Ministry of Education Jane Christensen
Quality Review: Internal Review Guide
Instructional Practices – Questions for reflection
As a distributed learning teacher, what do you do to create a teaching presence in your classes?
1. Communicate course topics, goals, timelines, and expectations regarding assignments?
I have a homework/communication board where assignments are written in their planners.
2. Provide instruction to students about participation in activities, productive dialogue, and task expectations, as well as providing instruction to help students master content and achieve learning outcomes?
Whole class instruction first and then, when needed, individual and small group instruction when students have difficulty with a concept. I also use peer helpers to guide students who need assistance. I always have clear expectations for what is expected for assignments. I use a variety of examples and also ideas from students.
I don’t feel I get to all my students adequately to ensure they are achieving the learning outcomes.
3. Guide students to help identify areas of agreement or disagreement on course topics, help clarify student’s thinking about course topics, focus discussion on relevant issues, and help students explore new concepts in the course?
Sometimes I include students in developing criteria and focus for concepts. If students want to do a different activity than I have provided, then they are more than welcome to as long as it meets with the outcome I wish them to achieve.
I feel, often, that I am too stuck on the PLOs and making sure I cover them, that I am not providing a truly meta-cognitive environment. I am currently looking at the PLOs with the objective to figure out what I really want them to internalize and go from there. I am finding it challenging to wrap my head around pulling away from each exact outcome and developing a big picture platform.
4. Foster the development of a sense of community among course participants, and provide relevant and timely feedback to students?
I provide opportunities for group/partner activities. Many are designing and constructing projects, sharing and giving feedback about a piece of writing, etc… I also am constantly circulating around the class checking my students’ work.
I need to do more reflection and group activities. I do not do enough of either.
5. Select appropriate resources and/or develop learning materials and content for your students that meet the highest standards for quality and student usability
I do not usually use any one text book. I pick and choose resources from a variety of print based and online materials. Unfortunately, online materials are harder for me to have my students access due to availability of the computer lab.
Once our wireless is accessible for personal devices, I will be able to use my own tablet and iPad and students personal devices to access more resources.
As a distributed learning teacher, what do you do to create a social presence in your classes?
6. Create a sense of belonging and community for students?
I give opportunity for group and partner work. There are opportunities for students to have social interaction during our centre times as well. I do feel that my students feel safe and cared about. Often I feel that we are a big family and I am sorting out problems as if they were siblings. Social interaction is a huge component with my grade three students. I try to facilitate rather than dictate appropriate behaviour interactions with my students. Modelling and giving them the tools to work through their disagreements is ongoing.
7. Support student expression in online discussion, building a sense of collaboration?
I do collaboration with partner, group, and whole class activities. For example: designing and creating a math board game which will be used by other students. I need to do more collaborative activities. I find that I am trying to get through specific PLOs and not focussing on the big picture. I am realizing that collaboration is a huge learning curve and I need to focus on their higher understanding of learning. Having students collaborate more often will help them to evaluate not only their own processes, but those of others as well.
8. Foster the use of a variety of communication strategies, including online strategies, for social interaction among students and teacher?
I use a check-in/news sharing time every morning. We have feelings folders that are shared with peers/teacher. Journal entries twice a week either on their personal laptops or exercise notebooks.
I do not use any online social avenues yet. I am looking into developing a class blog that my students can access.
As a distributed learning teacher, what do you do to create a cognitive presence in your classes?
9. Foster student interest in course issues and content, while supporting the development of new perspectives through student reflection?
I try to foster interest and motivation in most activities I do. Most students are engaged in most activities as I try to do a variety of hands on experimentation and creative activities.
I do a little student reflection, but not enough. I am adding a reflection component to many of my activities. It is fascinating to hear what the students have to say about an assignment etc… I am getting a better insight to their thinking and it is enlightening. During our math game board activity, I saw many students change and refine their boards on their own. They worked together, if they were working in partners, and either modified their plan or changed it altogether.
10. Encourage students to use a variety of information sources, techniques, and approaches to solutions when exploring problems posed in the course?
We use text-based materials, online sources (not often enough, however), and we share personal problem solving alternatives and experiences. My students are very good at sharing their “expertise” for how things should be solved.
I would like to explore using more Inquiry Based Learning with my class.
11. Support the testing and application of new knowledge for students?
I don’t do a lot of “testing” in my classroom. I find that the formative evaluations and summative projects are far more accurate evaluations than just a test.
