What are we learning about learning? Learning for All
Chat Consolidation of the February 6, 2015 p.m. Web Conference
Welcome All! Where are you connecting from?
Diana Goodwin: We are connecting from Thames Valley District School board in London, Ontario
Ben:Colette Moffat: Good afternoon, Colette Moffat from WCDSB here with Rod Eckert, Principal; Lisa Horst, DECE Supervisor; Katie Carr, LNS SAO
Colette Moffat: Hi, just connected my audio. Thanks
Jill Snider: Jill Snider from the Ministry of Education (Hi Rod Eckert!)
Connie McAllister: Hi from Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic, Brantford
St. Gabriel Lalemant School:Hi everyone...Deborah, Maria and Lisa are here from Niagara Catholic District School.
CDSBEO: We are connecting from CDSBEO in Kemptville
Lisa Brown: Hello everyone from Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board
Jackie and JoAnne: Jackie and I could not find a space with wireless that actually worked. We are sitting together in my little cubicle
HCDSB: Good afternoon from HCDSB. There are currently just two of us here, Jill Staples and Kirstin Long but we are expected a couple of others to join us.
Janine Stutt: YRDSB Early Years Team
Kim Rumble (TLDSB): Hi everyone...Christine and Kim are connecting from Trillium Lakelands DSB
Rose Wegiel: Hi Everyone-Rose, Pina, Caroline,Elyse and Ann from HWCDSB
Maryteresa Nocera: Hi from Toronto Catholic. We have gathered together at one of our schools, the Early Years Central team is here!
How can pedagogical documentation support learning for all children?
SMCDSB: When we look at the child in their learning, we see what they can do. It's immediate, it brings the child into the learning.
CDSBEO: It increases the level of precision around what student's need. It guides or steers instruction and planning. It gives an opportunity to look at what they know and where they can go next versus what they don't know.
Lisa Brown: It helps to be more intentional with our planning of what to do next for a child or group of children.
Serge Levac: By documenting what we see and hear and then analyzing how it communicates the children's thoughts, reasoning and creativity, it can guide our instruction and planning.
Connie McAllister: Ped Doc forces one to be more precise when observing and assessing. We are better able to realize and recognize the purpose and key elements when we are documenting. It helps educators to slow down and spend time in learning with the students.
Rose Wegiel: HWCDSB Pedagogical documentation supports all learners by allowing for different entry points . Allows for authentic experiences.
Colette Moffat: Pedagogical documentation truly gets to the learning of individual children and see their strengths and next steps for learning, it demonstrates the learning and knowledge the children already have and supports the planning for the teams as to next steps for learning, allows the educators to be precise and personal in their assessment and planning. It makes children's thinking visible in a variety of ways and as partners in learning. It allows for focused small group instruction at the point where the children need to go.
Caroline Mitchell: Pedagogical documentation can make the learning of one child or a group of children visible not only to that child or group of children but also to other groups of children. It allows educators to look at the contexts in which children are learning and the materials that best support different children or groups of children.
Diana Goodwin: Strengths based approach..not a deficit model that encourages an authentic context for dialoguing related to personalized next steps. Allows for deep conversation among multidisciplinary teams in support of all students.
Colette Moffat: It shifts the focus from teaching to learning.
LKDSB: It allows for responsive teaching based on individual needs and interests. It allows for teacher reflection as well as student reflection.
CDSBEO: Pedagogical Documentation focuses on making learning visible for the children themselves and their families. It causes us, as educators, to pause/slow down and study the child rather than cover expectations in the curriculum.
St. Gabriel Lalemant School: Freeze the learning in time so that you can dig deeper into the learning by having a conversation with the student and other students.
SMCDSB: Once we are "in" on what the complexities are in the learner, we are best able to respond in a precise manner in our teaching.
Lisa Brown: It helps the communication between educators focus on the student learning and thinking and not the activity.
Janine Stutt: We are thinking that pedagogical documentation supports learning for all children because it provides insight into any child's learning.
