January 24, 2012

9:00 – 9:15 Welcome and introductions Envelope Game (Teaching a multi-grade is like…because…) 9:15 – 9:45 Group Graphic – Challenges and Strategies 9:45 – 10:25 Multi-graded supports and Inquiry : :30 Identifying the day’s work 10:30 – 10:45 Nutrition break 10:45– 12:00 Moving forward (work time) 12:00 – 12:45 Lunch 12:45 – 1:15 Michael and additional supports… 1:15 – 2:45 Planning time continued 2:45 – 3:00 Parking lot

 But, in the time being, it would be nice for split grade teachers to have the opportunity to express the challenges in an open and supportive environment.

 Curricular comfort  Planning  Instruction  Assessment  Inquiry  Classroom Management

 Examine criteria  Focus on the commonalities first  Determine the “why” of the outcomes (step back)  Determine the differences  Social Studies example  Physical Education example 

 When both you and your students know the destination (criteria), everyone becomes empowered to be responsible for the learning journey.  You no longer have to “hold all the cards” for successful learning. It becomes a shared responsibility. Your role is to consistently reinforce and expect the required understanding.  Remember, the premise of UbD is that all planning emerges from the criteria. It provides clarity for everyone.

 I would be interested in any information around instructional strategies/tech tools that could help aid inquiry.  From thinking back to the multi-graded session we did last year, you spoke on how to plan for both grades, and different steps to follow. One thing that I still struggle with is how to deliver the lesson to both grades when the content is different.

…is approaching learning deeply, from the inside out. Schellert, Datoo, Ediger and Panas, 2009

…you wonder about something and you want to know it—in fact you’re driven to know it because it’s intriguing, puzzling, fascinating, and/or personally meaningful to you. Diane Parker, 2007

 Moving from answering to asking  Moving from solving to seeking  Moving from definitive to open-ended

 Inquiry relies on problems that are of emerging relevance to students.  However, relevance does not have to be pre-existing for students.  Relevance can emerge through teacher mediation.

 What kinds of learning excites students?  How do you know when they are excited?  What kinds of learning excites you?

 Consider authentic and engaging audiences and purposes!

 How can I avoid giving answers?  How can I encourage students to come to their own understanding?  How can I make this compelling? Interesting? Engaging?  How can I stay out of it for longer? Talk less? Do less of the work?  How can I be okay with ideas that aren’t exactly what I think they should be?  How can I come to recognize healthy struggle from unhealthy struggle?  How can I structure my classroom to encourage inquiry?

 Ask good questions  Break problems into parts  Look for patterns  Rely on evidence  Consider other perspectives  Follow hunches  Use familiar ideas in new ways  Collaborate with others  Welcome critique  Revise repeatedly  Persist  Seek new challenges  Know yourself

 Multi-graded supports  Instructional tools  Planners  FNMI websites and supports (plus a new consultant!)  Inquiry supports

 Personally, I think technology is a vital, if not the most important tool that will allow success to be realized in split grade classrooms. The other key part is knowing where we are going in an outcome so that it keeps us in line when things get crazy. Using technology and the criteria as the basis for planning and inquiry (which is another key piece), students can consistently explore the topics in a common structure to allow the outcomes to be studied.

 Invite students to develop the competencies necessary to build on, not just consume or borrow, other people’s ideas.  Require students to use digital technologies to think with not just consume or produce a “polished product.”

 I am looking at planning for teaching Social Studies 7/8 together in semester 2 so any time I can get to just look at these curriculums and see where things might align will be helpful to me. Or suggestions from other teachers who have done this.  I'd like to work on Math 6/7 - Shape and Space or Statistics and Probability -making lesson plans so that we match each other's outcomes as best as possible

 I know I am going to have K-2 next year and I would like to get my head around doing the 3 grades. I am hoping to meet with other K-2 teachers and work with them to come up with ideas of how to make things work effectively.  As for the planning and organizing of lessons and units, I would like the opportunity to look at how the outcomes align again and work on organizing units for those related outcomes.

 I am really hoping to get some practical ideas of how to deliver multiple curricula at the same time especially with elementary students who may have limited independent inquiry or research skills. I am going to the social studies multi-grade in-service later. Those are courses at the grade 3/4 level I am having difficulty with as I am doing them completely separately. Science is the other area of main concern I see for teaching in combination.

Work time!!

Thoughts and supports...

 As I continue to build and pursue outcome based assessment with the curricula, I am getting closer to conceptualizing the portfolio in ELA for my students. I have tried each year to make this work, but there always seems to be something missing. I think I'm almost there, but I'm still missing something.