The Unsecrets of a Junior Teacher

Most important pedagogy

jholvik — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 02:57:29 +0000

It’s hard to say any one is more important since all are necessary, but here goes…

1. Teacher effectiveness	A teacher has to love what she’s doing and love the kids she is teaching. Kids learn best when they want to learn, and they want to learn when they respect their teacher and when their respected teacher models an enthusiasm for learning. When a teacher loves her job, she has contagious fun, and her students know that they are important to her. A teacher who loves her job will be continually improving in the other areas. If a teacher does not like her job and/or the students, the students will know that and will have little respect for her. If they don’t respect her they will not be interested in cooperating with the planned learning activities and they will have little interest in learning. I think emotions are critically tied to learning and if a teacher dislikes what she is doing, the emotional atmosphere in the classroom will be a negative one.
2. Bahaviour management	I say from my own experience (1^st LTO, half-way through the semester, very challenging grade 9 class) that when the teacher doesn’t have control of his students, it doesn’t matter how great his lesson is, the implementation of the lesson will fail. If kids can’t or won’t hear, see and do the lesson, they are unlikely to learn anything. That said, once some basic classroom management is in place, great instruction is a powerful classroom management tool.
3. Time/Instructional management	Once the atmosphere of the class is a positive and well-managed one, the next very important criteria for awesome teaching is great lessons. I don’t think anyone would disagree that an engaged student is almost always a student who is learning. Lessons that are fun, that involve student interests, that build on prior knowledge, and that meet the different learning styles and learning intelligences of the students are a key to student learning. I put this third only because without an effective teacher and good behaviour management, instructional management doesn’t have a chance to occur, but the first two without the third are useless. A lesson with great content also needs to have time to happen, so here is where time management becomes important.
4. Physical environment	I think the physical environment is very important for a feeling of security in the class, for better time management, to teach students organizational skills, and to lower teacher stress. I also plays a significant role in how well collaborative learning takes place, and will affect student attitudes toward learning through the visual interest of the materials posted around the room, the level of anxiety induced by disorganization, and the amount of social connections that are encouraged through the seating. I chose to put it fourth because I think that there is some chance that learning can occur in a disorganized physical environment, but I do think the effectiveness of the teaching is significantly diminished

Career Preparation

jholvik — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 02:38:26 +0000

Choices into Action – Career preparation skills for grades 3-6

SKILL	SOME CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
Metacognitive skills What and how they are learning	Language: Reflect on strengths and areas for improvement
Interpersonal skills Listening, giving constructive criticism, conflict resolution	Drama: Must comment on then evaluate the works of others Language: Listening skills, speak appropriately for an audience
Making connections with the world of work	Language: Strategies for reading a variety of texts, write for an intended audience and purpose Science and tech: Use of materials with different properties Have parents come in and talk about how they have to use the learning skills and curriculum knowledge in their jobs?

Double Journal Entry – The Junior Learner

jholvik — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 01:29:11 +0000

Pre-task writing

Post-task writing

Physical growth

-pre-pubescent

-still growing in spurts

-Some students, particularly girls, begin the first stages of pubescent body development-growth slowed a bit

-developing body image (important stage – will it be positive or negative?) (see notes under Development – Body Image)

(see T-chart for physical development in “Professional Knowledge” for more details)

Social growth

-at some point during these years start recognizing a greater social distinction between boys and girls

-still look to parents and teachers for leadership in all aspects of their lives

-friends are becoming even more important but still depend on family as a social safety net

-Pre-task writing at left applies-Starting to notice differences between people (boy/girl, intellectually, physically, behaviourally)

-important phase for self-esteem development

-works hard to impress

-strong sense of right and wrong, fairness, and empathy

(see T-chart for social-emotional development in “Professional Knowledge” for more details)

Cognitive growth

-brain development still happening steadily, but not in bursts as in the toddler or teen years

-starting to read and write more complex words, increasing vocabulary

-Increased ability and interest in planning-Increased ability to think critically and problem-solve

-Increased ability to see the big picture

-Able to self-direct though the basic motions of a day

(see T-chart of cognitive development in “Professional knowledge” for more details)

EQAO website resource

jholvik — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 23:35:34 +0000

http://www.eqao.com/

-Education Quality and Accountability Office, the administrators of the Ontario standardized tests.

