It’s All about Thinking – engaging all learners in worthwhile

activities (primary)

Learning to Play, Playing to Learn Burnaby Focus Day

at Byrne Creek Secondary Nov. 23, 2009 Faye Brownlie

Frameworks

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

Universal Design for Learning Multiple means: -to tap into background knowledge, to

activate prior knowledge, to increase engagement and motivation

-to acquire the information and knowledge to process new ideas and information

-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

My students need to learn to record notes when reading information text.

Can I introduce the double-entry journal to my grade 2/3 class?

Students need: •  A model •  Guided practice in following the model

•  An opportunity to practice the strategy, with support as needed

•  Choice in the degree of complexity they use to complete the task

My students need to gain information and hold their thinking when listening to a picture book.

Can I introduce the quadrants of a thought strategy to help my students gain new information, then use it to write factually?

Students need: •  Connecting: To begin with background knowledge (1st quadrant)

•  Processing: A variety of ways to hold their thinking (images, language, facts)

•  Partner work to provide feedback on their quadrants

•  Transforming: To write to show their information knowledge

My knowledge of bears Images in my mind

Memorable language Facts I learned

I want my students to ask real questions in research. Can K-3 students become insect experts by following their own questions?

Students need: •  Formative Assessment: To begin with

background knowledge (brainstorm-categorize)

•  Modeling: –  Looking at books and sharing questions – Choosing an insect and generating class questions

–  Sorting questions – big & quick – Choosing 5 to research as a class –  Teacher models one way to find an answer to one question

Students need: •  Guided Practice

– Students work in small groups to answer another question

– Share answers and how they found it

– Each day, new question and model a new strategy or highlight a student’s strategy

– Students work in small groups on another question

Students need: •  Independent Practice

– Repeat process – Students chose own insect – # and type of question depended on skill level of student

– Worked in common insect groups, K-3

3 classes, 3 insects

K/1 - ants

1/2 - butterflies

2/3 - bees