http:// success through synergy developing a framework for student success session #1817 ola super...
TRANSCRIPT
http://www.flickr.com/photos/soylentgreen23
Success Through Synergy
Developing a Framework
For Student Success
Session #1817OLA Super Conference 2009
Janet Dixon | Sarah Bowler Anita Brooks Kirkland
Waterloo Region District School Board
Our Story ofhow a dream for Student Success took root and flourished
… … a tale of a tale of opportunity, innovation opportunity, innovation and convergent thinkingand convergent thinking
The KEYS to Our Success
GraphicFreebies.com
OLA Super Conference
Assignments with embedded process
skills
Information skills tau
ght consistently
across the curriculum
Tool-kit of scaffolding strategies
‘Grown-up’ st
yle conference
for
students
“All a
lone a
m
I…”Bre
nda Le
e
Find a way to make yourselfindispensable…
Provide solutions…Build Trust
Demonstrate your Relevance
Presentation to
Heads’ Council
All too often… submitted assignments:
are not focusedlack depthuse questionable sourcesintentionally or unintentionally
plagiarizeare referenced incorrectly, if at all
A further problem… Inconsistency
• Teachers have different expectations, different levels of awareness, or assume that students know (…they don’t!)
• Teacher-librarian may work collaboratively with some teachers in some subjects, teaching some students some of the skills….
• If we slow down and concentrate on the process, the students will ultimately achieve more
• We need to build understanding, competency and comfort levels through repetition and consistency across subject areas
The Answer…
The Win…?Student research projects are: focused, creative, deeper, accurate and referenced appropriately
Plagiarism concerns are alleviated
Students have core information skills that will help them to achieve success…now and later
Seize opportunities!
Scare yourself…often!
Build a team that is forward-
thinking, enthusiastic…
Be flexible, open to possibilities…
Be willing to dig in and do the necessary work!
Branching out…
Learning
Skills
Conference
Learning
Skills
Conference
Research
Projects
Research
Projects
Scaffolding Strategies
Tool-kit
Scaffolding Strategies
Tool-kit
Staff P.D. Event
Staff P.D. Event
Skills
Development Checklist
Skills
Development Checklist
Anita Brooks
Kirkland
presentation
Anita Brooks
Kirkland
presentation
Learning SkillsConference
Grade 9 Applied Level
•introduce common, transferable information skills
√to get them started on the right track√to help them succeed in all subject areas
•contribute to feelings of importance
and sense of belonging
Learning Skills Conference Rationale
To mimic a ‘grown-up’ conference
with
registration table
session materials in a conference bag
festive, fun atmosphere
free stuff, including draws
FOOD
Learning Skills Conference
Our Mission
Learning Skills Conference The Organization
Session location
s?
Who will teach?
Prepare content Peer helpers?
Arrange food
Date?
Set up facility
Donations?!
Notify office/teachers
Prepare packages
Nametags
Designevaluatio
n
It’s all in the details!
Preconference hype
10:30 – 11:00 a.m. Registration
Pizza and Cookies Library Seminar Room
Display of Draw Prizes Library Rotunda
11:00 – 11:15 Washroom Break
11:15 - 11:30 WelcomeLibrary Rotunda
11:30 – 2:15 WorkshopsSession #1: 11:30 – 12:05Travel time: 12:05 – 12:10Session #2: 12:10 – 12:45
Washroom break: 12:45 – 1:00Session #3: 1:00 – 1:35Travel time: 1:35 – 1:40Session #4: 1:40 – 2:15
2:15 – 2:45 Wrap-up and Draw PrizesLibrary Rotunda
Learning Skills Conference Agenda
Research Strategies
Plagiarism and Paraphrasing
Evaluating Web Sites
Introduction to Smart Ideas
Learning Skills Conference Sessions
Registration
Conference handouts
Pizza & cookies
Welcome
Some of the draw prizes on display for students to check out before the sessions
begin
Students at work!
Bullying Activity
I am so very appreciative of the opportunity to visit your "Learning Skills Conference". What a great opportunity (on so many levels) for students. …The content was brilliant ... and all done with enthusiasm, joy
and energy.
Your efforts to connect and provide foundational study skills are exemplary….I am inspired and very proud of your work ...hope that you are able to spread the good news to other schools...
Learning Skills Conference Accolades from our Superintendent
From Confused to Confident
“Research Strategies for Student Success”
Anita Brooks KirklandLibrary Consultant, ITS, Waterloo Region District School Board
Anita Brooks KirklandLibrary Consultant, ITS, Waterloo Region District School Board
Wiggins and McTighe. The Understanding by Design Handbook.1999
Worth being familiar with
Important to know and do
“Enduring” understandi
ng
Traditional quizzes and tests
paper-pencil selected-response constructed-response
Performance tasks and projects
open-ended complex authentic
Assessment Types
The well-designed research assignment
Instructional Context
Inquiry helps students to:
• strengthen question strategies to explore and deepen ideas
• share feelings, findings, and perspectives with different audiences
• examine information for validity, authority, bias, and relevancy
• think creatively and critically to solve problems and make decisions
• reach personal and collective understanding in diverse contexts
• develop competence in both particular disciplines and the inquiry process itself
OSLA. Together For Learning: Transforming School Libraries in Ontario. Draft, 2008.
• Represent a big idea having enduring value beyond the
classroom.
