The EduGals Podcast

This week, we are tackling the topic of our different types of learners and how we can support our learners who are a little bit more slow in the classroom. We'll go over the difference between cognitive ability and cognitive styles, as well as intelligence and how all of our students can build their intelligence in our classes.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/121**

• Why Don't Students Like School by Daniel Willingham
• How To Get Students Thinking - E110
• Strategies for Enhancing Memory & Critical Thinking - E113
• Learning That Transfers - E117
• Chapter 7 key ideas:
  • Guiding principle: Children are more alike than different in terms of how they think and learn
  • Cognitive Ability: Capacity for or success in certain types of thought
    Cognitive Styles: Biases or tendencies to think in a particular way 
  • Abilities differ but no style is better than the other
  • When learning has meaning, learning styles don't matter
  • Theory of multiple intelligences - Howard Gardner (8 intelligences)
  • Watch your vocabulary when describing these intelligences (not abilities or talents!)
  • Classroom implications: know your students, growth mindset, learning styles for content and not student, language used around multiple intelligences
• Chapter 8 key ideas:
  • Guiding principle: Children do differ in intelligence, but intelligence can be changed through sustained hard work
  • Nature vs Nurture
  • Intelligence is malleable; it can be improved
  • Build knowledge, convince students that intelligence can be improved
  • Carol Dweck - fixed vs growth mindset
  • Great connections to mastery-based learning and UnGrading
  • Feedback for improvement
  • Slow learners - can be changed! They are not dumb!
  • Classroom implications: talk about intelligence as growth mindset, hard work pays off, failure is a natural part of the learning process (mastery learning), study skills, catching up is a long-term goal

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

This week, we are chatting about how to boost student perception using multiple modalities. Using the UDL (Universal Design for Learning) framework and representation pillar, we are exploring ways to provide options for perception in the classroom.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/120**

• CAST.org - Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework
• Perception = how students access information (i.e. providing multiple modalities)
• UDL = planning ahead for barriers vs. differentiation = reactionary to student needs
• Representation - allows for different ways that learners learn; there is not one single way that is optimal for all learners!
• Lots of connection to our book study - "Why Don't Students Like School?" by Daniel Willingham
• Perception - adjustability (EdTech tools) and multiple modalities (see, hear, touch)

Checkpoint 1: Offering ways of customizing the display of information

• Check the adjustability of your EdTech tools (videos, text, etc)
• YouTube - great tool for adjustability (speed, auto-generated closed captioning - all languages, volume, etc)
• Screencastify is also great, with easy export to YouTube
• Size of text, images, graphs, etc as well as contrast (low vision, colour-blindness)
• Add words to go along with any colour-coding (red = must do)
• Fonts! Digital vs print, avoid cursive or "pretty" fonts, Poppins is great

Checkpoint 2: Offer alternatives for auditory information

• Closed captions - enable in Google Slides for live presentations, use with videos
• If giving oral instructions, pair it with written
• Lots of text, visuals to go along with the auditory
• Use emoticons
• Mote is a great tool for auditory comments in Google Docs
• Read & Write 

Checkpoint 3: Offer alternatives for visual information

• Provide text to go along with all images, graphs etc
• Instructional videos - annotate along with images, CC in YouTube
• Add audio instructions in Google Slides using Mote
• Read & Write is also a great tool to use for text-to-speech
• Text is a special case of visual information!

Digital Toolbox:

• Google Slides
• YouTube
• Read & Write
• Mote
• Online Voice Recorder

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

This week, we are chatting all about specifications (or specs) grading. This is an alternative grading strategy that focuses on mastery of learning by defining specific requirements for what students need to meet. 

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/107**

• Specifications (specs) grading works well with mastery-based learning
• Create specifications for what students need to demonstrate mastery
• Divide up the course into small modules and each module is passed by scoring 80% (mastery) or better
• Final grades are determined by how many of these modules are mastered
• One possible way to do this is to create essential outcomes (absolutely must pass) and general outcomes (grade modifiers)
• Example - IB Chemistry Year 1 grade conversion chart
• Students need multiple opportunities to master the outcomes - create multiple versions (think larger mastery check) for each outcome
• Each week, students can attempt outcomes
• Students appreciate this model - focus on learning, less stress
• Linda Nilson - Specifications Grading Book
• Popular in post-secondary, not sure who else is doing this K-12?
• Benefits - students are not getting left behind, experiencing success, working hard
• General outcomes - can become your focus of the final exam for one extra attempt!
• Tokens - can trade them in for handing in an assignment late, getting another attempt, etc
• Sharing with colleagues - some curiosity and some pushback
• Practice for standardized tests - can happen outside of this and doesn't need to be high stakes
• Webinar on Specs Grading in Chemistry
• Labs are also included - passing each lab will have specific requirements
• Another benefit - giving a test back is way less stressful and no grade grubbing! Tests are seen as learning opportunities
• Can be used in any course area (works well with single point rubrics too)

