Developing Competencies in Learners -    by Brenda Thomas

Recently I attended a two part after-school workshop sponsored by the Calgary Regional Consortium and Alberta Education that focused on the guiding principles of exemplary instructional practices, and how to align skills with content in order to facilitate competency-based learning.  My interest in this session stems from the emphasis on competencies in curriculum and instruction – from both the Alberta Government and also within our own department, and my own personal uncertainty about what exactly are competencies and what does it look like to have competency-based instruction?

The facilitator was Tammy Wolinsky; Tammy’s credentials include a Masters of Education with an emphasis on English Language Learners as well as At-Risk Youth. Her teaching experience has spanned gang and drug-infested neighborhoods in the United States as well as English AP instruction with Foundations for the Future Charter Academy.  Currently she works with Chinook Learning Center serving inner-city youth and is a University Consultant and Sessional Instructor with Ambrose University.  Tammy’s presentation was filled with philosophical and practical approaches that routinely emphasized the need to build learner competencies that they will be able to apply to all areas of their life – academic and otherwise.

Part 1

Our first evening was spent developing a common language and understanding. Competencies take on slightly different categorizations depending on the institution or context, so a little clarification to start is essential.  Alberta Education defines competencies as follows:  

Competencies are combinations of attitudes, skills and knowledge that students develop and apply for successful learning, living and working. Alberta's curriculum promotes development of the following competencies:  Competencies are combinations of attitudes, skills and knowledge that students develop and apply for successful learning, living and working.  Alberta's curriculum promotes development of the following competencies:  

For me it is apparent that these competencies are important aspects to an individual’s productivity and well-being, and in fact many of our learners demonstrate and practice these competencies routinely.  Again, referring to the Alberta Education website provides more analysis of the various competencies, illustrating each with a description, various indicators, and corresponding examples.  Print versions are available here:  https://education.alberta.ca/media/3272998/competency-indicators-september-30-2016.pdf

Examining competencies further, I began to recognize that traditionally competencies have focused on the knowledge domain and knowledge-related skills and attitude. Complex changes in economic, technological, and social contexts of the 21st century has necessitated the broadening of skills to include “soft skills” and “deeper learning,” which can be transferred from one context to another.  These deeper learning domains are often classified into 3 domains: cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal.  Deeper learnings, also often grouped by the label “21st century thinking skills,” are essentially comprised of competencies. Preparing learners for success in the 21st century requires the classroom to intentionally teach competencies from all 3 domains.

Spending a little time recognizing and categorizing competencies was very helpful to me; it allowed me to recognize all the opportunities my students have to practice and demonstrate these competencies as I’m sure you will also when you examine them in detail.  I began to feel that this emphasis on competencies was pretty familiar and already evident in the teaching and learning process practiced in our classroom.  The first session had set the stage for me to better understand what is meant by “competencies” and I was looking forward to exploring developing as a teacher can foster learner competencies as part of my instructional practice and assessment.  

Part 2

Having established a larger awareness of what “competencies” refer to and how I could recognize them, the next session focused on how to engineer a classroom for “competency-based instruction.”  Tammy brought her own practice to the forefront to demonstrate her approach to teaching and assessing competencies in her classroom.  Her instructional practice is to blend the competencies with the content – neither one more significant than the other, but each intentionally identified and designed for within the course. By actively attending to the competency clusters, competency-based instruction is designed so that the lessons’ activities incorporate the competencies in the process, while learners interact with the course content to achieve curricular outcomes.

Implementing competency-based instructions requires that learners receive explicit instruction on the specific competency being developed– it is clearly identified and expanded upon with various descriptors and “looks like,” and “sounds like” examples.  The instruction ensures that learners understand the competency cluster and what specifically would be observed to indicate it is present. Assessment of the competency is based on observable actions that have been discussed prior to the activity; a checklist can be used to provide either formative or summative feedback.  Assessment of the curricular outcomes can be conducted independent of the competencies using traditional methods.  In short, learners practice and are assessed on competencies through the learning process are assessed on the curricular outcomes through the learning product.

