Let it Go: Strategies for creating a student-centered, constructivist English classroomBy Danika Tipping

English teacher, Central Elgin Collegiate in St.Thomas

M.Ed. in Education and digital technologies from UOIT

Twitter: @danikatipping Web: danikabarker.ca

About Me

Constructivism

Background

Intrinsic Motivation Student Led Creative Compacted

Background

PowerPoint Sin in 5…4…3…2…1

Unit 1: Modes and Forms of Writing

Identifying the learning goals and success criteria

Learning Goals and Success Criteria for units 1-3

Project Proposal

Link to Project Proposal Sheet for Unit 1

Create a digital or paper text book with questions and answer keys for an audience of your peers that teaches them how to meet the success criteria for this unit

Options

Create a magazine or website from the point of view of your favourite fictional character or real person on his or her/favourite topic that demonstrates the success criteria for this unit.

Options

Link to Sherlock Blog

Options

Create a variety of different types of material (posters, pamphlets, stickers, internet memes, blog posts, letters) for a social activist campaign on an issue that matters to you. Include pieces of writing that meet the success criteria for this unit.

Logos Pathos Ethos

The Captive Life blog

Assessment

Check-ins Ongoing conferences Self Assessment

Unit 1 Formative Project Rubric

Opportunities for creativity Learning goals and success criteria led to

transparency and better understanding of the expectations (for student and teacher)

Fun! Allowed for more differentiation Less teacher talk

What worked

Some units worked better than others Some students didn’t really want to be in an

enriched class Time management issues

What didn’t work

How to streamline the conferencing process? How to streamline the feedback process? How to find a better fit between creativity

and meeting all the expectations?

Questions