Collaboration Counts! Teaching to Diversity: It’s All

about Thinking Crosscurrents  Conference  

March  2nd,  2012  Faye  Brownlie  

www.slideshare.net  

Frameworks

It’s All about Thinking – Brownlie & Schnellert, 2009

Universal Design for Learning Mul;ple  means:  -­‐to  tap  into  background  knowledge,  to  ac;vate  prior  knowledge,  to  increase  engagement  and  mo;va;on  

-­‐to  acquire  the  informa;on  and  knowledge  to  process  new  ideas  and  informa;on  

-­‐to  express  what  they  know.  

                     Rose  &  Meyer,  2002  

Backwards Design •  What  important  ideas  and  enduring  understandings  do  you  want  the  students  to  know?  

•  What  thinking  strategies  will  students  need  to  demonstrate  these  understandings?    

                 McTighe  &  Wiggins,  2001  

Model Guided practice Independent practice Independent application  

Pearson  &  Gallagher  (1983)  

Open-Ended Learning Strategies •  Connect  •  Process  •  Transform  and  personalize  

Teach Content to All  

 Learning in Safe Schools - Brownlie, King"

Assessment for Learning •  Learning  inten;ons  •  Criteria  •  Descrip;ve  feedback  •  Ques;oning  •  Peer  and  self  assessment  

•  Ownership  

1. Learning Intentions “Students  can  reach  any  target  as  long        as  it  holds  s;ll  for  them.”    -­‐  S;ggins  -­‐  

2. Criteria

 Work  with  learners  to  develop  criteria  so  they  know  what  quality  looks  like.  

3. Questions  Increase  quality  ques;ons  to        show  evidence  of  learning  

4.  Descrip+ve  Feedback  Timely,  relevant    descrip;ve  feedback  contributes  most    powerfully  to  student  learning!  

5. Self & Peer Assessment Involve  learners  more  in  self  &  peer  assessment

6. Ownership Have  students  communicate    

their  learning  with  others

Questioning through Pictures

Joni  Chui,  Aliisa  Sarte,  Port  Moody  Secondary  

•  I  used  this  ac;vity  as  an  introduc;on  to  earthquakes  in  geology  12.    

•  Students  have  all  seen  earthquakes  in  previous  classes  (some  more  than  others).  

•  We  completed  the  ac;vity  and  I  made  sure  every  student  in  class  wondered  at  least  one  thing.        Let’s  try  it….  

Earthquakes  

•  You  may  ask  ques;ons  out  loud.  •  You  may  NOT  ANSWER  any  ques;ons.    EVEN  IF  YOU  KNOW  THE  ANSWER!!!!  

•  All  ques;ons  should  start  with  “I  wonder”…  

Example  2  

Nerves  –  Biology  12  

What  We  Found:  •  Every  student  could  contribute.    There  is  no  risk  in  asking  a  ques;on  that  no  one  is  supposed  to  answer.  

•  Students  remembered  a  lot  of  previous  informa;on.  

•  When  moving  on  to  the  lesson,  they  actually  cared  about  the  material!!!  

•  The  ques;ons  that  they  asked  were  ohen  very  good  and  related  to  the  content  that  I  was  subsequently  teaching.      

Grade 9 Science – Starleigh Grass & Mindy Casselman

Electricity

•  The  Challenge:  

•  Many  of  the  students  are  disengaged  and  dislike  ‘book  learning’.    They  acquire  more  knowledge,  concept  and  skill  when  they  are  ac;ve,  collabora;ve  and  reading  in  chunks.  

•  Starleigh  and  Mindy  in  It’s  All  about  Thinking  (Math  and  Science),  2011.  

Essential Question •  If  we  understand  how  materials  hold  and  transfer  electric  charge,  can  we  store  and  move  electric  charge  using  common  materials?    

•  Individually,  brainstorm  what  you  can  recall  about  the  characteris;cs  of  an  atom.  

•  Meet  in  groups  of  3  to  add  to  and  revise  your  list.  

•  Compare  this  list  to  the  master  list.  

•  …(word  deriva;ons,  label  an  atom…)  

•  Exit  slip:    2  characteris;cs  you  want  to  remember  about  atoms.  

The  Atom  

•  All  majer  is  made  of  atoms.    •  Atoms  have  electrons,  neutrons,  and  protons.    Electrons  

move,  protons  and  neutrons  do  not  move.  •  Atoms  have  nega;ve  and  posi;ve  charges.    •  Electrons  have  a  nega;ve  charge;  protons  have  a  posi;ve  

charge.  •  Protons  and  neutrons  are  located  at  the  centre  of  the  atom,  

in  the  nucleus.  •  Electrons  orbit  around  the  outside  of  the  nucleus,  in  energy  

“shells.”  •  An  object  can  be  nega;vely  or  posi;vely  charged,  

depending  on  the  ra;o  of  protons  and  neutrons.  

