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NTIP NewsletterNTIP Newsletter
Spring Edition
June, 2010
From Our NTIP Co-ordinator
As of May 18th, our NTIP funded PD sessions were complete. Working together with theProgram Consultants and Facilitators and networking with new teacher colleagues andmentors ensures the sustainability of our learning! You’ll have the “AHA Moments” andyou’ll see the proof in improved student learning because your PD has transferred toyour professional practice! Allow yourself the time to reflect and experience the joy thatis at the heart of our chosen profession.
New for 10/11
The most recent news from the Ministry about NTIP 2010/2011 includes a few changes:* Next year, the TPA Manuals for new and experienced teachers are beingcombined and streamlined. Print copies will be available for the fall of next year.Please ensure, in communication with your school administrator that anycompleted TPA’s are signed and submitted to Lori Atkins in H.R. Keep a copy foryour records.
*The Ministry is mandating that PD be differentiated for various teachingassignments.(e.g. teaching FSL on rotary and teaching grade 12 physics require differentclassroom management strategies.)We’ve made great gains this year in ourefforts to differentiate based on your needs survey.
Check the NTIP website at http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/teacher/induction.html
Art Supporting Aids
On April 22nd. - Earth Day - the entiregroup of NTIP teachers met for our finalPD session. We had a draw for a pieceof art from the collection on display inthe main hallway at the EducationCentre. We decided this would be a veryfitting way to acknowledge Earth Day.Jennifer Gabriel at C.R.Gummow P.S.won the draw and chose a beautiful
piece from the Kids for Kids bookletattached to this newsletter. Theproceeds of this purchase go to theUnited Nations Art For Aids Foundation.Several of you inquired about how topurchase from this collection. The orderform is attached to the brochure.
(Please see the brochure at the end ofthis newsletter)
Participant Submissions
Thanks to those of you who took the timeto put fingers to keys to share your NTIPexperiences and reflections with us. Thesubmissions are representative of bothpanels, from both mentors and NTIPteachers. Enjoy theirmessages.....................................
Goodpath ConferenceBlue Mountain Inn
I had the incredible good fortune to attend the Goodpath Aboriginal Conference in April. Through theresources of NTIP and Student Success I was able to qualify to be part of this conference.
Opening the event was Susan Aglukark. She was so inspiring - sharing her life story and giving us thebackground and reasons for writing her songs. Through her music and song she guided us through herlife, giving us a window on the pain and the tragedy, but also the hope she felt for the future.
The workshops were incredible with valuable resources freely shared with all participants. These wereuser friendly and directly applicable in the classroom. I took part in The Residential Schools ThroughDrama workshop. I’ve begun to use this lesson in my class and the students are loving it!. I also took theHistory of the Metis Sash and How to Hand Weave. I plan on implementing this resource in my classroomas well.
The opportunity to network, converse and to share was invaluable for me as a Native Studies Teacher anda Self Identified Metis. I want to express my gratitude to the eleven district school boards who sponsoredthis event.
With Special thanks to Mary Leroy, Aboriginal Leadership Consultant and Jane Ashley, Principal Assistantto the Superintendent - Student Success.
Pamela VanderburgE.N.S.S.
NTIP – A Great Help Towards Developing New Teacher Leadership
When starting off at a new school, especially as a new hire, it can often be difficult to find ways to injectyourself into the school culture. While going through Teacher’s College, one of the pieces of adviceprovided over and over for us as candidates was that it was important to make ourselves “as useful aspossible and hard to let go.” This is simple enough, if you have a background in coaching or take over anexisting club. But, what about the leadership positions in a school? How do you begin to prepare to takeon a POR position or adequately embed the skills and knowledge you bring to your role into the schoolimprovement plan? Oftentimes the release time is earmarked for those already involved from the previousyear, for senior teachers, or for those with established PLC membership. With my participation in NTIPthis year, however, I’ve been able to participate in these school initiatives fully and continue myprofessional development in some very important areas. NTIP offered me two opportunities this year tobe released to participate in various school initiatives and events that I would not otherwise have beenable to experience. I’ve joined a collaborative PLC regarding Smartboard development for applied levelreaders, and taken on a role in establishing and collating English CLAs for the High Skills Majors in ourschool. This participation has helped me demonstrate my willingness to take on leadership opportunities inour school, and has allowed me to network throughout our Board. It has also exposed me to many differenttypes of learners and I’ve compiled an impressive resource bank for my future classes.So, thanks NTIP for being that support, and opening the doors for me to access these opportunities!
