Learning Strategies: Skills for Success in Secondary School

The course content is intended to develop student learning and personal management skills. Students receive a credit for completion of this course.

Ontario Curriculum

Sept 4

Introductions and Organization - get Drive set up, email organization

Sept 8

Organization Tips for the school year - agenda, google calendar, check list

Lesson 1: What do I know about myself?

3 ways of learning: visual (learn by seeing); auditory (learn by listening); kinesthetic or tactile (learn by doing)
Student worksheet: Learning Styles

Sept 10

Lesson 1 continued: What do I know about myself? - access the canva slide deck, complete learning styles quiz

Sept 12

Journal entry #1

My preferred learning style is:
Related to my preferred learning style, I enjoy activities that involve the following:
Related to my preferred learning style, I learn best from a teacher who does the following:
Related to my preferred learning style, I like to work in a work or study area that includes the following:

Instructions

1. Review the different learning styles using the video Discover Your Learning Style

2. Watch each of the learning styles videos below to explore each learning style. You may have a blend of two learning styles. Pay close attention to the parts of the video that explain the challenges each learning style faces. This will help you think about your learning experiences to help you respond to the Journal Entry #1 questions (especially question #2). It will also help you to eventually complete Journal Entry #2 which is coming up.

3. Go to the Classwork section of Google Classroom and open up your Learning Skills Journal and complete Entry #1. The question prompts have already been posted for you.

Sept 16

1. work period - other course work

2. complete learning styles journal entry #1 if incomplete

Sept 18

origami activity
Progress check on organization strategies for school year (use of agenda) coming up

complete journal entry #2
- Describe a learning situation that was difficult for you because you were not able to use your preferred learning style.
- What would have made that learning experience better for you? Review the strategies you just learned to give you some ideas.

Sept 22

Lesson 1 continued: Adapting Your Learning Style

Agenda check - you should be using the agenda to make checklists of homework and assignments

complete journal entry #2
- Describe a learning situation that was difficult for you because you were not able to use your preferred learning style.
- What would have made that learning experience better for you? Review the strategies you just learned to give you some ideas.

Lesson 1 continued: Transferable Skills

go to Google Classroom and complete the assignment on tracking your transferable skills

Sept 24

work period - Make sure to fill in your work period tracker
make sure journal entries #1, #2 are complete
student agenda check in continued
complete Working Style Assessment if not completed yet

Sept 26 PA DAY

Sept 29

complete journal entry #3
- List any connections you found between your preferred learning styles and the workplace preferences identified in the activity you just finished.

Work on transferable skills assignment

Oct 1

1. Work period - Make sure to fill in your work period tracker

Finish transferable skills assignment

Oct 3

Work period - fill in your work period tracker

Work on transferable skills assignment

Oct 7

Begin Lesson 2: What is success?

go to the padlet and make a post about someone you consider successful
go to the group slide deck and make a slide about someone famous or that you know that you think is successful. Follow the sample to guide you!

Oct 9

Work period

Make sure to fill in your work period tracker

Oct 15

1. Continue lesson 2: What is success?

complete your slide on a successful person
work on 1.2 worksheet "What is Success?"
- complete as much as you can (do not complete the last part about your report card)

2. Complete journal entry #4

What is success to you as a student? Consider how you measure success - is it a good grade? a goal you accomplish? a classmate you make friends with? Reflect on a positive moment you have had at some point in your education and explain it below.

Oct 17

1. Work period - make sure to fill in your work period tracker

Oct 21

1. Continue lesson 1.2 - complete successful people slides and establish definition of success.

Oct 23

Work period - make sure to fill in your work period tracker

Oct 27 AND Oct 29

1. Continue lesson 1.2 What is Success?

2. Make sure journal entry #4 is complete - review your report card to complete 1.2 What is Success worksheet

complete the last part about your report card

Note: We are working toward emailing our teachers a learning profile to help us be successful in our courses.

