Background and Context for Schools Implementing Inquiry-Based Teaching and Learning through Action Research


All elementary schools in School District #68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) were invited to review the Literacy Action Research Project and nominate a team (more than one) interested in participating or investigating the concepts behind the project.

Showing the Way to Literary Success

SD 68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith

Literacy Action Research Project

Focus: what are the Key issues or questions to be investigated?

  1. Will student achievement increase as result ofeducators increasing their knowledge and routine use of the principles of Inquiry-Based Learning and Teaching by participating in an Action Research project that promotes teacher conversations and reflective inquiry?

Will this project result in increased student engagement and students taking ownership of their learning?

  1. Will this project result in the implementation of proven instructional strategies becoming embedded in the Inclusive “Balanced Literacy Classroom?
  1. Will participants expand their understanding of instructional strategies researched and proven to be effective for all learners?
  1. Will the implementation of the Inquiry-based Teaching and Learning integrated units of study result inan inclusive, safe environment where all students can learnand achieve the key understandings of the project?
  1. Will students provide evidence that they are engaged and motivated and will student develop a sense of ownership of their learning when explicit instruction and the gradual release of responsibility model of instruction is implemented on a daily basis?
  1. Can the “struggling reader” accelerate their rate of literacy learning so that they can reach fluency level and demonstrate mastery of the identified learning outcomes for the project?
  1. Can the AFL “Six Practices that Matter” become embedded in teacher and student practice? Will student e-portfolios of their inquiry include evidence of implementation of all six strategies? (see attached list of six strategies)
  1. Can explicit and direct instruction in instructional approaches result in students making interconnections between content area learning and other areas such as language arts numeracy, healthy learning and the arts?
  1. Can we increase the “engaged reading time” available during the school day so that students develop fluency? Students get better at reading by reading. (Allington)
  1. Can the project provide the multi-literacies multi-genres and other related types of resources needed to implement the Inquiry Based Integrated unit?
  1. Can teachers access quality, culturally relevant,, historically accurate and elder approved materials and resources that promote and include aboriginal perspectives across all curriculum areas? Will our aboriginal students enjoy increased over all academic achievement as well as feel that they belong and are valued in the community of learners?

Showing the Way to Literary Success

SD #68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith

What do we already know?

The Balanced Literacy Program

We already know reading in the intermediate and secondary grades continues to require explicit and direct instruction. Students also need daily opportunities to practice skills and strategies independently.

This balance between instruction and practice and gradual release of responsibility must be present in each of the following blocks of learning opportunities for the students:

  1. Guided Reading (Small group explicit instruction)
  2. Independent Reading
  3. Reading/Writing Connections in support of the Big Inquiry
  4. Home Reading Program (Increased eye-ball to print time)
  5. Literature Circles (Breaking boundaries with Global Literature)
  6. Reading Aloudand Mini-lessons in support of the Weekly goal or lesson intention/
  7. Structured opportunities that result in teachers and students implementing the six principles of Assessment for Learning
  8. Structure and guidance around opportunities for students to take ownership of their own learning through the inquiry work (Authentic student driven, lots of choice and multiple pathways to showing mastery of learning outcomes)

Content Area Reading Instruction

Typically educators have said that children first “learn to read” and then are able to “read to learn”. This line of thinking led us to talk and think about an area known as content reading (Herber, 1978, 1984). Though there is indeed a time when students are more focused on “learning to read”, which gradually gives way to “reading to learn”, the two tasks are neither mutually exclusive nor entirely sequential. Children develop literacy and use literacy to learn simultaneously (Well, 1986).

When educators provide ample scaffolding around metacognition, students develop the language or labels that help identify their complex thinking and learning processes.

Armbuster 1991 and Faye Brownlie (Webcast October 04 and Halbert and Kaser 09, provide principles and the mindset needed for supporting adolescents literacy growth.

These are some of the identified features that characterize schools that achieve high student achievement:

  1. Integrate reading (and all aspects of literacy) with content instruction. This integration should take place across disciplines and should focus on more holistic learning as opposed to the learning of isolated facts. This type of learning is in line with what we know about schema theory and how students construct meaning. It helps student build relationships and leads to greater transfer of knowledge and skill from one discipline to another.
  1. Increase opportunities for students to read informational texts throughout all levels of schooling. Students are very interested in such texts, but need more experience with reading and meaning construction in these different text structures.
  1. Provide students with experiences that will help them become strategic readers by scaffolding instruction and gradually releasing them to be responsible for constructing meaning from text. Model strategies using informational texts. And provide ways for students to apply their learning in authentic situations.
  1. Keep students actively learning by helping them focus on what to do before reading, during reading, and after reading. Help them learn to monitor their reading, build connections with old knowledge, and use writing to improve their construction of meaning.
  1. Increase opportunities for collaborative learning for students and teachers.
  1. Plan to support Professional Learning Communities and learning plans that ensure that all teachers gain the knowledge and learn the techniques needed to make these fine things happen.
  1. Provide easy access to master level educators expertise who model and provide explicit instruction in reading comprehension and study strategies across the curriculum.
  1. Teachers who understand the complexities of literacy learning,respect students’ differences, and respond to their characteristic strengths as well as their needs. Are likely to develop strong relationships with their students. This results in students feeling valued and that they belong.
  1. Black and William (1998) stated that “ Assessment explicitly designed to promote learning (Assessment for Learning) is the most powerful tool we have for deepening learning and improving student achievement”.
  1. A commitment to promoting and implementing the Six Big Practices of Assessment for Learning are also considered essential when creating literacy learning approaches that really matter to our students.and result in increased student achievement

SD 68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith

What do we wish to find out?

