So this week we're supposed to look back and see what our growth has been in relation to capacity one in our program: "participate in and help develop learning communities to support your teaching practice."
Because of the technology woes at the school where I was when we were doing our first inquiry, I felt I had no option but to tackle this one head on. I dove into the virtual world of professional learning communities, as well as being intentional with my face to face ones. I joined a few educator's wikis, followed some blogs, listened in on conversations about education online and participated in a mentorship program within my district. I did a comparison between the two types of PLC's and was pleased to note that I was learning from both. I enjoyed the big pictures I saw with the online research, and used lots of practical ideas from my face to face meetings. Both were valuable to me.
As time went on, and my inquiries changed and my position changed, I have also been able to expand my participation in the online community. I have taken part in discussions with teachers I have never met, both in topics I have raised and in other conversations that I have happened upon. I joined twitter and was able to gain some valuable information about creativity as I focused on that one term. It was at this point that I also found places where people gave very practical advice to try in my classroom the next day. I am still using some of those ideas.
So what have I learned about participating in learning communities? I've learned that I just have to look and participate and I will find something worthwhile. I've learned that such communities can be invaluable to my own teaching as I reflect and ponder my own strategies and look for new ones. When I offer up my own ideas, I first take the time to think about whether it really is something good and why it works for me. Then I can share it with others. PLC's can be very practical ways to improve my own work in my classroom. I must continue this. :)
Monday, February 21, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Reading Groups today
Today was a good day. I think the difference is that I had one group out of the room with another teacher who comes to work with my more advanced group. Then, with clear expectations for behaviour, the other children were able to work quietly. It also made a difference that the first group I had today were much quieter than last week. I think that's because I had kicked some kids out last time for being too noisy. They didn't want that again. So we did a lesson which the kids enjoyed. This group 3 seems to be getting the most out of this time. Maybe it's because their growth right now is the most noticeable. They are successful every time...every one of them. Group 4, the lowest group, seems the most disjointed. I think that's because there's one boy in there that just doesn't get it. He can't even read "a" or "I". I think he's going to be keeping the other kids back. So what do I do? Do I keep going and moving on, or do I slow it down so maybe, just maybe, he'll eventually get it? But isn't that detrimental to the other kids? I already had a parent from the group wonder how come her boy is coming home with books this low again.
I had one boy in my group 2 who hadn't done any of the reading work I had expected the group would do, so when they came to report to me and spend a few minutes working with me at the end of our time today, he had nothing to show. What should I do? I reprimanded him, but didn't know what kind of punishment, if any, to hand out.
My advanced group came back one at a time as they finished their work with the other teacher. For the most part, they were able to refocus on another task as they came back.
I had one boy in my group 2 who hadn't done any of the reading work I had expected the group would do, so when they came to report to me and spend a few minutes working with me at the end of our time today, he had nothing to show. What should I do? I reprimanded him, but didn't know what kind of punishment, if any, to hand out.
My advanced group came back one at a time as they finished their work with the other teacher. For the most part, they were able to refocus on another task as they came back.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Research and Me
So, in preparation for my final portfolio due at the end of this semester, we are supposed to be looking at our growth in the 5 capacities of the program. The first one we're examing is "draw on educational theories, research and philosophies to inform your use of technologies to support teaching and learning."
The four inquiries I have embarked on are:
Fall 2009 : developing a PLC for myself
Winter 2010: developing my leadership in the area of technology in my school
Fall 2010: overcoming my fear of creativity
Winter 2011: small reading groups for developing reading and improved behaviour.
When I look at my baseline portfolio, my self-analysis on this capacity is quite lacking. Actually embarrassingly so... I thought research was going to professional development opportunities and incorporating a reading program that our school initiated. During my first inquiry, most of the research I relied on was articles given to us as a class. I made them fit with my learning statements.
My attitude towards research started to change with my second inquiry where I actually looked for articles on leadership and technology in schools. It affected what I did and how I approached the whole topic.
