O34ME Supports! Building Towards Thinking Classrooms

Using Dr. Peter Liljedahl’s Building Thinking Classrooms, the Chapter ran its first book study with incredible success!

To support our members’ participation:

• books were purchased for OAME-O34ME members;
• bi-weekly meetings were held from late March to mid-June, 2021 to explore the Introduction and Chapters 1 to 11 (of 15 chapters); and
• meetings were held on Zoom, with interactive components (e.g., Jamboard), and small and whole-group discussions based on focus questions associated with each chapter.

A Jamboard from Session 2

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Our Impact!

All sessions were built upon participant feedback, which modeled openness to co-constructing and mobilizing knowledge across the group. 

All members were open to sharing their thoughts and ideas both in- and post-session--even their challenges to practice and successes in trying different pedagogical strategies.

Overall, all members were open with sharing how much they appreciated and learned through the study, including their shifts in practice, as well as wonderings and challenges to the strategies detailed in the book. This provided a backdrop for respectful discussion, and on occasion, outreach to the committee for further support. 

What else? Membership has grown through the study; new relationships have been built; continued interest in the study and chapter’s activities have been expressed; and opportunities for members to join Council have been created and shared.

Looking Ahead: Fall 2021

​Although it was not possible, at this time, to study all chapters of the book, many members have expressed a desire to continue working with Building Thinking Classrooms during the 2021-22 school year. And we’ll be doing our very best to meet our members’ professional learning needs!

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What to expect? With more educators exploring this pedagogy in their own practices, we'll be enriching our shared time with practical findings from the field--in the #OttawaZone!

​In the meantime, we'd like to offer up some encouragement! And a sample of resources as insight to some of the ‘how’ and ‘what’ of the study’s organization, facilitation, and degree of participation.

Encouragement!

• Check out our latest book study tweet on Twitter. Follow us :)
• Join our Facebook Math Sharing Group! We're almost at 100 members!!
• Bookmark our website! and blog!! 

Invite a friend/colleague! Bring someone along to the next iteration of the book study. Recall: If they're an OAME member, we'll buy them the book! There's so much value in becoming an OAME member!! Here's how.

Sampling of Resources:

• Session 1 slides (complete with active links embedded)
• Free Book Study Guide from Corwin Education (includes an amazing set of focus questions)

Let's Connect!
On behalf of the O34ME Council and Professional Learning Committee, we wish you all the very best for a strong finish to the year and for a relaxing Summer.
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Contact: Need to connect with O34ME? Use our Contact Form to ask questions, share concerns, and/or provide suggestions.

Contact

Yours in #mathedu

Chris Stewart
2019-22 O34ME President