Chris ClarkeE.N.S.S.
I’ve Learned to Care More for Our Academically Strong Students
Although I am officially a new teacher in Canada, I taught for seven years in a high-achieving high schoolin Shanghai, China. That experience influenced my thinking. Long before I received my OCT designation, I was involved with the Canadian education system through volunteer work in both elementary and secondary schools - as well as with interactions in my daughter’sschool. Through my observations and involvement, I found myself looking for resources allocated to thoseacademically advanced students in Ontario. I didn’t find many.On one occasion, in conversation with my colleagues about special education, I was surprised that therewas little mention of intellectual giftedness. It seemed to me that most of our resources go to support thosewho have challenges succeeding in our systems. I understand the needs and obligations we have asprofessionals to all our students. I had hopes of running a math course for the intellectually gifted at the elementary level, but it could notbe timetabled during the regular day and running it as a club after school would have required additionalvolunteers who were already in high demand. In the secondary panel, I did find a math club. It providedsome help to students, but the talented and gifted students need and deserve more. I feel committed to hearing the voices of our gifted and talented students. Ultimately, I believe there will bea price to be paid tomorrow if their needs go unheard. Our country must compete globally. As a teacher inOntario, I want to invest in planning and resources to support my academically strong students as well asthose whose needs may seem more evident or pressing.
From the thoughts of Jeff ZhuCIS Peterborough
The O.L.A. Conference - Great Learning!
What a great opportunity it was to spend some time with my NTIP partner, Pam Miller, at the Ontario Library Association conference in February. This is an excellent conference to attend for secondary teachers interested in thelibrary field and those who love books. There is a definite library slant to a number of the workshops, butthere were also workshops on different types of technologies (ex. video streaming, Web 2.0 tools, specificprograms such as Comic Life), databases (Teen Health and Wellness, PubMed) and other areas (ex.author talks, assessment and evaluation) that would be useful for classroom teachers. Check out thewebsite http://accessola.com in the fall for information about the 2011 conference and to see if there aresessions of interest for you. Pam and I went to separate sessions so we had lots to talk about when wegot back together. We had discussions about how to incorporate numerous ideas and technologies intovarious courses. One of the keynote speakers, Romeo Dallaire, inspired both of us with new ideas andinsights. If you are looking for a very intense read, you may want to check out Shake Hands With theDevil. The time spent together discussing, networking and socializing was motivating to me. I appreciatedthe opportunity to spend time with my mentor and learn from her. She has great ideas, a super attitude and ithas been a pleasure working together over the year. There is such value in the mentor/protegerelationship!
Sarah NelsonCourtice S.S.
DI Plans Easily Accessed
Many of you picked up samples of theDI plans available through the Ministryon April 22nd.
Laura Doucette sends the followingmessage about where to find theseresources and a note on the GainsWebsite......
Gr. 7-10 subject area responsibilities DIlesson plans. This link will show you the lesson plans:http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/di/dilearningexamples.htm
I wanted to pass along a Ministry Gainswebsite that has some great resourceson it for Gr. 7-12:
http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/literacy/corecross.htm
The link I listed is the Literacy section,and if you play around on the site (backto home, etc), it has a DI area, a MathGAINS area, an ELL Gains and aLiteracy GAINS area. If you keepdigging, you can find a Lesson studyvideo for secondary, a Gr. 12 SharedReading in History video, the DImaterials released by the Ministry, Gr. 9Applied Science, etc.
