From The Archives: Leveraging Tech Tools To Build Community In Your Classroom - E060

In this episode, we are discussing the challenges and successes that we have experienced with  destreaming in our classrooms. Specifically, we'll chat about the new grade 9 English curriculum, continuing efforts with other destreaming program areas,  and how to best support teachers that are implementing destreaming.
 
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**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/136**

• Challenges and experiences we have had with implementing destreaming in our schools, specifically in grade 9 English, science, and math
• The importance of providing support and resources for teachers during the implementation process 
• Challenges include lack of time and resources given to educators
• Need for additional support in grade 10 courses to ensure a smooth transition from destreaming to academic streams
• Additional pressures with teaching a new grade 11 curriculum (NBE course) 
• Other episodes on destreaming:
  • Getting Ready for Destreaming - E081
  • Destreaming Education: Our Two Cents - E048

Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

This week, we are talking all about how we start out using various opening routines in our mastery-based classrooms. Specifically, we will share how we set up our courses and some daily activities you can use with your students to get them ready for learning.

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**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/135**

Opening Routines For The Semester/School Year:

• Unit Zero - 2 to 3 lessons long to learn about the logistics of a mastery-based classroom and learning
• Diagnostics - first 2 to 3 weeks, works well for ELL learners (oral, reading, writing skill levels)
• Focus on getting to know you activities and building classroom community as the premise to learn about the mastery-based learning model
• Use mastery-based learning terminology: lesson classifications, guided notes, etc
• Google Slides and YouTube for getting to know you activities, lessons etc
• Use of conferencing with students
• Lots of opening, whole class activities throughout the first few weeks of school
• Thinking classrooms, game-based learning (GimKit for example) are great ideas to engage students in whole class activities and build classroom community

Daily Opening Routines For The Classroom:

• Regular conferencing
• Group-based work based on STEP levels (ELL learners)
• Whole class lessons with all levels modelled (helps to set high expectations for all learners and builds motivation)
• Thinking Classrooms model (but not in a traditional sense) - use randomized groups of 3 (Flippity Random Name Picker), at the whiteboards, solving 1-2 problems related to on pace lessons, use mastery as checks for understanding
• Mix approaches up - other collaborative activities, demos, thinking classrooms, other whole group activities to set the tone, etc
• Do Now or Check-In (goal setting and/or SEL check-in) - can be done daily, weekly, more sporadic (end of unit/module)
• Weekly agenda slide deck
• Progress Tracker for informal check-in and goal-setting
• Modern Classroom Project: Guide to Opening and Closing Routines
  • Accountability groups
  • Tell me something good - students can share announcements and good news

Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
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This week, we are continuing our book study with chapter 2 of Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms by Joe Feldman. Specifically, we will dive into the history of schools and grading and examine what's changed and what's not changed (which is a lot!).

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

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**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/134**

• Chapter 1 - E130
• Changes in society that affected our model of school
  • Manufacturing - need for factory workers, prepare students to be good employees, critical thinking is highly valued now
  • Migration and Immigration - assimilation, movement from rural to urban, FNMI, history repeats itself
  • Intelligence Testing and Categorization - IQ tests used for streaming purposes, IQ tests not equitable, created barriers to pathways for students, de-streaming is beginning to address these inequities, college vs university pathway (college is much more career-focused which is great)
  • Progressive Educators - John Dewey was ahead of his time, he saw the inequities that existed and saw school as a way to improve position in society, other behaviourists (BF Skinner, Pavlov) - operant conditioning applied to our education system
• How did this impact schools?
  • Quiet vs noisy classrooms - humans are social, quiet is no longer as valued, mastery-based learning supports active and collaborative classrooms where all students are on task
  • Learning skills - not a lot of change, skills like following directions, punctuality are still highly valued
• History of Grading
  • Very descriptive and individualized and shifted to letter grades for efficiency reasons
  • Now we are returning to more descriptive and individualized feedback
  • Bell Curves - if grades fit within a bell curve, it means that the approach taken had no impact on student learning; instead, we want to see skews towards higher achievement to show a positive impact

Connect with EduGals:

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• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
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This week, we are chatting all about station-based learning. This instructional model is frequently used at the elementary level, so our focus for this conversation is how to implement station-based learning in the secondary classroom.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

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**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/102**

