field notes.edu

Personalized Reading Program

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 00:01:00 -0400

image:http://www.teen-reading-club.wikispaces.com

This year, as part of our Library and Media Centre program, we’re personalizing reading.

Our goal is to engage our students, boys in particular, in enjoying reading.

What have we done? We’ve taken a survey of all of our students in grades 7 through 9 to find out:

the extent to which they enjoy reading (or not)
the genre which they prefer, and any authors/titles they’ve liked
the last good book they’ve read
formats they prefer (print, audio, graphic novel, etc.)
recommendations

I shared the results with our Library Assistant, and she immediately put together a reading list tailored to student interests. She even went so far as to contact a book company to see if they had a specific lexile and thematic level for one student who struggled with reading. I am so proud to have her as part of our team!

The result to date after one month: we have engaged 15% of our junior boys in enjoying reading more. How do we know? We’ve connected with our reluctant readers, and have made personal connections to their reading interests, recommending novels through visits in class and through the Library-direct connections.

Wow! We even got a reader who hated reading to “I LOVE reading!” Now he’s determined to read all of the books in a particular series. This student has now moved on to full-text reading series at an increasingly challenging lexile level. We love it when that happens!

It just goes to show that literacy matters and that we can make a difference if we target our Library programs to our students’ interests, and include all Library staff in a team approach in developing (and modelling!) a lifelong love of reading.

Next steps? Inviting students to participate in a Library Leadership Group, an occasional group of diverse students who will help make recommendations on reading selections, digital, print, and audio, as well as developing our Learning Commons into an engaging personal and virtual space!

Portfolio App Makes #MLearning Easy

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 13:18:00 -0400

I’m always looking for an effective and convenient mobile means of assessing learning.

In my last post, I spoke of how some of my colleagues and I collected videos and images that can be used to assess students’ learning, or be forwarded via email for students to put as evidence in their eportfolios.

Just the other day, I came across a Twitter post by @mrrobbo (Jarrod Robinson) announcing his new mobile portfolio app, Easy Portfolio, now available on iTunes. I decided to try it out, and so far, I am quite impressed. The app allows me to do the following:

Create several eportfolios
Add images, videos, audio, documents, and urls with a few simple clicks
Export these items via email or Dropbox

I like how the app helps categorize the collection of evidence, and allows me to export via email or Dropbox so I can later add the artefacts to my actual website. I am thinking of using it as an organizing repository, though it can be used as is. It’s also available for iPad.

I can see the app being used by my students to collect their own learning evidence. It’s $2.99, within reason for an app that I think can add real value to student-centered learning.

For elementary school teachers, I think it can be a nice alternative to Evernote, particularly since it integrates with Easy Assessment, an app that lets teachers create groups and rubrics for tasks, allowing on-the-spot assessment (including adding notes, photos, and video). For example, a teacher can create “portfolios” for each of her/his students, collect formative evidence within Easy Portfolio, but also add summative pieces from Easy Assessment.

It’s looking like a handy app to have right now, and worth a try!

Easy Portfolio App Integrates with Easy Assessment App

Sat, 30 Jun 2012 12:53:22 -0400

Easy Portfolio App Integrates with Easy Assessment App

Documenting Learning Digitally.

Fri, 11 May 2012 01:26:00 -0400

I recently viewed a Slideshare presentation by Brian Kuhn from SD43 about documenting learning in the early years with technology. I was prompted to reflect about our own learning journey in this area…

This year at our school, we are continuing to embed eportfolios as learning, reflection, and self-awareness tools. Part of that process is to collect evidence of learning: assignments, projects, videos, reflections, scans, notes, and more. We’ve encouraged our students to use their handheld digital devices to capture the moment (or capture the moment for a friend who may not have one yet), but sometimes they forget…

In my InfoTech 9 class, students are doing great things. They are engaged in working on individual and team choice projects in the domains of: photography, videography, and game design. We are working on competencies such as: creativity, independent learning, and problem solving. Much of my time is spent coaching using the following questions to move learning forward:

“How did you learn that?”
“What do you want to explore about that?”
“How would you do that differently next time?”
“Can you share your learning with a classmate?”