4. Work period on other course work

Nov 4

1. First GLE assignment: What is Success? First, complete worksheet

Complete assessment of learning skills based on last academic year

2. Complete Exit card assignment - this is worth 10 marks.

3. Assignment: Successful People (coming up)

Nov 6

1. Make sure Success Exit Card is complete

2. Review your report card and complete section on learning skills in your worksheet

First major assignment explained: Please complete this work on your copy in Google Classroom. The interview must be complete by Nov ___. You will work on this assignment in class the following week.

Nov 10

1. Make sure you have reviewed feedback on your Exit Card - complete if you received a 0. You should always complete ALL work for every course.

2. Michelle Cooper visit

sent your email to all of your teachers.

3. Work period

Nov 12

1. Review assignment: 1.3 Emailing Your Teacher

2. Review IEP and begin drafting email to your teachers

3. Work on your Success assignment.

Please note, your should have your interview done by end of this week. If not, please complete it by next class.

Nov 16

1. Work period - if you don't have any other coursework, you can work on your Success Assignment in Google Classroom.

Nov 18

Financial Literacy program begins - intro

Nov 20

Financial Literacy program session #1

Nov 24

Financial Literacy program session #2

Submit Success Assignment by end of this week!

Nov 26

Work period for other courses and success assignment/email teachers assignment.

Nov 28

1. Send email to teachers

2. Hand in success assignment by end of day today.

3. Part of class to do other course work

Dec 2

1. Class chat about how to get involved in the new school!

Dec 4

1. Email teachers assignment - make sure you have emailed your teachers and you CC me as shown in class.
2. Make a copy of 2.1 Problem Solving. Complete slides 2-6. Slide 2 involves solving a riddle. Do not use any internet cheating - try and solve it with your NATURAL intelligence.
3. Respond to the scenarios on the following slides that present a problem/dilemma. Explain what you would do to solve the problem. Complete for homework if not complete in class.

4. Work period for other courses - enter what you did on your Work Tracker before the end of the period!

Dec 8

1. Continue Unit 2 Lesson 1: review responses to initial scenarios

2. Learn problem solving cycle - apply to scenario - submit to Google Classroom

Coming up: Problem Solving assignment

3. Complete journal entry #5:

Describe a particularly challenging learning situation that you were able to deal with effectively, and describe how you dealt with this problem. Focus on:

the resources (including the people that helped you) that you accessed to help you with the problem
the steps you took as you worked through the problem
the obstacles you encountered and how you dealt with them
the ways in which you used your preferred learning style to help you

Dec 10

Work Period

2. If no other course work, begin Unit 2 Lesson 1 assignment

Dec 12

Unit 2 Lesson 1 continued

Dec 15

1. Continue problem solving lesson - practice scenario together

2. Make sure journal entry #5 is complete

Dec 17 and Dec 19 CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES

⛪🤶🌟Merry Christmas and Happy New Year🎅❄️👼

Jan 6 and Jan 8

1. Check journal entry #5 and make the corrections based on my feedback.

2. Open Google Classroom assignment - 2.1 Problem Solving Skills

review slides 8-13 and then consider the problem outlined on slide 14. You have different scenarios based on your grade but they are all similar.
Complete the different steps of the problem solving process on slides 14-19 and try to solve the problem.
Type out point form notes in each of the slides 14-19 to explain thinking.
This is the practice problem - complete for stamp credit

Then work on any other course work for your other classes.

Set work periods and calendar for January and February

Jan 12

1. Review practice question for problem solving. Once complete, complete the assignment question on the Yorkdale Part Time Job vs Concert problem. Click submit in Google Classroom before the end of today.

2. Problem solving and decision making skills are part of a set of skills called Executive Functioning.

Intro video - What is Executive Functioning?

3. Independent lesson - go to Canva (TCDSB) and join our class using this link or find the invite email in your Gmail inbox

begin "Silent Superpowers: Lesson 1 - Executive Functions"

Jan 14

Work period

Jan 16

1. Complete EF Lesson (or if your problem solving assignment is late, complete it now) if you have no other course work - Make sure to submit your work in Google Classroom (Problem Solving 2.1) and Canva (EF Lesson 1).