• There are many different ways to set up stations - by activity, by curriculum strand
• Can be done over a day, several days, or even a week
• Catlin Tucker - Blended Learning in Action book and Balance with Blended Learning book
• Station Rotation Model:
  • Teacher-led, small group work, individual practice, online learning, collaborative stations
  • Doesn't need to be physical locations in your room although this can help your students stay on task!
  • Other ideas for stations: makerspace, research, project-based learning, design & create, virtual field trips, role playing &/or performance, feedback
• Feedback station suggestions:
  • Peer review, teacher led, self assessment
  • Provide sentence starters and/or frameworks to guide peer and self assessment
• Behind the scenes:
  • Lots of upfront work with a big payoff
  • Consider approaching the topic using different modalities
  • Think about those topics that students often struggle with to target for stations
  • Help students learn the model by starting with low stakes stations (getting to know you activities for example)
  • Consider interactions: teacher-student, student-student, student-content
  • Have clear objectives, tasks, instructions
  • Works well with mastery-based learning
  • Mix up the activities you use
  • Look at UDL framework for inspiration
• Logistics in the classroom:
  • Limit the number of students per station
  • Use a timer and project it to keep students on task
  • It's ok not to finish all tasks
  • Consider lesson classifications from Modern Classrooms framework
  • Add in a fun station (curriculum-related board games, etc.)
  • Tech vs no-tech - not all stations need tech!
  • If using tech, consider all aspects - headphones, headphone splitters, chromebooks, adapters
• Expect a learning curve - try, fail, learn!

Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

• What is standards-based grading (SBG)? It's a system of grading that is closely tied to mastery of the standards in the curriculum
• Disclaimer: we don't have all of the answers!
• Rethinking Your Grading Scale - E122
• Specifications Grading - E107
• Standards-based grading vs specifications (specs) grading
• ChemEd talk on Standards-Referenced Grading in Chemistry Classrooms
• SBG - 4 levels vs 7 levels (IB)
• Mastery Scales (example 1 and example 2)
• Building up skills from basic, to simple, to target, to complex
• Putting specific expectations into a hierarchical order
• Evaluations still don't have points grades - mastery scales are dependent on demonstration of mastery of those skills within each level
• Learning is broken down into modules (smaller than units)
• Overlap of skills between modules is possible
• Still doing multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery of skills (2-3 attempts)
• Due dates are the same as any other school year
• Consistent test day each week
• Conferencing at midterm and final reporting periods to collaborate on grades
• Feedback practices remain the same, lots of 1-1 support
• Mastery - defined as 80% or greater (can be individual for each teacher)
• A slight step away from UnGrading
• Do you show the level conversions or not?
• How will students react?
• Mastery-based learning works for content retention!

Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
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This week, we are chatting about technology use with students and how parents can best support that at home. We will share a little bit of our own struggles as parents and also some ideas that we have as educators to help support families.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/132**

• How Technology Influences Student Thinking - E125
• This Week In Ontario EduBlogs - Stephen Hurley and Doug Peterson
• Technology use has exploded - how much should kids be using it?
• Limiting screen time (focus on educational apps, limited time/devices, TV time, require activity before screens, get outdoors)
• Getting off task while on technology (virtual or remote learning, YouTube, lack of focus)
• Canadian Paediatric Society screen time recommendations
• TV watching time as a family activity
• Too much screen time can affect mood, sleep, etc - decide how much time is right for you, your kids, and your family
• Parental controls (chromebooks, e-readers, iPads)
• Teaching digital citizenship skills (share weekly resources in your classroom newsletter)
• Balance screen time, social activities
• Cell phones - when do you start? Safety, maturity
• Smart watches for kids - Apple Watch, other brands
• Educator Tips:
  • Tech breaks (25 min focus, 5 min tech break)
  • Open lines of communication home with parents

Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

This week, we are sharing our  podcasting process. We'll get into our past and current podcasting practices, as well as the apps and tools that we use and love! Whether you are interested in podcasting for yourself or with your students, this episode is packed full of great tips and tricks to get you started.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/131**

• Nerves, giggles, bloopers, and more
• Started with easily accessible tools - GarageBand, Audacity
• Recording tools - GarageBand, Hindenberg  Pro ($, great for editing too with voice profiles)
• Editing tools - Hindenberg Pro, Descript ($, creates transcripts, uses AI for editing, decreases editing time, voice regeneration)
• Transcripts - Descript, can hack with Google Read and Write, etc
• Remote recording now built into Descript with SquadCast
• Other remote recording tools - Zencastr (free option), Riverside.fm, SquadCast, Zoom
• End-to-end recording - Google Meet and individual recording
• Microphones - Samson Q2U, condenser vs dynamic mic, Rode PodMic (XLR, requires interface)
• Cloud Lifter to amplify sound
• Interface - Rodecaster Pro
• Just starting out? Find royalty-free music, dynamic USB microphone
• Hosting - Buzzsprout ($, Ads, magic mastering, cohost AI), Anchor/Spotify (free)
• Posting to social media, newsletter - using Chat GPT for idea generation
• Website - Wordpress ($) for blog post "shnotes"

Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
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This week, we are starting our book study with chapter 1 of Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms by Joe Feldman. Specifically, we will dive into what makes grading so difficult to talk about and even harder to change.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/130**

• Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman
• Find a buddy to talk about the ideas in this book!
• Structure of the book:
  • 14 chapters
  • 3 parts - foundations, a case for change, equitable grading practices
• Get comfortable with being uncomfortable - try to stay open-minded
• Teaching is challenging - grades are one of the only places where we still have autonomy
• Grades and grading practices are highly personal
• Changing grades by admin
• Grading is not really something that is taught in teacher education programs
• Most grading practices are based on prior experience
• We hate grading! and grade grubbing!
• Stress around grading
• Mastery grading and specs grading and other equitable grading practices reduces stress around grades and grading
• Web of belief:
  • Shapes our teaching and grading practices
  • What is your starting position?
  • When we learn new info - we either dismiss or accept it (depends on how it fits)
  • Question your reactions 
  • What barriers are we creating with our grading practices?
  • Acknowledge guilt around past grading practices and then let it go
• Discussion question: What is your why?
  • Part of our UnGrading journey - Jesse Stommel
  • Building equity lens
  • Build on learning and justify changes to grading practices (where is the evidence?)
  • Entry points for grading conversations with colleagues

Connect with EduGals:

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• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
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This week, we are chatting about providing options for comprehension in the classroom. Using the UDL (Universal Design for Learning) framework and representation pillar, we're going to share some different strategies on how we can help students make information accessible, but also how to transform that into knowledge they can use.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/129**

• CAST.org - Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework
• Representation pillar - Comprehension guideline
• It's all about teaching learners HOW to transform accessible information into useable knowledge
• Why Don't Student's Like School? by Daniel Willingham
• Checkpoint #1: Activate or supply background knowledge
  • Value prior knowledge
  • Get to know your learners and their background knowledge
  • Consider using visual imagery, concept anchoring and mastery, KWL chart and other organizers, concept maps (whiteboards), pre-teaching with demos/models, analogies and metaphors, cross-curricular connections
  • Learning That Transfers by Julie Stern et al. (ACT model)
• Checkpoint #2: Highlight patterns, critical features, big ideas, and relationships
  • Difference between experts and novices
  • Use explicit prompts or cues to point to important material
  • Consider using graphic organizers, examples/non-examples (Frayer model), highlight previous skills (conceptual learning can be helpful)
• Checkpoint #3: Guide information processing and visualization
  • Transform information into useable knowledge
  • Consider using explicit prompts for sequential processes, organizational methods (tables), multiple entry points, "chunk" information, progressive release (Modern Classrooms and mastery-based learning), and ditch the distractions!
• Checkpoint #4: Maximize transfer and generalization
  • Generalizing and transferring learning to new contexts
  • Students need multiple representations and differing levels of scaffolding
  • Consider using checklists, organizers, mnemonic devices (decrease cognitive load), explicit review, new ideas in familiar contexts

Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

In this episode, we are exploring asset vs deficit mindsets in education. We'll go over our observations as well as some of our ideas to shift away from a deficit mindset in our classrooms.
 
If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/80**

• Asset mindset - what are the strengths that our students bring to the classroom and how you can embrace that with high expectations
• Deficit mindset - what are students lacking and focusing on their weaknesses
• CRRP - High expectations, Cultural competence, Critical consciousness
• Grades contribute to a deficit mindset and don't give the full picture of the strengths of a student
• Ideas and Strategies:
  • Get to know students and don't look at past grades
  • Embrace first language
  • Google Sheets auto-translate words EduGIF from Jake Miller
  • Involve parents/families in school community - builds a positive school culture
  • Watch your language and avoid placing students into buckets (struggling vs striving, harmful language)
  • Destreaming is coming in Ontario for Grade 9 next year and needs asset mindset
  • Book: Going Gradeless, Grades 6-12 by Elise Burns and David Frangiosa
  • Becoming aware and speaking up against deficit language
  • Need PD on asset-based mindsets and language (peer conversations and dialogue, active learning, voluntary, accessing when ready, multiple opportunities, reflection)
  • Video: Asset vs Deficit Mindset Definitions
  • Recognize that our brains are wired for negativity to protect ourselves
  • Rachel's grading Twitter rant
  • Community and relationship building - conversations and conferencing with students, get curious about behaviours, collaborate with other staff
  • Avoid the silo and utilize the whole school team
  • Question your assessment practices, focus on personalized and descriptive feedback (tests = deficit, portfolios = asset for example), varied types, focus on skills

Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show