Home

LEAD Repository

THIS IS AN RPSB DRAFT DOCUMENT

Balanced Approach to Literacy

Questions for a Superintendent to Ask a School Administrator Regarding First Steps

What is First Steps?
  • What does the First Steps framework look like in your school?
  • Who are you First Steps leaders?
  • Who is your focus teacher?

How are teachers using assessment to guide instruction?

How is the school using the data to inform the Learning Improvement Plan?

How are the LRT’s TL’s and PP’s supporting the First Steps Framework and Philosophy?

What support / training is needed for your staff?

  • New staff
  • Review sessions targeting specific gaps

How are you providing time for teacher collaboration?

 

‘Look Fors’ - Effective Literacy Practices

School Goals

  • Goals are regularly revisited and monitored
  • Data including First Steps, system bench marks, AFL help inform goal setting
  • School has measurable goals for literacy-reading, writing
  • Teacher PDPE goals address the desire (need) for new learning in literacy
  • School….teachers, students, parents have common literacy language

Equity

  • Different learning styles are addressed
  • Dynamic reading groups with students reading at instructional levels (guided reading, literature study groups that involve a variety of genre, length, topics)
  • A variety of First Nations and cultural literature woven into the reading program
  • High expectations for all students
  • Additional support provided by lead teachers to students experiencing difficulty
  • Opportunities for enrichment
  • All students engaged in higher order thinking skills
  • Participation by all students

Teaching

  • Lessons are effectively organized so that the targeted skill and/or strategy is explicitly taught
  • Reading and writing is taught within the context of all curriculum areas
  • Understanding is developed by accessing prior knowledge and connecting it to new learning
  • Communication and Interaction are encouraged
  • Classroom environment is supportive, encouraging student to take risks, community of learners
  • Wait time is used effectively
  • Evidence of teaching to meet the developmental phases of students- flexible grouping for instruction, small and large groups
  • Differentiation at different levels
  • Elements of a Balanced Literacy Approach are evident

Writing

  • Immersion, modeled, shared, guided and independent writing in a variety of forms
  • Opportunities for daily writing
  • Use of the writing process
  • Writing is valued and purposeful
  • Six traits of writing explicitly taught
  • PEWIT is the underpinning

Reading

  • Teacher Read-alouds, shared reading, guided reading and independent reading are evident
  • Reading is explicitly taught across the curriculum
  • Students are taught to use comprehension strategies before, during and after reading
  • Students reflecting on reading strengths and sets goals
  • Students have access to a variety of reading materials in their classroom that are developmentally appropriate
  • PEWIT is the underpinning

Assessment

  • Uses continua on ongoing basis to plan instruction to meet the needs of the students
  • Uses continua for reporting to parents
  • Variety of assessment strategies being used (oral reading records, rubrics, interviews (conferencing, checklists, Look what I can do forms), reflections, observations
  • Portfolios reflect who the student is as a reader and writer

Curriculum

  • The key knowledge and skills that students need to be successful at their developmental level are being taught
  • The lessons and activities delivered provide students with rich opportunities to meet the expectations outlined in the Sask. ELA Curriculum
  • The lessons emphasize understanding of the important concepts, it does not call for mastery through repetition and rote memorization
  • Lessons, tasks and assessments develop knowledge and skills related to the six Language Arts Strands

Technology

  • Technology used to instruct and learn and is appropriate for the developmental stages of the students
  • Technology available for students to learn and inquire
  • Technology used to connect with the world wide community
  • Technology integrated to enhance learning

Learning

  • Teacher displays a positive attitude and engages students in discussions and activities
  • Students have a positive attitude towards reading and writing
  • New learning is built on prior knowledge and experiences
  • Students have opportunities to work in groups, pairs, and independently
  • Students have opportunities to interact with each to solve problems and to challenge and defend possible solutions
  • Ample time is provided
  • Meta-cognitive activities are used
  • Parents are informed of the program and its goals
  • Parents are informed and involved in their child’s progress
  • Home activities respect differentiated needs and serve different purposes to support learning
  • The teacher keeps current in literacy learning
Questions for Conversations – Administrator and Teacher
First Steps Understanding

