Category Archives: Inclusive Practices

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Self- and Peer-Assessment in BC: Reflection as Learning

Austin’s Butterfly reminds us of the transformational power of descriptive feedback and how even young learners can provide effective peer-feedback.

In the BC Curriculum, assessment helps students understand where they are, where they are going, and what they might try next. This aligns closely with the Know–Do–Understand model, where assessment is connected to Big Ideas, Curricular Competencies, and Core Competencies rather than treated as an isolated end-point task focused mainly on content.

Self- and peer-assessment invite students to notice, name, and nurture their learning. BC’s K–12 Student Reporting Policy requires student self-reflection on Core Competencies and student goal setting as part of reporting; it also emphasizes descriptive feedback that identifies strengths and areas for growth. In practice, this means reflection should not be a one-time report-card activity. It should be embedded throughout inquiry, play, discussion, design, writing, problem-solving, and performance tasks.

Research supports this formative approach. Dr. Andrade’s review of student self-assessment argues that self-assessment is most useful when it generates feedback students can use to improve work and deepen learning. A 2022 meta-analysis also found that self-assessment and peer-assessment interventions had meaningful positive effects on academic performance across studies. This suggests that students need clear criteria, accessible language, examples of quality work, time to revise, and opportunities to review and select evidence of growth. Performance Assessment and Portfolio Assessment (digital or analogue) are two approaches that align well in BC contexts.

Below are some resources to support an exploration or self- and peer-assessment including links to some videos and examples from teachers.

View

Dr. Heidi Andrade reflects on self- and peer-assessment. Dr. Andrade shares some of the key components of self- and peer assessment and recognizes the need to teach students how to assess themselves and their peers in order to cultivate a culture of critique:

or listen to Dylan Wiliam review the benefits of self assessment and peer assessment as key components of effective learning, and hear about some of the associated strategies.

Peer assessment from the perspective of students and teachers:

Read

Connecting with Core Competencies: The BC Core Competencies are central to K–12 learning, and students are expected to grow in Communication, Thinking, and Personal and Social competencies through meaningful “doing” across subject areas. Self-assessment is a key component of core competency development. See the BC Ministry resource, Developing and Supporting Student Reflection and Self-assessment and the example shared on TeachBC, the BCTF open resource repository: Core Competencies Self-Assessment K-1

The responsiveclassroom.org offers some suggestions for how we might teach students to self-assess (PDF) effectively as well as some detailed prompts and approaches to engaging students in reflection. See their PDF, Self-assessment and Goal Setting go hand-in-hand.

Examples

Classroom examples (generated with assistance from ChatGPT)

  • Primary classrooms (see POPEY for primary related assessment resources)
    • Picture-based Core Competency reflection: “I listened,” “I tried a new idea,” “I helped someone.”
    • Partner share using sentence frames: “I noticed…” and “Next time you could…”
    • Learning story portfolio entry with a photo, teacher scribing, and student voice.
    • Play-based self-assessment after centres: “What did I build, solve, share, or wonder?”
  • Intermediate classrooms
    • Co-created “I can” criteria for an inquiry, writing, or ADST design task.
    • Two stars and a wish peer feedback before final submission.
    • Gallery walk with sticky-note feedback linked to Communication or Thinking competencies.
    • Portfolio reflection: “My evidence shows growth because…”
  • Middle years classrooms
    • Peer feedback protocol for drafts: clarify, value, question, suggest.
    • Group collaboration reflection using roles, evidence, and next-step goals.
    • Student-led conference artifact selection: one strength, one challenge, one goal.
    • Proficiency-scale reflection connected to a curricular competency and a Core Competency.
  • High school classrooms
    • Peer review of essays, labs, performances, or design projects using discipline-specific criteria.
    • Seminar self-assessment on listening, evidence use, questioning, and respectful disagreement.
    • Capstone or portfolio reflection connecting course evidence to student growth and Core Competencies.
    • Post-assessment goal setting: “What feedback will I act on before the next task?”

The key is to make assessment dialogic rather than merely evaluative. Students should not simply rate themselves; they should learn how to interpret criteria, compare evidence, give respectful feedback, revise work, and set purposeful goals. Engaging students in ongoing dialogues about learning offers important modeling in support of creating a classroom culture that is safe and welcomes constructive feedback. Digital portfolios, student-led conferences, performance tasks, and reflective prompts are all strong BC-aligned ways to make learning visible for students, teachers, and families.

References

Andrade HL (2019) A Critical Review of Research on Student Self-Assessment. Front. Educ. 4:87. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2019.00087 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2019.00087/full

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by | May 15, 2026 · 12:13 pm
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Incorporating the First People’s Principles of Learning

The First People’s Principles of Learning (FPPL) “describes a set of learning principles specific to First Peoples. These were articulated by Indigenous Elders, scholars and knowledge keepers to guide the development of the curriculum and teaching of the the English First Peoples course created by the BC Ministry of Education and First Nations Education Steering Committee in 2006/2007.” (FNESC website)

Classroom Posters are available for download

Explore a few opportunities! 

