Contextualized Learning Activities

1. ContextualizedLearning Activities Wednesday, April 24th, 2013 St. Basil-the-Great Math and English Catherine Moynihan Tobin Walsh Vince Bellissimo

2. Prayer of Response In a world which ignores the human thirst for God…we are called to share the living waters of faith. In a time when there is little reverence for the image of God in the human person…we are summoned to care for human life with ultimate respect. In a culture where communication is increasingly commercialized…we are invited to prayer and worship. In a world marked by personality cults…we are called to bear witness to Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord and to reverence Him in the poor, the lowly and the marginalized. In a time which often seems to be without goals or ennobling aspirations…we are called to declare goals and values to dedicate lives to their achievement. ~Amen

3. agenda • Welcome; Introductions • The role of CLAs within an SHSM program • “Other required courses” in your SHSM program • Activity #1: Sector-Related Skills & Careers • Break • Activity #2: Creating CLAs Using Existing Lessons • Lunch • Activity #3: Use of the OERB • Introduction to the CLA Writing Guide • Wrap-up: Evaluation

4. SHSM: A Pathway Program for Student Success & Student Engagement

5. Defining Contextualized Learning Halton District School Board and Halton Catholic District School Board collaborated on the development of this definition so all teachers would have a common understanding of Contextualized Learning: • Contextualized Learning is an instructional approach that helps to relate curriculum content to real world situations. • It incorporates a learning process that helps students to make sense of information by connecting what they are learning to real world situations in which that learning could be used. • It enables students to receive feedback on their ability to relate and apply their learning to real world situations.

6. Contextualized learning activities • A required element of a Specialist High Skills Major • Delivered in the “other required courses” • A minimum of 6 hours of learning that contextualizes the subjects’ curriculum expectations to the SHSM sector Health and Wellness – MBF 3C Graphing the relationship between population growth and infectious diseases Arts and Culture– ENG 4U The mask of tragedy through ritual: a deconstruction of Act IV, Scene I of Shakespeare’s Macbeth

7. Other required courses • The “other required courses” vary from sector to sector, typically there are 3 other required courses: • Math • English • Other Required in either grade 11 or grade 12 (i.e. Business, Science, Social Science& Humanities) • Refer to the sector guide (www.ontario.ca/SHSM or SHSM binder) to determine which grade level each of the other required courses are in (example on next slide)

8. Other required coursesExample

9. How do I identify an shsm student in my class? • Class list (but not on attendance sheet!) • i.e. BUS beside a student’s name indicates they are in a Business SHSM program • Credit Counselling Summary – two pages for SHSM students • Possible absences due to certifications, reach ahead and experiential learning opportunities 

10. How do CLAs Benefit students? • CLAs enable instruction to be differentiated using sector-specific content, to meet one or more curriculum expectations. • CLAs in the other required credits make the course content authentic, relevant, and enable students to connect their learning to their SHSM sector.

11. How are clas delivered? There are a variety of delivery models, including: • To an entire class, some of which are SHSM students (recommended – necessary for some, good for all) • To an entire class, all of which are SHSM students • To individual or small groups of SHSM students within an existing class • To individual SHSM students, through e-learning or independent study.

12. CLA Myths… • …they must be evaluated • …they need to be a big project • …if you fail the CLA you fail the course • …you must do the CLA exactly as it was written • …you cannot use a CLA unless it was “approved” • …must use expectations from the SHSM major credit courses • …it must be from the OERB • …can only be done by the SHSM students • …I cannot make up my own CLA • …I have to make up my own CLA • …are “extra” work the SHSM kids have to do

13. Activity #1 Using www.ontario.ca/SHSM, or the hard copies provided, read through the SHSM policy guide for your sector • Determine the grade level of the “other required courses” in your SHSM • Examine the list of possible occupations related to your SHSM sector Using the Ontario Skills Passport, www.ontario.ca/skillspassport, look up one of the possible occupations listed in the SHSM policy guide Select a course in your subject area of expertise and use http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/ to skim through the curriculum expectations for that course • Using the documents you’ve examined, complete Activity #1

14. Activity #1 Example

15. Break!

16. Activity #2 • Using an existing lesson, culminating task, independent study unit, or other activity, how could you tweak an assignment in order to contextualize it for your SHSM students? • English CLA’s Made EASY • Mathematics CLA’s Made EASY • CLA Authenticity Checklist

17. Lunch!

18. Ontario Educational Resource Bank (OERB) • As of May 2012, there were 1329 CLAs posted to the OERB • http://resources.elearningontario.ca • User id: tcdsbteacher • Password: oerbt

19. Activity #3 • OERB Exploration and Independent Inquiry • http://resources.elearningontario.ca • User id: tcdsbteacher • Password: oerbt

20. Interested in Writing a CLA? • MOE CLA Writing Guide is available • www.ontario.ca/SHSM CLA Template • www.ontario.ca/SHSM Rubric for Exemplary CLAs

21. Ministry cla report: Interim • Was introduced by the Ministry in January • SHSM lead teachers and other SHSM team members completed the following questionnaire in March: • Using the Ministry-created rubric, what level of CLA implementation is your school at? • What is going well? • What will you do differently this semester to improve CLA implementation at your school?

22. CLA ministry report rubric

23. Ministry cla report: final • A follow-up from the Interim CLA Report • Will be completed in June by the lead teacher and/or other members of each SHSM team • What level of CLA implementation is your school at now? (using the same rubric from the Interim CLA Report) • Identify one or two key strategies that helped improve CLA implementation at your school.

24. Wrap-up Activity • On a Post-it note, jot down a couple of points to respond to the following question: • Identify one or two key strategies that will help your school SHSM program in implementing CLAs into the curriculum.

25. In-service evaluation • Before you leave, please complete the CLA Professional Learning Evaluation included in your package • Don’t forget to pick up your SHSM mug and memory stick as you leave!

26. Contact Information • Catherine Moynihan catherine.moynihan@tcdsb.org 416.222.8282 x2739 • Tobin Walsh tobin.walsh@tcdsb.org 416.222.8282 x2731 • Vince Bellissimo Vincenzo.bellissimo@tcdsb.org 416.222.8282 x2735