I take the time to document their learning with my iphone when I ask these questions. I first ask if they don’t mind if I take a photo or video, then I “shoot and share” with them via email. If it’s a video, and they have a youtube account, I remind them about privacy settings. Then, they are welcome to add the evidence to their eportfolios or learning blogs. It works well.

The other day, I had a conversation with a colleague who used handheld devices in another way—he used student devices to record foreign/second language readings right into their devices so they could use them during class to practice their pronunciation. Students without devices used the class ipod. It worked. “Having the device right there, in the moment, is critical,” he says.

Another colleague uses her iPad to video students as they are doing their Science experiments or Biology labs so she can replay decisions the team made, and to ask them to reflect on their thinking during the process. It works well. “It’s so easy to just take a snapshot or a quick video,” she says. And the evidence of learning is there, at the fingertips.

From the Saskatchewan University Alumni Website

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 01:07:53 -0500

From the Saskatchewan University Alumni Website

Eggs Graded, Students Not?

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 23:26:19 -0500

I am having a conversation with my grade 7 daughter about schooling and learning. She is wondering why kids are limited to being in one grade all of the time, when so many of her classmates are at so many different levels of achievement and varied interests. If she were in charge (!), she would have students grouped according to their level of achievement and interest, not grade level. For example, if a student shows a high level of competency in a subject area or discipline, they should be able to move ahead in their studies. Kids should be able to be in mixed age classes! The special needs kids could be anywhere they wanted to be, based on what is deemed age appropriate, but most other kids should be able to learn in flexible groupings. That’s her thinking. I guess we talk about school a lot at our house.

She’s not talking about differentiating curriculum in one age cohort; rather mixed age, personalized learning. I am wondering about that, too. The other day, I visited a couple of classes to speak about Freedom to Read Week, on the topic of “censorship.” I had a conversation with a grade 12 and grade 8 English class. the grade 8 English class was thoughtful, animated, provocative in their thinking, and many of the students could easily have fit in with a grade 12 curriculum level. It would be interesting to “mix grade” some of the kids depending on the topic, or thematic unit study. Why do we only hold kids in a “carton” according to their age of production? What’s holding us up?

Photo

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:52:13 -0500

7 Skills Kids Will Need

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:49:00 -0500

7 Skills Kids Will Need:

According to Tony Wagner, these are the 7 skills kids will need for their future.

Engaged Collaboration

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:40:43 -0500

Last week, I witnessed a really neat phenomenon unusual for a particular group of lovely grade nine students: sustained and immersed engagement in learning for two solid 2.5 hour classes.

What was the x-factor? My colleague and I used an inquiry question, “should children work?” and were asked what they needed to know to answer that question. Answers varied from ‘pay’ to ‘conditions.’

Next came the following:
-teams according to topics students brought up
-Today’s Meet chat to post and justify learning links related to topic
-Google Docs to post research according to criteria and based on learning links
-peer feedback via digital comments

The written pieces were incredible. All kids wrote exceptionally well, and then partner shared their learning. My colleague noted that he’d never seen such output from the students. Just goes to show how a learning focus, digital tools for collaboration, and peer assessment can be part of a powerful toolkit!

Lunar Portfolios: New Eportfolio platform at Mt. Sentinel based...

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:25:34 -0500

Lunar Portfolios: New Eportfolio platform at Mt. Sentinel based on Drupal

"Educators past & present have overcome many challenges, but today may face perhaps the most..."

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 01:22:44 -0500

“Educators past & present have overcome many challenges,
but today may face perhaps the most daunting of them all,
the student in the mirror.”

- Gordon Holden

One Step at a Time.

