Day 8 - Last Day

Well Ladies and Gentlemen,

The last day of observation is over. I'm almost saddened because I didn't get a chance to see a lot of the teachers that were recommended to me. I've had a fabulous experience and I definitely don't want it to end. I must admit this is partly because now I have to write an eight page paper due Monday, an Observation Journal due Thursday, write a quiz and get back to being a student.

My last day at Collingwood was amazing. I started the day by teaching a lesson on "the THESIS" to a grade ten English class - the lesson went brilliantly. On Monday's class the students were given their assignment. They had to write an essay on "Remembrance." Talk about BROAD! It's a completely open essay in that they can write any type of essay they want, on any topic they want so long as it relates to "Remembrance." While you may think that this is a great opportunity for the students to write whatever they want, without clear direction students were having terrible time getting started. For homework they were supposed to bring their introductory paragraph and one of their body paragraphs to class. I took this opportunity to address the thesis statement. As an entrance slip I had the students provide me with their thesis statement. After several thesis building activities I gave their theses back to them and had them evaluate their own work. The response of "wow, my thesis sucks" was very popular. I then gave them time to edit their thesis statements and then had them share them. As an exit slip they had to give me both their original thesis statement with the new one underneath it.

Before doing the exit slip though, I made sure to ask them what the lesson was and I had them give me feedback about what I needed to work on as a teacher. They were super great and super polite. Based on their feedback they not only understood the lesson, but understood how to fix their own work. I'm going to take this as a good thing.

The rest of my day went well. I simply observed the last few classes that I could and made sure to take a lot of notes. I went to English 12, Biology 12 as well as a Law 12.

Overall my experience at Collingwood has been a memorable one. I've included a picture of my schedule and classes I've observed, hopefully they are legible - if you want to see a larger more clear view, just click on the schedule.



Legend:
MS = Middle School
SS = Senior School
Anything in RED I was not at the school because of Thanksgiving, Pro-D days or otherwise.
Anything in Green is a School wide event (Ex. Break and Assembly)

See you back on the rock,
LC

Day 5 - Monday

Well as you all know, yesterday was Monday. At my school every Monday is the one day a week when the students have to dress in their "Number 1" uniforms. This means that they must be dressed "to the nines": blazer, shirt, skirt/pants, knee socks (if applicable) and black dress shoes. Those caught without proper apparel are punished and forced to wear lost-and-found articles of clothing.

Monday is also Assembly day. Every Monday from 8:30-9:35, the entire student body and staff congregate in the gymnasium for announcements, stats, up-coming events etc. I had the pleasure of going to morning assembly where I heard the choir sing, the principal make announcements and the Student Council make a presentation. Announcements and stats included "Plaid Day" on Thursday which is in honour of a grade 12 student who passed away in the spring of his grade 12 year; Current sports statistics; Clubs and Contest results/up-coming events; as well as the unfortunate fire that occurred in the cafeteria that morning - everyone was ok but the cafeteria would not be serving food from the kitchen and therefore pizza would be brought in.

The school culture is so diverse in this school; there is a wonderful mix of nationalities and religions and varying academic abilities. However, the entire school (staff included) are an extremely proud school. There is an abundance of school spirit and school pride. Everyone seems to be working together to create a fantastic atmosphere and whatever they are doing is working.

Classes on Monday went swimmingly. I actually went to a psychology course which is offered to grade 12 students and I found it so fascinating. The students were completely engaged, contributing to discussion, answering questions, and making comments that pertained to the course. This course had the largest class size I've seen so far (27) and therefore was held in the lecture theater. All of the other classes I've seen had a cap of 22 students but usually have between 9-18 students in the class. Talk about small class sizes.

Until Next Time,
LC

Day 3 - Classroom Management

Today is Friday! I can't believe that the week is already over! This morning I met with the principal of Collingwood an she is FABULOUS! I told her that I was having a little trouble filling out my time-table for today and she sat with me, talked about who I should see, and filled not only today's blocks, but next weeks as well! I now have a variety of subjects and teachers to go and observe...it's like this big weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

It couldn't blog last night because I went to both a Junior and Senior Girl's Volleyball game last night - I sat on the sidelines and helped as much as I could. The senior girls (grades 11/12) didn't need my help as much as the juniors did, but that didn't matter - it was quite the experience. I made friends with the coaches and was invited to come to their practices during next week. Extra-curricular activities and school sports are VERY important in this school and staff who coach/are a part of these activities are treated like Gods. Anyways, here's what I observed yesterday:

I focused on class management yesterday. I only observed three classes yesterday - French 12, SS 10, and Eng 11; it was still a full day because in last block I observed the teacher-librarians give a presentation/lesson on cyber-bullying to grade 8's and 9's.

