Creating inclusive, thinking classroomsFaye Brownlie & Leyton Schnellert
SD42
The Timeless Circle Sculpture by Susan Point
See, Think, Wonder
The Timeless Circle Sculpture by Susan Point
School Teams
¤ Where are we been?
¤ Inclusion
¤ Collaboration
¤ BC’s renewed curriculum
SD42 School Teams #sd42schoolteams
¤Where are we been?¤ Inclusion
¤ Collaboration
¤ BC’s renewed curriculum
¤ Where are we now¤ Literacy¤ Social Emotional Learning ¤ Self-Regulated Learning
Nurturing Learning in Inclusive Classrooms: Bringing Together Self-Regulated Learning and Social Emotional Learning
SD42
Leyton Schnellert, PhDUBC
@LeytonSchnell
Overview
Why Focus on SRL and SEL in Tandem?
Nurturing Learning in Inclusive Classrooms
Why Focus on SRL and SEL in Tandem?
What is Self-Regulated Learning?Lifelong learners are self-regulating learners (alone & with others!)
Self-regulating learners know how to control their thoughts, feelings, and actions to achieve personal goals and respond to environmental demands (Zimmerman, 2008)
Self-regulation describes "active," strategic learning
Individuals can take, and feel in control, over learning by deliberately and reflectively �self-regulating� their engagement in activities
Probing Deeper: What is SRL?
Metacognition
Strategic Action
Motivation & Emotion
SRL
Awareness of personal strengths and limitations; Using that self-awarenessto solve problems and cope with challenges
Choosing from a repertoire of strategies those best suited to the situation and applying them effectively and efficiently
Affective responses;Beliefs about ability; Willingness to try;Expectations for success
Overall Classroom EnvironmentActivities ... Supports ... Assessment/Feedback
An Integrative Model of Self-Regulation(Butler, Schnellert, & Perry, 2017)
Cycles of Self-
Regulated Activity
Planning
Interpreting Tasks
Monitoring
Adjusting
Enacting Strategies
History,Strengths,
Challenges,Metacognition,
Knowledge,Beliefs,
Agency
Butler, 2002; Butler, Schnellert., et al., 2011
Emotions & Motivation
Why is Self-Regulation Important?
Self-regulation predicts early school achievement more powerfully than IQ scores and knowledge of reading and math
Successful self-regulation in kindergarten predicts achievement through grade 6
Self-regulating learners are successful in and beyond school
Ø Higher motivation and confidence
Ø More productive thinking skills and strategies
Ø More task relevant behaviour
Ø Higher achievement
SRL and SEL Connections
Defining SEL
¤ Social and emotional learning is a set of skills and competencies needed for success in learning and in life. (CASEL.org)
¤ What skills and competencies do you want for your students when they graduate so that they are prepared to be successful in life? (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social)
Framework of SEL
Why is Social and Emotional Learning Important?
Academic achievement in Grade 8 could be better predicted from knowing children’s social competence 5 years earlier than from knowing grade 3 academic achievement (Caprara et al., 2000)
SEL Meta-Analysis (Durlak et al., 2004)Ø Increased social and emotional skills
Ø More positive attitudes toward self and others
Ø More positive social behaviors
Ø Fewer conduct problems
Ø Lower levels of emotional distress
Ø Significantly better academic performance
SEL is Embedded in the Core Competencies!
• Thinking Competencyo Critical thinkingo Creative thinking
• Communication Competency
• Personal and Social Competencyo Positive personal and
cultural identityo Personal awareness and
responsibilityo Social awareness and
responsibility
How can we create inclusive environments in which students feel they belong and are empowered to engage in rich forms of learning?
Nurturing Learning in Inclusive Classrooms
How can we foster safe & caring learning environments?
¤ Co-constructed values, norms for behaviour
¤ Physical space
¤ Relationships: Adult-student, peer-to-peer, adult-to-adult
¤ Discipline
¤ Instructional Practice
Social and Emotional Competencies
Programs & Practices
SEL Programs
Developing SEL skills/competencies in context
¤ Practices that support students’ opportunities to learn and apply social and emotional competence¤ Cooperative learning¤ Project-based learning¤ Problem-based learning¤ Place-based learning¤ Play-based learning¤ Inquiry-based learning¤ Cooperative-learning
¤ Explicitly developing students’ competencies within these approaches¤ Learning intentions, mini-lessons, gradual release of
responsibility, co-constructed criteria
Understanding Classroom ExpectationsDave Dunnigan (Coquitlam School District)
At the beginning of the year, Dave and his Grade 6/7 students go through a visioning process to create their learning community.
He asks students: what makes a great classroom? How are the students learning? How is the teacher teaching? How does everyone treat each other and interact with each other? What routines and expectations help us in our learning?
Creating a Safe Environment: An Emotional Literacy Charter
Designed to foster a safe emotional climate
¤ How do we want to feel as a community of learners?
¤ What can we do to support these feelings?
¤ How will we handle conflict or uncomfortable feelings?
(Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence)
Laura Singh, Brentwood Park, SD41
YOU are our best hope!Thank you on behalf of all the students
whose lives you will impact by the culture you build and the decisions you make!!
Class Profile: A Wide Variety of Experiences and Needs
One student diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome
One at-risk First Nations Student
Five other students with IEPs
22 ESL students
5 level 1
2-3 level 2
Schnellert, Watson & Widdess (2015)
Grade 5/6 Example: Writing Free Verse Poems
Building a Classroom Community
Practices educators used to build community in this example
Making Connections
How did the educators and students build the learning community to:• Respect all individuals• Value the students as
members• Recognize and accept
strengths and challenges• Accommodate diverse
interests and needs?
Lesson Sequence: Goals
Goals taken up, over time: To create students’ sense of belonging in a learning community
To support students to learn how to express their emotions and ideas in free verse poems
To promote students’ development of knowledge about Indigenous cultures and experiences
To foster students’ self-regulated approaches to reading and writing
To connect with an at-risk learner’s experiences
Leyton Schnellert & Nicole Widdess (2015)
A Series of Lessons (Spring)
q Interpret Tasks: What makes a good free verse poem?² Class reads examples² They generate criteria based on different samples
A Series of Lessons Supported Students to …
Schnellert & Widdess (2015)
q Generate content² Based on reading of poems and stories² Based on criteria for a good poem
q Read and write strategically² Generate and build from criteria² Try, articulate, try, refine strategies over time² Self-monitor progress and self-assess
Making ConnectionsHow did the goals of the lesson sequence align with Self-Awareness and Self—Management (Personal Awareness & Responsibility)?
Understanding the Task
Example: Identifying qualities of a good free verse poem
Schnellert & Widdess (2015)
Example: Whole class modeling & discussion
Schnellert & Widdess (2015)
Example: Students working together to identify writing criteria
Schnellert & Widdess (2015)
Example: Summarizing criteria as a whole class following on the small group activity
Schnellert & Widdess (2015)
Making Connections
How did this part of the lesson sequence provide opportunities to learn and apply • Social skills (i.e., building
consensus, negotiating)• Emotional literacy skills• Perspective taking &
empathy?
From Understanding the Task to Working with Criteria
Supporting Iterative Cycles of Strategic Action
It's not enough to clarify or co-construct learning intentions
Students need to build from criteria to guide their learning!To focus learningTo plan their actionsTo choose and use strategiesTo monitor progressTo redirect efforts as needed
What can teachers do?Generate criteria as a class
Build in opportunities for students to identify the demands of a task in relation to criteria
Require students to stop and check how their learning is going against criteria
Ask them to be specific about what they did that helped them to be successful
Ask what they can/will do in similar situations in the future
Butler, Schnellert & Perry, 2017
Example: Review Criteria Constructed with Students
Schnellert & Widdess (2015)
Example: A framework for generating content for a free verse poem (reflective of group generated criteria)
Schnellert & Widdess (2015)
Example: Class generates content for poems on residential schools
Schnellert & Widdess (2015)
Making Connections
How does co-constructing criteria foster • motivation and
engagement for learners?
• personal and social responsibility and personal awareness?
Building Personalized Strategies
Example: Constructing strategies for writing free verse poems, building from experience (and linked to criteria)
Schnellert & Widdess (2015)
Example: Constructing Strategies with Students
Schnellert & Widdess (2015)
Example: Constructing Strategies with Students
Schnellert & Widdess (2015)
Making Connections
How did this part of the lesson sequence support students to develop “metacognition” and a sense of agency over learning?
Example: Travis�drafts of his poem on residential schools
Schnellert & Widdess (2015)
Example: Travis�finished poem on residential schools
Schnellert & Widdess (2015)
Pulling it All Together
What do you take away from this poetry lesson example?
What are you already doing?
What else could you do?
Final Thoughts
¤ Start small… think big!
¤ Start with what you are already doing!
¤ High quality, inclusion-oriented teaching naturally provides opportunities to teach and apply social and emotional skills
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PLANNING #SD42SCHOOLTEAMS
Who are our learners? What are their strengths, stretches, and interests?
Who are some students we want to attend to … to help them engage? to find their strengths?
What is our shared goal? Where might we innovate?
What’s our plan?
Resources You Can Draw OnBrownlie, F., Feniak, C., & L. Schnellert (2006). Student diversity. Pembroke.
Butler, D. L., Schnellert, L., & N. Perry, N. (2016). Developing self-regulating learners. Don Mills, ON: Pearson.
Duriak, J. et al, (2015). Handbook of social emotional learning: Research and practice. http://www.casel.org/sel-handbook/
Davies, A. (2011). Making classroom assessment work. Solution Tree.
Davies, A. & S. Herbst (2013, June). Co-constructing success criteria. Education Canada.
Gregory, K., Cameron C., & A. Davies (2011). Setting and using criteria. (2011). Portage & Main Press.
Schnellert, L., Watson, L., & N. Widdess (2015). It’s all about thinking: Building pathways for all learners in the middle years. Portage and Main Press.