Guiding Questions

Week 2 Guiding Questions

Question 1: How does a learning community contribute to the learning process?

A positive and safe learning community contributes to effective learning by providing academic support, learning resources, and fostering relationships between instructors, students, and peers. Sharing knowledge and strategies among students and teachers also contributes to a positive and collaborative learning process. This creates a conducive impact on students' learning for both the present and the future.

Question 2: Why must learning environments be student-centred?

Learning environments that prioritize students help prevent bias, boredom, and ineffective targeting of instruction. If teachers are unaware of students' strengths, interests, and weaknesses, they may teach without considering individual needs. A suitable teaching approach involves building on students' existing knowledge and drawing connections to new concepts. This approach enhances learning and facilitates deep understanding and creativity. Moreover, it encourages educators to recognize and accommodate individual differences, promoting active engagement and personalization.

Student-centred learning is a philosophy or an approach to education that is designed to meet the needs of each student individually. It is based on the constructivist learning theory that emphasizes the learner’s critical role in constructing meaning from new information and prior experience. In student-centred learning, students have voice and choice in their learning goals, activities, and assessments. They also collaborate with their peers and teachers to co-create learning pathways that suit their needs and interests. Student-centred learning is often contrasted with teacher-centred learning, in which the teacher determines the content and methods of instruction, and the students are passive recipients of knowledge. Teacher-centred learning may result in a learning experience that is ill-defined, boring, and irrelevant for students (Darling-Hammond & Baratz-Snowden, 2005).

Question 3: Why must learning environments be assessment-centred?

An assessment-centred approach explores the role of assessment in promoting learning and guiding instruction. It emphasizes the importance of using various assessment methods to gather evidence of students' learning. It also highlights the significance of providing ongoing feedback to students, supporting their learning progress, and helping them achieve their expectations and learning goals.

Question 4: Describe one particular learning environment from your K-12 experiences and describe the degree to which the setting or situation was student-, knowledge-, assessment-, and community-centred. How did this setting influence your learning? Why? How might others in that particular setting respond to this question? Why?

Many years ago, I participated in a middle school science introduction seminar that inspired me to explore science further. The seminar involved dividing the participants into groups to facilitate discussions and experiments. It provided a community-centred learning environment, specifically designed for students aged 14-16. The seminar was highly student-centred because our teacher, Ms. Huang, had a good understanding of our interests. She connected the experiment topic and teaching approach to our interests effectively. To start the seminar, she offered us a refreshing drink to beat the summer heat. Then, she introduced the topic of chemical reactions through a demonstration on making our own soda drink. She played a popular song, "PPAP," in the background to grab our attention. She provided handouts and guided us through the experiment while the music played. I was amazed as she added reactants from one hand to the other, dancing and singing, "I have a pen. I have an apple. Apple-pen." "I have soda, I have a lemon. Lemon soda." When the song ended, she asked us how this popular song related to the chemical reaction we just witnessed. After discussing within our groups and providing answers, she checked our understanding and pointed out key concepts, such as "reactants, products, and synthesis reactions." This formative assessment and feedback truly inspired us to learn more about chemical reactions.

Overall, I believe this learning environment successfully integrated student-centred, knowledge-centred, assessment-centred, and community-centred elements to promote an effective learning process. The students, including me, responded positively to this approach, as evident from a survey conducted after the class. Ms. Huang's unique teaching hook instantly sparked our interest in studying, and her clear and well-organized instructions for the experiment received high praise from both students and other teachers.

Reference

Darling-Hammond, L., & Baratz-Snowden, J. (Eds.). (2005). A good teacher in every classroom: Preparing the highly qualified teachers our children deserve. Jossey-Bass.

Week 2

Week 3

Week 3 Guiding Questions

Question: Using your understanding of backward design AND the Ontario Tech lesson plan template as a tool to guide your planning, where would you start the planning process? Why? Consider the manner in which you would work through the template.

