This Blog post is a continuation from the post done in December with the work conducted with a grade 3 class at Barrhead Elementary School. The work in the classroom was based on the in-service with Jennifer Katz . It has been very exciting to roll out the project work on the Building Things unit the grade 3 Science Program of Studies. My post in December mentioned the process that we had gone through prior to rolling out the activities at each centre. The students enjoyed having a choice of activities and as one student eloquently pointed out, he “enjoyed showing what her learned rather than writing down what he learned”. The project centres were based around the rubric created for the unit and the 8 “smarts” or multiple intelligences. Each centre represented a different smart: word, number, picture, body, nature, music, self and people smart. Each of the eight centres had at least two different activities for students to choose from. Students also had the choice to work alone or with others. Prior to working at the centres, students discussed group work and how groups operate effectively. Explicit teaching of group work skills is critical for students to be successful in working together. After the first couple of times of rotating through the centres we had the students reflect on what worked and did not work, as a group. These discussions were valuable as students brought up how to deal when conflict arises, how to decide who does what when working together and the pros and cons of working alone vs. together. Each center was explained by way of powerpoint presentation. Educreations were created for each centre task to allow students to also hear and see the instructions if they wanted to. A building webpage, including all the Educreation task cards and web resources, was added to the classes teacher’s website as well. Bins were used to store tasks cards and materials for each center. Students moved through all the centres with their assigned group but they had choice of which task they completed within each centre. After completion of the centre activities the students did a summative assessment piece. Students were able to choose how to show what they learned in this unit of study. Some guided questions were provided for students along with the rubric. Many students chose powerpoint to present their learning while others chose prezi and poster format. Key learning from both the teachers and students in the project indicated the value of choice, multiple ways to express learning, working collaboratively and the deep, rich learning that occurs when students become engaged and active in their learning. Shirley Craig
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By Julie Smith, Associate Principal of Barrhead Elementary
(This information has also been added to the LINKS page of our website) Over a decade ago, I used a video camera to make a recording for a boy with autism in my classroom. Two students in my class volunteered to act out a scenario showing appropriate behaviors as they interacted together. I then asked my educational assistant to review this video several times with the boy, to help him get a better picture of our expectations. The results were good; we saw a decrease in the inappropriate behavior we were trying to target. I tried this two or three more times that year but found the process to be quite time consuming despite the fact that I had all the technology needed and found it relatively easy to use. At the time, I didn’t realize that this was an evidence based intervention and that it was referred to as video modeling. This year, there are several students in my school who have been identified with emotional behavioral disorders and I’ve been using an iPhone to record video to share with school teams as we work together to address these students’ needs. I’ve also explored the use of tablet apps that use photos to build more interactive social stories for students; a process that was quite simple and easily taught to other staff. I began wondering if other educators are using any of this new portable, easy to use technology in this way to help their students. First, I was interested in finding research that proved the effectiveness of video based interventions. Here is what I learned:
The following research articles can be found online on the ATA website. Be sure to log in to gain full access to the Alberta Teachers’ Association Library. Blood, E. M., Johnson, J. W., Ridenour, L., Simmons, K. L., & Crouch, S. (2011). Using an iPod touch to teach social and self-management skills to an elementary student with emotional/behavioral disorders. Education and Treatment of Children, (3), 299. Carnahan, C. R., Basham, J. D., Christman, J., & Hollingshead, A. (2012). Overcoming challenges: "Going mobile with your own video models". Teaching Exceptional Children, 45(2-), 50-59. Cihak, D., Fahrenkrog, C., Ayres, K. M., & Smith, C. (2010). The use of video modeling via a video iPod and a system of least prompts to improve transitional behaviors for students with autism spectrum disorders in the general education classroom. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 12 (2), 103-115. doi:10.1177/1098300709332346 Applying UDL principles in the classroom: Hall, T., Meyer, A., & Rose, D. (2012). Universal design for learning in the classroom: Practical applications New York: Guilford Press, 2012. Want to read my entire paper on video-based interventions? (Click on the link below) Smith, J. (2014). Video based interventions that address the needs of students with emotional behavioral disorders: What does the literature say? Google Doc: Access The following links may also be helpful: Steps for Video-Modeling Implementation (National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders) Video Modeling & Video Self-Modeling Samples ( The Video Modeling & Video Self-Modeling Wiki) Video Modeling Presentation (Autism Supports Project Workshop) How to Improve Social Skills in Children with ADHD (Keath Low, MA-psychotherapist) Serving Children With Emotional-Behavioral and Language Disorders: A Collaborative Approach (Jennifer Armstrong, PhD, CCC-SLP) Glossary of Terms – helpful links Social Learning Theory - http://www.learning-theories.com/social-learning-theory-bandura.html Social Stories - http://www.thegraycenter.org/social-stories/what-are-social-stories Emotional Behavioral Disorders – Alberta Education Coding Criteria https://education.alberta.ca/media/825847/spedcodingcriteria.pdf Universal Design for Learning - http://www.cast.org/library/video/udl_at_a_glance/index.html |
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AuthorsThis blog and resources website has been developed through the work of various AISI coaches in PHRD. The lead collaborative teachers for the 2015/2016 school year, Cheryl Frose, Christine Quong and Tammy Tkachuk will continue to update this site. If you have resources you would like to share or would like to contribute to the blog, please contact us. Archives
May 2016
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