On-going projects in Gr. 7-12classrooms will continue to be posted onthe website.
Worth looking into.
Laura Doucette, OCTILC: Literacy, Grades 6-12
Please take a look at the Revised AQ Summer Information and Flyer
July 5th – 22nd; Mon – Thurs only8:30 – 5:00 with 3:30-5:00 as monitored contact hours – not in class
Spec Ed 1 Christine Orton Ptbo – KPR Ed Ctr Spec Ed 2 Sarah Comerford North’d – Plainville PS Spec Ed 3 Bev Assinck Ptbo KPR Ed Ctr Reading 1 Leoni Havelka Ptbo – KPR Ed Ctr – Rm 161Math 1 Doreen Van Egmond North’d – Terry Fox PSLibrary 1 Elizabeth Gordon Orono PS Music 1 ******* POSTPONED TO FALL *******
Schedule subject to change based on minimum numbers and instructoravailabilityContact Information: [email protected](email is checked daily between 4-5pm, response within 48 hours)
SUMMER DEADLINE: June 4th @ 4:00
Approved by: Ontario College of Teachers
Schedule for Summer 2010 July 5
th – 22
nd; Mon – Thurs only
8:30 – 5:00 with 3:30-5:00 as monitored contact hours – not in class
Summer 2010 Instructor Location Seats Remaining Spec Ed 1 Christine Orton Ptbo – KPR Ed Ctr 10 Spec Ed 2 Sarah Comerford North’d – Plainville PS 10 Spec Ed 3 Bev Assinck Ptbo – KPR Ed Ctr 5 Reading 1 Leoni Havelka Ptbo – KPR Ed Ctr – Rm 161 5 Math 1 Doreen Van Egmond North’d – Terry Fox PS 9 Library 1 Elizabeth Gordon Orono PS 12
Music 1 ******* POSTPONED TO FALL *******
Schedule subject to change based on minimum numbers and instructor availability
Contact Information: [email protected]
(email is checked daily between 4-5pm, response within 48 hours)
Price: $468 per course (payment due 2 weeks prior to start date) Includes tuition receipt (T2202A – issued in Jan of following year)
Payment: Visa, Mastercard (include on registration form – please include expiry date) Money order/certified cheque (payable to Community Training & Dev’t Centre)
Refund: (request must be received in writing) Complete refund up to 3 days prior to course start date $393 within 3 days prior to course start date No refund once course starts
Application Process: http://kprdsb.ca/staff/professional_enrollment_info.php
All Courses: Complete Application Form (see link above) Fax to 905-372-9703; Attn: AQ
For Parts 2 & 3: Complete SO Certification form (see link above) Fax to 905-372-9703; Attn: AQ
Transcripts: (request must be received in writing) Email Brandi Quin ([email protected])
$10 fee paid in advance (cash/cheque payable to Kawartha Pine Ridge DSB) Processed first Monday of each month
SUMMER DEADLINE: June 4th
@ 4:00
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”
-Goethe
All the best as you continue to grow in your teaching careers,Gail
G. GillespieNTIP Co-ordinator 09/10Teaching and Learning - ProgramK.P.R.D.S.B.
Order Form to purchase portfolio prints in the Collage exhibition.
Please complete the form below. A Kids for Kids volunteer will contact you directly regarding your order. For more information call Steve Russell at 742-9773-2369.
Cheques can be made payable to Artists International Direct Support.
Kids for Kids Portfolio
Unframed Prints: $25.00 per print + 6% G.S.T. = $26.50 Framed Prints: $70.00 per print + 6% G.S.T. = $74.20
This collection of works was created by secondary school students in the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board as part of the Artists
and Kids for AIDS Project. All proceeds from the sales of these works go directly to support children in Africa who are suffering from the
consequences of the AIDS pandemic on that continent.