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

This week, we are chatting about Living Hyphen, an organization that explores the experiences of hyphenated Canadians. Katie is sharing how her work with this organization is being used in her ESL classroom, by creating identity texts using a project-based learning (PBL) approach.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/119**

• Living Hyphen
• Hyphenated Canadians - Canadians between cultures
• Writing workshops through Living Hyphen
• Honours first language as well as English
• Magazine comes out quarterly
• Living Hyphen Podcast
• Identity Texts
• Workshop leads students through a series of prompts (5 in total) - for example, the story of your name
• In the ESL classroom, creating a book of identity texts that will be sold to support the school's Angel fund
• Marketing: multicultural event, book launch, podcast
• Students take on different project roles
• Great example of true project-based learning!
• Teaming up with an organization is a great way to design project-based learning in your curricular area
• Book - thematic with 5 different prompts, dual language highlighted
• Student-led, giving up control
• Possible tools: Book Creator, Google Slides, Canva, others?
• Partner with other teachers in the school (for example, Comm Tech)
• Book Launch - in library, invite admin and local newspapers, presentation, refreshments, etc.
• Students can choose roles that support their strengths
• Evaluation? Process is evaluated over product; editing for comprehension only not perfection (keep the essence of inter-language to show their living hyphen)
• Invite students into the conversation around evaluation with project-based learning with reflection - avoid any negative impacts to student motivation

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

This week, we are chatting about leadership in schools. We discuss both formal and informal leadership opportunities that you can become involved in with your school community to begin your journey as a leader.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/118**

Formal leadership opportunities:

• Department head - oversee program area, budgets, staffing, etc
• Instructional coaches
• Program leads (board level)
• Service side program areas:
  • ESL teachers
  • Student Success
  • Special Education
  • Guidance
  • Need to dabble in at least one of these areas (service side) to develop your leadership skills

Informal leadership opportunities:

• School committees related to your interests and passions (blended learning team, IT team) - leads to teaching others!
• Staff learning team - planning PD
• Present PD to your peers - you have expertise even if you're still on the journey!
• Mentor for new teachers (formal or informal) - answer questions, problem solving, etc.
• Student teachers - learning goes both ways!
• Teacher in charge - step into the admin role temporarily
• Attend PD opportunities - build your knowledge, then share it with others
• Take courses for your learning
• Podcast!
• Lead a project (within a course or cross-curricular) or be a course team lead
• Deliver PD - you don't have to be an expert!

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

This week, we are diving further into the book "Why Don't Students Like School?" by Daniel Willingham. Specifically, we are exploring ideas of understanding abstract ideas, practice that works, and thinking like the experts. 

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/117**

• Why Don't Students Like School by Daniel Willingham
• How To Get Students Thinking - E110
• Strategies for Enhancing Memory & Critical Thinking - E113
• Chapter 4 key ideas:
  • "We understand new things in the context of things we already know and most of what we know is concrete"
  • Analogies and concrete examples (need to be familiar to students)
  • Learning That Transfers book by Julie Stern
  • ACT model (acquire, connect, transfer)
  • Understanding is built on combining past knowledge in new ways
  • Shallow (limited to specific contexts) vs Deep knowledge (connections and application to new contexts)
  • Transfer - surface (scenario) vs deep (concept) structure
  • Expectations for deep knowledge needs to be realistic
  • Multiple examples
• Chapter 5 key ideas:
  • "It is virtually impossible to become proficient at a metal task without extended practice"
  • Working memory has limited space - it's the fundamental bottleneck of human cognition!
  • Chunking is a great strategy
  • Not all things need to be practiced - what needs to be automatized?
  • Cramming vs spaced practice
  • Overlearning offers protection against forgetting
  • Practice helps transfer!
  • Spaced practice with Retrieval Grids
• Chapter 6 key ideas:
  • “Cognition early in training is fundamentally different from cognition late in training"
  • Students are not experts!
  • Experts have a large amount of knowledge (facts, procedural), more sensitive to subtle cues (classroom management), clustered thinking (functions or deep structures)
  • Students are ready to comprehend but not to create knowledge
  • Don't expect novices to learn by doing what experts do
  • Just because student’s can’t create like experts doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t create (science fair projects) - great for motivation!

