Rich Learning Experiences

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Words to Remember

Steer students don't drive them.

Report cards are a communication tool...

Students must learn...

Manitoba's PISA scores show...

We must move away from...

Banking Concept of Education

• The student is an empty vessel to be filled with facts.

Rich Learning...

A guided student centred activity that creates a shared inquiry to unpack a wide range of cross-curricular essential questions through the four ELA practices lens.

K - 12

The Four Practices

• Language as Sense Making
• "Responding to texts in different ways to build and share understanding."

The Four Practices

• Language as a System
• "Legibility enhances communication."

The Four Practices

• Language as Exploration and Design
• "Using different sources and design choices to extend thinking."

The Four Practices

• Language as Power and Agency
• "Learners understand that they can resist, change, or accept points of view."

Programmatic Planning

Programmatic

• targeted to a particular skill
• often a stand alone lesson
• the teacher is the expert imparting knowledge
• grounded in providing the right answer

Rich Learning

• targeted to a group of skills
• cross-curricular and adaptive
• turns the intellectual authority over to the student
• grounded in professional inquiry

"If programmatic planning is set apart from rich learning contexts, it should not be more than half the instructional time."

Move away from grade levels...

Old School

New School

Students learn about apples.

Students explore sustainable development.

Students learn about WWI.

Students explore the causes of war.

Students study Hamlet.

Students study racism in Shakespeare.

Students write a five paragraph essay based on a novel study.

Student inquiry question asks if identity is fixed or not.

Considerations

• Who does most of the talking in your room?
• Do your students sit most of the class?
• Are the assignments the same for everyone?
• Do students have voice in assessing their work?
• Do students talk to each other about their work in meaningful ways?

Change

Find a critical friend.

Tolerate ambiguity.

Play

Learn to look for learning...

Getting Our Feet Wet

• critical friend CHECK
• ambiguity CHECK
• play CHECK
• learning CHECK

Cumulative Summative Assessment

Summative Assessment in Canadian History

• Students must demonstrate knowledge of the essential questions.
• Students must apply the historical thinking concepts.

18 Essential Questions

• Who were the First Peoples and how did they structure their world?
• How was Canada shaped by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, cultural diversity, and demographic and technological change?

Historical Thinking Concepts

• significance
• primary sources
• continuity and change
• cause and consequence
• perspectives
• interpretation

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Inquiry Based Learning

• student must have agency
• choice in inquiry, active participation in assessment, revision
• ownership is key

COP Model

• meaningful conversation every day
• observe learning strategies
• evaluate the product

Learning Skills

• accepting useful suggestions
• revising work
• cooperative
• on task
• creative

Strategies

• exemplars
• gallery walk
• carousel

Process

• students choose geographic sites that relate to essential questions
• students must "demonstrate learning", in a mutually agreed upon manner, by creating a historic sites tour

What is being assessed?

• application of the historic thinking concepts
• knowledge of the essential questions
• application of 4 ELA practices

Sample Student Work