How I could use the information found on this site to my advantage

Use the same language for class assignments that will be used on the test (called “Key Words”, posted on website)
Use questions from past tests to practice
Have students evaluate exemplars and create rubrics for assessment of their own written work
Use the “school success stories” and the “summaries of results and strategies for teachers” for ideas of how to improve my class’s/school’s literacy
Use the “Classroom tips” to prepare my students for multiple choice, open answer questions, and problem solving tasks

How I can assist parents with understanding what I am doing in the classroom to better prepare students for testing

Have them read the parent brochure to get an idea of what EQAO is all about
Show parents the list of key tasks (called key words) that students need to be able to do on the test, and then compare to activities from class where they have been asked to do the same thing
Once new strategies have been implemented (see #4 above), describe these strategies to parents
Suggest that parents review the exemplars and compare them to their own child’s work to see areas of strength and weakness

Dialogues with Colleagues

jholvik — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 01:53:01 +0000

Dialogue on “unmotivated” students

TEACHER 1

Hypothetical Situation:

You have a 9 year old student who is doing extremely well in the area of mathematics and is getting perfect on all of his tests and homework assignments. He is a confident and happy student when studying math. However, he is not doing well in the other subject areas and it is compromising his sense of self-confidence.

How would you address this particular situation?

TEACHER 2

Hi,

If a child likes to do well in math & doesn’t like other subject then it is a problem of lack of interest. By making good lesson plan we can create interest in him. By asking simple & interesting questions about the subject we can get him involved in the class. With help of diagrams, simple activities we can make him take interest in the other subject. We can also talk to his parents about his interests & abilities & help him in taking interest in other subjects too.

MY RESPONSE

Although I think it is a great idea to find out if there is a way to get the student more interested in the subject, I would like to add a thought – perhaps it is not that this student is simply not motivated in other subjects. Perhaps, as previously mentioned, he is simply very strong in his mathematical-logical learning, or perhaps he has some sort of communication learning disability that is affecting his ability to learn in other subjects. I think we should be careful about attributing lack of success to lack of motivation, because if it isn’t, that will affect the rest of the student’s academic career.

Dialogue on learning theories

TEACHER 1

I found most of the learning theories interesting except fot the Psychoanalytic theories. I found them very confusing even though I have read them several times.

MY RESPONSE

I don’t know that psychoanalytical theories really have much practical application for us as teachers, whether or not we understand them. I think the only real application is the idea that when there is a problem with a student, there is probably a root to the problem, which may actually have nothing to do with the problem being expressed. Teachers should be looking for the root instead of dismissing the problem as something that is the student’s conscious decision.

I think some of the other theories we were asked to study had a lot more relevance for us as teachers because they were things that we have control over in our teaching.

Dialogue on wait time

TEACHER 1

The first thing that caught my eye in this reading was a phrase that suggested that we as teachers “lengthen our waiting time”. It seems we are always in a hurry. Even if a child raises his/her hand and has an answer ready for us, we are happy if he/she just gets out the response we are waiting for. And there are a dozen more frantically waving hands and “ooh, oohs” grabbing our attention. So to actually allow a child to do a decent job of answering the question totally and to the full extent would take some relearning on both the part the teacher and the class in whole. And we’ve all experienced the poor child who has forgotten what they were about to say, when the rest of the class clearly can’t wait another minute. They are so determined to help that child out, that you really might not ever know what their answer would have been if it had not be interrupted. So I think that is a good goal, easily communicated to the class as a whole, to allow sufficient time for answer to be given, with a “no hands up” policy when someone is speaking.

MY RESPONSE

A strategy I really like using for increasing wait time are think-pair-shares. This strategy covers more than just increasing wait time. The students are warned that the following question will be a think-pair-share. They are then…

1. asked a question, and have to sit quietly thinking about the answer for a decent amount of processing time (maybe 30 seconds). They can jot down thoughts if they wish.

