Research New. Printer Sp
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
School-University Partnerships INNOVATIONS in Teaching and Learning Edited by Carol Rolheiser Teacher Education Program, OISE/UT School-University Partnerships INNOVATIONS in Teaching and Learning Edited by Carol Rolheiser Teacher Education Program, OISE/UT Published by the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE/UT) This document was edited by Carol Rolheiser Editorial and Production Team Heather Berkeley and Dawn Martin Design Tracy Choy, BTT Communications Copyright © 2005 Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE/UT) 252 Bloor Street West Toronto, Ontario M5S 1V6 416-923-6641 www.oise.utoronto.ca TABLE OF CONTENTS School/University Partnerships: Research into Practice INNOVATIONS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING 1 Carol Rolheiser Literacy 1. LINKS FOR LITERACY TUTORING PROJECT 3 Kathy Broad and Mary Lynn Tessaro 2. PORTFOLIO PEN PAL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM 5 Susan Schwartz and Anne Marie Chudleigh 3. INSPECTING CLASSROOM TALK 7 Larry Swartz 4. IMPROVING READING COMPREHENSION 9 Janette Pelletier, Elizabeth Morley, and Richard Reeve Technology 5. AN E-LEARNING CO-OPERATIVE WRITING PROJECT 11 John W. MacDonald and John A. MacDonald T 6. BUILDING A GLOBAL SCHOOL RESEARCH PROJECT—WEBSITE 13 Dick Holland Action Research/Improvement of Practice 7. REVOLUTIONIZING SCHOOL SCIENCE IN THE CLASSROOM 15 J. L. Bencze 8. ENHANCING STUDENT LEARNING IN MATHEMATICS THROUGH THE TEACHING/LEARNING CYCLE 17 Lynn Lemieux and John Mazurek 9. FROM STUDENT MODE TO TEACHER MODE: ACTION RESEARCH AND MINI-CONFERENCE 19 Bridget Harrison, Suzanne Molitor, and Mary Nanavati Equity, Diversity, Social Justice 10. LANGUAGE AND CULTURE SKILLS FOR NEW CANADIAN TEACHERS 21 Antoinette Gagné, Mira Gambhir, and Clea Schmidt 11. A CROSS-CULTURAL ESL INITIATIVE 23 Judy Blaney and Jennifer Rowsell 12. THE TRIBES PROJECT (YEAR 2) 25 Penny Ballagh and Karen Sheppard Art 13. WHOLE-SCHOOL/HIGH-TECH INSTRUMENTAL 27 MUSIC PROGRAM (PHASE 2) Cheryl Paige and Lee Willingham 14. GROWING COMMUNITY IN ARTS EDUCATION: FROM TEACHER EDUCATION TO THE CLASSROOM 29 Barbara J. Soren E-mail Addresses of Contributors 31 SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE School/University Partnerships: Research into Practice INNOVATIONS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING ➠ EDITOR Carol Rolheiser OBJECTIVES OF THE OVERALL INITIATIVE ➠ Build bridges between our field partners and OISE/UT’s initial teacher education program ➠ Improve the experience of students and associate teachers in host schools, as well as teacher candidates and instructors at OISE/UT RESEARCH PARTNERS OISE/UT Teacher Education Program and ➠ Contribute to the growing knowledge base of research Its Host Schools in the Greater Toronto and best practices in initial teacher education Area his publication is a celebration of teaching and learning and districts. As is evident in this publication, close and recent links with Thighlights the commitment that The Ontario Institute for Studies a range of schools and districts ensure productive connections in Education (OISE/UT) has made to innovation and partnership in between theory and practice in teacher education courses and field its teacher education program. OISE/UT, Canada’s pre-eminent experiences (see Janette Pelletier, Elizabeth Morley, & Richard faculty of education, has established an international reputation in Reeve “Improving Reading Comprehension”; and Cheryl Paige & all three areas of its mandate—teacher education, graduate studies, Lee Willingham, “Whole-School/High Tech Instrumental Music and research in education. Teacher education remains central to the Program, Phase 2”). vision and mission of the institution, with programs that are cohort- based, closely linked with schools, and committed to inquiry. RESEARCH-BASED AND RESEARCH-DRIVEN 2 At OISE/UT we generate research and provide leadership for The conceptual framework for the OISE/UT initial teacher education inquiry in Canada and beyond. We have developed targeted programs evolved over a lengthy period of continuous program strategies for sharing our research with practitioners (to influence improvement. The most current and fully developed statement of practice), with academics (to increase the knowledge base), with the conceptual framework is represented by a set of seven policy makers (to influence teacher education policy), and for principles: community outreach and advocacy. 1. Teaching Excellence An inquiry focus is also an important part of our work with teacher 2. Research-based and Research-driven candidates and field partners and is reflected in our curriculum and 3. Cohort-based Learning Communities assignments, for instance through action research. A number of 4. Coherence partnership projects described in the following pages illustrate this 5. Faculty Collaboration inquiry focus: Larry Bencze (“Revolutionizing School Science in the 6. School/Field/University Partnerships Classroom”); Lynn Lemieux & John Mazurek (“Enhancing Student 7. Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice Learning in Mathematics Through the Teaching/Learning Cycle”); and Bridget Harrison, Suzanne Molitor, & Mary Nanavati (“From Throughout this publication you will see evidence of these principles Student Mode to Teacher Mode: Action Research and Mini- in our work; they underlie and are evident in all our programs and Conference”). Such an inquiry orientation provides our graduates initiatives, although they may play out in somewhat different ways with a base for their own professional learning throughout their depending on the structure and design of the specific initiative. careers as they integrate theory and research in their professional practice. TEACHING EXCELLENCE 1 We model powerful instruction for our teacher candidates and COHORT-BASED LEARNING COMMUNITIES work to be recognized in the field for exemplary teaching, as well as 3 The program at OISE/UT is organizationally innovative, with exemplary research. Our commitment to differentiated staffing much of the delivery in cohorts. Groups of teacher candidates learn ensures that outstanding teachers come to us as permanent together for much of their program, a design strongly supported in lecturers, as well as seconded and contract instructors from school the teacher education research (Darling-Hammond, 2000). Based on SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE Teacher Education for the Schools We Need partnership activities strengthen the integration of theory and http://conference.oise.utoronto.ca/ practice, as evidenced in John W. MacDonald & John A. May 13-14, 2005 MacDonald’s article, “An E-Learning Co-Operative Writing Project.” Co-sponsored by OISE/UT and the EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE Ontario College of Teachers 7 Our commitment to these values provides evidence of our Media Partner TVOntario concern for equitable school environments for all and an honoring of human rights principles. As part of our ongoing efforts to better address equity and diversity needs, OISE/UT has also revamped the admissions process for teacher education and are examining the curriculum with a view to ensuring that themes of equity, diversity, strong partnerships with schools, cohorts support the quality of and social justice permeate all aspects of our program. The articles student experience, increase the sense of community, and allow us by Antoinette Gagné, Mira Gambhir, & Clea Schmidt (“Language to be more responsive to student needs. The cohort learning and Culture Skills for New Canadian Teachers”), and Judy Blaney & experience also models in action the kind of professional learning Jennifer Rowsell (“A Cross-Cultural ESL Initiative”) profile some of community found in “best practice” schools (Howey & Zimpher, this important work. 1989). Articles by Dick Holland (“Building a Global School Research Project—Website) and Penny Ballagh & Karen Sheppard (“The School/University Partnerships: Research Into Tribes Project, Year 2”) reflect partnership work within particular Practice Initiative OISE/UT program cohorts. The OISE/UT School/University Partnerships: Research into Practice initiative is one of many recent innovative projects in our teacher COHERENCE education program focused on building bridges between our field 4 Building coherence and avoiding fragmentation is a particular partners and the university. Initiated during the 2002 – 2003 challenge in any large teacher education program. Aiming at greater academic year, it provides awards of up to $2,000 to OISE/UT initial coherence while also maintaining a commitment to innovation, we teacher education instructors in recognition of exemplary projects stress links between theory and practice, constantly making intended to support and extend school/university relationships. connections and identifying unifying themes and patterns (see The awards are given by OISE/UT but supported through the Barbara Soren, “Growing Community in Arts Education: From School/University Partnership Fund. This Fund is made possible Teacher Education to the Classroom”). In core program through the generosity of our broader community associates— components, co-ordinators and instructors strive for coherence committed partners who care about quality education. The across programs, while within cohorts co-ordinators and instructors partnerships featured in this publication represent the results of strive to connect ideas and themes across the various courses. our second round of projects. This initiative is currently in its third year of operation, thanks to continued resources