I will use Backward Design with the Ontario Tech Lesson Plan Template to guide my planning

Stage 1 – Start with the desired outcome in mind
- Part 1: Lesson Overview / Summary
• Identify what students will learn and be able to do.
• State the Big Idea or overarching principle.
• Explain how you’ll know they’ve met the goal.
- Part 2: Instructional Expectations & Learning Skills
• Select overall and specific curriculum expectations.
• Choose one or two learning skills (e.g., collaboration, self-regulation) and outline how you’ll assess them.
- Part 7: Learning Goals & Success Criteria
• Translate expectations into student-friendly learning goals.
• Co-construct concrete success criteria so students know exactly how to demonstrate understanding.

Stage 2 – Gather students' assessments and needs
- Part 3: Pre-assessment & Addressing Student Needs
• Use diagnostic tools (entry tickets, concept maps, K–W–L charts) to uncover prior knowledge and learning gaps.
• Plan differentiation strategies and accommodations for diverse learners.
- Part 7: Success Criteria
• Define the specific evidence students will produce (exit tickets, lab reports, digital reflections).

By determining the above evidence early, I make sure assessment drives instruction rather than follows it.

Stage 3 – Develop learning experience for students
- Part 4: Content
• List diagrams, terminology, models, and examples students need to master the Big Idea.
- Part 5: Learning Environment
• Sketch or describe classroom layout, lab stations, and technology setups that support hands-on inquiry.
- Part 6: Required Resources
• Itemize all materials, URLs, handouts, and tech tools needed for activities and assessments.
- Part 8: Scaffolding via Gradual Release of Responsibility
• Plan “Minds On,” “Action,” and “Consolidation” segments with explicit modelling (I do), guided practice (we do), collaborative work, and independent application.
- Part 9: Organizing the Learning Experience
• Create a concise, visually clear agenda.
• Assign timing, levels of scaffolding, and assessment purposes (for/as/of learning) to each segment.
• Specify how you’ll gather evidence (observations, student products, conversations).

This stage transforms goals and evidence into engaging, differentiated learning experiences.

Reflective Practice
- Part 10: Reflection
• Select a prompt (e.g., “How did I support critical thinking?”) to record insights immediately after teaching.
• Use reflections to refine future lessons, ensuring continuous growth.

Summary of the sequence of the lesson plan template
By beginning with Parts 1–2 and Stage 1 of backward design, we align every subsequent section—assessments, content, environment, scaffolding—with clear, meaningful learning goals. The Ontario Tech template then guides me step-by-step through evidence gathering, resource planning, instructional design, and reflection, resulting in purposeful, inclusive, and standards-aligned high-school lessons.

Week 4 Guiding Questions

Question 1: What is it that students will learn and be able to do?

Students will gain both knowledge or contents and skills connected to the learning goals.

Question 2: How will you know that they learned or are able to do “it”?

I will gather evidence of learning through a variety of assessments, such as formative evaluation, summative ones, and self-assessment. Also, I will look for the related success criteria.

Question 3: How will you guide them through the process to get them to “it”?

I will use scaffolding and gradual release of responsibility (“I do, We do, You do”).

"I do" means teachers provide modelling to show students the concepts, process and the solutions.

"We do" means that with the teachers' guide, feedback and prompts, the students can work out the problems.

"You do" means providing opportunities for independent practice or application, where students demonstrate mastery.

Question 4: Reflection on how well you feel the responses to the questions have addressed assessment, instructional activities and learning outcomes:

Using the “I do, We do, You do” model helps guide students step by step toward mastering a skill. First, the teacher models the process (“I do”), then students practice with support (“We do”), and finally they apply it independently (“You do”). This approach naturally includes assessment through observation and feedback, uses structured activities to build understanding, and leads to clear learning outcomes by gradually releasing responsibility. It’s a simple but powerful way to teach effectively and ensure students truly grasp the material.

Week 4

Week 5

Week 5 Guiding Questions

1. Compare assessment "for" "as" and "of" learning. How are they similar? Different? How can these forms of assessment benefit both teacher and learner?

Comparison of Assessment “For,” “As,” and “Of” Learning

Assessment for learning is formative. It happens during instruction and is used by teachers to monitor student progress, adjust teaching strategies, and provide feedback that supports improvement.
Assessment as learning focuses on student self-assessment and reflection. It helps learners set goals, monitor their own understanding, and take ownership of their learning.
Assessment of learning is summative. It occurs after learning and is used to evaluate what students have learned at the end of a unit or course, often for reporting or grading.

