English Language Arts K to 7 IRP Orientation: Oral Language and Thinking (Grades 4 to 7)

1. English Language ArtsK to 7 IRP Orientation: Oral Language and Thinking(Grades 4 to 7) BC Ministry of Education Webcast April 18, 2007

2. Agenda 8:30 Registration and site check-in 9:00—10:30 Welcome and Opening (Emery Dosdall, Deputy Minister of Education) Overview of new IRP (Gail Hughes-Adams, Ministry of Education) Oral Language and Thinking (Eileen Eby, District Principal, SD 61) Video Clip Part 1 (Grade 6) 10:30—10:45 Break 10:45—12:00 Interview and questions Video Clip Part 2 (Grade 6) Interview and questions Closing and Evaluation

3. Purpose of this Webcast The new ELA K to 7 curriculum is being introduced in two webcasts. On February 14, the focus was on Oral Language and Thinking K to 3. This webcast explores oral language, thinking, and classroom assessment, with an emphasis on Grades 4 to 7. Some key material from the previous webcast is repeated here, but the examples and strategies focus on Grades 4 to 7.

4. English Language Arts K to 7 IRP

5. Important Information Regarding the ELA K to 7 IRP • Full implementation of the English Language Arts K to 7 IRP is required beginning September 2007 • Each school in the province will receive • one complete K to 7 IRP • one grade-by-grade set of IRPs • grade-by-grade posters showing the Enduring Understandings and summaries of the Prescribed Learning Outcomes continued on next slide

6. Important Information Regarding the ELA K to 7 IRP Visit our website to find • the complete K to 7 curriculum • grade-specific curriculum documents • two PowerPoint orientation presentations (a detailed version with speaker’s notes and a short version) www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/irp_ela.htm

8. Learning Resources to Support the ELA K to 7 IRP • Many current resources can continue to be used to support this curriculum • The Ministry has recently updated the Grade Collections to include additional resources on Oral Language • Some resources that are no longer valid have been removed from the resource list • There are many new resources on the market that districts may want to review for possible use www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp_resources/lr/resource/gradcoll.htm

9. New Features of the ELA K to 7 IRP New features include • Prescribed Learning Outcomes by grade for Kindergarten through Grade 7 • Key Elements, Achievement Indicators, and Conference Questions to provide support for instruction and assessment • Key Concepts, which are a framework underlying the Prescribed Learning Outcomes from K to 7 • Classroom Assessment Models for each grade and organizer • Enhanced visual presentation through graphics

10. English Language ArtsCurriculum Organizers

11. English Language ArtsSuggested Timeframe

12. English Language ArtsPrescribed Learning Outcomes Prescribed Learning Outcomes: • are legally required content standards • describe what students should know and be able to do • complete the stem “It is expected that students will…” • are measurable and observable

13. English Language ArtsSuggested Achievement Indicators Achievement Indicators • articulate what learning looks like when students have fully met expectations • accommodate different learning styles • help guide assessment by providing criteria

14. English Language ArtsSuggested Questions/Prompts • The questions/prompts are: • included for each curriculum suborganizer at each grade • provided to encourage student self-assessment (assessment as learning)

15. Highlights of the ELAK to 7 Curriculum • The link between literacy and thinking • The connections among oral language, reading, and writing • Comprehension and metacognition in literacy learning • The gradual release of responsibility • Literacy learning across the curriculum continued on next slide

16. Highlights of the ELA K to 7 Curriculum (cont) • Early literacy development and intervention • Oral language to support learning • Reading comprehension and fluency • A systematic approach to writing • Classroom diversity and differentiated instruction • Assessment to inform instruction and support learning • Alignment with the BC Performance Standards

17. Classroom Assessment Model The Classroom Assessment Model • contains three examples per grade, developed by BC teachers, focussing on selected PLOs from each curriculum organizer • demonstrates how assessment for learning and as learning can be integrated into instructional planning • includes student samples continued on next slide

18. Classroom Assessment Model • includes a variety of instructional approaches to address a range of learning styles • includes a variety of assessment techniques to promote assessment for learning and as learning • provides specific criteria, based on the PLOs, for teacher, peer, or self-assessment • provides rubrics and quick scales, including some from the BC Performance Standards for Reading and Writing

19. Assessment Assessment is the systematic gathering of information about what students know, are able to do, and are working toward. Assessment of student performance is based on information gathered and collected through assessment activities. There must be overt performance to express the thinking. This is why “thinking” itself can’t truly be observed – just the product, which includes talk.

