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Table of Contents 1. “i%stories”,–,Inquiry,in,SS,10, 2. Keep,Calm,and,Ask,Your, METT, 3. Effective,Descriptive,Feed% back,, 4. Where,do,you,fit,in,the,Core, Competency,Profiles?,, 5. Beyond,the,Letter,Grades:, Communicating,Student, Learning,Inquiry,Project, 6. From,Whispers,to,Wonders:, Supporting,ELLs, 7. Transforming,Our,Learning, 8. Leading,and,Learning,in,Lit% eracy, 9. Working,With,Joy!, 10. BURrr,–,Bundle,Up,, 11. The,Power,of,Talking,Circles, 12. Video,Streaming,in,Your, Classroom, 13. Thinking,about,Teaching,and, Learning,Mathematics:,,Pro% fessional,Collaborative,Inquiry, Projects,
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Welcome to Spring! , The,Learning,Services,Department,(LSD), provides,a,range,of,supports,for,curricu% lum,and,instruction,,assessment,,and,pro% gram,planning,for,all,students.,, , District,Curriculum,Coordinators,and, Teacher,Consultants,are,teachers,with, knowledge,and,expertise,across,a,wide, range,of,curricular,areas,such,as,Aborigi% nal,Education,,Early,Learning,,Environ% mental,Sustainability,(the,science,of, stewardship),,ESL,and,Multiculturalism,, French,Immersion,,Giftedness,,Literacy,, Numeracy,,Science,,and,Technology.,,, , The,“CnC,Chronicles”,is,a,publication, where,the,Coordinators,and,Consultants, can,share,some,of,the,projects,they,have, been,working,on,–,whether,they,are,on% going,term,long,endeavours,or,targeted, presentations.,We,hope,you,find,in,these, pages,ideas,for,your,own,practice,and, members,of,CnC,that,you,might,like,to, partner,with., , The,Coordinators,and,Consultants,(CnC), can,be,contacted,through,Richnet., , We,look,forward,to,working,with,you., , Richard(Stewart,(Jane(MacMillan(and((((( Sarah(Loat(on(behalf(of(the(Learning((((( Services(CnC(Team.( , , ,
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i"stories(–(( Inquiry(in(Socials(10( ! ! Leanne%McColl,%Teacher%Consultant% Indigenous%Education% % Last!spring,!I!facilitated!an!inquiry!project! with!a!Social!Studies!10!class!at!Burnett!and! their!teacher!Farrah!Merali,!in!collaboration! with!a!professional!filmmaker,!Jessica!HalD lenbeck,!thanks!to!a!grant!from!the!VancouD ver!Biennale.!!! ! The!Vancouver!BienD nale!is!a!nonDprofit! arts!organization!that! brings!international! art!exhibitions!to!pubD lic!spaces!to!encourD age!cultural!experiences!where!people!live,! work,!play!and!move.!!Their!BIG!IDEAS!EdD ucation!Program!connects!educators,!learnD ers,!artists!and!researchers!to!conduct!artD infused!inquiry,!which!culminates!in!a!final! performance!project.! ! Our!project!asked!the!question,!how!does! the!past!impact!the!present,!and!more!speD cifically,!how!does!our!past!impact!our!preD sent?!!To!delve!into!this!question,!students! considered!Canada's!history!postD1815,!as! waves!of!immigrants!began!to!arrive!on!the! shores!of!Canada,!a!country!that,!despite! being!a!New!World!to!many,!was!a!place! steeped!in!the!traditions!of!its!Indigenous! populations.!!To!personalize!this!study,!stuD dents!created!iDstories,!stories!told!in!the! voices!of!their!ancestors!about!a!pivotal! moment.! ! To!consider!our!local!context,!we!went!on!a! walking!tour!to!explore!changes!over!time! in!Vancouver,!and!especially!due!to!the!conD tributions!of!immigrants.!!On!our!tour,!we!
LEARNING SERVICES visited!the!Biennale!sculpture!entitled! “Walking!Figures”!to!deepen!our!underD standings.!!! ! In!addition!to!their!iDstories,!students!creatD ed!a!class!timeline!to!depict!the!collective! experiences!of!the!ancestors!chosen!by!each! class!member.!!The!timeline!included!major! events!locally,!and!internationally,!and!deD scribed!the!experience!of!Indigenous!popuD lations.!!The!final!creation!was!a!video!that! illuminates!how!our!pasts!are!woven!toD gether!to!shape!our!history,!and!collective! present!day!experiences.!!For!more!inforD mation,!see! http://www.vancouverbiennale.com/learni ngDcases/brunettDsecondary/! ! In!December!2015,!our!district!was!awardD ed!Biennale!grants!for!new!inquiry!projects! at!Burnett,!Cambie,!Currie,!McKinney,! McNair,!and!Mitchell.!!These!projects!will!be! taking!place!this!spring.! ! For!further!information!on!how!to!work! with!the!Biennale,!contact! lmccoll@sd38.bc.ca,!(604)668D6000!(ext.! 1405)! !