• Reside at the heart of the discipline (involve “doing”
the subject).
• Require uncoverage (of
abstract or often misunderstood
ideas). • Offer potential
for engaging students.
“Enduring” understanding
Wiggins and McTighe. Understanding by Design.1998
Well-designed research units get to the heart of the matter.
Boredom
Confusion
Poorly-designed research activity:Poorly-designed research activity:
Shallow Understanding Shallow Understanding
Well-designed research activity:Well-designed research activity:
MotivationMotivationEngagementEngagement
Enduring Understanding Enduring Understanding
S
Helping Our Students Improve Their
Research Strategies
Improving Our Own Teaching Practice
Kicking it up a notch @ WCI
Take a critical look at your research units.
Does your key question foster critical thinking and enduring understanding?
Does the culminating task foster creativity, critical thinking and enduring understanding?
Have you provided an instructional scaffold to help all students develop process skills?
Does your assessment strategy include formative and summative components? Are you assessing process as well as product?
Are you collaborating with each other and with your
teacher-librarian to providethe best learning experience
for your students?
Research and Inquiry Skills
Scaffolding StrategiesTool-Kit
KICK IT UP A NOTCH!
Works Cited Source Logs
Research and Inquiry SkillsWhat Resources Do I Need? Organizing My Research
Note-taking SheetsBook Source Encyclopedia Source
Note-taking SheetsDatabase Source Website Source
MLA Style Guide for Works Cited
Research and Inquiry SkillsWaterloo Collegiate Library Web Site
Research and Inquiry Skills Development
Checklist
By the end of grade 9, students should be able to:By the end of grade 9, students should be able to:
use visual organizers
use visual organizers
evaluate web sites
evaluate web sites
understand plagiarism, and ways to avoid it
understand plagiarism, and ways to avoid it
paraphrase and
summarize
paraphrase and
summarize
understand that learning is transferable
understand that learning is transferable
use source logs and research worksheets
use source logs and research worksheets
use online library catalogue
use online library catalogue
Subject-specific research assignments
that embed process skills
Reflect and Rework…a few of the comments by teachersReflect and Rework…a few of the comments by teachers
“Possibility of plagiarism virtually removed because the
students were included in the process each step
of the way.”
“Possibility of plagiarism virtually removed because the
students were included in the process each step
of the way.”
“Process evaluated as well
as the product.”
“Process evaluated as well
as the product.”
Students more invested in their project; clearer understanding of their focus.”
Students more invested in their project; clearer understanding of their focus.”“Students appreciated the
research steps with due dates.
They felt more organized, and it kept them on task.”
“Students appreciated the research
steps with due dates. They felt more organized, and it kept them on task.”
“Students used better, more
scholarly resources and products reflected this
depth.”
“Students used better, more
scholarly resources and products reflected this
depth.”
P.D. Day for Staff“Optimizing Instruction for Today’s
Student”
April 2008
Higher order thinking skillsHigher order thinking skills
P.D. Day for StaffRationale
P.D. Day for StaffRationale
Kicking assignment
s up a notch
Kicking assignment
s up a notch
differentiate
instruction
differentiate
instruction
increase the
learning
increase the
learningincrease
engagementincrease engagement
Staff P.D. DayAgenda Session Choices
Feedback From Staff PD Day
High energy!
A great learning
opportunity!Why can’t all our PD days
be this useful?!Just like
a REAL
conference!
Can we do it
again
this year?
Did it Work?!Did it Work?!
Are we relevant to student learning?
Do we align with School and System
Goals?
Were the student success strategies successful?
Where is the evidence?
Where is the evidence?
Evidence-Based
Practice
Evidence-Based
Practice
Qualitative Data
Learning Skills Conference
Formative AssessmentCritical ongoing assessment of student work
against relevant, desired outcomes.
Assessment Data
Evaluation Rubrics linked directly to specific, measurable, achievable goals.
“Now this is not the end.
It is not even the beginning of the end.
But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
Winston Churchill
Cross-Curricular Connections Team 2008 - 2009
Continue Learning Skills Conference (grade 9 applied level students)
Target development of non-fiction writing skills
Develop PD session and materialsIntervene with ELL classes to develop process
skills
"A SHARED VISION is not an idea...it is rather a force in
people's hearts… a force of impressive power.
It may be inspired by an idea,
but once it goes further - if it is compelling enough to
acquire the support of more than one person
- then it is no longer an abstraction.
People begin to see it as if it exists.
Shared visions derive their power from common caring.
Shared vision is vital for the learning
organization because it provides the focus
and energy for learning.“ Peter Senge
Johnson, Doug. The Indispensable Librarian: Surviving (and Thriving) in School Media Centers. Linworth Publishing Inc., Worthington, Ohio.1997.
"A SHARED VISION is not an idea...it is rather a force in
people's hearts… a force of impressive power.
It may be inspired by an idea,
but once it goes further - if it is compelling enough to
acquire the support of more than one person
- then it is no longer an abstraction.
People begin to see it as if it exists.
Shared visions derive their power from common caring.
Shared vision is vital for the learning
organization because it provides the focus
and energy for learning.“ Peter Senge
Johnson, Doug. The Indispensable Librarian: Surviving (and Thriving) in School Media Centers. Linworth Publishing Inc., Worthington, Ohio.1997.