learners - students, teachers, administrators, parents, and community members.  Third, inquiry and reflection are key activities that can be accommodated through planning, action research, and collaboration" (Sackney, 2007).

Teacher Quality Standard Focus:  Teachers understand the subject disciplines they teach.  Teachers engage in a range of planning activities.

Exemplary Teaching Construct Focus:  Belief #4: Planning – We believe that exemplary teachers use a strategic, systematic, deliberate and collaborative approach in four primary areas of instructional expertise: (1) planning, (2) lesson design and implementation, (3) classroom leadership and management, and (4) assessing and reporting student learning.

Wild Rose Public Schools Goal Focus: Goal 2- Excellence in Student Learning Outcomes

Students demonstrate high standards in learner outcomes

Professional Goals

GOAL	OUTCOMES	STRATEGIES	TIMELINES	INDICATORS OF SUCCESS	SUPPORT NEEDED
I will implement brain research based instructional methods.	I will work with our AISI Lead Teacher in Smart to deepen my expertise with SMART	Smart Learning (Susan Close) Words Their Way (Pearson)	August 2012-June 2013	Completion of Smart Learning Goals to be developed in conjunction with AISI lead teacher (Smart)	Coaching from AISI lead teacher Collaboration with Grade Level Team
I will implement inquiry based instructional methods.	I will contribute to collaborative planning of at least three inquiry based units.  I will use them with my students.	Attend Project Based Instruction Workshop (3 days) Research Internet Resources Consult Grade Level Experts/AISI Lead Teacher	August 2012 – June 2013	1. Planning and implementation      of three inquiry based units.	Grade Level Team Coaching from AISI lead teacher
I will implement a gender based differentiation in order to improve student engagement and achievement.	I will engage in cyclical reflective practice of research, action, reflection and collaboration.	Research gender based differentiation Collaborate with grade team   (PLT time).	August 2012 - June 2013	Weekly reflection and consistent refinement of practice based on collaborative reflection.	PLT time

Sackney, 2007.  History of the school effectiveness and improvement movement in Canada over the past 25    years.  International Handbook of School Effectiveness and Improvement, p. 167-182.  

Early Learners Taking On Big Challenges

 A friend recently connected me with Edutopia.  

Check out this gem of a video.

One of my professional goals this year is to effectively

implement Project Based Learning 

with my Grade One students.  

I love how engaged the students in these classrooms are.

Something for me to reach toward for sure.

Designing a Girl & Boy Friendly Classroom

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

'Tis the season to get back into the classroom. 

I have been searching the internet for ideas for my first grade classroom. 

There is a lot of really CUTE stuff out there.

Although these cutsie displays are appealing to me,

I wonder how appealing they are to others,

particularly the boys.

When I googled "boy friendly first grade classrooms,"

I found this article by Kathy Stevens from the Gurian Institute. 

It talks about how to create "boy friendly", "girl friendly" and "coed classrooms".

I am still pondering

how to treat the blank canvas of my classroom. 

I will post pictures of what I come up with. 

In the meantime,

How do you create girl and boy friendly classroom environment? 

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Freedom & Responsibility

Earlier this year

we were asked to explain how we would

increase student engagement 

in our classrooms.

I wrote that I would invite learners to showcase their learning

through a variety of methods

in order to engage multiple literacies.

And I, along with my grade team,

 have done just that. 

We have seen amazing results.

Students have been truly engaged in authentic learning

and proud of their work.

Yesterday one of my students asked me why I had been giving them so much freedom in their learning.

I immediately posed the question to the class.

They listed a number of reasons. 

One student suggested that I could give them freedom

because I know they will be responsible.

He was right. 

I must admit that once in a while I wonder

if they will really be responsible

with their time.

Today was one such time.  We explored quadrilaterals for the first time today.

We struggled with the definitions and criteria for shapes such as trapezoids, parallelograms and rhombuses.

I did not offer any easy answers or quick fixes. 

I facilitated an introductory discussion and introduced the challenge to incorporate at least one of each of these shapes in the landscaping around their dream room.

A few students searched for clarification in a math textbook by using the index.

Other students consulted an online maths dictionary on the smartboard.

As the students began to focus on their task, I wondered, "are they really getting it?"

Later I was working with a student who sometimes struggles understanding

math concepts. 

