The Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat
Webcast Professional Learning Series
Viewer’s Guide
Discovering Voice
Featuring David Booth, Jeffrey Wilhelm and
the Grade 7/8 Class of Lisa Hascal
Multi-media resource for professional learning
On this DVD you will find a Print and Video Resources folder which contains
WMV files for PowerPoint presentations, this Viewer’s Guide (PDF) and the
LNS monograph Student Identity and Engagement in Elementary Schools.
To order the multi-media package
Discovering Voice
Contact ServiceOntario
416-326-5300 or 1-800-668-9938
http://www.publications.serviceontario.ca/ecom
The video segments segments and related resources are also accessible
online at www.curriculum.org/secretariat/discovering/
This resource may be copied for not-for-profit educational purposes.
Funded by the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, Student Achievement
Division, Ontario Ministry of Education.
Table of Contents
Overview........................................................................................ 3
From Viewing to Action .................................................................... 4
VIDEO SEGMENTS
Creating the Conditions for Learning.................................................. 8
Developing Student Voice.................................................................. 9
• Building Common Background Knowledge: Read Aloud................ 9
• Responding to Text: Small-Group Sharing...................................... 10
• Building Collective Knowledge: Whole-Group Sharing................... 11
• Student Reflections......................................................................... 11
Deepening Understanding of Voice..................................................... 12
• Mantle of the Expert and Stranger in Role...................................... 12
• Quick Write and Choral Montage................................................... 13
• Jeffrey Wilhelm Debrief.................................................................. 13
Authentic Application of New Learning................................................ 14
• Developing Success Criteria............................................................ 14
• Website Review............................................................................... 15
• Inside-Outside Circle...................................................................... 16
• Circle Discussion............................................................................ 16
• Authentic Writing........................................................................... 17
• Student-Teacher Writing Conferences............................................ 17
Resources and Related Reading........................................................ 18
Technical Instructions ..................................................................... 19
• How to Access the Print and Video Resources................................ 19
• How to Save the Video Files to Your Computer.............................. 20
• How to Insert Video Clips (WMV files) into
a PowerPoint Presentation.............................................................. 21
“
It [the language curriculum] emphasizes the use of higher-level thinking skills,
including critical literacy skills, to enable students not only to understand, appreciate,
and evaluate what they read and view at a deeper level, but also to help them become
reflective, critical, and independent learners and, eventually, responsible citizens.
”
(The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1–8, Language, p. 3)
Overview
This resource provides insights into effective practice through the perspective
of both students and educators. Through an integrated, inquiry-based study that
seeks to answer the questions of who in society has a voice and who is marginalized, and why, students discover that they each have a voice that can make
a difference in the world. Students assume a critical stance as they examine a
range of history texts and a variety of media resources.
Students in this classroom are highly motivated because their learning is
relevant, transferable and interesting to them. They are “learning by doing”
– their work impacts their world and, thus, has a real purpose. Students are
engaged because they feel that they can make a difference.
Understanding deepens as students interact with people who have lived
experiences relating to their study of voice. These conversations help students
understand the history behind current issues.
Through drama, writing and peer collaboration, students explore a variety of
perspectives about voice. Through their writing of a recount and a media review
for a website under development, students demonstrate their new insights
about voice.
“
…in order to raise the achievement levels of all students and to narrow the gaps
between students, we have to guarantee that all young people are engaged in their
learning and that all receive effective and intellectually challenging instruction.
”
(Perkins, 1992, p. 4)
During this study, students learn both content and process. A rich variety
of sources enables them to develop perspective on society and history,
while technology offers opportunities to connect with learning partners and
resources that are global in scope. They become skilful and thoughtful
communicators as they engage in inquiry and dialogue about important issues,
challenge current thinking and put their ideas forward with confidence.
3
Students develop insight into what they as individuals can do to have a voice
and to help others make their voices heard. Teachers gain insight into students’
learning process, pedagogy that works and their role as teachers and co-learners.
