How Our Journey Began.....The Huron Perth Catholic District School Board is located in mid-western Ontario with our board office being located in the beautiful village of Dublin, Ontario. We are a small board of about 4500 students in 16 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools. We pride ourselves on high academic standards and living out the Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations. Our Board Mission statement is as follows.
We are a Catholic School Board Our Mission is to serve our students, working with the home, parish and school community to: Nuture a Christ - centred environment Provide student - focused learning opportunities Support the growth of the whole person Student Work Study began in this board in Feb 2012. We now have one full - time teacher researcher assigned as the Student Work Study Teacher. Since 2012- 2013 was the first, full year that we received funding for a Student Work Study Teacher, we knew we had a lot to learn. And so the journey began.... |
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The Student Work Study Initiative grew in size and capacity for the 2013/2014 school year. The Student Work Study Teacher was in 8 schools and with 15 host teachers. Each host teacher came with a different inquiry question they was studied and refined. The findings in this report are based on trends found within each of these classrooms. It is my hope that all host teachers will see their voice and themselves in these findings.
In the first term from September to January, 4 schools were involved. Most of the host classrooms in this session were primary classroom therefore the Student Work Study teacher was also a part of the Early Primary Collaborative Inquiry that was taking place at one of the host schools. The host classrooms were FDK, Grade 1/2 (2 classrooms), Grade 2/3 (3 classrooms), Grade 3/4, Grade 5/6. Each of these host schools also had a focus on Mathematics as well. Some of the inquiry questions were: How do I become an effective provocateur of learning in an FDK classroom? How will student inquiry and real life tasks provoke learning in mathematics? What effect will teaching self regulation skills have on students with high anxiety? How will small group instruction improve my students communication in mathematics?
Before the new term began, host teachers from first term were networked with new host teachers to review the purpose of SWS and give new host teachers an opportunity to speak to one another regarding the benefits and challenges of SWS. The intention is to sustain and spread the messages of Student Work Study throughout our system and to have past host teachers take on a leadership role within their own school after the SWS teacher has left.
In second term from January to June, 4 more schools were involved. The host classrooms this round were all junior and intermediate classrooms. Student Work Study was also part of Junior Math Focus Group (looking at building content knowledge around fractions) SIM and a CODE project focused on Blended Learning. The host classrooms were Grade 4/5, Grade 5/6 (3 classrooms), Grade 6, Grade 6/7. Once again, several inquiries were happening in different schools in different classrooms. Some questions were: How does effective student to student feedback improve the thinking of students in the mathematics classroom? How does incorporating technology into the classroom effect student engagement and thinking? How does the use of student interviews influence classroom decisions and culture?
Although there were several mini inquiries happening in each school, the focus was the building of mathematical knowledge in teachers and students. Specific classroom conditions included a) building self efficacy in students and teachers b) creating the conditions for building a growth mindset in students and teachers c) using documentation to uncover student thinking and d) having students give "mathematical feedback" to their peers. Methods included SWST visiting classrooms for two days every two weeks to observe students, co-plan lessons with teachers and provide release time to reflect on documentation. Various types of documentation included student work samples, pictures, direct observations, video, audio and teacher observational notes were all used.
In the first term from September to January, 4 schools were involved. Most of the host classrooms in this session were primary classroom therefore the Student Work Study teacher was also a part of the Early Primary Collaborative Inquiry that was taking place at one of the host schools. The host classrooms were FDK, Grade 1/2 (2 classrooms), Grade 2/3 (3 classrooms), Grade 3/4, Grade 5/6. Each of these host schools also had a focus on Mathematics as well. Some of the inquiry questions were: How do I become an effective provocateur of learning in an FDK classroom? How will student inquiry and real life tasks provoke learning in mathematics? What effect will teaching self regulation skills have on students with high anxiety? How will small group instruction improve my students communication in mathematics?
Before the new term began, host teachers from first term were networked with new host teachers to review the purpose of SWS and give new host teachers an opportunity to speak to one another regarding the benefits and challenges of SWS. The intention is to sustain and spread the messages of Student Work Study throughout our system and to have past host teachers take on a leadership role within their own school after the SWS teacher has left.
In second term from January to June, 4 more schools were involved. The host classrooms this round were all junior and intermediate classrooms. Student Work Study was also part of Junior Math Focus Group (looking at building content knowledge around fractions) SIM and a CODE project focused on Blended Learning. The host classrooms were Grade 4/5, Grade 5/6 (3 classrooms), Grade 6, Grade 6/7. Once again, several inquiries were happening in different schools in different classrooms. Some questions were: How does effective student to student feedback improve the thinking of students in the mathematics classroom? How does incorporating technology into the classroom effect student engagement and thinking? How does the use of student interviews influence classroom decisions and culture?
Although there were several mini inquiries happening in each school, the focus was the building of mathematical knowledge in teachers and students. Specific classroom conditions included a) building self efficacy in students and teachers b) creating the conditions for building a growth mindset in students and teachers c) using documentation to uncover student thinking and d) having students give "mathematical feedback" to their peers. Methods included SWST visiting classrooms for two days every two weeks to observe students, co-plan lessons with teachers and provide release time to reflect on documentation. Various types of documentation included student work samples, pictures, direct observations, video, audio and teacher observational notes were all used.
Below is one example of host teachers having a discussion regarding the benefits of having a SWS teacher in their classroom during a network meeting.