Your Name Phone # Print
# Framed? Yes / No
# 2 Reach Heather Town Port Hope HS In my art piece, the dark setting with the reaching hands represents people trying to escape AIDS. The colourful surroundings symbolize hope for them and their families.
To Whom It May Concern
I spend a good part of my time traveling through Africa, observing the horrors wrought by HIV/AIDS. It's impossible not to be deeply and forever affected. But amidst the human devastation, the worst impact of all is felt by the children...children who look after sick and dying parents; children removed from school because they're needed at home; children who can't attend school because they lack the money for school fees; children themselves afflicted by AIDS, dying slow and unimaginably painful deaths; children by the millions who are orphans; children heading households of siblings, without shelter, food, medicine, clothing; children driven to prostitution; children trapped in other forms of child labor; children for whom childhood has become a nightmare. Anyone or any group anywhere that tries to do something for these children is possessed of compassion, decency and principle in equal measure. Artists International Direct Support reflects all of those qualities. What you have here is a group of artists, drawn from around the world, who care deeply about the human condition, and the grotesque wounds inflicted on that condition by the AIDS pandemic. They care especially about the children. And so they have turned their sublime artistic powers to the creation of a magnificent portfolio of prints, whose sale will provide financial support for the children of Africa. I am no judge of art. In truth, I know very little of art. But like everyone else, I can respond personally and feelingly to artistic images. And these prints strike right to the soul. They're inspired and complex and evocative and endlessly touching. Owning a portfolio is like an abiding affirmation that art and life are one in the service of children. Amongst the countless noble efforts I have seen to raise the monies to support the struggle against AIDS, the portfolio of prints from Artists International, is unquestionably among the best and most powerful. I cannot commend it highly enough.
Steven Lewis Special Envoy of the Secretary General
HIV/AIDS in Africa
# 45 A Recognizable Difference Eileen Crook Norwood DHS This artwork proves there is hope for us in the world. My only hope is that others will see these pieces that are made by inspired students and continue trying to make a difference.
# 46 The Child Sleeps Along Kim Mclaughlin Crestwood SS As the child sleeps, the world around him is changing. It seems as though the child is all alone. Even though the child seems alone, there is hope in the future for the child.
# 47 Hope Through the Darkness Amber McLatchey Crestwood SS A world of darkness. However, there is still hope. The vast openings protruding through the space are like a window of opportunity to the less fortunate. There is still hope.
# 48 Navigating the Darkness Katie Rice Crestwood SS Darkness surrounds life and fills it with obstacles that mislead us and reel us in. In this dark we are fortunate to find hope when we reach the light alone. As long as there are others to guide us we are never alone.
# 49 Site Sight Site Chantel Rusaw Crestwood SS AIDS is found in both these places. The eye in the middle represents the people without AIDS who are hiding from the truth. They lack knowledge of AIDS; only seeing half of the truth.
# 50 Bridging the Gap Natalie Schnurr Crestwood SS The vast valley entraps the children reaching for what seems impossible. Doves, representing peace and hope bridge the gap between hopelessness and a hopeful future.
# 1 Another Large Step for Man Dayna Hind Thomas A. Stewart SS I believe that the day a cure for AIDS/HIV is found will be like the first time man walked on the moon.
# 3 Specimen Brian Baldock Port Hope HS This piece represents apathy and innocence. Almost an “ignorance is bliss” statement yet that ignorance kills the innocent.
# 4 Hide Dylan Matheson Port Hope HS I am sick and hungry. I am tired and thin. I hide my face in rags and cover my eyes, but when they open again, nothing has changed. I am still hungry, still dying.
