Classroom Independent Libraries

Timing is everything.  I subscribe to a number of blogs and although I often simply skim & scan, I was drawn to go deeper inside this particular post.....and I wasn't disappointed.  Follow the link and check out this teachers video describing her journey to reorganize her independent classroom library.
As we continue to upgrade our classroom libraries, I thought this was perfect timing.  Also, check out the other individual blog posts across the top tool bar.

RCAC Symposium 2013

The Western Regional Computer Advisory Committee (RCAC) Symposium was held in London, Ontario on Thursday, December 5, 2013.  Great Day!

Travis put into words my thinking.  He began by stating that it is not about putting technology in place of what we are already doing in the classroom but we need to think differently and use technology to enhance what we do.  Check out his initial Youtube video he made after using his first SMART phone in a class in his high school to help him keep organized

Gary highlighted that one good prompt is worth a thousand words (i.e. one good question).  It is less about us and more about them (the student).  The most powerful idea of all is the idea of powerful ideas.  Gary went on to say there is an epidemic of whole class instruction (i.e. too much focus of teacher directed instruction).  Check out his blog http://stager.tv/blog/?p=1857

















Did a lunch & learn with Kyle Pearce (http://tapintoteenminds.com/about-me/).  Very interesting.  Anybody who references Dan Meyer (http://blog.mrmeyer.com/) can't be all bad.  

Kyle Pearce is a Secondary Math Teacher and Intermediate Math Coach with the Greater Essex County District School Board leading a Ministry funded part-time, one-to-one iPad project. He is an Apple Distinguished Educator and Authorized Apple Education Trainer who leads professional development in both math and technology in his district and beyond. Teaching secondary mathematics at Tecumseh Vista Academy K-12 in the morning, Kyle shifts his focus to the Middle Years Collaborative Inquiry (MYCI) Project in the afternoon.
Join Kyle as he shares his journey of creating a digital learning environment. In Kyle’s secondary one-to-one iPad math class, the goal was to effectively deliver a 3 -part math lesson while eliminating wasted time copying useless facts. This resulted in increased student engagement and high levels of student
success. Positive results from the one-to-one iPad math classroom have led to the introduction of a One iPad Classroom model for instructional use through the Middle Years Collaborative Inquiry Project for intermediate teachers in 29 schools. Both one-to-one and One iPad Classroom models continue to grow as GECDSB educators strive to redefine digital learning in mathematics.

When Do I Move Students to the 'next' Guided Reading Group?

If we already haven't done so, guided reading groups should be 'on the move' as the students gain more consistency at their current level.  In Debbie Diller's book, Making the Most of Small Groups - Differentiation for All (I have a copy if you would like to borrow), she gives some 'things to consider' to assist us in making good decisions about when is the correct time to move students (see below).

Moving students to the 'next group' is different in Primary grades compared to Junior/Intermediate grades.  As Nelson Literacy is our main resource in Junior/Intermediate, moving students occurs as you change reading strategies.  Moreover, our CASI scores also help us determine 'areas of focus' and thus appropriate groupings.  In the Primary grades, we rely on our Running Records, Flexible Small Group Folder & PM Benchmarks to guide our instruction and form our guided reading groups.  However, what is good in one area of the school (eg. Primary, Junior or Intermediate) can also be good in other areas (i.e. it is only the size of the students that changes).

Flexible Small Group Folder - "Reading Levels & What to Focus on in Lessons

From 'Making the Most of Small Groups' - Debbie Diller

As you are making your new guided reading groups, please consider the lesson planning sequence.  Diller reminds us within the first part of her book that deciding on which kids and what book are not enough of a plan.  She says, "Thoughtful teaching in small groups is a lot different than sitting with a group of kids and listening to them read.".  Overall, precision teaching is purposefully planned.

From 'Making the Most of Small Groups' - Debbie Diller

3 Part Math

We had our 2nd in a 6 part series of CILM (Collaborative Inquiry & Learning in Mathematics) this week.  In essence what we do is co-plan, co-teach & co-debrief.  A very positive way to develop the 'collective strength' as a school.  The unanimous comments from all involved were, "It wasn't so bad.  I wish we could do this more often."
The 3 Part Math strategy begins with a Learning Goal derived from a Big Idea.  Using our planning template we then began to 'fill in the blanks' of our 3 Part Lesson.  The lesson begins with 'Minds-On' to get the students engaged with the upcoming lesson (i.e. getting in the right frame of 'mind').  This is followed by the 'Action' (i.e. the 'getting messy' of the lesson).  The teacher moves around the room making observations (i.e. eves dropping) to gain important 'next steps'.  The final stage is called the 'Consolidation' in which the learning (from the students) is highlighted by the teacher.  Also during this stage the Success Criteria are co-created on an Anchor Chart to aid with the independent work.  The entire process doesn't have a specific time frame (i.e. it could be done in one day or take multiple days to complete the 3 parts).

During the Consolidation stage there are a number of 'Questions to consider'...

• What were the learning goals and big ideas of the lesson?  
• Stay focussed even if some students are 'working ahead'...
• What mathematics is evident in students communication (oral, written & modeled)?
• observation/notes
• What language was used to show the mathematics?  What vocabulary requires reinforcement?
• Word Wall, Math Journal, Anchor Chart, etc...
• How are the solutions linked?
• What misconceptions are present in the student work?
• key piece to independent success
• What are the next steps in instruction?
• assessment drives instruction

adapted from "Communication in the Mathematics Classroom", September 2010, Capacity Building Series.