Jan 20

Work period

1. Complete your Work Period Tracker

Jan 22

1. Finish lesson 1 of Executive Function

2. Start Lesson 2: Improving, Not Proving if you are ready!

3. Agenda reminder - you should be using your agenda to track homework and To-Dos

4. Make sure you have the work completed for the Executive Functioning Lessons 1 that we have completed so far. Make sure to click SHARE and then SEND TO TEACHER.

Jan 26 SNOW DAY

Jan 28

1. Start Lesson 2: Improving, Not Proving if you are ready!

intro activity: EF skills overview (what they look like when they are developed well and when they are not)
complete the two workshseets on mindset

2. Begin Lesson #3 in Canva.

3. Work on other course work as needed.

Next period: Work Period

Jan 30

1. Work period

Jan 30

1. For this course> Open up canva.tcdsb.org and you will see the lesson under the PROJECTS tab. It is called #4 Executive Functioning: Organizing For Success.

2. Stamps for completed work - Executive Functioning Lessons 1-3

3. Coming Up: Executive Functioning Lesson 5: Procrastination

Feb 3

1. GUIDANCE SESSION - COURSE SELECTION

Feb 5

1. Work period - finish Executive Functioning Lesson 2

Feb 9

1. Executive Functioning Lesson #2 - review

Begin #3 and #4

Feb 11

1. Work period

2. Check in - course selection. Any course selection issues?

3. Finish EF Lesson #3 and #4

Feb 17

1. Ghoulentine's Day!

2. EF Lesson #5 for bonus homework

Feb 19

1. Finish EF Lesson #3 and #4, start EF Lesson #5

Coming up:

Complete journal entry #6: Review the first 6 lessons on Executive Functioning. What are the habits you have started putting into place since starting to learn about what executive functioning is? Explain a few ways you have changed your school or personal life habits.

Recall:

Lesson 1: What is EF? Review the study habits worksheet and the small change you committed to.

Lesson 2: Improving Not Proving (Fixed vs Growth Mindset)

Lesson 3: Prioritizing and Planning (Setting Goals, Eisenhower Matrix, Tackling Large Projects)

Lesson 4: Organizing (Managing Distractions, Using a Weekly Planner to Manage Workflow)

Lesson 5: Procrastination and Initiative (Internal vs External Motivation, Breaking down a Task)

Lesson 6: Honouring Commitments and Being Responsible (Understanding your Roles and Responsibilities, Being Accountable and Reliable)

Feb 23

1. Work period

2. Complete lesson 5 AND 6 and begin to prepare journal entry

Feb 25

1. Work status check - lessons 1-6 of Executive Functioning

2. Agenda and Gmail/Google Classroom check

Feb 27

1. Complete lesson 5 AND 6 on Canva and begin to prepare journal entry #6: Review the first 6 lessons on Executive Functioning.

2. Complete journal entry: What are the habits you have started putting into place since starting to learn about what executive functioning is? Explain a few ways you have changed your school or personal life habits.Students can also complete other course work as needed.

3. You must complete a work period tracker indicating what they worked on today.

Mar 3

1. Complete journal entry

2. Review lesson 5 and 6 on Canva

3. Start lesson 7: Making Decisions

March 5

1. Work period

Mar 9

1. Continue procrastination lesson

2. Complete procrastination assignment in Google Classroom

3. Complete lesson 5 in Canva.

Mar 11

1. Work period

Mar 13

1. Review requirement components of lesson 6 - Being Responsible

MARCH BREAK

2. Complete procrastination assignment in Google Clasroom.

Mar 24

1. Mark Update

2. Review Lesson 6

3. Begin Lesson 7 Making Decisions

Practice decision making using this online game. When you start, play as guest. Choose the first mission which is called "Save the Sheep". Take a screenshot of the last screen in that mission to show me if you made the right decision to make everyone satisfied and included in the colony using your decision making skills!