! http://www.vancouverbiennale.com/wpD content/uploads/2013/10/WalkingFigures_1D600x558.jpg!
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Keep(Calm(and(Ask(Your( METT( ! Chris%Loat%7%Teacher%Consultant%7%Technology% Integration% ! Another!acronym?!Great!!What!on!earth! does!this!one!mean!–!you!ask?!METT!stands! for!Mentors!for!Ed!Tech!Transformation,! which!simply!translates!as!the!“techie”!perD son!on!your!staff!who!you!can!access!for! anything!about!technology.!! ! This!year,!each!school!was!asked!to!provide! the!name!of!one!or!two!individuals!who! would!like!to!join!the!METT!group.!To!my! pleasant!surprise,!almost!every!school!in! our!district!ended!up!with!an!Ed!tech!menD tor.!Some!schools!have!more!than!one,!and! in!total,!we!have!80!METT!members!who! communicate!on!a!regular!basis.!As!the!orD ganizer!of!this!group,!I!try!to!provide!techD related!information!to!them!that!they!disD seminate!amongst!their!respective!staffs.!In! our!group,!we!have!classroom!teachers,!liD brarians,!resource!/!learning!assistance! teachers,!admin,!and!even!a!few!from! Learning!Services.!The!group!also!has!new! teachers,!experienced!teachers,!teachers! who!worked!on!Apple!II!e’s,!and!teachers! who!are!relatively!new!to!tech!integration! but!keen!to!learn.! ! Ideally,!the!METT!person,!or!Ed!tech!menD tor,!will!help!you!with!issues!around!tech! integration!–!Any!tech!related!ideas!for!how! my!students!can!represent!their!learning! verbally?!What!iPad!app!would!work!best! for!this!SS!presentation!my!students!are!doD ing?!My!students!are!doing!group!projects!–! what!tech!tools!can!help!to!make!this!colD laborative!process!easier?!These!are!just! some!examples!of!questions!that!the!METT! can!help!you!answer.!If!they!don’t!know!the! answer,!there!are!79!other!mentors!in!the!
LEARNING SERVICES district!who!can!be!accessed!to!answer!your! question.!! ! If!you!don't!know!who!your!school's!METT! is,!ask!around.!With!the!significant!changes! to!the!curriculum!and!increased!proliferaD tion!of!technology!in!our!students’!lives,! this!person!will!be!an!important!support!as! we!head!into!the!future.! !
Image!from!http://www.keepcalmDoDmatic.co.uk!
! See!contact!info!and!role!below.! ! Chris!Loat! Teacher!Consultant!for!Technology!! Integration! cloat@sd38.bc.ca! 604D668D6000!ext.6115! Fax:!604D233D0521! Website:! http://sandbox.sd38.bc.ca/teachers/loat! Twitter:!@loater! Blog:http://blogs.sd38.bc.ca/tech38/! ! ! ! !
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“I(got(9(out(of(10,(so( what?”("(Effective(De" scriptive(Feedback( ! Rosalind%Poon%7%Teacher%Consultant%7%Litera7 cy,%Assessment%&%Mentoring%(Secondary%&% Intermediate)% % Lorraine%Minosky%7%Teacher%Consultant%7 Literacy,%Assessment%&%Mentoring%(Elemen7 tary)%
! % This!fall!teachers!in!intermediate!and!secD ondary!(grades!6D9)!were!invited!to!particD ipate!in!a!three!part!Effective!Descriptive! Feedback!workshop!series.!!! ! Teachers!in!these!sessions!are!working!colD laboratively!to!further!their!understanding! of!assessment!for!learning!practices!and! develop!a!repertoire!of!effective!descriptive! feedback!strategies.!!! ! In!the!first!session,!Kathleen!Gregory,!our! guest!speaker,!gave!us!an!introduction!to! descriptive!feedback!and!how/why!it!is!efD
LEARNING SERVICES fective.!!Teachers!left!with!a!series!of!stratD egies!to!try!in!their!own!classrooms.!!In!sesD sion!two,!the!focus!was!on!peerDtoDpeer! feedback!and!using!technology!to!help!give! feedback!to!students.!!In!the!upcoming!and! last!session,!teachers!will!share!strategies! they!have!tried!and!used.!!!