This resource features the linking commentary of Professor David Booth and
three intermediate students who offer insights into the instructional strategies
portrayed in the video and which ones work best for them and why.
Professor Jeffrey Wilhelm is also featured as a co-teacher with Lisa Hascal, demonstrating and debriefing on the “inside-out” strategies that engaged these Grade
7 and 8 students in new learning processes.
From Viewing to Action
As you watch Discovering Voice, you may wish to think about what explicit
teaching enabled students to delve into this inquiry with such depth.
You may wish to record and share your ideas with others using the organizers
depicted below. The first organizer is intended to help the viewer deconstruct
student behaviours in order to determine what explicit teaching set those
students up for success. The second organizer helps the viewer record
observations about the development of student voice from the point of view
of the student, the teacher, the classroom climate and explicit teaching
and learning.
Organizer #1 - Reflections on Intentional Teaching
I noticed that …
Possible prior explicit teaching …
Students built on each other’s ideas.
Role playing a scenario where they
needed to consider diverse perspectives.
.
4
Organizer #2 - Developing Voice
Student
Teacher
Key Ideas
Classrooom Climate
Teaching & Learning
*NOTE: Organizers #1 and #2 are available in Word and in PDF in the Print Resources folder on the DVD.
The following questions may help guide your thinking:
•
•
•
•
What do you notice about the teacher’s behaviour that helps students
develop their own voice?
What do you notice about this classroom environment that makes it conducive
to developing student voice?
What evidence do you see of effective teaching and learning practices that
help students develop voice?
What opportunities do you see for the teacher to collect relevant assessment
data?
Research indicates that time for talk and interaction is essential for real learning
to occur. Organizer #3 describes different forms of discussion. As you watch
each segment, use Organizer #4 to record the type of discussion you hear and its
impact on student learning.
5
Organizer #3 - Discussion Guidelines
6
Organizer #4 - Discussion Guidelines (blank)
*NOTE: Organizers #3 and #4 are available in Word and in PDF in the Print Resources folder on the DVD.
7
VIDEO Segments
Creating the Conditions for Learning
Duration 11:13
The teacher, Lisa Hascal, describes how her combined class of Grade 7 and 8
students were able to develop communication skills as well as an understanding
of historical and current issues during a six-week integrated unit on voice.
She created inquiry-based learning tasks that were open-ended and invited all
students into the learning. Time was set aside specifically for meaningful student
talk. Students developed the vocabulary and skills to engage in dialogue that
probed for deeper understanding of missing voices in history, literature and
society. They learned to be skilful listeners and facilitators during collaborative
learning sessions. Students were encouraged to make personal connections to
their learning and as a result of their reflections they realized that they each
have a voice that can make a difference.
•
•
•
What questions would you suggest students ask of themselves in order to
assume a critical stance during their inquiry?
How might teachers make students metacognitively aware of what they are
learning and how that learning might be applied in real life?
What do you see as the benefits of using a social networking format with
your students?
“
For me, if the inquiry is significant, if the exploration of the topic is authentic, if the
student is connected to the issues or themes or ideas under consideration, then the
learning will be woven together smoothly.
8
”
(Booth, 2008, p. 11)
Developing Student Voice
Students actively participate in an inquiry-based study that is relevant,
meaningful and interesting to them. Time for talk and interaction is essential
as students develop 21st-century skills of collaboration, open-mindedness and
critical thinking. When their ideas are valued, students gain confidence in their
thinking and develop their own voice.
Building Common Background Knowledge: Read Aloud
Duration 8:10
The teacher reads Terrible Things: An Allegory of the Holocaust by Eve Bunting
to provoke dialogue about the importance of protecting human rights. This
picture book is simple to read, yet complex in its messages. The accessibility
of the text makes it possible for each student to participate in the analysis.
By carefully selecting a variety of other texts (newspaper articles, non-fiction
sources from the internet, video and so on), the teacher skilfully builds common
literary experiences for her students. She creates an inclusive learning
experience in which all students acquire common background knowledge upon
which to build throughout the study.