Common  Text-­‐Choice  Response  

•  K-­‐4  class  

•  Goal:  teach  how  to  ‘show  what  you  know’  –  a  form  of  response  –  to  a  mul;-­‐age  class  

•  Structure:    group  lesson,  differen;ated  response  –  ;me  for  1:1  

The  Plan  

•  Background  knowledge:    what  do  you  know?  •  New  informa;on:    read  text  •  Response:    discuss  op;ons  •  New  informa;on:    model  web  •  Meet  with  EACH  student      -­‐acknowledge  what  is  working      -­‐extend  the  thinking/response  •    Plan  for  ‘what’s  next’?  

Gallery Walk – writing lesson •  In  groups,  3  things  that  count  in  wri;ng  •  Made  class  list  and  categorized  •  Focus  on  meaning  and  thinking  

–  Descrip;on  –  Imagina;on  –  Detail  –  Knowledge  –  Focus  –  Ideas  –  Passion  –  Intriguing  –  Understandable  

•  Place  a  series  of  pictures  around  the  room  •  Students  in  groups  of  3  •  3  minutes  per  picture  

•  Chat  –  How  could  you  use  this  image  in  your  wri;ng?  

•  Build  on  one  another’s  thinking  •  View  4  pictures  

•  Eagle  Dreams  -­‐    Wri8en  by  Sheryl  McFarlane  ;  Illustra+ons  by  Ron  Lightburn;    

•  ISBN:  1-­‐55143-­‐016-­‐9  

•  Task:    a  piece  of  wri;ng,  choose  your  genre,  think  about  the  criteria  

•  As  you  are  moving  to  your  desk,  keep  walking  un;l  you  have  your  first  line  in  your  head  

•  12  minutes  to  write  

•  As  students  are  wri;ng,  move  about  the  room,  underlining  something  powerful  (criteria  connected)  in  each  person’s  wri;ng  

•  Each  student  shares  what  was  underlined  •  Listen  to  hear  something  you  might  want  to  borrow  

•  As  a  class,  decide  on  why  each  was  underlined  •  Create  the  criteria:  – Words  that  are  WOW  – Details  that  showed  emo;on  or  made  a  picture  

– Hook  –  first  line  made  me  want  to  keep  reading  

Sample  1  

One  cool  and  breezy  night,  in  a  prairie,  a  boy  sat  on  the  rim  of  his  open  window,  looking  out  at  the  moon,  hoping  for  something  to  happen.    Aher  a  few  minutes,  he  went  back  in  and  close  his  window.    Robin  sighed.  “I  wished  my  life  has  more  excitement  in  it,  “  he  thought,  before  he  turned  off  his  light  and  went  to  bed,    he  took  one  quick  look  at  his  kite  on  top  of  his  bed  that’s  shaped  like  an  eagle,  and  went  to  sleep.  

Sample  4  

At  Sunday,  the  Ximing  and  his  father  mother  go  travel.    On,  Ximing  say  “I’m  see  a  eagle!”    His  father  and  his  mother  is  going  to  his.    And  his  mother  say  “Oh,  Help  it!”    OK.    It  was  heal.    OK.    We  are  go  back  home!  

At  home:  Today  is  very  funning.  Because  we  are  helpa  eagle!    I’m  so  happy  now!  Ximing  is  ;me  to  eat  a  dinner  say  mother  say  …  

•  Kids  can  add/edit/con;nue  to  work  •  Set  up  for  next  class  – Work  on  same  criteria  – Hear  again,  pieces  that  work  – Move  to  where  kids  can  iden;fy  criteria  in  their  own  work  and  ask  for  help  with  criteria  that  are  struggling  with  

•  Aher  repeated  prac;ce,  students  choose  one  piece  to  work  up,  edit,  revise,  and  hand  in  for  marking  

•  Feedback  is  con;nuous,  personal,  ;mely,  focused  

Resources    •  Grand  ConversaEons,  ThoughFul  Responses  –  a  unique  

approach  to  literature  circles  –  Brownlie,  2005  •  Student  Diversity,  2nd  ed.  –  Brownlie,  Feniak  &  Schnellert,  

2006  •  Reading  and  Responding,  gr.  4,5,&6  –  Brownlie  &  Jeroski,  

2006  •  It’s  All  about  Thinking  –  collaboraEng  to  support  all  learners  

(in  English,  Social  Studies  and  HumaniEes)  –  Brownlie  &  Schnellert,  2009  

•  It’s  All  about  Thinking  –  collaboraEng  to  support  all  learners  (in  Math  and  Science)  -­‐  Brownlie,  Fullerton  &  Schnellert,  2011  

•  Learning  in  Safe  Schools,  2nd  ed  –  Brownlie  &  King,  Oct.,  2011  •  Assessment  &  InstrucEon  of  ESL  Learners,  2nd  ed  –  Brownlie,  

Feniak,  &  McCarthy,  in  press