  1. Will supporting a school with resources and learning opportunities for peer coaching and reflective inquiry conversations result in increased student achievement?
  1. Will the “at-risk-students” demonstrate measurable and sufficient gains in becoming independent readers who can actively construct “meaning from printed and or electronically presented sources of information?
  1. Can we provide teacher in-service opportunities for the participating teams where they gain the knowledge and learn the techniques needed to implement Assessment for Learning strategies and the identified principles and practices that are identified as essential in supporting adolescent literacy?
  1. Will educator’s successful implementation of Inquiry-Based teaching and Learning result increased motivation and engagement of all learners, thus increasing student achievement?

Resources

Materials

  1. Provide resourcesthat can be booked for extensive time periods. These resources reflect inquiry-based learning approaches and all include resources to support the structures of the Balanced Literacy Classroom.

Resource Titles:

One Well One Earth;Water has the Power to Change Everything. What will you do to Save the World’s One Well?

Our Good Earth; Our Future rests with the Soil beneath our Feet: What will you do to Preserve our Soil?

Fun fitness and Physiology; Whatwill you do to Sustain life long Healthy Approaches to Living?

Fractured Fairy Tales: How does traditional and fractured literature contribute to your understand of Shared Responsibilities for All?

Travel Across Canada: What makes Canada unique and successful as a Country?

Early Contact, Early Canada; How does hearing the voices of Aboriginal Peoples through literature influence your Understanding of the Impact and consequences of Early Contact?

Canadian Historical Connections;Can you identify the geographic features of each area of Canada and how they influenced Canadian history?

Belonging and World Mindedness; What Kind of World Do You Want?

Every Day Heroes; How Can you Step Up and Make aDifference in your Community?

Free the Children;What Does “ME to WE” mean to you and how will you show evidence of your Understanding?

Stepping Up: What will you do to make a Difference?

Nelsons Literacy Launch Grade Seven – inquiry question to be created relevant to integrated unit theme chosen by the team.

Nelson Literacy Launch Grade Four – inquiry question to be created relevant to integrated unit theme chosen by the team.

Pearson Literacy in Action Grade Four – inquiry question to be created relevant to integrated unit theme chosen by the team.

Pearson Literacy in Action Grade Five – inquiry question to be created relevant to integrated unit theme chosen by the team.

Scholastic Literacy Place Grade Five – inquiry question to be created relevant to integrated unit theme chosen by the team.

Scholastic Literacy PlaceGrade Four – inquiry question to be created relevant to integrated unit theme chosen by the team.

Scholastic Literacy PlaceGrade Three – inquiry question to be created relevant to integrated unit theme chosen by the team.

Scholastic Literacy Place Grade Two – inquiry question to be created relevant to integrated unit theme chosen by the team.

Scholastic Literacy PlaceGrade One – inquiry question to be created relevant to integrated unit theme chosen by the team.

  1. School based workshop opportunities at the teams request:

Guided ReadingStrategy, Literature Circles , Information Circles, Shared Reading, Read-Alouds, Independent Reading, Writers’ Workshops and Assessment for Learning strategies.

  1. Co-ordinate resources from DRC to make maximum use of novel sets and other district materials that promote literacy learning.
  1. Help schools inventory their own resources to determine what materials and resources that they have that contribute to the Project Goals.
  1. Identify resources needed to track student achievement

Showing the Way to Literary Success

SD 68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith

People

A literacy project co-ordinator oversees the entire project

  1. Each school identifies their Literacy Team.
  2. Literacy Team members might include:
  1. Principals and teachers
  2. Support Services (Learning Assistant Resource Teacher)
  3. English as a Second Dialect Teacher – ESL Teacher
  4. Aboriginal Educational Assistant and Aboriginal Resource Teachers
  5. Special Education Educational Assistant
  6. Speech and Language Pathologists.
  7. Librarians
  8. Parents
  9. Volunteers
  10. Community experts or Elders.
  11. UDL specialists or technical support to support inclusive classroom goals.

Experiences/Activities

  1. Initial meeting to review the “Working Draft” Action Plan for the 2009-2010 year with Literacy Team Leaders. An invitation to participate is articulated at the Network Meeting.
  1. Examine and determine resources and materials provided for this project – purchase materials if school wants to create their own inquiry-based learning integrated unit. Establish a way to create the wish list for resources.
  1. Students and educators brainstorm additional resources that might contribute to the Inquiry Unit.

