Professional Development
Disc Golf Pro-D Day
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Getting Started with Small Group Instruction
Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy
Building Resiliency
- comprehensive literacy instruction allows teachers to meet the needs of all learners (incorporate read aloud, shared reading, word study & vocabulary, guided writing and reading, independent reading, shared/modelled work, etc.)
- group diverse students and regroup again (don't just group students by reading level)
- make use of learning targets in each small group session
- spend time breaking down skills, scaffolding and looking for any misconceptions, practice focusing, and make the most of transition time
Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy
- reflect to show identity in classroom
- generally historicized content/instruction, this is a good way to empower language learners and embrace culture
- sustaining community knowledge
- foster student and community agency/input
Building Resiliency
- recognize reality of your situation and apply daily habits, quickly strategies, positive thoughts to build resilience (Gratitude, Meditation, Positive Outlook, Sleep, Exercise, Nutrition, etc.)
- listen to your body and remind yourself that we have control over our thoughts, feelings and actions
- resilience = recharge ... What charges you up? Bring that into work!
- be present.
QDPE Virtual Conference:
PHE in 2020: Where to Next?! (Lisa Manzini, President of PHEBC)
PHE in 2020: Where to Next?! (Lisa Manzini, President of PHEBC)
- adapting to our new reality in 2020, reflecting on the lessons we have learned from the spring time and making adjustments in September
- how PHE worked in quarantine - lots of YouTube videos (Yoga with Adrienne, Cosmic Kids, PE with Joe, etc.), scavenger hunts for children at home, health discussions, fitness challenges, and the list goes on...
- I really enjoyed hearing other teachers' perspectives on how they were dealing with COVID-19. It was reassuring to hear that as an educator, you are not alone, and I learned so many new things that I will be bringing into my classroom if we have to go back to online learning.
- we discussed different ways of getting students' attention in the gym, incorporating mindful minutes at the end of class (square breathing, balloon breathing), different animal locomotors, & loads of other fun games for younger students
- One thing that I am planning to integrate into my health/fitness themed classes is the "5 minute challenge" - where the goal for students is to see how many laps they can run (or walk) in 5 minutes. I like that this feeds in to the competitive nature of my students, but also accommodates those who might not particularly like running.
- discussed components of physical literacy (locomotor, non-locomotor and manipulative skills) and characteristics of physical literacy (fun, with purpose, everyone included and student centered, always moving, progressive and challenging) ... if students are achieving all of these they will continue being physically active)
- This session reminded me a lot of my undergrad experience, so it was a nice refresher. I liked hearing that the fundamental movements and skills that I am teaching are important for these young students so that they can grow to be active for life.
- “sport provides an amazing backdrop for developing life skills"
- lessons that I have learned through sport: commitment, integrity, resiliency, trust, respect, leadership, work ethic, sportsmanship, team work, selflessness, persistence, sacrifice, mindfulness, compassion, patience, positive attitude, gracious/humility, passion, self-confidence
- it is important to make meaningful connections intentionally as a teacher (i.e. "you showed great leadership doing ___", "you show great compassion doing ____", "you were a great teammate when you did ____")
- This was a great session because we were able to collaborate with other teachers, and share our personal experiences growing up in sport.
Building Our Kids' Success (BOKS): a free physical activity program that improves our children physically, mentally, and socially by strengthening their minds and bodies through movement
- brings a robust fitness program to elementary and middle schools, aimed to enhance academic performance and overall health of kids through physical activity
- program is recognized by many school boards across Canada
- went through a variety of DPA activities that can be adapted in the classroom or gymnasium
- worked through the “structured lesson” remaining active and understanding different modifications/adaptations, reasons for movement
Inclusivity in the Classroom
Unlearning - examining our beliefs and preconceived ideas
& how they impact our perceptions of the world... |
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Integrating Technology in the Classroom
We had the opportunity to go to the STEM building on campus, and have a workshop lead by the Maker Mobile. We were practicing our coding skills and applying that to virtual and augmented reality settings! Our class had the chance to go to the Canadian Science and Technology Museum, where we had to build a structure with the materials in their Maker Space ("Exploratek"). We also got to interact with the robot, Ophelia! |
Enhancing Math and Science Thinking in the Classroom
Our class was invited to stop by Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School to do some math fun with grade 3 and 4 classes. We were in partners and were to do some math problems that we had gone over in class last week, with the students in our groups. It was really interesting to see how the students initially reacted to the question, but they knew that they had to pick out the important information from the problem, and then go from there. I think that the manipulatives we were using were a bit distracting for some, but that is to be expected. I felt that by allowing discussion and adjustment along the way, this allowed everyone to understand why we were doing each step in the problem, and recognizing when something was not going to work. I find it so interesting to see how students who have different strengths, come together and work to solve a problem. I also like how even if some kids aren’t “math people”, through these exercises, they were able to discover that they can still bring something to the table and solve these problems just like the rest of their classmates, but in their own ways.