2. they get another 30 seconds or so to discuss their answers with their partners. This lets them talk out their thinking which helps students process, and they can build on eachother’s thinking in a social learning kind of way. It also provides the weaker students with an answer for the next step.

3. The teacher randomly chooses students to give an answer. Choosing randomly requires that each student be active through the think-pair-share to ensure they have something to say if they get picked.

This strategy would have to be used in conjunction with simply waiting longer for answers since it takes more time and can’t be done every time you ask a question. However, I think it hits many aspects of learning theory and therefore increases learning, so it should be used in particular with more challenging and important concepts. It also meets a less obvious critical thinking strategy – bouncing ideas off others.

It’s also nice to have 30 seconds of quiet!

My feedback on other teachers’ work

1. ”I really like how you have appealed to such a variety of strategies and theories all in one lesson. I especially like how you incorporated music into the lesson – that’s one that I have a hard time with, and you’ve done it in a way that is very simple for both the teacher and the kids. I also like how you have different groups working on the same learning task in different ways. Would you allow them to choose the one most appropriate for themselves? If so, it would be nice to sow the seeds of metacognition by pointing out that different people learn in different ways and they should pick the way that works best for them.

Great work!”

2. “I like how you have provided students with the concrete examples that they can model to show respect for others (and that they may be better able to recognize when it is directed towards them as well), but you have also dealt with the more philosophical side of it by having them discuss quotes dealing with the bigger issues.

I also really like how this lesson manages to deal with multiculturalism in the class as well through the fact that the “golden rule” is a key theme in many world religions. This is the foundation of adult interfaith gatherings and organizations, so it is great to be introducing it to kids. The whole idea that “we are different, but we are common humans working together on common goals” is one that serves us well in a multi-cultural society.

Nice work!”

3. “I love the idea of incorporating fiction into a traditionally non-fiction subject like science. We know that when students become emotionally involved in the subject matter, learning is much more effective, and I think stories are a great way to give kids those emotional connections. This is also a way to engage the more right brain-dominant (creative) students in a typically left brain (logical) subject. (For more info on left and right brain dominance, see http://www.funderstanding.com/right_left_brain.cfm)

I also really like that the students are thinking critically about the fictional texts, assessing what is likely based on truth and then confirming their predictions with a non-fiction source. This can send the message to students that we should look for learning everywhere, but also that we should always find a reliable source to confirm that what we are being told is true.

A possible extension would be to have the students research a science topic, then write a fictional story that includes some of the facts they learned. The students could then read their stories to their classmates in small groups, or to the whole class.

I will definitely use this approach, even in a modified version in high school. Thanks!”

4. ” I think this would be a fun activity for students. It would provide a lot of opportunity to stretch their creative skills, and uses humour to teach a concept, which I love. I’ve heard the name Rube Goldberg before but never knew anything about him. I think this is an awesome connection to “simple machines” in science.

I was a bit confused about your use of the word “economics”. I wasn’t sure what this had to do with money. Then my brilliant (at least more brilliant than me) husband suggested you were probably referring to the efficiency of a machine to complete a task (which could be called its “economy of use”).

I’m wondering if this assessment might actually be better for a grade 6 class. In grade 4 science, students are only learning about pulleys and gears. In grade 6 they study the mechanics of levers and the transfer of kinetic energy as well. These grade 6 concepts play an important role in most systems of simple machines, including Goldberg’s.

I like how the engagement task gives the students an interesting challenge that they can work through in groups, and also connects their learning about simple machines to everyday life in the real world.

How would you assess this task?

Great work – mind if I steal it? (:”

Her response to me:

Thanks for your comments. I would love to share this lesson with you. You know, I am not into the school system here so I just go through the curriculum website and may be sometimes ask the students in my neighbourhood if they have done this part or not so just by joining all these threads I make my lesson plans.

Regarding assessment, I have given a project which will take them a week to complete and they will present in form of 2- minute presentation in class too. I really appreciate your husband’s brilliance for guessing me right.

Since you are into the system, I will love if you comment on my each activity. Actually I will be thankful to you be for being my real friend. I would love to have a friend like you. Once again thanks for your comments.