“Descriptive feedback is the single most powerful thing we can use to impact student learning.” John Hattie
! ! ! In!addition!to!offering!this!workshop!series,! many!schools!have!had!a!focus!on!DescripD tive!Feedback!on!Professional!Days.!!An!adD aptation!of!this!workshop!has!also!been! presented!to!our!beginning!teachers!in!the! Mentoring!program!and!at!the!District!ConD vention!Day.!!! ! Feedback!from!teachers!have!included,!“I! used!to!think!that!descriptive!feedback!was! time!consuming!and!laborious.!!Now!I!think! it!can!be!effectively!achieved!in!quick!effiD cient!ways,”!and!“I!used!to!think!it!was!okay! to!“label”!or!call!myself!an!“A”!student.!!Now! I!feel!like!this!limits!me!and!is!NOT!a! growth!mindset.”!!! ! If!you!are!interested!in!delving!deeper!with! your!staffs!on!Effective!Descriptive!FeedD back,!please!feel!free!to!contact!Lorraine! Minosky!or!Rosalind!Poon!on!Richnet.!!! ! !
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Where(do(you(fit(in(the( Core(Competency(( Profiles?(( ! Rosalind%Poon%–%Teacher%Consultant%–%Liter7 acy,%Assessment%&%Mentoring%(Intermediate% &%Secondary)% ! ! The!Core!Competencies,!along!with!literacy! and!numeracy!foundations!and!essential! content!and!concepts,!are!at!the!centre!of! the!new!Transforming!Learning!CurricuD lum.!!Starting!this!Fall,!as!part!of!the!disD trict’s!professional!learning!series!around! the!redesigned!curriculum,!there!was!an! opportunity!for!8!teachers!from!grades!6D9! to!come!together!and!work!with!the!Core! Competencies!under!the!guidance!and!exD pertise!of!Anita!Chapman,!provincial!educaD tional!consultant.! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! The!Core!Competencies!was!developed! through!provincial!consultation!of!stakeD holder!group!and!exemplifies!the!characterD istics!that!we!want!ALL!students!to!have!as! BC!citizens.!!Core!competencies!are!sets!of! intellectual,!personal,!and!social!and!emoD tional!proficiencies!that!all!students!need!to! develop!in!order!to!engage!in!deep!learning! and!lifeDlong!learning.!!!The!three!compeD tencies!are:!Thinking,!Communication!and! Cultural!and!Social!Identity.!!(For!more!inD formation,!please!go!to! https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/competencies .!)! !
LEARNING SERVICES The!focus!of!this!project!is!to!have!teachers! identify!a!competency!of!interest,!design!an! inquiry!focus!/!question,!introduce!the!core! competency!into!your!classroom!practice,! and!document!and!share!your!results!and! experiences!with!the!team.!!During!our!first! two!meetings!teachers!have!had!the!opporD tunity!to!notice!and!note!the!specific!comD petency!and!bring!in!samples!of!how!the! competency!is!playing!out!in!their!own! classrooms.!!! !
! In!addition!to!the!series,!various!staffs!have! been!exploring!what!the!Core!Competencies! look!like!in!their!own!schools!and!classD rooms.!!We!know!that!many!teachers!alD ready!incorporate!aspects!of!the!competenD cies!in!their!every!day!practice.!!Having!the! Core!Competencies!as!the!overarching!umD brella!allows!teachers!to!see!where!the!stuD dents!fit!in!the!profiles!and!be!more!intenD tional!about!goal!setting!towards!the!next! step.!!If!you!haven’t!had!the!chance!to!exD plore!a!Core!Competency,!check!out!the! profiles!and!see!where!you!may!fit!on!one!of! the!profiles.!!! ! ! If!you!and!your!staffs!are!interested!are!inD terested!in!finding!out!more!information!or! delving!deeper!into!the!Core!Competencies,! please!feel!free!to!contact!Rosalind!Poon.!!! ! phone:!604D668D6000!ext.!4024! fax:!604D233D0521! Twitter:!!@rpoon38! !