# 5 My Eyes Laura Lamb Port Hope HS Look in to my eyes. Each shimmer tells a story, a life, a love, and a death. Each twinkle tells of me fading as the sun and each sparkle is a gleam of hope, wishing for something better. My sparkles, twinkles and shimmers are slowly fading out but for this life and for this time, I must believe in my eyes.
# 6 Dawn of a New Day Christine Hayes Peterborough CVS My art piece is about all of the people today who have helped those who suffer from AIDS and HIV in African countries. The hand represents the hand of man, putting forth a donation of money, time and help. Today, when there is still hardship and struggle, it is important to see what fellow human beings are doing for one another in hope for a better future.
#2 on front cover
# 7 The Fast Lane Robyn Armstrong Peterborough CVS This picture doesn’t really represent AIDS as much as it does life. It gives the feeling of speed, like life flashing by. The binoculars are like eyes, trying to see into the maze, as if trying to grasp onto life and study each aspect of it, to see and to understand, like the search for a cure for AIDS. The fence represents obstacles met while searching for a meaning or for understanding.
50
# 8 Band Together Ashley Dunning Peterborough CVS The large eye peeking through the world represents how a majority of the world is aware of this problem but continually over-looks it, and the little girl looking through the peek hole is trying to change everybody’s view.
# 11 Bindings Cydney Langille Peterborough CVS She is in bindings. Bound by tradition, by her own vows. She is bound by love. She is bound by power, by dominance. She is bound by distance, by obliviousness. By those who choose to ignore. She is bound by lonliness. She is bound by sickness. And so will her children, be in bindings.
# 38 Amidst everything I almost forgot how to feel Erin Rexe Kenner CVS You never really understand something until it affects you personally, right? Well AIDS isn’t something that has to do that. Look at the numbers, look at the people. If an image can arouse emotions in someone, I want them to feel, however they would feel, if this were completely personal.
# 39 People are talking Lauren Beatty Kenner CVS I would like people to notice the condition of the building, it is dirty and old and falling apart yet it is still standing. The people keep it together; when you look in the windows there are explosions of hope.
# 40 Gone Lauren Beatty Kenner CVS The many hands and faces we see in this graveyard represent those who have passed on and have hope for the future; they speak to those today who are prepared to help.
# 41 Peace Lauren Beatty Kenner CVS This little boy leans on the brittle fence, sleeping peacefully. However, he does not fall, he is held up by the faith and encouragement of the children.
# 43 Son of Anguish Rebecca Izzard Norwood DHS AIDS affects many people around the world, young and old. The boy with the sack on his back shows how faceless the victims are. The man at the bottom depicts the pain set upon millions by AIDS. The hands represent the helping hands of many who raise money or do anything they can. # 44 Circle of Friends Sarah Elmhirst Norwood DHS To me it seemed like there was faith and hope in the eyes of these children. I think and others may think that this piece touches home with citizens of Africa who have diseases like AIDS. I hope that this piece will give them hope to live on.
# 42 (untitled) Michael Hay Norwood DHS
# 9 Waiting for the Seemingly Unattainable Kosta Malakos Peterborough CVS The money in the west corner represents the centralized money in the western world, which belongs to the many individuals who are too busy saying “What can I do” to help those who suffer. The young child and poor man represent with families destroyed by AIDS. They are desperate for assistance. The figures at the top represent hope.
# 10 The Promise Jade Jager-Clarke Peterborough CVS As the world turns, Africa is stuck in an AIDS epidemic that rages on. Here you see an elderly woman holding her grandson, orphaned by the disease. Knowing that she won’t be there much longer she makes him keep a promise. That no matter how hopeless it may seem, he will be strong and keep fighting in spite of this disease and raise awareness, so that children in future generations won’t have to face the world alone and suffer like he.
# 12 The Emphasis of Love Rachel Tripp Peterborough CVS Just as the colour stands in the collage – love stands out among us all. If we love a little, and give a little, the generosity stands out and makes a difference in this world. A little colour really can make a difference.
