These resources offer another space to explore, experience and understand the interconnectedness of the four commonplaces of schooling.

Interconnectedness
Browse: Complexity and Education- Glossary of Terms

To begin this class…PLEASE READ AND VIEW THE TEACHERTUBE VIDEOCLIP:
You are a professional. This class is all about continuing your ‘process of becoming’ a teacher. This pass/fail class is designed as such so that it is a safe learning space to discuss openly, challenge your own beliefs and assumptions, take risks, explore engaging teaching approaches, and learn with and from your colleagues as you work hard together in your staff groups. The way you approach this class will be a reflection of how you will approach your future professional development as the ‘process of becoming’ a teacher is never-ending.

View the TeacherTube video 212 Degrees and think about how you are going to show your commitment, passion and professionalism throughout this class. We look forward to being with you on this journey!

Exploring FOUR COMMONPLACES:
1. Teachers: Who are you as learner and as teacher?
Who Are You as a Learner?
Explore to find out your learning strengths and preferences:
Take a MI Test – excellent interactive site that will lead you through questions and then it creates a circular representation of your Multiple Intelligences. Please print your diagram and bring to class.
Create your own MI Snowflake – an interactive site which allows you to create and print out your own snowflake as part of learning about your Multiple Intelligences – from thirteen.org
Surfaquarium Multiple Intelligence Survey An excellent survey that you could use with your students if you want to use a hard copy as it is not interactive. Browse through the Surfaquarium MI Page for other info and resources.

Now you have a sense of your areas of strength, please check out the following sites and gather information and jot down your notes and thoughts about what you are learning about yourself “as learner”.
Multiple Intelligences on Wikipedia

Learning Styles Chart

Concept to Classroom: Tapping into Multiple Intelligences

Who are you as a teacher?
View: DO YOU TEACH OR DO YOU EDUCATE? What is the message? Who do you want to be?

View: 21st Century Pedagogy: What is your Teacher DNA?

What It Means to Be An Effective Teacher
Questions to Consider (from ASCD Qualities of Effective Teachers Study Guide)

1. Consider the best teacher you’ve ever know-either one of your teachers or a teacher you have observed. What made that teacher so memorable? In what way has that teacher been influential in your life?
2. What are specific characteristics and behaviors that you can associate with that effective teacher?
3. Think of the kind of teacher you think you will be and compare your performance with the effective teacher you identified. What are the similarities? What are the differences?
4. What makes a teacher of students placed at risk particularly effective? What makes a teacher of students with high abilities particularly effective?

Read: Getting Acquainted with the Essential Nine (Marzano)

Read and start collecting instructional ideas that will enhance your planning for your teaching block: Instructional Practices that Work (Marzano) – excellent link providing instructional strategies and examples. An absolute must site to bookmark or add to your delicious accounts.

Read: Qualities of Effective Teachers

View: The Less-Homework Revolution

Culturally Responsive Teaching & Differentiated Instruction

White Teachers, Diverse Classrooms

Exploring Diversity in the Classroom:

2. Students: Who are YOUR learners in the classrooms of today (that you will meet this semester)?
View: A Vision of K-12 Students

View: Pay Attention

Explore: What is a 21st Century Classroom?
View: Bringing 21st Century Learning to the Classroom: Blogs and Wikis

Read: Learning Theories (from Complexity and Education site)
Read: Beloit College Mindset List – “provides a look at the cultural touchstones that shape the lives of students” who began have graduated from high school this year and if they go on to college may graduate in the year 2012. Interesting food for thought.

Diversity, Adaptive Dimension & Equity
Strategies for Diverse Learners (Bonnie Davis)

View: Don’t Call Me Eskimo (reference to this Hip Hop video made by Dr. Charity Marsh, Keynote Speaker, at our Emerging Conference)

View: bell hooks: Cultural Criticism and Transformation

Read: Cultural Diversity, Motivation and Differentiation
Read: As Diversity Grows, So Must We
Read: Peggy McIntosh – White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack
Read: Sask Learning: Adaptive Dimension
Read: Sask Learning: Respect for Diversity, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Listen: Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners (Scroll down to find it)

