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 to bring these FACULTY COLLABORATION ideas alive. 5 It is through a high level of faculty collaboration that the other principles are made possible—in such a large program, people have Innovation Sparks Further Innovation to work together to build coherence and ensure a solid high quality We hope the ideas presented in this publication will help spark program that will prepare teacher candidates well (Fullan, 2001). ideas for you in your own partnership work. Innovation is about Practical examples of such collaboration include team-teaching for altering current practices, trying new ideas or methods, and thinking classes, planning by cohort/subject teams, mentoring, working outside of the box. The authors of the following articles, OISE/UT collaboratively with graduate students, and sharing of resources and instructors and field partners, are innovators. Through dialogue, expertise to offer specialized knowledge and skill in areas such as hard work, dedication, and interaction, these educators have taken assessment, information technology, and English as a second action to explore new terrain and impact the opportunities for the language. Kathy Broad & Mary Lynn Tessaro (“Links for Literacy students in their care. They hope their innovation will spark further Tutoring Project”) and Susan Schwartz & Anne Marie Chudleigh innovation by others. (“Portfolio Pen Pal Partnership Program”) provide two such examples of faculty collaboration that strengthens partnership References work. Darling- Hammond, L. (2000. Studies of excellence in teacher education: Preparation at the graduate level. Washington: American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. SCHOOL/FIELD/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS Howey, K., & Zimpher, N. (1989). Preservice teacher educators‚ role programs 6 The wisdom of field practitioners and the knowledge of for beginning teachers. The Elementary School Journal, 89(4), 450–470. university researchers and instructors can be combined to create Darling-Hammond, L., & Sykes, G. (Eds.). (1999). Teaching as the learning more diverse and successful ways of impacting the learning of profession: Handbook of policy and practice. San Fransciso: Jossey-Bass. students. We connect courses and field experiences through many Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. innovative and lively approaches, going well beyond practicum experiences to invite guest lecturers from the field, arrange much joint professional development with schools and school districts (see CAROL ROLHEISER is the Associate Dean, Teacher Larry Swartz, “Inspecting Classroom Talk”), and sponsor small grants Education, OISE/UT. for joint research projects that bring faculty and field together. This publication series demonstrates an array of joint work. Such

2• Innovations in Teaching and Learning Literacy LINKS FOR LITERACY TUTORING PROJECT

➠ PROJECT CO-ORDINATORS Kathy Broad and Mary Lynn Tessaro

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ➠ To support teacher candidates in making theory-practice connections in literacy instruction through tutoring

➠ To facilitate development of a repertoire of instructional RESEARCH PARTNERS skills and strategies for teacher candidates Huron Street Public School and Palmerston Avenue Public School, ➠ To assist struggling literacy learners in schools to Toronto District School Board develop literacy skills Mid-Town Elementary Option, OISE/UT Teacher Education Program

esearch suggests that carefully structured field experiences, such Data Collection and Analysis Ras tutoring programs, assist teacher candidates to become Data were collected through surveys of the teacher candidates, the effective literacy teachers. Teacher candidates who have a solid students, and the associate teachers. Focus groups and interviews grounding in the practical and theoretical aspects of literacy were held with teacher candidates. Teacher educators made teaching are able to combine these elements in everyday practice anecdotal notes of observations and examined artifacts, such as the when they begin to teach. To explore the value of supervised and tutoring action plans. The interview transcripts, focus group scaffolded field experiences, the tutoring program was designed to information, artifacts and surveys were analyzed for repeated address the following questions: comments and themes and for change over time. • Can supported fieldwork such as tutoring assist teacher candidates to prepare for literacy teaching? In the first year, positive outcomes evident in the data included the • What are the benefits of a tutoring program for students, recognition of the importance of relationship in responsive teaching, associate teachers, and the school community? the need to find and utilize student strengths and interests, increased awareness of strategies for reading comprehension and Stages of the Project fluency, and understanding of the elements of a balanced literacy In the first year, Primary/Junior teacher candidates at OISE/UT program. Clear themes for change which emerged included: unclear received instruction in literacy assessment and instructional criteria for selecting students for the tutoring program; concerns strategies. Literacy assessment tools, such as the Observational about the infrequency of sessions due to practice teaching; lack of Survey (Clay), the Survey of Book Knowledge, the Developmental two-way communication between tutors and associate teachers; and Reading Assessment, and Interest Inventories were used. the need for support and direction for tutors in the areas of informal Instructional strategies and practices based on Cunningham, Clay, assessment, matching books to readers, and selecting appropriate Booth, and Fountas and Pinnell were taught and modelled (e.g., strategies. strategies for self-monitoring and checking, strategies for self- correction, using CLOZE procedures, strategies for encouraging use of all cueing systems, etc.). As tutors, the teacher candidates THE PROJECT IN BRIEF provided weekly communication regarding their observations of Primary/Junior teacher candidates in an elementary pre-service each student’s progress in reading, writing, and word study. cohort engaged in weekly tutoring sessions with an individual struggling literacy learner from Grades 2–6 at one of two partner In the second year, the weekly individual tutoring sessions schools. Teacher candidates were trained in strategies to enhance continued; however, the timeline was amended to include additional reading comprehension, fluency, word attack, and writing skills. time for informal assessment and to minimize the impact of the two They developed responsive action plans focused on reading, practice teaching blocks. Teacher candidates provided more writing, and word study from observations, informal detailed and definitive action plans to the associate teachers at a assessments, collaborative discussions, and literacy resources. professional sharing session at the end of the program. At this After implementation, plans were shared with associate teachers. session, the tutors shared concerns, ideas, and strategies under Data in the form of surveys, interviews, and artifacts collected consideration, and the supervisors provided feedback on these from the teacher candidates, the students, and the associate action plans. teachers indicated positive outcomes of the tutoring.

SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE In the year-end survey, 100% of teacher candidates ■ Teacher Candidates said … surveyed … Instructional Strategies “I believe that we need to teach reading and writing skills • could list three or more instructional strategies to specifically. For example, when students are reading and they develop fluency and comprehension, stumble, they should be aware of strategies they can use for help; • could identify three or more literacy strategies for e.g., re-read, look up the word in the dictionary/on the Internet, use with the whole class, ask a friend, guess from context.” •articulated core beliefs about literacy that reflected Implications for Teacher Education knowledge of a balanced literacy program … As teacher educators we are encouraged by the positive outcomes of the tutoring initiative and we are committed to offering supported field experiences for our teacher candidates. We see this as a productive step in helping teacher candidates make theory/practice connections. Indeed, elementary initial teacher educators at OISE/UT In the second year, positive results continued for students and are exploring ways to incorporate additional field-based experiences teacher candidates. Areas for improvement included increased for teacher candidates in the Primary/Junior Experience course. communication and sharing among tutors, more frequent connection with the associate teacher, increased emphasis on As Worthy and Patterson (2001) suggest, “intensively supervised assessment and targeted instructional strategies. Further information field-based experience is the most effective way of learning to regarding impacts is recorded below. teach” (p. 336). Having opportunities to practice in the field with this support and scaffolding makes a difference. Impact We strongly believe that this tutoring project benefited all Next Steps and New Questions stakeholders. The students received individualized and responsive Although we continue to see clear benefits from tutoring for all teaching to address particular literacy concerns. Associate teachers participants, we are still refining our program. We plan to provide had support for struggling students. Teacher candidates learned additional resources in assessment and instruction in a tutoring strategies for effective literacy teaching. Additionally, the teacher handbook for teacher candidates and associate teachers. We will educators observed highly appropriate, targeted strategies being continue to strengthen communication between teacher candidates used with students based on individualized action plans. Teacher and associate teachers by increasing the number of sessions for candidates could identify evidence of progress in a variety of areas sharing action plans, successful strategies, and questions. (e.g., confidence, increased student metacognition apparent in knowledge of strategies for meaning making in reading, and interest New questions also arise from these interventions: and engagement). 1. Does the handbook improve the quality of program provided by our candidates? ■ Students said … 2. What is the impact of increased sharing among the teacher Knowledge of Reading and Writing Strategies candidates and between teacher candidates and associate “I now know what to do when I don’t understand a word.” teachers? “I learned about the magic e.” “I know how to sound out the words for spelling.” Acknowledgements Thanks to the students and staff at Huron Street Public School and Improved Attitudes Towards Reading and Writing Palmerston Avenue Public School. “I think my writing is getting better.” “I think that reading is much more fun.” References Booth, D. (1998). Guiding the reading process. Markham: Pembroke. Metacognitive Understanding of Literacy Processes Clay, M. (2000). Running records for classroom teachers. Aukland: Heinemann. “I learned that words can sound the same but have different Cunningham, P. (1995). Phonics they use. New York: Harper Collins College meanings.” Press. “In my classroom I will use my predicting skills.” Fountas, I., & Pinnell, G. S. (1996). Guided reading. Portsmouth: Heinemann. Worthy, J. & Patterson, E. (2001). “I can’t wait to see Carlos”: Preservice ■ Associate Teachers said … teachers, situated learning, and personal relationships with students. Evidence of Student Progress Journal of Literacy Research, 33(2), 303–344. “My student is rehearsing her reading more and looks/volunteers more often to read aloud in the classroom. She participates more in higher level discussions around literature.” KATHRYN BROAD is the Director of the Elementary “I think my students are more conscious of what they should Teacher Education Program, OISE/UT. work on.” “I have noticed that my student has more confidence in reading aloud and writing/spelling.” MARY LYNN TESSARO is the Co-ordinator of the Mid-Town Elementary Option at OISE/UT and is on secondment from the Toronto Catholic District School Board.

4• Links for Literacy Tutoring Project Literacy PORTFOLIO PEN PAL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM

➠ PROJECT CO-ORDINATORS Susan Schwartz and Anne Marie Chudleigh

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ➠ To increase teacher candidates' understanding about language programming, writing, assessment, portfolios, and child development

➠ To provide elementary students with authentic writing RESEARCH PARTNERS experiences and an audience for their work Grade 2/3 Students, Toronto District School Board P/J Teacher Candidates, Elementary Teacher Education Program, OISE/UT

eacher candidates in OISE/UT’s Elementary Teacher Education were engaged with the primary students in creating their portfolios. TProgram were pen pals with primary students over the course of The Portfolio Organizer: Succeeding with Portfolios in Your an academic year. This project focused on writing and portfolio Classroom (Rolheiser, Bower, & Stevahn, 2000) was used as a assessment, since both groups created growth portfolios and shared resource for the implementation of portfolios by both teacher these when they met. This pen pal project was based on similar educators and the Grade 2/3 teacher. Both sets of learners also ones implemented by Berrill and Call (2000). In their book, Pen Pal used the 3 R’s framework “retell, relate, reflect” (Schwartz & Bone, Programs in Primary Classrooms, they describe their experiences in 1995) as a support for thinking and written reflections. During partnering teacher candidates with primary grade students, and OISE/UT classes, teacher candidates received input on literacy provide insights and recommendations for fostering communities of programming, portfolios, and assessment. Each teacher candidate readers and writers. This project was also based on the work done kept a binder of his/her pal’s writing, and reflected on and assessed by Grade 2 teacher, Shari Schwartz, and Grade 10 teacher, Barb this student’s growth and development over the year. Bower, who partnered their respective students in a similar Portfolio Pals project. Data Collection and Analysis Data were collected from the teacher candidates at the beginning of The participants in this research study were 30 Primary/Junior (P/J) the project in the form of an informal reflection asking them to write teacher candidates who attended a Bachelor of Education program what they knew, what experiences they had had, and what they at OISE/UT in 2002–2003. The elementary students were in Grade wanted to know about Grade 2/3 students, about student writing 2/3, and their teacher was a first year teacher and recent graduate and assessment, and about pen pal programs. They were invited to of the same initial teacher education program as the teacher candidates in this study.