•
•
•
•
What are the benefits of reading aloud to the whole class?
What considerations help guide the selection of texts for a whole class to
read aloud?
How does this teacher move the talk from being teacher-directed to being
student-directed?
What are the challenges of ensuring that student-directed talk is
accountable talk?
“
”
We change ourselves as we rethink, retell, and re-imagine the original text.
(Booth, 2008, p. 10)
9
Responding to Text: Small-Group Sharing
Duration 5:14
During their in-depth inquiry, students learn what questions to ask of texts,
themselves and the world. They improve their critical literacy skills through
active engagement with multiple and varied texts. During small-group sharing,
the teacher intentionally weaves in and out of the conversation, allowing
students to talk with each other and to collaboratively build new knowledge.
Students develop habits of mind such as flexibility, critical thinking and
open-mindedness as they deconstruct Eve Bunting’s literary techniques.
As they think about each character in the story, they begin to develop a more
empathetic stance, even toward those characters whose behaviour at first
seemed unpalatable to them. In discussion, students also make connections to
historical and current world events. Their small-group dialogue allows them to
test their ideas in a safe environment before sharing them with the whole class.
•
•
What are the advantages of working in small groups?
What evidence do you see that indicates students are developing their
critical thinking skills? Use the Four Roles of the Literate Learner
(depicted below) to guide your response.
*NOTE: Four Roles of the Literate Learner is available in PDF in the Print folder on the DVD.
10
Building Collective Knowledge: Whole-Group Sharing
Duration 8:24
Students develop the vocabulary, skills and disposition to discuss their ideas,
engage others in meaningful talk and challenge current thinking. Throughout
their inquiry, students apply their learning to current global realities and to their
own lives. They learn to have open minds and to consider new ideas as they
study who has a voice and who does not. Students think about what they as
individuals might do to give themselves and others a voice.
•
•
•
•
By listening and responding to Terrible Things, students realize the
potential consequences of not using one’s voice to protect human rights. How
does the teacher facilitate students in relating the book’s message to their
own lives?
What evidence do you see that this teacher is helping students to develop
open-mindedness and collaborative skills?
What norms do you think this teacher and her students established to promote
a culture that values student voice in the classroom?
Whole-group sharing may present challenges, especially when diverse
perspectives are presented. How might you address the challenges of
whole-group sharing?
“
We want students to learn how to develop a critical stance with their work:
inquiring, editing, thinking flexibly and learning from another person’s perspective.
The critical attribute of intelligent human beings is not only having information but
also knowing how to act on it.
”
(Costa & Kallick, 2008)
Student Reflections
Duration 12:18
Students make personal and global connections to their learning about who has
voice and who is marginalized. They learn to share their ideas and respectfully
consider and question the ideas of others. Through their reflections and
discussion, they realize that each student has a voice that he/she can use to
make a difference.
11
•
•
•
•
•
What evidence do you see that students are listening to each other?
Students need to become action-oriented thinkers. How would you
encourage students to think about how they can take action based on their
new knowledge?
What evidence do you see that students are developing their own voice?
What next steps would you take with these students to further deepen
their thinking?
What surprised you about this reflective dialogue?
Deepening Understanding of Voice
Through writing poetry, engaging in reflective dialogue, performing a choral
montage and participating in dramatic role-play, students develop deeper
empathy and greater understanding of who has a voice and who is marginalized,
and why. Open-ended rich tasks in writing, speaking and drama allow for various
points of entry that are inclusive of all students.
The Arts play a vital role in ensuring that students remain engaged by encouraging
them to learn in ways that honour multiple learning styles, by inviting them to
collaborate with peers, by requiring them to respond emotionally and by calling
upon their cognitive capacities as they learn in, through and about the Arts.
