Welcome

GECDSB Teacher CONNECT Session 3

Bell Work

Report on any of the strategies or ideas you may have used as a result of these sessions.

Record your thoughts on the index cards provided.

30/60/90

Please discuss your bell work with someone from a different table and school.

character development pecha kucha.wmv

5

Character Development: Why are we doing this?

We want our students to

think critically, feel deeply and

act wisely.

6

An Overview of the Initiative

• A quality education is about more than academic achievement – it is about the development of the whole person.

• Student engagement is essential to all character development processes.

• Character development must be a whole-school effort. All members of the school community share the responsibility to model, teach and expect demonstrations of the universal attributes in all school, classroom and extracurricular activities.

Reindeer Run promo.wmv

7

Character Development: What it is and what it is not

is about critical and analytical thinking, questioning, anticipating problems and contributing to solutions

is about self-awareness, reflection and understanding – doing what’s right because it’s the right thing to do

must include the active involvement and

engagement of students

is not about compliance

is not about behaviours motivated by extrinsic rewards and recognition

cannot be done to students

8

Character Development: What it is and what it is not

is a process that develops character in a deliberate and intentional manner through interactions with others and engagement in the wider community

is about inclusiveness and respect for diversity

is about ensuring that there are opportunities to engage students in general, and disengaged and marginalized students in particular, in the initiative

is about all students and all schools

is not found in a textbook, binder or manual

is not about the “few” or the exclusion of some

9

The Pivotal Role of Teachers

Teachers:• play a key role in the character development of students

• are frequently identified by students as the single most important factor in their success in life

• develop relationship skills and attitudes

• model high expectations in academics and behaviour

• integrate qualities such as honesty and fairness into lessons

• organize their classrooms to reflect principles of inclusion and engagement

• form relationships that build school and classroom environments that support learning and character development

Sample LessonSubject: History

Character Traits: conflict resolution, responsibility for one’s actions, respect, courage, diligence, fairness, citizenship

Historian’s Character Study

• Students are to describe the causes, personalities, and results of the rebellions of 1837-38 in Upper and Lower Canada in relation to the themes of conflict and change.

• Students identify types of conflict and describe strategies for conflict resolution. Students also describe the role of key personalities involved in the rebellions, and the methods they used to bring about change.

• In doing so, students identify key characteristics of historical figures and learn how each historian’s character development impacts the world we live in today.

Board Initiatives:

• Board calendar • Posters

• Character Development contact person in each school

• “We Care We Can” food drive

• “Pay It Forward”

Board Initiatives:

Reaching Every Student…. Big Ideas

Assessment for Learning

Teachers can adjust instructional strategies effectively only if they have accurate and reliable information about what their students know and are able to do at any given time and about how they learn best.

Differentiated Instruction

“Students may be grouped on interests, learning styles or readiness but also may have activities set at different levels of complexity (questioning levels/ abstract thinking processes) resulting in varying products… “

Theroux 2004

The Tiered Approach

“An extremely effective approach to assessment and intervention is the ‘tiered’ approach, which sequentially increases the intensity of instructional interventions.”

Vaughn 2003

“All our knowledge results from questions, which is another way of saying that question-asking is our most important intellectual tool.”

Neil Postman

If you don’t know what makes a good question, it is difficult to recognize one.

Synthesis/CreatingEvaluation/Evaluating

Analysis/AnalyzingApplication/Applying

Comprehension/UnderstandingKnowledge/Remembering

Levels of Thinking

Adjusting Questions

Examine:Bloom’s Taxonomy ChartExample: Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Sentence starters …

Identify the Level

1. List the parts of the microscope.2. Predict the long-term effect of free trade on

the automobile industry in Ontario.3. What is the formula for calculating the

speed of a free-falling object?4. What form or style of art most affects your

thinking and why?5. Match the capital city to the country.6. Taking the flaws of the protagonist and the

strengths of the antagonist, create a new ending for the script.

Adjusting Questions

Bloom’s Taxonomy Revised (chart)

Frame 6 questions One

question for each “level of thinking”

Effective Questioning Techniques

Bubble Organizer

Inside-Outside Circle

Break

Assessment, EvaluationAssessment, Evaluationand Reportingand Reporting

Connecting the Connecting the PiecesPieces

Key Ideas

The way we think about learning has changed; the way we assess learning is also changing.

Criterion-referenced not norm-referenced assessment.

Needs of society have changed. Students need to be self-directed learners.

Evidence of learning needs to triangulate looking for trends and patterns over time.

Learning improves when students are involved in assessment.

Research has proven that…Research has proven that… Grading and reporting are NOT

essential to student learning (Waltman,1992)

Checking progress, diagnosing problems and prescribing solutions for students ARE essential to student learning (Bloom, 1981)

Does grading result in greater effort?

Improved performance?

The higher the quality of the feedback…the

greater the improvement

Types of Assessments

Diagnostic

Formative Summative

Approaches to Assessment

EvaluationEvaluation

Evaluation is the process of:Judging the quality of student

work on the basis of established criteria

Assigning a value to represent that quality

Occurs at a fixed moment in time

How does it fit?How does it fit?

Quality Feedback

Historical Instruction-Assessment Model

Revised Instruction-Assessment Model with Data Analysis: Precision and Personalization

In the classroomIn the classroom

Plan Teach Teach Teach Teach Test

Pre-assess Analyze Results

Plan for Differentiated

InstructionTeach

Monitor, Reflect,

and Adjust

TeachPost-

assess

Adapted from “Common Formative Assessments” (Ainsworth)

Students should know what they are aiming for, thus, they know what they are responsible for learning.

Students should know what assessment evidence will be collected.