But it was with my third inquiry that I really felt like the research I did PRIOR to starting my inquiry made the most significant difference for my inquiry. I didn't do the research to prove my point, but rather to let it guide my inquiry. I gained definitions of creativity (and what it wasn't), got ideas about how to develop it in children, etc. Then as I did my inquiry, I was able to use and reflect on these ideas.
And for this latest inquiry, I'm starting from some basic points I've learned from doing research. Others have proven that a combination of repeated reading and listening makes for the best growth in fluency....Okay, then, that's where I'll start. :)
The four inquiries I have embarked on are:
Fall 2009 : developing a PLC for myself
Winter 2010: developing my leadership in the area of technology in my school
Fall 2010: overcoming my fear of creativity
Winter 2011: small reading groups for developing reading and improved behaviour.
When I look at my baseline portfolio, my self-analysis on this capacity is quite lacking. Actually embarrassingly so... I thought research was going to professional development opportunities and incorporating a reading program that our school initiated. During my first inquiry, most of the research I relied on was articles given to us as a class. I made them fit with my learning statements.
My attitude towards research started to change with my second inquiry where I actually looked for articles on leadership and technology in schools. It affected what I did and how I approached the whole topic.
But it was with my third inquiry that I really felt like the research I did PRIOR to starting my inquiry made the most significant difference for my inquiry. I didn't do the research to prove my point, but rather to let it guide my inquiry. I gained definitions of creativity (and what it wasn't), got ideas about how to develop it in children, etc. Then as I did my inquiry, I was able to use and reflect on these ideas.
And for this latest inquiry, I'm starting from some basic points I've learned from doing research. Others have proven that a combination of repeated reading and listening makes for the best growth in fluency....Okay, then, that's where I'll start. :)
Reading Groups...some success today!
I felt like today was a very successful attempt at doing reading groups...both successful in that the children were served adequately at their own reading level...and the behaviour was quite good throughout the hour. One of the keys of both is that I lay out very clearly to the children my expectations of their behaviour and what they will be doing.
So...this is how it went down...
10:30 gathered the children on the carpet and told them which children were going where today and what they would be doing.
At 10:45: My upper level readers, who I simply called group 1, went with the district literacy specialist as they have for the last few months. (That also takes away 4 of my behaviour children!) Group 2 went with the EA I was blessed to have in my room today. They read a book together a couple of times, with discussion in between, and then did an AR quiz on that book individually. Group 3 came with me for a guided reading lesson (using Primary Success materials). Group 4 started with writing words they recognized from around the room down on white boards.
At 11:00 I switched groups 3 and 4. Group 3 worked on worksheets that came with the guided reading lesson and Group 4 came with me where we worked on sight words and I started them on an individual ring of sight words. They were very excited about these words and also loved sharing the words they knew with me from off their white boards. Group 2 children came back and began to do their individual quizzes on the computer with the EA closely supervising. Children who weren't doing a quiz were given the choice of some fun worksheets (crossword puzzles, word search or colouring) or to read another book on their own.
11:15 Group 1 came back and were very eager to start doing their own AR reading and quiz-taking. Group 2 were still taking tests and were also colouring and doing other worksheets. A few of them were also reading more books for the AR. (They are very motivated for ribbons.) Group 3 had finished their worksheets and were now either reading or doing the fun language based work. Group 4 and I were working on putting their rings together (I've got to be more organized next time.) They were very excited about these rings and decorated name tags to put on them.
11:40 Time to clean up and get ready for lunch. I felt good about what had just occured over the past hour. Kids were focused, had their individual times, and reading was done.
Next time I want to invite Group 2 students to record themselves reading so that they can listen to themselves and others in their group reading books. I'm hoping that with some instruction, they will be able to identify what makes a fluent reader and come up with some strategies so that they themselves become fluent.
Group 1 students will work with Mrs. Rapin again.
Group 3 students will do Lesson 26 in guided reading.
Group 4 students will do lesson 2 in guided reading.
Favourite moment today ... from a student who is just starting to take off.... "I can do this 'cause I'm REALLY reading now!" Priceless!