Jo Chrona explains that “an inherent interconnectedness exists between all the principles. While they are described discretely, they operate in concert with each other in a robust and healthy learning environment and education system.” 

Teacher Disposition  

Chrona suggests that incorporating the FPPL has as much to do with an educator’s philosophy and disposition as it has to do with curricular content. It is about much more than hanging up a poster!

Some of us will see our own values already reflected in the FPPL, and others of us will be challenged by them. Look closely at the FPPL and think about where you see them in your own life.  

  • When do you make time for your own elders, grandparents and mentors? How do you use their guidance to understand the world?  
  • How do you develop quality relationships with the people in your life so that you have a strong foundation to withstand conflict and stress? 

Now how do those values help you manage your class culture?   

Connections to Core Competencies  

Poster: https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/cardev/gr9_found/docs/courage_poster.pdf

In order to thrive, all children need the opportunity to be in schools and communities that cultivate belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity. We know about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, but do you know about Martin Brokenleg’s  Circle of Courage? In “The Science of Raising Courageous Kids,” Brokenleg and Van Bockern explain this model that integrates Native American philosophies of child-rearing, the heritage of early pioneers in education and youth work, and contemporary resilience research. The Circle of Courage is based in four universal growth needs of all children: belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity. 

Instead of a class discussion, consider incorporating a class circle. Talking/sharing/class circles are also a great way to invite relationality into your classroom. Dr. Carolyn Roberts offers an exploration of this in her blogpost: Circle work: Being together as a relation.  

Context and Perspectives

For teachers exploring the FPPL, “It’s not a set of lesson or unit plans” nor “a detailed list of criteria and specific content to match up with grades and/or subject areas.”  

Consider how you can plan your lessons to: 

Resources

The choices you make as a teacher matter. When you use a celebrity as an example, do you look for Indigenous or BIPOC people? Choosing Indigenous authors and poets and musicians to discuss in class gives everyone an opportunity to look for connections to the FPPL. Consider sharing current examples rather than relying solely on historical references so that you highlight Indigenous brilliance (see Carolyn Roberts’ blog post for a few ideas)

A deep understanding of the FPPL reflected in our disposition will guide the decisions we make about what students should learn and how they experience it.

For more subject specific ideas and resources, see these Sandbox Blogposts:

UBC Booklists: 

The UBC Education Library booklists are available for educators and teacher candidates, offering an abundance of resources ranging from picture books to use in the classroom to lesson-planning guides. The library offers multiple booklists regarding Indigenous culture and history. These booklists cover topics such as residential schools, storytelling resources and literature written by Indigenous authors. 

References

Chrona, J. (2024, April 10) Background of FPPL and Current Contexts. https://firstpeoplesprinciplesoflearning.wordpress.com/background-and-current-context/ 

Brokenleg, M., Van Bockern, S. (2003). The Science of Raising Courageous Kids.  https://martinbrokenleg.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/12_1_Brokenleg_Van_Bockern.pdf

adapted from a post by Greta Bartsch, Program Manager (Practicum- Secondary), 2024; editing & contributions by Yvonne Dawydiak, Learning Design Manager, Teacher Education.

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by | May 13, 2026 · 3:07 pm
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Literature Circles: An Introduction

What are Literature Circles?

Literature Circles are small groups of students reading and discussing the same book (AKA reading groups, book groups, or book clubs). One of the main goals of lit circles is for students to enjoy reading and engaging in “open, natural conversations about books” (Daniels, 2002, p. 18). During lit circles, the learning is student-centered, taking place during reading and conversation, and the teacher becomes a facilitator and coordinator.  Teachers can support lit circles by being open to learning from and with their students, and developing an expectation of reciprocity in teaching and learning.

Lit circles are adaptable and teachers can customize them for their students’ needs, which makes them a great strategy for Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Groups of 3-5 students seem to work best. The essential elements of literature circles include student voice and choice (Daniels, 2002). In a classroom, each group may be reading a different book or the whole class may be reading the same book. For online learning, lit circles can be held via breakout rooms and the teacher can pop into different rooms to facilitate. For more information, the UBC Education Library has compiled a list of resources for teachers wanting to try lit circles.