St. Gabriel Lalemant School: Brings reluctant students who are less likely to share into the learning
Diana Goodwin: Provides a descriptive structure for discourse that highlights the learning stance. Moves from teaching to learning! Sequence structure allowing the opportunity to view change over time related to child development and instructional practices
Christine Guerriero: Pedagogical Documentation shifts our thinking from a deficit lens to an asset lens. We are not writing down what they don't know, as much as we are recognizing what they do know and where they could go next.
Kim Rumble (TLDSB): We just chatted about the stance of slowing down we've been talking about this entire year....and we found it interesting (and helpful!) to think about what we see and hear in relation to the 4 categories of achievement for Early primary...
Yves: can bring a team together in talking about the learning that takes place or not
HCDSB: It supports conversation and helps to identify the learning so that we can focus on the strengths and next steps. We can plan for instruction to meet the needs of the students or to challenge their thinking and theories. The next steps could support educators in providing an invitation or provocation to further help the educator determine the needs of the student. The focus is on learning.
LKDSB: It allows educators to view documentation from different lenses, by providing multiple opportunities to review.
CDSBEO: It allows children to enter the learning at their own entry point rather than at a "predetermined" point.
Kim Rumble (TLDSB): Also how assessment for and as helps us respond as educators to build on strengths
Maryteresa Nocera: This gives opportunities for all members to see what was observed, to focus discussion around the observation and documentation; capturing moments, providing all stakeholders, including parents the opportunity to voice what they see; provides opportunities for collaboration, openness and transparency. There is opportunity to see what strategies including the learning environment that needs rethinking, along with new strategies that will better support the learning of all students.
Diana Goodwin: It allows the educators to determine what materials and resources to add to the learning environment
Diana Goodwin: Allows us to move away from talking about children at risk to talking about students of promise.
LKDSB: It captures where students are and allows teachers to design a program specific to student need.
SMCDSB: It requires us to be flexible as educators as we look and listen and then look again and listen again. The pedagogical documentation is clear evidence of what we see and hear. Seeing it twice offers new understanding and considerations for interpretation can shift as both educators discuss the learning.
Kim Rumble (TLDSB): SMCDSB...great point about the co-analyzing!
Maryteresa Nocera: Pedagogical documentation provides the gift of time, in order to make mindful observations, decisions, choices and adaptations; it provides real, authentic opportunities to see learning of all students in a new way. To see the learning rather than just the "teaching", how can we help students to achieve next steps, to know where our students are at, how we can rethink practices and strategies, to individualize learning. This makes all our learning transparent for all.
How do these classrooms consider learning for all?
Diana Goodwin: Educators have intentionally created spaces where children can move freely in a calm and inviting atmosphere. Natural colours, respectful of the natural light.
Diana Goodwin: Consideration of health and well being and encompassing the full child.
LKDSB: There is a choice of seating, natural lighting, open space, no clutter, inviting, flexibility, visual texture, calming, space provided for different student needs and learning, very purposefully planned. Was it co-created with students?
Diana Goodwin: Allows student to relax and communication in many ways.
Colette Moffat: Providing choice for whether you choose to stand or sit while engaging in the work, accessible, natural lighting, positioning of the workspace - possibly purposeful for inspiration? Grade 2: space for learning encourages choice to collaborate or work independently, shared space, thinking about tables instead of desks - how can we be creative with the desks that we have in order to create the same kind of opportunities? Inspiration for adapting the environment to the learning needs of the children.
HCDSB: We noticed that there were no chairs around the tables in the Grade 2 classroom which made us wonder if the children could choose how they wanted to work...sitting, standing...Another way of meeting their needs and support self-regulation.
Christine Guerriero: Nodes of space that offer materials in interesting ways that are open and accessible and can be used when, where and however students feel relevant
Serge Levac: Children can express themselves with liberty and then be invited to explain their production ... therefore, no comparison will be made between them since every artwork is different and important. Allows children to be creative and to chose what they want to paint ... more meaningful to them ...