Math Website Workshop for Teachers

jholvik — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:38:23 +0000

TEACHING FRACTIONS TO THE JUNIOR STUDENT

The information for this presentation was drawn largely from various reports by the Ontario Ministry of Education posted on the website http://www.eworkshop.on.ca/ . It would be presented as a PowerPoint presentation.

What’s The Big Idea?

Major concepts that form the context for all math learning expectations
Helps students to make connections and develop a deeper understanding
Helps teachers to focus their professional development

The “Big Ideas” in mathematics for the junior student are the major concepts within which all of the specific learning expectations exist. Teaching within the context of the big ideas allows students to see the connections between mathematical concepts, facts, and procedures, and therefore develop a deeper understanding. With a focus on the big ideas, teachers can work on developing teaching strategies that build skills in the major math concepts, which will apply to a variety of specific expectations. This allows them to be more effective teachers.

**HAND OUT COPIES OF THE INFORMATION ON THE FOLLOWING 6 SLIDES**

In the Number Sense and Numeration strand, grades 4-6, the big ideas are:

Quantity
Operational Sense
Relationships
Representation
Proportional Reasoning

Quantity:

The report on Number Sense and Numeration, Grades 4 to 6, by the Ontario Ministry of Education (2006), makes key points about each of the big ideas in the junior mathematics curriculum:

“Having a sense of quantity involves understanding the “howmuchness” of whole numbers, decimal numbers, fractions, and percents.
Experiences with numbers in meaningful contexts help to develop a sense of quantity.
An understanding of quantity helps students estimate and reason with numbers.
Quantity is important in understanding the effects of operations on numbers.”

Operational Sense:

“Operational sense depends on an understanding of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, the properties of these operations, and the relationships among them.
Efficiency in using the operations and in performing computations depends on an understanding of part-whole relationships.
Students demonstrate operational sense when they can work flexibly with a variety of computational strategies, including those of their own devising.
Solving problems and using models are key instructional components that allow students to develop conceptual and procedural understanding of the operations.”

Relationships:

“An understanding of whole numbers and decimal numbers depends on a recognition of relationships in our base ten number system.
Numbers can be compared and ordered by relating them to one another and to benchmark numbers.
An understanding of the relationships among the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division helps students to develop flexible computational strategies.
Fractions, decimal numbers, and percents are all representations of fractional relationships.”

Representation:

“Symbols and placement are used to indicate quantity and relationships.
Mathematical symbols and language, used in different ways, communicate mathematical ideas in various contexts and for various purposes.”

Proportional Reasoning:

“Proportional reasoning involves recognizing multiplicative comparisons between ratios.
Proportional relationships can be expressed using fractions, ratios, and percents.
Students begin to develop the ability to reason proportionally through informal activities.”

(Previous key points were quoted from:

Number Sense and Numeration, Grades 4 to 6. Volume 1, The Big Ideas. Ontario Ministry of Education, 2006)

Ask teachers to discuss the following questions: Would you change anything about this list and description of the big ideas in math for the junior grades? Is there anything to add? Which big idea would you say is the most difficult for students to grasp?

Why Fractions?

Teaching fractions can help develop understanding in all of the big ideas

Quantity: A whole can be divided into parts, those parts contain different amounts of the whole and can be compared, and different numbers can represent the same parts. Understanding the concept of quantity will reduce confusion about the unfamiliar use of digits (e.g. ½ is bigger than ¼) while trying to develop the big idea of “relationships”

Operational Sense: Use of fractions in concrete examples forms the basis needed for adding and subtracting fractions later. (e.g. fractions of a pizza shared between friends adds up to a whole pizza)

Relationships: Understanding the relationship between fractions and the whole, and fractions compared to each other (Three thirds makes a whole, 1/3 is smaller than ½, even though 3 is bigger than 2)

Representation: Fractions can be represented using words, symbols, and charts or diagrams. As symbols, the meaning of the numerator and denominator are important.

Proportional Reasoning: Fractions can represent parts of a whole, and that can be related to the number of parts in more than one whole. Fractions can also represent a ratio of wholes, and ratio can be extrapolated to new amounts (e.g. price of kiwi fruits in the grocery store $0.99 for 3, how much for 9?)