Voice and Choice

  • Students could choose their own reading materials (teachers can start with a book talk to introduce the selections, ex. topic, genre, level of difficulty – or teachers can spread out the books over several tables and allow students some quiet time to peruse)
  • If students are all reading the same book, students could choose the motif or theme they wish to focus on and those could be used to form the groups
  • Topics for discussion should come from students and discussions are peer-led; “personal connections, digressions, and open-ended questions are welcome” (Daniels, 2002, p. 18)
  • Students will meet on a predictable schedule – it can be helpful to provide students with a calendar (older students can choose how far to read before each scheduled discussion)
  • If groups are reading different books, they could have an opportunity to share about their book to others (perhaps you’ll have students choose new books, form new groups, and continue lit circles throughout the year)

Roles

Assigned roles can be a great way to help students learn how to participate in discussions and what they need to bring to a conversation to make it rich and engaging. Younger students may choose to draw notes, as opposed to write them. Roles are particularly useful in preparing for discussions because they help students to learn what elements can prompt meaningful conversation. However, the eventual goal is to remove the scaffolds (the roles) and allow students to have free-flowing conversations, which an over-reliance on role sheets can impede (Daniels, 2002).

Examples of Roles:

Updated Roles for the 21st Century (Herrera & Kidwell, 2018) retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1181553.pdf

  • Connector: finds connections between the book and the student(s)
  • Questioner: asks questions about the section being read or the book in general
  • Illustrator: creates images as they read
  • Word Wizard: highlights a few new or meaningful words for students to learn
  • Summarizer: creates a summary of the book section
  • Researcher: digs into and discovers background information related to the book
  • Literary Luminary: locates quotations or significant passages to generate discussion 

Older students will likely be able to prepare for lit circles without having specific roles assigned. However, having students choose a ‘Discussion Director’ (who manages the flow of conversation, encourages participation, and brings some topics/questions to get started) can help to keep conversations flowing and help students to practice facilitating a small group discussion. Students can rotate through this role so each has the opportunity to be discussion director.

Dialectical journals or reading logs can help students to think through their book as they read and can help to prepare students for discussions (a dialectical journal is a double-sided journal that students write in during their reading – on the left, they write questions, drawings, interesting quotations, anything that catches their attention, and on the right, they comment and jot down their thoughts relating to what they have written on the left).

Assessment

Generally, assessments during lit circles come from “teacher observation and student self-evaluation” (Daniels, 2002, p. 18). Offering students multiple self-assessment opportunities can help students to cycle through identifying an area for improvement, setting a goal, assessing if the goal has been met, then setting a new goal, and so on. Summative assessments could also include written assignments or presentations.

Interdisciplinary Learning

Novels naturally weave disciplines together in their stories and teachers can encourage students to research background information that will contribute to their knowledge of the book. For example, students can look into historical context, geography, scientific context (particularly useful for science fiction novels), and psychology – teachers can model interdisciplinarity and encourage students to bring these elements into their discussions. Although lit circles are most commonly incorporated into English, social studies, and humanities classes, they can be used effectively in other disciplines, such as science (Straits & Nichols, 2006).

Preparation

If students have never participated in lit circles before, teachers can model roles and expectations beforehand. For example, teachers could use a short story or poem to demonstrate how lit circles work and what productive participation may look like, as well as to introduce and practice the roles and responsibilities.

During lit circles, students will need time to read (silently or in small groups) and committing time for silent reading from the start of the year can help to establish expectations and routines for that time. It can also be a great way to calmly start the class and get students focused. Teachers can demonstrate they value reading by committing time to read in a way that is visible to students and share their enjoyment (as opposed to using silent reading time for other tasks).

Teachers should read all of the book club selections before starting lit circles and choose books that they also enjoy. It’s important to display passion for reading and enthusiasm for the book choices – students can be heavily influenced by a teacher’s attitude and mindset! Teachers can also think about how book selections cover and connect to big ideas/themes for the unit or year to promote integrated learning (ex. identity, sustainability, compassion, etc.). Adrienne Gear,  MEd UBC, Vancouver teacher and well-regarded literacy specialist, has assembled some thematic book lists for grades 3-6 and for grades 6-9 to help get you started.

How to Get Started

Daniels (2002, p. 55) explains that there 5 key steps for a successful start:

  • Explain – let kids hear why this activity is important
  • Demonstrate – provide live or videotaped examples, by kids or adults
  • Practice – help kids try out a variety of approaches (a fishbowl activity can be an effective way to practice and improve group discussions!)
  • Debrief – ask kids to notice and catalog effective procedures
  • Refine – provide ongoing training through mini-lessons and coaching

 

References

Daniels, H. (2002). Literature circles: Voice and choice in book clubs and reading groups. Stenhouse.

Herrera, L. J. P., & Kidwell, T. (2018). Literature circles 2.0: Updating a classic strategy for the 21st century. Multicultural Education (San Francisco, Calif.), 25(2), 17-17. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1181553.pdf

Straits, W., & Nichols, S. (2006). Literature circles for science. Science and Children, 44(3), 52- 55. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/literature-circles-science/docview/236904244/se-2?accountid=14656

 

Guest post by Peer Mentor Lindsay Cunningham (Ph.D. student, EDCP), July 2024.

