Group Inquiry Into Teaching & Learning

By: - Brad Parenteau- Teresa Miller- Sandy Morley

CurrentChallenges, Frustrations, Hopes &

DreamsChallenges & Frustrations Hopes & Dreams

Attention issues Learning Disabilities Intellectual Disabilities Keeping students engaged Parents disengaged Lack of home support(ex.no one at

home to help with homework, read green bags)

Food issues Transiency Unstable home environment Lack of division assessment team

supports (ex. not enough OTs, SLPs, etc.)

Not enough special class placements (Ex. Alt. Ed.) for learners who continue to be unsuccessful in a regular classroom program

Students feeling safe Teach all children

successfully Deliver engaging lessons

for all Have students develop to

their full potential

What This Will Look Like In Practice… Students do a better job of verbalizing their answers Students view learning at school as relevant and useful

when they are outside of the classroom Set goals that students develop and are motivated to

achieve them Students are independent learners Students act confidently when working on problems and

practicing skills Students will require less reassurance from the teacher Students will look to their peers for support and guidance

when problem solving rather than only relying on the teacher As a school community, we will celebrate student growth Students will view and utilize technology as part of their

lifelong learning process

Ultimate Goal

http://checkandconnect.umn.edu/model/engagement.html

Students’ Wants & Needs

NEEDS WANTS Work at their own

independent level Safe learning environment Proper nutrition Feeling of success A variety of instructional

methods taught Strategies that work well for

each student Interactive lessons Confidence & reassurance

when risk taking Reassessment when

necessary

GuidanceStructure, Routine &

ConsistencyRelevance of lessons

(Why?)Real world applicationAcceptance

Approaches & Practices That Intrigue UsDifferentiating learningFlexible groupingsStudents problem solve Collaboration among studentsLess direct teachingMore guided teachingRelationship building Incorporating technology

What Would Engagement Look Like Based on the Research of Best

Practices?Offer different types of instruction to meet the needs of all learners in the classroom (Cole, & Washburn-Moses, 2010, p. 17)

Ensure “effective grouping practices involve purposeful attention to the curriculum” (Lapp, Fisher, & Frey, 2012, p.8)

Content is at students’ appropriate learning level (Levy, 2008, p. 162)

Students may be divided into groups based on learning styles, ability level, and interests (Levy, 2008, p. 162)

Students’ attention spans vary from 30 seconds to 5 minutes which resembles top executives’ attention spans in the work force (Parsons & Taylor, 2011, p.31)

“Relationships between students and teachers have been associated with students' motivation, achievement, feelings of belonging, and affect in school”(Roeser, Eccles, & Sameroff, 1998) (p.2).

“Students learn to relate to their peers and other learners as they work together in group enterprises. This can be especially helpful for students who have difficulty with social skills. They can benefit from structured interactions with others”. Retrieved from: http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/coopcollab/index_sub3.html

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIp8ehsJzg4

Group DiscussionHow is the teacher attempting to

engage students in a group discussion about a sensitive topic?

What could he have done to improve his instructional approach?

How Can We Find Out More?IMPORTANCE OF RELATIONSHIPS:

Anderson, A. R., Christenson, S. L., Sinclair, M. F., & Lehr, C. A. (2004). Check & connect: The importance of relationships for promoting engagement with school. Journal of School Psychology, 42(2), 95-113. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/62068019?accountid=13480

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT – STRATEGIES:Boushey, G., Moser, J. (2009). The Café Book: Engaging All Students In Daily Literacy Assessment & Instruction. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers.Cole, J., & Wasburn-Moses, L., (2010). Going beyond “the math wars”. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42.4 (Mar/Apr 2010), 14-20. Lapp, D., Fisher, D., & Frey, N., (2012). Identifying why groups work well, then giving groups another try. Voices from the Middle, 20.2 (Dec 2012), 7-9. Levy, H.M., (2008). Meeting the needs of all students through differentiated instruction: Helping every child reach and exceed standards. The Clearing House, 81.4, 161-164.Parsons, J., Taylor, L. (2011). Student Engagement: What do we know and what should we do?. The University Partners, University of Alberta. Retrieved from: http://education.alberta.ca/media/6459431/student_engagement_literature _ review_2011.pdf

ANTI-OPPRESSIVE TEACHING:Kumashiro, K. (2009). Against common sense: Teaching and learning toward social justice. New York: Routledge Falmer.

Kumashiro says:

“Sometimes the person filling the glass is the teacher…, and sometimes it is the student…, but the goal remains the same: to fill that glass” (p. 24).