General Principles for Mathematics Instruction

Students in the junior grade may be becoming discouraged and frustrated with math and develop negative attitudes towards it. Help to keep a positive attitude towards math in your class and improve student mathematical learning:

Model enthusiasm for math personally and through classroom visuals
Make connections with their world
Make use of learning styles (use pictures, concrete representations, drama, art, music and drama)
Teach at your students’ instructional level, and provide ample time
Emphasize conceptual learning, the “Big Ideas”
Encourage problem solving in a cooperative learning environment
Ask questions that develop metacognition
Be inclusive of student diversity by accommodating student needs and incorporating different genders and cultures in word problems

A Useful Resource

http://www.eworkshop.on.ca/

Includes:

various reports on teaching math in Ontario, which include both teaching theory and practical tips for teaching and assessment
lessons on math topics, including descriptions on how teaching theory and strategies have been implemented, and video clips of the lesson happening in a real class
Specifically, a lesson on teaching fractions using the big ideas and the general principles for mathematics instruction. PLAY TIME! To access this lesson, under the heading “Numeracy Modules” and the heading “Grades 4 to 6″, click on “fractions”, then “open module”. Use the tabs at the top to navigate through the lesson theory, development, and implementation.

(Teachers given 15 minutes to explore the site)

Application

Ticket out the door: Answer the following questions on a piece of paper and hand in before leaving.

What is one thing that you have learned from this workshop?

Describe one change you will make to the way you currently teach math (e.g. a change in approach to planning, teaching or assessing, a new strategy you will use).

Shared Reading Textbook Literacy lesson

jholvik — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:26:37 +0000

Shared Reading – 5-Day Lesson Plan

Reading a Science Textbook (grade 6)

Lesson Focus:

What is the focus of the lesson? How will I teach it?

The focus of the lesson is to learn how to access information from a textbook. This includes textbook format and features, and skimming to predict content. This is a pre-reading strategy that will provide a context for reading, and allow students to find specific information. It will also serve to introduce the first science topic. I will use a shared reading approach involving read-alouds, think-alouds, guided practice, paired practice, and discussion.

Rationale:

Why am I teaching this lesson?

The junior student is having their first introduction to textbooks and are unfamiliar with this format. They need to develop literacy skills to be successful in using their textbooks.

Assessment:

How will I know when my students are successful?

Students will be able to recognize and use the features of their science textbook in a textbook scavenger hunt. They will also make realistic predictions of text when given only the key features of a textbook section (title, figures, bolded words). Finally, they will be able to efficiently locate requested information in their textbook through skimming and predicting in a “Quick on the draw” game. Reflective journals will be used as formative assessment. Teacher anecdotal observations will be made throughout.

Prior Knowledge:

What prior knowledge do my students need in order to be successful with this lesson’s focus?

Prior to this lesson, students will need to be familiar with the characteristics of a fiction text.

Curriculum Expectations:

Which expectations will I address?

6e23 • read a variety of fiction and non-fiction materials for different purposes;

6e25 • read independently, selecting appropriate reading strategies;

6e32 – summarize and explain the main ideas in information materials

6e37 – identify different forms of writing and describe their characteristics

6e46 – use a variety of conventions of formal texts to find and verify information (e.g., index, headings and subheadings, charts, glossary).

Relevant science expectations to the textbook sections covered.

Materials/Preparation for Teaching:

What do I need to know, have, and be able to do before I can begin the lesson?

Class set of grade 6 science textbooks, class set of a novel with standard format, chart paper and markers, Powerpoint (or overhead) of section 2 of the science text, student journals, skim reading prediction sheet for each pair of students, questions for sections 3-6 of science text.

Differentiated Instruction:

How can I ensure that I am meeting the needs of all my students?

-Allow students to choose the section of the textbook to read, have some read portions of text online, choose a graphic organizer format, have students work in pairs for cooperative learning

Accommodations:

Give preferential seating for ESL students and students with special needs to allow for easy redirection when a student is confused.

During paired work, ESL and special needs students will be paired with stronger students for support

Instruction:

Day 1: Textbook Features

Before Reading:

Whole Class

-Hand out textbooks and novels.