Given that learners in any classroom vary greatly, teaching competencies to learners is necessary.  To intentionally teach competencies to learners, instructors work with learners to identify, analyze and practice actions and attitudes (or a sub-set of actions and attitudes) within the learning activity.  This is followed by feedback/assessment, the opportunity for reflection, continued practice and refinement.  It provides a complete and continuous cycle of instruction and assessment for learning. Competency-based instruction recognizes that competencies are valuable societal skills, and these skills cannot be assumed to be present in learners.  Differences between learners in culture, educational background, and life circumstances dictates that their learning tools will be unique and not necessarily complete.  Competency-based instruction can help all learners to build a more complete tool kit for learning, living, and working.

To illustrate the need for competency-based instruction, consider a typical classroom where learners are grouped and asked to “work collaboratively” on a task.  Some groups may quickly divide the tasks amongst themselves and then work in relative isolation to complete “their job,” and then paste it all together in the end.  Other groups may have a hard time even identifying the task and may not have a coherent process or result.  With guidance and instruction, the teacher can focus on the different component actions and attitudes to facilitate behavior that overall could be identified as “collaborative.”   Consider how the following descriptors of collaboration could influence the group process:

• all members have equal talking time (all voices are heard and quiet members are encouraged to speak)
• members listen carefully to others for understanding (there will be paraphrasing to check for understanding or questions asked to clarify ideas)
• group members acknowledge that each may have different experiences and skills  group tasks are aligned to reflect and appreciate these differences
• group members recognize that there may be cultural differences and are sensitive to these differences in terms of developing ideas, group norms and individual roles
• members voice disagreement with ideas respectfully, acknowledge differences in perspectives, identify areas where there may be agreement and demonstrate a willingness to compromise

This list of collaboration is by no means exhaustive and can be altered or expanded upon to reflect the needs of the learners.  By focusing on the various smaller behaviors, incrementally and in different contexts, learners can meet both the curricular outcomes while developing life skills that will benefit our learners in the larger life picture –family dynamics, work place success or personal growth areas to name a few.

Focusing on competencies in instruction and learning may be a bit of a shift for both teachers and learners as our teaching style and our learners’ habits are influenced by many things - mostly our own previous teaching/learning experiences.  Teachers are often most comfortable teaching how we’ve been taught and learners are most comfortable learning in a way that is familiar to how they’ve learned before.  Being more mindful of the competencies, however, I recognize that there are many instances where I am expecting learners to apply these skills, and as such, it behooves me to provide some direct instruction and strategies in places where they can build these skills in a more tangible way.  

I invite you each to examine the information related to competencies on the Alberta Education website and refer to it as you are designing your classroom activities.  Consider what competencies lend themselves to the activities that you have in place and find a way to more explicitly instruct your students on the underlying actions and attitudes that are embedded in the activities – providing a clear target for them to work towards.  Providing greater awareness and clarity in what each of the competencies “looks like” and “sounds like” and including focused practice encourages learner growth that will benefit everyone in the long term.

The 3 S’s; Strength, Support and Success – Syrena Oswald

As a new faculty member at Bow Valley College (BVC), I would like to send out a gigantic thank you to all the faculty and staff in the Centre of Excellence in Foundational Learning (CEFL) and the program coordinator Trish. I believe it is important to recognize faculty for welcoming new members to the workplace as it can often be somewhat daunting. What has impressed me the most, is that so many faculty and staff have been supportive, friendly and have purposely gone out of their way to assist myself and other new faculty members. This has resulted in us feeling connected and in the ‘loop’.

During my first two weeks at BVC I have encountered endless smiles, hellos, support and encouragement. For example, many faculty members took time to provide me with instructional materials, pep talks and pertinent day to day housekeeping information. So needless to say, thank you to the Bow Valley College faculty for providing myself and other new faculty members with a supportive and inspiring learning space.

