Thursday, March 12, 2015

The Importance of Looking at Progress with Students

A couple of weeks ago I filmed my students reading some of Sketches a book by Eric Walters. I wanted the students to see, and hear, how far they have come as readers. It wasn't until a few days later, that I realized the importance of the videos. 

After students watched the video, they all realized that they were actually decoding and comprehending at the same time! For these students, that is a big deal! If you can read then you will remember the process of learning to read. Learn the alphabet, learn to blend letter sounds, then start to put the letters and sounds together to read bigger words and eventually learn to decode all sorts of words. Once you could decode you were expected to read AND understand what was going on in the text.  All of a sudden that thing between your ears called a brain was starting to multitask (even more than usual).  This is where my students are now.  My kids can decode most words they come across and comprehend what they are reading.

The next step for my students is to begin to read more fluently.  The three kids in my class are three of the hardest working kids I have ever met.  Perhaps it is the common goal, "to learn to read at grade level" or, "to read like everyone else" that fills them with grit.

The whole point of this post is to explain the importance of showing students the  progress they have made.  Whether you take sound bytes in September and compare them to December, you use video like a hockey coach uses game tape, or you simply compare writing samples with students, the benefits are vast.  I believe that my students have become even grittier because they get to see their progress. I challenge you to try it in your classroom and reap the benefits!





Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Self Advocacy Transition Pamphlet

Denver Transitioning into High School


1. Explain what you learned about yourself when you first started using the “Understanding Learning Disabilities Chart”?

I used the York Region’s waterfall chart to learn more about myself, so then It was easier to put it into a pamphlet for my transition meeting for high school.

2. What did I take away from my chart with Mr. D?
What I take away from learning about my learning disability?

What I take away from learning about my learning disability was that I had trouble with phonological awareness, processing speed, language processing, phonological memory and rapid naming.

3. Explain to your audience what you did next?

 I used popplet so I can put it into my pamphlet in order of the most important to unimportant. so I don't forget something or leave it out of my pamphlet.

4. What did you do with the Popplet?

I used popplet to organize my thoughts then I put them into my pamphlet.

5. What is the finished product?

The finished product is a pamphlet for my transition meeting into high school.

6. How do you think this product will help you in the future?

It will help me in the future job or to tell my teacher about me.

This Product will help me in my future by Explaining my disability

phonological means : It is hard for me to remember the sounds of the letters of words. 







































1. When I used  the waterfall chart I got to learn about my LD and how it works also what my LD is.


2.Mr.D helped me put my LD into words that other people would understand.


3.While Mr. D was  putting my LD into words people  would understand I was putting those words into Popplet.




4.In my Popplet I made 6 diferenet sections on different topics. The Computer programs I use, My Interests and Hobbies, My Goals, My strengths, My needs, How I can help Myself
and How you can help me. After that I filled them in.








5. I think this product will help me in the future because it will help others understand how my LD works. I think it would also  help me for when I'm going into high school so I can tell my teachers about my LD and how it works and the things I will need to be successful.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Self Advocacy Pamphlet - Aiden

1.Explain what you learned about yourself when you first started using the “Understanding Learning Disabilities Chart”?:
I learned how my LD specifically affects my learning.


2.What did you take away from your conference with Mr. Di Donato?:
What I took away from my conference with Mr. Di Donato was a finished popplet, the popplet was the base of my pamphlet. 


3.Explain to your audience what you did next:
After I made the popplet I began to construct my pamphlet in pages using the information from my popplet.



4.What is the finished product? 
The finished product was my pamphlet about me and how I learn.



5.How do you think this product will help you in the future?:
It will help me in the future by informing my teachers about what I need to be successful in high school.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Creating Self Advocacy Pamphlets



To say that there is a lot going on in a student's life in grade eight would be an understatement. There are the challenges of being a teenager, harnessing the feelings of being the biggest fish in the pond, and of course the transition to high school - just to name a few. I want to be sure that my students have a smooth transition to high school so I have asked them to create a pamphlet to describe their strengths and needs as learners.The pamphlets the students created surprised me!  It wasn't how good they looked that surprised me, I knew they would create greatness, it was the students' mindfulness of how they learn that I found to be most amazing! My students all live with a learning disability and they are challenged by their LD day in and day out as students. I am a big proponent of mindfulness in the classroom. We are all very open and inclusive in the classroom.  The fact that every student in my room is full of grit and resiliency has made them so successful in working to overcome their LDs.

Here is an explanation of the activity we did written by the students for the LD@School website.

"We started by going over York Region’s Understanding Learning Disabilities - How Processing Affects Learning chart, WE call it “The Waterfall Chart” [http://ldatschool.ca/classroom/executive- function/york-waterfall-chart/].  We went through the waterfall chart with our teacher and jotted down our strengths and needs into an app called Popplet [http://popplet.com/].  Some of you may have already seen Denver’s Popplet presentation [https://twitter.com/Mr_DzzzClass?lang=en]!"


After finishing the activity, I found this assignment to be extremely empowering for students. They are better at explaining exactly what they need in order to overcome their LD, which makes them better self-advocates. I am excited to learn about these students' successes in high school.


Below is a sample of what the students have created. You can see why I am so proud!