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students!align!work!samples!with!the!deD scriptors.! • Developing!and!refining!a!learning!map! (overarching!rubric)!to!be!used!to!measure! ( the!learning!in!a!social!studies!unit!in!relaD Lorraine%Minosky%7Teacher%Consultant%7%Lit7 tion!to!performance!outcomes!language.! eracy,%Assessment%&%Mentoring%(Elementary)% • Making!learning!visible!by!creating!proD ! gressive!mind!maps,!where!new!learning!is! Many!of!us!have!been!working!hard!to!inD added!in!a!different!colour.! corporate!assessment!for!learning!practices! • Preparing!students!to!demonstrate!their! in!our!classrooms!but!continue!to!struggle! learning!to!their!families!at!home!by!using! when!it!comes!to!assigning!letter!grades!on! strategies!such!as!Show%Time,!or!playing!a! report!cards.!We!often!grapple!with!how!to! game!of!battleship!to!demonstrate!skill!and! take!all!those!quizzes,!test!scores,!project! understanding!when!using!coordinate! marks,!rubric!scales!and!checklists!and! grids.!!! come!up!with!a!single!grade.!How!do!we! • Demonstrating!learning!by!using!Before! communicate!to!parents!and!families!about! and!Now!pocket!portfolios!to!showcase!exD what!really!matters!about!their!students’! amples!of!revised!writing!where!the!stuD learning?! dent!annotates!and!articulates!the!learning! ! that!took!place!during!the!revision!process.! Under!the!guidance!of!Kathleen!Gregory! ! and!supported!by!Lorraine!Minosky,!school! Engaging!our!students!in!evaluating!their! teams!from!Westwind!!(Chris!and!Alfred),! own!learning!and!communicating!this!to! Ferris!(Nicole!and!JeanDAnn),!Grauer!(JeanD their!families!has!been!a!central!goal!for!our! nette!and!Kelly),!Steves!(Kirsten)!and!Byng! group.!!As!Andrew!said,!“My!kids!are!my!PR! (Caitlin!and!Andrew)!have!met!to!explore! for!my!classroom.”! their!repertoire!of!assessment!and!commuD ! nication!practices!by!pursuing!a!profesD We!are!set!to!meet!one!more!time!this!year! sional!inquiry!project! and!we!are!planning!to!tackle!the!topic!of! ! report!cards!and!reporting!student!learnD Some!examples!of!our!work!in!progress!are:! ing.!!“What%do%you%think%helps?% ! What%gets%in%the%way?%%How%do% we%help%parents%and%students% understand%the%shift%to%out7 comes%based%letter%grades?”!We! will!explore!the!strategies!in! Kathleen’s!book,!Rethinking% Letter%Grades.%A%Five7Step%Ap7 ! proach%for%Aligning%Letter% ! Grades%to%Learning%Standards,!which!she! • Creating!pocket!portfolios!to!gather!eviD wrote!with!Caren!Cameron.!!! dence!of!learning!(work!samples,!photos)!in! ! relation!to!learning!outcomes!and!IEP!goals.!!! We!look!forward!to!continuing!our!inquiry! and!eventually!being!able!to!share!our! • Demystifying!letter!grades!by!creating!clear! learning!with!others!and!invite!more!colD marking!scales!with!kid!friendly!descriptors! leagues!into!the!conversation.! that!can!be!used!in!the!classroom!to!have! ! !
Beyond(the(Letter(Grades:( Communicating(Student( Learning(Inquiry(Project(
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From(Whispers(to(Wonders:( Supporting(ELLs(
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Diane%Tijman% District%Curriculum%Coordinator,%ELL%and% Multiculturalism% ! ! How!can!we!best!support! English!Language!Learners!in! elementary!schools?!Lately,!I! have!been!working!at!Tait!ElD ementary!with!K!teacher,! Leanne!Commons,!and!ELL/! Resource!teacher,!Jeri!JakoD vac.!What!a!wonderful!collabD orative!team!!Leanne!has!14! ELLs!in!her!class,!with!several! of!them!at!Level!1.!Through!our!work!toD gether,!we!came!up!with!some!suggestions! for!parents!that!we!recently!shared!at!the! Learning!and!the!Brain!conference:! ! 1. Provide!opportunities!for!your!child!to! play!with!other!children!who!speak!EngD lish!well,!i.e.!arrange!playdates!and!enD roll!in!community!arts,!sports!and!music! programs.! 2. Make!visiting!the!library!a!weekly!habit! and!foster!a!love!of!reading!by!providing! a!range!of!materials!throughout!the! home.! 3. Use!the!5Dfinger!rule!for!choosing!a!book! and!read!with!your!child!daily.! 4. Participate!in!games!and!activities!with! your!child,!visiting!a!variety!of!venues! such!as!parks,!pools,!and!playgrounds!to! broaden!language!exposure!and!cultural! understanding.! 5. Play!language!games,!sing!songs,!and! learn!new!words!and!phrases!together.! 6. Memorize!some!key!sight!words.! 7. Volunteer!in!clubs!and!activities!within! the!school!and!community.!
LEARNING SERVICES 8. Communication!is!an!equal!partnership! shared!between!home,!school!and!! learner.! 9. Establishing!healthy!routines!for!sleep,! meals!and!chores!will!help!your!child! come!to!school!rested!and!ready!to!learn.! 10. Continue!to!communicate!in!your!first! language!with!your!child!in!order!to!reD tain!first!language!proficiency,!family! connections!and!culture.!! ! Jeri!is!a!Resource/ELL!teacher!who!supD ports!Leanne's!K!class!five!times!a!week.! Together!they!teamDteach!reading,!writing! and!math!lessons,!breaking!up!into!small! groups!at!times!to!differentiate!the!lessons.! The!children!are!enthusiastic!and!proud!of! their!work,!fully!participating!and!successD ful!in!their!own!way.!! !
! Jeri!and!Leanne!believe!inDclass!support! works!best!in!K!because!if!ELLs!were!to!be! pulled!out!for!ELL!support,!they!would!miss! out!on!instruction!and!the!opportunity!to! hear!and!use!academic!language!in!context.! Secondly,!skills!learned!outside!of!the!classD room!are!often!found!not!to!transfer!very! well!into!the!classroom.!Finally,!there!are! actually!too!many!ELLs!to!even!consider! pullout!!Together!is!better!!! ! ! 604D668D6000!(Tel)!ext.!6055!/!! 604D233D0521!(Fax)! ! !