Similarities:
All three forms of assessment aim to improve student learning, involve gathering evidence of progress, and rely on feedback to guide next steps. Each requires clear learning goals and success criteria to be effective.

Differences:

Purpose:
- For learning → to guide teaching
- As learning → to guide student self-monitoring
- Of learning → to measure achievement
Timing:
- For/as occur throughout instruction (formative)
- Of occurs after instruction (summative)
Role:
- In for, the teacher uses evidence to adjust teaching
- In as, the student reflects and self-assesses
- In of, the teacher evaluates and reports results

Dwayne Harapnuik has created a chart that describes of learning, for learning and as learning in a chart posted on his personal education website, which describes the similarities and differences between the three methodologies.

Benefits for Teachers and Learners:

For learning helps teachers tailor instruction and provide immediate feedback.
As learning empowers students to take responsibility, build metacognitive skills, and become active participants.
Of learning helps teachers summarize progress and identify areas for future growth.
Together, these forms ensure that assessment is not just a final judgment but a continuous, collaborative process that enhances teaching and learning.

2. Consider your own K-12 experiences. How was assessment "as learning" integrated into your experience?

K–12 Experience: Traditional Assessment in China

When I was in K–12 in China, assessment meant earning grades. Teachers delivered lectures, assigned textbook exercises, and evaluated our work solely by using tests (assessment of learning). I focused on memorizing facts and reproducing model answers rather than understanding concepts deeply or critically applying them. Reflection occurred only after I received my grade—I rarely learned from my peers' perspectives, nor from my own deep understanding of the learning process (metacognition). As a result, I learned to view assessments as an endpoint rather than a moment to pause, think, and plan next steps.

After truly understanding the assessment as learning, during a university practicum in Canada, I now see assessment as learning as the engine of student empowerment. In my own classroom, I will weave these strategies into daily routines:

• Co-Constructed Success Criteria

At the start of each unit, I’ll ask students to help define what “success” looks like—drawing criteria on chart paper or in a shared digital document.

• Self-Monitoring Checklists

For multi-step tasks (e.g., writing a lab report), students will tick off stages—hypothesis, data collection, analysis, conclusion—and track their confidence at each step.

• Regular Goal-Setting Conferences

Every two to three lessons, I’ll meet briefly with students to review their journals, discuss self-scores, and chart personalized targets.

• Structured Peer Review

Using routines like “Two Stars and a Wish,” learners will give and receive feedback on lab work, presentations, or written explanations.

• Digital Learning Portfolios

Students will curate samples of their work (drafts, reflections, corrected assignments) in an online portfolio. Periodic portfolio check-ins will prompt them to reflect on growth over time.

By embedding these assessment-as-learning strategies, I aim to cultivate a classroom culture where students continuously reflect on their understanding, set meaningful goals, and take ownership of their scientific inquiry.

Week 6

Week 6 Guiding Questions

1. What has helped YOU as a learner as you have progressed through the Lesson Plan Assignment thus far? Why?

Having a clear structure and template for the lesson plan has helped me stay organized and focused. It allows me to break down each component—learning goals, activities, assessment—into manageable steps, which supports my planning and confidence.

2. What has hindered your learning as you have progressed through this assignment thus far? Why? How might you address this moving forward?

I am uncertain about how to differentiate for diverse learners, which has been a challenge. I sometimes struggle to balance curriculum expectations with individual needs. Moving forward, I plan to consult more IEP samples, use scaffolded resources, and seek feedback from my mentor teacher to strengthen this area.

Resource: AI-generated Ontario IEP Template (Accommodated / Modified / Alternative)

Week 7

Week 7 Guiding Questions

In your schooling experiences (grade school to now) recall an experience where your teacher stimulated or inspired your thinking about a topic using thoughtful questioning techniques (e.g.: A Socratic circle with questions, debate questions, etc.). Describe and share the impact it had on your learning.

One of the most interesting experiences I had in grade 7 science was when my teacher used a Socratic circle to explore the topic of climate change.