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

This week, we are chatting about learner variability in the context of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Learner variability is not just simply learning styles; we'll define what learner variability is as well as the various strategies that we can use in the classroom to support all of our learners.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/105**

• Learner variability is not the same thing as learning styles!
• Learner variability is holistic and flexible to meet the needs of our students as their needs ebb and flow
• Learner Variability Navigator by Digital Promise
• Four key factors for learner variability: content, cognition, social-emotional learning, and student background
• UDL framework principles:
  • Variability is the rule, not the exception
  • All students can work towards the same firm goals and grade level standards when provided with conditions of nurture and adequate support
  • All learners can become expert learners if barriers are removed
• UDL and CRRP go together! 
• UDL Rising to Equity Initiative
• Factors are all interconnected, research-based, lots of strategies provided with each one
• Advice for getting started:
  • Get to know your students to learn their strengths and needs
  • Focus on one pillar or area of need
  • Try some of the instructional strategies
  • Be flexible - students needs will ebb and flow depending on many other factors
  • Start small, try 1 strategy and see how it goes
  • Focus on developing your mindset

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

In this 50TH episode of the podcast, we'll be discussing podcasting in the classroom. We'll get into the why behind podcasting as well as the prep & tools you need to get started.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/50**

• Hosting (Buzzsprout, Anchor.fm, Soundcloud, YouTube, Google Drive)
• Recording (Audacity, GarageBand, Hindenburg, Zencastr, Screencastify)
• Equipment (USB Dynamic Mic)
• VoiceEd Radio
• Chris Nesi Podcasting Resources
• Diverse Scientist Database
• Podcasting with WeVideo
• The SHIFT Show EDU

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

This week, we are chatting all about leading change in education. Whether you are in a formal leadership position or an informal role, change is uncomfortable and messy. We've got some great tips and strategies on what you can do to lead change in your school community.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/116**

• Natalie Vardabasso - Tweet
• Follow Natalie on Twitter @natabasso
• Examples of changes: equity, destreaming, mastery-based classrooms
• Quote: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result"
• Change takes a lot of time and not everyone is at the same level of readiness
• More about Steven Katz
• First 50% - early adopters, early majority
• Second 50% - late majority, active resistors
• Grow the top 50% (early adopters, early majority), nudge late majority, mitigate the negative impact of active resistors
• Diffusion of Innovations by Everett Rogers
• Leading change starts in our school communities
• Hold the space for the struggle - don't give up too easily!
• Find your people! Modern Classrooms Project, Twitter communities (UnGrading)
• Tips for leading change:
  • Baby steps - The ONE Thing by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan
  • Know your staff (learners) - develop strategies and honour boundaries
  • Watch each other teaching
  • Open your classroom door to others
  • Strategic staffing based on goals
  • Mitigate the negative impacts of your active resistors - have conversations, investigate the why, compromise
  • Where do you want consistency?
  • Hold the space for the struggle

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

This week, we are tackling the skill of self-regulation. As the third and final part of the engagement section of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework, self-regulation is an area that doesn't get a lot of focus on in the classroom. We unpack this section of the UDL framework as well as chat about different ways that you can integrate explicit teaching of self-regulation skills in your classroom.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/115**

• CAST.org - Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework
• Self-regulation = modulating emotional states and reactions to cope with the environment
• Part of learning skills in Ontario report cards
• 3 checkpoints:
  • Promote expectations and beliefs that optimize motivation
  • Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies
  • Develop self-assessment and reflection
• Promoting expectations & beliefs that optimize motivation:
  • setting personal goals, ownership of learning
  • provide prompts, reminders, checklists, etc
  • done well at elementary level, less frequent in secondary
  • self-reflection - daily, weekly
  • big distractor = technology, lots of check-ins or "are we making good choices with our phone?"
  • coaches/mentors for student goal-setting & reflection
  • realistic goals - good question to add to beginning of year surveys (set a goal, brainstorm steps to reach their goals, planning, etc)
  • Atomic Habits by James Clear
  • fostering positive beliefs that goals can be achieved (growth mindset)
• Facilitate personal coping skills and strategies:
  • language matters... the power of YET (growth mindset)
  • fear of failure, not doing well, looking bad in front of peers etc
  • mastery-based learning builds confidence
  • checklists + mastery
  • checklists for personal & social anxieties in classroom
  • behaviour is the result from lack of coping skills or frustration
• Develop self-assessment and reflection:
  • recognizing progress impacts motivation - mastery works!
  • devices to help collect, chart behaviour and progress - progress trackers (both public and individual)
  • build in reflection about distractors, what went well, re-setting their goal, what is going on in my life to impact learning, etc on a weekly basis
  • feedback on progress
  • curriculum vs emotional regulation

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show