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Transforming+Our+Learning+
++ Brooke&Douglas&-&French&Consultant !
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! The!district!coordinators!and!consultants! have!been!working!with!school!teams,!and! sometimes!whole!staffs,!to!begin!exploring! aspects!of!the!redesigned!curriculum.!! ! This!fall!we!offered!a!morning!session!for! each!school!to!send!a!team!to!IDC!to!learn! about!big!ideas,!the!core!competencies,!the! first!people's!principles!of!learning!and!an! opportunity!to!talk!in!interest!groups!about! specific!curricular!areas.!(Click!on!embedA ded!links!to!view!web!content.)! !
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We!are!also!available!to!do!coAplanning,!coA teaching!and!inquiry!as!ways!of!trying!out! changes!to!our!practice!in!light!of!curricular! shifts.!This!updated!curriculum!has!at!its! heart!wonder,!passion!and!engagement!as!a! focus!for!our!approach!to!teaching!and! learning.!The!next!round!of!sessions!will!be! held!the!week!before!spring!break.!Look! forward!to!seeing!you!there!! ! ! ! !
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! ! These!beginning!conversations!have!been!a! rich!opportunity!for!people!to!begin!to!faA miliarize!themselves!with!the!changing!lens! of!the!curriculum!in!BC.!The!consultants! and!coordinators!are!available!to!teachers! and!staffs!for!professional!learning!related! to!the!redesigned!curriculum.!! !
“This&updated&curriculum& has&at&its&heart&wonder,&passion&and&engagement&as&a& focus&for&our&approach&to& teaching&and&learning.� ! ! Brooke!Douglas!A!French!Consultant Work!(604)!668A6000,!Ext.!2195! Fax!(604)!668A6191! ! !
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Leading(and(Learning(in( Literacy( ! Lisa%Schwartz7%K77%Literacy%Consultant%(lit7 eracy,%assessment%and%differentiated%instruc7 tion)% ! For!this!issue!of!the!CnC!eDzine,!I!have!put! together!a!list!of!some!of!the!ways!I!can! support!personal!inquiries!or!collaborative! inquiry!groups.! !
! Guided(reading:!!! How!can!we!structure!our!day!to!open!time! and!space!for!guided!reading?! ! Literature(Circles:!!! Book!choice.!!Structures!and!supports!for! literature!circles.!! ! Story(workshop(and(oral(language(de" velopment:!! How!might!a!focus!on!story!workshop! strengthen!reading!and!writing!skills?! ! Word(solving(strategies:((( What!are!word!solving!strategies!and!what! are!the!different!ways!to!teach!these!strateD gies!in!whole!group!and!small!group!inD struction?! ! Writing:!!! How!to!use!different!prompts!such!as!picD ture!books!to!inspire!writing?!!
LEARNING SERVICES Inquiry:!!! Using!students!questions!to!inspire!reading! and!writing!in!your!classroom.! ! Passion(Hour/Genius(Hour:((( How!does!choice!in!topics!and!dedicated! time!to!explore!passions!increase!engageD ment?! ! Technology(Integration:(( Digital!literacy,!integrating!technology!into! a!balanced!literacy!program.! ! Differentiating(Instruction:!! How!can!we!use!content,!process!and!prodD uct!to!meet!the!diverse!needs!of!learners?! ! These!are!just!a!few!of!the!topics!and!proD jects!I!have!worked!on!in!the!past!or!I!am! currently!working!on!in!different!elemenD tary!schools!in!our!district.!!These!projects! can!be!with!a!whole!staff,!a!small!group!or! individual!teachers.!!! !
! ! What!is!your!question!and!how!can!I!supD port!you!on!your!learning!journey?! ! Lisa%Schwartz7%K77%Literacy%Consultant%% Twitter:!@lisaschwartz05! Blog:!blogs.sd38.bc.ca/schwartzliteracy/! ! ! Images%from:% http://bigpictureconnection.com/% http://www.yourfriend4life.com%
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Working(With(Joy!( ! Marie%Thom% Early%Learning%Teacher%Consultant% Strong%Start%Coordinator% ! With!a!new!curriculum!comes!an!opporD tunity!for!teachers!to!embrace!change.!I! think!Kindergarten!teachers!will!secretly!be! smiling!at!the!innovative!ideas!in!the!new! transforming!learning!curriculum!docuD ment!because!many!of!us!have!been!teachD ing!in!a!holistic!way!our!entire!careers!!!! !