 

 

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by | August 31, 2024 · 4:58 pm
by | August 30, 2024 · 11:51 am

Lesson/Unit Planning: a guide for quick review of the essential points

This is a quick guide with questions you might ask yourself about your lesson/ unit plan to check that are considering the most essential points while planning.

1. Why do we teach..?

Let’s start with this video to help us understand why thinking about the goal of your lesson/ plan is the first step to achieving students’ learning. Please click to view.

Now it’s your turn:

  • Look at your lesson/unit plan and ask yourself:
    • Why do I teach? Is this reflected in my planning?
      • Who do I teach? Are my learners at the center of my planning?

2. Goal vs. Activities

One way to start planning is to select some activities you think your students will enjoy and then try to organize them together as a lesson or unit. The problem with this is that we can lose the focus, and move too far from what the goal of all these activities actually is. Moreover, choosing activities first rather than learning goals tends to not allow for differentiation, as these activities generally require all students to show their learning in the same way. See the difference between both processes:

comparing more backwards planning with more traditional approaches where backwards planning begins with outcomes in mind and moves to designing activities while former approaches might begin with a resource or activity idea.

Source: https://teaching.cambriancollege.ca/studio/backwards-planning/#1532372758719-5b1d9546-624f

 

In this example, a “backward design” process is recommended for planning because it allows more flexibility and focus and takes a more student-centred approach. The video below explains the step-by-step process of planning using backward design.

Personally, I like to do a brainstorm of all my resource and activity ideas around a central theme (because that’s often where my excitement and creativity lie!). Then, however, I set it aside and look to the curriculum for the specific content and competencies that are important for my students to learn/practice at a specific point in the year. Once I’ve established the learning goals, I’ll break them down into a progression of lessons and outcomes. Now I’m ready to get inspired again and look back at the resources I set aside to see if or where they might fit (or not!)

Do you want more examples? This Cult of Pedagogy blog post will be of interest. Dr. Shelley Moore offers examples of Inclusive design templates and frameworks that align with a backwards design model.

Now it’s your turn:

  • Look at your lesson/unit plan:
    • Did you start by choosing the activity or the learning goal? (if you started with the activity, look at it again and ask yourself “does this activity help students achieve the learning targets?”)
    • Can you identify pieces of evidence that your lesson/unit is focusing on learning goals rather than being merely a set of activities?

3. Write good learning goals (Part 1)

Defining learning goals is essential to a effective plan. The image below describes the features and examples of what a well-defined learning goal looks like:

Source: https://citl.illinois.edu/docs/default-source/online-course-in-a-box/good-vs-bad-learning-objectives.pdf?sfvrsn=2

 

Now it’s your turn:

  • Look at your lesson/unit plan:
    • Is your learning goal…
      1. Clear and specific?
      2. Measurable?
      3. Concise?
      4. Tied into course/curricular objectives?

4. Write good learning goals (Part 2)

When we are choosing our learning goals it is essential to pay attention to the ones that are similar to each other so that we can plan in a more focused way. Look at these three learning goals from the BC Math Curriculum (grade 3):

  • “Fractions are numbers that represent an amount or quantity”.
  • “Fractions can represent parts of a region, set, or linear model”.
  • “Fraction parts are equal shares or equal-sized portions of a whole or unit”.

Even though they are similar and these learning goals are all likely part of a unit of teaching, they likely aren’t part of a single lesson and teachers will want to plan different activities and assessments to achieve each one of them.

Now it’s your turn:

  • Look at your lesson/unit plan:
    • Are your learning goals related?
    • In what ways do the lessons/activities help students achieve these goals?
    • How do you know students have achieved the goals?

5. Connecting the why and what

In the BC Curriculum, we can interpret the Big Ideas as the “why” we teach and the content and competency as the “what” we teach, or in other words, the learning goals.

Now it’s your turn:

Look at your lesson/unit plan:

    • Do the curricular competencies and content work together to support learning around the big ideas?

6. Who are my students?

We do not plan for imaginary students but for the ones we have in our classes. Thus, it is essential to think about the student profiles and how to adapt your lessons to their needs and, potentially, their interests.

Tomlinson (2001) proposes a model to think about different student features we can consider while planning our lessons:

Source: Tomlinson, Carol A (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms

Now it’s your turn:

7. Classroom setting

Our lessons happen in a space (physical or online). Thus it is important to think about how we will organize this space for each moment of the lesson. Tomlinson (2001) gives some ideas of how a teacher can organize that space:

Source: Tomlinson, Carol A (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms

Now it’s your turn:

  • Look at your lesson/unit plan:
    • Have you planned the space for each moment of your class?
    • Behavioral expectations. How can different class instructional arrangements be used to deal with students’ behavior?
    • How can different classroom arrangements support your learning goals and students’ behavior?

8. Time

Our lessons also happen between some time frame. In this sense, it is not reasonable to plan the best lesson/ unit if they can not be implemented within the time limit you have.