I do need to do a lot more extended activities that allow my students to apply what they have learned in “real life” applications. I also need to enable them to connect what they have learned to other areas of learning where they can construct their own “big picture
Quality Review: Internal Review Guide
Instructional Practices – Questions for reflection
As a distributed learning teacher, what do you do to create a teaching presence in your classes?
1. Communicate course topics, goals, timelines, and expectations regarding assignments?
I have a homework/communication board where assignments are written in their planners.
2. Provide instruction to students about participation in activities, productive dialogue, and task expectations, as well as providing instruction to help students master content and achieve learning outcomes?
Whole class instruction first and then, when needed, individual and small group instruction when students have difficulty with a concept. I also use peer helpers to guide students who need assistance. I always have clear expectations for what is expected for assignments. I use a variety of examples and also ideas from students.
I don’t feel I get to all my students adequately to ensure they are achieving the learning outcomes.
3. Guide students to help identify areas of agreement or disagreement on course topics, help clarify student’s thinking about course topics, focus discussion on relevant issues, and help students explore new concepts in the course?
Sometimes I include students in developing criteria and focus for concepts. If students want to do a different activity than I have provided, then they are more than welcome to as long as it meets with the outcome I wish them to achieve.
I feel, often, that I am too stuck on the PLOs and making sure I cover them, that I am not providing a truly meta-cognitive environment. I am currently looking at the PLOs with the objective to figure out what I really want them to internalize and go from there. I am finding it challenging to wrap my head around pulling away from each exact outcome and developing a big picture platform.
4. Foster the development of a sense of community among course participants, and provide relevant and timely feedback to students?
I provide opportunities for group/partner activities. Many are designing and constructing projects, sharing and giving feedback about a piece of writing, etc… I also am constantly circulating around the class checking my students’ work.
I need to do more reflection and group activities. I do not do enough of either.
5. Select appropriate resources and/or develop learning materials and content for your students that meet the highest standards for quality and student usability
I do not usually use any one text book. I pick and choose resources from a variety of print based and online materials. Unfortunately, online materials are harder for me to have my students access due to availability of the computer lab.
Once our wireless is accessible for personal devices, I will be able to use my own tablet and iPad and students personal devices to access more resources.
As a distributed learning teacher, what do you do to create a social presence in your classes?
6. Create a sense of belonging and community for students?
I give opportunity for group and partner work. There are opportunities for students to have social interaction during our centre times as well. I do feel that my students feel safe and cared about. Often I feel that we are a big family and I am sorting out problems as if they were siblings. Social interaction is a huge component with my grade three students. I try to facilitate rather than dictate appropriate behaviour interactions with my students. Modelling and giving them the tools to work through their disagreements is ongoing.
7. Support student expression in online discussion, building a sense of collaboration?
I do collaboration with partner, group, and whole class activities. For example: designing and creating a math board game which will be used by other students. I need to do more collaborative activities. I find that I am trying to get through specific PLOs and not focussing on the big picture. I am realizing that collaboration is a huge learning curve and I need to focus on their higher understanding of learning. Having students collaborate more often will help them to evaluate not only their own processes, but those of others as well.
8. Foster the use of a variety of communication strategies, including online strategies, for social interaction among students and teacher?
I use a check-in/news sharing time every morning. We have feelings folders that are shared with peers/teacher. Journal entries twice a week either on their personal laptops or exercise notebooks.
I do not use any online social avenues yet. I am looking into developing a class blog that my students can access.
As a distributed learning teacher, what do you do to create a cognitive presence in your classes?
9. Foster student interest in course issues and content, while supporting the development of new perspectives through student reflection?
I try to foster interest and motivation in most activities I do. Most students are engaged in most activities as I try to do a variety of hands on experimentation and creative activities.
I do a little student reflection, but not enough. I am adding a reflection component to many of my activities. It is fascinating to hear what the students have to say about an assignment etc… I am getting a better insight to their thinking and it is enlightening. During our math game board activity, I saw many students change and refine their boards on their own. They worked together, if they were working in partners, and either modified their plan or changed it altogether.
10. Encourage students to use a variety of information sources, techniques, and approaches to solutions when exploring problems posed in the course?
We use text-based materials, online sources (not often enough, however), and we share personal problem solving alternatives and experiences. My students are very good at sharing their “expertise” for how things should be solved.
I would like to explore using more Inquiry Based Learning with my class.
11. Support the testing and application of new knowledge for students?
I don’t do a lot of “testing” in my classroom. I find that the formative evaluations and summative projects are far more accurate evaluations than just a test.
I do need to do a lot more extended activities that allow my students to apply what they have learned in “real life” applications. I also need to enable them to connect what they have learned to other areas of learning where they can construct their own “big picture