Showing the Way to Literary Success

SD 68 Nanaimo-Ladysmith

Support:whose support is needed to conduct this inquiry?

Direct: Project Co-ordinator

Classroom Teachers from each school site, Principal, Literacy Team Members, Support Services (L.A. Teacher), Aboriginal Teachers, Aboriginal Education Assistants.

Indirect:

Team Learning and Achievement Committee

Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent , Board of Trustees Education Committee, Network of Literacy Numeracy Leaders,

Parents, LiteracyNumeracy District Staff, Speech & Language Pathologists and Community Volunteers might be participants.

Plan:Identify a Project C0-ordinator. Project Goals reviewed with Team Learning and Achievement

April 30, 2009.

  1. Initiate an Action Planning meeting before May 2009
  1. Send materials to schools September 09.(See list of project titles)
  1. Request Pro-D topics or areas of need to District Coordinator.
  1. Provide Action Research incentive funds if school participates in Book Club Action Research. (500.00 for each site to come from Team Learning and Achievement See minutes from April 30, 2009.meeting)
  1. Investigate partnership and monetary support with VIU.
  1. Purchase and send books (Inquiring Minds Learn to Read and Write and Engaging readers and Writers with Inquiry, Jeffrey Wilhelm)that will be used for Teacher Book Club Groups
  1. Provide Background Context papers for perusal to all teacher participants in May 09. (see attachment) Look for all artifacts to support project available on line through ARC

FOCUS: WHAT ARE THE ISSUES OR QUESTIONS TO BE INVESTIGATED?(Team Lead Teacher Learning Log)

Focus Question / Reading/The Literature & How It
Relates To the Question:Notes and samples of evidence that the focus questions are implemented. Also personal transformations as a result of the collaborative planning and reflective conversations at your school.
  1. Can intermediate and secondary teachers:
  1. Increase their knowledge around explicit and direct teaching of reading comprehension?
  2. Implement proven reading strategies found in “Balanced Literacy Classes” at Intermediate & Secondary level?
  3. Expand their understanding of instructional strategies proven to be effective for all learners and that promote an inclusive safe environment where all students can learn.?

Focus Question / Reading/The Literature & How It
Relates To the Question: Notes and samples of evidence that the focus questions are implemented. Also personal transformations as a result of the collaborative planning and reflective conversations at your school.
2. Can the “struggling reader” accelerate their rate of literacy learning so that they can reach fluency level and or reach the expected level of reading achievement for their grade?
3. Can the “Principles of Assessment” FOR As and Of Learning be embraced in daily plans?
  1. Can we improve learning in the content areas and the ability of student to construct meaning and think critically?

  1. Can we create ways to increase the amount of engaged reading time available during the school day so that students develop fluency?

  1. Can the project provide adequate reading resources needed to implement guided reading and literature circles, shared reading,mini-lesson sequences, information circles, inquiry student generated projects?

7.Can teachers access quality reading materials and resources that promote and include aboriginal perspectives across all curriculum areas?
Focus Question / Reading/The Literature & How It
Relates To the Question: Notes and samples of evidence that the focus questions are implemented. Also personal transformations as a result of the collaborative planning and reflective conversations at your school.
Six Big Practices of Assessment for Learning Research informs us that AFL practices lead to significant gains in student achievement
Struggling learners make greater gains
AFL Practices are powerfully linked to student motivation and engagements
Learning Intentions:
Let students know (in language they can understand) what they are expected to learn.
Criteria:
Work with learners and colleagues to develop criteria so they know what quality looks like.
Focus Question / Reading/The Literature & How It
Relates To the Question: Notes and samples of evidence that the focus questions are implemented. Also personal transformations as a result of the collaborative planning and reflective conversations at your school.
Feedback:
Increase the amount of descriptive feedback and decrease evaluative feedback
Questions:
Increase teacher and student generation of quality questions to promote thinking and learning
Self and Peer Assessment:
Involve learners more in self and peer assessment.
Focus Question / Reading/The Literature & How It
Relates To the Question: Notes and samples of evidence that the focus questions are implemented. Also personal transformations as a result of the collaborative planning and reflective conversations at your school.
Ownership:
Have students see themselves as life long learners and strive to make learning authentic and community based.

The Literacy Action Research Project

Creating Successful Inquiry-Based Learning through Integrated Text Sets, Multi-Literacies and Multiple Pathways to Success.

The Literacy Project, with its focus on strategic approaches to teaching meaning and thinking in the Balanced Literacy Classroom, is not only an integrated Language Arts project, but it is intended to provide scaffolding and support for the Literacy team/ Professional Learning Community at each school.

The key word here is team. A Balanced Literary Approach involves goals and objectives that will likely impact on the whole school. For example: planning professional development opportunities, purchasing resources, creating leveled sets of literature, and building your school’s active participation in reading and implementing research-based strategies. Reviewing the Learning outcomes that will be addressed through the inquiry.is done as a collaborative activity