Shared Learning GoalsShared Learning Goals

Feedback for LearningFeedback for Learning

Timelyongoing communication regarding learning

Specific, DescriptiveDescriptive information or assistance offered students to improve learning; based on criteria

Assessment for Learning:Feedback

Numerical score;Right/wrong;

Anecdotal feedback;No grade necessary for formative tasks

Assessment for Learning:Feedback

IneffectiveIneffective Feedback Feedback

This is why I like dogs better than cats. I think dogs are

really playful. The can also be strong to pull you or

something. They can come in diferent sizes like a Great

Dane or a Wener dog. They can also be in diferent

colours. Some are just muts. others are pedigree. Best

of all dogs are cute and cuddly. That is why I like dogs a

lot better than cats.

f

f t

Dachshund

,

Students who are given comments only – rather than marks or marks and comments – make more gains in achievement and feel more positive about the experience (Butler, 1998).

Quality Feedback to Improve Learning

Specific (based on criteria) Timely (on-going) Descriptive, focused Multiple opportunities for practice

and quality feedback

General(“need more practice”)

Identify what is done well,

what needs improvement,

and how to get there

Specific,Focused

Assessment for Learning:

“Quality” Feedback

Task:You have been hired to write a speech defending a position on a significant, current social issue.

Some of your paragraphs should be more logically organized. For example, in paragraph 2…

You have a very good understanding of the facts surrounding your issue.

Identify what is done well

Identify what needs

improvement

Review the components of a paragraph (e.g. topic sentence, supporting ideas, concluding sentence) and use them consistently throughout the speech.

Tell them

how…

It informs teachers about their instructional approach and next steps.

Six of my students struggled with effective

paragraphs. They need a mini-lesson on

paragraph structure…

“Research indicates that oral feedback is more effective than written feedback, particularly for low-achieving, at-risk students.”

(James, McCormick, & William,(n.d.). Leading Math Success,

p 50)

Little or no follow-up

Opportunities for students to respond to comments

Assessment for Learning:Feedback

Effective feedback: is anecdotal is specific and focused includes opportunities

for improvement and follow-up

Assessment for Learning:Feedback

Feedback Activity Identify what is done

well State in non-

evaluative terms what needs improvement

State in concrete terms how to improve.

Feedback PlacematFeedback Placemat

• Examine the writing sample • Review the learning activity.• Examine the student response and the teacher notes. • Divide the chart paper into as many sections as there are people.• Individually, record feedback suggestions on the placemat. Include the 3 part feedback: What was done well, what needs improvement and how to improve it.• Share • Choose a quality feedback statement and write in the centre of your page.

Self and Peer AssessmentSelf and Peer Assessment

Peer-assessments descriptive feedback to other

members of the class.

Self-assessments response journals, learning logs,

checklists, rubrics, etc. reveal the degree of own learning.

Peer and Self Evaluations may NEVER be used in

determining a grade.

Self-Assessment Through RubricsSelf-Assessment Through Rubrics

Rubrics can be a powerful self-assessment tool –if teachers disconnect them from grades and give students time to support and revise their work.

If students can produce it, they can assess it; and if they can assess it, they can improve it.

What is What is goinggoing on on

here?here?

Randy Paula

Sasha Cohen

Evidence of LearningEvidence of Learning

Observation of ProcessObservation of Process

ConversationsConversations Collection of ProductsCollection of Products

Triangulation

Observing the LearningObserving the Learning

Observations teachers make while students are learning. Records become evidence. What is the purpose of the

learning activity? What are students to learn?

What particular focus will I choose for this observation?

How will I record and organize my observations so they are useful?

Conversations About Conversations About LearningLearning Class meetings, individual or

group conferences, read students’ self-assessments of their own work

Students assess their work in relation to criteria, analyze works samples from their portfolios, or prepare to share their learning with parents in a student-lead conference

Collecting ProductsCollecting Products

Variety of methods Paper and pencil Personal communication Performance

Students can create more comprehensive collections of evidence to demonstrate their learning because they know and can represent what they’ve learned in various ways to serve various purposes.

In classrooms where assessment is used to improve student learning

Students: Understand what they are

expected to know and be able to do

Know what the provincial standard looks like (Level 3 on Achievement Chart)

Understand why, when and how they are being assessed and how the information will be used

In classroom where assessment is used to improve student learning

Students: Practice and receive feedback prior

to summative assessment Engage in self-reflection, peer &

self-assessment Use feedback to help identify what

steps they will take to improve their performance

Know why the learning is of value and can apply their learning to authentic / real world contexts

After Learning RAN Chart On post-its, in point form,

reflect on MisconceptionsNew Learnings Still Wondering

Place on chart paper under each of the terms

Parent-Teacher Conference Goals

• Team approach• Communication

The Conference

Before Tune In

During

After

Pass the Chart!

Before:You

Your Room

Your Stuff

What to have …

records/assessments student work:

samples/portfolios remedial or enrichment

work/suggestions record sheet

During the Conference

What to sa

y?

Where to sit?What to do?

What to have?

Where to sit …

table and chairs same level/side

by side students’ desks avoid physical

barriers (teacher’s desk)

What to do …

watch the clock watch your body

language (smile, nod, eye -contact, posture, arms)

55% facial/body expression 38% tone, pitch, volume 7% content, the words we

say

Messages

http://www.biomotionlab.ca/Demos/BMLwalker.html

•Introductions

•Cultural considerations

•Conversational devices

What to say …

After the Conference

RestDocumentAction plan

File

Establish a relationship for further communication:

• Telephone• Notes• Presentations• Follow-up

interviews• Informal

meetings

Relax, smile, and have a great parent-teacher

conference

Session #4 December 2nd and 3rd

HW for session #4:

What are some of the things your school is doing to promote and support character development.

Bring in an authentic example of “Quality Feedback” from your class.