Now it’s your turn:

  • Look at your lesson/unit plan:
    • Are your learning goals achievable within the time limit you have?
    • Do you have suggested times for each moment?
    • How many minutes are teacher-focused
    • How many minutes are student-focused?

9. What is next?

The last step in planning a lesson/ unit is to think about what is my next learning goal and how I can connect it to the current one. In other words, it is essential to think about the learning trajectory of my students and how I will support their progression.

It is important to understand how each learning goal is connected with the others. The BC Ministry of Education provides Learning Progressions to allow us to visualize and plan for curricular and cross-curricular learning.

Now it’s your turn:

  • Look at your lesson/unit plan:
    • Have you planned the progression of your learning goals?
    • Do you know your next goals and how they are connected to the current one?

10. Warm-up and end-up moments

Now that you have a good notion of your goals and the progression of you lesson/ unit, you can ensure the warm-up and end-up moments (opener/activating strategy and closure help to create coherence throughout your whole lesson/unit.

Now it’s your turn:

  • Look at your lesson/unit plan. Consider:
    • How you will start this class?
    • How will you provide closure?
      • Why did you make these choices?
      • How do they connect to the rest of the lesson?
      • Does your opening and closing help to start and complete a discreet cycle of learning? Are there opportunities to extend learning or signals of where you are headed?

More resources to support your lesson/unit plan

Guest post by Peer Mentor Ariane Faria dos Santos (Ph.D. EDCP), Aug. 2024.

 

 

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by | August 7, 2024 · 8:57 am

Games for Language Learning

In a language learning classroom, a game “could be any activity that formalizes a technique into units that can be scored in some way” (Brown, 2001, p. 183). Additionally, a language learning game is an activity “which is entertaining and engaging”, which should be challenging in some way, and which often includes interaction and collaboration (Wright et al., 2006, p. 1). Games may or may not include competition – some students are motivated by competition and others are not. Overall, games should inspire students to participate, try their best, and practice the target language.

For more information about group work in general, visit this blog post!

Why incorporate Games?

Games can be a great way to get students communicating and increase engagement! Providing a variety of activities can help to engage diverse students (different learners enjoy different activities and learning styles). Furthermore, repetition is a key element of language learning and games can provide opportunities for repetition while keeping the material fresh. Wright et al. (2006, p.2) describe a few of the benefits of including games in language learning:

  • Games help and encourage many learners to sustain their interest and work
  • Games provide one way of helping the learners to experience language rather than merely study it
  • Many games… provide repeated occurrence and use of a particular language form
  • Games involve the emotions, and the meaning of language is thus more vividly experienced
  • Games provide the key features of a ‘drill’ with the added opportunity to sense the working of language as living communication

The Teacher’s Role

Games require that teachers become facilitators (or sometimes participants). Try not to correct grammar or mistakes unless it’s absolutely necessary – games can encourage participation and we want to make that participation positive and rewarding. Don’t forget, “errors are a ‘necessary’ manifestation of interlanguage development, and we do well not to become obsessed with their constant correction” (Brown, 2001, p. 181). Teachers can be engaged in formative assessment during games and note what may need to be reviewed or targeted later with students.

Wright et al. (2006, p. 4) suggest the following steps to introduce a new game:

  1. Explanation by the teacher to the class
  2. Demonstration of parts of the game by the teacher and one or two learners
  3. Trial by a group in front of the class
  4. Any key language and/or instructions written upon the board
  5. First ‘try out’ of the game, by groups
  6. Key language, etc., removed from the board
  7. The game continues

Icebreakers

Learning a new language can be intimidating for many students: it requires that they are open to communicate with others and take risks. Developing a sense of classroom community and shared experience can help to make students feel more comfortable and willing participate despite the potential mistakes, which could result in feelings of embarrassment and vulnerability. Teachers need to consider how they are building and developing relationships in the classroom and can check in with students by taking a class temperature.

Icebreaker games are a great way to get students “to feel comfortable with each other, confident in themselves and focused on the language lesson” (Wright et al., 2006, p. 11). Games can also help students get warmed up and ready to learn by activating prior knowledge (an activating strategy).

Here are some examples of Icebreaker games:

  • People Bingo – the teacher makes a bingo grid with questions to help students get to know each other. Students circulate asking questions to their classmates, trying to fill in their bingo cards.
  • What Makes You Unique – each student’s uniqueness benefits the class. Students (and the teacher) all come up with something they think makes them unique. As each person says their point, anyone who can say ‘me too’ raises their hand and says it. Then that person needs to think of a new unique point until every person has been able to share something where no one else can say ‘me too’ (if a student is struggling to think of something, you can return to them at the end to give them more time – I like to use a class list or seating plan and check off names as I go).
  • Two Truths & A Lie – each person secretly writes two truths about themselves and makes up one lie. Students need to circulate and see if they can guess the lie (this can be done as a class too). Note that some guidelines and trust may be needed for this game so that the truths and lies are school-appropriate.
  • Would You Rather? – teacher says or shows an image of two things and asks students which they would rather (ie. Would you rather ketchup or mustard?). Students can move to one side of the class or the other to show their picks or raise their hands. You can extend this activity be asking a few students ‘why?’ each round.
  • Temperature line or Four Corners – Similar to would you rather, the teacher (or a designated student) can pose a question and students respond by moving to one of four corners or by organizing themselves along a line based on the ‘degree’ of their response)

Examples of Games

Here are a few game ideas to get you started. Check out Wright et al.’s (2006) book, Games for Language Learning, for many more examples and suggestions.