So...this is how it went down...
10:30 gathered the children on the carpet and told them which children were going where today and what they would be doing.
At 10:45: My upper level readers, who I simply called group 1, went with the district literacy specialist as they have for the last few months. (That also takes away 4 of my behaviour children!) Group 2 went with the EA I was blessed to have in my room today. They read a book together a couple of times, with discussion in between, and then did an AR quiz on that book individually. Group 3 came with me for a guided reading lesson (using Primary Success materials). Group 4 started with writing words they recognized from around the room down on white boards.
At 11:00 I switched groups 3 and 4. Group 3 worked on worksheets that came with the guided reading lesson and Group 4 came with me where we worked on sight words and I started them on an individual ring of sight words. They were very excited about these words and also loved sharing the words they knew with me from off their white boards. Group 2 children came back and began to do their individual quizzes on the computer with the EA closely supervising. Children who weren't doing a quiz were given the choice of some fun worksheets (crossword puzzles, word search or colouring) or to read another book on their own.
11:15 Group 1 came back and were very eager to start doing their own AR reading and quiz-taking. Group 2 were still taking tests and were also colouring and doing other worksheets. A few of them were also reading more books for the AR. (They are very motivated for ribbons.) Group 3 had finished their worksheets and were now either reading or doing the fun language based work. Group 4 and I were working on putting their rings together (I've got to be more organized next time.) They were very excited about these rings and decorated name tags to put on them.
11:40 Time to clean up and get ready for lunch. I felt good about what had just occured over the past hour. Kids were focused, had their individual times, and reading was done.
Next time I want to invite Group 2 students to record themselves reading so that they can listen to themselves and others in their group reading books. I'm hoping that with some instruction, they will be able to identify what makes a fluent reader and come up with some strategies so that they themselves become fluent.
Group 1 students will work with Mrs. Rapin again.
Group 3 students will do Lesson 26 in guided reading.
Group 4 students will do lesson 2 in guided reading.
Favourite moment today ... from a student who is just starting to take off.... "I can do this 'cause I'm REALLY reading now!" Priceless!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Using Research
It had been a long time since I've had to use research in any sort of way...which maybe says something about my teaching. I hadn't grown or seen the need. The last time I did research for anything was when I was on Mat Leave with my youngest (who is now 9) and taking a "educating exceptional students" online course through UBC. When I think back now, I remember being excited about the research I was doing and the things I was learning. So why did I stop? The only answer I can give now is probably..."I just didn't take the time." For research certainly does take time and effort. It must be focused and carefully digested.
So now that I'm taking this course, I've had to once again engage in research that directly affects my teaching. It's been a huge learning curve for me again as I have found research that challenges my pedagogy, as well as finding research that affirms what I am doing in my class. As I reflect back on my teaching the last few years and focusing directly on the 4 inquiries that I've done/am doing, I find that research has become a valuable tool for me to inform my practice. In my inquiry about leadership in schools, I learned things such as "working within the system." I really enjoyed my creativity inquiry and that has been the first one to really cause changes within my teaching. I now deliberately find times and places for my students to exercise creativity, knowing now that creativity is one of the most important skills to teach and encourage among students. I am looking forward to seeing how this inquiry on reading and small groups will affect my practice.
So now that I'm taking this course, I've had to once again engage in research that directly affects my teaching. It's been a huge learning curve for me again as I have found research that challenges my pedagogy, as well as finding research that affirms what I am doing in my class. As I reflect back on my teaching the last few years and focusing directly on the 4 inquiries that I've done/am doing, I find that research has become a valuable tool for me to inform my practice. In my inquiry about leadership in schools, I learned things such as "working within the system." I really enjoyed my creativity inquiry and that has been the first one to really cause changes within my teaching. I now deliberately find times and places for my students to exercise creativity, knowing now that creativity is one of the most important skills to teach and encourage among students. I am looking forward to seeing how this inquiry on reading and small groups will affect my practice.
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