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 13:58:52 -0400

Last day, one of our Social Studies 9 teachers came to visit me in the office after the PROD day. “I’ve been working on my Moodle page for part of the day,” he said, “and I think I’ve figured out a way to combine files into a folder, using some of the tutorials in your Moodle Mania online course. Have a look!” One of his goals for the year was to incorporate more technology into teaching and learning in order to differentiate learning for his students.

Sure enough, the Socials 9 page looked tidier, and more concise without the infamous “moodle scroll of death.” “My next step is to differentiate some of the readings and assignments,” he said. “It’s not easy to learn technology, but I’m trying!”

I was really proud of his efforts. It’s only through modelling, trial and error, and reasonable risk-taking that we learn, stretch and grow as teachers. What a great way to demonstrate a “growth mindset” to his students! Every step counts.

Update: Students are now receiving feedback via rubrics embedded into comment section of Moodle gradebook. Way to go, Mr. A.!

Motivation for Quality Work

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 13:52:04 -0400

Our grade 7’s are in the midst of creating their digital stories about Doukhobor culture. Each team of 3 students has, after a collective field trip to the Doukhobor Museum, having a panel interview with Grandparents, and reading fiction and non-fiction excerpts on culture, storyboarded a one minute video. The students were privileged to have two filmmakers show them examples of other student films and work with them on refining their storyboards.

What was the motivation for improving the quality of their work in order of effectiveness?
1. Knowing their work was being showcased at a Community Celebration Screening Event and archived on a community website (authentic audience)
2. Continual feedback anf “feed-forward” using peer examples in progress.
3. Co-constructed criteria.

Marks have not figured into this project; we’ve purposefully left them out of the conversation in order to foreground learning, community connections, and quality/pride in effort.

"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. ..."

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 13:42:41 -0400

“Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.
-Henry Ford”

What every child should experience: “Circle of...

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 13:25:01 -0400

What every child should experience: “Circle of Courage.”

Differentiating Learning.

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 13:21:54 -0400

This year, our grade 7 Math teacher, fairly new to the subject area, had a problem. Her class was so spread out in terms of ability, that she wasn’t sure what to do about it. We talked about it, and I suggested—Khan Academy.

It won’t be the sole method for teaching Math 7, but it will be a start in giving her the opportunity to assess her students, and provide parents with access to their childrens’ Khan accounts so they can witness their child’s progress. She also has access to her students’ accounts, and can monitor where they’re at at any time. Yes, students get “badges” for moving to each consecutive level, but they appear to be motivated by this method. I walked in to the computer lab on a Friday afternoon and watched engagement for the entire period. The kids, especially the boys, love it.

Both of us wonder what the impact on learning will be. Certainly, this won’t be the sole method of assessment in class, but it does provide a compelling starting point, and addresses her main concern for improving basic skills. It also allows her to focus on kids who are struggling, while independent learners move ahead.

We are both curious as to where this learning will take the students, but also how teaching and learning Math will be impacted…

My Movie Apps. In A World Drama: Great for Book Trailers iMovie:...

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 00:38:00 -0400

My Movie Apps.

In A World Drama: Great for Book Trailers

iMovie: The Movie Editor!

Stop Motion HD: Creates Stop Motion in a Jiffy

MadPad: Create Soundscapes as Metaphor

Missing from photo: Videolicious (easy to use!)

The beginning of a Slocan Family of Schools Digital Heritage...

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 15:45:00 -0400

The beginning of a Slocan Family of Schools Digital Heritage Connect Project collaboration. Last October 7th, 2011, a group of Slocan Valley Schools educators gathered to plan the first steps in a cross-school collaboration involving place-based learning. The inquiry question being explored is “How can we collaboratively engage our grade 5-7 students in learning about their local heritage while developing social responsibility skills?” Teachers will be using technology, specifically digital storytelling, as a medium for connecting to the individual school themes. Thank you to Linda Farr-Darling from UBC, Pat Dooley, and the Ministry of Education for funding the Growing Innovations grant to our District.