Brainstorm

-Ask: A textbook is a form of informational text. What does that mean? What is the purpose of an informational text?

-Ask: How is a textbook different from a fiction text like a novel?

During Reading:

Whole Class

- Teacher creates a chart titled “Comparing text types” with the headings “Text Feature”, “Fiction Text” and “Informational Text”. She directs students to the different features of the textbook, one at a time. Each time, they check off on the table whether that feature is present in each type of text. She reads aloud some key information from that text feature. Each time, the students are asked to do a “Think-Pair-Share” to figure out the purpose of the feature.

After Reading:

Pairs

-Students complete a “textbook scavenger hunt” where they are asked to use the textbook features to locate various pieces of information.

Day 2: Skimming

Before Reading:

Whole Class

-Define skimming: To read a text quickly to get the main ideas (not reading every word)

-Discuss the reasons for skimming

i.e. to get the main ideas of a text in order to;

1. Preview what we will be learning about and thinking about what you already know about that subject

2. Get an idea of the big picture before you start reading the details

3. Find information to answer a specific question

Small groups

-Using first section of text to be covered, students brainstorm a list of the parts of the text that provide the most information (i.e. what to read when skim reading)

Whole Class

-Discuss their answers. As each group presents their answers, on chart paper, have a student from the group write their best answer in large letters. (A guideline is given below.) Post in the classroom.

During Reading:

(First section of science text)

Whole Class

-Teacher skim reads the text aloud, doing a think-aloud of her predictions for the text

-Teacher asks a few key questions about the main ideas, and guides the class as they suggest the answers

-Students discuss what they already know about this topic (initiating prior knowledge)

-Teacher asks a few questions about details of the reading, and guides the class to suggest where to find the answers in the text. Teacher then locates the answers to confirm the students’ answers

-Teacher read-aloud of text (no skimming) for complete science content. (Reminder about using glossary for unfamiliar bolded words).

-Teacher asks students to rate how much of the information they learned just from skimming by holding up fingers (scale of 1-10)

After Reading:

-Journal Reflection:

I think the hardest part of skimming for me is…

I think skimming will help me…

-Follow-up science activity

Day 3: Making predictions

Before Reading:

Whole class

-Refer to posted information on “skimming” from yesterday to review

During Reading:

(Second section of science text)

-Teacher puts a copy of the text section key information (headings, figures etc.) on overhead/powerpoint. Ideally, this would be done in stages, so powerpoint would work best.

In Pairs

-Student volunteers read key parts of text to the class, with time between each reading for students (working in pairs) to complete the appropriate section of the Skim Reading Prediction Sheet (see below)

-Students read the whole text together in pairs

-On the sheets, students rate their predictions. The teacher then asks the class to show how close their predictions were using thumbs up, thumbs over, thumbs down.

After Reading:

-Journal Reflection:

When I was trying to predict what the text was saying by skimming, I felt…

Besides reading a science textbook, I could also use skimming to…

-Follow-up science activity

Day 4: Skimming to answer questions

Before Reading:

Whole class

-Review how to skim

During Reading:

-Teacher posts questions for section 3 of science text

-Teacher answers questions with read-aloud (skimming) and think-aloud (modelling prediction skills)

After Reading:

Small Group

-Quick-on-the-draw game: Students work in groups of 3 or 4 (ESL and special needs students placed together to allow for greater teacher support). Each group works independently and competes only with themselves. One student from each group picks up a reading and questions. The goal is to answer the questions as quickly as possible (requires skimming the text for main ideas and to predict where details will be found). Another group member times this activity with a stopwatch. When complete, they bring the answers to the teacher who checks the answers. If any are incorrect, they must return to the group and correct them. The timer gets stopped and the time is recorded when the teacher says all answers are correct. They can then be given the next reading and questions. Each group tries to beat their own time. An advantage of this format is that it accommodates students who will be working at a slower pace.

Day 5:

Before Reading:

During Reading:

Have students read a passage and create their own questions (shows them how to read for meaning rather than just picking out key words to find the answer they are looking for)

After Reading:

Reflection:

Were my students successful? Did my instructional decisions meet the needs of all students? What worked well? What will I do differently in the future? What are my next steps?