Mantle of the Expert and Stranger in Role
Duration 14:50
Led by author, researcher and teacher Jeffrey Wilhelm, students enter into a
drama during which they wear the mantle of an expert. Each student takes on the
role of a psychologist, sociologist or historian. In character, the students discuss
their work relating to who in society has voice and who does not.
They listen intently to each other and agree with or challenge the ideas presented.
Because the students are speaking in role (as individuals other than themselves),
this experience encourages them to articulate their thoughts freely. Students learn
to be open-minded and critical in their thinking. Through talk, interaction and
role-play, students delve deeper into their inquiry.
12
•
•
•
•
What norms need to be in place to prepare students for a successful
drama experience?
What evidence of strong relationships do you see in this clip?
What might the teacher assess while observing students during a
drama session?
What challenges might a teacher face when experimenting with drama?
How might those challenges be addressed?
Quick Write and Choral Montage
Duration 9:21
Students express their ideas in the form of a quick write and choral montage.
Through these experiences, students discover that they have many good ideas
and that they can build on the ideas of others in the class. The mentor text and
dialogue with peers offer students various levels of support as they experiment
with stream-of-consciousness writing and voicing their ideas. The open-ended
nature of these tasks allows all students to participate.
•
•
•
•
•
What do you see as the major benefits of these two strategies?
How do the quick write and choral montage invite all students into
the learning?
What conditions need to be in place in order to prepare students for success
as they participate in these two activities?
What assessment data might a teacher be able to gather when observing
students engaging in a quick write and choral montage experience?
How do these strategies give voice to students?
Jeffrey Wilhelm Debrief
Duration 8:57
Jeffrey Wilhelm speaks about effective practice that involves students in
developing 21st-century skills and dispositions such as global-mindedness,
persistence and innovative thinking. He speaks about the power of drama and
learning through authentic inquiry. Wilhelm stresses the importance of creating
a culture of learning that encourages risk-taking, flexibility and innovative
thinking on the part of the teacher and the students.
13
•
•
•
Comment on a part of Wilhelm’s debrief that resonated with your
experience.
What does “learning how to learn” mean to you? Explain how this notion
might be reflected in classroom practice.
Expand on the shift in practice that Wilhelm suggests is necessary for
21st-century teaching and learning. How would you support such a shift in
your learning community?
“
Every lesson, activity or unit must lead to visible and significant change in student
thinking, understanding, and behaviour or learning has not occurred.
”
(Costa & Kallick, 2008)
Authentic Application of New Learning
Developing Success Criteria
Duration 6:54
Students draw on their prior knowledge and experience with websites to
consider factors that make a website effective. They engage in dialogue
with their peers in a small group, sharing their ideas and building new
understandings. In this segment, students bring their outside knowledge into
school to engage in conversation about effective web pages. They then share
their thoughts with the class in preparation for writing a web page review.
“
Research shows that students and educators are clear that effective teaching is
characterized by thoughtful design of learning tasks that have these features:
• the tasks require and instill deep thinking
• they immerse the student in disciplinary inquiry
• they are connected to the world outside the classroom
• they have intellectual rigour
• they involve substantive conversations
”
(Costa & Kallick, 2008)
14
•
•
•
•
What evidence do you see of students developing their communication
skills?
What are the benefits of students developing success criteria for the web
page that they are going to evaluate?
What are the benefits of bringing the students’ outside literacies into the
classroom? How might you show that you value the expertise that your
students bring to their learning?
What evidence do you see that this classroom has an “open-to-learning”
culture?
Website Review
Duration 5:18
Students examine a human rights website under development and determine
its intention, content effectiveness and functionality. The dialogue focuses on
the evaluation of the website in relation to the success criteria that students
compiled based on their collective experiences with websites. The student talk
in this clip is insightful, with innovative ideas supported by relevant personal
experience. The task is open-ended and authentic.
•
•
•
What evidence do you see that students are thinking critically?
What helps to make this a rich and worthwhile task?
Examine Wilhelm’s Arc of Inquiry and relate the learning experience of these
students to the stages of inquiry indicated in the diagram.