The primary objective of the project was to investigate the potential THE PROJECT IN BRIEF impact of engaging in a pen pal project linking pre-service teachers In this school-university partnership project, which focused on and primary students where both sets of partners develop a writing and portfolio assessment, teacher candidates were portfolio as part of their program requirements. partnered with elementary students. These Portfolio Pals wrote letters back and forth, as well as developed portfolios. The Stages of the Project research question was, “How would this project impact all Teacher candidates in the pre-service program wrote letters to the partners?” Results of this study were positive, with teacher Grade 2/3 students six times throughout the 2002–2003 year, as well candidates learning a great deal about language programming, as meeting with one another at the beginning and end of the writing, assessment, portfolios, and child development. For the program. The primary students created growth portfolios containing students, having an adult pen pal provided them with a purpose writing samples and reflections, organized around the different for writing and a genuine audience for their work. writing forms (i.e., letter writing, recount, narrative, explanation, Recommendations are shared for teacher education report, exposition, procedure, and poetry). The teacher candidates programs and further research. created academic professional portfolios at the same time as they

SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE include portfolio entries about the project throughout the year, and Impact on Future Teaching at the end of the year, they were asked to submit a reflection two Although none of the novice teachers implemented a formal pen weeks after the final meeting with their student pals. In this pal program during their first year of teaching, all of them reported reflection, teacher candidates were encouraged to “retell” the that they intended to implement it the following year. An interesting experiences that impacted on them the most, “relate” their feelings finding is that most of them had involved their students in letter- and make connections to their philosophy, practice, experiences, writing with real audiences, and mentioned that this was important and professional readings, and “reflect” by sharing their insights in motivating and encouraging students to write. The project was about the project, and their thoughts about writing, assessment, also useful in building deeper understandings about child portfolios, and/or child development. development since it gave them the opportunity to observe one student’s growth over the year, as well as gain first-hand experience Further data were collected from the teacher graduates, now first- with diversity in a primary classroom. year teachers, in June 2004. These novice teachers responded to an e-mail message sent out by one of their instructors/project This project provided extended opportunities for teacher candidates investigators in which they were asked questions one year later to interact with students in schools for a period beyond what is about the impact of the Portfolio Pals program on their teaching. Six possible in a four-week practicum. Teacher candidates are able to responses to this message were received. Data gathering using this witness growth over time and child development theories in action. method was limited for a number of reasons, including, the e-mail Teacher candidates’ use of assessment strategies are strengthened message was sent at the beginning of June, which may not have when they are able to assess students’ ongoing work over the been the best time, especially for new teachers who may have been course of nine months. overwhelmed with end-of-year tasks. Data were also collected from informal interviews and written reflections from the Grade 2/3 Next Steps and New Questions teacher, two parents, and the school principal. First-hand experiences with pen pal programs, combined with a focus on portfolio assessment and reflection, along with assessment Impact Within the School of student writing over time, have potential benefits for teacher Overall the project was a success. The Grade 2/3 teacher confirmed candidates as future teachers. The addition of technology, such that she grew in her own ability to articulate her developing as the use of electronic portfolios and e-mail communication, practices, and her teaching became an open book for the teacher would facilitate more frequent communication between pals candidates as she responded to their many and varied questions and would provide the added benefit of increasing technology over the year. Having an adult Portfolio Pal provided her primary skills for all. students with a purpose for reading and writing, and writing became the backbone of her literacy program. Letters from the teacher Acknowledgements candidates provided scaffolding support for the young reader/ Thanks to Helen Diack, Sean Fazl, Jackie Hodgson, Ayesha Mondal, writers as many of them used the adult letters as a base for their and Sharon Basman, at Pineway Public School, Toronto District responses. They had a genuine audience for their work, which School Board; and Shari Schwartz and Barb Bower, whose innovative increased their motivation to read and write. The visits were a Portfolio Pals project provided the spark that initiated this program. highlight of the program, and parents who volunteered on the trip, and those who were regularly informed through class and school References newsletters, were equally pleased with their children’s motivation Berrill, B., & Call, M. (2000). Pen pal programs in primary classrooms. and enthusiasm. Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishing. Rolheiser, C., Bower, B., & Stevahn, L. (2000). The portfolio organizer: Impact on Teacher Candidates Succeeding with portfolios in your classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. This partnership program increased teacher candidates’ professional Schwartz, S. & Bone, M. (1995). Retelling, relating, reflecting: Beyond knowledge about writing, portfolios, assessment, and the the 3 R’s. Nkomis, FL: Nelson Publishing. development of students. Involvement in this project also broadened their awareness of assessment and evaluation as they observed and assessed the growth of writing in their correspondence with their Portfolio Pals over the course of the year. Their first-hand implementation of their own professional portfolios and their bird’s eye view of student portfolios enhanced their understanding of portfolio assessment with its focus on reflection. SUSAN SCHWARTZ is currently teaching with the Masters of Teaching two-year program at OISE/UT and is on secondment from the Toronto District School Recommendations included more frequent visits and sharing of Board. letters, more in-class time to assess student writing, and even more sharing on the teacher’s part of her planning and preparations regarding the lessons she delivered to her students and the ANNE MARIE CHUDLEIGH has 13 years of experience subsequent student work samples that were produced. Adding a as a teacher educator in Elementary Teacher Education technology focus was mentioned by many as a recommendation for at OISE/UT. She is currently teaching in two elementary the future. options.

6• Portfolio Pen Pal Partnership Program Literacy INSPECTING CLASSROOM TALK

➠ PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR Larry Swartz

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ➠ To introduce and promote strategies that can be used to incorporate talk as a response to literature in a variety of curriculum areas

RESEARCH PARTNERS ➠ To have teacher candidates and associate teachers consider Jesse Ketchum Public School, criteria for analyzing and assessing student talk Toronto District School Board ➠ To promote an understanding of program organization Primary/Junior Teacher Candidates, issues as teacher candidates and associate teachers have Central Option, OISE/UT Teacher students work in pairs, small groups, and in whole class Education Program contexts

n an address to over 400 teachers in the fall of 2002, literacy PHASE TWO: Partnership with Jesse Ketchum Public School Iexpert Marie Clay, founder of the Reading Recovery Intervention 1. Professional development session with staff Program, made the claim that “we need to create the need to 2. Demonstration lessons in classrooms by the OISE/UT instructor produce language … we need to tempt the child to have something and project co-ordinator to say.” Our “Inspecting Classroom Talk” research was designed to 3. Meetings with associate teachers in the project to plan, develop, help participants examine what children are talking about, what they and reflect on the research might talk about, and what learning is happening as they share their thinking aloud with others. PHASE THREE: The Focus Research Group Those placed in a primary or junior classroom at the school in either This project allowed us to enrich the practice of teacher candidates the first or second term developed an action plan to conduct as they contemplated the significance of oral language research. This included sharing talk strategies, sharing articles, development in a variety of curriculum areas. Our research was resources and literature, observing and analyzing demonstration framed by three key questions: lessons, preparing short transcripts of child conversations, and 1. How can teachers develop a classroom that is an inclusive planning lessons that structure meaningful talk activities in learning environment? curriculum areas as needed. 2. What strategies can be used to promote talk in the classroom? 3. How might a research project build a partnership between an PHASE FOUR: Sharing the Findings initial teacher education program and host schools? Teacher candidates shared their inquiry projects with other members of the Central Option not involved in the project. Their research Stages of the Project was documented in a written report presented to the project PHASE ONE: Talk in the Central Option The Primary/Junior teacher candidates in the Central Option at THE PROJECT IN BRIEF OISE/UT were provided with instruction that introduced the topic of talk. The course work lessons offered teacher candidates frameworks This project was researched at a new host school for the for a talk curriculum that included: OISE/UT Elementary Central Option. With the support of the 1. Social Talk school principal, a partnership was built between OISE/UT 2. Task Talk and the school to research talk in the classrooms. The project 3. Scripted Talk co-ordinator introduced teacher candidates and associate 4. Formal Talk teachers to frameworks for talk as a learning medium, supported 5. Drama Talk associate teachers by demonstration lessons in the classroom, 6. Book Talk and offered contexts for teacher candidates to conduct research by collecting and analyzing data during their practicum sessions. Demonstration lessons and co-operative activities were structured in Tw o separate opportunities were set up for participants to talk class to promote talk as a response to literature in a variety of about talk and transcripts of these sessions revealed curriculum areas. significant insights gained by this inquiry.

SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE “Children need talk in order to symbolize, structure, “The research enriched my program and gave me something regulate and give meaning to experience ...” specific to think about, to reflect on.” “I think talking well is a skill that needs to be taught in terms — David Booth (1994, p. 248) of forming a well-rounded language base. There’s also listening skills. A lot of people have never been taught the skill of conversation. I like that this research helped the students think about being good speakers and listeners.” co-ordinator. A further opportunity to share findings was given by Implications for Teacher Education arranging a meeting with teacher candidates in another option. Reflection was also promoted in two tape-recorded sessions with This research helped build collaborative school/university associate teachers and teacher candidates. partnerships since it directly linked the initiatives of our teacher education program with practice in the schools as teacher Data Collection and Analysis candidates and associate teachers worked together to develop lessons that involved talk and enriched collaboration. One of The data and analysis collected for this research considered: the highlights of this research was the opportunity to have the 1. An overview of talk in the culture of the associate teacher’s OISE/UT teacher educators work inside the school by providing classroom demonstration lessons, offering professional development sessions 2. Demonstration lessons presented by the project manager and meeting with associates individually and in small groups. The 3. Conversations promoted by lessons developed by each of the nature of the project promoted mentoring of teacher candidates teacher candidates and associate teachers through demonstration and modeling. 4. Final reflections about the research and implications for future Associate teachers were provided with a variety of resources and practice. strategies gathered and developed by the project manager and/or teacher candidates in order to build their repertoires of instructional Each teacher candidate collected data that included transcripts techniques. The professional development and dialogue that of conversations offered in lessons that were developed by the emerged from this project helped associates and teacher candidates participants. Teacher candidates assessed what the students said reflect on their own practice and take action to improve practice. according to categories of talk, such as social talk, task talk, etc., and analyzed how talk reveals thought. Each of the teacher Next Steps and New Questions candidates involved with the project presented a report on their investigations. From the comments of the associate teachers, the papers and oral presentations from the teacher candidates, and their personal Impact reflections, it is evident that “Inspecting Classroom Talk” was a Teacher Candidates meaningful research project in which the key questions were addressed. My interest in literacy development strongly recognizes An agreement was established with teacher candidates who the world of talk. I would like to further explore this issue by sharing requested a placement at Jesse Ketchum that would have them the research, providing literature, frameworks, and further explore talk as part of their action research inquiry component of demonstration lessons for faculty and field teacher educators. Next their Teacher Education Seminar course. Candidates were required steps would include a focussed inspection of a particular genre of to present their research as well as inform others in the option about classroom talk. My interest in drama and literature might offer an the lessons, strategies, assessment criteria, and reflections. Sample opportunity to refine the research and consider ”Inspecting Role comments included: Talk through Novels.“ It is also my hope to expand the research by involving participants in other Central Option host schools “I’ve heard some teachers say ‘It’s too noisy’ or ‘Stop talking’ and across OISE/UT’s initial teacher education program. but I think I would allow it. This inquiry helped me understand that kids are learning from each other when they talk.” Acknowledgements “Just as students have to harness their ability to know what to For making this research possible, we thank Linda Perez, Principal, say and when to say it, so do we as teachers. The way we Jesse Ketchum Public School, the students and teachers at Jesse speak to children can result ultimately in their participation Ketchum Public School, and the associate teachers in the Central and involvement, especially when it comes to talk.” Option.

Associate Teachers References Associate teachers were provided with a variety of resources and Booth, D. (1994). Classroom voices. Toronto, ON: Harcourt Canada. strategies gathered and developed by the project manager and/or other associate teachers in order to build their repertoire of instruction. As an outgrowth of this project, the associate teachers were able to share their resources and learning with others in the school who were not directly involved in the project. The LARRY SWARTZ is an instructor in the Teacher professional development sessions and the informal conversations Education Program and the principal of dramatic arts in about the research indicate that teachers were able to reflect on the Continuing Education Program, both at OISE/UT. their own practice and take action to improve practice. Sample comments included:

8• Inspecting Classroom Talk Literacy IMPROVING READING COMPREHENSION

➠ PROJECT CO-ORDINATORS Janette Pelletier, Elizabeth Morley, and Richard Reeve

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ➠ To carry out collaborative school-wide research and instructional improvement innovation that had reading comprehension as its focus in the Institute of Child Study Laboratory School at OISE/UT

➠ To define and assess reading comprehension at each RESEARCH PARTNERS grade and implement teaching interventions developed OISE/UT Researchers by teachers and their initial teacher education interns OISE/UT’s Institute of Child Study to improve reading comprehension in JK–Grade 6 Laboratory School Teachers students

he overall aim of this school-university partnership project was to specifically addressed, including the validity of the CTBS and Timprove reading comprehension instruction. Over the past 20 specific interventions. years, the many advances in reading comprehension have had relatively little impact on practice (Dowhower, 1999). This may have Data Collection and Analysis come about due to the persistence of a traditional lesson format Through small-group discussions and whole-staff meetings, four that features a question-answer dialogue (Pearson & Gallagher, main areas of research interest surfaced: story retelling, phonological 1983). Durkin (1993) found that these lessons typically did not skill training, reading for meaning, and understanding figurative include reading comprehension skills or strategies; teachers were language. “more interrogators than instructors.” When teachers model explicit strategies, these behaviours become mastered and automatic in 1. STORY RETELLING: JK, SK, Grade 2, Grade 3 children’s reading (Brown & Palincsar, 1989; Dowhower, 1999; It was found that giving JK/SK children opportunities to Thurlow & van den Broek, 1997). This study builds on the articulate their understanding of stories enhanced their ability to recommendations in the literature by paying explicit attention to understand and use narrative structure and retain important plot “teaching” reading comprehension through the classroom details. Grade 2 students showed an increase in their ability to interventions that were designed to target the developmental identify and articulate elements such as changes, setting, and needs of the children. movement through time and to use these elements to give structure and coherence to their class writing. Grade 3 Stages of the Project struggling readers learned how to use graphic organizers to STAGE 1: Teachers at OISE/UT’s lab school, the Institute of Child develop an understanding of three components of narrative Study, defined reading comprehension and strategies to improve it; structure—characters, setting, and plot to improve teachers also asked about the validity of the Canadian Test of Basic comprehension. Skills (CTBS) as a measure of reading.