SKIMMING

To get the main ideas of a text quickly, we read:

the title, headings and subheadings
the figures (illustrations, diagrams, charts, tables)
the first and last sentence of each paragraph
the key words (bolded)

Ask: “What is it talking about?” and “What do I already know about this?”

Classroom Technologies

jholvik — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:10:40 +0000

Technology	How it is used	My comfort level
Overhead projector	Project notes, images and assignments (for explanation)	Excellent
Tape/CD players	Students listen to books on tape, play music for music class, or for free work times (depending on level of difficulty of activity)	Excellent
TV & DVD player	Show clips of movies, tv shows, news casts that relate to lesson being taught. Also show educational videos relating to topic of lesson.	Excellent
Powerpoint (computer & projector)	Students can create powerpoint presentations of their research for a project	Excellent
Computers for students with internet and word processing software	Research, lessons on critical media literacy, creating various drafts of written work, subject-related games, spelling and grammar checks available, enlarging font for visually impaired, teaching keyboarding skills, communicating with other students in other parts of the country/world	PC – Excellent MAC – Poor, but would learn quickly
Specialty language software (e.g. speech to text) (where available through the special education department)	Used by students with special needs in the class	Poor
Spreadsheet software (e.g. Microsoft Excel)	Graphing in math when graphing by hand is a well-established skill	Excellent
Desktop publishing software	Producing graphic arts for visual arts, creating brochures, posters etc. to present their work, for teacher to produce materials for posting around the classroom	Good
Class website	Access to information about class and assignments for students and parents outside of school hours. Helps parents to be connected.	Fair

Teaching Media Literacy

jholvik — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:05:10 +0000

Recently I was thinking about how important it is for students to be able to think critically about the media and advertising in particular. Those involved in creating media and advertising have learned how to manipulate us very effectively. I think our society is also overly consumeristic and self-centered, and this is spurred on by advertising in a self-propagating fashion. Try and go for an entire day without an advertisement and it will become obvious how much impact advertising can have on our lives.

I think it is very important for students to be able to evaluate the truth and the value of the messages they are getting from the media and from advertisements, both as children and later as adults. If they are able to do this, their decisions, sense of self-worth, and perceived quality of life will be improved throughout their lives. If enough children learn to do this, our society may be changed for the better.

In my teaching, therefore, I would incorporate tasks involving evaluation of media and advertising wherever possible. Some possible curriculum connections for this are:

All subjects: Evaluating websites during research

Phys ed: Messages given about body image, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and safety (e.g. car racing video games) in media and advertising

Arts: Evaluating the use of music and drama in media and advertising to manipulate emotions and create false impressions (e.g. makes you feel sad, angry, happy etc. about events that aren’t even real)

Science: Effects on ecosystems of products being advertised, messages about ecology and specific species in the media (e.g. polar bear population decline)

Math: Use of numbers in media (e.g. newspaper articles)

Social studies: Evaluating the accuracy of the portrayal of people groups in the media (medieval Europeans, early civilizations, First Nations)

I would also explicitly teach the strategies for the critical thinking task prior to having the students attempt the task. An added advantage to this approach is that in each case the subject is being connected with something that is already familiar to students (movies, tv shows, commercials, printed advertisements, newspapers, video games etc.). This increases the higher order thinking skill of making connections, is consistent with a constructivist learning approach, and can improve student engagement.

Learning Skills Student Tracking Sheet 1

jholvik — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:40:13 +0000

Student:

