Tag Archives: Classroom Observation Task

Classroom Observation Task Talk, Aoki Debrief, Powerful Inquiry Questions, & KUD Formative Assessment: Update for Monday, 14 November 2011

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Hang on tight as there’s a lot to cover here:

Classroom Observation Task Debrief

We used the Inside/Outside Circle strategy to process the information you gathered for the Classroom Observation Task.  At the end, we asked you to debrief the pros and cons of the strategy.

Aoki Debrief

Dave asked you to bring one a short piece of the Aoki text to share in class today.  You did so as part of a small group strategy called The Final Word.  This is a great strategy to use when you desire to develop the active listening skills of your students.

What makes a powerful inquiry question?


Seeing as today was our last inquiry-related reading, we thought we’d get you to look ahead and consider what a powerful inquiry question might look like.  To that end, we asked you to look over some questions from posed by last year’s TCs and the questions that Sims asked.  Then we asked you to complete this graphic organizer – The Frayer Model – as you considered the attributes, examples, non-examples and a graphic that fit with the question “What makes a good inquiry question?”.  Here’s the Frickin’, er… Frayer Model:

KUD Formative Assessment

After a brief review of the KUD definitions and a short blurb about the importance of KUD coherence – making sure each K and D fit with a U – I asked you to jot down your PLO and one item in each of the KUD boxes so I could formatively assess your understanding of the KUD writing process.  We’ll pick this thread up on Wednesday.

– LH

Lesson Planning Suggestions, Sims Inquiry Questions & an Intro to UBD Unit Planning: Update for Monday, 7 November 2011

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After a reminder about the Microteaching Analysis task due today and the Classroom Observation Task due next week, we got down to business.

Lesson Planning Suggestions

Dave and I require the you include both a Teacher Activity and Student Activity column in your lesson plans.  This will allow you to imagine what you will do as you teach and – perhaps more importantly – what the students will be doing as they learn.

We also urged you to include all of the Lesson Design components – mental set, stating the objective, input, modeling, checking for understanding, practice, and closure – whenever possible.  I made reference to the fact that 62 % of my non-management related comments to last year’s TCs on their 2-Week Prac referenced issues related to lesson design.  The better the design, the better the implementation and the better the learning.

You might be interested to see what my “What To Work On” comments were for last year’s TCs during their 2-Week Prac.  The first file is the comments I showed in class – the ones missing the management comments.  The second files contains all the suggestions.  Take a look and see if you can notice what themes emerge:

Sims Article Discussion


As a means of processing the Sims reading, Dave asked you to sort all of the questions she asks in the article into categories that made sense to you.  We then wrote those categories on the board and looked for some common threads.  The goal here was:

  • to consider the types of topics inquiry questions can deal with
  • to examine how questions can evolve
  • to consider the messy nature of inquiry.

Here’s a photo of the categories you came up with courtesy of Lovey’s writing and Eric Man’s camera (with a dash of Jan the ham mixed in):

Introduction to UBD

We started our look at unit planning today.  To that end, I shared a PPT slideshow that touched on some key ideas related to the Understanding by Design model.  Here’s that PPT presentation:

Also, here are the vignettes we played with in my session:

I will take a peek through your exit slips and comment on them at the start of next class.  Also, in that class we will take a deeper look at Stage 1: Desired Results.

Reading Entrance & Exit Slips


Here’s what’s due and when:

  • Monday, 7 November 2011 = Sims Exit Slip
  • Saturday, 12 November 2011 = Aoki (Reading #5) Entrance Slip
  • Monday, 14 November 2011 = Aoki Exit Slip

’til next time.

– LH

Microteaching Analysis, EDUC 315 Debrief, & Henderson Discussion: Upadte for Monday, 31 October 2011

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Here’s all the news that fit to print about today’s class:

Microteaching Analysis

Dave and I want you to complete the analysis task in a partnership.  Please watch the video of your lesson with the following analysis questions in mind:

Your answers to these questions can be a part of any end product that you desire.  The key is that you cover all the questions thoughtfully and that your responses are clear to the reader.  For instance, if you were to create a collage, you would need to include a one-pager of writing explaining how the collected images represent answers to the analysis questions.

This task is due on Monday, 7 November 2011.  Please submit it to the instructor who saw your original presentation on the 24th.  Remember that Dave was in room 204 and I was in room 207.

