Top things we have learned

in the 2012 2013 Literacy for All Community of Practice

10

10. Literacy is a life skill.

And participants added

Literacy:
includes reading, writing, listening, communicating is about quality of life is about independence communicating should be #1 supports social connections face time, texting transfers to so many areas!

Friendship and social skills are embedded in literacy. You can embed life skills like communication, personal management, socialization into literacy learning. Literacy is rooted in social interaction most important part of life!

9. Every student has the right to meaningful

and engaging learning experiences.

And participants added

Children need to be involved in choice of activities and ways to express their learning to meet their individual interests needs, challenges. Good instruction is good instruction need to think of same instruction for all students. This means every child regardless of cognitive/physical ability has the right and ability to learn (in different ways and to different degrees). Set the expectation/standard high, provide the opportunity for students to meet/achieve the expectation.

8. There are many ways to read a book or

write a story.

And participants added

Comprehension and expression are the important goals for some students that is something other than traditional paper/pencil reading and writing Technology opens up a lot of doors. e.g., use of Storymaker website to write stories, Tumblebooks for reading, Raz-Kids BookFlix is free through Learnalberta.ca Expand the definition of literacy beyond just reading and writing audio books (e.g., CDs, itunes, Victor Readers, etc.) Read/write through pictures The 2 Sisters talk about 3 ways to read a book

7. There are many ways to collect evidence

of student success.

And participants added

Portfolios are great ideas work samples, pictures, learner profiles! With students with significant disabilities we need to find alternative ways to assess their learning. Teacher observation is valid assessment Anecdotal notes are important for everyone! Outcome-based assessment gives a more well-rounded view of student achievement (and of teaching effectiveness too!) Use videos and pictures to collect student data Emergent Literacy Behaviours Checklist is a great starting point for assessment Conversations with our students provide valuable data!

6. Literacy skills build students ability to

communicate

And participants added

Also a FACT! Literacy is more than reading and writing
there are many ways to achieve the goal of literacy

We need to be cognizant of alternate ways to communicate (e.g., eye gaze, pictures, speaking) As literacies are developed, students will be better able to demonstrate the 3 Es ethical citizens, engaged thinkers with entrepreneurial spirit Literacy enhances students use of oral communication, sign language, and Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) Communication goals can be incorporated into literacy learning for students with complex communication needs

5. Teacher observation is a powerful

assessment tool.

And participants added

Teacher observation can be a way to collect data about
social/emotional growth (all observation) literacy behaviours growth in motivation how students are able to explain their thinking unprompted, natural assessment as a teaching tool (e.g., students can watch and learn from videos of themselves) for some students it is the primary assessment tool

Assessment should be used to guide future instruction/learning. Dynamic assessment procedures learning while assessing figuring out what supports and strategies will move learning forward. Make assessment it concrete through portfolios.

4. Good instructional practices are good

for all students.

And participants added

Quality instruction is good for all students All students benefit from structure, support ad a celebration of their successes Universal Design for Learning (UDL) benefits all students A solid foundation benefits all Yes!

3. Sometimes stepping back is the most

supportive thing you can do for a student.

And participants added

Stepping back:
allows students to take control of their learning gives students the chance to teach others about what they know and how they have learned. allows self discovery gives you time to really listen to what they are saying let the kids surprise you with how much they can do is a confidence booster assume competence gives choice

If we trust our studentsthey will meet our expectations Let them make mistakes and then provide as little support as possible to correct must be done in a safe environment Create a safe environment so its okay to step back.

2. As teachers, we all have a lot to learn

from one another.

And participants added

We can learn from others mistakes and experiences. We can share resources and strategies. We need time to learn together. We need structures and resources that allow us to learn together online communities, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Never stop learning! Have a growth mindset. Our learning should be responsive to what our students learning needs are. We dont always have to re-invent the wheel! Invite each other and our students to the research table talk about why is what we do important?

1. Were not only teaching our students,

were teaching others about how our students learn.

And participants added

Share strategies with school staff Create opportunities for students to teach other students Allows us to be models for other specials needs classroom Professional learning communities We can help students learn how they learn through the use of learner profiles and experimentation with different learning styles so they can see what works for them Communicating with and educating our parents to help build their capacity to focus on their childs progress and success (in relation to their personal growth)