20. Assessment Important Considerations for assessment: • When students develop criteria – this helps both teacher and students focus on what to look for in students’ learning and performance – strengthens both teaching and learning • Information from a variety of assessments (teacher observations, data collection, and student self-assessment) that have occurred across time strengthens the accuracy of the assessment results

21. Assessment • The Achievement Indicators can be used as assessment criteria. The Performance Standards for reading and writing may also be used as assessment criteria. There are also many resources with rubrics and assessment criteria – easily searchable on the web. • Write down the learning objective so everyone in the class can read it and begin by asking students what it would look like if a student learned that objective. This way students can generate criteria and modify them as they go.

22. The Essential Focus of Assessment • As educators we want to assess thinking through talk, listening, reading, viewing, writing, and representing. It is the deeper thinking that is important. • Similar to the focus on comprehension in reading, in oral language we want the emphasis to be on talk as a vehicle to understanding and deeper thinking, as opposed to conventional oratory skills or the social conventions.

23. Summary The examples in the Classroom Assessment Model: • show how assessment for learning and assessment as learning can be integrated with instructional planning • demonstrate how teachers use classroom assessment data to monitor student learning and make adjustments in their teaching

24. The Power of Talk Research Base • Vygotsky—joins fragments of knowledge • Sousa—activates more areas of the brain • Allington—clarifies and extends thinking

25. Elements of Oral Language(Speaking and Listening) Purposes • interact with others • explore, express, and present a range of ideas, information, and feelings • listen purposefully to understand and analyze ideas

26. Elements of Oral Language (Speaking and Listening) Strategies • select and use strategies when interacting with others • select and use strategies when expressing and presenting ideas, information, and feelings • select and use strategies when listening to make and clarify meaning

27. Elements of Oral Language (Speaking and Listening) Thinking • demonstrate enhanced vocabulary use • use speaking and listening to respond, explain, and provide supporting evidence for their connections to texts • use speaking and listening to improve and extend thinking • reflect on and assess their speaking and listening

28. Elements of Oral Language (Speaking and Listening) Features • recognize and apply the features of oral language to convey and derive meaning • recognize structures and patterns of language in oral texts

29. Talk and Thinking Talk and thinking occur in all stages of learning • Planning • Doing • Reflecting

30. Gradual Release of Responsibility Teacher Modelling • explains, demonstrates, thinks aloud Guided Practice • teacher and students practice • teacher scaffolds students’ attempts and gives feedback • students share thinking with each other Independent Practice • students apply strategy on their own • students receive feedback from teacher and other students Application of Strategy • students apply strategy to new situation

31. Petra’s Oral Language Goals A9 Use speaking and listening to improve and extend thinking, by • questioning and speculating • acquiring new ideas • analysing and evaluating ideas • developing explanations • considering alternative viewpoints • summarizing and synthesizing • problem solving

32. Petra’s Oral Language Goals A10 Reflect on and assess their speaking and listening, by • referring to class-generated criteria • considering and incorporating peer and adult feedback • setting goals and creating a plan for improvement • taking steps toward achieving goals

33. Observation Sheet for Video Clips

34. Assessment • of thinking • of the learning process SelfPeerTeacher

35. Evaluation Form

36. Next Steps • Visit the website below for an archive of the February 14 K to 3 webcast http://www.insinc.com/ministryofeducation • An archive of today’s webcast will be available in May at the above address • The ELA 8 to 12 IRP is currently scheduled to be available for review in May at http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/drafts/