MULTI-GRADED CLASSROOMS

Planning Days, June 13 and 20, 2011

Agenda

9:00 – 9:15 Welcome, introductions and purpose 9:15 – 9:45 Getting it all out there 9:45 – 10:10 Looking at the curricula and Curriculum Corner 10:10 – 10:20 Coffee break 10:20 – 11:00 Planning processes think aloud 11:00 – 11:45 Planning groups 11:45 – 12:00 Parking lot 12:00 – 12:45 Lunch 12:45 – 1:05 Assessment, Management and Inquiry clarification 1:05 – 2:00 Digging in 2:00 – 2:10 Coffee break 2:10 – 2:40 Digging in 2:40 – 3:00 Parking lot and reflection

•Discuss how renewed curricula and Curriculum Corner supports our work•Share planning, management, instructional and assessment strategies•Work with others in specific areas

Purpose of today

Today’s Support Team

CoordinatorsLearning ConsultantsDigital LearningEach other

Getting it all out there!

M-U-L-T-I-G-R-A-D-E-S

Generate phrases that begin with each letter in the word “MULTIGRADES”, elaborating important dimensions of the topic being explored.MULTIGRADES

Curricular comfort Planning Instruction Assessment Inquiry Classroom Management

A review

Looking at the curricula

Key Elements of Curricula

• Broad Areas of Learning (BAL)• Cross-curricular Competencies (CCC)• Outcomes and Indicators • Active Construction of Meaning• Inquiry Based Learning• Deeper Understanding• Higher Level Questioning• Metacognition

Curricular Alignment

Broad Areas of Learning (BAL)

Cross Curricular Competencies (CCC)

Inquiry

A philosophical approach to teaching and learning

Builds on students’ inherent sense of curiosity and wonder

Draws on students’ diverse background and experiences

Provides opportunities for students to become active participants in a search for meaning

Focus on the Commonalities First

English Language Arts

Goals Compose and Create Comprehend and Respond Assess and ReflectContexts Same 5 contexts K-9 Many language learning essential questions will be the same across grade

levelsStrategies All grades require B,D,AsCues and Conventions All grades emphasize 6 Language Cues and Conventions Criteria Compose and Create: Message, Organization, Language Comprehend and Respond: Ideas and Information, Text Structures and

Features, Responding to texts

Math

Strands Number Patterns and Relations Shape and Space Statistics and ProbabilityGoals Number Sense Logical Thinking Spatial Sense Mathematics as a Human EndeavourOutcomes Develop on a continuum and are strongly linked, grade to grade Essential Questions will be across grades

Science

Strands Life Science Physical Science Earth and Space ScienceContexts Scientific Inquiry Technological Problem-Solving STSE Decision-Making Cultural PerspectivesProcesses and Domain Literacy Lab work Safety Essential questions may be similar – especially as they relate to

scientific literacy

Arts Education

Goals Cultural/ Historical Creative/ Productive Critical/ ResponsiveStrands Dance Drama Music Visual ArtOutcomes The outcomes follow a very consistent pattern and are

strongly related grade to grade Essential questions will often be similar from grade to grade

Social Studies

Goals Resources and Wealth Interactions and Interdependence Power and Authority Dynamic Relationships These goals very strongly connect the

grades and can be the basis for a multi-grade exploration – topics change but essential questions remain the same

Health

Goals Understandings, Skills and Confidences Informed Decisions Engagement and ActionDimensions Spiritual Emotional Physical MentalOutcomes Many outcomes are related grade-to-grade Essential questions may be the same at different grade levels Opportunity for shared instruction as well as independent exploration Action plans are part of every grade level in some way or another

Physical Education

Goals Active Living Skillful Movement RelationshipsOutcome Continuum Initiate Extend Apply/ Challenge Essential questions will continue from grade to gradeDevelopmental Progression Explore Progressing Towards Control Control UtilizationAction plans Part of all PE Curricula in some way

Core French

Dimensions/ Goals Culture Communication Skills Language Knowledge General Language StrategiesOutcomes The outcomes are strongly connected, with a

clear continuum from grade to grade Essential questions will continue from grade

to grade

Curriculum Corner Review

Unpacked outcomes and assessment criteria are your best friends in this process.

