Grandview Heights Secondary 24-25

Why This Focus Matters

We believe that in the classroom, those who are actively talking are the ones truly engaging in learning. Communication is a vital tool that enables students to delve into higher-order thinking in numeracy. Through effective communication, students can explain and justify their mathematical ideas and decisions.

By emphasizing the importance of students' ability to communicate their mathematical thinking, we empower them to become critical thinkers and problem solvers. This focus enhances their understanding of how mathematics helps us comprehend ourselves and the world around us.

Student Learning Goals:

• Communicate mathematical thinking in many ways
• Represent mathematical ideas with concrete, pictorial, and symbolic forms
• Use mathematical vocabulary and language to contribute to mathematical discussions
• Explain and justify mathematical ideas and decisions

Our Cohort:

The Grandview Heights staff equip all our students with opportunities for improving and developing their communication skills. To monitor and improve our student's success and to understand any areas for improvement we are following one cohort across one subject area.

Numeracy Tasks: Enhancing Communication Skills

Our students engage in numeracy tasks that apply real-life contexts to mathematical concepts. These tasks offer opportunities for students to work in groups and communicate with each other as they navigate the challenges. They are encouraged to share and test their ideas within these real-life mathematical scenarios.

Using vertical whiteboard surfaces, students start their work by generating ideas collaboratively. This setup allows them to see how other groups approach the tasks, fostering a shared learning environment. Throughout the process, students apply communication competencies as they brainstorm, refine, validate, and summarize their work.

Communication Competency Rubric: Helping Students Assess Their Communication Skills

At Grandview Heights, our students communicate daily. To capture and assess this learning, we created a communication competency rubric. This rubric helps us understand where students are excelling and where there may be gaps in their communication skills.

Teachers use the rubric to assess student learning, while students use it to self-assess their own skills. The "I can" statements in the rubric provide students with clear, understandable language to gauge their progress and identify areas for improvement. This focused approach allows teachers to better support students in becoming more proficient communicators.

Evidence of Growth in Communication Competency

After analyzing data from the completed numeracy tasks and the Numeracy Assessment 10, we observed significant growth in our students' communication skills.

Student Results Using Proficiency Scales on Numeracy Tasks:

Students completed two numeracy tasks: one at the beginning of the semester and one at the end. The first task served as a baseline to gauge their initial understanding. Throughout the semester, students participated in learning activities aimed at enhancing their communication skills, receiving continuous feedback on their progress. These interventions included:

• continued practice with other engaging numeracy tasks
• consistent use of the communication rubric and feedback
• modelling of what communication looks like at the different levels and consistent use of mathematical language
• focus on the 'how' and 'why' behind each step and not just a focus on the final solution
• using activities such as Estimation 180, Visual Patterns, Desmos Activities, etc. to provide opportunities for the student to engage in fun math with a focus on communicating their ideas, solutions, etc. 
• group work in combination with whiteboards (both vertical and horizontal) to have student work on more complex problems and be able to see others work to help them self assess how their doing

At the end of the semester, they completed a second numeracy task to assess their updated learning and growth.

Numeracy 10 Assessment Results for June 2024 and January 2025

Summary of Results:

Both school and provincial results show a trend of improvement in higher proficiency levels (Levels 3 and 4) and a reduction in lower proficiency levels (Levels 1 and 2). This indicates that students are progressing towards higher proficiency in their numeracy tasks over time. The school results show a more significant improvement in Proficiency Level 4 compared to the provincial results, suggesting that the focused efforts at the school level are yielding positive outcomes.

 Evidence of Positive Impact on Communication Skills

The data clearly indicates that our emphasis on communication within cohort classes has significantly benefited our students. Teachers observed notable improvements in several key areas:

• Communicating Mathematical Thinking: Students are able to express their mathematical ideas through various methods (graphs, tables, written solutions etc. ), showcasing their understanding in diverse ways.
• Representing Mathematical Ideas: They more effectively use concrete, pictorial, and symbolic forms to illustrate their mathematical concepts, enhancing their ability to convey complex ideas.
• Using Mathematical Vocabulary: Students contribute more meaningfully to discussions by using more precise mathematical vocabulary and language.
• Explaining and Justifying: They have developed the ability to explain and justify their mathematical ideas and decisions, demonstrating deeper understanding and critical thinking.

This growth not only reflects the success of our communication-focused approach but also highlights the importance of fostering these skills. By continuing to prioritize communication, we can further empower our students to become confident, articulate, and proficient in their mathematical endeavors. This foundation will serve them well in all areas of learning and beyond, as they navigate the complexities of the world around them.

Moving Forward with the Student Learning Plan at Grandview Heights Secondary School

 Here’s a look at how to approach expanding the work done with the cohort to include the entire school and staff, and to build communication skills in other departments.

 1. School-Wide Professional Development:

•  Workshops and Training: Organize professional development workshops focused on enhancing communication skills. These sessions can include strategies for effective communication, collaborative learning techniques, and the use of innovative technologies like Minecraft Education.

• Peer Learning: Encourage teachers to share best practices and successful strategies from the cohort classes with colleagues in other departments.

 2. Integration Across Departments:

•  Cross-Departmental Projects: Develop interdisciplinary projects that require students to communicate and collaborate across different subjects. For example, a project combining mathematics and art could involve creating visual representations of mathematical concepts.

• Unified Communication Rubric: Implement a school-wide communication competency rubric to ensure consistency in assessing and developing students' communication skills across all subjects.

 3. Community and Cultural Connections:

•  First Peoples' Knowledge: Integrate First Peoples' knowledge and communication practices into various subjects. This can include projects that explore cultural patterns and relationships, fostering a deeper understanding and respect for diverse communication methods.

• Community Involvement: Engage with the local community to bring real-world contexts into the classroom, enhancing students' communication skills through practical applications.

 By taking these steps, we can build on the successes of the cohort classes and foster a school-wide culture of effective communication, collaboration, and continuous learning. This holistic approach will empower all students to become confident communicators and critical thinkers, ready to navigate the complexities of the world around them.