Monthly Archives: March 2012
A07 SUM: Enhancing critical thinking through graphic organizers
A07 Enhancing critical thinking through graphic organizers
Jason Giles
“This workshop focuses on the weaving together of instructional strategies and co-operative learning methods to push students` critical thinking skills to a higher level. Target group: 4 – 12”
I’d say looking back on the description, it was a fairly accurate, but just not in a way I was expecting, especially with graphic organizers seeming to be a bit disjointed from ‘cooperative learning methods’. This suited a math-bases worksheet group activity best. I do not have a copy uploaded, as I am not sure if it will translate to history studies as effectively. Otherwise, the session should have probably been titled something around group work tips, since that was the bulk of it.
I learned the difference between these graphic organzers, which are still great tools today:
Word Webs = no pics
Mind Maps = pics & colours
Why these still rule:
- Building one of these is an Excellent Review technique – connections and data fresh in mind
- Concept understanding check: some may be frustrated, but forces thinking and practice
- Easy to check for understanding (in case parents helped or embellished)
- Remember: don’t give up on a new project like this. For grade 8’s, it might be new, but by grade 10 it can become an old hat
Check out other A07 Session pearls of wisdom. Thanks to Jason Giles for sharing!
A07: Self-check marking
Jason Giles reminded the new teachers in his seminar that “you don’t have to put a mark down on everything.”
Instead, he uses this technique for math students. He writes “They are not all right” at the top, and the student finds out which ones are wrong and correct.
This is great when used in conjunction with a similar -looking quiz.
These pearl of wisdom are brought to you by:
A07 Enhancing critical thinking through graphic organizers
Jason Giles
Books to Read
Graphic Intelligences — Barry Bennett
How the Scots invented Canada — Ken McGoogow (& How the Scots invented the modern world)
—>Lady Aberdeen (scot) founded the Victorian Order of Nurses in Canada, which sent 4 nurses to Dawson City in 1898 to help with a typhoid outbreak
Klondike — Pierre Burton (1958)
A07: Tips for Checking-in with groups
“Ya gotta feel safe to learn”, says seminar host Jason Giles. Here are some of his tips:
Don’t point the finger. Give a hand instead.
It’s easy to gesture with an open hand, just like you would show someone around your house.
If someone points a finger at you, it’s a little intimidating.
Call on A OR B to:
get some accountability. In groups, people can take it over or end up social loafers.
General Call-Out (Call it out!)
What did you AND your partner talk about?
Give these instructions to groups before you say GO!
1 min chat
ACTUALLY LISTEN to absorb
THEN write down 2 min
Also, ask groups to face each other.
Infants and youth learn face-to-face to assess is what they are saying/doing is socially appropriate or acceptable.
Summing up Social Skills:
“Leadership decision-making, trust-building communications and conflict management skills have to be taught just as purposefully and precisely as academic skills” (slide notes)
Groups = practice for adult work-force teams.
This pearl of wisdom is brought to you by:
A07 Enhancing critical thinking through graphic organizers
Jason Giles
What is a great teacher?
I expect I’ll be adding & following up this post a lot in the coming months. Jason Giles asked this Q as a pair and share icebreaker at the new teacher’s conference this past weekend. I like the definition he gave:
- Q: What makes you a great teacher?
- Why shouldn’t we just replace all the (for example) Physics teachers with practicing engineers?
- A: A great teacher understands instruction and learning styles at the highest levels.
- Further: a person may love kids & know content to the most intricate detail, but may not be a great teacher.
- Teaching a pedagogy is so vast and deep, it would take an infinite number of lifetimes to learn it all. Mastery is an asymptote; we continue to strive for it but will never actually attain it in it’s entirety.
- Instead of worrying about becoming a master teacher, it may be wiser to focus on integrating effective teaching practices in our teaching that help our students become masters of learning.
Call on the person with the ___ hair
Call on the person with the longest hair, or shortest hair.
It might take a few mins to figure out, but I think this is a great tip for teachers on call, or if you are delivering a seminar. Cracked me up!
Free web design program “Drupal”
Although “drupal” sounds like chronic nasal drip syndrome, it’s another web design platform recommended by a conference table attendee. NTS to check out later for OLL, along with EduBlogs.
A quick blurb about this link:
Use Drupal to build everything from personal blogs to enterprise applications. Thousands of add-on modules and designs let you build any site you can imagine.
Drupal is free, flexible, robust and constantly being improved by hundreds of thousands of passionate people from all over the world. Join us!
Historical Figure Monologue
Have students create and present a monologue (or dialogue) of a historical figure. Obviously there is going to be a bias from the contemporary observer, but for the sake of interest and comedy, this might spark interest, writing practice, and even some fun.
QOTD 2
i dont compete against you. i compete against myself yesterday, last week, last year.
(unknown — fitness forum signature feb 2012)
Vancouver Aquarium Aqua-Van
This is an awesome display of hands-on stuff you get to borrow for your class! I have no idea how I could apply it to teaching history, but I would love to order the kit just for fun. Think they will deliver to my house?
Super rad!