Board Games Adapted for the Classroom

  • Scattegories – Divide the class into teams. The teacher prepares a list of 8-10 topics (ex. a verb, an animal, a food, a colour, a movie character, etc.), then randomly picks a letter of the alphabet. The teacher will set a timer and each group will work on generating word for each topic that starts with the selected letter. When the timer goes off, one at a time, groups will share what they wrote for each topic – they get a point if they wrote a word, starting with the correct letter, that no other group wrote (if another group wrote the same word, neither team gets the point). Subsequent rounds can be played with a new random letter.
  • Pictionary – In groups of four (two against two), students can use a vocabulary list and take turns selecting and drawing a word for their partner to guess. This can also be fun as a whole class game (with two teams), having students draw on a white board, projector, or document camera.
  • Concentration – teachers or students can build this game. Teachers should create a grid (so that all pieces are equal size and shape). Teachers or students create matching pieces (one piece with a word in the target language and one image/drawing). When all the pieces are complete, students flip over the pieces and mix them up. Then, students take turns selecting two pieces to turn over, if they have a match, they get to keep those two pieces. The students with the most pairs at the end wins. Card Sorts can be done digitally as well. See the ‘Whose Names are These’ blog post in the Scarfe Sandbox for an example.
  • Headbands – this game has students asking questions to guess which object or character they’ve been given. The teacher writes names or objects on small pieces of paper and while students are working at their desks on another task, the teacher can circulate and tape the papers to the backs of their students (make sure to tell students not to discuss them!) – in the boardgame version, players wear headbands for display. Students will stand up and circulate to ask yes/no questions to their classmates in order to guess who they are. For an added level of complexity, the people/objects can be designed as pairs that students then need to figure out and stand beside before the game is complete.
  • Bingo – teachers can create a blank bingo sheet (5×5 grid). Students can write or draw vocabulary words (creating the bingo sheet themselves also serves as a form of review!). The teacher calls out the words in the target language and students can use small pieces of paper as markers until a student gets 5 in a row (vertically, horizontally, or diagonally) and calls out “Bingo!”. I like to continue for a few rounds allowing more people to get a bingo before starting again. Students can easily keep these bingo sheets as a quick review later before a test or anytime throughout the year.
  • Jenga Builder – students create a design without showing their partner using Lego or coloured pieces of paper in different shapes/sizes (students should have two matching sets of whatever material they are using). Students will hide their design and verbally communicate to their partner(s) how to build the same design. This is an example of an unplugged coding activity where students practice procedural and directional language to develop their computational thinking skills (an important aspect of the Applied Design Skills and Technologies BC ADST Curriculum). Visit the Unplugged Coding blog post in the Scarfe Sandbox for more examples and resources.
  • Battleship – give students a simple grid and have them prop a binder between them so they can’t see each other’s sheets. Students hide their ships by colouring in boxes on the grid. Students communicate how they will identify the rows and columns on the gride and then take turns guessing boxes until all ships have been discovered. (This is another unplugged coding example)

Movement Games

  • Statues – one student is asked to leave the room. The students who remain in the room are all given a verb to act out (silently). The teacher yells ‘Freeze’ and the students all stop mid-motion as statues. The teacher calls back the student from the hall to guess what action the statues are frozen in.
  • Charades – students are given a prompt and must act (silently) while their teammates guess.
  • Simon Says – one person takes on the role of ‘Simon’ (or they can use their own name!). Anytime the leaders say, ‘Simon says…’ and then an action, all the students must do the action. If students do the incorrect action they sit down. If the leader doesn’t say, ‘Simon says…” before the action and students act, they sit down. Continue until you have one or two winners left standing.

Whole-Class Cooperative Games

  • Go, Go, Stop – Index cards work well for this activity. The teacher will create a set of cards (make sure that you have en

    Go Go Stop cards

    ough cards for all the students, if you have extras, some students can take two). Each card will contain an answer (to a question on another card) and a question (whose answer is on another card). The first card will have START at the top and the first question at the bottom, and the last card will have the last answer at the top and STOP at the bottom. Shuffle the deck and hand them all out randomly to students. Creating a master list for the teacher to use will make this game much easier to facilitate! The teacher starts the timer when the student with the start card begins and the goal is to get all the students to read their cards in the correct order (this requires that students listen carefully and consider what they should be listening for). The teacher stops the timer when the last student says stop. I like to discuss with the group how to improve, then reshuffle the deck, hand them all out again and try to get students to beat their time (for secondary teachers with more than one class, they can have classes compete against each other for best time). 