Somebody from the UOttawa Engineering Outreach Program came to our class, and we had the chance to experiment with robots! The first activity we did was one that I was familiar with and I wasn’t sure how it was going to relate to math and science. We were in partners and one of us was to draw a picture while the other partner had their eyes shut. The person who drew the picture then had to describe and instruct their partner to draw the exact same picture they drew, but only using lengths and shapes. I’ve done this activity before where it is more of a team building/communications/drawing activity, but not in a math or science class. Our pictures turned out to be quite similar for the most part, and at the end our class discussed how this was related to coding. Coding involves very specific detail and instruction, involving lengths and shapes. I liked this activity and how it could be related in a way that everyone could understand. I found it very interesting to see how the robot was able to recognize different codes that corresponded to specific actions, and I liked how the activity was able to be done in partners or groups. I think that this would be a great tool to bring into the classroom because students would absolutely love it, just as I have.
This book by Jo Boaler touches on very important aspects within a math classroom, and explains why math instruction needs to be inclusive and adaptable to benefit all types of learners. Some approaches the author discusses includes the communicative approach, as well as the project-based approach. These approaches were tested in a few schools and it was found that students were doing better on examinations because they better understood the content, and they were able to relate it back to their own lives. In addition to these approaches, I was thinking back to class when we formatted our classroom so that it was “vertical” and we were building thinking classrooms. I found this approach to be beneficial for me as a student, because I did not feel as much pressure individually. I knew that I was apart of a larger group trying to solve the problem on the board, and this made it more of an engaging and cooperative learning environment. I think is great to have in a math or science classroom, where not everyone is going to understand the content right away. Moreover, I found that in chapter 5 when the author was discussing “grouping systems” and how that affects students’ opportunity to learn, etc. this related back to what has been discussed in class in terms of “low floor, high ceiling”. I love this saying because it is so important that our classrooms are accommodating for all students. Low floors and high ceilings mean that whatever the problem or question is, there are a wide variety of methods of solving for that problem. Initiating this saying in classrooms allows students who struggle to still meet expectations and thrive just as much as students who excel in mathematics. This relates the book because we are respecting student differences in such a way that the teacher is “opening the work” so that it is suitable for a group of students with mixed abilities who will work at different paces and levels (p. 111, Boaler, 2015). I think that the approaches from the text, as well as what has been learned thus far in our classes can create an awesome learning environment for students, and help to make math fun for everyone.
Teaching Language and the Arts in the Junior Division
Becoming a Teacher in Practice
In my opinion, I think that learning is acquiring knowledge in different ways, for example: through experiences, by hearing what others have to say to you, or simply watching. I think that learning happens when you have an open mind, when you are engaged in the process, and when you can relate to the content (in certain cases). As a teacher I am going to try and initiate learning in every possible way so that my students are able to recognize when and how learning takes place so that they can use those strategies in the future.
The top five principles that I identify as being essential in creating a classroom environment for learning include the following:
1. Making sure the students can see themselves in the classroom, and a part of the classroom community.
2. Organizing my classroom to suit the needs of the students, offering a variety of different spaces to learn/relax/work/etc.
3. Be able to adapt at all times.
4. Provide a safe and positive space for my students; a place where they will look forward to coming to everyday.
5. Offering a variety of resources to my students that will accomodate their learning styles and personal preferences (making lessons relatable, etc.).
The top five principles that I identify as being essential in creating a classroom environment for learning include the following:
1. Making sure the students can see themselves in the classroom, and a part of the classroom community.
2. Organizing my classroom to suit the needs of the students, offering a variety of different spaces to learn/relax/work/etc.
3. Be able to adapt at all times.
4. Provide a safe and positive space for my students; a place where they will look forward to coming to everyday.
5. Offering a variety of resources to my students that will accomodate their learning styles and personal preferences (making lessons relatable, etc.).
Teacher as Researcher...
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Teaching Health and Physical Education
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Teaching in the Junior and Intermediate Divisions
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