Group Inquiry Into Teaching & Learning

1. Group Inquiry Into Teaching & Learning By: Brad Parenteau Teresa Miller Sandy Morley

2. Challenges & 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 available (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 Current Teaching Challenges, Frustrations, Hopes & Dreams

3. 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

4. Ultimate Goal http://checkandconnect.umn.edu/model/engagement.html

5. 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 • Guidance • Structure, Routine & Consistency • Relevance of lessons (Why?) • Real world application • Acceptance Students’ Wants & Needs

6. Approaches & Practices That Intrigue Us • Differentiating learning • Flexible groupings • Students problem solve • Collaboration among students • Less direct teaching • More guided teaching • Relationship building • Incorporating technology

7. 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

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

9. Group Discussion • How 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?

10. 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: RoutledgeFalmer.

11. 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).