For Students and Their Families

Grand River Collegiate Institute COURSE OUTLINE For students and their families.

Course Name: Learning Strategies Course Code: GLE 3OI/4OI Prerequisite: Curriculum Document http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/ GLE 2OI/3OI COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course focuses on learning strategies to help students become better, more independent learners. Students will learn how to develop and apply literacy and numeracy skills, personal-management skills, and interpersonal and teamwork skills to improve their learning and achievement in school, the workplace and the community. This course helps students build confidence and motivation to pursue opportunities for success in secondary school and beyond. (As outlined in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12, Guidance and Career Education (2006).

ESSENTIAL LEARNINGS/EXPECTATIONS/SKILLS:

To be successful in this course you must be able to demonstrate all of the following skills:

 Adapt study techniques and test taking strategies to different subjects and test formats  Identify and apply appropriate reading skills and strategies to acquire and evaluate information from different written materials  Apply a variety of skills and strategies to improve written work  Identify and apply oral communications skills and strategies to improve interaction with others  Identify and apply appropriate numeracy skills and strategies and an understanding of personal finance skills required for the future  Identify and analyze personal learning styles in order to overcome academic and personal barriers  Identify resources available to support learning, daily living, and transition to post-secondary opportunities  Identify and use self-advocacy strategies  Compare and evaluate personal management skills to identify areas in need of improvement  Describe the personal and social factors that contribute to positive and negative stress  Demonstrate the use of interpersonal skills that contribute to achieving goals  Locate, select and summarize relevant education and career and job training which reflect workplace trends  Assess how well transferable skills and other personal information align with selected fields of work  Develop a resume and cover letter and maintain an updated portfolio  Demonstrate the ability to conduct self effectively in an interview

EVALUATION:

1. Ongoing Assessment & Evaluation: knowledge/understanding, thinking/inquiry, application communication, (tests, presentations, lab work, projects, assignments, daily work) 70%

2. Summative Evaluation:

 summative tests, projects, presentations, assignments 30%

Refer to the GRCI Web Site www.grc.wrdsb.ca for Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting Policies as well as Academic Honesty and Late Policies. UNITS/STRANDS:

Strand Description Weight # 70% 1 Learning Skills 15% - Students will develop Literacy Skills, Numeracy Skills and Learning Skills and Strategies, with an emphasis on preparation for the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) 2 Personal Knowledge and Management Skills 20% - Students will identify and implement a variety of personal management strategies such as self-regulation and healthy life style choices to manage internal and external influences as they directly impact reaching goals and achieving success 3 Interpersonal Knowledge and Skills 15% - Students will research employment trends and post-secondary opportunities while identifying and developing transferrable skills 4 Exploration of Opportunities 20% - Students will determine the essential skills required to begin the work search process to lead to a successful transition to post-secondary opportunities 5 Summative Weight - Project (30%)

Learning Skills:

In this course, students will be working towards attaining and applying Learning Skills. These are separate from the generic Learning Skills, which are outlined on the report card. They are recorded as “Excellent, Good, Satisfactory and Needs Improvement”. The six Learning Skills found on the report card are: Learning Skills Responsibility Organization o Fulfills responsibilities and commitments within the learning o Devises & follows a plan & process for completing work & environment. tasks. o Completes and submits class work, homework, and o Establishes priorities & manages time to complete tasks & assignments according to agreed-upon timelines. achieve goals. o Takes responsibility for and manages own behaviour. o Identifies, gathers, evaluates, & uses information, technology, & resources responsibly to complete tasks. Independent Work Collaboration o Independently monitors, assesses, & revises plans to complete o Accepts various roles & an equitable share of work in a group. tasks & meet goals. o Responds positively to the ideas, opinions, values, & traditions o Uses class time appropriately to complete tasks. of others. o Follows instructions with minimal supervision. o Builds healthy peer-to-peer relationships through personal & media-assisted interactions. o Works with others to resolve conflicts & build consensus to achieve group goals. o Shares information, resources, & expertise, & promotes critical thinking to solve problems & make decisions. Initiative Self-Regulation o Looks for and acts on new ideas & opportunities for learning. o Looks for & acts on new ideas & opportunities for learning. o Demonstrates the capacity for innovation & a willingness to o Demonstrates the capacity for innovation & a willingness to take risks. take risks. o Demonstrates curiosity & interest in learning. o Demonstrates curiosity &interest in learning. o Approaches new tasks with a positive attitude. o Approaches new tasks with a positive attitude. o Recognizes and advocates appropriately for the rights of self o Recognizes & advocates appropriately for the rights of self & & others. others.

Procedures:

Late and Missing Assignments: It is important for students to develop good personal management skills (such as time management and planning). These skills will be reflected in the learning skills area of the report card. It is expected that students will complete and submit all essential tasks as they are the opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning to the teacher.

Attendance: Attendance in classes is an important part of learning, and absences should be avoided. When a student is absent, a parent/guardian must call the school’s attendance line on the date of absence, or provide a note explaining the absence for the student to submit the following day. Students are responsible for what they missed during their absence.

Cheating and Plagiarism: It is important for students to do their own best work. Most assignments for this class are done within the classroom, observed by the teacher, and this helps to minimize the chances of cheating and plagiarism. In the event that cheating or plagiarism occurs, the following consequences may be implemented, in consultation with administration, depending on the situation:

1. The student may be required to redo all or part of the assignment or assessment.

2. The student may be required to complete an alternate assignment or assessment.

3. The student’s work may be treated as a missed assignment.

There may also be other consequences that are determined to be appropriate (e.g. detention, suspension, etc.) as per the school’s progressive discipline process. Parents/guardians will be informed about the infraction and the consequences.

Please refer to the school website: http://grc.wrdsb.ca/about/policies for more details on these policies and other academic procedures.

Signatures:

We encourage you to discuss the above document with your family. Once you have done so, please sign below indicating you have read and understand the requirements for successful completion of this course. Please return this sheet to your teacher. ______Student Parent/Guardian ______Date Date