As Maya Angelou said,

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Official Curriculum Math Exams Update – Michael Gaschnitz

As of today, I am resigning from being the Contact Person for the mathematics section of the Official Curriculum folder. I have been Contact Person for a year and a half, and now it is time for another math instructor who values effective collaboration to hold the torch high.

Thank-you Members for your hard work and commitment over the last year and a half. You recognized the value of shared effort and collaboration. You faithfully and willingly worked toward a common goal. You selflessly contributed to the society of instructors and the department. You shared.

Please feel free to make use of any portion of the math curriculum change system we developed. This is a very effective and efficient way for everyone to participate, to have a voice, and to be updated regarding every single change.

Committee members, I suggest adding your participation in the Official Curriculum for Math Exams Committee to your Performance Appraisal. As OCMEC members you have addressed the following CEFL and college-wide goals:

·        Engage in curriculum and assessment changes that incorporate and enhance academic essential skills, workplace essential skills, and digital literacy.

o   OCMEC members are highly engaged in a continuation of the official process of curriculum improvement.

·        Organization Advocacy: “Builds and maintains support for the organization through collaboration and visible, in-charge leadership, positive attitudes and behaviours.“

o   Participation in the official department curriculum process is unambiguous evidence of “positive attitudes and behaviours.”

·        Open Communication/ Listening

o   Communication: Everyone is updated of every suggested and implemented change.  Listening: Everyone holds a veto.

·        Models Agility: “Understands that there is a need to constantly change and evolve in order to achieve sustainability. Anticipates, supports, responds and adapts to change readily.”

o   Collective, clearly-communicated efforts are more sustainable. We change and evolve together with shared efforts.

Regards,

Michael Gaschnitz

Ready to learn - A colleagues post

This post is from a colleague working in the regional community adult literacy/learning system. It is a good reminder, food for thought.

A CALP program is a Community Adult Learning Program, there are over 100 of them across the province and two of our ABLE courses are covered by CALP Grants - we have hosted a CALP program at BVC for almost 30 years.

Berniece

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Have you ever signed up for something only to realize you just don’t have the time to commit to it? Not long ago, I registered for a free online course through the University of British Columbia that I was really excited about! Long story short, the regular assignment emails I received each week went unopened. Balancing all the acts in the circus I call life is complicated and sometimes I have to let something drop so I can keep everything else up.

I know I am not alone in trying to balance the pieces of my life when I want to learn something new. Adult learners in CALP programs commonly have to set priorities and make difficult choices when they return to learning, such as giving up having dinner with their family, taking a needed extra shift at work, or taking their daughter to soccer games. Time is only one of many factors that can throw a wrench in our best laid plans to improve ourselves through learning. 

I’ve heard this described as “readiness to learn”. It refers to the ease (or lack of ease) we have to engage in learning. When we are working with a new learner, readiness to learn is as important to assess as learning goals and skill gaps. It helps us to know how to design the learning and any special considerations we need to be aware of, such as if the learner is a shift-worker and can’t meet at the same time every week or if their preferred learning style is kinesthetic.

Recently, I found a great tool that I thought would be helpful in exploring the factors that affect readiness to learn. The Informal Learning Information Inventory (found in Purposeful Literacies Through Informal Learning, by Brenda Wright and Maurice Taylor) includes questions to ask during those first conversations with a learner, covering topics of past experiences with learning, learning strategies, strengths, lifestyle, and barriers to learning.

Gaining insight into the factors that compete for a learner’s time, focus, energy, or confidence allows CALP staff to be responsive and supportive to learners’ needs. There are many things we can do to help minimize the effects of barriers and to leverage the skills and strengths learners bring with them. Here is a list of factors and considerations that influence learners in your program: 

Financial stress: Extra help may be needed for transportation to the program or to cover program fees.

Accessible childcare: Accessible, affordable, safe childcare may not be readily available.