*NOTE: Arc of Inquiry is available in PDF in the Print folder on this DVD.
15
Inside-Outside Circle
Duration 6:05
Students participate in an inside-outside circle that allows them to share their
thinking and build new understandings. Students test their ideas in pairs. One of
the circles rotates three times to facilitate each student’s opportunity to gather
a variety of ideas. This structure allows students to practise communicating
their ideas before sharing with the whole class. Students are able to work with a
variety of peers. There is no wait time and everyone is fully engaged throughout
the inside-outside circle experience. Students can alter their thinking based on
new information that they gain. This experience helps students learn to be open
to new ideas and to be more flexible in their thinking and prepares them for
sharing their ideas with a larger group.
•
•
•
•
What prior classroom experiences would students need to fully benefit from
an inside-outside circle session?
What might you do to ensure that the talk is accountable during the sharing
session? How might you assess the learning that occurs during an
inside-outside circle session?
How might you include students in the assessment process?
What do you see as the most beneficial aspect of this routine?
Circle Discussion
Duration 9:29
Students come together in a whole-class sharing circle to discuss their ideas of
what makes an effective website and how their study of voice impacted their
review of the human rights website. The circle format is conducive to having a
rich conversation. Each person has a voice and is invited to participate as an
equal. This exchange of ideas prepares students for the website review that they
will write.
•
•
•
What are the advantages of a circle discussion?
What norms of behaviour do you think were established prior to this session
in order for this depth of conversation to occur? What role did the teacher play during the session? How might the teacher’s
role change as students gain experience with this routine?
16
Authentic Writing
Duration 12:02
Based on their collective insights, each student writes a review of the website
under development. Their task is to recommend to the website’s editor how to
engage adolescent users. This authentic task motivates students to write and
edit thoughtfully, keeping in mind the purpose of their writing and the audience.
Real-life writing empowers students to believe that they can make a difference.
The reviews are written and peer-edited on the class Moodle (an e-learning
community website). This experience demonstrates to the students how they
can use their voice through writing to bring about change.
•
•
•
What makes this task engaging for students?
This authentic task addresses the development of communication and
critical literacy skills. What assessment data might the teacher gather that
would demonstrate student learning?
What are the benefits of using the class Moodle for editing?
Student-Teacher Writing Conferences
Duration 10:17
After deconstructing many mentor texts, students write an account of a personal
experience or historical event relating to “voice.” Students peer-edit each other’s
writing and then participate in a student-teacher writing conference during
which they receive descriptive feedback. This individual writing conference
allows the teacher to give “just-in-time” feedback to the student regarding
his/her writing. It allows the student and the teacher to seek clarification and
to be very precise in planning their next steps. This personal dialogue offers
the teacher a window into her student’s thinking and informs her instructional
decisions. The student leaves the conference with a clear picture of his/her
strengths as a writer and possible next steps to move his/her writing forward.
•
•
•
What are the advantages of one-on-one student-teacher writing conferences
for the student and the teacher?
What evidence of descriptive feedback do you hear?
What evidence of student self-assessment do you hear?
17
Resources and Related Reading
Booth, D. (2008). It’s critical! Classroom strategies for promoting critical and
creative comprehension. Markham, ON: Pembroke.
Bunting, E. (1993). Terrible things: An allegory of the Holocaust.
Philadelphia, PA: Jewish Publication Society.
Costa, A. L., & Kallick, B. (2008). Learning and leading with habits of mind:
16 essential characteristics for success. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2006). The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1–8:
Language. Toronto, ON: Queen’s Printer for Ontario.
Wilhelm, J. (2007). Engaging readers and writers with inquiry. New York:
Scholastic.
Willms, J.D., Friesen, S., & Milton, P. (2009). What did you do in school
today? Transforming classrooms through social, academic, and intellectual
engagement, First National Report. Toronto, ON: Canadian Education
Association.