1. How are you using the First Steps Resources in your teaching?

2. Do you find a correlation between the reading and writing continuums with your students?

Linking Plotting to Instruction

1. What phase are the majority of your students at in writing/reading?

  • Have you noticed a commonality in the missing indicators?
  • What are you planning on doing to support the students?
2. How are you meeting the needs of the students in the non-dominant phase?
3. How do you plot - do you plot the whole class at once or do you plot a small number of students a week?
4. How do you use the plotting information to inform your instruction?
5. If another teacher is working with some of your students, when/how do you find the time to meet and discuss the continuum?
Teaching Writing Forms
1. Tell me about the form you are teaching now /last month….
  • Have you found sufficient resources in our library to immerse your students in the form?
  • If no, where are we lacking?
  • If yes, would you mind sharing them with our literacy team…

2. Our school is working on the following writing form this month (explanation, procedure…..)
  • How are you modifying the form to meet the developmental phases/needs of your students?

3. How have you incorporated choice and sense of purpose with the forms in the First Steps Writing Resource Book?

Teaching the Writing Process

1. Tell me about your writing workshop?

  • What step of the process are they most/least successful with?
2. What strategies do you find most successful when teaching revision?
3. How have your students being publishing/sharing their writing?
4. How have you been using the writing process across the curriculum?
Balanced Literacy
1. Tell me about your Literacy Block – how do you balance the different aspects? (teacher read aloud, shared reading, guided reading, independent reading, shared writing, modeled writing, guided writing, independent writing)
2. Which school resources (Literacy Place, Literacy in Action, Sightlines, Science and Technology….) are you currently incorporating?
3. Which element of “Balanced Literacy” do your students respond most/least to?
Effective Resources / Books for Modeling
1. Tell me about the book you used today for modeling (reading strategy, writing form, writing mini-lesson)?
  • Why did you select it?
  • How did it work it meeting your purpose?

2. Do you find we have enough guided reading resources/ multiple book copies to meet the needs of your small groups?

  • If no, where are the gaps?

3. How have collaborated with our Teacher Librarian?

  • To team teach
  • Find appropriate resources

4. What First Nations and Cultural resources have you found to model reading strategies, writing forms……?

 

CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH TO NUMERACY

THIS IS AN RPSB DRAFT DOCUMENT

 

Constructivist Approach to Numeracy (Math Makes Sense)

-the following should be apparent or visible

  • Active participation of all – teacher included
  • Multiple instructional techniques
  • Additional support mechanisms (difficulty and enrichment)
  • Independent, pairs and group work
  • Modeling (teacher and students)
  • Assessment used to inform practice
  • Assessment linked to curriculum expectations
  • Manipulatives used regularly
  • Incorporation of technology
  • Multiple solutions and representations used
  • Relevance to the real world and connection to other strands and disciplines
  • Time is provided
  • A Connect, and an Explore and at least three different assessment methods [need 5 visits to ensure this is happening]
  • Mastery of topic can be determined through questioning prompts [administrators need to ask students these questions]
  • Talk to Grade 4 and 7 teachers about what is happening as they will be entering their second year of the program.

Biggest obstacle will be the philosophical shift to the new math teaching methods.

Must create “the critical mass” to ensure the shift occurs.

Must be student centred instruction!

 

 

Questions for a Superintendent to Ask a School Administrator
Regarding Math Makes Sense

1. What is the philosophy behind Math Makes Sense and constructivism?

  • What does the lesson format look like in Math Makes Sense?
  • What are students doing during a math lesson?
  • What are teachers doing during a math lesson?

2. How are teachers using assessment to guide instruction?

3. How is the school using the data to inform the Learning Improvement Plan?

4. How are the LRT’s TL’s and PP’s supporting numeracy for all students following the philosophy of Math Makes Sense and constructivism?

5. What support / training is needed for your staff?

  • Math Makes Sense
  • New curriculum content
  • Teaching in a constructivist classroom
  • Looking at data and writing pre/post assessment tools to assess the effectiveness of our teaching and measuring growth in student learning
  • utilizing technology to support learning

6. How are you providing time for teacher collaboration?

7. How are you providing support for teaching split grades when the curriculum is no longer spiraling and outcomes are different for each grade level?