Lifestyle: Creating a daily routine around getting up on time, budgeting funds, and managing family responsibilities can create unexpected changes in the learner’s daily lives as they start a new program. Learners may need support in planning for the changes.

Fear of change: Having a family member start on a formal learning journey can be a big change for the whole family. Sometimes change creates fear and family and friends may not provide the support needed.

Health concerns: Some learners may have health issues that need to be dealt with to ensure success in the program.They may also need glasses or a new prescription for existing glasses. Practitioners should know where to refer learners for any help they need.

Violence: Some learners may be dealing with past or current violence issues. Learners who are victims of violence may feel isolation, shame, guilt and/or fear. It is important to create a safe environment where victims of violence do not feel judged or re-violated if they choose to share their stories.

Addiction: Some learners may have challenges arising from use of drugs, alcohol or gambling. Learners with addiction problems may become ill, have poor attendance or be unable to concentrate on learning.  

From Learner-Centred Intake and Assessment Process for Literacy Programs in Saskatchewan (2008). Saskatchewan Literacy Network.

To add to these ideas, there are many great examples of supports and adaptations CALPs have made to enhance learners’ readiness to learn:

• Tutoring by Skype for adults who work out of town
• Stocking a fridge with donated food for easy access to all learners
• Creating culture-specific programming
• Combining programming with a partner agency to reduce the time and travel demands on learners (i.e. attend one combined program rather than 
  2 programs in different locations at different times)
• Relocating the CALP office to be within walking distance or a short commute for targeted learners

There are so many examples of how CALPs adapt to support learners. CALPs are wonderfully creative in addressing and adapting to the challenges learners face. I invite you to share what you have done to adapt your processes, policies, learning environment, or programs to support learners’ readiness to learn.  

Corrie Rhyasen Erdman
Regional Support Staff, West
Community Learning Network

Literacy Session: Teaching Reading – My Job

Audience: Grades 6-12 Educators, Literacy Coaches, and Learning Leaders

Presenter: Lorrie Morales – she has taught for over 30 years and has recently "retired". Most of her experience has been with middle school, high school and adult learning in Humanities and Literacy.  She has been on numerous committees such as Professional Development, school lead teams, and has attended and presented at multiple Professional Development workshops, conferences and sessions.  Lorrie was previously on the executive for the Middle Years Council of Alberta and is presently serving as an Associate Instructor and a Designer of Professional Learning.

"The best teachers are those who show you where to look but don't tell you what to see."
Alexandra K. Tenfor

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On January 19, 2017, Lorrie Morales, a teacher in the field of Humanities and Literacy shared her expertise in a literacy workshop called Teaching Reading – That’s My Job!

Lorries’s presentation covered cross-curricular and Universal Design of Learning (UDL) strategies for teachers to use in classrooms. She covered questions like, “how do we apply multiple literacies in all subject areas?” In the past, reading was taught (and in some cases still is) as a fragment skill; when in fact, it should be taught across all subject areas. Reading is essential for students in order to problem solve, manage information, communicate, analyze, and criticize.  These are skills required in all subject areas.

Based on the book, Visible Learning for Literacy – Implementing Practices that Work Best to Accelerate Student Learning, teachers must intentionally design classroom experiences at three levels: the surface, deep and transfer. Here are some practical strategies you can start using in your classrooms today in order to enhance skills at each level:

The Role of Literacy Across the Content Areas

Surface: introducing new knowledge by building on knowledge students already have.
Strategies:

1.       Introducing a new concept: have your students relate that concept to something they are already familiar with. When introducing your students to new vocabulary, use the new vocabulary words in your classroom and encourage teachers of other subject areas to use the vocabulary word in their classrooms so students have multiple exposure to the word. This promotes higher order thinking and learning because learning becomes more relevant and meaningful to their own lives. For more strategies like this visit http://wordgen.serpmedia.org/