I was warned prior to going to SS 10 that the class was rowdy and needed a lot of attention. I prepared myself for the worst (ex. kids hanging from the ceiling); but what I got was simply a lot of talking, moving around and typical interruptions. The teacher was forced to constantly stop class to address two kids in particular. She never lost her temper, nor did she ever raise her voice above normal. Because this teacher had been having problems since day 1, she imposed a new seating plan, started the class with a pop-quiz to get them settled and then moved into her lesson. She was constantly interrupted because certain students would talk across the room, turn their chairs to face the back of class, and wonder around the room. And so, I pose this question to you all, "how would YOU address a student who was constantly standing and moving around, talking out in class, and physically lying across the desks as he completed the independent practice worksheet?"

English 11 - now that was a class for class management. There are 9 kids in the class, four boys, five girls; 1 IEP and 1, how shall I say this, 1 difficult child. The teacher was INCREDIBLE! I really liked his teaching style and the way he conducted his class and will be returning to it later today and next week. Anyway, for the most part the student were well-behaved and the teacher kept control. However, when it came to cell phones he used a three-strikes, I take it policy. The difficult child had his phone taken away within the first 10 minutes of class and then spent the remaining 55 minutes trying to negotiate, compromise and con his way into getting his phone back. I like to think of myself as a pretty patient person, but I'm almost positive I would have lost it, thrown him out, done something; so I asked the teacher how he managed to keep his cool and he simply said, "He's only hurting himself, and by giving into that temptation and throwing him out, he's getting the attention he wants. So really, all you need to do is isolate him enough that he finally starts working and doesn't pull others down with him." I felt so inspired. I couldn't believe it.

Until Next Time,
LC

Back at School! Day 1 of Observation

Well, the observation adventure began this morning at 8am: I was at school bright and early, dressed to impress with my teaching plan book in hand. The morning huddle which usually happens on Monday was postponed to Tuesday due to Thanksgiving. Morning huddle, I learned, is where the entire staff of the school congregates in the library simply to talk about upcoming events, what's happening in the school (example field trips), special announcements, etc. The principal/director of the school took this wonderful opportunity to introduce me to the entire staff - I was definitely not expecting this, but glad that it happened. Many staff members came up to me after the meeting and generously offered to have me observe their classes - I have a full two weeks ahead of me.

I started this morning with an English 9 class. They had just completed or were in the midst of completing their novel study and starting to work on their essays. The teachers took them to the library where the teacher-librarian did a complete lesson on "narrowing the topic." It was a wonderful lesson and the students seemed engaged and interested. The technology that was used in the library was incredible! Every student was equipped or could be equipped with a school lap top, as well, the library was equipped with two SMART boards. I was so excited to see a SMART board actually being used - it was so cool! Without using the computer the teacher-librarian simply touched the "white" board and started sliding and manipulating the information being displayed. She used candy as an incentive to pay attention and created a fun and engaging activity that would help the students narrow a topic. In their essay groups they completed the activity with ease.

Second block was a Dance class for grade 10, 11, and 12 students. This class was extremely fun and it was evident that the students definitely wanted to be there. I assume that the class was conducted much like a PE class - activities were on going, there was very little rest between activities and the students were always moving. The teacher provided verbal instructions followed by a physical example. If the students were having trouble she was very helpful. She also encouraged students to move at their own pace and individually decide what was the best for them instead of being influenced by students who may be more advanced.

Third Block was a Geography 12 class. In retrospect this class may not have been the best class to observe simply because the students were doing a quiz and independent study. Nevertheless, I still observed and managed to learn a lot. Somehow the teacher was able to maintain a quite learning environment where the students remained on task and focused. I'll have to return to this teacher's class to find out how she managed this! It was truly incredible and something I have not seen before.

My final block of the day I visited a grade 12 English class. The class had just begun Hamlet and was in Act 1 scene ii. Thankfully I've read this particular Shakespeare play several times and was able to follow along. Unlike the other teachers, this teacher was very full of energy and enthusiasm. She used her "teaching" voice and kept the students engaged. She assigned "parts" to students who either volunteered or were singled out. Periodically (every 2 or 3 lines) she would stop the students and ask what the words meant, what was Shakespeare saying. This ensured that students were following along and understanding the language of Shakespeare. Most students had their books in front of them and made notes whenever they could.