Overall, our planning template & curriculum document (over time) will be our greatest resource as it becomes the 'road to student success'.  For example, if we had a copy of the curriculum for our particular grade along with the Planning Template, then we could 'highlight' the specific expectations as we move from lesson to lesson.  If you combine this highlighting and our notes on our planning templates, then the real strength comes to the surface as we move from week to week, month to month and term to term.  Looking back and utilizing these resources as our 'assessment for, as & of learning' we will see how this then 'drives our future instruction' and precision teaching.


Resources:

http://teachingrocks.ca/three-part-lessons-teaching-math-through-problem-solving/

Debriefing the Thinking Process

At our next Divisional Meetings, we will go through the student-led 'night' in preparation for the Term 1 Report Cards.  Basically, the 'How to' of Student-led (i.e. the script).  We already have a big 'piece of the puzzle' complete with all students having a Portfolio.  The next 'piece of the puzzle' is metacognition (thinking about their thinking).

The students just completed one form of metacognition activity with the student reflection on the Progress Reports.  Why wait for the next reporting period for the students to show their thinking.  Let's practice, practice & practice.  The article 'linked' to metacognition outlines 6 strategies for developing students 'thinking about their thinking'.  There are many good and practical ideas to help us teach our students the 'how to' of  'learning about your learning'.

As educators, we all have an innate ability to demonstrate metacognitive strategies.  Modeling these strategies with our students on a consistent basis is the key to success.  Students need to be able to not only describe the learning goals (i.e. the target(s) they are aiming for) but also how they plan to achieve the goals (i.e. the co-created success criteria).  Afterwards, the learning needs to be 'debriefed' so the students can internalize the learning.  It's not about the 'grade/mark' (i.e. once we put a grade on the page, then learning stops) but the learning that took place achieving that mark/grade that matters.  This is apart of a bigger conversation around Assessment FOR, AS & OF learning (future blog topic).

By modelling and 'debriefing the thinking process' we will instill true 21st century skills in our students. Check out the 2 resources below (located in the bookroom) for some good starting ideas.

Great ready made resources...or get an idea & create your own.

Open Response Questions

Individually we are one drop.  Together we are an ocean.

Ryunokuke Satoro

Open Response questions need to be 'deep thinking' types of questions that force students to both demonstrate & apply content knowledge in some way.  Our 'target' range should always be in the GREEN area of the chart below. This is not to say we ignore the other areas.  There is value here, however, the remaining three areas of the chart could/would potentially be revealed as we are probing the Level 3/4 questions (or used as 'lead-ins' to the 'bigger' questions).  

The real strength comes when we all 'move as one'  school in terms of being focused on all asking the 'deep thinking' types of questions regardless of grade level.  We know that this process is very complicated, in that, it requires precision planning & teaching of skills over time (i.e. grade by grade).  This 'pooling of drops' as an entire school is key to 'building the ocean' of success.  

Q-Chart to guide forming 'deep thinking' Open Response questions

Math Journals

Right v. Wrong

Last year we talked about developing a 'collective strength' in the building to maintain the learning continuum from grade to grade.  After all, learning doesn't start and stop from one grade to the next. Learning moves along each individual persons 'continuum of learning' (smooth and gradual).  Thus, it is vital that we be able to provide smooth transitions to learning from year to year.  This doesn't mean everyone doing exactly the same things, however, there are a few things that are proven 'result oriented' best -practices.  For example, we all need to understand the Literacy & Numeracy Block, Small Group Instruction, Differentiated Instruction, etc...

In math the goal is to foster the thinking via a problem solving perspective.  It's not about 'correct' or 'incorrect' answers (i.e. not black & white).  For example, the correct thinking/procedures can be followed but still get an incorrect answer.  As a result, a Math Journal is a very good strategy to use for all.  Below is an excerpt from the Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics K-6  that talks about the 'big picture' in math...student self-assessment.

Student Self-Assessment

Students should have frequent opportunities to reflect on their own learning, to identify
their strengths and those areas requiring growth, and to set appropriate goals. Student
self-assessment can be accomplished through the use of journals; rubrics, checklists,
and rating scales; portfolios; and surveys and questionnaires.

JOURNALS (LEARNING LOGS)

Journal writing helps students think about what they are learning. Students can
record in their journals using written work, pictures, diagrams, stamps, and charts.
Through these forms students often communicate mathematical ideas that they 
cannot express orally. In their journals students also have opportunities to express
how they feel about a particular learning activity or about mathematics in general. 
Teachers can provide prompts to help students focus on what they did and learned 
in a mathematics activity:

• Sentence stems:
– In math, I am learning . . .
– I understand . . .
– I don’t understand . . .
– I find it easy to . . .
– I find it difficult to . . .
– My favourite part of math is . . .
– I do best in math when . . .

• Other journal prompts:
– Write everything you know about . . . (e.g., 50; a cube; multiplication).
– Imagine that a classmate is absent today. Write a letter to explain what we 
did and what we learned in math class today.
– Explain how you could . . . (e.g., find the most popular flavour of ice cream 
in the class; find the answer to 3 x 6 if you didn’t know the answer by heart; 
find the area of the classroom floor).
– Write a story that . . . (e.g., uses the fraction one-half or one-third; is about a 
symmetrical object; uses division).
– Write a math problem about . . . (e.g., telling time; subtraction; the graph that
the class created this morning; percent).
– Measurement is . . . ; Symmetry is . . . ; Division is . . .

Check out the Guide to Effective Instruction in Math K-6 V4 for more information.