! ! There!are!some!wonderful!surprises!in!the! new!document.!!The!section!on!Creative! Thinking!is!one!of!them.!!This!brings!me!to! the!work!that!I!have!been!doing!over!the! past!couple!of!months.!!The!teachers!who!I! have!worked!with!have!been!exploring! some!of!the!following:!using!story!workD shop,!using!loose!parts!materials,!and!inteD grating!First!Peoples'!Principles!of!Learning! into!their!classrooms.!!! ! What!is!similar!for!these!teachers,!is!a!deD sire!to!provide!children!with!rich!learning! opportunities.!Together!we!are!learning!to! be!better!listeners.!!We!are!practicing!our! documentation!skills!and!discovering!many! amazing!aps!that!make!life!easier!for!us!to! support!reading!and!writing.!!We!have! thought!about!what!it!means!to!be!intenD
LEARNING SERVICES tional!and!to!be!planned!and!prepared!so! that!we!can!be!responsive!to!small!groups! of!children.!!!We!have!also!reflected!on!the! appropriateness!of!the!materials!D!are!there! too!many!or!not!enough?!Natural!or!manD made,!commercial!or!open!ended?!!! !
! We!have!also!thought!about!linking!our!exD plorations!to!literature!to!see!which!stories! help!build!vocabulary!and!active!engageD ment.!!We!have!looked!at!how!the!classD room!space!affects!selfDregulation.!!What!I! love!the!most!is!when!children!see!themD selves!as!learners.!!I!am!in!awe!of!the!stoD ries!they!tell!and!the!vignettes!they!create.!! I!cherish!the!conversations!we!have.!!Most! of!all!I!feel!deeply!committed!to!support! teachers!as!they!work!joyfully!with!children! and!I!feel!proud!to!be!able!to!work!with!so! many!dedicated!people.! ! ! ! Marie!Thom:!on!Richnet!and!by!! phone!668D6000!EXT!3270! ! ! Photos:!!Aboriginal!materials! Poster:!Sofia's!story! ! !
SPRING 2015
BURrr(–(Bundle(Up!( ! Kevin%Lyseng% Teacher%Consultant% ! ( Energy!Awareness!can!be!fun!!On!February! 5,!BundleDUp!Richmond!and!Turn!Down!the! Heat!(BURrr)!coincided!with!National! Sweater!Day!with!more!than!20!schools!/! sites!participating.!Each!site!turned!down! the!heat!and!wore!their!favourite!Sweater,! Sports!Jersey,!Blanket!or!their!newly!acD quired!Christmas!Sweaters.!At!Cambie!they! served!hot!chocolate!and!at!Byng!they! baked!BURrr!cookies!! !
! ! You!may!wonder,!what!does!a!sweater!have! to!do!with!climate!change?!National!SweatD er!Day!is!a!day!to!think!differently!about! how!we!use!energy!and!how!we!can!all!play! a!role!in!tackling!climate!change!in!Canada.! Turning!down!our!heat!and!wearing!a! sweater!is!a!small!action!that!is!symbolic!of! bigger!change.!Imagine!the!possibilities!! ! In!Canada,!the!energy!that!powers!our!cities! and!industries!is!heavily!supplied!by!fossil! fuels,!such!as!oil,!gas!and!coal.!These!release! greenhouse!gases!into!the!atmosphere!and!
LEARNING SERVICES transform!ecosystems!at!an!alarming! rate.!We!are!already!seeing!the!impacts!of! climate!change,!particularly!on!our!Arctic! and!our!oceans.!We!know!that!this!is!not! the!future!we!want,!and!it!doesn’t!have!to! be.!
! ! Reducing!the!amount!of!energy!we!use!is! half!of!the!battle!in!putting!Canada!on!the! right!path!to!climate!leadership.!The!great! news!is!that!all!of!us!can!participate!in!and! help!drive!energy!conservation.!The!soluD tions!connect!the!choices!we!make!in!our! everyday!lives!to!the!choices!we!can!advoD cate!for!as!citizens.!In!part,!that!means!beD ing!more!conscious!of!how!we!each!use!enD ergy."!from!Sweaters!wanted!to!help!fight! climate!change!,!13!February!2015,! http://blog.wwf.ca/blog/2015/01/16/swe atersDwantedDhelpDfightDclimateDchange/! ! For!more!information:! • Climate!Insights!101! • Climate!Change!2014:!Impacts,!AdD aptation,!and!Vulnerability!(IPCC)! • Intergovernmental!!Panel!on!Climate! Change!(IPCC)!D!2014!D!Fifth!Report! ! For!activities:!World!Wildlife!Foundation! ! Needing!support?!Contact!Kevin!Lyseng!on! Richnet.!
