Assessment in the on-line learning environment.

How has performance and assessment changed over the years?
1. Emphasis is on ability to locate and apply knowledge quickly and efficiently
2. Students are expected to communicate ideas effectively.
3. Age of information
4. No longer one defining source of information
5. "Answers" readily available with technology-no longer need hours of research

How does Assessment differ in the virtual classroom?

• Time
• Space
• Asynchronous

Leading through difficult but necessary conversations

Barriers to having difficult conversations? See hand out page 3

How do we know when a difficult conversation is necessary?

Incremental conversations - can't expect to force the change with one conversation.
Is it going to get worse before it gets better.

Earn Trust, earn trust, earn trust. Then you can worry about the rest. Seth Godin
Integrity builds trust.
Advancing the best interest of children.
To build trust is to be predictable.

Preparation is the key!!! - See slide for graphic

Suggestion starters - last 3 slide.

Mark Weber - Managing Difficult (Problem Solving) Conversations

Delivering difficult messages

Conversation that you don't know what the right outcome is....need to move to a better place.

No research to support that people learn best from a particular learning style.
Data actually shows - Teaching matters (good, effective, structured, scaffolding technique)

The person is responding to the situation you create for them.

Everyone goes through life asking:
What does a person like me do in a situation like this?
3 levers that can be shifted
- Person like me (can shift ex. prayer before meeting, doctor driving to work vs. doctor driving to son's graduation) Many selves inside everyone
- What type of situation is this? (setting, environment)
- Do - what are the rules (for the most part we are rule followers.)

1. watch high status others
2. practice behavior of high status others
3. habituate behavior
4. calcify

Developed habits to deal with things like conflict into life and the work place.

Identify habit and break out of it.
Objectives:
All difficult conversation have the same underlying structure.
Dynamics make the difficult conversation disastrous
Set of strategies to reduce the stress of difficult conversations

Resource: Difficult conversations; how to discuss what matters most.

Difficult conversations cannot be made easy - that is why they are difficult.
Will the outcome be better or worse.

Critical Psychological Context

1. When beginning a difficult conversation let the other person talk first.
2. Shut up and listen.

Leadership - Mentoring Reflection

I had the opportunity to sit in on a Special Education Visioning Committee meeting that was run by Laura Shoemaker.   The committee is made up of secondary and elementary administrators.  Laura felt it would be good for me to participate in the meeting as a participant to go through some of the strategies she had in place to help guide the decision making process.

Although I was a participant, I was able to view the meeting as an ‘outsider’ and look at how she ran the meeting.  The first thing she did was welcome and thank everyone, but she then elaborating on the importance of everyone being there, stressed that everyone’s voice would be heard and the ideas and recommendations that come from the group would be used to move Special Education in the WCDSB forward.  Setting the tone of the meeting in this format was very powerful, it gave everyone the sense that being there was important and it wasn’t just another committee meeting they were ‘voluntold’ to be a part of.  It also made everyone feel like what they have to say is important and it will be heard and taken into consideration as decisions are being made.

The active part of the meeting was not a typical “everyone sit around and discuss topics on an agenda”.   At their previous meeting Laura had the participants come up with Strengths, Weakness’, Opportunities, and Threats for the current role of the Special Education Teacher within the WCDSB.  We reviewed these notes and she then provided a research component about the role. We were to take 2-3 important points from each of the area's (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats) and write it on a sticky, the sticky was then placed onto a piece of chart paper on the wall.  Laura then had small groups go to each of the 4 pieces of chart paper and classify each of the sticky’s/points as negotiable or nonnegotiable items.  This was  very powerful exercise as it encouraged small group discussions about each item and whether it was something that could essentially be changed or didn’t need to change.  We then moved to each of the 4 areas and could reclassify each point as negotiable or nonnegotiable, once again creating very rich discussion about each point.

Before the meeting was adjourned, Laura refocused the group and encouraged everyone to use a similar structure for building capacity within staff. She also explained what the next steps looked like by reinforcing that our opinions would be used to drive/move forward the Special Education Vision.  She was also honest in the fact that she had to present the information to Executive Council who would also provide feedback.  She then reviewed what next steps and action items need to occur for their next meeting.

From my point of view I must say that it was one of the best committee meetings I’ve been a part of.  I think that setting the tone of the meeting at the beginning allowed everyone to realize that their voice was going to be heard and it was.  The structure of the meeting easily allowed for everyone to provide input, often times at meetings they can be overtaken by a few powerful/loud personalities and some of the other messages from others can be lost or intimidated to bring forth ideas/information.  Laura facilitated the structure but once everyone got into the exercise it drove itself, the discussion and questions that were raised were all coming from the participants with a few points of clarification from Laura.  I also realized that there was no ‘hidden’ agenda or ideas being pushed, everything was being driven by the participants which was also very much appreciated.