# 13 Holding Hope Jessica Latone Peterborough CVS The image of the young girl intertwined into the piece gives a more individual view of the broad subject of AIDS. The life of each person affected with AIDS is important and t he picture of the young girl makes it more personal. The bird the boy is holding represents the hope everyone has for a cure and the progress that has been made so far in finding a solution.
# 15 Whispers Jessica Knight Lakefield DSS Everything in this collage has a dark feel to it, but if you look closely you can see hope illuminating the tombstones and the letter from a loved one.
# 18 A World Upside Down Shannon Neary Thomas A. Stewart SS The upside-down city represents how crazy the world’s view on AIDS is, while the bird in the net shows how segregated people with AIDS are. This collage is my view on how wrongly people with AIDS are viewed.
# 32 Vinegar Kori George Cobourg DCI East My picture is unique and self-explanatory. I named it vinegar because I believed that a unique name would fit a unique piece. I enjoy the colourful eyes and the tree frog emerging from the triangle. I am glad I could help out a cause with what I do best.
# 33 The Future Andrea Crowe Cobourg DCI East These images seemed interesting to me. The camel was so futuristic and pretty. I kept the layout simple so it would be very bold and appealing. I am privileged to help out such a good cause. # 34 Cultural Kaleidoscope Tim Delaney Adam Scott CVI The items used in this collage collaborate to make one idea: The Cultures of the World. The astronaut is American, the building Russian, and the ancient artworks seem to have a very European style. A theme was developed without me trying to make one.
# 35 Mind Power Jessica Ellison Adam Scott CVI I was trying to portray the need for knowledge. By better understanding what is going on in our world we are able to make changes and give ourselves hope for a better future. The books and globe represent global knowledge. The two girls symbolize the need to help each other. I believe that the only way we can solve our problems is to work together.
# 36 Growth Christina Hough Adam Scott CVI The fragmented earth and the brightly coloured new flowers focus on growth and reconstruction. The media can be key in this, as it has a huge influence on all age groups. By leaving most of the pieces in black and white, the emphasis is put directly on the flowers while red can be negative; here it has new life and growth.
# 37 Pulse Christina Hough Adam Scott CVI The contrast of this piece is life vs. death. The hope held strong by the joy of life is enough to overbear the sting of death in the background. They say hope soars on the wings of birds, so the many birds represent the hope of all people in this world.
# 14 Waiting Karrie Armstrong Lakefield DSS The little boy is calling to all Canadians to help fight the battle of AIDS.
# 16 Time Machine Leeta Reed Thomas A. Stewart SS This piece shows different changes in time by the individual pieces of landscape. It shows that anything can happen at any moment.
# 17 Forgotten Kaitlin Nelson Thomas A. Stewart SS To me, this collage represents how many innocent children die each day because of AIDS.
# 19 Hope Lindsey Jeremiah Lakefield DSS The image of the outstretched arms amidst the flames represents the disease trying to drag the child down. She is running away, giving us a feeling of courage, struggle and hope. The maple leaves and raindrops symbolize Canada’s contribution and hope to put out the flames .
# 26 Water Bends Mikki McCall Cobourg DCI West The collage signifies hope using water with it’s serene characteristics as seen in the background, combined with a joy of water as seen in 3 parts of the college: The people splashing, the man in the bathtub and the woman in the inner tube. One day there will be serenity and a cleansing of this disease, and the health of children in Africa can prosper.
# 27 Faith from Disassociation Jennie Soquel Cobourg DCI West I think in North America many people have preconceived ideas about AIDS through the media portrayal. This generally does not include the effect AIDS has on children, especially in Africa. Having had the privilege to experience this workshop I not only learned more about AIDS, but I have a better understanding of how we can help.
# 28 Rising Up Sarah Charity Cobourg DCI West I’m glad I was able to help the children in Africa affected by AIDS and HIV. I’m honoured that my collage was chosen out of so many. Thank you for the experience, and God bless the children in Africa and everyone around the world.