THE PROJECT IN BRIEF STAGE 2: All JK–Grade 6 children in the lab school were “pre-tested” on a battery of standardized and experimental literacy measures. The definition of reading comprehension served as a basis for this school-wide research: what reading comprehension looks STAGE 3: Pre-test results were fed back to the school by the faculty like and how it is assessed across the grades. All children from researcher; teachers and their interning teacher candidates designed JK–Grade 6 (n=180) from OISE/UT’s laboratory school, the and implemented teaching interventions to improve reading Institute of Child Study, were administered standardized and comprehension. Interventions were tracked and recorded in a variety experimental literacy tasks at the beginning and end of the of media formats including Knowledge Forum databases, video study. Teachers and teacher candidates designed and recordings, and journals. implemented specific teaching interventions to improve reading comprehension. Results showed that gains in STAGE 4: All children in the school were “post-tested” the following children’s reading comprehension were related to specific year to track gain scores. Several research questions were classroom teaching interventions.

SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE 2. PHONOLOGICAL SKILL TRAINING: Grade 1 Data for children in Grade 1, for example, show a marked The lower level readers in Grade 1 received 15 minutes of improvement in word attack skills for those who received the explicit phonological training every day. The training targeted such phonological training. These children also showed a significant decoding pre-requisites as phonemic awareness, letter-sound improvement in the Passage Comprehension task. In Grade 3, connections, segmenting, and blending skills. Children receiving children in the lowest reading group made a significant improvement this training quickly became able to read decodable books. on the Fables Task and on the Passage Comprehension task. We are currently analyzing the data to examine predictors and correlates of 3. READING FOR MEANING: Grade 4 children’s reading comprehension within grades and over time. Based on strategies for reading non-fiction text to find information, this model of “reading for meaning” was used to Implications for Teacher Education improve deep comprehension of fiction. The Institute of Child Study Masters of Arts teacher candidates directly benefited from their involvement in the initiative. Their ideas 4. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE—IDIOM STUDY: Grade 5/6 and lessons received informed feedback from associate teachers, Students examined how idioms might enhance reading and both groups had the benefit of literature reviews as well as comprehension. direct participation in the research itself. Teachers at the the OISE/UT Institute have a great deal of experience in applying Impact research findings to their practices. The MA teacher candidates had Two Examples of Quantitative Results (Fables Task) the benefit of expert teacher modelling of research applications.

12.0 Next Steps and New Questions EXAMPLE 1: Grade 3 11.6 Results will be disseminated via research conferences and journals. Effect of training with 11.0 Classroom teachers will present their own classroom research projects 10.9 graphic organizers on 10.8 10.9 10.6 to interested audiences. The ICS Lab School teachers will continue to children’s reading 10.0 do school-wide “lesson study” research in other curriculum areas. The comprehension for experimental Fables Task will be published as a useful measure of lowest group

Mean comprehension that taps mental state understanding. 9.0 Acknowledgements 8.0 We thank Ruth Beatty, an ICS teacher candidate, for assistance in 7.8 data collection and documentation of interventions, and Marla 7.0 low med high Endler for training and coding assistance. Teacher Rating References Fables Pre Test Fables Post Test Brown, A. & Palincsar, A. (1989) Guided, cooperative learning and individual knowledge acquisition. In L.B. Resnick (Ed.), Knowing, learning and instruction: Essays in honor of Robert Glaser. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. 15.0 Grade 6 Dowhower, S. (1999). Supporting a strategic stance in the classroom: A EXAMPLE 2: comprehension frameworkfor helping teachers help students to be 14.0 Effect of idiom training 14.0 strategic. Reading Teacher, 52(7), 672–688.

on children’s ability to 13.0 Durkin, D. (1993). Teaching them to read (6th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. use idioms to Pearson, P.D., & Gallagher, M.C. (1983). The instruction of reading understand fables 12.0 comprehension. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 8, 317–344. 11.9 11.7 Thurlow, R. & van den Broek, P. (1997). Automaticity and inference 11.0 11.3 11.4 Mean generation during reading comprehension. Reading and Writing Quarterly: Overcoming Difficulties, 13(2), 165–181. 10.0 U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. (1992). Testing in American 9.0 9.4 schools: Asking the right questions. (OTA-SET-519). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. 8.0 low med high Teacher Rating JANETTER PELLETIER is on the faculty at the Institute of Child Fables Pre Test Fables Post Test Study (tenure stream) and in the Department of Human Development and Applied Psychology, OISE/UT. ELIZABETH MORLEY is the principal of the Institute of Child Study, and Summary of Quantitative Results RICHARD REEVE is a teacher-researcher there. Preliminary findings suggest that almost all students improved in their knowledge of vocabulary (as measured by vocabulary tests), and their Passage Comprehension (as measured by reading tests). Additionally, all students improved in their understanding of the Fables Task, an experimental measure of higher order reading comprehension that assesses children’s increasing understanding of complex multi-layered stories such as fables. The pattern of results For more information about ICS research, see our website at: for most grades is consistent with the in-class interventions. www.oise.utoronto.ca/ics

10 • Improving Reading Comprehension Technology AN E-LEARNING CO-OPERATIVE WRITING PROJECT

➠ PROJECT CO-ORDINATORS John W. MacDonald and John A. MacDonald

( OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ➠ To provide high school students with support and advice in their writing assignments

➠ To provide teacher candidates at OISE/UT the C opportunity to focus on student achievement rather RESEARCH PARTNERS than deficiency Brebeuf College School, Toronto Catholic District School Board Teacher Candidates, I/S English, OISE/UT Teacher Education Program

ridging the divide between theory and practice is a major STAGE 2: In the winter session, the teacher candidates were Bchallenge in all teacher education programs. Nowhere is this exposed to a different experience, this time with Grade 10 students. more challenging than in the teaching of the writing “process.” With Over the E-class portal, the Grade 10 students had been assigned the availability of e-learning modalities, it is now possible to effect a by their teacher to read a short story by Ernest Buckler titled Penny connection with school settings and observe students in the actual in the Dust; the accompanying assignment was in the form of the process of writing. By accessing the E-class portal provided by the following thought-probe: “Why is it difficult sometimes to show love TCDSB, teacher candidates, while still in their in-faculty theory to your parents?” The students were asked by their teacher to courses, are able to observe the development of authentic writing respond to this thought-probe on the class discussion board and samples from high school students and provide input. also to reply to the responses of two other classmates. Overnight one class posted 43 responses while the other class posted an Teacher candidates frequently have difficulty in treating student astonishing 84 responses. The next morning, working from the writing in a positive manner. After years of school and university computer lab at OISE/UT, the teacher candidates entered into the experience, teacher candidates tend to be fixated on “errors” when electronic discussion. The teacher candidates were asked to reply to responding to student writing. In grading student compositions, the discussion threads of two Brebeuf high school students and teacher candidates tend to grade for errors rather than for send their supportive suggestions in synchronous time to the accomplishment. This project provided teacher candidates with the students waiting in their high school classroom. The remarkable opportunity to focus on student achievement rather than deficiency. dialogue between the high school students and the university teacher candidates that ensued was videotaped at both locations Stages of the Project and edited onto DVD. Over the nine-month academic year, the project proceeded through three stages. THE PROJECT IN BRIEF STAGE 1: In the fall, teacher candidates responded to a set of Teacher candidates at OISE/UT enrolled in the Intermediate/ Grade 11 student essays that were transmitted over the E-class Senior English course are teamed with Grade 10 and 11 English portal of the TCDSB. The teacher candidates were directed not to students at Brebeuf College School in order to provide the high “mark” these papers, but rather, to respond to them by making school students with support and advice in their writing helpful editorial suggestions. In so doing, they were required to assignments. The students’ writing is accessed by the teacher assume the role of reader/mentor rather than teacher/marker. Since candidates through the E-class portal of the Toronto Catholic this exercise took place before the first practice teaching session, it District School Board.The teacher candidates are instructed not provided the teacher candidates an opportunity to view the various to “mark” the students’ writing samples, but, rather, to assume ability levels of typical high school students. The experience proved a supportive role as reader/mentor and writing coach. The to be an eye-opener and something of a “reality check.” turn-around time for these responses from the adult readers is to be within a 24-hour time frame. Results provide a strong case for the potential of e-learning in teacher education.

SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE interacting. The video makes a strong case for the very real potential of e-learning. The same video was shown to the teachers at Brebeuf College School as part of their professional development program where it was received with a great deal of interest.

Implications for Teacher Education The “Great Divide” In the words of one teacher candidate:

“I appreciated the chance to work with students before I TCDSB: began my first practice teaching session. I think there is too “E-learning models the form of great a divide between our weeks of theoretical work at communication in the real OISE/UT and our time teaching in a school. I appreciate and world.” welcome anything that brings these two endeavours — OISE/UT Teacher candidates together.”

Modelling the Future The majority of English teacher candidates in this project had little STAGE 3: The final stage of the project flowed naturally from stage or no experience with e-learning, either in their previous university two. It took place in the computer lab at OISE/UT during the spring coursework or in their practice teaching experience. This project, session when John A. MacDonald made a presentation to the therefore, introduced them to a teaching practice that may well teacher candidates on the topic of “plagiarism” in student writing. become commonplace in the future. Using the power-point resource provided by the Ontario School Library Association (Curriculum Support, 2003), John led the teacher Mentor Modelling candidates through practical steps that an experienced teacher Teacher candidates gained valuable experience in responding to might take to minimize the generation of plagiarism in school students’ papers in a supportive and encouraging way. This is writing assignments. The discussion that followed was highly unique example of what may be called “best practice.” informative. Applied Research Data Collection and Analysis Teacher education candidates at OISE/UT gained valuable insights Teacher candidates at OISE/UT were asked to respond to their into the nature of the “writing process” and the way that web-based experiences with e-learning at the end of the academic year. A learning can facilitate it. As well, as a result of a report on this sampling of their responses follows: project given to staff at Brebeuf by John A. MacDonald, all practicing teachers in attendance learned about the rich potential “I found it challenging to respond to students’ papers from for teaching presented by e-learning. the position of a mentor. My natural instinct is to focus on errors and areas needing correction.” Next Steps and New Questions “E-learning models the form of communication that is most This collaborative model can easily be adapted to the delivery of frequently used in the real world.” other secondary school methodology courses at OISE/UT and other “E-learning greatly increases the production and quantity of faculties of education. student writing.” Acknowledgements “The discussion board is a good way to get students thinking Thanks to Michael Pautler, Principal, Brebeuf College School for his and discussing course-work material.” continuous support of this project. The generous support of Ms. “Discussion boards generate open and honest discussion so Laila Sisca, Toronto Catholic District School Board Office is also difficult to generate in a classroom. A great brainstorming recognized here. Finally, to the Grade 10 and 11 Brebeuf English tool to promote more authentic responses from students.” students and the OISE/UT teacher candidates, sincere thanks for “Discussion boards help to open up students to risk-taking their shared co-operation in the exploration of this important topic. and the exploration of creative options; they demonstrate to students that the process of writing is as important as the product.” JOHN A. MACDONALD is currently seconded on contract with the Ministry of Education to review “There is too great a divide between our weeks of existing e-learning courses being provided by school theoretical work and our school practicum time and this boards across the province. exercise helps to remedy the situation.” JOHN W. MACDONALD is Professor Emeritus, teacher of English in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching Impact and Learning, and co-ordinator of Social Justice and The DVD for this project dramatizes the synchronous interaction Catholic Education in the OISE/UT Teacher Education between the English students at Brebeuf and the teacher candidates Program. at OISE/UT. Both classes were videotaped while in the process of

12 • An E-learning Co-operative Writing Project Technology BUILDING A GLOBAL SCHOOL RESEARCH PROJECT—WEBSITE