2.       Summarizing: there are multiple ways for students to determine essential ideas and consolidate important details to support them. Have students highlight or circle key words in an article that they feel are important, next have them identify their top 10 words and write each one down on 10 index cards. Have them partner up with someone else to compare/contrast the words identified. They will sort through the index cards and between the two of them, choose their NEW 10 words (10 cards). Finally use those words in a few sentences to summarize the article. For more strategies like this visit http://www.readingquest.org/strat/

3.       Feedback – provide timely feedback during class or short quizzes, specific questions from the unit, understandable to learner with a rubric and actionable feedback so students can take next steps to improve or they can for instance, revise and resubmit. Here is an interactive website designed to serve as a supplemental reading program for students in grades 1 through 12. The website provides a wide variety of reading comprehension exercises and follow-up essay options for writing practice. The website assesses student level and presents best-fit material appropriate for their performance. www.readtheory.org

4.       Student engagement: Get students engaged before they read. Hook students in by introducing icebreakers or begin your class with a hook.

Deep: 
Teachers need to encourage learners to plan, investigate and elaborate on their learning – not just relying on surface thinking.

Strategies:

1.       Word in mind maps: using visuals and notes to synthesize the information on one page

2.       Discussion and questioning: small group discussions

3.       Cloze reading: repeat reading by reading with a partner and aloud as a class, encourage interactive note taking by annotating text using sticky notes or visuals, self-questioning to deepen understanding of the text, discuss content that is being read with partners. Visit this website for self-questions examples and more information: Information: http://prel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/QuestionGen_lo_res.pdf question generator - https://umich.instructure.com/courses/824/modules/items/79077  Strategies: http://www.ldonline.org/article/61887/

4.       Reciprocal Reading: have students clarify, summarize, and predict by using strategies that promote questions, making connections, visualizing, evaluating, and synthesizing. For strategies visit: http://reading.ecb.org/teacher/resources.html

5.       Feedback: Have teachers assess the following questions: Where am I going? What are my goals? How am I going there? What progress have I made toward the goal? Where to next?

Transfer: 
Learning can be transferred if paired closely with a learned situation (recognition of word in a paragraph).

1.       Organization: new knowledge is draped into existing form. Can use metaphors or analogies with students. Use of metaphors: http://www.fpce.up.pt/ciie/sites/default/files/IOJES_1041.pdf

2.       Relevant: How is the topic relevant to other areas? Example Topic RENAISSANCE make the connections to other subjects: Science – body systems, inventions, medicine; Math – Pythagorean Theory, Architecture; Social – research, geography and trade; Language Arts/English – biographies, Shakespeare. You can incorporate core subjects one step further by asking teachers from those subject areas to introduce the topic in their classes. This cross-curricular technique may/may not work for all institutions.

3.       Problem Solving: investigate the issue and craft an argument that supports the viewpoint (debate)

4.       Projects: Designing projects incorporating questions that pertain to connecting and synthesizing content

  
Learn more about Visible Learning for Literacy based on John Hattie's books Visible Learning (2009) and Visible Learning for Teachers (2012)

Many of the strategies mentioned above that fall into the framework of Universal Design for Learning and teaching. There is a wealth of research evidence to support UDL.  There are numerous articles that explain how to implement UDL and there are many learning tools for UDL. Implementing UDL with classes might look overwhelming and seem like a lot of extra work; but it can be as simple as changing the activities you are using to supplement classroom lectures or content. These strategies can be as simple as the ones highlighted by Lorrie Morale in her presentation.

Lorrie Morales will be doing two sessions this spring (April) - Coaching VS Mentoring (based on Dr. Jim Knight and Laura Lipton' research and strategies); as well as Differences or Disabilities - strategies.  I am also hoping to do a session based on Kelly Gallagher - Reading and Writing in "Real Life" - but that may have to wait until the fall. 

Vicky Minhas BA, B.Ed, MC

Lead Instructor: Literacy, Disabilities and Research CEFL

January 27 is Family Literacy Day!