# 29 Mother's Embrace Kayleigh Jackson Cobourg DCI West I wanted my collage to show a glimmer of hope that one day AIDS would be a thing of the past. The mother's reassuring embrace of the child is reassuring the world that AIDS will not always be a pandemic within Africa. # 30 (untitled) Alyssa Nadalin Cobourg DCI East I completed this piece by choosing shapes that caught my eye and were interesting for others to look at. I find the work of DaVinci very powerful so I thought I would show his work in a way I have never seen it before.
# 31 My Eyes Angela Hoekstra Cobourg DCI East Each person is important. We all have different values, opinions, ideas and dreams. No one person should be treated with more worth than another. By using editorials written by people from different backgrounds and places I hoped to show this and that we all deserve to share our views with the world.
# 20 Struggle Lindsey Lakefield DSS The battle against AIDS involves all people in the world. The man symbolizes the up-hill struggle against the disease while the ray of light shining on the shadowed child represents our hope for a cure.
# 21 One Face Rheannan Wolf Lakefield DSS Nature, our basic resource is greatly exploited and abused. Millions of people depend on this resource for everyday survival. Being in an isolated and rich society we tend to ostracize and ignore their faces. It is our responsibility to conserve and protect our world as well as the people in it.
# 22 Evanescent Leeta Reed Thomas A. Stewart SS This piece represents the life of a person who has AIDS because their life slowly drifts away yet they are reaching out for the help of others.
# 23 Constraint Erin Hickey Thomas A. Stewart SS The hand represents the AIDS virus and the birds represent the people it affects. The whole image shows the hold that AIDS has on the people of the world.
# 24 Through the Eyes of a Child Robyn Armstrong Peterborough CVS This picture represents hope and faith, innocence and freedom. The boy represents all children, not only victims to disease such as AIDS but to the cruelties that can ruin the pure innocence of a child. The cross represents the faith and hope that he clings to. The egg, his dreams of freedom. The woman, though half, dry and cracked, still seems to be calm, a noble being who gives the child hope and belief in his own strengths. # 25 Out of the Black Elisabeth Brannigan Peterborough CVS A school bus should be a place of joy and laughter, but in this case, it is empty, save one solitary child. This little girl sits alone in the darkness, all her peers gone. The skeleton represents the obvious, death. There are children dying from AIDS everyday, a diseases that does not have to be. All that is needed is more education and hope. These people who are suffering need to know that they are not alone, and there is help and hope.
Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
Teaching & Learning Department, Kawartha Pine Ridge DSB
HABITS OF MINDMay 2010 Issue Number Four http://www.kprdsb.cas c a f f o l d i n g
On a construction site a scaffold is erected alongside a building in order to physically support workers who are completing specific jobs. A scaffold is meant to be a short-lived structure. It can be increased in size or reduced. As soon as it is no longer needed, it disappears.
The idea of scaffolding in an educational context was first introduced by Jerome Bruner in the late 1950s. He introduced it as Scaffolding Theory. He wanted to name the interactions that were happening between a learner and a “more experienced other”. This interaction would lead the learner to do something beyond what he / she would be capable of independently. Of course Scaffolding Theory is related very closely to Lev Vygotsky’s concept of the zone of proximal development (ZPD). This is the distance between what children can do by themselves and the next learning that they can be helped to achieve with competent assistance.
What is a scaffold?
A teacher at James Strath provides a scaffold for a student as he prompts her to consider aspects of her writing.
A scaffold is a temporary framework that is put up for support and access
to meaning and taken away as needed when the child secures control of success with a task.
(Wikipedia - Instructional Scaffolding)
True scaffolding takes an in-depth knowledge of [students] as well as the instructional practices that will most benefit them, and it involves a seamless, almost art-like dance to the beats of varying levels of support. A dance that is
different for each student, and one where the steps can change based on the needs of the [student] and the focus of the instruction.
