Professional Learning Days 2014-2015 May 15, 2015 9 00 -3 00 PROFESSIONAL LEARNING Professional Learning is best when it is done in collaboration with colleagues. With all our PD Days together this year we were able to organize some great options! Date South – Howe Sound Secondary Friday, May 15th • • • • Adrienne Gear: Reading Power - Nonfiction Gallit Zvi: Genius Hour Sean Smith: Play Is The Way Mieke van Eerdt: Write Dance SOUTH - Howe Sound Secondary Adrienne Gear: Reading Power - Nonfiction Reading Power is a reading comprehension approach which focuses students’ attention on their thinking, enabling them to interact more meaningfully with the text. Based on research, Reading Power is a practical approach to comprehension being implemented in many districts across the province. This session is an introduction to the key concepts of Reading Power, including meta-cognition, common language and the gradual release instructional method. This is followed by an in-depth look into two or three comprehension strategies for reading information texts. Choose from: Zoom In (to nonfiction features), Determine Importance, Connect, Question/Infer, or Transform. Many lessons will be modeled, student samples shown and recommended books are shared. Gallit Zvi: Genius Hour (k-12) Building computers. Designing experiments. Creating stop motion movies. Researching other countries. Baking and decorating. Inventing new sports. Comparing art mediums. Filming documentaries. Starting a movement. What do all of these have in common? They are projects that students designed themselves based on their personal interests, passions and wonderings. How? With Genius Hour! Genius Hour empowers students to learn about the things that they want to learn about! It is amazing what your students will come up with and how well you will get to know your students when you give them this amazing hour each week! During this presentation we will discuss the why and how of setting up Genius Hour. We will look at some of the best ways to introduce Genius Hour to your students so that they are excited to get started on their own passion based inquiry projects. Gallit Zvi has been implementing Genius Hour into her teaching for years now and has discovered that it is worth the effort to introduce this new way of learning before jumping right in. Gallit will show you what types of videos, picture books and brainstorming sessions work best so that your students will be excited to start their projects. She will also share some advice on how you as their teacher can best support your learners during Genius Hour. BIO: Gallit Zvi is an elementary school teacher in Surrey, BC with experience teaching grades 4-7. She is currently on leave from her school district and is working as a Faculty Associate at SFU. In 2012 Gallit created the collaborative Genius Hour wiki (geniushour.wikispaces.com) and started the monthly #GeniusHour chat on twitter and since then thousands of educators around the world have learned about and have implemented Genius Hour in their classrooms. SEE OVER learning networking sharing collaborating planning Professional Development Days 2014-2015 February 23, 2015 Sean Smith: PLAY IS THE WAY Behaviour Education, Not Behaviour Management! We all need to feel a sense of control in our lives. Children need it as much as adults. Without it we feel anxious, powerless and vulnerable. Does our teaching practice reflect this reality or are our classrooms maintaining the educational tradition of, teacher is boss and students do as they are told? PLAY IS THE WAY® is practical and hands-on. Not pencils-on! Suitable for teachers, principals, vice principals, counsellors and educational assistants. This workshop is participatory, practical and give you a hands-on experience of the program. It is a common sense way of interacting with children that educators can master quickly and use with confidence. It is a process that children in mainstream education can understand and embrace irrespective of their academic capabilities. This workshop is for teachers and support staff who have had some experience with the limitations of a carrot and stick approach to education and have seen the damage it has done to the ability of students to manage themselves, relate to others and fully participate and contribute to all areas of school life. Mieke van Eerdt: Write Dance (Write dance is appropriate for children 5-9 Write Dance is a lively, innovative and above all fun approach that provides movement opportunities so children can develop their handwriting skills. The unique aspect of the program is the use of music and dance. This combination of rhythmic and then melodic pieces of music are chosen so the children can follow and learn specific movements to develop their physical skills including, balance, coordination, flexibility, stamina and build confidence. “More Write Dance” uses music, instructions and illustrations to help teachers guide children on how to refine and develop their drawings to achieve fluent letter strings. Children’s individual expression, pace of learning and writing style are recognised within this approach. It is apparent that children’s confidence, motivation and self-esteem can be seen to develop because as Ragnhild says, “Everything in Write Dance is right”. It links to the following aspects: - Creative Development through imaginative play, music and dance - Physical Development through movement using equipment and materials - Communication, Language and Literacy through handwriting - Personal Social and Emotional Development through increasing self-confidence and self-esteem This exciting and innovative program benefits all children, and has also been found very helpful for children with special education needs, from learning difficulties to dyspraxia. The teacher training covers the following and include handouts: 1. Overview of Write Dance and the benefits 2. Introduction to the themes/music 3. Practical session (gross motor movements) 4. Practical sesson with crayons/chalks 5. How to set up a session 6. Write Dance extension activities for older children. learning networking sharing REGISTRATION FOR MORE INFO To register, please visit the SSTA For more information, please website for a link to our online contact April Lowe, registration page! SSTA PD Chair: collaborating Phone: 604-892-3056 email: [email protected] planning
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