1. Week 1: Early August - Planning for the Upcoming School Year
1.1. Educational Psychology
1.1.1. Goal is to improve the teaching and learning processes
1.2. Effective Teachers
1.2.1. Friendly
1.2.2. Great communicator
1.2.3. Caring
1.2.4. Fun
1.2.5. Organized
1.3. Ineffective Teachers
1.3.1. Unorganized
1.3.2. Lazy
1.3.3. Biased
1.4. Commonplaces of Education
1.4.1. Want to balance the commonplaces to be the most effective teacher
1.4.1.1. Teacher
1.4.1.2. Student
1.4.1.3. Setting
1.4.1.4. Topic
1.5. Research process Steps
1.5.1. 1) Observation of Phenomena
1.5.2. 2) Formation of Questions
1.5.3. 3) Application of Research Methods
1.5.4. 4) Development of Guiding Principles
1.5.5. 5) Development of Theories
1.6. Planning
1.6.1. Excellent Instruction
1.6.2. Enhanced Student Learning
1.6.3. Exemplary Environments
1.7. Teaching Approaches
1.7.1. Student-Centered Approach
1.7.2. Teacher-Centered Approach
1.8. Curricular Planning
1.8.1. Top-down Approach
1.8.2. Bottom-up Approach
1.8.3. Backward Design
1.9. Future of Education
2. Week 3: Views of Learning - Cognitive, Behavioural, Social and Constructivist
2.1. Environment plays a major role on how behaviours are shaped
2.2. Cognitive Perspective
2.2.1. Existing mental processes
2.2.2. Learners bring previous knowledge with them that influences the way they learn in certain situations
2.3. Behaviourist Approach
2.3.1. Classical Conditioning
2.3.1.1. Pavlov
2.3.1.1.1. Learning behaviours through association
2.3.2. Operant Conditioning
2.3.2.1. Skinner
2.3.2.1.1. Consequences of behaviours shape future behaviours
2.3.2.1.2. Reinforcement system on animals to shape behaviour
2.3.3. Role models
2.3.3.1. Can shape the behaviour of children (Bandura)
2.4. Constructivist Approach
2.4.1. Learners actively construct their knowledge
2.4.2. Make students more aware by becoming self regulated learners
2.5. Social Cognitive Theory
2.5.1. Reciprocal Determinism
2.5.1.1. Self Influences
2.5.1.1.1. Goals, attributions, self-efficacy, self-regulation
2.5.1.2. Social/Environmental Influences
2.5.1.2.1. Models, instruction, feedback
2.5.1.3. Achievement/Behaviours
2.5.1.3.1. Goal progress, motivation, learning
3. Week 5: Mid-September - Making Instructional Decisions
3.1. Student Motivation influenced by:
3.1.1. Meaningful Tasks
3.1.2. Support and care of the teacher
3.1.3. Able to effectively use learning strategies
3.1.4. Required to demonstrate knowledge
3.2. Diagnostic Assessment
3.2.1. Determine starting position for future lessons
3.2.2. Pretests, look for misconceptions and preconceptions that students may already have
3.2.3. Students do not come in to a class wth a blank slate, they already have previous knowledge (right or wrong)
3.3. Linking Assessment and Instruction
3.3.1. 1) What do I want students to learn
3.3.2. 2) How will I determine if they learned it or not
3.3.3. 3) What will I teach
3.3.4. 4) How will I teach it
3.4. Bloom's Taxonomy
3.4.1. Levels of cognitive learning objectives
3.4.1.1. 1) Knowledge
3.4.1.2. 2) Comprehension
3.4.1.3. 3) Application
3.4.1.4. 4) Analysis
3.4.1.5. 5) Synthesis
3.4.1.6. 6) Evaluation
3.4.2. Cognitive Verbs show the thinking required for learning objectives
3.4.2.1. 1) Remembering
3.4.2.2. 2) Understanding
3.4.2.3. 3) Applying
3.4.2.4. 4) Analyzing
3.4.2.5. 5) Creating
3.4.2.6. 6) Evaluating
3.5. Universal Instructional Design
3.5.1. System that is designed to meet the needs of the student with the least independent ability
3.5.2. Instruction that is accessible for all
3.6. Play Vs Learning
3.6.1. Play can be used in combination with learning to become an effective teaching method
3.7. Direct Instruction
3.7.1. Clear learning objectives
3.7.2. Well-planned lessons
3.7.3. Explicit teaching
3.7.4. Lots of practice
3.8. Types of Learning
3.8.1. Inquiry based learning
3.8.2. Problem based learning
3.9. Letting students hack our lives
4. Week 7: Early December - Individual Differences-Intellectual Abilities and Challenges