My teacher divided the class into two groups: one group was the inner circle, who participated in the discussion, and the other group was the outer circle, who observed and evaluated the discussion. We switched roles halfway through the session. The teacher prepared some guiding questions for us, such as:

What is climate change and what are its causes and effects?
How does climate change affect different regions and ecosystems around the world?
What are some of the challenges and opportunities for addressing climate change?
What are some of the ethical and social implications of climate change?

The discussion was very informative. I learned a lot of new ideas from listening to different perspectives and opinions from my classmates. I also learned how to support my arguments with evidence from scientific sources and how to disagree with others respectfully. The Socratic Circle helped me to deepen my understanding of the topic and its relevance to our lives, as well as to develop my communication and critical thinking skills. I also learned that by opening up to different ideas from you, it is easy to reach a mutual understanding first. We can work on more collaboratively information collection, synthesis, and evaluation to promote new ideas and inventions. It was one of the most effective and enriched learning experiences I had in science.

2. As you see it now (remember, this is a snapshot of your thinking that will likely evolve), how would you organize your questioning techniques to inspire thinking during a lesson? Consider Bloom's, as well as videos and readings from this week and last. Consider how you will ensure all students have an opportunity to engage.

This is a very interesting and complex question. There are many possible ways to organize questioning techniques to inspire thinking during a lesson, but here is one possible approach based on Bloom’s taxonomy and KTAC categories.

Bloom’s taxonomy is a framework that classifies different levels of cognitive skills, from lower-order to higher-order (Hill, 2016). KTAC stands for Knowledge, Thinking, Application, and Communication, which are four categories of learning skills and work habits that are essential for success in the 21st century (ThoughtCo, 2019). Both frameworks can be used to design questions that challenge students to think critically, creatively, and collaboratively.

One way to organize questioning techniques is to align them with the levels of Bloom’s taxonomy and the categories of KTAC.

For example (Krathwohl, 2002):

Knowledge: This level involves remembering and recalling factual information. Questions at this level can assess students’ prior knowledge, vocabulary, and basic concepts. For example: What is the definition of ____? What are the main components of ____? How do you spell ____? These questions can also be aligned with the Communication category of KTAC, as they require students to use clear and precise language to express their understanding.
Comprehension: This level involves understanding and interpreting information. Questions at this level can help students to explain, summarize, compare, contrast, and classify information. For example: How would you describe ____ in your own words? What are the similarities and differences between ____ and ____? How can you categorize ____ into different groups? These questions can also be aligned with the Thinking category of KTAC, as they require students to use critical and creative thinking skills to analyze and synthesize information.
Application: This level involves applying and using information in new situations. Questions at this level can help students to solve problems, demonstrate skills, and perform tasks. For example: How would you use ____ to accomplish ____? How can you apply what you learned to a real-world situation? What steps would you take to complete ____? These questions can also be aligned with the Application category of KTAC, as they require students to transfer and connect their learning to various contexts and situations.
Analysis: This level involves breaking down and examining information. Questions at this level can help students to identify patterns, relationships, causes, effects, and arguments. For example: How does ____ relate to ____? What are the advantages and disadvantages of ____? How can you support or refute ____? These questions can also be aligned with the Thinking category of KTAC, as they require students to use critical and creative thinking skills to evaluate and judge information.
Synthesis: This level involves creating and generating new information. Questions at this level can help students to design, invent, produce, and compose original products or ideas. For example: How can you combine ____ and ____ to create something new? What would you change or improve about ____? How can you express ____ in a different way? These questions can also be aligned with the Thinking and Communication categories of KTAC, as they require students to use critical and creative thinking skills to generate and communicate new ideas.
Evaluation: This level involves judging and assessing information. Questions at this level can help students to critique, justify, recommend, and defend their opinions or decisions. For example: How would you rate or rank ____? What are the criteria for evaluating ____? What are the strengths and weaknesses of ____? These questions can also be aligned with the Thinking and Communication categories of KTAC, as they require students to use critical and creative thinking skills to make and communicate informed decisions.

By organizing questioning techniques according to Bloom’s taxonomy and KTAC categories, teachers can inspire thinking during a lesson and ensure that all students have an opportunity to engage at different levels of cognitive skills and learning skills. However, this is not the only way to organize questioning techniques, and teachers should also consider other factors, such as the content, objectives, and context of the lesson, as well as the needs, interests, and abilities of the students.