Social and Cultural Learning: An inquiry into the similarities and differences between ourselves and others around the world

In Social Studies, students learn about family.  The essential questions that guide our inquiry are:
How does where you come from make you who you are?
How do traditions tell about who you are?
How are your decisions influenced by your family?

Our culminating activity was a celebration of culture, food and family. Students had the opportunity to dress in clothing that represents where their family is from. Everyone also brought in food and an artifact from their family to share with the class. Parents were invited to share in the fun. Students spent their time teaching others and learning about other families and cultures from our multicultural classroom.




Students where able to articulate and evaluate their learning afterwards by answering reflection questions which I recorded on video.  The videos where posted on each child's personal learning portfolio blog and were used as an assessment piece for this unit of study. Other assessment included anecdotal records and a rubric for a project that children worked on throughout the unit. Each student created a poster board and children presented their work during our family celebration.

Co-curricular and student life

What does co-curricular and student life mean?

It is how I:

• Actively volunteer and participates in a variety of school events, student activities and/or school improvement initiatives beyond the classroom.
• Am visible in the community by being present at a number of after school events and functions
• Proactively help students be successful by working with resource people, ESL teacher and counselor
• Take responsibility for the success of a major student activity or event    

*These standards have been adapted from, The American School of Doha Teaching Standards, May 2008, and the Ontario Ministry of Education's Teacher Performance Appraisal System, March 2012.

Commitment to Ongoing Professional Learning

What is commitment to ongoing professional learning?
It is how I:

• engage in ongoing professional learning and apply it to improve my teaching practice
• Share learning from professional development opportunities with colleagues in a structured environment, such as faculty, department, team meetings
• Provide leadership in school improvement initiatives by working on committees 

*These standards have been adapted from, The American School of Doha Teaching Standards, May 2008, and the Ontario Ministry of Education's Teacher Performance Appraisal System, March 2012.

Leadership, Collaboration and Community

What does leadership, collaboration and community mean?
It is how I:

• Communicate in a positive manner with staff, students, and community
• Apply effective collaboration and communication strategies in planning and group decision-making within teams, departments, and committee to create and sustain learning communities in my classroom and school
• Work with other professionals, parents, and members of the community to enhance pupil learning, pupil achievement, and school programs
• Empower students to have a voice pertaining to classroom standards, rules and consequences
•  Actively look for and create additional opportunities to demonstrate independence and responsibility (i.e. student jobs in the classroom, eliciting and promoting students to help and care or the school environment)
• Actively create opportunities for students to demonstrate compassion, responsibility, and respect 

*These standards have been adapted from, The American School of Doha Teaching Standards, May 2008, and the Ontario Ministry of Education's Teacher Performance Appraisal System, March 2012.

Teaching Practice

What does teaching practice mean?
It is how I:

• use my professional knowledge and understanding of students, curriculum, legislation, teaching practices, and classroom management strategies to promote the learning and achievement of my pupils.
• communicate effectively with students, parents, and colleagues
• conduct ongoing assessment, evaluates achievement, and report results to students and their parents regularly
• uses appropriate technology in my teaching practices and related professional responsibilities
• Differentiate instructional strategies and resources using student data
• Engage students in making learning choices, pursuing knowledge on their own; and working cooperatively or independently to develop, research, and complete learning tasks of their own design
• Vary activities and assessments to meet the learning styles and needs of a range of students

*These standards have been adapted from, The American School of Doha Teaching Standards, May 2008, and the Ontario Ministry of Education's Teacher Performance Appraisal System, March 2012.