There was a lot going on today and I think a lot of that has to do with the long weekend: students were particularly chatty in some classes simply because they wanted to catch up and find out about everyone's turkey dinner; teachers saw the long weekend as an opportunity to prepare themselves better and get back on task immediately. Teachers made sure that students understood they were back in class and not on holiday anymore, as well as reinforce classroom routines and expectations.

Despite the early wake-up call, today was fabulous. I saw the implementation of several strategies we talked about in class including TPS, group work, and AB partnering. In every class the student-teacher relationship was respectful and friendly. Overall I thought today was very educational and enlightening. It is so re-assuring to see that the strategies and activities we are discussing in class are being used in classrooms today. Now I must run off to grade 7 Volleyball practice where I'm helping out.

Until next time,
LC

p.s. next blog post I promise to get more specific.

Technology at C-Wood

There is so much technology and technology courses at my school it's absolutely incredible! Of course, a lot this "WOW" factor is because I'm at a private school where money is no object. The school dedicates thousands of dollars to acquiring the newest technologies and allots countless hours to learning and teaching these technologies/programs to students. ICT Courses include: Multimedia 9, 11, and 12; Computer Science 12; Yearbook 11 and 12; Digital Photography 11 and 12; and Graphic Design 11 and 12 (to name a few). All of these courses are electives and many of them are open to 9, 10, 11, and 12 students, despite their course title. Click here to look at the course guide - the information technology courses are located under "information technology" and "visual arts."

Technology does not stop in the classroom. The library is equipped with two SMART boards, 50 laptops, as well as desktop computers. Classes of all subjects come to the library to learn about Google Docs, Wikispaces, and how to surf the net carefully and appropriately. The librarian is keen on teaching proper research skills and proper documentation styles to avoid plagiarism. The research skills she teaches are extremely important and tacked onto each class.

Based on the courses offered and the outlines described online the pathway adopted at Collingwood resembles the Digital Media Development stream. The courses focus on digital animation, web design, and audio editing. All assignments are due in class and for the majority of the courses homework is not assigned. The courses are offered based on student interest; however class size is not a factor. If six students sign up for the course, it will be offered.

The Multimedia 9, 11, and 12 course focuses on web design, digital imaging, and 2-D/3-D animation; as well as special effects, lighting, texturing, and rendering of scenes and animations.

The Computer Science 12 course explore the use of Java script, interfaces, arrays and many other topics.

The Yearbook course is designed for students who want to enter the world of publishing. The students work on the actual yearbook, taking pictures, editing the photographs, and creating layouts. Deadlines are extremely important in this course.

The Graphic Design 11 and 12 course introduces students to the artistic possibilities of Graphic Design. Through observation, discussion and hands-on practice we will explore the wide spectrum of possibilities offered by the study of graphics. Practical explorations will range from concept building with pen and paper to project completion with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop CS4.

Technology is used throughout Collingwood and is very encouraged. In many of the classes I have observed, students are allowed to bring and use their own personal computers; however in some classes they are not. Technology in the classroom is dependent on the teacher’s personal preference. IPad’s are becoming very popular and many students have them. As I was talking with the information technology teacher she told me a story about a student who wanted to use his iPad in class instead having the hard copy of the book they were studying – the teacher said no. Some teachers are embracing the technological advancements and recognizing the benefits, while others are simply ignoring technology. Many teachers are afraid that if they allow students to have access to technology during class they will be surfing the net, chatting online, and being on facebook instead of paying attention. This is very fair and a concern that we have talked a lot about. Because of the amount of money the school devotes to technology and technological advancement students and teachers are well rehearsed in technological practices. Every member of the staff is given their own school laptop, an HP Tablet to be exact. Many members of the staff switched from their school Blackberry’s to iPhones this year; as well, those staff members who wanted an iPad to play with and explore classroom use simply had to ask for one. The students who attend Collingwood (for the most part) come from wealthy families who already have the newest Blackberry, iPhone, iPad etc. etc. Collingwood loves technology

Placements!

Today, a week from our observation period, we finally got our placements - I'm heading to Collingwood Private School in West Vancouver for two weeks! I'm so excited and so relieved that we finally got our placements. My parents and sister live in Vancouver so I'll be at home for two weeks, eating their food, using their electricity and hot water, AND I won't have to pay to do laundry! It's going to be great!

I'm excited to finally get into classrooms to observe and learn from the teachers. Collingwood will provide a completely different atmosphere and outlook due to it's private nature. While the teachers and their strategies should be similar, the children, school community and school culture will differ from that of a public school. I hope that my experience and my observation notes (that will be documented on this blog) will help my colleagues add to their repertoire of school communities and the differences between each and every school, just like their notes will help me. Can't wait!

Until next time,

LC