Crosscurrents, 2011. It's All about Thinking

Teaching to Diversity: It’s All about Thinking Crosscurrents  Conference  

March  18th,  2011  Faye  Brownlie  

www.slideshare.net  

Frameworks

It’s All about Thinking – Brownlie & Schnellert, 2009

Universal Design for Learning

Mul<ple  means:  -­‐to  tap  into  background  knowledge,  to  ac<vate  prior  knowledge,  to  increase  engagement  and  mo<va<on  

-­‐to  acquire  the  informa<on  and  knowledge  to  process  new  ideas  and  informa<on  

-­‐to  express  what  they  know.  

                     Rose  &  Meyer,  2002  

Backwards Design

•  What  important  ideas  and  enduring  understandings  do  you  want  the  students  to  know?  

•  What  thinking  strategies  will  students  need  to  demonstrate  these  understandings?    

                 McTighe  &  Wiggins,  2001  

Model Guided practice Independent practice Independent application  

Pearson  &  Gallagher  (1983)  

Open-Ended Learning Strategies

•  Connect  •  Process  •  Transform  and  personalize  

Teach Content to All  

 Learning in Safe Schools - Brownlie, King"

Assessment for Learning

•  Learning  inten<ons  •  Criteria  •  Descrip<ve  feedback  •  Ques<oning  •  Peer  and  self  assessment  

•  Ownership  

How can I help my students develop more depth in their responses? They are writing with no voice when I ask them to imagine themselves as a demi-god in the novel.

Students need: •  to ‘be’ a character •  support in ‘becoming’ that character

•  to use specific detail and precise vocabulary to support their interpretation

•  choice •  practice •  to develop models of ‘what works’ •  a chance to revise their work

The Plan •  Review scene from novel •  Review criteria for powerful journey response

•  Brainstorm who you could be in this scene

•  4 minute write, using ‘I’ •  Writers’ mumble •  Stand if you can share… •  What can you change/add/revise? •  Share your writing with a partner

Gr. 3 Writing: Model – a small moment Establish criteria Kids write Descriptive feedback on

criteria  Pearson  &  Gallagher  (1983)  

Learning Intention: I can write and describe a small event from my morning.

•  Choose a topic •  Write in front of the students •  Students describe ‘what works’ in your writing •  Students choose a ‘morning’ topic •  Students write •  Students self-assess •  Students meet with peers to share and provide

feedback

All  alone,  I  stepped  into  my  car.    With  my  map  in  hand,  I  began  to  drive.    At  the  lights  I  turned  leY,  then  the  map  said  to  turn  right.    “Oh,  no!”      The  sign  said,  “Road  closed”.          “Help,”  I  thought.    “What  am  I  going  to  do?”  

Notices…criteria

•  Mystery

•  Opening

•  Detailed

•  Sounds like you (Voice)

A  math  sequence  

•  Ac<vate  background  knowledge  •  Demonstrate/model  new  concept  

•  Prac<ce  in  partners  •  ‘Could  you  do  these  ques<ons  with  80%  accuracy  and  confidence?’  

•  If  ‘yes’,  begin  independent  prac<ce.      •  If  ‘no’,  come  to  this  table  for  more  teaching.  

How can I help my students learn the vocabulary they need in science?

How can I help my students link what they have learned in one chapter to the next?

Students need: •  Practice using the vocabulary •  To link new vocabulary to what they already know, then to add on or refine their understanding of the words

•  To make connections among the words in order to retain the vocabulary

The Plan •  Choose 2 key words from previous chapter and have students brainstorm what they know about each – 2 min. each – add ideas from partners

•  Class share 10 key ideas and clarify

•  “I used to think…but now…” •  Introduce new chapter words with 3 column notes: – Before/during/after  

The Plan •  In ‘before’ column, students write what they know about each word

•  Students read the section of the text, collecting information to clarify the vocabulary and recording this in the ‘during’ column

•  Students choose 6-8 words and make a concept map with them in the ‘after’ column

Human  Op<cs  Vocabulary  

Before   During   A-er  

pupil  

iris  

cornea  

sclera  

re<na  

op<c  nerve  

Learning Intention:

•  I can examine a picture and infer what is happening

•  I can provide ‘because’ reasoning (evidence) for my inference

•  Peter’s  Poofect  Pet  -­‐  Tina  Powell  

•  www.bigfatpen.com  

•  Brownlie,  Schnellert  –  It’s  All  about  Thinking,  2009  •  Brownlie,  Feniak,  Schnellert  -­‐  Student  Diversity,  2nd  ed.,  Pembroke  Pub.,  2006  

•  Brownlie,  Jeroski  –  Reading  and  Responding,  grades  4-­‐6,  2nd  edi<on,  Nelson,  2006  

•  Brownlie  -­‐  Grand  ConversaDons,  Portage  and  Main  Press,  2005  

•  Brownlie,Feniak,  McCarthy  -­‐  InstrucDon  and  Assessment  of  ESL  Learners,  Portage  and  Main  Press,  2004  

•  Brownlie,  King  -­‐  Learning  in  Safe  Schools,  Pembroke  Publishers,  2000