Instructional tools will assist you with working with students in multiple grades.

Additional information/ supports are always welcome!!!!!!!!

ELA 3,4,5Science 6,7Health K,1,2

Examples and Think Aloud

With supports

Digging In

Parking lot

Lunch break 12:00 – 12:45

Assessment clarification

When both you and your students know the destination (criteria), everyone becomes empowered to be responsible for the learning journey.

You no longer have to “hold all the cards” for successful learning. It becomes a shared responsibility. Your role is to consistently reinforce and expect the required understanding.

Remember, the premise of UbD is that all planning emerges from the criteria. It provides clarity for everyone.

Some thoughts

Inquiry

Inquiry……is based on the belief that understanding is constructed in the process of people working and conversing together as they pose and solve the problems, make discoveries and rigorously test the discoveries that arise in the course of shared activity.

Galileo.org website

Inquiry questions Well-formulated inquiry questions are

broad in scope and rich in possibilities. Such questions encourage students to

explore, observe, gather information, plan, analyze, interpret, synthesize, problem solve, apply critical and creative thinking, take risks, create, conclude, document, reflect on learning, and develop new questions for further inquiry.

These broad questions will lead to more specific questions that can provide a framework, purpose, and direction for the learning activities in a lesson, or series of lessons, and help students connect what they are learning to their experiences and life beyond school.

Entry into inquiry Develop a culture of wonder in your

classroom. Encourage students to ask questions which

lead to more questions. Write the questions down. Create situations in which wonder and

questions can grow. Provide access to multiple resources. Design classroom areas for stimulation,

contemplation and idea generation.

More Ideas…

Use a variety of texts to cultivate curiosity. Connect to personal artifacts and experiences. Take students beyond their “four walls.” Offer language frames such as I wonder…, I

think…, This is what I see…, This is what it tells me…

Encourage personal responses and personal connections.

Consider before, during and after strategies in every subject.

inquiry-oriented instruction models

Project-based learning Problem-based learning Group investigations Inquiry groups Guided inquiry Experiments Inquiry circles Simulations Ideagrams Experiential learning

Framing the unit

What is a concept or understanding significant enough to deserve in-depth treatment?

What is a more specific question that will lead to understandings gained from activities in this unit and will require students to make judgements?

What will students do at the end of the unit to answer the central unit question (Big Idea)?

clarification

Inquiry relies on problems that are of emerging relevance to students.

However, relevance does not have to be pre-existing for students.

Relevance can emerge through teacher mediation.

Management

Strategies for Managing Multi-graded Classrooms

Be sure students have a plan for getting help when you’re busy with another student or group.

Teach students to rearrange furniture. Give your students as much responsibility for

their learning as possible. Promote on-task behavior. Engage your students in talking about classroom

procedures and group processes. Use anchor activities. Provide instructions both auditory and visually.

Multi-grade Opportunities

The teacher has the opportunity to get to know the students extremely well. The teacher, therefore, is in a position to plan for and monitor each student's learning and development in a continuous and more responsive fashion over a two or three year period.

Students have the opportunity to experience and participate in a much wider range of educational experiences. Opportunities are there for students to encounter academic challenges that stretch their abilities and to review and revisit work that may not have been mastered.

All students have the opportunity to experience a variety of roles and responsibilities as they progress from being the newest members of the class to being the more senior. Among the most important of these roles is assisting other students learn and modeling desirable attitudes and values.

 The class operates, in the first instance, not as separate grade groups but as a unified community of learners.

Parking lot and reflection

I am feeling…The most valuable thing…

From here I can…I still wonder…