➠ PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR Dick Holland

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ➠ To involve school-based partners in the conception and V development of OISE/UT–based web materials RESEARCH PARTNERS ➠ To support recent teacher education graduates with Partner Schools, Toronto District School needs-based global education material Board, Peel District School Board, and York Region District School Board ➠ To involve teacher candidates in qualitative research Teacher Candidates, Issues in International and Global Education, OISE/UT Teacher Education Program

he Building a Global School research project grew out of the requisite paperwork involved). Teacher candidates were Tpersistent needs in the field—in this case from associate teachers consulted around the design of how the research would be within OISE/UT’s secondary education cohort SP3: School, integrated into the work and the assessment of a Related Studies Community & Global Connections. This cohort is designed for class at OISE/UT. In addition, the Education Commons, Clare Brett enthusiastic, committed teacher candidates interested in social (Comparative International Development Education Centre), and the justice, educational change, and school contexts that address Associate Dean’s office provided extensive support. community and global issues. This field-based call for web support can be seen in some of the emerging literature on computer- STAGE 3: Multiple Research mediated communication and information and communications The research stage (through the winter term) centred on OISE/UT’s technology (ICT), but more particularly was recorded in 18 personal Issues in International and Global Education class—a Related interviews conducted before this research began (spring 2003) as Studies elective in our program. Each teacher candidate found two part of the cohort communication and improvement process. One of practising teachers (usually associate teachers, many of whom were the persistent themes in the interviews was a dissatisfaction with the graduates of OISE/UT) interested in global education and asked support that they received as teachers and as associates from what them to take part in the research. In all, 51 surveys formed the basis could be broadly termed “the Internet.” Teachers were frustrated of the data analysis, including two administered electronically to about educational websites in general; they were seen as too graduates teaching overseas. American, often too rudimentary, and for being what one interviewee called “too glitzy.” Teachers were also frustrated with global education websites in particular. Classroom teachers strongly articulated the need for risk-taking: to create Ontario-oriented sites that could pull together the broad content of global education with THE PROJECT IN BRIEF the curriculum guidelines and expectations without “dumbing This research grew out of conversations with Ontario teachers down” the content. and focused on the development of an OISE/UT-based global education website for teachers. Prompted by calls from the Stages of the Project field for web support for teachers, this research used a STAGE 1: Initial Research combination of qualitative and quantitative instruments to Initial discussions with 18 teachers in the field resulted in a clear determine what practising teachers value in websites and vision of the focus that was needed for the grant funding, but also how OISE/UT could contribute to this support, particularly strongly revealed the need for web-based practicum support to in the field of global education. The project ended up strengthen the school-university partnerships. This latter support has since been enhanced by OISE/UT’s Student Services. surveying over 50 teachers and collating extensive data. The impact of this project has been positive and promises STAGE 2: Collaborative Support to be even more so with the ongoing evolution of the Support was sought from different groups. Associate teachers were new website. New teachers see electronic support as a sounded out informally about their participation in a study (and all natural extension of OISE/UT’s expertise and mentorship.

SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE More than one teacher expressed in their comments connections. The other division was around one of the possible that this was the first time they had been asked purposes of the website. A strong minority of respondents wanted anything about what makes teaching better. the site to serve as a place for graduates to stay in touch for professional collaboration, but others felt that this would limit the usefulness of the website.

Implications for Teacher Education STAGE 4: Partnership Analysis This research project illustrates how teacher education institutions This stage was exciting because the data analysis was done in are seen as significant in the provisions of services to the field and collaboration with the teacher candidates who had a chance to especially to recent graduates. The key to the involvement of examine and help analyze this data. Material and tentative institutions such as OISE/UT in these services could very well be the conclusions were presented at a luncheon to which were invited school-university partnerships and their operation through the associate teachers and a representative from the Education cohort structure of the secondary program. Commons. These partnerships can make a difference simply by honouring STAGE 5: Website Creation teachers for what they are doing in their classrooms and by involving This stage took place largely after the course ended and extended them in educational research in meaningful ways. But more than through the Internship month and beyond. In its pilot phase, work this, partnerships can actually act upon the needs that emerge from on this website is ongoing. the in-depth communication with practicing teachers that forms the backbone of these partnerships. As mentorship programs in the Data Collection and Analysis boards of education evolve, OISE/UT can find ways to integrate The data collection stage of this project was meant to exemplify the their research initiatives with such programs and thus answer the collaborative nature of the project as another example of solid and surprising expectations of recent graduates for involvement by mutually beneficial school-university partnerships. Teachers were OISE/UT in activities such as, in this particular case, building asked to complete a one-page survey (developed with the help of websites. the Related Studies class) about global education websites that elicited their reaction to possible inclusions in such a website—using Next Steps and New Questions a modified Likert scale—as well as a series of open-ended questions As with all research, this project has suggested next steps and about quality educational websites in general and global education generated new questions. As the new Building a Global School websites for Ontario teachers in particular. Collected data were also website goes live, it will prompt global educators within OISE/UT analyzed in a collaborative fashion with the help of teacher and the SP3 cohort to work even harder to spread the word about candidates and associate teachers. global education and global citizenship education.

Impact The launch of the website must be followed by separate research The impact of this project has been positive and promises to be into its effectiveness through the analysis of regular feedback forms even more so with the ongoing evolution of the new website. It is as well as specific questionnaires for users. Another question that important that teachers in the field see a useful and effective would be worth pursuing is whether the e-mail relationships that website that has been created and housed at OISE/UT. Almost as were established between teacher candidates and recent graduates important in terms of the larger context of educational research is will blossom into more productive educational collaborations. The that more than one teacher expressed in their comments that this sample size is too small to make this a valid research endeavour in was the first time they had been asked anything about what makes itself, but it will still be interesting to see what develops. teaching better. Acknowledgements The research has also yielded other interesting results. The tone of Special thanks to Carol Rolheiser for her advice and understanding, the answers suggested that many teachers see electronic support as to the teacher candidates, and to the associate teachers within the a natural extension of OISE/UT’s expertise and, furthermore, view SP3 cohort for taking the time to participate. website building as a form of mentorship. They were almost unanimously insistent upon having a website that keeps teachers in mind as people who often have limited time to search the Internet, who sometimes have to use slow connections, and who often have limited access in school settings.

The results were definitely split on two key points that have made building the website more of a challenge. One dividing point was the need for the website to make direct connections to the Ontario DICK HOLLAND is an instructor in the Teacher curriculum—some want these connections proven, others give the Education Program at OISE/UT, and a secondary impression that they will teach from a global education standpoint, school teacher with the Toronto District School Board. regardless, and do not want time and effort going into these

14 • Building a Global School Research Project—Website Action Research/Improvement of Practice REVOLUTIONIZING SCHOOL SCIENCE IN THE CLASSROOM

➠ PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR J. L. Bencze

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ➠ To establish a partnership with school science teachers @ that would involve them in university-based science teacher education @ ➠ To bring significant legitimacy to perspectives and practices that tend to receive little or no support in RESEARCH PARTNERS schools School Science Teachers, Teacher Education Candidates, OISE/UT Teacher Education Program

ften, science education functions as a “selection and training non-traditional perspectives and practices. The stages of the action Ocamp,” identifying and educating only those students who are research were as follows: likely to pursue careers in science and technology—while simultaneously compromising the scientific and technological STAGE 1: Invite science teachers in a secondary school who had literacy of most students. A major problem in school science is the participated in previous STEPS workshops to collaborate with me to tendency to limit students’ contact with realistic contexts of generate activities that provide students with more realistic knowledge building in science and technology. Lack of expertise experiences with science. about how scientific and technological knowledge has been and can be generated can seriously limit citizens’ independence of thought STAGE 2: Use these as a basis for a four-hour class, conducted by and action—leaving them prey to manipulation by those controlling the teachers (in collaboration with me), in which teacher candidates professional science and technology. enrolled in a science teaching methods course (for which I was the instructor) had opportunities to consider non-traditional perspectives Among reasons for students’ lack of access to realistic science and and practices. technology contexts is teachers’ lack of education in this regard. Many university-based science teacher educators, therefore, have STAGE 3: Encourage student teachers to consider using attempted to help teacher candidates develop more realistic perspectives and practices from this class as a basis for their lessons conceptions about the nature of science and technology, expertise in two STEPS workshops involving students from the teachers’ for developing scientific and technological knowledge, and school. corresponding pedagogical perspectives and practices. While we have had some successes along these lines, our achievements often are undermined through teacher candidates’ exposure to traditional perspectives and practices in schools. In the process of learning to be a teacher, teacher candidates tend to place much more trust in THE PROJECT IN BRIEF school teachers than academic teacher educators. University-based science teacher educators are often frustrated by conservative effects of mainstream school science perspectives Accordingly, the goal of the project described here was to establish and practices. To bring school-based legitimacy for engaging a partnership with school science teachers that would involve them students into more realistic contexts of knowledge building in in university-based science teacher education. Their participation in science and technology, we invited targeted groups of school science teacher education could bring significant legitimacy to science teachers to teach some sessions within our university- perspectives and practices that tend not to receive much support in based program. Qualitative data suggest that science teachers schools. drawn from a “target” community of practice can increase student teachers’ self-efficacy for non-mainstream practices. Such Stages of the Project collaborations across school-university boundaries may help The science teachers who took part in this project had participated align disconnected communities of practice and provide previously in my STEPS workshops, where I introduced the merits of them with some conceptions for adapting to innovations.

SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE LEGITIMIZING "REVOLUTIONARY" SCIENCE TEACHER EDUCATION Data were analyzed using constant comparative

(STSE) = Science, Technology, Society, methods, based on constructivist grounded theory. Environment (NoST) = Nature of Science & Impact Technology After a failed initial attempt to establish a partnership with school science teachers, a collaboration emerged that led to significant legitimization of non-traditional perspectives and practices. Data suggest that teacher candidates’ self- efficacy for engaging students in student-directed, open-ended scientific investigations and invention projects increased as a result of their interaction with collaborating school science teachers. A teacher candidate, reflecting the view of many colleagues, said:

“I now firmly believe that open-ended activities are beneficial and do work [Outcome expectancy]. … I would like to use them as much as possible.”

Indeed, another pointed out that, perhaps, the activities shared by the teachers should gain a wider The project was conducted from September 2003 through May audience: “It made us realize these types of 2004. exercises are quite easy to carry out. Perhaps it is important to do this workshop with experienced teachers.” Data Collection and Analysis Data were collected in order to determine science teachers’ and Implications for Teacher Education science teacher candidates’ tendencies to engage students in Results of this project suggest that university-based teacher realistic contexts of knowledge building in science and technology. educators wanting to legitimize perspectives and practices not Also, traditional ethnographic techniques, such as logging and generally supported in schools can do so by engaging school photographing field observations and studying documents teachers as boundary “brokers” who enable interactions between generated by participants, were used in order to capture members of school and university communities of practice. It will be unexpected factors and outcomes. The following data collection essential, however, that school teachers are drawn from “target” strategies were used: communities of practice (as illustrated above). Also, it is essential • Reflective journals: Through the period of our collaboration, the that the competencies of their community of practice are optimally teachers and I regularly recorded written notes relating to our different from experiences in which they are to be engaged. views about promoting more realistic science experiences with students and student teachers. Notes were completed regarding Next Steps and New Questions our collaborative curriculum development activities, our four-hour More long-term studies of teacher candidates’ tendencies to class with 23 teacher candidates, and with respect to meetings engage students in realistic contexts of knowledge building are after the pre-service class, in which we reflected on the merits of needed. Also, projects similar to that described here could be used the activities we developed and implemented. to promote, for example, STSE (Science, Technology, Society & • Transcripts of discussions: All meetings, in which we planned Environment) Education and Equity Education. and evaluated collaboratively-developed activities, were audio- recorded and later transcribed. Acknowledgements • Repertory grid studies: These are graphical and numeric For the time and effort that each of the five science teachers put depictions of associations between various “constructs” into this project, I am very grateful. Financial support from OISE/UT, (i.e., continua, such as: realistic <–> non-realistic experiences through its School/University Partnership Fund, is gratefully with science) and various pedagogical “elements” acknowledged. (e.g., apprenticeship activities) (Gaines & Shaw, 1993). The teachers and I completed these at the beginning of our References collaboration and at the end. Each grid was repeated for Gaines, B.R., & Shaw, M.L.G.(1993). Knowledge acquisition tools based on Personal Construct Psychology. Knowledge Engineering Review, 81(1), reliability checks. 49–85. • Samples of programmatic work: Samples of programmatic work that the teachers and I deemed “representative” of our efforts to promote more realistic experiences with science were collected LARRY BENCZE is an Associate Professor of Science for later analysis. These included lesson plans and student Education in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching activities that were prepared for the EDU 5517 class involved in and Learning at OISE/UT. this project as part of the teacher candidates’ housework.

