It’s All about Thinking – engaging all learners in worthwhile
activities (primary)
Learning to Play, Playing to Learn Burnaby Focus Day
at Byrne Creek Secondary Nov. 23, 2009 Faye Brownlie
Frameworks
It’s All about Thinking – Brownlie & Schnellert, 2009
Universal Design for Learning Multiple means: -to tap into background knowledge, to
activate prior knowledge, to increase engagement and motivation
-to acquire the information and knowledge to process new ideas and information
-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
My students need to learn to record notes when reading information text.
Can I introduce the double-entry journal to my grade 2/3 class?
Students need: • A model • Guided practice in following the model
• An opportunity to practice the strategy, with support as needed
• Choice in the degree of complexity they use to complete the task
My students need to gain information and hold their thinking when listening to a picture book.
Can I introduce the quadrants of a thought strategy to help my students gain new information, then use it to write factually?
Students need: • Connecting: To begin with background knowledge (1st quadrant)
• Processing: A variety of ways to hold their thinking (images, language, facts)
• Partner work to provide feedback on their quadrants
• Transforming: To write to show their information knowledge
My knowledge of bears Images in my mind
Memorable language Facts I learned
I want my students to ask real questions in research. Can K-3 students become insect experts by following their own questions?
Students need: • Formative Assessment: To begin with
background knowledge (brainstorm-categorize)
• Modeling: – Looking at books and sharing questions – Choosing an insect and generating class questions
– Sorting questions – big & quick – Choosing 5 to research as a class – Teacher models one way to find an answer to one question
Students need: • Guided Practice
– Students work in small groups to answer another question
– Share answers and how they found it
– Each day, new question and model a new strategy or highlight a student’s strategy
– Students work in small groups on another question
Students need: • Independent Practice
– Repeat process – Students chose own insect – # and type of question depended on skill level of student
– Worked in common insect groups, K-3
3 classes, 3 insects
K/1 - ants
1/2 - butterflies
2/3 - bees