The theme this year is ‘Learn at Play Every Day’

Family Literacy Day is a celebrated across Canada to raise awareness of the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family. Literacy organizations, schools, libraries and media groups host literacy-themed events and activities across the country in honour of this special initiative.

There are many ways to celebrate Family Literacy Day in Calgary. Some ideas are:

·         Check out the Family Literacy Day: Read, Sing, and Play! events at the Calgary Public Library. Get registered!

·         The CanLearn Society invites you to celebrate learning as a family, creating photos or drawings of family activities and sending them in for posting. Share your family learning ideas with each other, and have fun doing it!

·         The Further Education Society has family learning kits and downloadable family activity sheets! So simple!

Play and Learn together!

Posted by Berniece Gowan, Adult Literacy and Essential Skills Research Institute, CEFL, Bow Valley College

Assessment Practice in Career Development - Glenna Healey

      I recently completed an online University of Calgary Continuing Education course called Assessment Practice in Career Development.  It was one of the most worthwhile and enjoyable courses I have taken on my entire educational journey. The exercises in the text book, Taking Charge of your Career Direction by R.D. Lock, helped me understand assessment practices in the career consulting field. But most of all,  the assignments provided me with ample exploration and reflection of my personal career journey, where I have come from, where I am and where I am going.  I found the D2L weekly discussion posts invaluable to read and thoroughly enjoyed being involved in the exchange of ideas with others.  The class is made up of individuals of all ages, cultures and backgrounds.  The learning curve was steep, but overall, well worth the hard work.

     I want to share the value of the Alberta Government’s ALIS website.  It is a wonderful resource on the Alberta Government website, created in conjunction with the Government of Canada. ALIS, which stands for Alberta Learning Information Services, has a portal called CareerInsite.  CareerInsite is a ‘one-stop guide’ developed to assist people in the job market with many aspects of career counselling. It is user-friendly and a wealth of knowledge.  From it a person can develop a career plan. The resources are well founded, valid and easy to interpret. Anyone can open an account and generate reports about their career planning. Further, a person can generate career options and research careers. It includes the following categories: Know yourself – this is where a person will do some quizzes or assessments to build a picture of who they are and what they want in an occupation or career. In Explore Options, a person will research occupational options based on their assessment results. In Get Ready, a person will compare and focus the occupational options they have identified. And in Take Action, a person will use the recommended five steps to identify tasks involved in pursuing the occupational option, create a timeline and stay motivated in reaching their goal.    (Taken from https://alis.alberta.ca/index.html)

     On a more personal note, one of the assignments we completed was to identify our career values and then we used a matrix to rank the values.  “A value is anything to which a person gives worth, merit, or usefulness. It is a quality that makes something desirable.” (Lock, p. 253)  I had completed a number of different values assessments throughout the course and was pleased to see that the outcomes of the assessments were very similar.   One main value that was/is important to me is helping other people. As well, I look for independence and interesting work where I can apply my skills.  What surprised me most was that achievement wasn’t as high on my list as I would have thought or as it was at the beginning of my career. The most important value that surfaced was health. As my eyes have been troubling me over the past year, looking after them has become my number one priority. 

     In a follow up to this assignment, we were asked to think about what our values would have been at the beginning of our career versus now in our career.  At the beginning of my professional career I was a new grad fresh out of university with a business degree.  My values were making money, climbing the corporate ladder, dressing in fancy outfits, achieving and being noticed.  After 28 years, my values have changed to health, helping other people, having independence and interesting work.  How valuable it has been for me to have a thoughtful retrospective of my life’s work.

     To conclude, I would encourage you to go to the ALIS website, open an account and fill out a couple of assessments.  You might confirm what you already know or you may discover something new about yourself.  This spring I will be completing the last of four courses for a certificate in Career and Academic Advising.   

References

Lock, R. D. (2005). Taking Charge of your Career Direction. Belmont, CA, USA: Thomson

Brooks/Cole.

Alberta Government ALIS Taken from https://alis.alberta.ca/index.html