EDUC 315 Debrief

We started by asking you to complete a 3-2-1 on your practicum experience to this point.  We took some time to discuss the 3-2-1 results, and then touched on the following Tuesdays Practicum items:

– Timetable: Please submit your teaching timetable to your FA ASAP

– EDUC 315 Lesson You’ll Teach:  Please submit a lesson plan to your SA and FA at least 24 hours in advance of the plan’s implementation.

You may use whatever planning outline/format you would like but make sure you have included all of the components of effective lesson design.

The one non-negotiable for your lesson plans is this – you must include a “Teacher” and “Student” column for each stage/component of the lesson.  This will help you to avoid long spells of student (relative) inactivity that may not be obvious if your plan focuses simply on what the teacher is doing.

– Classroom Observation Task: Please continue to gather data to support the completion of this assignment.  It’s due on Monday, 14 November and can take the form of an end product of your choosing.  Please submit your task to your FA.

– Unit Plan Topic for the January Prac:  Please talk with your SA about the subject and topic you’ll be teaching during your Two-Week Prac in January.  This unit plan will be a sequence of 6-10 lessons and it should focus on one or two PLOs.  I suggest you and your SA nail down which specific PLOs you should cover ASAP.  The more clarity you have about your objectives, the easier the planning process becomes.  Trust me on this one.

Henderson Article Discussion

Now I realize most of you weren’t born when Paul Henderson scored this 1972 Summit Series winning goal against the USSR in Moscow on 28 September 1972 (Heck, I was only 2!) but I’m sure you’ve all seen the iconic photo above and heard Foster Hewitt’s famous call of the goal.  What’s that?  You’re not familiar.  Well, click below to hear all about it:

Oh, and I mocked Bob Cole while I praised Foster Hewitt.  Colesy did have his day.  Check out this collection of clips for some great calls:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npkQlbPOJbM[/youtube]

Oh, were was I?  Yes, the article.  We focused on the four problem solving approaches outlined in Chapter 4:

  • Academic Problem Solving
  • Empirically Sound Problem Solving
  • Intuitive Problem Solving
  • Historically Aware Problem Solving

After giving you some time in a small group to refresh your memory on a particular P.S. stance, we asked you to consider the problems presented in a case study – Kelsey Cheats – from the perspective of that particular stance.

Then, you had a chance to role play a team meeting at which solutions to the problems of Sonja – the teacher in the case study – were discussed.  Feedback from the Henderson Exit Slips indicated that the role plays were an effective way to consider different approaches to solving a common problem.

Reading #3: Article of Choice

For Tuesday, 1 November 2011, please use the Vista site to post an entrance slip with some thoughts on one of the inquiry projects posted on one of these sites:

Due Date Rundown:

Here’s an image of the upcoming due dates that we presented in class:

– Lawrence

 

 

 

Me In A Bag Analysis Task Gallery Walk & EDUC 315 Planning/Preparation: Update for Wednesday, 28 September 2011

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MIAB Gallery Walk

The cohort’s creativity shone clearly as, after a quick PMI + Metacognitive Q on the process of completing a differentiated end product, we went on a Gallery Walk to examine all the tasks.  Everything from maps to game boards to mind maps to mirrors to film canisters to toolboxes t0 Prezis to film reviews to videos to… you get the picture!  There was an incredible array of items on display thus emphasizing the exciting possibilities when students are given choices to express themselves through means consistent with their abilities and interests.

Here are a small sampling of the MIAB tasks (posted because they are on my HD or easily accessible on the interwebs at the moment -LH).  First up is Paisley’s, followed by a screen capture from Will’s Prezi and wrapping up with John and Jan’s video:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFsosVUtYu4[/youtube]

Classroom Observation Task

While on the Tuesdays Practicum, we want you to be thinking critically about the role of communication in your SA’s classroom.  To that end, we are assigning the EDUC 316: Classroom Observation Task.  This assignment asks you to analyze four aspects of classroom communication:

  • Map of the Room
  • Use of Questions
  • Interpersonal Interactions
  • Lesson Flow

The task is due on Monday, 14 November 2011.  For ease of reference, the task handout is below:

School Visits Rotation Schedule & Planning Time

Dave and I handed out the schedule for our upcoming school visits rotation and gave you time to meet with the classmates that you’ll be touring with to arrange transportation.

We asked you to arrive at the school office by at least 8:15 am on the morning of your visit.  We’ve alerted the office staff, administrative officers, and SAs to your arrival and chosen one SA to greet you and facilitate the organization of your day.

Below you’ll see the Practicum Rotation Visits Schedule and a map of the Coquitlam School District to help find out exactly where you need to go:

Later alligators.

– Lawrence