Learning Skill	Date	Comments
Independent work- attends regularly and is punctual - works well without supervision - completes tasks and assignments on time and with care - accepts responsibility for own behaviour - follows routines and instructions without supervision - identifies and pursues learning goals and tasks independently - responds and participates in a variety of learning activities - selects learning materials, resources, and activities independently - persists with tasks - follows schedules and uses planners to organize time effectively - adheres to established time lines - explores, selects, and uses a variety of learning strategies
Initiative- welcomes new tasks and seeks new opportunities for learning - responds to challenges - seeks challenges and takes risks - is interested in and curious about objects and events - observes, questions, and explores - seeks additional and new information from library books, CD-ROMs, and other resources - identifies problems to solve and conducts experiments - approaches new learning situations with confidence - demonstrates a positive attitude towards learning - generates questions for further inquiry - investigates and obtains information independently - develops original ideas and innovative procedures - attempts a variety of learning activities - seeks assistance when necessary - participates in co-curricular activities
Homework completion (work habits)- follows directions and completes homework on time and with care - puts forth a consistent effort - shows attention to detail - demonstrates interest in and enthusiasm for homework assignments - organizes materials and equipment for effective use - begins work promptly - follows directions and completes tasks - chooses and uses materials and equipment correctly, safely, and creatively - uses time efficiently - perseveres with complex projects that require sustained effort - attends to the task at hand - demonstrates flexibility and adaptability

Learning Skill	Date	Comments
Use of information- effectively interprets and synthesizes information - integrates learning from various subjects/areas of learning - gathers information effectively, using a variety of techniques and sources - shows regard for accuracy in analysing and evaluating information - recognizes when assignments and projects would benefit from additional information and identifies the type of information needed - identifies and uses a variety of facilities, equipment, supplies, evidence, research, expert opinions, and discussion to gather information and solve problems - considers all information and alternatives before reaching a conclusion - demonstrates creativity in assessing information and ideas and draws relevant conclusions - organizes information logically and creatively and manages it effectively - selects appropriate research procedures and uses them effectively - asks questions to clarify meaning and ensure understanding - uses information-retrieval technology effectively
Cooperation with others- takes turns - listens to, acknowledges, and considers differing opinions - willingly works with others - follows classroom and school procedures - assumes responsibilities in groups, the classroom, and the school - helps others - volunteers - considers both the immediate and long-term effects of his or her actions on others - respects the rights, property, and opinions of others - shares resources, materials, and equipment with others - shares in cleaning duties after an activity - works and plays cooperatively with others - establishes positive relationships with peers and adults - responds and is sensitive to the needs and welfare of others
Conflict resolution- resolves conflicts when they occur - resolves conflicts independently - resolves conflicts in socially acceptable ways - negotiates to solve problems and resolve conflicts - mediates differences of opinion - listens to understand conflicts before acting or offering a resolution - assists others to resolve conflicts appropriately - seeks positive solutions to conflicts - uses a variety of strategies to resolve conflicts appropriately - helps the group to identify and use strategies for conflict resolution

Learning Skill	Date	Comments
Class participation- participates in class and group activities - willingly works with new groups - accepts various roles within the class and group, including leadership roles - accepts a share of the work to be done - contributes to cooperative problem solving - helps to complete class and group activities or projects - works towards the goals of the class and group - helps to motivate others and encourages others to participate - communicates well with class and group members - helps the class and group to work together - contributes information and ideas to the class and group - questions the ideas of the group to seek clarification or agreement - shows respect for the ideas of others in the class and group - supports ideas and observations of the group with facts and details - listens to others without interrupting - paraphrases points of view to help understanding - recognizes contributions of group members through encouragement, support, or praise - seeks consensus before making decisions - shares responsibility for carrying out decisions - shares responsibility for difficulties encountered during an activity
Problem solving- solves problems independently - uses analysis to clarify problems - devises a plan to solve the problem - carries out the plan - records the process and the results - checks the solutions/results - evaluates the plan, solution, or result - devises alternative solutions or ways of solving a problem - makes connections between different problems and solutions - applies successful strategies to new problems - chooses appropriate materials and equipment to solve problems - develops original ideas and creative approaches to solve problems - applies logic in solving problems
Goal setting to improve work (with assistance, with peers, independently) - identifies appropriate criteria for assessing work - uses identified criteria to assess work - assesses own work - identifies goals - identifies specific steps or actions needed to reach goals or to improve - evaluates own success in reaching goals - identifies strengths and areas for improvement in own work - perseveres to achieve goals - revises goals or steps and strategies when necessary - identifies and pursues goals independently - accepts comments on performance from others - uses others’ comments to improve work and monitor learning