PSIII Professional Growth Plan

Name: Alana Kozak

University Consultant: Donna Mackay

Rationale:
One of the school goals this year is
All students will read at or above
grade level. I decided to align my
goal with the school goal to help
create unity between my classroom
and the school as a whole. If we
have similar emphasis then it is
more likely that we will succeed in
achieving the school goal.
Sometimes it can be difficult to
incorporate reading and literacy
into a science classroom, but this
goal will help me make a conscious
effort to try and do so. I know it is
important and it is a goal that will
push me to think outside the box. It
will challenge me to think of
creative and effective ways to help
my students practice literacy skills
and eventually become literate
citizens.

School: Coalhurst High School

Practicum Dates: Aug. 25-Dec. 19, 2014
Teacher Associate: Ben Swen/Shannon Collier

Goal 1:
Place an emphasis on literacy
(reading, writing, interpreting
visuals) daily in my classes.
School Goal: All students will
read at or above grade level.

Indicators/Action Plan:
Points/activities in lesson plans will
include time for word work with the
Science 9 class.
Opportunities in lessons for students to
write or draw points to help them
remember content.
Pull from a variety of literacy strategies
to address different learning styles.
Model using complete sentences when
explaining or writing a concept.

Strategies:
Have students complete word work at
the beginning of every, or every other,
class. Word work will focus on reading
skills, vocabulary, and summarizing.
Creating a word wall with my Gr 9
students as we go through the year
and learn about new topics. I will ask
students what key words they have
come across in class material or in
their word work (ie. Bolded words in
textbooks). We will discuss what each
word means.
Use complete sentences and correct
vocabulary when writing and saying
answers.
Students can take ownership in their
own learning. They will complete a
variety of worksheets and assignments
on their own and with groups that
allows them to practice their literacy.
Students will have to use the words we
have learned and discussed when they
explain concepts.

Reflections on Professional Growth:

This goal was definitely beneficial for me. It forced me to think about literacy as more than just reading and writing.
Literacy allows for deeper understanding through reading, writing, visuals, conversation, and so forth. I found
I deliberately thought about it when I planned rather than including it as an afterthought. Reading and writing is
fairly simple to include on a daily basis ie. Reading information from the slides, writing notes, exit slips, etc.
However, implementing extra literacy activities on a daily basis took more time and concentration. I attempted to
implement extra reading or writing word work activities for the Gr. 9s at the beginning of the semester, and tried to
give them opportunities at least once a week to work on vocabulary or read the text book as they waited for
classmates to complete their tasks. What I also found challenging at times was implementing it in a variety of ways.
As time when on, I got more comfortable trying new ideas and techniques. I ended up creating a diagram/term
matching game to emphasize visual literacy, and a Catch Phrase type game to emphasize literacy in speaking by
communicating science terms. I also worked on emphasizing vocabulary in a variety of different ways. In my Science
9 class we had a Word Wall that we added to throughout each unit. As we covered the terms, they were placed on
the Word Wall close to other associated terms so students could look there if they were stuck. It was a great way to
help students form associations between terms/concepts that they might not have otherwise. With my Science 10
class, I implemented a vocabulary sheet that allowed for multiple exposure to the same term in slightly different
ways. This allowed my students to read, write, re-state, and draw for each term, and allowed for students to
enhance their literacy in more than one format.
I am glad I set this goal for myself. It really helped me realize the importance of literacy on a daily basis, and that it
is not simply reading and writing. There is so much involved in creating literate individuals, and I know it would be a
smart idea to maintain an emphasis in literacy throughout my career.