 

 

‘Look Fors’ in the Mathematics Classroom

(Adapted from TIPS: Section 6: Administrator’s Package, Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2004)

Equity

  • Different student learning styles are addressed.
  • Students have opportunities to make sense of mathematics.
  • Differentiated instruction and assessment are evident, as appropriate.
  • There are high expectations for all students.
  • Additional support is provided for students who are experiencing difficulty.
  • Opportunities for enrichment are provided.
  • All students are engaged in higher-order thinking skills, e.g. analysis, synthesis and evaluation of results.
  • Participation by all students is encouraged.

Teaching

  • The program and lessons are effectively organized so that the important mathematical ideas are highlighted.
  • The fundamental ideas are presented in a variety of contexts.
  • Understanding is developed by accessing prior knowledge and connecting it to new learning.
  • Concepts and skills are introduced using a problem-solving/inquiry approach rather than simply demonstrating procedures
  • Tasks involve flexible use of technologies and are relevant to students.
  • Tasks lead to model building, inquiry, and justification.
  • Rich tasks and problems are used to deepen understanding.
  • Communication is encouraged. Students explain and justify their reasoning, both orally and in writing.
  • Students make conjectures and question solutions that do not make sense to them.
  • The teacher encourages multiple solutions and representations to problems.
  • The classroom environment feels like a supportive, collegial community of learners.
  • The focus is on thinking and reasoning.
  • “Wait time” is an opportunity for students to think and reason for themselves.
  • The teacher identifies the parts of a student’s reasoning that are correct.
  • Connections are made to other strands and disciplines.
  • Good questioning, both by the teacher and students, is evident.
  • Asking of and response to questions demonstrate various depths of understanding and ability to make connections.

Assessment

  • Assessment practices are clearly linked to the curriculum expectations.
  • All four mathematical processes – knowing facts and procedures; reasoning and proving; communicating; making connections – are assessed in a balanced way.
  • Assessment is used to inform instruction.
  • Assessment tasks accommodate students’ learning styles and ability levels.
  • A variety of assessment strategies are used, e.g., tests, quizzes, performance tasks, interviews, portfolios, journals and observations.

Curriculum

  • The key knowledge and skills that students need to be successful in mathematics at the grade level are being taught.
  • The program that is delivered and assessed provides students with rich opportunities to meet the expectations outlined in the Saskatchewan Mathematics Curriculum.
  • The program does not call for mastery through repetition out of context and rote memorization.
  • The program emphasizes understanding of the important mathematical concepts, processes, and relationships.
  • Lessons, tasks, and assessments develop knowledge and skills related to the four mathematical processes. (knowing facts and procedures; reasoning and proving; communicating; making connections)

Technology

  • Computers and calculators are used appropriately to develop understanding in problem solving.
  • Students are encouraged to choose appropriate calculation methods, e.g., estimation, calculators, computers, paper/pencil, etc.
  • Technology and manipulatives used to instruct and learn math concepts are appropriate for the developmental stages of the students in the class.
  • Technology is made available for students to learn and conduct inquiries.

Learning

  • The teacher displays a positive attitude and engages all students in discussions and activities.
  • Students have a positive attitude in learning mathematics.
  • Students use concrete materials and technology to learn new concepts and to conduct investigations.
  • New learning is built on prior knowledge and experiences.
  • Students work in pairs, groups, and independently.
  • Students have an opportunity to interact with each other to solve problems, and to challenge and defend possible solutions.
  • Time is provided for students to develop mathematical ideas and methods.
  • Multiple instructional techniques are utilized.
  • Metacognitive activities are used.
  • Parents are informed of the program and its goals.
  • Parents are informed about and involved in their child’s progress.
  • Home activities respect differentiated needs and serve different purposes to support learning. This is evidenced over time.
  • The teacher keeps current in mathematics learning as well as mathematics education.

Questions for Conversations – Administrator and Teacher

Math Makes Sense and New Curriculum Content

 

  1. How are you using the Math Makes Sense Program in your math classroom? What changes are you noticing in your students’ learning since you began to using Math Makes Sense?