SPRING 2015
The(Power(of(Talking( Circles( ! Lynn%Wainwright% Teacher%Consultant% ! Is!the!Talking!Circle!powerful,!why!or!why! not?!!When!collaborating!and!mentoring! teachers!to!include!Indigenous!Knowledge! and!ways!of!knowing,!I!often!emphasize!the! importance!of!using!Talking!Circles.!“If!you! only!do!one!thing,!the!Circle!as!pedagogy! cannot!and!should!not!be!underestimated.”!!! ! Throughout!the!course!of!my!teaching!pracD tice!I!have!used!“talking!circles”!with! groups!of!all!ages:!!individual!students,! small!groups,!classrooms!from!KD!12!and! beyond.!!Although!I!acquired!the!knowledge! of!how!to!be!a!circle!keeper!from!several! elders!who!have!mentored!me,!I!am!experiD encing!and!seeing!how!valuable!it!is!for! classroom!use!at!all!age!levels.!!! ! Currently,!there!is!an!abundance!of!subD stantial!research!that!supports!the!circle!as! pedagogy.!!!Circle%Forward!by!Carolyn!BoyD esDWatson!and!Kay!Pranis!is!an!excellent! resource!for!teachers!of!all!grade!levels.!The! circle!as!pedagogy!can!be!powerful!because! it!supports!our!human!need!for!belonging,! connection!and!respect.!!!The!Talking!Circle! is!a!practical!guideline!for!building!positive,! classroom!communities,!teaching!social!reD sponsibility!and!emotional!learning!and!for! going!deeper!with!student!inquiries.!! ! The!Circle!has!its!own!set!of!protocols.!! Traditionally,!drawing!on!my!cultural! teachings,!we!use!a!“talking”!eagle!feather.!! The!only!person!talking!is!the!one!holding! the!feather!and!everyone!else!has!the!imD portant!job!of!listening!thereby!showing! respect!to!the!speaker.!!Naturally,!I!am!not! encouraging!everyone!to!use!an!eagle!
LEARNING SERVICES feather.!!!What!I!do!encourage,!however,!is! to!acquire!an!object!from!nature!that!is! meaningful!to!you!such!as!a!beautiful!rock,! stone!or!shell!etc.!!! ! In!the!traditional!territory!of!the!Coast!SaD lish!people!D!where!we!all!live,!work,!and! play!D!they!employ!a!Talking!Stick,!beautiD fully!carved!from!cedar!and!used!at!imD portant!gatherings.!!The!protocol,!however,! is!the!same!–!the!only!person!talking!is!the! one!holding!it.!(Smaller!handDheld!versions! of!the!Talking!Stick!work!nicely!D!I!purD chased!one!at!the!Museum!of!Anthropology! gift!shop.)! ! Can!sitting!together!and!sharing!our!thinkD ing!and!feelings!make!a!difference!in!our! classrooms!and!to!our!teaching!practice?!! Here!is!some!feedback!from!grade!2/3!stuD dents:! D“…it!brings!everyone!together.”!! D“…the!circle!is!powerful!because!kindness! can!beat!negative!energy.”!! D“…the!circle!is!powered!by!all!of!the!peoD ple’s!hearts”! D”I!think!the!circle!is!powerful!because! there!is!life!inside!it.”!! D“I!think!the!circle!is!powerful!because!anD yone!can!join!and!we!can!share!our!feelD ings.”! ! I!recently!had!the!privilege!of!attending!the! final!portfolio!sharing!of!SFU!gradate!diD ploma!students.!!!As!one!of!their!instructors! during!a!twoDweek!summer!institute,!I!had! introduced!them!to!circle!as!pedagogy.!! Many!observed!that!introducing!the!Talking! Circle!deepened!their!connections!to!one! another!and!heightened!the!experience!of! their!learning!journey.!Many!of!these!teachD ers!now!include!the!Circle!as!part!of!their! regular!teaching!practice!and!are!experiD encing,!first!hand,!the!power!of!circle.! ! Images:! www.canadianindianart.com/images/dynamic/3641_7.JPG! http://www.muiniskw.org!!
SPRING 2015
Video&Streaming&in&Your& Classroom& ! Gordon&Powell&& Coordinator&/&Library&&&Information&& Services&(DRC&and&LAC)& ! As!part!of!a!lunchtime!Pro3D!series,!I’ve! been!going!to!schools!and!talking!about! video!streaming!in!the!classroom.! !
! If!you!have!used!YouTube,!Vimeo!or!Daily! Motion!clips!in!the!classroom,!then!you!are! already!familiar!with!the!advantages!of!vid3 eo!streaming.!While!these!sites!are!conven3 ient!(and!free),!it!can!sometimes!be!difficult! to!find!the!right!educational!material.!! ! We!currently!subscribe!to!two!streaming! services:!Learn360!and!NFB&Campus.!Both! of!these!services!can!be!accessed!via!the! “Visual!Tab”!in!your!school!library!catalog.! (You!can!find!all!the!libraries!by!going!to! http://destiny.sd38.bc.ca!and!selecting! your!school!from!the!list.!This!short&video! explains!the!step3by3step.)! ! While!DRC!has!a!large!collection!of!DVDs,! these!streaming!services!allow!you!to!pull! up!a!video!on!your!laptop!and!project!it!in3 stantly.!You!no!longer!have!to!wait!for!the! physical!disc!to!be!delivered.! ! Learn360!allows!users!to!download!clips! to!avoid!having!to!rely!on!the!Wi3Fi.!This!is! a!plus!during!times!of!the!day!when!the! connection!speed!seems!particularly!slow.!! Learn360!will!also!allow!you!to!share!links! with!your!students!so!you!can!“flip”!your!