Great Canadian Shore Cleanup
I guess TD felt like passing the torch of corporate garbage duty onto somebody else, but I’m happy that Loblaws has taken up the call. The result is some hella catchy marketing.
A Spring Educational Program runs in the month of May, with the shore cleanup itself taking place in the second week of September. NTS: garbage duty for adults can be fun.
There is also a FREE Curriculum Guide (which meets the BC Ministry of Education’s PLOs) and Youth Site Coordinator Manual online at http://shorelinecleanup.ca/schools
Climate Change Lesson Plans — History & Geography
Well-organized site with filters:
http://www.magazine.canadiangeographic.ca/atlas/learningtools.aspx?select=farming&lang=En
Check this out later:
Climate Prosperity — National Roundtable on the Environment and Economy (NRTEE)
http://www.climateprosperity.com/
Free membership sign up gets a discount on the magazine and free materials sent to you! yay
BC Art Teacher’s Association — Awesome materials!
At the new & student teacher’s conference, the BC Art Teacher’s association table was filled with free resources, including a compliation of lesson plans for secondary students, and the informative association magazine. I’ll be checking these out to incorporate a jolt of art history fun alongside the academic history curriculum! Thanks a bunch to this group.
Crisis Prevention Intervention Certficate
During the Feb. 16/17 2012 Pro-D day workshops, I completed 2-Day CPI training.
I really enjoyed the faciliatator’s tips and insight from the teacher’s present. It gave me a lot of confidence in classroom management and playground safety. I highly recommend taking a CPI training course put on by the VSB, it was super informative and a lot of fun! A workbook is included, as well as physical demonstration and practice of proper restraint techniques, plenty of tips for staff meetings and case management, and there is even a ‘celebration of learning’ before you are certified for 3 years.
http://www.crisisprevention.com/Specialties/Nonviolent-Crisis-Intervention/Our-Program
The program focuses on preventing disruptive behavior by communicating with individuals respectfully and with concern for their well-being. The program teaches physical interventions only as a last resort—when an individual presents an imminent danger to self or others—and all physical interventions taught are designed to be nonharmful, noninvasive, and to maintain the individual’s dignity. Follow-up debriefing strategies are also key components of the training program.
Vancouver Learning Network
NTS to visit their office & check out OLL curriculum development process. Might be able to do a project here!
From the website:
VLN opened in 1990 as the Greater Vancouver Regional Correspondence School, a name which reflects the origin of what is now known in British Columbia as “Distributed Learning”. While will still have a core of self-paced correspondence courses available to students, most of our course offerings and enrollments at VLN today are online. We offer over 90 courses in total, all of which are accredited courses for a British Columbia Dogwood.
All courses at VLN are tuition-free to students of any age who are Canadian citizens and residents of British Columbia. As our program is available for 12 months of the year, students are able to register for a course at anytime and complete a course at any time. Each student works at a pace reflected in a personalized Student Learning Plan and/or Course Plan, both of which are established in consultation with us, and according to individual timelines and goals.
Fort Steele Heritage Town
Another fun roadside attraction, chalked full of BC history to boot!
NTS
Time travel is just as simple as getting here! Fort Steele, British Columbia is located in the heart of the Kootenay Rocky Mountains, approximately 4 hours driving time from Nelson, BC; Spokane, WA and Calgary, AB.
BC Heritage Fairs Program
This looks like an awesome project for students!
Home and school students from grades 4 to 10 are eligible to participate in the BC Heritage Fair program.
The project guidelines are very flexible but include smart project suggestions, which is great!
Regional Fairs Web Sites and Coordinators
Abbotsford: MSA Museum. Contact Cindy Rowell msamuseum.decorator@yahoo.ca
Burnaby: River to Sea Regional Fair. Contact Lisa Langlet Lisa.langlet@burnaby.ca
Hudson’s Hope: Contact Elinor Morrissey hhmuseum@pris.ca
Kamloops: Kamloops Thompson Heritage Fair. Contact Catherine Gorman<cgorman@sd73.bc.ca>
North Vancouver: North Van Museum. Contact Kelsey Beaudry beaudryk@dnv.org or Shirley Sutherland sutherlands@dnv.org
Alberni: Alberni Valley Museum. Contact Shelley Hardingshelley_harding@portalberni.ca
Prince George: Exploration Place. Contact Amanda Tisseuramanda@theexplorationplace.com
Richmond/Delta: Richmond Delta Fair Blog. Contact Emily So or Carol BallardESo2@richmond.ca
Terrace: NW Regional Fair: Bringing History to Life. Contact Colleen Austinkalumteacher@gmail.com or their Facebook page.
Vancouver: Contact Janet Morley, jamor@telus.net
Vernon: Vernon Museum and Archives. Contact Pat Simmonspsimmons@vernonmuseum.ca
Victoria: Hallmark Society. Contact Helen Edwards office@hallmarksociety.ca
Maps I collected
Canadian Geographic Wind Energy in Canada
” ” BC Ferries Southern Gulf Islands
” ” The Boreal Deal
Scribbles & Scrolls 