16 • Revolutionizing School Science in The Classroom Action Research/Improvement of Practice ENHANCING STUDENT LEARNING IN MATHEMATICS THROUGH THE TEACHING/LEARNING CYCLE

➠ PROJECT CO-ORDINATORS Lynn Lemieux and John Mazurek

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT 8 ➠ To promote a supportive practicum experience for teacher candidates by fostering close working relationships with our school board partners

➠ To support a small group of associate teachers in RESEARCH PARTNERS investigating the use of a research-based instructional Associate Teachers, East Option, design model to plan and teach sequences of lessons OISE/UT Teacher Education Program based on the Ontario elementary mathematics Teacher Candidates, East Option, curriculum OISE/UT Teacher Education Program

he first objective of the project was to provide two after-school 4. Critical activities of teaching and learning directly related to Tsessions for all of the associate teachers associated with the teachers’ own practices Elementary East Option at OISE/UT. The intent was to provide them with an awareness of the nature of the course work and practicum The TLC approach to lesson and unit design is an adaptation of expectations for teacher candidates in the program. In particular, we learning cycle approaches used by science teachers for many years wanted to describe and explain the instructional design model and to help students learn concepts and skills in science (Bybee, 1989; planning templates used by teacher candidates to plan lessons and Eisenkraft, 2003) and has also been adapted and used by units in various subject areas. The teacher candidates would be mathematics teacher education researchers (Simon, 1994, 1995; required to use the model and planning templates to plan Battista, 2002). All of these approaches are similar in that students sequences of lessons in mathematics as part of an assignment are engaged in learning through stages of action, abstraction, and during their second semester in the program, and it was hoped that reflection, which subsequently lead to opportunities to apply what the majority would have an opportunity to teach the lesson they have learned in various contexts. sequences during their second practicum. Stages of the Project A second objective was to provide more focused professional In August, 2003, before the school year began, the six teachers development for a small group of six associate teachers who had involved in the focus group met for a full-day session in which they volunteered to take part in informal action research investigating the were introduced to the TLC model. After the introductory learning use of the Teaching/Learning Cycle (TLC) model to plan sequences experience, they formed grade-level partners and began to plan an of mathematics lessons for use with their own students. It was our initial sequence of lessons using the TLC model. plan that in addition to learning more about the TLC model, the six teachers in this focus group would also be introduced to the nine general categories of research-based instructional strategies THE PROJECT IN BRIEF identified by Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock (2001), and Marzano The Ontario Elementary Curriculum in mathematics, science, (2003), as having a “strong track record of enhancing student and technology for Grades 1–8 outlines broad goals related to achievement,” and then would incorporate some of these strategies understanding key concepts and principles, and acquiring skills into the lessons they designed. of reasoning, problem-solving and inquiry. The provincial policy strongly implies that inquiry is valued as an approach to Research perspectives designing instruction in elementary mathematics and science Effective professional development, as described by the National classrooms. Traditionally, teaching practices in Ontario have not Science Foundation, engages teachers in four types of activities. reflected the use of inquiry-oriented instructional models. There is a need therefore for practical, instructional models that can 1. Mathematical experiences in which teachers are genuine learners assist teachers in implementing more student-centred, active- 2. Supported field experiences in which teachers attempt innovations 3. Information gathering and interpretation through activities such learning methods. The Teaching/Learning Cycle utilized as reading articles and conducting research on one’s own with OISE/UT teacher candidates and associate teachers, practice provides one such model.

SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE During the year, we met with these teachers again for another full- Another expectation was that teacher candidates and associate day professional development session in which they shared their teachers would have a “common language” for discussing key math plans and discussed various assessment strategies. instructional practices and lesson planning. One teacher candidate commented that this provided her with “reassurance in using the Data Collection and Analysis model … it showed me the real use of using it in the real classroom. A questionnaire was sent out to all the associate teachers who It was important for me to see my associate use the techniques and attended the two general information sessions in October, 2004 and strategies that I had been learning about in the East Option.” January, 2005. The questionnaire solicited responses to the questions shown below, with the results given as percentages of the It was hoped that as a result of this project, the associate teachers total number of responses submitted: would appreciate the opportunity to engage in worthwhile professional development in which they felt respected as learners What aspects of the sessions did you find most useful? and that linked directly to their own classrooms. Opportunities to meet with other associate teachers, share ideas 42% Next Steps and New Questions Information re: expectations for teacher candidates This project will be continued next year with the addition of new during practicum 65% teachers, and with support from administrators in several schools Information re: teaching practices, and lessons plans 58% associated with the East Option program. The following are a few Examples of lesson plans using the TLC model 62% aspects that the associate teachers would like to focus on next year Ideas for monitoring and providing feedback to students 69% in relation to continuing to develop their use of the TLC model. • Opportunities to examine resources and to learn more about the What aspects are most helpful in their work with the development of problem-based tasks for use during the teacher candidates? Engage/Elicit and Explore stages of learning. • Ideas re: lesson planning 23% • Professional development sessions in which they are actively • Suggestions for teaching load 54% engaged in learning experiences designed to extend and refine • Ideas for monitoring and providing feedback 69% their understanding of the key concepts and skills, and “Big • Examples lesson sequences using the TLC model 50% Ideas” embedded in the Ontario elementary mathematics curriculum. In addition, a survey was sent to the six associate teachers asking for their responses to questions related to their use of the TLC model. References All six teachers reported using aspects of the model to plan lessons Battista, M. T. (2001, Sept.). A new vision for mathematics education in Ohio. in mathematics for their students to varying degrees throughout the Kent State University. Retrieved May 2003 from: isis.oai.org/OMSC/PDF/MathVision9-01.pdf year. In general, the teachers found that they most often planned Bybee, R.W. (1989) The 5E learning cycle model. [On-line]: lessons that incorporated ideas from the Engage/Elicit, Explore, and http://www.mwsu.edu/~educ/coe/inquire/inquiry.htm Explain stages, and they found that these three stages were most Eisenkraft, A. (2003). Expanding the 5-E model. The Science Teacher 7(6), useful for engaging and motivating students to take an active role in 56–59. learning mathematics. Marzano, R., Pickering, D., & Pollock, J.E. (2001) Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. The teacher candidates who were placed with the six associate Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. teachers from the focus group were asked to respond to a Marzano, R. J. (2003). What works in schools: Translating research into action. questionnaire related to their perceptions of the impact which the Alexandria, VA: Association For Supervision and Curriculum Development project had had on the quality of communication between National Science Foundation (2002). Foundations: Professional development themselves and their associate teachers. In general, most of the that supports school mathematics reform [On-line]: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2002/nsf02084/ teacher candidates placed with the focus group of associate Simon, M.A. (1994). Learning mathematics and learning to teach: Learning teachers found that they were able to discuss their plans for the cycles in mathematics teacher education. Educational Studies in practicum with their host teachers using language related to the Mathematics 26, 71–94. stages of the TLC model. Several of the teacher candidates reported Simon, M.A. (1995). Reconstructing mathematics pedagogy from a that their associate teachers had collaborated with them in the constructivist perspective. Journal For research In Mathematics planning of their lesson sequences, and they felt that this had made Education, 26(2), 114–145. their practicum experience more valuable.

Impact Our expectations were: LYNN LEMIEUX is the Elementary Option Co-ordinator, 1. Associate teachers’ planning would become more focused East Option Cohort, OISE/UT Teacher Education around “Big Ideas” and key concepts and skills related to Program and is on secondment from the Toronto clusters of curriculum expectations. District School Board. 2. Associate teachers would develop greater skill in planning coherent sequences of instruction. JOHN MAZUREK is a former co-ordinator of the East 3. Associate teachers would notice students taking a more active Option in OISE/UT's Elementary Pre-service Program. He is currently teaching in the York Region District role in learning. Board.

18 • Enhancing Student Learning in Mathematics Through the Teaching/Learning Cycle Action Research/Improvement of Practice FROM STUDENT MODE TO TEACHER MODE: ACTION RESEARCH AND MINI-CONFERENCE

➠ PROJECT CO-ORDINATORS Bridget Harrison, Suzanne Molitor, and Mary Nanavati

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT Q ➠ To explore how the focused use of a specific research- based instructional strategy improves teacher and A student learning ➠ RESEARCH PARTNERS To model for OISE/UT teacher candidates the Host Schools, Peel District School Board behaviour and practices of highly committed, effective, collaborative classroom teachers and Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board ➠ To engage associate teachers as colleagues and SP5 Cohort, Secondary Teacher practitioners, creating a professional learning community Education Program, OISE/UT

eacher candidates learned about the potential for action Stages of the Project Tresearch as a process of improving classroom instruction and PHASE I: Designing the Project student learning in their first semester of the program. They were Teacher candidates were provided with expectations in handout introduced to the process of strategic examination of their own form, power point presentation of the action research process, practice so that they would deliberately attend to making a description of the benefits, the steps involved, the outcomes of the continuous impact both on student learning and on their own action research process, templates for working through the project, learning. As well, they learned about the steps involved in the action rubrics for both for the mini-conference presentation and the project research process. Teacher candidates collaboratively selected a topic submission, and exemplars from the work of 2002–2003 candidates. within the domain of literacy development, assessment, or research- based instructional strategies and subsequently developed an PHASE 2: Developing the Area of Focus inquiry question. This included inquiry questions, review of literature, and forming cross-curricular, cross-district teams to explore their questions. In the second semester, under the guidance of their university professors and with some associate teachers, they researched PHASE 3: Research In Their Second Practicum answers to their question, examined their practices in their own Teacher candidates conducted their research as part of their classroom (from their perspective and the perspective of their practicum teaching commitment. They collected data, analyzed the students), collected data, examined the data, drew conclusions, and data, and prepared the presentation of their findings in written form made commitments for instructional improvement based on their and in a conference format. findings. During their second practicum, teacher candidates conducted their classroom-based research and presented their findings at a mini-conference hosted by the teacher candidates for THE PROJECT IN BRIEF their peers, associate teachers, and staff from the partner schools. They presented their action research assignment in a prescribed, This project involved the 55 teacher candidates and associate guided, supportive format. Audience members, comprising the teachers connected with the OISE/UT SP5 Cohort placed in candidates themselves, associate teachers, administrators, and secondary schools primarily within the Peel District School district personnel, acted as critical friends to collaboratively support Board and the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board. The these emerging teachers as professional learners. action research program was designed to develop in teacher candidates the inquiring, reflective habits of mind that will As “designers for learning” (Senge, 2000), the program manager endure and sustain them throughout their teaching careers. An and instructors made deliberate interventions during the program so explicit focus on mandated action research as a method for that a collective focus on student learning, collaboration and critical continuous instructional improvement and student learning in review of practice were an integral part of the teacher education the teacher candidates’ pre-service year was used to engage process. the candidates in the following ways: 1) classroom-based action research, 2) professional sharing of their findings, and 3) reflection for growth.

SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE Building Capacity for Action Research and scrutiny, reflection, and subsequent action based on classroom Two professional development sessions were organized, the first on research. It provided candidates with first-hand experience in cross- October 30, 2003 at Harold M. Brathwaite Secondary School, and curricular collaboration and involved them in professional work at a the second on Thursday, March 4, 2004 at Rick Hansen Secondary high level whereby they presented their day-to-day work and School. The first session, conducted by Bruce Pirie, provided teacher findings to their peers for reflection and review. It made classroom candidates, associate teachers, and partner school administrators research an integral part of teacher candidates’ definition of with a mutual exploration of issues involved with respect to boys teaching. Finally, it developed teacher efficacy as a result of strategic and literacy. The second session, presented by Carol Rolheiser, efforts targeted at improved student learning. afforded both professional groups with an opportunity to delve into various instructional strategies. In some cases, teacher candidates Next Steps and New Questions investigated areas arising from these two presentations in their Planning for the September 2004–2005 school year is incorporating action research projects. more significant associate teacher preparation with a program developed specifically for them. This program includes topics such Data Collection and Analysis as the following: Data collection and analysis by teacher candidates included • Qualities and importance of the associate teacher questions such as the following: • Assisting with the teacher candidate’s transition from student to • What impact does the teaching of a pre-reading strategy have on professional teacher student reading? • Strategies for establishing a trusting, supportive relationship • How can co-curricular teachers use reading with a purpose to improve student literacy levels, and in particular, male literacy? We also plan to add the action research project expectations and • How effective is the use of hypertext compared to conventional criteria to the package that administrators and associate teachers reading text as an instructional strategy? receive in advance of the candidates’ arrival.

Instructor data collection and analysis included interviews and Next Steps for Teacher Candidates feedback from participating administrators, department heads, • Introduce the action research project earlier and fine tune associate teachers, and teacher candidates. Qualitative data with timelines respect to the impact of the action research project, the impact on • Scaffold the assignment more directly with specific checkpoints school success, and the building of a professional learning • Provide on-going exemplars of previous action research projects community and future directions were collected from administrators. Next Steps for Partnership Department head and associate teacher input with respect to action • Continue the action research assignment—participants report true research involvement, interest, and the contribution of candidates to teaching for depth the department was sought. • Continue to measure the layers of involvement and subsequent impact on the school professional learning community Impact • Find connections between this project and possible internship Partner schools have stated some of the following as outcomes experiences and placements to allow candidates an opportunity connected to this initiative: to extend and replicate their action research learning “Teacher candidates provide energy, new ideas, positive role models, and opportunities to view potential candidates to the Acknowledgements profession.” Thanks to our project’s field co-ordinator, Alison Clinton, “We want OISE/UT candidates because they understand Superintendent, Peel District School Board. assessment and evaluation. We don’t have to go back and train them.” Reference Senge, P. Cambron-McCabe, N., Lucas, T., Smith, B., Dutton, J., & Kleiner, D. (2000). Schools that learn: A fifth discipline fieldbook for educators, Teacher candidates benefited the most directly from this experience: parents, and everyone who cares about education. New York: Doubleday. “I learned about lit data bases, that other teachers research and write papers, and that I could do those things—learning and improving.” BRIDGET HARRISON is an instructor and co-ordinator “I will test the techniques that I want to implement in the of the SP5 Cohort in the Secondary Teacher Education classroom to check their effectiveness.” Program, OISE/UT.