  • Teacher Vs. Student – you’ll need a projector or document camera for this activity. The teacher displays some images on the screen (10-12 works well), then points at an image and says the word in the target language. If the image matches the word, then the whole class must repeat the word after them. If the teacher points at an image and says the wrong word, everyone in the class must stay silent – if they do stay silent, the class gets a point, and if anyone makes a sound, the teacher gets a point. The teacher can go faster or slower depending on the level of the class. First to 10 points wins!

Competitive Games

  • Flyswatter – the class is divided into two teams. The teacher displays a screen of words and/or images (the teacher could also write words on a white board). Two students come to the front (one from each team) and using fly swatters (or yard sticks) point to the image/translated word after the teacher says a word in the target language. The first student to point at the image/word gets a point for their team.
  • The Amazing Race – the teacher divides the class in teams of 4-5 and creates a list of tasks (translating, conjugating, and drawing work well). Teams send up a representative from each team to get the first task (depending on the difficulty of the task, these could be shown to students or given as a slip of paper – make sure they can’t see the following tasks!), then take it back to their team to complete. Teams show the teacher their completed (and correct) task before getting the next task – this continues for the rest of the game. The first team through the entire list wins.
  • Design Challenges – These can be a great way to promote collaboration and communication (in the target language!).

Digital Games

  • Boukili (French) is a free website offering French books to read for a variety of reading levels. As students read, they unlock levels to travel virtually to new countries where they can change the avatar’s outfits and play games.
  • Jeopardy – Factile allows users to create a digital jeopardy game which can be projected onto a screen. One of the highlights is that the program keeps track of scores!
  • Blooket – This program allows teachers to create review games for students in a variety of game formats.
  • Word Games, like Boggle, Wordle, word searches and more, can be played online.

Board Game Ideas

If your school or department is looking to spend some money on board games for language learning, here are a few that would make excellent classroom resources:

  • Spot it – learn the vocabulary and race to spot matching pairs of images
  • Lion In My Way (AKA Obstacles) – creative problem solving and story-telling game using images
  • Dix It  – players use their imaginations to interpret images
  • Taboo – players try to communicate a word to their team without using any of the listed ‘taboo’ words
  • Scrabble – the classic word game can easily be used in classrooms
  • Bananagrams – similar to scrabble, but without the board
  • Guess Who – players take turns asking questions to try to figure out their partner’s mystery person

References

Brown, H. D. (2001). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (2nd Ed.). Addison Wesley Longman.

Wright, A., Betteridge, D., & Buckby, M. (2006). Games for language learning (3rd Ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Guest post by Peer Mentor Lindsay Cunningham (Ph.D. student, EDCP), July 2024.

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by | May 30, 2024 · 1:14 pm

Playdough for Everyone

Playdough is a tactile educational tool that can be used as a way to incorporate creativity and kinesthetic learning into lessons. It is inexpensive and easy to make using available kitchen ingredients (flour, salt, water & oil).

Playdough can be used throughout the curriculum for all ages: it can be an effective form of experiential learning from the development of fine motor skills in preschool children (Rukmini et al., 2022) all the way to post-secondary students learning neuroscience anatomy (Gopal & Bhooshan, 2021). Further, having students engage in hands-on learning increases engagement and can lead to improved outcomes.

Although playdough can be purchased, it is relatively cheap and easy to make, and can last several months in the sealed bag or container before being disposed of in the compost. Here are two of my favorite recipes:

Ideas for Elementary & Middle Years Teachers:

  • Sensory math activities (playdough can be used as a manipulative). For example, matching numbers with small balls of playdough or squishing playdough balls during counting
  • Using playdough to model and learn about 2D and 3D shapes
  • Exploring fractions and equations using fractions
  • Telling or re-telling a story using playdough.
  • Students might even create play
  • Building structures or engineering (you could include other resources, such as toothpicks to create more complex structures)
  • Colour theory – students can blend small balls of colored playdough to create a colour wheel.
  • Spelling words by molding letters or by using letter cookies cutters or alphabet stamps
  • Using playdough to explore patterns (ex. colour, shape, size, etc.)
  • Learning about Earth and the solar system
    • Modelling the phases of the moon or exploring the moon’s surface and craters
  • Telling time using playdough to make the hands of the clock

Ideas for Secondary Teachers:

Higher Tech Ideas for K12 and beyond:

  • With Squishy Circuits students can learn about and create complex circuits while expressing their creativity. Concepts including conductivity, resistance, simple circuits, parallel and series circuits, short circuits and switches. The Professor responsible for Squishy Circuits at the University of St. Thomas shares recipes for both conductive and non-conductive dough.
  • Use Playdough to construct a ‘MakeyMakey’ piano or game controller. MakeyMakey is a basic micro-controller appropriate for all ages.
  • Model and sculpt characters and setting to tell a digital story
    • Stop Motion Animation is an excellent way to incorporate digital tools with hand-building and creative expression. Tools like Stop Motion Studio or iMovie can be used as they have ‘auto timing’ features that make stop motion more efficient. The example below shows how a very effective movie can be created using simple techniques.