LEARNING SERVICES classroom!instruction.!Put!the!URL!for!a!clip! on!your!website,!and!students!can!view! from!home!using!their!school’s!ID!and! password.! ! The!National!Film!Board!also!offers!stream3 ing.!Our!district!subscribes!to!the!enhanced! NFB!content!called!“CAMPUS”.!(You!will! need!to!create!an!individual!account,!and! your!teacher3librarian!can!walk!you! through!the!steps.)!Teachers!can!create! playlists!and!chapter!selections!that!can!be! shared!on!any!password!protected!space.!! ! We!have!just!recently!added!all!the!NFB! CAMPUS!listings!to!the!DRC&catalog!so!you! can!search!our!physical!collection!as!well!as! NFB!holdings!at!the!same!time.!In!addition,! we!have!been!adding!selected!Learn360!ti3 tles!to!the!DRC!catalog!so!they!are!easier!to! find.!Just!look!for!these!distinctive!stream3 ing!icons!when!you!search:! !
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More details about streaming can be found here: (http://goo.gl/QKlT3) And you can always contact your teacher-librarian for more information. I would also be happy to come to your school and present about these and other resources we have available.
For more info, contact Gordon Powell on Richnet.
SPRING 2015
Thinking(about(Teaching( and(Learning(Mathematics:(( Professional(Collaborative( Inquiry(Projects( ! Janice%Novakowski% Teacher%Consultant%(K712%Mathematics%and% Science)% ! A!professional!learning!structure!that!was! used!in!our!district,!during!the!2013D2014! school!year,!is!collaborative!inquiry!teams! in!the!areas!of!mathematics!and!science.! These!teams!are!small!groups!of!teachers!at! schools!that!were!interested!in!pursuing!an! inquiry!question!around!an!area!of!profesD sional!learning!over!the!course!of!the!year.! Monthly!visits!from!a!teacher!consultant! included!time!in!classrooms!and!collaboraD tive!time!with!the!teachers!to!discuss!issues! relevant!to!their!inquiries.!The!teacher!conD sultant!acted!in!the!role!of!!“critical!friend”! (as!per!action!research)!and!documents,! asks!questions!and!provokes!thinking!and! learning.!In!between!monthly!visits,!the! schoolDbased!teachers!pursued!their!inquirD ies!by!following!up!with!ideas!from!team! discussions!in!their!classrooms.!Blog!posts! about!some!of!the!specific!lessons!at!these! schools!are!linked!via!QR!codes.! ! At!Anderson!the!K!and! K/1!teachers!in!both!the! Neighbourhood!and! Early!French!Immersion! programs!have!been! looking!at!ways!to!enD hance!communication!in! mathematics.!The!teachers!began!by!thinkD ing!about!ways!for!students!to!represent! and!share!their!mathematical!thinking!in! math!journals!but!over!the!year!our!inquiry! changed!and!we!looked!at!the!ways!iPad! technology!might!encourage!and!enhance! communication!in!mathematics.!During!
LEARNING SERVICES regular!visits!to!the!school,!apps!were!inD troduced!to!the!teachers!and!students!that! allowed!for!students!to!communicate!their! mathematical!thinking.! ! ! ! At!Quilchena,!the!interD mediate!teachers!looked! at!alternative!forms!of! assessment!beyond! “tests!and!quizzes”,!speD cifically!around!matheD matical!communication.!As!we!worked!with! both!math!journals!and!screencasting!with! the!iPads!each!month,!we!have!developed!a! standardsDbased!criteria!form!to!prompt! students!as!well!as!encourage!selfD assessment.! ! At!McMath,!two!teachD ers!from!the!matheD matics!department!are! focused!on!outcome! and!standardsDbased! assessment!and!differD ent!ways!of!collecting! evidence!for!assessment!purposes.!ScreenD casting!with!the!iPads!was!introduced!and! teachers!hoped!to!have!students!“show! what!they!know”!using!screencasting!about! specific!outcomes!when!they!collected! summative!assessment!evidence!at!the!end! of!the!year.! ! As!we!move!towards!a!competencyDbased! curriculum,!nurturing!core!competencies! such!as!communication!is!important!across! all!curriculum!areas!and!the!above!are! some!examples!of!teachers!who!have!been! investigating!this!area!in!mathematics!in! their!classrooms!this!past!school!year.! ! jnovakowski@sd38.bc.ca% Twitter:%@jnovakowskisd38% (search%#sd38mathandscience%on%Twitter)% http://blogs.sd38.bc.ca/sd38mathandscience% !