One associate teacher was very interested in research and willingly SUZANNE MOLITOR is an Instructional Resource facilitated time for it in class. More typical was this response: Teacher, Peel District School Board. “My associate expressed little interest in the process of my research: however, he was interested in viewing my results.”

MARY NANAVATI is the Vice-Principal, Mayfield Implications for Teacher Education Secondary School, Peel District School Board. The action research project demonstrated the benefits of action research by serving as a model of transparent professional inquiry

20 • From Student Mode to Teacher Mode: Action Research and Mini-Conference Equity, Diversity, Social Justice LANGUAGE AND CULTURE SKILLS FOR NEW CANADIAN TEACHERS

➠ PROJECT CO-ORDINATORS Antoinette Gagné, Mira Gambhir, and Clea Schmidt

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ➠ To establish the language proficiency and cross-cultural needs of New Canadian and Non-Native English peaking candidates in the OISE/UT initial teacher RESEARCH PARTNERS education program TDSB Partner: Paula Markus, ESL Co-ordinator ➠ To provide suggestions about how better to meet OISE/UT Researchers: Linda Alford, these candidates’ needs Ping Deters, Sameena Eidoo, Farahnaz Faez, Amir Soheili-Mehr, Tatyana Ryaboshapko, Farzaneh Tehari

n view of the increasing presence of New Canadian (NC) and Non- 1. five non-native English speaking (NNES) teacher candidates, INative English Speaking (NNES) teacher candidates at OISE/UT 2. five teacher educators from OISE/UT, and of the paucity of research on what constitutes effective linguistic 3. five host teachers from partner schools in the Toronto District and cross-cultural instruction for these teachers, further School Board (TDSB), consideration and examination of this issue is warranted. For 4. two vice-principals/principals from the TDSB, and example, Kamhi-Stein (2000) recommends an integrative approach 5. two superintendents from the TDSB. whereby NNES practitioner issues are incorporated across the curriculum of teacher education. The current project explores the At the end of data collection and analysis, we will be producing language proficiency and cross-cultural needs of NC and NNES handbooks for the stakeholders, providing information on tips and candidates in the program as viewed by various stakeholders, and strategies to ensure that all parties are equipped with tools to provides suggestions about how better to meet these candidates’ facilitate positive program experiences for NC and NNES needs. candidates.

Stages of the Project Impact September 2003–December 2004—Initial literature review and New Canadian and Non-English-speaking teacher candidates tend creation of research instruments, ethical review submitted and to have low self-confidence in their language abilities. The approved by both the University of Toronto and the Toronto District experience in the first months of the teacher education program is School Board, formation of a research team of graduate students, harrowing for many. They feel lost and struggle to cope with the and designation of a project co-ordinator material, how to learn in the Canadian university system, and how to

January–June 2004—Recruitment of participants, organization of a two-hour focus group with NC and NNES teacher candidates, THE PROJECT IN BRIEF creation of a resource website for new Canadian and non-native We have an unprecedented number of New Canadian and English speaking teachers, and conducted interviews with participants Non-Native English Speaking candidates in our pre-service K–12 teacher certification programs, with attempts to increase this June 2004–June 2005—Transcribing interviews, data analysis, diversity even further. Through interviews with administrators, creation of handbooks. teacher educators, and associate teachers, we explore the kinds of linguistic and cultural knowledge these teacher candidates Data Collection and Analysis require to succeed in Ontario classrooms and in initial teacher Using case study methodology to determine the language and education programs. Initial findings show that teacher cross-cultural skills required by teacher candidates to succeed in candidates require intensive language support, curriculum Ontario classrooms, we interviewed the following people on the culture of the educational system, peer support representing a range of stakeholder groups: within the program, and more mentorship from administrators and educators than currently offered.

SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE Implications for Teacher Education • Place more emphasis on the positive cross-cultural contributions NC and NNES teacher candidates can make to the program. • Increase native English speaking (NES) candidates’ awareness of issues related to their peers in the program, providing strategies The New Canadian and Non-Native English on how to best support and learn from their colleagues. Speaking Teacher’s Resource Site is designed to • Better inform associate teachers about how NC & NNES induction provide information that will support pre-service into K–12 schools can be facilitated by the principal and by the associate. and in-service teachers as well as to strengthen • Provide explicit instruction in teacher education re: professional a sense of community at OISE/UT and beyond. conventions (school language and culture) • Increase the number of faculty who reflect diversity of teacher http://newcanadianteachers.oise.utoronto.ca/ candidate and K–12 populations • Include longer and more frequent practicum placements or orientation to the Canadian educational system prior to teacher candidates’ entrance to the program in September. understand the English used by their peers and professors. One • Implement entrance requirements and language proficiency teacher candidate said, assessments that more accurately evaluate teacher candidates’ “I’m trying to avoid doing presentations in front of the whole oral and written skills, emphasizing the ability to function class because I don’t feel comfortable. I mean, I can do that effectively in the classroom. with a small group, with five or six people here. … Sometimes…I don’t have a chance to avoid it.” Next Steps and New Questions Next steps include compiling, reproducing, and distributing the handbooks with information and strategies on the issues and In many cases, the first practicum is their first lengthy experience in findings, and continuing to support candidates in the upcoming year a Canadian school; therefore they face a steep learning curve in the through the OISE/UT Language and Culture Support Services. first few months. Other candidates are deciphering new curriculum content, teaching philosophies, professional documents, and New questions might include exploring the development and practices. One teacher educator told us: effectiveness of an alternate language and cultural skills assessment “And while there are some language skills that need some for NC and NNES candidates applying to the OISE/UT teacher work, for example, with résumé writing, writing cover letters, education program. and preparation for jobs, there are certain North American writing conventions that need to be employed when you are Acknowledgements applying for a job in the Ontario context that these This project was funded through the OISE/UT School University newcomers may not be familiar with. But I think they have a Partnership Grant as well as the TESOL International Research Fund. lot of strength and contributions to bring, and unfortunately, that hasn’t been recognized traditionally in teacher Reference education.” Kamhi-Stein, L. D. (2000). Adapting US-based TESOL teacher education to meet the needs of non-native English-speakers. TESOL Journal, 9(3), All stakeholders emphasized the importance of matching teacher 10–14. candidates with good mentors in the classroom and the importance of providing a positive environment through support programs, workshops, and courses, specific to NC and NNES issues. One person interviewed said: “The most important thing, I think, is establishing that comfort level…learning a language is an incredibly risky ANTOINETTE GAGNE is an Associate Professor in the experience. And so if you aren’t in an environment where you Department of Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning. MIRA feel safe taking the risk, you’re never going to learn. So GAMBHIR, a graduate of OISE/UT, is an experienced K–12 you’ve got to—you know, make this environment so teacher who is currently working with the University of Toronto on exploring the possibility of a concurrent teacher education comfortable that it’s okay to try and fail and fall down.” program. CLEA SCHMIDT is an Assistant Professor of TESL at the University of Manitoba and Coordinator of The University of Manitoba's Bridging Program for Internationally Trained Teachers.

22 • Language and Culture Skills for New Canadian Teachers Equity, Diversity, Social Justice A CROSS-CULTURAL ESL INITIATIVE

➠ PROJECT CO-ORDINATORS Judy Blaney and Jennifer Rowsell

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT 5 ➠ To examine the role of culture in ESL teaching and learning

+ ➠ To enhance teacher candidates’ awareness of culture RESEARCH PARTNERS 5 and cultural practices in teaching language and literacy Marianna Diiorio, Toronto District education School Board ESL Infusion Initiative and Midtown Option, Teacher Education Program, OISE/UT

nderstanding the ESL learner is essential when working in increased awareness and provided guidance and support for our Umulticultural schools within diverse cities such as Toronto. teacher candidates and elementary students at Wilkinson Public Not only is it important to understand the ESL learner, but also it is School, a JK–6 school in a highly multicultural area of Toronto. important to comprehend how to educate teacher candidates to We attempted to achieve this by developing a partnership with teach ESL students. While a large percentage of teacher candidates OISE/UT’s ESL Infusion Initiative in pursuit of a common goal for do not come from ESL backgrounds, there is an increasing number a stronger ESL base in the Elementary Teacher Education of candidates who do. As one of our participants expressed, Program. “… it doesn’t matter how old you are, and how many years you have been speaking English: you are an ESL learner all your life.” PHASE ONE: Coming to Know our Students Our teacher candidates were surveyed at the beginning of their Our study promotes a greater understanding of the “funds of nine-month Bachelor of Education Program about their cultural knowledge” (Moll, 1992) we bring to classrooms and, more heritage and language experiences. The survey allowed us to importantly, what our students bring to classrooms. develop a sense of the cultural makeup of our cohort so that we could accommodate our teaching around the cultural makeup of the Stages of the Project classroom. We used this data to illustrate the heterogeneity of The research project was implemented in three phases with the cultural backgrounds within our group. Our teacher candidates, purpose of investigating:

1. How can teacher candidates come to know the ESL learner? What role does language background (birth language is English THE PROJECT IN BRIEF vs. someone whose birth language is not English) play in the understanding a teacher candidate has of ESL students? Is it Language itself “stands as one of the strongest support structures their experiences working with ESL students in their practicum of ethnic identity” (Dei et al, 2000, p. 107). Therefore the way placements that helps them comprehend the ESL learner? Is it that we deal with language in schools plays a role in structuring through theoretical discussions and exposure to Ministry inclusions and exclusions, in validating and marginalizing documents? cultures. We conducted our research in a multicultural school, 2. How can instructors support ESL teacher candidates in all aspects with students from a mix of socio-economic backgrounds. The of their teaching? Are we aware of our own culture and how it findings demonstrate a need to embed greater understanding comes to play in our teaching? As instructors, what is our of how to bridge cultural practices in urban classrooms, both in knowledge base in ESL integrative strategies and current teacher teacher education programs and in the curriculum. The ESL candidates on bilingual/ESL students? What are the backgrounds experience is not only about a linguistic divide, but equally of our teacher candidates and how do we use this to inform our and more importantly, a cultural divide. It is clear that teaching? culture is at the heart of ESL teaching. 3. How can a school-university partnership help support research, policy, and theory in ESL instruction? We offered an initiative that

SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE As one of our participants expressed, “… it doesn’t matter how old you are, and how many years you Implications for Teacher Education have been speaking English: you are an ESL learner Specific strategies for supporting ESL learners include: • building classroom inclusion all your life.” • making connections across disciplines • providing one-to-one support as much as possible • ensuring all students’ language/culture is reflected in their schools and classrooms (books, displays, learning strategies, volunteers, food, extra-curricular activities) 66 women and eight men, represented a cross section of ages • ensuring curriculum is relevant to learners’ background (23–56), cultural backgrounds, and languages. Six teacher knowledge and experiences candidates reported being former ESL learners themselves with • accommodating multiple ways of learning—visual, manipulatives, Korean, Mandarin, Romanian, Russian, and French as first languages. drama Eleven teacher candidates reported a language other than English • building on students’ and teachers’ funds of knowledge spoken at home. One reported two other languages spoken at • viewing language as a social practice home. Forty-one candidates reported having been in a context where they were second language learners. Engage pre-service and in-service teachers in research and dialogue on: PHASE TWO: Bringing in an ESL Lens • ESL as a two way process—provide ESL learners with access to The research team met with instructors on the Campus Option Team language and mainstream culture as well as provide all students to discuss how ESL might take greater prominence in the program. with access to language and culture of ESL learners We identified ways to infuse an ESL perspective into all aspects of • how to maintain communication with families in meaningful ways the university-based academic program rather than designating ESL • language/culture relationship as a three-hour topic within a specific course. We hoped to have a • ESL and cross-cultural experiences of teachers as a starting point balance of theory, policy, and practice in the courses so that teacher for understanding the ESL learners’ experiences candidates would come to grips with all aspects of ESL teaching and • impact of language on identity formation learning. • an understanding of silence • issues of inclusion and exclusion—often unknowingly created in Throughout the first term, we also featured ESL infusion videos and classrooms print materials as a support for the teacher candidates’ ESL teaching and learning. We made explicit use of the ESL infusion materials in Next Steps and New Questions the teacher education seminar, language and school and society What clearly emerged from the focus group and questionnaire data courses. Antoinette Gagné and Mira Gambhir, ESL experts at is the need to bridge the gap between home and school literacy. OISE/UT, made two presentations, one on the Ontario Ministry of There is an obvious demand for a greater awareness of culture in Education document on English as a Second Language; and the language acquisition (particularly in the area of ESL teaching and other on socio-cultural perspectives on English as a Second learning). Language. Acknowledgements PHASE THREE: The Focus Group Interviews We would like to thank the principal, vice-principal, administrative Three OISE/UT instructors were placed with three associate teachers staff, teaching staff and of course students, for letting us conduct in our partnership school. Their student body is approximately 60% our focus groups at Wilkinson P. S. Thanks also to Vannina Muslim. The three associate teachers had a minimum of five years’ Sztainbok. teaching experience. They did not represent visible minority groups and had no personal experience as ESL learners. The purpose of the References first focus group interview, held during the final week of the first Dei, G., et al. (2002). Removing the margins: The challenges and possibilities four-week school-based placement, was to identify ESL strategies of inclusive education. Toronto: Canadian Scholars Press. and experiences. The team in attendance at the focus group was Moll, L., et al. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative comprised of the research team and the six participants. approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory into Practice, 31(2), 132–141. The purpose of the second focus group interview, held during the final week of the final four-week school-based practicum, was to focus on socio-cultural factors. JUDY BLANEY is a Math and ESL Resource Teacher for the Simcoe County District School Board. Data Collection and Analysis The teachers and teacher candidates in the study spoke of a variety of strategies that they use and challenges that they face in attempting to address the needs of ESL students. We analyzed the JENNIFER ROWSELL is a Co-ordinator in the Teacher data as a team and Judy Blaney, Jennifer Rowsell, and Vannina Education Program at OISE/UT. Sztainbok wrote an article that is currently out for review with an academic journal.