4. Homework - make sure Lesson 7 is complete and your journal entry 6 is complete

Mar 26

1. Work period - catch up on missed GLE work

Mar 30 and April 1

1. Financial Literacy classes

Apr 7

1. Review lesson 7 and start lesson 8 (canva) and/or complete your other course work.

Apr 9

1. Focus on lesson 8 - body scan and being mindful

This will be a wellness/meditation period

2. Make sure all of your canva lessons are up to date - lessons 1-8

Apr 13

1. Lesson 9 of Executive Functioning

2. Lesson 10 assigned

Apr 15

1. Work period

Apr 17

Wrap up Executive Functioning

1. Unit 3 begins - Lesson 1 Note Taking

2. Ongoing Task: use the notetaking templates to take notes for at least one course lesson

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TEACHER NOTES

Unit 3 Lesson 2 Test Preparation/Study Skills

2. Ongoing Task: use the study template to prepare for a test

Mar 21

Unit 3 Lesson 3 Reading Comprehension Skills

- Story Map Templates

Mar 25

Work period - work on creating a note taking sheet, study guide sheet for any of your courses

Work on other course work

Mar 27

Unit 3 Lesson 4: Presentation Skills

Mar 31

Work Period

Apr 2

Work Period

April 4

Our last lesson was on presentation skills. We will continue to work on developing these skills. One way we will do that is to deliver a short presentation on a fun topic. You will spend this period thinking about a topic you'd like to present on (for about 5 minutes). Go to the assignment "3.4 Planning a Presentation" to get started under Classwork.
Submit the assignment by the end of the period.

Apr 8

Continue planning your short presentation on a topic of your choice.

After you submit your first plan, you will start creating your script.

Apr 10

Continue presentation skills: let's critique a presentation based on what we learned about effective presentation skills.

Continue to develop your plan and script for your presentation. We will be presenting next week on Wednesday!

Apr 14

Conclude our presentation critique - last set of questions

Continue to develop your plan and script for your presentation. We will be presenting on Wednesday!

Apr 16

Present!

Complete your self assessment and upload any supporting materials to Google Classroom.

Work period if time permits

Apr 22

WORK PERIOD

Start Unit 4 - lesson 1: responsible use of AI tools.

Apr 24

Continue Unit 4 Lesson 1

Apr 28

Continue Unit 4 Lesson 1.

Complete journal entry #7: What did you learn about AI so far that you never knew?
Type at least 3 new things.

Apr 30

Work period - bring other course work - complete entry in work period tracker

May 2

Work on Unit 4 Lesson 1 Assignment - using some AI tools from the lesson

Coming up: Continue to explore AI tools for exam review - Claude AI

Make sure Journal Entry #7 is complete and AI assignment

May 6

Guest speaker - make sure you have completed up to Activity 5 on the 4.1 worksheet.

May 8

Quick overview on how to calculate your term and summative mark

Pope Watch

May 12

Exam review period - Unit 1 Science

Course Summative will be assigned - this is worth 30% of your mark (will be focusing on your exam review and study schedule)

May 14

Exam review period - English

May 16

Exam review period - Unit 2 Science

May 21

Exam review period - English

May 23

Exam review period - Unit 3 Science

May 27

EQAO/Math exam review session #1

May 29

EQAO/Math exam review session #2

June 2

EQAO/Math exam review session #3

June 4

Work on 4.1 Discovering AI - complete the lesson

Wrap up Unit 4 AI - some tools to help with studying for exams

Science review as necessary

Submit your Course Summative (30% of your final mark)

Submit your journal and work period tracker (10% of your mark)

June 6

Work on 4.1 Discovering AI - complete the lesson

Submit your Course Summative (30% of your final mark)

Submit your journal and work period tracker (10% of your mark)

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Learning Strategies: Skills for Success in Secondary School