Strategies:
Students will be able to complete word work
Rationale:
One of the school goals this year
that All teachers are consistently
utilizing assessment for learning
strategies to improve student
achievement. I know the
importance of utilizing assessment
for learning strategies. That is
where the real learning occurs and
that is where the emphasis needs to
be placed. Summative assessment
is great but it has to be proceeded
by continual formative assessment.
I think self-assessment is a very
valuable tool that sometimes gets
overlooked. At times, teachers may
think we dont have the time to
provide students with opportunities
to self-assess and may feel that it
isnt worth it. However, it is
important that students really take
a look at where they are in the
learning process and to recognize
where they still need help. It is a
way for students to really reflect
and take responsibility for their own
learning. Peer-assessment is also a
very valuable tool. Students can
learn so much from their peers that
they cant learn from us, and it is
really important that I encourage
that types of comradery between
classmates. Some may also be
more receptive to peer feedback
than teacher feedback.

Goal 2: Implement two

assessment for learning
strategies in each of my
classes over my practicum that
help students self-assess and
peer-assess.

School Goal: All teachers are

consistently utilizing
assessment for learning
strategies to improve student
achievement.

Indicators/Action Plan:
I will have exemplars for each major
assignment for students to look at
and assess what they need to do to
meet assignment requirements.
Students will complete word work as
they go. I will have them start with
basics and as we cover different
material, they will have time to go
back and add to their initial work.
I will allot time in my lessons for
students to self and peer assess.

(Vocab, concept maps, graphic organizers,

fill-in-the-blank sheets) on their own before
we learn about the topic for the day, and
then add to/alter it as we work through the
material.
Students have the opportunity to examine
and analyze exemplars to see what is
expected on a summative assignment.
Pre-flight checklist- Students check each
others work to make sure they dont miss
handing in any necessary materials.
Laundry Day- Students have to self-assess
where their understanding is at, and what
they need help with.
Double answer key- Students record
answers to quizzes twice, hand one in, and
then immediately have students go through
the quiz and recognize mistakes.
Learning Portfolios- Students keep
samples of their work throughout the
learning process, allowing them to see their
progression.
Learning Logs- Use as entrance or exit slips
that students must complete once a week.
Students will be able to work through and
discuss answers to formative
quizzes/worksheets/assignments with their
classmates. (Partner work)
In PE students will record initial performances
and at the end of the unit will be able to
record new achievements and see how they
have improved. They will also fill out a
participation checklist.
Fashion/Cosmo- Students will create a
wellness plan and check how they have
achieved that at the end of the course. They
also have an opportunity to teach their
classmates a new skill, and will reflect on
that opportunity.
Photo- Students will have photo logs and can
compare their work from the start of the
semester to the end to see how they have
progressed.

Reflections on Professional Growth:

Formative assessment in all of its forms is crucial to the learning experience. It provides students
opportunities to practice what they have learned, and work through any questions they might have. Within
formative assessment, self-assessment is a valuable concept that adds a whole new dimension to the
learning experience. The unfortunate part is that self-assessment, and peer-assessment is often easy to
overlook, however, it does have a very important role. It allows students to think about what they are
learning, have learned, or need to learn. I definitely found self and peer assessment to be a valuable tool in
my classes. I was able to try a lot of new things, and appreciated the opportunity to help my students take
more responsibility for their learning. In my science classes, I used Senteo (an electronic instant
feedback system associated with the SmartBoard) to obtain feedback for individual students and for peer
assessment exercises, I also used rubrics for both types of assessment. Other tools that were used were
checklists, reflections, as well as the laundry day listed above. I also found it valuable to have students
work through their tests in groups and decipher which questions they got incorrect, and where they lost
their marks. In photography, students created a portfolio of pictures that they took after practicing and
learning about composition. They went through their portfolio and critiqued each photograph by explaining
what they did well, and how they could improve next time. They became very good at providing valuable
feedback. I didnt put learning logs into practice, but I am happy with the tools I implemented and ideas I
learned from others. I will definitely make a conscious effort to implement self-assessment into my classes
in the future.
Ultimately, I feel that literacy and assessment are deeply intertwined. Many of the literacy strategies I
used were also forms of formative assessment. It is extremely difficult to work on one without the other. I
appreciate the goals I set for myself, and think both were beneficial, and that it was effective to work on
them simultaneously.