  2. Are you using other math resources to support the teaching of your grade level outcomes? If so, which resources and why?

  3. Are you familiar with the new Mathematics Curriculum content for your grade level? How do the changes in content impact your math lessons/units? (Go to RBE website, click on Instruction and School Services, then click on Math to find the documents summarizing curriculum content and changes for each grade level.)

Teaching a Math Makes Sense Lesson

 

  1. Tell me about the Explores you used today/last week/last month....

  2. Have you found sufficient manipulatives in our school to allow each student to participate in the Explore?

    • If no, where are we lacking?

    • If yes, which manipulatives were you using?

  3. How have you assessed your students’ understanding/knowledge of the math you are teaching?

  4. Are you using all the Practice questions or do you assign different questions to different students depending upon their understanding/knowledge of the math concepts?

  5. How are you using the Assessment Focus (1/2/3) question to assess student learning and inform your teaching practice?

  6. Which strategies (from First Steps: Reading) are you using with your students to help them read the text book (informational textbook) before reading, during reading, and after reading?

  7. How are you organizing your split grade math classroom (if you have one) to teach content from each curriculum (which is no longer spiraling)?

Educational Technology [Technology Enhanced Learning]

THIS IS AN RPSB DRAFT DOCUMENT

 

Within the Priority Area of Higher Literacy and Achievement the Continuous Improvement Plan [CIP] inlcudes as a key strategy the application of technology enhanced learning [TEL].

One key action stated is the development of a best practices framework for using technology to improve student learning.  It also speaks to the provision of increased levels of access and capability through the provision of laptop carts to elementary schools.

Best Practices Framework

ISTE - International Society for Technology in Education

Created by ISTE [International Society for Technology in Education] the NETS [National Edcuation Technology Standards] for Students, Teachers and Administrators provide a framework for school divisions, administrators and teachers to look productively at how technology can be used to enhance the learning opportunities for students.

 

Additional Supports:

 

Where are we with respect to the integration/infusion/implementation of technology?

Using the LOTI [Levels of Technology Implementation or Teaching Innovation] Scale

it may be appropriate for each of us to place ourselves on the LOTI scale.  This can provide a starting point to determine where we need to go individually and where we need to go as a staff.  Professional development planning can be facilitated through this process as well as serve to help the goal setting process in schools.

LOTI Scale

[Taken from http://loticonnection.com/lotilevels.html ]