24 • A Cross-Cultural ESL Initiative Equity, Diversity, Social Justice THE TRIBES PROJECT (YEAR 2)

➠ PROJECT CO-ORDINATORS Penny Ballagh and Karen Sheppard

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ➠ To train participants in Tribes/co-operative learning strategies, which impact students’ social skills and academic learning RESEARCH PARTNERS Woburn Collegiate Institute, ➠ To co-train associate teachers and teacher candidates Toronto District School Board and to determine if practice teaching is enhanced by a J. Clarke Richardson Collegiate, common professional development experience and Durham District School Board common language Secondary Teacher Education Program, OISE/UT

ribes is a process that maximizes learning and human experienced teachers completed the eight modules and received Tdevelopment through a sequenced approach to co-operative official certification in Tribes. learning, with particular emphasis on social skill instruction. In Year 1 of this multi-phase project, we started with a single school that had Data Collection and Analysis a diverse multicultural student population. Results from the first year Evaluation of the co-training experience and the impact on were extremely positive (Harris, 2003), providing the impetus to classroom practice was conducted at the end of year, using different expand the project and raising new questions to explore in Year 2. survey forms for each category of participant (Teacher Candidate Survey and Associate Teacher Survey). The surveys had 39 Stages of the Project statements in common and then some that varied for each When Woburn Collegiate Institute, an established multicultural participant category. Qualitative questions generated a bank of school in the east end of Toronto, heard about the success of the anecdotal comments, while a series of statements with rating scales Year 1 project, they approached us about becoming involved in Year produced quantitative data. In total there were 41 surveys returned; 2, and hence, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) partnership responses were collated and analyzed for common themes . was created. The Durham District School Board (DDSB) partnership was formed with J. Clarke Richardson Collegiate, a new school in Impact Ajax with an interest in enhancing the learning environment for its Co-Training and Collegiality diverse student population. “We adhered to the Tribes agreements—this helped us respect each other and overcome whatever differences of opinion we had.” Both the TDSB and DDSB have identified Tribes as a professional development initiative for their secondary teachers, but acknowledge that 24 hours of training (four days) requires a THE PROJECT IN BRIEF considerable commitment of time and resources. With grant funds covering only one day of release time, partner boards/schools were The Tribes Project (Year 2) involved two secondary schools in invited to sponsor the remaining three days. We were delighted that neighbouring school districts who were willing partners in a both boards took up the challenge, though in differing and inventive collaboration with OISE/UT. We co-trained volunteer associate ways. The Woburn Tribes group opted for the eight training teachers and teacher candidates in Tribes/co-operative learning, modules to take place over four school days in September and with the expectation that these participants would then team up October, while the Richardson Tribes group chose to start with two during the practicum to experiment with these strategies in their days in August, so there would be fewer teacher release days to secondary courses. Expanding the instructional repertoires of fund. teachers to enhance student learning was a common goal for all partners. In Year 1, one of our initial goals was to help teachers With these varying timeframes set, 16 staff from Woburn and 12 create a co-operative environment where students could staff from Richardson volunteered to participate, representing a wide increase their communication and social skills. In Year 2, range of departments. We sent letters of invitation to prospective we were also interested in investigating the impact of teacher candidates who were in our regionally based secondary a common professional development experience and cohorts. A combined total of 67 teacher candidates and common language on all participants.

SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE Jackson (2004) talks about teacher candidates’ need for 3. Tribes process enriches practicum placements. Teacher “professional nurturing,” though they may seldom admit to it, and candidates overwhelmingly agreed that in addition to being at this co-training process is akin to extending the safety net by schools where they knew their associate teachers before their reducing some of the uncertainties that accompany each new practicum, they benefited from being placed there in groups practicum. Interestingly, the trust that we saw develop during this based on this common professional development experience. training was sustained throughout the practicum and one candidate We concur with Samaras and Gismondi (1998) who argue that even suggested the Tribes process itself influenced the way teacher candidates, rather than being isolated from their peers, interactions took place with the associate teacher. should do their practicums in pairs or clusters.

Co-Training and Collaboration Next Steps and New Questions “We tried to find activities from the manual that we could As the number of Tribes-trained secondary teachers in each board experiment with; Tribes was new to both of us so we did some continues to grow, new questions emerge about the best way to research as to what may work for our specific field.” sustain and/or extend implementation and to prepare teacher candidates who hope to teach in these boards. Our next step, In response to the question, “In what ways did the Tribes training therefore, is to devise a “refresher” training plan that will influence your collaboration with your associate teacher?”, teacher renew/deepen the understanding of previously Tribes-trained candidates repeatedly reported that the impact was direct and associate teachers while introducing teacher candidates to a significant, based on a shared understanding that facilitated collaborative partnership. experimentation. Typical responses included: “It gave us a common starting ground and understanding about trying different techniques.” We also intend to include more explicit curriculum-based examples in future trainings, with the intent of exploring if this change Impact on Lesson Planning and Student Response influences the transfer of new strategies to a teacher’s practice at A teacher candidate found “lessons were less teacher directed and the secondary level. more student directed” while another found that the Tribes training “gave me ideas and activities on how to bring the class focus back if Acknowledgements it was lost or needed energizing.” We are indebted to our school district partners without whom this collaboration could not have occurred. In the TDSB, Denise Overall Many reported that they made a conscious effort in every day was our Staff Development partner and Tribes co-trainer with Penny; planning to include more group work, pair work, role plays and in the DDSB, Joni Heard was our Staff Development partner, while community circles, to which students responded favourably. Lori-Ann Leigh and Nicole Matthews were Tribes co-trainers with Respondents also overwhelmingly agreed that the Tribes process Karen. Special thanks also go to Georgia Gallagher, Vice Principal at allowed them to focus on social skills when designing and Woburn Collegiate Institute and Pam Christoff, Principal of J. Clarke facilitating activities, with the result that students were more Richardson. attentive and respectful during lessons. References Unanticipated Impacts Eldridge, J. & Bennett, B. (2004). Instructional intelligence. In C. Rolheiser (Ed.); Research into Practice (pp 9–10). Toronto, ON: OISE/UT. It was with considerable surprise that we noted the frequency with Harris, W. (March, 2003). OISE program brings innovation to both practicum which both teacher candidates and associate teachers referred to and classroom management. Professionally Speaking, 35–39. the classroom management benefits of Tribes/co-operative learning. Jackson, D. (2004). Nurturing future educators. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, In both schools, the success of Tribes also motivated other staff to 70(2),15–17. come “on board.” Samaras, A. & Gismondi, S. (1998). Scaffolds in the field: Vygotskian Interpretation in a teacher education program. Teaching and Teacher Implications for Teacher Education Education. 14(7), 715–733. 1. Tribes process deepened the teacher candidate/associate Wells, G. (1994). Changing schools from within: Creating communities of teacher relationship. This is consistent with the findings of inquiry. Toronto, ON: OISE. Eldridge and Bennett (2004) who discovered when teacher candidates and associate teachers understand and practice the same teaching strategies, they can more readily learn from each other. It is clear that a common language not only provides a shared understanding upon which to collaborate, but also that co-training encourages risk taking. PENNY BALLAGH is an Instructional Leader, Staff 2. Tribes process benefited associate teachers. Associate teachers Development, Toronto District School Board and a felt re-energized as learners and validated as practitioners. This is certified Tribes trainer. consistent with the findings of Wells (1994) that show when teachers have time to reflect on personal practice using meaningful tasks they understand how their teaching habits KAREN SHEPPARD is an Instructor in the Teacher influence student achievement. In terms of future benefits, this Education Program, OISE/UT and a certified Tribes becomes one direct way we can ensure our associate teachers trainer. are apprised of the methods in which our teachers candidates are being trained.

26 • The Tribes Project (Year 2) Art WHOLE-SCHOOL/HIGH-TECH INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PROGRAM (PHASE 2)

➠ PROJECT CO-ORDINATORS Cheryl Paige and Lee Willingham

u OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ➠ To focus on what impact music instruction has on the overall learning of the child

➠ To explore links between music and core French, music and ESL, music and special education, music and RESEARCH PARTNERS @ mathematics, and music and literacy Joyce Public School, Toronto District School Board Campus Option, OISE/UT Teacher Education Program

esearch informs us that countries that are top achievers in a student’s success in learning to create and/or play music Runiversity and high school in math and science all introduce leads to feelings of pride and confidence. music training in the early years. At Joyce, we decided to give this • Music involves auditory, visual, and kinesthetic approaches. opportunity to our students. This opportunity was pursued with the This enables teachers to address the learning styles of all collaboration of Dr. Lee Willingham, OISE/UT and the learners. Children are natural movers. Music encourages School/University Partnerships funding. Now, everyone at Joyce movement and physical responses. Public School does music. With this whole school approach to • Music teaches students to focus and attend to what is being integrating music into all facets of the curriculum, teachers find presented and then transfer these skills to other contexts. For authentic ways to use music to enhance student learning. example, when singing, our children learn how to discern differences (variance in pitch or rhythm). These differences are Stages of the Project skills that are required in learning to read; that is, discerning The initial research, conducted by Dr. Willingham, Cheryl Paige, sounds and syllables in English. and the Elementary Campus Option teacher candidates, used observational, interview, and narrative journal inquiry methods. 2. Music involves using a variety of learning styles and intelligences: Throughout the school year, groups of teachers with the strong • Computer technology and music software are integrated in the support of the principal, collaborated on ways to support student music lab, allowing students to see the actual music and the learning through music. As the project took shape, it became virtual keyboard and then work on the notes on the staff. They evident that the methodology was that of authentic action research: learn how to read the notes, play games that reinforce the ideas were formed, teaching/learning strategies explored and lesson, and create their own music. implemented, and student demonstrations of understanding were observed by teachers, parents, and peers. THE PROJECT IN BRIEF Data Collection and Analysis Phase 2 was designed to get at the heart of what happens when The context for data collection and analysis was the student in the students are systematically taught instrumental music in a classroom and co-curricular setting. This included the after-school creative, technological environment, and to focus on what program where students, with their parents, learned the basics of impact music instruction has on the overall learning of the child. music in the keyboard/computer lab. Since music became the Links between music and core French, ESL, special education, central motivation for learning, the data were, in fact, imbedded in science, mathematics, and literacy were identified, and student activity and behaviour. teaching/learning activities implemented as part of the learning process. The results profoundly support the overall goal of the Impact school, which is “to provide the most enriching learning 1. Music supports student learning in many ways: environment possible.” This project emphasizes that teacher • Music enhances students’ motivation to learn, and improves education must infuse music experiences for teacher engagement and retention. Since music-making is wholly candidates in order to build personal skills, confidence, engaging and inherently successful, we find distractible and strategies for teaching. behaviours in class are significantly reduced. We also find that

SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE For research studies, explore the following links: Music and Science Link • Critical Links www.aep-arts.org • Building their own instruments can help students understand sound and measurement. They see how a plucked string vibrates • Rauscher, F.H. (2001). Current research in music, and how air blown into a pipe makes a sound. intelligence, and the brain. In M. McCarthy (Ed.), • Music can be used to demonstrate the wave theory. A tuning fork Enlightened advocacy: Implications of research for touched to a tray of water helps students see what sound waves arts education policy and practice (pp. 5–16). can do as the radiate from the source. College Park, MD: University of Maryland Press. Music and Core French Link http://socsci.uwosh.edu/FacultyStaff/rauscher.htm • Music helps teachers capture the intensity and dynamics of • Champions of Change Study French and make learning it interesting. The French language http://aep-arts.org/Champions.html involves a lot of patterns that can become familiar and are reinforced with singing. Songs reinforce and teach vocabulary, e.g., body parts, by contextualizing key terms within simple sentences and catchy tunes so students are not learning phrases • During our cushion concerts, groups of same-age students in isolation. This helps with both accent and pronunciation. meet for 30 minutes for sing-alongs. They learn the songs, read words, and add body movement and actions that follow Music and ESL Students the beat. They experience a wide range of different genres With music, ESL students have a vehicle for communicating that and styles. Music, rhythms, and reading are interconnected. does not rely on English language skills but enables them to build these skills: 3. Teachers in the study developed and implemented successful • Dual language songs facilitate learning English vocabulary and teaching strategies for connecting music to literacy, mathematics, structures. science, core French, ESL, and Special Education students: • Students of diverse cultures are included and validated when they share music from their culture and learn about others. Music and Literacy Link • By exploring how a song is created, students can see Music and Special Education Students relationships with the English language. For example, a) a Music assists special education students to understand information sentence has a form (beginning, middle, and end), as does music; and remember routines. b) in music, a rest means to pause like the comma in language; • Teacher-made chants, designed as mnemonic devices, help c) there are phrases in both music and English composition; d) a students remember routines in a non-obtrusive but effective few sentences become a paragraph similar to musical form and manner. phrases, e.g., ABACA as in a rondo. Students learn the correlation • Students who have difficulty following print benefit from learning between word and rhythm structures or the melodic structure of a songs with actions and repetitive patterns. This helps build song. concepts, oral language, rhyming words, and key vocabulary. • This year, our Grade 5 students listened to the Blues as part of a unit. They listened for the pattern, as in poetry. They explored the Implications for Teacher Education traditional call/response pattern (say one line, repeat it, third line Teachers who implement music as part of their instruction find that rhymes with first two) and followed it to create their own blues students do better in reading, mathematics, and other disciplines. lyrics. Individual lyrics were melded into a group song, then into a Creative problem-solving, using musical elements, helps to develop class song. This opportunity for authentic editing and revising for critical thinking and collaborative learning skills. One would an authentic audience had a positive effect on the quality of the conclude, then, that music enhances learning, and should be part of students’ writing. the regular day in all of our classrooms. Teacher education must respond by infusing music experiences for teacher candidates in Music and Mathematics Link order to build personal skills, confidence, and strategies for teaching. • Music is mathematical in structure. For example, patterning in music is the form of the composition (A section, B section, and Next Steps and New Questions chorus). Students can deconstruct a familiar song like Old Through additional funding, Joyce P.S. is helping to establish similar MacDonald Had a Farm to see the words and sentences and programs in neighbouring schools. relate them to the music pattern. • The structure of music is formed by beats. Within the beats there are different notes that create patterns. Students related the notes CHERYL PAIGE is the Principal of Joyce Public School to fractions: for example, quarter notes divided into two eighth and was selected by the Learning Partnership as one notes were used to show equivalent fractions and this was of Canada’s outstanding principals for 2005. compared to dividing a pizza. With this approach students Music@Joyce: http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/joyce learned the concept of fractions more quickly. They related fractions to the notes they knew in the music they had studied for three years. Students were tested by writing their own rhythmic LEE WILLINGHAM, a former instructor in the OISE/UT compositions, and all were successful. Teacher Education program, is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Music, Wilfred Laurier University.

28 • Whole-school/high-tech Instrumental Music Program (Phase 2) Arts GROWING COMMUNITY IN ARTS EDUCATION: FROM TEACHER EDUCATION TO THE CLASSROOM

➠ PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR Barbara J. Soren

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ➠ To investigate how to build and sustain arts education o in both elementary and secondary teacher education RESEARCH PARTNERS programs at a time of limited human and financial resources for arts education OISE/UT Teacher Education Program Instructors Toronto District School Board: ➠ To provide “best practice” case studies on how Tuyet Binh Duong, Duke of Connaught Jr. & Sr. P.S. classroom teachers who have been through pre-service, David Fraser, Brown Jr. PS in-service, and/or graduate work at OISE/UT have Naomi Savage, Drama, Central Technical School sustained their learnings about arts and are now giving Tim Locke, Music, Oakwood C.I. back to teacher candidates

articipation in this research project enabled participants to make Stages of the Project Ppartnerships that impact on the culture of OISE/UT and local 1. The completion of a pre- and post-program questionnaire by the schools. By bringing together research and teaching, we hoped to arts teacher candidates in the Elementary Campus Option and provide opportunities to grow a stronger sense of community, both Secondary Program. within and outside of OISE/UT. Research activities documented the 2. Initial orientation meetings with the OISE/UT team and associate “ripple effects” of infusing two initial teacher education cohorts with teachers in September, and with the eight teacher candidates the arts—an elementary level integrated arts cohorts (Campus working with the associate teachers during their fall or spring Option) and a new secondary cohort focusing on the arts. practicum. 3. With administrative consent, I observed each of the eight teacher Previous research by Upitis, Smithrim, and Soren (1999) on teacher candidates working in the arts during their practicum, and then transformation and professional development in the arts helped to interviewed each of with them and their associate teacher. inform this research initiative. Upitis and Smithrim also considered 4. A final gathering of the OISE/UT team, associate teachers, these transformations in their National Assessment project for the and teacher candidates to discuss research findings and Royal Conservatory of Music’s Learning Through the Arts™ recommendations based on the research. (e.g., Upitis & Smithrim, 2003a), and consented to let us use their pre- and post-program questionnaires (Upitis & Smithrim, 2003b). Data Collection and Analysis • The pre-program questionnaire was completed by 63 Elementary The following questions framed our research: Campus Option teacher candidates and 34 Secondary Program— • What in teacher education programs helps teachers to increase The Arts teacher candidates. The post-program questionnaire their comfort and confidence in working with the arts in their was completed by 48 elementary teacher candidates and classrooms? 32 secondary teacher candidates. • What can we learn to strengthen pre-service programs in the arts? • What is the role of the arts in enabling teacher candidates to become teachers, learn how to teach, and sustain their learnings? THE PROJECT IN BRIEF • How can the arts promote student engagement and a vibrant Through this initiative, we wanted to investigate through school culture? questionnaires how to sustain and build arts education crossing • What are associate teachers learning about best practices for arts elementary and secondary teacher education at a time of limited education? human and financial resources for arts education. Four associate • At the elementary level, how can teachers balance arts with other teaching in the classroom? teachers and the teacher candidates they were supervising • At the secondary level, how can artists coming into classrooms as provided suggestions on how classroom teachers who have been teachers be best used? through pre-service, in-service, and/or graduate work at OISE/UT have sustained their learnings about arts and how they are now giving back to teacher candidates. The research has the potential for providing models for “best practices” in arts education teaching and learning.

SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE • Pre- and post-program questionnaires compared attitudes about Implications for Teacher Education the impact the arts can have in the classroom and curriculum, The final gathering highlighted ways the pre-service programs could and attitudes towards the value of the arts and artists in the be strengthened: classroom. On the post-program questionnaire teacher candidates described what they needed to sustain their work as Arts The elementary integrated arts program could be strengthened educators. through: modelling block teaching to build skill in the arts; providing • Questionnaire data were analyzed using Excel and SPSS experience in each of the arts before the first practicum; building on (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). past learning through immersion in a topic like drama integration; • Interviews and the final gathering of people involved in the and practicing arts-related assessment. research project provided insights and examples in response to the initial research questions. The secondary arts program could be strengthened through: more tangible, practical strategies for teaching each arts discipline; having Impact more opportunities to observe arts teachers in their classrooms; Highlights of Pre-Program Questionnaires providing artists with more skills related to the reality of classroom • Both groups had more females than males, but there were many teaching; and coaching on classroom management in arts classes. more males in the secondary group (41% compared to 13% in the elementary group). Next Steps and New Questions • More younger teacher candidates were in the elementary group Terry Reeves, Coordinator of the Secondary Program—The Arts, and (65% under 29 years vs. 53% at the secondary level) and more Barbara Soren, recommended a follow-up study to continue to mature teacher candidates were in the secondary group (18% investigate how to sustain and build arts education crossing over 40 years) elementary and secondary teacher education. We felt it would be of • About one-quarter of both groups had teacher candidates with great value to the secondary arts program to follow a sample of visual arts as their main field of study. The secondary program had graduates from its first cohort through their first year of teaching. A more teacher candidates with music specializations (26% focus of the research would be how candidates’ development in arts secondary teacher candidates vs. 10% elementary teacher education during their pre-service year influences classroom practice candidates). There were no dance or drama specialists at the in their arts discipline, as well as how they teach in their non-arts elementary level compared to 6% with dance and 21% at the teachable subject area. secondary level. More than half of the teacher candidates in The Secondary Program—The Arts considered themselves to be In addition, we suggested continuing to gather data on teacher artists. candidates in arts-based pre-service programs at both the elementary and secondary levels. We would use the outcomes of These background differences impacted on attitudes towards the the 2003–2004 research to inform and improve practice in the arts in the classroom, though our results showed that both groups secondary arts program, and examine whether those changes have were influenced by the program. made a difference on post-program questionnaires.

Overall, post-program, more elementary and secondary teacher Acknowledgements candidates were convinced that through the arts students can We gratefully acknowledge the commitment, generosity, and express knowledge and skills in many subjects, and increase support of the four associate teachers who volunteered their time, parental involvement in schools. More elementary teacher passion, and expertise in arts education to work on this research candidates strongly agreed that arts are an effective way of teaching project during 2003–2004. They served as important mentors for the math, science, and language and reaching the at-risk student. More teacher candidates who worked with them and their contributions secondary teacher candidates strongly agreed that students can will help to strengthen pre-service programs at OISE/UT. learn knowledge and skills in many subjects through the arts. References More elementary teacher candidates realized that they were good at Upitis, R., & Smithrim, K. (2003a). Learning through the Arts™ national one or some of the arts, and had comfort and confidence in their assessment 1999-2000. Final Report to the Royal Conservatory of Music. artistic ability. Secondary teacher candidates were even more Toronto: The Royal Conservatory of Music. confident of their excellence in artistic abilities, and now wanted to Upitis, R., & Smithrim, K. (2003b). Learning through the Arts™: Assessment tools. Toronto: The Royal Conservatory of Music. share their artistic abilities through teaching. Some elementary Upitis, R., Smithrim, K., & Soren, B. J. (1999). When teachers become teacher candidates were aware that arts experiences could be musicians and artists: Teacher transformation and professional emotional or spiritual, use multiple intelligences or senses, and are development. Music Education Research, 1(1), 23–35. hands-on. Some secondary teacher candidates believed the arts offer students emotional, spiritual, connecting, and transcultural experiences.

Both elementary and secondary teacher candidates planned to continue their involvement in the arts through personal and BARBARA J. SOREN, PhD, is the former Co-ordinator, professional development, as well as community arts organizations Arts Forum, OISE/UT. and arts mentors in the education community.

30 • Growing Community in Arts Education: From Teacher Education to the Classroom E-MAIL ADDRESSES OF CONTRIBUTORS

Editorial INNOVATIONS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING Carol Rolheiser [email protected] Literacy 1. LINKS FOR LITERACY TUTORING PROJECT Kathy Broad and Mary Lynn Tessaro [email protected] [email protected]

2. PORTFOLIO PEN PAL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM Susan Schwartz and Anne Marie Chudleigh [email protected] [email protected]

3. INSPECTING CLASSROOM TALK Larry Swartz [email protected]

4. IMPROVING READING COMPREHENSION Janette Pelletier, Elizabeth Morley, and Richard Reeve [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Technology 5. AN E-LEARNING CO-OPERATIVE WRITING PROJECT John W. MacDonald and John A. MacDonald [email protected] [email protected]

6. BUILDING A GLOBAL SCHOOL RESEARCH PROJECT—WEBSITE Dick Holland [email protected]

SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE E-MAIL ADDRESSES OF CONTRIBUTORS

Action Research/Improvement of Practice 7. REVOLUTIONIZING SCHOOL SCIENCE IN THE CLASSROOM J. L. Bencze [email protected]

8. ENHANCING STUDENT LEARNING IN MATHEMATICS THROUGH THE TEACHING/LEARNING CYCLE Lynn Lemieux and John Mazurek [email protected] [email protected] / [email protected]

9. FROM STUDENT MODE TO TEACHER MODE: ACTION RESEARCH AND MINI-CONFERENCE Bridget Harrison, Suzanne Molitor, and Mary Nanavati [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Equity, Diversity, Social Justice 10. LANGUAGE AND CULTURE SKILLS FOR NEW CANADIAN TEACHERS Antoinette Gagné, Mira Gambhir, and Clea Schmidt [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

11. A CROSS-CULTURAL ESL INITIATIVE Judy Blaney and Jennifer Rowsell [email protected] [email protected] / [email protected]

12. THE TRIBES PROJECT (YEAR 2) Penny Ballagh and Karen Sheppard [email protected] [email protected] Art 13. WHOLE-SCHOOL/HIGH-TECH INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PROGRAM (PHASE 2) Cheryl Paige and Lee Willingham [email protected] [email protected]

14. GROWING COMMUNITY IN ARTS EDUCATION: FROM TEACHER EDUCATION TO THE CLASSROOM Barbara J. Soren [email protected]

32 • E-mail Addresses of Contributors jx welcome you to visit the OISE/UT website.

SCHOOL-UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS: Research into Practice

Innovations in Teaching and Learning has been published with the generous support of the OISE/UT School-University Partnership Fund. www.oise.utoronto.ca