SLT presentations at RCSS

The afternoon of our PD Day today had each School Learrning Team present what they worked on this school year. At first glance I thought this was going to be a waste of time as I have 101 other things that need to get done. However, at the conclusion of the day I must say that this was a valuable experience to me as a guidance counsellor.  Too often I'm disconnecting from the classroom and don't see what types of pedagogy my colleagues are using on a daily basis. The SLT presentations opened my eyes to what my colleagues are doing and wow, they are doing some amazing things.  From science who is connecting their curriculum to the interests of the students through the use of GAFE tools, Math/numeracy using data to determine what strategies work best to increase grade 9 applied students EQAO scores (spiralling the curriculum, pathway changes, IEP's), English teaching an enriched/AP program at each grade level and working through the challenges and differences associated with this sting and sometimes overachieving students.

Overall, these presentations gave me insight into these program areas and I feel this knowledge will help me better counsel students into appropriate pathways and better explain specific courses.  I look forward to the next batch that will be presented at our staff meeting in 2 weeks. 

Google Sympiosium at Resurrection

GAFE-volution

Rolland Chidiac and Jessica Weber

What's the purpose of technology in education?  is it going 'revolutionize how we teach and what we teach?  Check out this video from veritasium

We are not limited by the experiences we can give to students. What limits learning is what can happen inside the students' heat. That is where the important part of learning takes place. ~Veritasium

The impact of technology integration on student learning has allowed students to be more engaged in the learning process because students are working in/with a medium they use everyday and are  comfortable in...i.e. technology.  Students also feel they have control over their learning as technology gets weaved into pedagogy.  The importance is not to use technology because it's technology but to use technology to help improve pedagogy.

University Dialogue 2015

Phil Hedges from Ministry of Education provided an update from a Student Success Perspective. Below he outlined all the student success initiatives the ministry is funding in Ontario Secondary Schools.  The biggest 'take always' I felt from his presentation are the following. 

- the Key Elements of Student success is what works with one student might not work with another. That's why the ministry has provides lots of different strategies

- The role of the guidance counsellor is to work with students to help them learn the skills to make their own plans. NOT tell them what to do with their life.

Below is listing if student success initiatives. 

5 Year Cohort Graduation rates have increased from 68 to 84% since 2003/2004

Strategies to regain credit.

•  Full course repeat, summer school, credit recovery.

•  Majority repeat course, then summer school, credit recovery.

• Another failure in grade 10 most successful was summer school

Currently 214 secondary schools involved.
76% of school that focused on math saw an improvement.
8000 returned
2788 graduated
Taking some responsibility for their plan and have the confident in their ability to implement it.
Combine multiple courses together
Gr. 5⁄6 students are clients, gr. 11/12 students build apps.
- does not capture accurate data,  need to include apprenticeship, and out of province schools. 
12% of students are involved in coop program.
Disengaged and underachieving students
Footprint 3.7%
Retention 88%
Success 88%
Post secondary conversion: 31% applied to college two years later of those 82% registered.
Growth of 8 sectors to 19 sectors
600 to 44000 students
Footprint 12%
How are Universities supporting acknowledging SHSM
46% of crown wards graduated high school.
  - fact access
  - early identification  

School support initiative.

Targeted support to selected secondary schools

Achievement gap between applied and academic are doing in EQAO math 42% to 38% from 2009-2014 Gap is increasing in literacy 35-44%

Re Engagement Initiative 12 & 12+ 16000 contacted

Creating Pathways to Success Education and Career life planning program

Goal is to leave high school with a PLAN.

Expansion of experiential learning

help kids connect learning in the classroom to learning outside the classroom. teach student what reflection is and how to use it to deepen their learning.

Pilot projects

Transition rates from secondary to college / University

Coop Footprint

Dual Credits

Specialist High Skills Major

Pathways to apprenticeship OYAP participants 24849

Children and Youth in Care\

Mental health and addictions strategy priorities

  - Help for vulnerable children and youth with unique needs 

Catholic Education Week

Last week was Catholic education and I had the pleasure of participating in a number of activities at a Resurrection. Topics and events included silent Christian meditation, Daily prayer over the announcements, Speaker Sister Miriam, full school mass with Father Ted Hughes.  The ultimate theme and message I took away from the entire week was that about living the Gospel.  Too many times we as Catholics preach and talk a lot about what people should be doing and how they should living their lives as Catholics. The more important message to portray is one through action. Each of us should be living the gospel in our own lives and treating others with the respect and dignity they deserve. Catholicism should not be about acting out of fear because you are afraid of going to hell or because of the wrath of God but out of love for one another and an undying willingness to serve others.