  • LoTi Level 0 - Non-use
    A Levell 0 (Non-Use) implies there is a perceived lack of access to technology-based tools (e.g., computers) or a lack of time to pursue electronic technology implementation. Existing technology is predominately text-based (e.g., ditto sheets, chalkboard, overhead projector).
  • LoTi Level 1 - Awareness
    A Level 1 (Awareness) implies that the use of technology-based tools is either (1) one step removed from the classroom teacher (e.g., integrated learning system labs, special computer-based pull-out programs, computer literacy classes, central word processing labs), (2) used almost exclusively by the classroom teacher for classroom and/or curriculum management tasks (e.g., taking attendance, using grade book programs, accessing email, retrieving lesson plans from a curriculum management system or the internet) and/or (3) used to embellish or enhance teacher-directed lessons or lectures (e.g., multimedia presentations).
  • LoTi Level 2 - Exploration
    A Level 2 (Exploration) implies that technology-based tools supplement the existing instructional program (e.g., tutorials, educational games, basic skill applications) or complement selected multimedia and/or web-based projects (e.g., internet-based research papers, informational multimedia presentations) at the knowledge/comprehension level. The electronic technology is employed either as extension activities, enrichment exercises, or technology-based tools and generally reinforces lower cognitive skill development relating to the content under investigation.
  • Level 3 - Infusion
    A Level 3 (Infusion) implies that technology-based tools including databases, spreadsheet and graphing packages, multimedia and desktop publishing applications, and internet use complement selected instructional events (e.g., field investigation using spreadsheets/graphs to analyze results from local water quality samples) or multimedia/web-based projects at the analysis, synthesis, and evaluation levels. Though the learning activity may or may not be perceived as authentic by the student, emphasis is, nonetheless, placed on higher levels of cognitive processing and in-depth treatment of the content using a variety of thinking skill strategies (e.g., problem-solving, decision-making, reflective thinking, experimentation, scientific inquiry).
  • Level 4a – Integration: Mechanical
    A Level 4a (Integration: Mechanical) implies that technology-based tools are integrated in a mechanical manner that provides rich context for students' understanding of the pertinent concepts, themes, and processes. Heavy reliance is placed on prepackaged materials and/or outside resources (e.g., assistance from other colleagues), and/or interventions (e.g., professional development workshops) that aid the teacher in the daily management of their operational curriculum. Technology (e.g., multimedia, telecommunications, databases, spreadsheets, word processing) is perceived as a tool to identify and solve authentic problems as perceived by the students relating to an overall theme/concept. Emphasis is placed on student action and on issues resolution that require higher levels of student cognitive processing and in-depth examination of the content.
  • Level 4b – Integration: Routine
    A Level 4b (Integration: Routine) implies that technology-based tools are integrated in a routine manner that provides rich context for students' understanding of the pertinent concepts, themes, and processes. At this level, teachers can readily design and implement learning experiences (e.g., units of instruction) that empower students to identify and solve authentic problems relating to an overall theme/concept using the available technology (e.g., multimedia applications, internet, databases, spreadsheets, word processing) with little or no outside assistance. Emphasis is again placed on student action and on issues resolution that require higher levels of student cognitive processing and in-depth examination of the content.
  • Level 5 - Expansion
    A Level 5 (Expansion) implies that technology access is extended beyond the classroom. Classroom teachers actively elicit technology applications and networking from other schools, business enterprises, governmental agencies (e.g., contacting NASA to establish a link to an orbiting space shuttle via internet), research institutions, and universities to expand student experiences directed at problem-solving, issues resolution, and student activism surrounding a major theme/concept. The complexity and sophistication of the technology-based tools used in the learning environment are now commensurate with (1) the diversity, inventiveness, and spontaneity of the teacher's experiential-based approach to teaching and learning and (2) the students' level of complex thinking (e.g., analysis, synthesis, evaluation) and in-depth understanding of the content experienced in the classroom.
  • Level 6 - Refinement
    A Level 6 (Refinement) implies that technology is perceived as a process, product (e.g., invention, patent, new software design), and/or tool for students to find solutions related to an indentified "real-world" problem or issue of significance to them. At this level, there is no longer a division between instruction and technology use in the classroom. Technology provides a seamless medium for information queries, problem-solving, and/or product development. Students have ready access to and a complete understanding of a vast array of technology-based tools to accomplish any particular task at school. The instructional curriculum is entirely learner-based. The content emerges based on the needs of the learner according to his/her interests, needs, and/or aspirations and is supported by unlimited access to the most current computer applications and infrastructure available.

 

Guiding Questions for Administrators (Technology Integration)

  • Have you rated yourself on the LoTi scale?  Where do you see your students at in the integration of technology into their lives?  How do you bridge the technology integration usage from home to school?

  • What barriers keep you from further integrating technology into your learning programs?

  • What strategies do you possess to manage technology integration?

  • How does technology affect how you plan for the content, process, product and learning environment of your classroom?

  • Traditionally, technology is used for word processing and research. How are you integrating technology to extend/expand students’ repertoire in technological/information literacy?

  • How do you use students’ technological understanding to expand their knowledge in numeracy/literacy?

  • Does using technology in your classroom improve your student’s engagement and learning outcomes?

  • How has technology brought novelty to your students' literacy/numeracy experiences?

  • How do you address online safety and media awareness (information literacy) with your students (and parents)?

  • What supports have you accessed to further your knowledge of technical skills and the meaningful integration of technology into the curriculum?

  • Have you accessed the Learning Plus website to familiarize yourself with the range of possibilities for integrating technology into your teaching?

  • Do you need (additional) support to help you integrate technology into numeracy/literacy?

  • How has the provision of a teacher laptop helped you enhance the use of technology in your classroom?