4.1. Effective Feedback
4.1.1. Offers info about progress about the goal and action to take to achieve it
4.1.2. Oral feedback > written feedback
4.2. Trifecta of support
4.2.1. School
4.2.2. Systems
4.2.3. Communities
4.3. Intelligence
4.3.1. Ability to learn from experience
4.3.2. Ability to adapt to environment
4.3.3. Different types of intelligence (Carroll)
4.3.4. Intelligence Measurements
4.3.4.1. Aptitude Tests
4.3.4.1.1. Predict ability to learn a skill or accomplish something
4.3.4.2. Achievement Tests
4.3.4.2.1. Measure what the student has learned or the skills they have mastered
4.3.5. Impacted by both nature and nurture
4.4. Special Education
4.4.1. Accommodating needs of students with exceptionalities
4.4.2. Instruction is tailored to the students ability
4.5. Labeling
4.5.1. Disability
4.5.1.1. Inability to do something
4.5.2. Handicap
4.5.2.1. Disadvantage in certain situations
4.6. Exceptionalities
4.6.1. High-Incidence
4.6.1.1. Mild Disabilities (learning disabilities, behavioural disorders, giftedness)
4.6.2. Low-Incidence
4.6.2.1. Moderate and Severe Disabilities (autism, hearing/visual aids, health impairments)
4.7. Access to Curriculum
4.7.1. Physical access
4.7.1.1. Sensory and motor access
4.7.2. Cognitive access
4.7.2.1. Understand assignments, plan and execute approaches to tasks
4.8. Dream vs Reality
4.8.1. Schools make students adapt to them, instead of the school adapting to the students
4.9. Inclusion
4.9.1. Acceptance of differences
4.9.2. Accessibility to all students
4.9.3. Treating everyone equally regardless of religion, ethnicity, wealth, abilities, gender or sexual orientation
5. Need to understand how students develop in order to cater to their needs
6. We must ensure we are planning for the school year prior to September. You must know which approach you are going to follow and what types of methods you are going to use
7. The behaviourist approach allows for us to use techniques that will help shape future behaviour and help teach students to strive for the right things
8. All of these different approaches have their strengths and weaknesses, being able to combine them together allows for a better approach with a multitude of strengths
9. Diagnostic Assessments are important prior to any new topics to ensure you are teaching students appropriately
10. It's important to ensure you are following the universal instructional design when teaching students. This will provide you with the most effective lesson plans that will work for all of your students
11. My speciality of urban education emphasizes equally treating students regardless of who they are or where they come from. In today's society there are many barriers that create a divide that should not exist. As teachers, we need to ensure we do our best to remove the divide and treat each student with the respect they deserve.
12. Week 2: Late August - Considering Developmental Differences
12.1. Development
12.1.1. Types
12.1.1.1. Physics;
12.1.1.2. Cognitive
12.1.1.3. Social
12.1.2. Gradual Process
12.1.3. Genetics have a large influence
12.1.4. Every individual is unique
12.1.5. Literacy and numeracy skills is the best predictor of future academic success
12.2. Constructivist Views of Learning
12.3. Theoretical Approaches
12.3.1. Piaget
12.3.1.1. Schemas
12.3.1.1.1. Organizing behaviours
12.3.1.2. Adaptation
12.3.1.2.1. Adjusting to your surroundings
12.3.2. Vygotsky
12.3.2.1. Zone of Proximal Development
12.3.2.2. Scaffolding
13. Week 4: First Week of School - Establishing a Positive Learning Environment
13.1. Student Achievement impacted by:
13.1.1. Classroom curriculum design
13.1.2. Instructional strategies
13.1.2.1. Cooperative learning
13.1.2.2. Graphic Organizers
13.1.2.3. Homework and Questions
13.1.3. Classroom management techniques
13.1.4. Learning Environment
13.1.4.1. Requires good planning and classroom management
13.1.5. Self-efficacy and self-regulation
13.1.6. Self-Regulated Learning
