This document outlines strategies for creating inclusive classrooms that engage all students in thinking and learning. It discusses frameworks like Universal Design for Learning that provide multiple means for students to acquire and demonstrate knowledge. Specific strategies presented include literature circles, inquiry circles, and backwards design of lessons around important ideas and thinking skills. Case studies demonstrate how these approaches were implemented successfully in diverse classrooms.

1. Thinking to Learning in
Inclusive Classrooms
Chilliwack
April
4,
2014
Faye
Brownlie
Slideshare.net/fayebrownlie/chilliwack.thinking

2. The teeter totter
kids
kids curriculum

3. Frameworks
It’s All about Thinking (English, Humanities, Social Studies) –
Brownlie & Schnellert, 2009
It’s All about Thinking (Math, Science)– Brownlie, Fullerton,
Schnellert, 2011

4. Universal Design for Learning
MulCple
means:
-­‐to
tap
into
background
knowledge,
to
acCvate
prior
knowledge,
to
increase
engagement
and
moCvaCon
-­‐to
acquire
the
informaCon
and
knowledge
to
process
new
ideas
and
informaCon
-­‐to
express
what
they
know.
Rose
&
Meyer,
2002

5. Choose a lesson
• Think
of
all
the
users
at
the
point
of
design.
• Who
mighty
not
be
able
to
do
this?
• Think
of
the
goal,
not
the
acCvity/method.
• Accessibility
not
accommodaCon.

6. Backwards Design
• What
important
ideas
and
enduring
understandings
do
you
want
the
students
to
know?
• What
thinking
strategies
will
students
need
to
demonstrate
these
understandings?
McTighe
&
Wiggins,
2001

7. Approaches
• Assessment
for
learning
• Open-­‐ended
strategies
• Gradual
release
of
responsibility
• CooperaCve
learning
• Literature
circles
and
informaCon
circles
• Inquiry
It’s All about Thinking – Brownlie & Schnellert, 2009

8. There is great success in engaging
students with text and conversation
using literature circles
Literature Circles
STUDENTS
Within these groupings,
choose
their
own
books
are never
assigned
roles
read at
their own
pace
engage in
conversations
keep journals
about readings
and conversations
are taught
comprehension
strategies

9. Another Book Intro:
Students
need:
• strategies
to
hook
them
into
reading
• mulCple
ways
into
the
books
• an
opportunity
to
apply
the
strategies
you
have
been
teaching
• opportuniCes
to
talk
with
others
about
their
thinking
about
their
reading
• Cme
to
read
independently

10. The Plan
• Distribute
5-­‐6
different
first
pages
• Have
students
read
the
page
• Students
sketch
what
they
‘see’
on
the
page
• Students
circle
powerful
words
• Students
ask
quesCons
around
the
text
• Students
meet
with
others
reading
the
same
page
and
compare
their
notes
• Students
meet
with
others
not
reading
the
same
page
and
compare
their
notes
• Students
read
independently,
in
the
novel
of
their
choosing

11. Books used:

12. Literature Circles: Residential
Schools
• A
unit
co-­‐developed
by
– Marla
Gamble,
gr.
6
Classroom
Teacher,
Prince
Rupert,
BC
– Marilyn
Bryant,
Aboriginal
EducaCon
Program
Resource
Teacher
– Raegan
Sawka,
LUCID
Support
Teacher
(Learning
for
Understanding
through
Culturally
Inclusive
ImaginaCve
Development)
• Lesson
2:
co-­‐designed
and
co-­‐taught:
Marla
&
Faye

13. • 1st
lesson
– Slide
presentaCon
on
First
NaCons
background
in
the
geographic
area
with
some
reference
to
residenCal
schools
• 2nd
lesson
– Whip
around
– Fishbowl
on
1st
paragraph
of
Fa#y
Legs
–
C.
Jordan-­‐Fenton
&
M.
Poliak-­‐Fenton
(Annick
Press)
– Co-­‐created
criteria
for
effecCve
group
– Envelopes
of
5-­‐6
pictures
from
Fa#y
Legs
– Make
a
story
– Share
some
stories
– Walk
and
talk
– 4
minute
write
–
story
behind
the
pictures

14. • My
name
is
Olemaun
Pokiak
–
that’s
OO-­‐lee-­‐
mawn
-­‐
but
some
of
my
classmates
used
to
call
me
“Fady
Legs”.
They
called
me
that
because
a
wicked
nun
forced
me
to
wear
a
pair
of
red
stockings
that
made
my
legs
look
enormous.
But
I
put
an
end
to
it.
How?
Well,
I
am
going
to
let
you
in
on
a
secret
that
I
have
kept
for
more
than
60
years:
the
secret
of
how
I
made
those
stockings
disappear.

23. Inquiry Circles
• Choose
your
inquiry
quesCon
• Model
how
to
ask
quesCons
from
an
image,
within
the
framework
of
the
quesCon
• Fishbowl
an
inquiry
circle
conversaCon
• Other
student
observe
for
‘what
works’
• Build
criteria
for
effecCve
group
behaviour

24. What is the smartest adaptation for
survival in their environment?
How do animals adapt?

27. Vocabulary/terms
Images
Ques3ons
Key
ideas

28. Inquiry Circles
• Select
4-­‐5
different
arCcles,
focused
on
central
topic
or
theme.
• Present
arCcles
and
have
students
choose
the
one
they
wish
to
read.
• Present
note-­‐taking
page.
• Student
fill
in
all
boxes
EXCEPT
‘key
ideas’
before
meeCng
in
the
group.
• Students
meet
in
‘like’
groups
and
discuss
their
arCcle,
deciding
together
on
‘key
ideas’.
• Students
meet
in
non-­‐alike
groups
and
present
their
informaCon
from
their
arCcle.

36. • Brownlie,
Fullerton,
Schnellert
–
It’s
All
about
Thinking
–
Collabora3ng
to
support
all
learners
in
Math
&
Science,
2011
• Brownlie,
King
-­‐
Learning
in
Safe
Schools
–
Crea3ng
classrooms
where
all
students
belong,
2nd
ed,
Pembroke
Publishers,
2011
• Brownlie,
Schnellert
–
It’s
All
about
Thinking
–
Collabora3ng
to
support
all
learners
in
English
&
Humani3es,
2009
• Brownlie,
Feniak,
Schnellert
-­‐
Student
Diversity,
2nd
ed.,
Pembroke
Pub.,
2006
• Brownlie,
Jeroski
–
Reading
and
Responding,
grades
4-­‐6,
2nd
ediCon,
Nelson,
2006
• Brownlie
-­‐
Grand
Conversa3ons,
Portage
and
Main
Press,
2005
• Brownlie,Feniak,
McCarthy
-­‐
Instruc3on
and
Assessment
of
ESL
Learners,
Portage
and
Main
Press,
2004