Ahhh, the Ontario Learning Skills, bane of my existence! I have to report on them, so they must be squeezed in, but where? What gets squeezed out? Character Traits? "Social Justice Begins with You!"? DPA? A strand of math? Oral Language? Media Studies? So many "extra topics" must be addressed... it can be a challenge to know where and how to best do it all!
At the resquest of several recent emails, I am posting the Learning Skills activities, checklists and self assessments I and some of my colleagues at Dixie used last year. Although they are not perfect, they at least offer a starting point for collecting information on how students represent (or don't represent, as is sometimes the case) these important skills. Where possible, multiple copies per page are included, in an effort to save paper!
We would often begin by brainstorming the criteria for one of the learning skills, then posting said criteria around the room. Later, the teacher chooses one of the activities below for the students to complete. In addition, we take notes throughout the year on the teacher checklist on the left. These form the basis for our report card comments in the learning skills section. (Currently we use point form, however, in schools where I have been permitted to write in prose, I have included specific examples, taken from my anecdotal notes, to illustrate the more generic learning skills comment for each student.)
I hope that teachers find these resources helpful; please feel free to modify to suit the needs of your class. (Parents, these make a great starting point for your work with your children at home, too, if you are working on learning skills this year -- choose one a month to focus on, and revisit several times weekly, noticing efforts and improvements!)
At the resquest of several recent emails, I am posting the Learning Skills activities, checklists and self assessments I and some of my colleagues at Dixie used last year. Although they are not perfect, they at least offer a starting point for collecting information on how students represent (or don't represent, as is sometimes the case) these important skills. Where possible, multiple copies per page are included, in an effort to save paper!
We would often begin by brainstorming the criteria for one of the learning skills, then posting said criteria around the room. Later, the teacher chooses one of the activities below for the students to complete. In addition, we take notes throughout the year on the teacher checklist on the left. These form the basis for our report card comments in the learning skills section. (Currently we use point form, however, in schools where I have been permitted to write in prose, I have included specific examples, taken from my anecdotal notes, to illustrate the more generic learning skills comment for each student.)
I hope that teachers find these resources helpful; please feel free to modify to suit the needs of your class. (Parents, these make a great starting point for your work with your children at home, too, if you are working on learning skills this year -- choose one a month to focus on, and revisit several times weekly, noticing efforts and improvements!)
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