How is this mindful of Universal Design for Learning?
St. Gabriel Lalemant School: Open and inviting concept. Allows for risk-taking. No desks only tables. Collaboration. Natural lighting. Bringing the outdoors in. Natural environment. LIghting. Self-regulation- soothing.
CDSBEO: flexible, at child's level, allows for multiple entry points, unscripted, natural light, neutral colours
St. Gabriel Lalemant School: Calming.
Christine Guerriero: Less institution more homey... softens the transference from home to school
St. Gabriel Lalemant School: comfortable
SMCDSB: The natural light is warm and inviting. The twinkle of the lights add to the curiosity that the fluorescent lighting cannot! There is minimal wall covering. There is an openness and inviting element that makes learning accessible to all learners. The paint table with the logs for seating or a child could stand.
Connie McAllister: allowing for multiple entry points; flexibility; accessibility; multiple ways to express themselves and demonstrate their learning; multiple ways to engage students
LKDSB: All of the choice within the environment allows for self regulation.
Kim Rumble (TLDSB): We just brought up the pdf for Learning for All and relooked at UDL...focusing on the space and how materials seem to be well within reach of the children
Serge Levac: Natural elements integrated ... allows children to create rather than imposing a certain predetermined activity. It also encourages self-regulation since there are only a few spots available ... children will figure out that they have to take turns or share a spot ...
Lisa Brown: There is a sense of calmness in the room with the lighting with a warm welcoming feeling. The tables with no chairs makes me think of are more fluid room with more open space for students ( may help with self-regulation)
Colette Moffat: intentional, considers multiple types of learners, flexible space that can be adapted for a variety of activities happening at the same time, undefined space that allows for creativity
Christine Guerriero: Also considers design for safety and simplicity
SMCDSB: The tables in the grade two classroom provided provocation for learning.
Maryteresa Nocera: The spaces invite students to choose how they engage with the materials, if students need to move when thinking and playing then there is the option to stand or if a chair is needed it is available, invites wonder and curiosity through the large windows, through the materials which are accessible for all, there is space to move around; options for lighting to support the diverse learners and their needs; opportunities for all students to engage at different times and levels for conversation. The belief that students are capable is evident.
Diana Goodwin: Always considering what is best for all students...for example, the natural light is not just for "that" child..but for ALL children. The focus is on what is best for some is best for all. Reducing visual noise is so very important. Considering a space of beauty and the "comforts of home" brings a safe and comfortable sense of belonging. The environment is calm and simplistic.
HCDSB: Very open space as well as open activities which made us think that their was a lot of choice.
Kim Rumble (TLDSB): Also just looked at one of the guiding questions in Learning for All....How do I provide for multiple means for engagement, to accommodate different interests, attention spans, and strengths in self-regulation (e.g., allowing for individual choice, increasing relevance and authenticity, minimizing distractions, providing graduated levels of challenge, fostering collaboration)?" Thinking both photos capture that intentional thinking behind the question.
Maryteresa Nocera: We also need to be mindful of UDL should be extended to the outdoors.
SMCDSB: There is gathering space for any number of learners in both photos. Students can engage and communicate with ease.
Kim Rumble (TLDSB): To add on...having both blocks of wood side by side could perhaps foster collaboration
Janine Stutt: After looking at a definition of UDL we are thinking about how co constructed learning spaces can support bringing curriculum to children, rather than bringing children to the curriculum. This keeps children at the centre of responsive decision making..
SMCDSB: Yes, Maryteresa, this keeps the learning in mind - no matter where we are, indoors and out.
Diana Goodwin: Intentionally impacting the environment through the less is more mindset.
Diana Goodwin: Purposefully placing media near open space and windows encouraging multi-literacies
Why this learning, for this child, at this time?
Diana Goodwin: Observed the genuine curiosity of the educator. The teacher presented as a learner. The educator offered the gift of interaction and engagement. The educator was in sync with intentional provocation to ignite and spark the student to be successfull. The educator was in the moment with the focus on the learning and not the teaching.