(Thompson, 2006-2010)
HABITS OF MIND! PAGE2
Teaching & Learning Department, Kawartha Pine Ridge DSB
What kinds of scaffolds are there?
There are many scaffolds that can be put into place to support students as they learn.
Some scaffolds can be referred to as “soft”. These would include conversations between a teacher and student as the teacher circulates around the classroom and asks probing questions. Descriptive feedback would also be considered “soft” scaffolding. This type of scaffolding is contingent on the child’s immediate needs, and looks different for different learners.
A “hard” scaffold is more deliberate and is planned in advance of instruction. This type of scaffolding would include:
planning webs for stories charts with headers provided sentence stems
Scaffolding or Rescuing?
Scaffolds facilitate a learner’s ability to build on prior knowledge and
internalize new information.
In a recent article from the Choice Literacy website, Terry Thompson investigates the way in which we use scaffolds with our students. He believes that there are essentially 4 stages for scaffolding instruction: 1. I Do / You Watch - teacher models the task and the
student observes 2. I Do / You Help - teacher does the majority of the work
while the student helps 3. You Do / I Help - student does the majority of the work
while the teacher helps 4. You Do / I Watch - student does the task while the
teacher observes
Thompson argues that we rescue students when we skip steps 2 and 3. The students start to flounder and we have to step in mid-lesson and help them complete the task. Wondering about your own practice? Are you scaffolding or rescuing? Use Thompson’s chart to help you reflect.
A grade 2 student at James Strath uses a ‘triangle, rectangle, circle’ scaffold to assist her in retelling a story.
(scaffold adapted from The Power of Retelling)
HABITS OF MIND! PAGE3
Teaching & Learning Department, Kawartha Pine Ridge DSB
Q: Is a worksheet considered a scaffold? No. A worksheet provides a task or series of tasks for the student(s) to focus upon as a part of a lesson. Worksheets offer independent practice of a skill / understanding that the student(s) is consolidating. A scaffold, on the other hand, is a structure that assists students in developing an idea or concept. It is introduced in stages by the teacher and eventually used independently by the student(s). Q: Are there dangers of scaffolding? Yes. Students should always be working towards independence. If they rely on a scaffold for too long they will be limited by the parameters of it. For example, students who use “APE” for organizing ideas about a text can come to rely on it as a framework and may be unlikely to stray from it. Thinking can sound stilted and the responses may be seen as shallow. A solution to this is to introduce a variety of scaffolds while encouraging students to identify their preferences.
Q: When do I remove a scaffold? This will depend on the needs of the students. Some students will require supports for longer than others. Tell the students that they can create their own format when they are ready, and see how they manage.
Q: How do I begin to remove a scaffold? Try giving the task with less detail than the original scaffold and see how the student copes (e.g., a bar graph template with no intervals marked on the axis or
underlines for titles). You may need to provide additional structures part way through the lesson if the student is struggling.
Q: Aren’t we encouraging our students to rely on a structure rather than thinking on their own? If the students do not require a scaffold, don’t give them one. Students who are not able to enter into the task without some support are the ones who truly need the scaffold. (i.e., A teacher knows that a few of her Grade 5 students cannot independently organize a set of data, but with a pre-made chart with headers the students can be successful.)
Q: Is a scaffold an accommodation? There is a connection between the two. Both provide supports in order for students to be successful. The key is that we are working towards independence by building skills and then taking scaffolds away as soon as we see that students can be successful without them. While accommodations for reading or writing (e.g., book on tape, Dragon) can change over time as students develop skills, the accommodations are crucial in that they allow students access to the curriculum.
Q & A
A Grade 2 student at James Strath uses an “answer sandwich” planning sheet to help structure her writing.
(scaffold from Better Answers)
Ideally, a scaffold adapts to the child’s
tempo and is able to move from external regulation to
self regulation.