18
Technical Instructions
How to Access the Print and Video Resources
To access the Print and Video Resources folder in Windows, insert the DVD
into the DVD drive of your computer and:
1. Click on the Start menu.
2. Select My Computer.
3. Right-click the mouse on the DVD icon titled DISCOVERING_VOICE to
open a drop-down options list.
4. From the drop-down list, select and click on the Open option.
5. Double-click on the folder titled Print and Video Resources to access the
files. Ignore the folders titled Audio_TS and Video_TS.
6. Select the resources you wish to use directly from this folder,
OR Copy onto the Desktop and open files from the Desktop.
Alternatively, when the DVD is inserted and the options box opens:
1. Select the option Open Folder to View Files.
2. Click on the Print and Video Resources folder.
3. Select the files you wish to use directly from this folder, OR
Copy the files onto the Desktop and open them from the Desktop.
To access the Print and Video Resources folder in Mac OS X, insert the DVD
into the DVD drive of your computer and:
1. Exit from the DVD player (which typically opens automatically when a DVD
is inserted in the drive).
2. Double-click on the DVD icon titled DISCOVERING_VOICE
3. Select the files you wish to use directly from this folder, OR
4. Copy the files onto the Desktop and open them from the Desktop.
19
How to Save the Video Files to Your Computer
The video files can all be copied and saved to your computer using either of
the following methods for copying and pasting files.
Method 1
1. Right-click on the file and choose the Copy option.
2.Right-click within any computer folder into which you would like to save
the file, and choose the Paste option.
Method 2
1.Left-click the mouse on the file you want to save, so that the file is
highlighted.
2.Simultaneously press the Ctrl and C keys (or, for Macintosh users, the
Command and C keys) to copy the file.
3.Left-click within any computer folder in which you would like to save the
file, and simultaneously press the Ctrl and V keys (or, for Macintosh users,
the Command and V keys) to paste the file there.
For Macintosh users, the Command key is the one with the following
symbol:
NOTE: If you want to insert video files into a PowerPoint presentation, you must
save these video files in the same folder that contains your PowerPoint file. If
you save a PowerPoint presentation to another location (e.g., a memory stick,
CD-ROM, etc.), you must also save the video files in the same location in order
for the video to play. So, if you transfer the presentation to another computer,
you must also transfer the video files with it, or else the video will not link to the
PowerPoint presentation.
20
How to Insert Video Clips (WMV files) into a PowerPoint Presentation
On this DVD, you will find WMV versions of all segments of the webcast. To
insert a clip into a PowerPoint presentation, follow the directions below:
1. Open your PowerPoint program.
2. C
reate a new PowerPoint presentation OR open an existing PowerPoint
presentation, and within it, open the slide on which you would like to add
the video.
3. Insert the webcast DVD into the DVD drive of your computer.
4. I f a new window opens asking how you would like to view the files on the
disk, choose the option Open Folder to View Files; OR
I f a new window does not open, open the My Computer window from the
Start menu. In the My Computer window, double-click on the icon that is
shaped like a disk, which will likely be labelled D: or E:.
5.Save the video segment that you want to insert in a PowerPoint into the
same folder that contains your PowerPoint presentation.
NOTE: Video files that have been saved to your computer can be cropped
and edited into smaller segments using Movie Maker (free on PCs) or iMovie
(free on Macintosh).
6.Open the PowerPoint slide on which you would like to insert the video, and
click on the Insert menu in the PowerPoint menu bar.
7. F
rom the Insert menu, select Movies and Sounds, and click on the Movie
from File option.
8.A window opens, prompting you to select the video file that you would like
to add. Find and select the video file that you saved in step 5.
9.Once you have chosen the video file you need, another window opens and
asks whether you want your movie to play either automatically when you
enter the slide, or only when it is clicked. Choose your preference.
(You will notice that the starting image of your movie is not displayed on
the slide.)
21
Printed on recycled paper
ISBN 978-1-4435-7160-9
© Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2011