References:

Rukmini, R., Mustaji, M., & Mariono, A. (2022). Effectiveness of a playdough game in stimulating fine motor skills and cognitive skill: Early childhood education. The International Journal of Early Childhood Learning, 29(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.18848/2327-7939/CGP/v29i01/1-12

Gopal, V., & Bhooshan, L. (2021). The feasibility of using playdough and household materials as an educational tool for self-learning of neurosurgical anatomy during COVID-19 lockdown. Anatomical Sciences Journal, 18(2), 92-99.

Guest post by Peer Mentor Lindsay Cunningham (Ph.D. student, EDCP), May 2024.

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by | May 14, 2024 · 11:03 am

Decolonizing and Indigenizing our Practices

Whether you are new to the profession or a seasoned professional, teachers in BC are called to consider how they might decolonize their practices and include Indigenous perspectives including the First Peoples Principles of Learning (FPPL) into their classrooms and schools.  

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action and the BC curriculum requires teachers to consider and incorporate Indigenous voice, issues, resources and perspectives in our teaching. Jo Chrona provides a background of FPPL and Current Contexts on her blog:

In 2006/2007, The BC Ministry of Education partnered with the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) to create the English 12 First Peoples course. The development of this curriculum included significant input from Indigenous knowledge-keepers and educators from BC….to ensure that the course was able to authentically embody aspects of First Peoples’ values around teaching and learning.  

These voices were previously left out and systemically excluded from the current educational experience. Included in this process of course creation was the development of the FPPL so that First Peoples’ experiences, values, beliefs, and lived realities could be more authentically reflected in the course.  

Since then, the BC Ministry of Education has made an increased commitment to including Indigenous perspectives in education. According to Chrona, the initial integration of First Peoples’ content was first intended to support Indigenous learners “as the province and country continues on the path toward Reconciliation.” Now, more educators “are recognizing that the [FPPL] promote educational practices that are also powerfully effective for non-Indigenous learners…. that is replacing the post-industrial model of education” ; this is teaching that is “more responsive to the contexts and needs of learners, and the explicit inclusion of what are termed ‘Core Competencies’” (Chrona, 2024).

In 2019, Standard 9 was added to the Professional Standards for Educators requiring K12 teachers to actively contribute to truth, reconciliation, and healing, acknowledging the history and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis.

As you begin your work, please consider on whose traditional lands or territories you reside (worldwide on https://native-land.ca/https://native-land.ca/ Map of Indigenous territories from the first people's Map of BC

Read & View

The full text of Standard 9 on the PDF provided by the BC Teachers’ Council.

The video, Truth & Reconciliation Moving Forward Together is intended to “build awareness of the ninth Professional Standard for BC Educators and to encourage BC certified educators to embrace their professional responsibility. Examine your own biases, do your own learning, incorporate Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum, and develop respectful relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.”

Watch:

    1. The introductory video, Continuing our Learning Journey: Indigenous Education provides an overview of Indigenous ed in BC and explores challenging common assumptions about Indigenous learners.
    2. In the second video, ways to use the First Peoples Principles of Learning (FPPL) to support and transform teaching are explored. You can also visit the FNESC website to download a copy of the FPPL and access additional resources including subject specific resources for secondary educators. 
    3. This third video discusses finding and using authentic First Peoples resources, as well as frequently asked questions with responses from B.C. educators.

    4. The concluding video in the series includes reflections from educators in BC and an invitation to all educators to contribute to inclusive education in BC.

      The videos shown above are a part of a more comprehensive set of resources available on an Indigenous Resources section of the BC Curriculum website. 

Reflect

  • How will you respond to the Calls to Action and Standard 9?
  • What are some ways you might incorporate Indigenous perspectives in your teaching?
  • What questions do you have moving forward?

Continue your Learning

For some additional resources to support integrating FPPL and connecting them to core competencies, please visit these blog posts:

 

References 

Chrona, J. (2024, April 10) Background of FPPL and Current Contexts. https://firstpeoplesprinciplesoflearning.wordpress.com/background-and-current-context/ 

 

adapted from a post by Greta Bartsch, Program Manager (Practicum- Secondary), 2024; editing & contributions by Yvonne Dawydiak, Learning Design Manager, Teacher Education.

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