Resources to Support Understanding and Integrating Aboriginal Content and Perspectives
There are numerous helpful resources on the Internet. Be aware of some guiding principles when working with First Nations and Metis students. Guiding principles or Do’s and Don’ts
The Aboriginal Multi-media Society – Links to First Nations and Metis sites that showcase Aboriginal media of various forms.
The Assembly of First Nations – The AFN is the governing body for First Nations Peoples. Find out what is happening in the political arena.
Cross Cultural Science and Technology Units. Provides some science and technology units that were developed by people in northern Saskatchewan and the U of S to help integrate Indigenous knowledge and content with Western science concepts.
Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations – Provides up-coming events, location of the First Nations of the province, and much more.
Gabriel Dumont Institute – Excellent site for information on Metis history, culture and resources

3. Subject Matter:
Instructional Services – High School Support - tons of ideas for your subject area from the same site as Marzano’s Instructional Practices that you visited in #2 – Teacher
Explore: Adaptive Dimension in the High Schools (by Regina Public School Teachers
Explore: Constructivism: Knowledge Building in the Secondary Classroom (by RPS Teachers)
Sask Learning Documents:
Saskatchewan Curriculum
Curriculum Improvement Framework and Assessment for Learning
Saskatchewan Educator’s Indicators Report 2008

Assessment
Read: Feedback: How Learning Occurs
Read: Learning to Love Assessment
Listen: Informative Assessment (5 minutes)
Read: Assessing What Matters
View: Scott Schultz on Assessment

View: Picturing the Possibilities – Performance Assessment

4. Milieu:
Read: Time Magazine: How to Bring our Schools Out of the 20th Century?

Classroom “Management”
Read: Cultivating Classrooms with Heart
Read: Developing the Caring Classroom
Read: The Vitamin E Plan for Adolescent Learners
Listen: Managing your Classroom with Heart: A Guide for Nurturing Adolescent Learners (Scroll down to find it)
Listen: Beyond Discipline: From Compliance to Community, 10th Anniversary Edition (Scroll down to find it)

View: Are Schools Killing Creativity?

Sask Learning: Caring and Respectful Schools – Bullying Prevention

Turning on the Switch: Students Engage in Their Learning

ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP:
View the Message from the Blue Man Group: CAN YOU HEAR?

Resources for Action Projects:
Action Planning
Read: Leading to Change: How do you Change School Culture?
Read: Introduction Educating for Global Citizenship in a Changing World
Yellow Fish Road (Exemplary sustainability resource for teachers by teachers)

View: StarFish Story: Making a Difference

View: Change the World in 5 minutes everyday at school!

One Million Acts of Green This season, CBC and The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos challenged Canadians to do One Million Acts of Green (and that goal has been met). In partnership with Cisco, the idea behind the campaign is that one small act can make a big difference. Check out the website and you may want to join as we work together on the ‘2nd million’.

Project Based Learning
Introduction to PBL – ppt

“Project learning is a dynamic approach to teaching in which students explore real-world problems and challenges. With this type of active and engaged learning, students are inspired to obtain a deeper knowledge of the subjects they’re studying.” PBL Edutopia

Start exploring these excellent websites that have step-by-step instructions, video clips and samples of PBL at all grade levels. Think of all the possibilities to make learning exciting for your learners!
Designing Effective Project Based Learning to Engage Learners

See example (shown in class) on Biomes: Action for a Healthy Planet

PBL Online Video Library
Project Based Learning Edutopia

Excellent introductory video clip from Edutopia on LEARNING BY DOING

Project Based Learning Articles from Edutopia
View: Picturing the Possibilities – Project Based Learning (Mathematics)

View: TeacherTube Problem-Based Learning – Creating the Driving Question

Topic: Abusive Relationships
The Caring Place
Relationship Scenarios

Topic: Teen Pregnancy
MacLeans Magazine
Teen’s Health
Statistics Canada
Option for Teens

http://www.beststart.org/resources/rep_health/pdf/teen_pregnancy.pdf

Template for Action Project Proposal

Project-Based Plans Samples from last year:
Business Ed Venture Projects
ELA Coffee House Project
Math Casino Project
ESST Democratic Citizens