Learning through social constructivismGSSD CoachesAndrea Hnatiuk & Cindy Smith

*Lets Talk About Talking!

*Our Professional Growth

Commitment

*We start and end on time*We are a community of professionals, we

participate fully, encourage participation from others, and allow ourselves to be learners *We create a safe place to be heard, we can

take risks*We respect everyone’s point of view*We use technology appropriately in the spirit

of professional learning

What will I be able to do when I am done here today?

I can identify and implement instructional strategies that promote collaborative learning in order to increase student learning outcomes

What is important for me to learn and understand so that I can hit the target?

I must learn and understand various forms of communication and its role in helping students construct meaning for themselves

What will I do to show that I understand?

I can implement effective instructional strategies that meet and assist student learning outcomes.

Moss, C., & Brookhart, M. (2012). Learning targets: Helping students aim for understanding in today’s lesson. Alexandria: ASCD.

4

*Research-Based Practice

*“Human thinking is inherently social in its origins…”*There is a “fundamental link between instructional practice and student outcomes”

* -Marilyn Goos, Journal of Research in Mathematical Education, 2004

5

*Connections*Recognize and use connections among ideas*Understand how ideas interconnect and build on one another to produce a coherent whole*Recognize and apply learnings in contexts outside of school

6

*Communication*Organize and consolidate their ideas thinking

through communication *Communicate their learning coherently and

clearly to peers, teachers, and others*Analyze and evaluate the thinking and

strategies of others   

* Important Reasons to Promote Communicating

*Students construct meaning for themselves*Students clarify their ideas *Students speak to each other and write about

learning to reflect on their learning, self-monitor, and set goals*We can assess students by listening and reading

their ideas and understandings. We inform our practice based on what we learn about student understanding

8

*Piaget

*knowledge is constructed as the learner strives to organize his or her experiences in terms of pre-existing mental structures or schemas

*For today’s young adolescents, success in school and, later in college or the workplace will demand critical thinking skills and the ability to function as a team member within highly complex social systems….Students who frequently learn within well-structured cooperative environments will be better prepared for the challenges of today’s world.

* Igel & Urquhart, 2012

*Positive outcomes of three seconds of undisturbed wait time (when questioning) *Length and correctness of responses

increases*Number of “I don’t know” and “no answer”

responses decreases*Number of volunteered appropriate

answers increases*Student achievement increases*Teacher questioning quality, strategies and

flexibility improve*Teachers ask higher level questions that

require greater complexity of response

*The secret to successful teaching is being able to determine what students are thinking and then using that information as the basis for instruction. *Teachers learn what students are thinking

through student communication.*When students communicate…either orally or

in writing, they make their thinking and understanding clear to others as well as to themselves.

* -Ontario Ministry of Education

*How can we create a classroom environment that fosters an atmosphere of safe contribution and values communication?

*Class Norms

*How do we allow students to freely participate?*Take ownership of their ideas*Honour each others contributions?*Understand that we need to make mistakes in

order to learn?*Respect each others’ opinions and ideas?*Listen and dialogue with respect?*Persist?

*Give One Get One

*Inside-Outside Circle

*Talking Probes