After we had finished working through some calculations from the last

math task, he eagerly moved on to planning his yard's landscaping.

I continued working with other individuals as he sketched his plans for dog pools and ice rinks.

When I checked in with him later I was so pleased to see that he had incorporated all the shapes.

He was able to identify each shape and he was happy to do so. 

I wonder

if I had not given him the freedom to explore

and express the quadrilateral concept

in his own way

if

his learning

would have been as powerful.

Giving him freedom

may have been the most

responsible choice I made as his teacher today.

What do you think? 

How do you balance freedom and responsibility in your learning community?

 

Being Proactive

I was looking for a way for students to become aware of their feelings

so that I could empower them with some tools to improve their mental state.

Each day we rate ourselves on two 1 - 10 scales

where one is the worst imaginable and ten is the best imaginable. 

We rate our feelings and how ready to learn we are.

Each day we pick one scale to share. 
For instance, on this day we shared our ready to learn number using the frame:

Today I feel ____ ready to learn because _______. 

Each student writes their frame on a sticky note and we post them on the whiteboard. 

We have used many formats such as vertical spectrum, horizontal spectrum or bull's eye.
This day we used a bar graph format.

One at at time, students report out their frame to the class.

(Apologies for poor photo quality, but it protects the students' privacy.)

Students graph both numbers daily on a double line graph.

In order to make the connection that we have power to influence our own state of mind, we brainstormed criteria of ways to improve or "bump up" our ready to learn number. 

Here is what we came up with:

* think something happy

* relax

* think positive/ think about the good things that are likely to happen today

* have a healthy breakfast/ include protein if possible

* have a good sleep

*clear your mind

* find a positive way to express your emotions (ex. Dear Mrs. Emms Journal)

*Be responsible for your feelings

Our school practices the 7 Habits of Being Green 

(based on Steven Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective Kids).

We read the Being Proactive story. 

Although the students have heard these stories each year, we discussed how they are now able to make more sophisticated connections to their own lives. 

At the end of our activity, each student reflected in their own journal using the following frame:

I will do the following things to improve my ready to learn number:

1. I will ______ because _________.

2. I will _______ because _________.

3. I will _______ because __________.

I'm looking forward to seeing the fruits of our labour :)

Thanks a Million for the Link Carmen

I just received this fabulous link to a set of math games based on the millionaire game show.  I'm going to use it.  I thought I would pass it along just in case it might be of use to you as well. 

What I Think is the Biggest Obstacle to Overcome in Collaboration

Teaching is a creative process. 

I might even consider it an art form. 

As teachers, if we are putting the best of ourselves into our planning, sharing our ideas might leave us feeling vulnerable. 

Who likes feeling vulnerable?

Who likes feeling vulnerable among the amazing colleagues that you are working with?
The ones that you look up to? 
The ones that amaze you with their ideas?

  My friend and colleague Kim Wedman posted this video on her blog. 

So, let's take a leap of faith and share our ideas. 
I bet yours will amaze me... and some of mine might just amaze you.
Turns out, we are better together :)

Synergy

Image courtesy of tungphoto/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Synergy may be defined as two or more things functioning together to produce a result not independently obtainable.
The term synergy comes from the Greek word synergia συνεργία from synergos, συνεργός, meaning "working together".^[1]



Today I enjoyed a privilege that is not afforded to every educator; I was able to collaboratively plan a number of units with some very dedicated and proficient grade level colleagues.  OK, I admit that at 6:30 this morning I was not that excited to get out of bed, BUT it was TOTALLY worth it :).   I believe that our five minds working together produced a product that is more than five times more powerful that what any of us could have created individually.  That's synergy! 

Our school and district are very supportive of collaborative practice, but still there are obstacles to overcome.  You might be interested to read what Dr. Lawrence Leonard & Dr. Pauline Leonard write about it in The Continuing Trouble With Collaboration: Teachers Talk.

Have you experienced synergy by engaging in collaboration?  How do you overcome hindrances to make collaborative practice a reality? 

Searching for Paragon

According to dictionary.com a paragon is an outstanding example.  

I am searching for paragon in educational practice

because those entrusted to my care deserve nothing less.

Teaching gEmms is a place to showcase what is inspiring me as an educator.  

I hope that something here inspires you.  

Please feel welcome to share the gems in your practice too.