13.1.6.1. Allows for an effective way of learning outside of the original teachings
13.2. Things to Consider when Planning
13.2.1. Learning Profile
13.2.1.1. Knowing how a child learns
13.2.1.1.1. Visual
13.2.1.1.2. Tactile
13.2.1.1.3. Auditory
13.2.2. Interests
13.2.2.1. Want to appeal to the interests of the students
13.2.3. Readiness
13.2.3.1. Base planning off of the students skill development level
13.2.4. Instructional Variables
13.2.4.1. Difficulty
13.2.4.2. Space
13.2.4.3. Time
13.2.4.4. Language
13.2.4.5. Interpersonal Relations
13.2.5. Release of Responsibility
13.2.5.1. 1) Focus Lesson
13.2.5.2. 2) Guided Instruction
13.2.5.3. 3) Collaborative
13.2.5.4. 4) Individual
13.3. Most Likely to Succeed
14. Week 6: Late September - Knowing that the Students Know
14.1. Learning Styles
14.1.1. Visual
14.1.1.1. Learn through seeing or reading
14.1.2. Tactile
14.1.2.1. Learn through movement
14.1.3. Auditory
14.1.3.1. Learn through hearing
14.2. Culture Shift
14.2.1. Moving from teacher as a judge to teacher as a coach
14.3. Students need:
14.3.1. Increased confidence and self motivation
14.3.2. Increased self esteem
14.3.3. Improved grades and fewer failure notes
14.4. Changing Assessment Culture
14.4.1. Should focus on learning for improvement
14.4.2. Limit assessing for "the mark"
14.5. Enduring Understandings
14.5.1. Big ideas you want to cover
14.6. Planning 3-Stage Model
14.6.1. 1) Identify Desired Results (Learning Outcomes)
14.6.1.1. Endurance
14.6.1.2. Leverage
14.6.1.3. Prepare for next level
14.6.2. 2) Determine Acceptable Evidence (assess what learners already know)
14.6.3. 3) Plan learning experiences and instruction
14.6.3.1. Teaching for understanding, not memorization
14.7. Effective Assessments
14.7.1. Multiple opportunities to improve
14.7.2. Timely feedback
14.7.3. Students know what is expected and where they stand
14.8. Ineffective Assessments
14.8.1. Unclear target
14.8.2. One shot deal
14.8.3. Humiliation
14.9. Understanding by Design
15. Week 8: Early February - Socio-Cultural Considerations
15.1. Inclusion
15.1.1. Change the system to fit the child
15.2. Diversity
15.2.1. Students are all diverse and learn in different ways
15.2.2. Increasing rates of diversity in schools
15.2.3. Individualism
15.2.3.1. Act within a unique identity and exclusive purpose
15.2.4. Collectivism
15.2.4.1. Act within a shared identity and common purpose
15.2.5. Want a balance between diversity and dominant culture
15.3. Building a Culturally Responsive Practice
15.3.1. Broad cultural knowledge and instructional base that grows and changes
15.3.2. Teachers must learn how to connect with other cultures
15.3.2.1. Making Connections
15.3.2.1.1. Achieving
15.3.2.1.2. Believing
15.3.2.1.3. Caring
15.4. Stereotypes
15.4.1. Association between one's identity group and common beliefs
15.4.2. Most vulnerable when one has strong ties to their group
15.5. Socio-Economic Status (SES)
15.5.1. Has the greatest impact on academic success
15.5.1.1. Low SES
15.5.1.1.1. Development at risk
15.5.1.1.2. Scarce resources
15.5.1.1.3. Lack of motivation
15.6. Multicultural Education
15.7. Aboriginal Education
15.8. Instrumental Value of Education
15.8.1. The degree that students believe doing well in school produces benefits
15.9. Culture driving Behaviour
16. Week 9: End of School Year
16.1. Standardized Achievement Tasks
16.1.1. Are the same for every student to ensure standardization (EQAO)
16.1.1.1. Math
16.1.1.2. Reading
16.1.1.3. Writing
16.1.2. Test Types
16.1.2.1. Criterion-Referenced
16.1.2.1.1. Student's score determined by comparing performance to criteria
16.1.2.2. Norm-Referenced
16.1.2.2.1. Student's score determined by comparing performance to other students
16.1.3. Purpose was to assess effectiveness of instruction
16.1.4. Criticisms
16.1.4.1. Biased, stressful, duration, doesn't improve student learning
16.1.5. Academic Controversy
16.2. Motivation
16.2.1. May work in some circumstances, but some times they don't work or do harm