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Contextual Factors: What are they? Why are they important?

Contextual Factors: What are they? Why are they important?. Dr. Rachael Flynn-Hopper Intern Frontloading 2014. Objectives. By the end of this session, you will be able to: Identify contextual factors in your own development Identify the impact of contextual factors on teaching and learning

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Contextual Factors: What are they? Why are they important?

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  1. Contextual Factors:What are they?Why are they important? Dr. Rachael Flynn-Hopper Intern Frontloading 2014

  2. Objectives • By the end of this session, you will be able to: • Identify contextual factors in your own development • Identify the impact of contextual factors on teaching and learning • Identify contextual factors and their implications for your intern placement (school)

  3. Consider • Your Community: • Socio Economic Status • Stability • Involvement • Access to Quality Health Care, Educational Resources, Creative Resources, Extracurricular Resources • Ethnicity • Professional

  4. Consider • How did these factors shape your world? • Think-Pair-Share • Think about the topic, write down responses • Turn and Talk with a partner about your findings • Share what you learned with the group

  5. Consider • Your Family: • Ethnicity • Religion • Educational Background • Professional Background • Family Unit • SES

  6. Consider • How do these impact who you are as a person? • Think-Pair-Share • Think about the topic, write down responses • Turn and Talk with a new partner about your findings • Share what you learned with the group

  7. Consider • Yourself: • Areas of Interest • Learning Style(s) • Academic Strengths • Areas for Academic Growth • Educational Background • Motivation • Example of a time you shined

  8. Consider • Who are you as a learner? • Choose Your Own Adventure activity • Scavenger Hunt: (locate 3 separate people and share your results) • Find 1 person who shares the same favorite subject • Find 1 person who shares the same learning style • Find 1 person who shares the same preferred assignment • Why did we do this? How could you use this activity?

  9. What are contextual factors? • Write a definition of contextual factors • Brainstorm ideas about term • Using information, write your own definition • Next work with a small group to refine the definition

  10. Contextual Factors • Contextual Factors are characteristics of the physical and structural setting of the community, the resources available within the community, and the social and political contexts related to the effectiveness of a collaboration (Center for Rural Studies, University of Vermont)

  11. Systems-Ecological Perspective by Bronfenbrenner

  12. Me on the Map • How does this piece of children’s literature relate to contextual factors and the ecological perspective? • Discuss with tablemates where you “are” on the map, why, and how it impacts who you are Sweeney, J. (1996). Me on the map. MA: Knopf.

  13. Contextual Factors • Community • District • School • Classroom • Student Characteristics • Student Skillsets

  14. Why are contextual factors important? • Brainstorm a list of ideas about the importance of these contextual factors • Using these ideas, write a brief explanation of the educational implications • Select 2 factors from the list and write an example of an implication on post it and attach to the poster: • Background of Learners, Access to Resources, Community, Student Characteristics, School Resources

  15. Importance of Contextual Factors • Background of Learners- prior knowledge and experiences to determine what supports are needed • Access to Resources (libraries, health care, technology)- determine what types of assignments can be completed outside of school, Maslow’s hierarchy –health must be addressed before learning • School Resources- availability of specialists to support, technology/manipulatives/books, community volunteersand partnerships to assist • Community- involvement and support for school and learners, stable/transient community • Student Characteristics- age, gender, culture, religion, ethnicity, learning modalities, achievement, language, interests, SES, and development impact what and how we plan and teach (grouping, indirect/direct instruction, bias, interaction, code-switching, etc)

  16. Contextual Factors of the School • What do you look for in a school? • Work in a group of 3 • List these and tell what they reveal about the school

  17. How can I find out about my school’s contextual factors? • Where could I look? • What am I looking for? • What questions am I trying to answer?

  18. Your School • Using the Contextual Factors template on Weebly, investigate your internship placement and create a brief report about the contextual factors of your school and its population • Use a graphic organizer or thinking map to represent your findings and the implications on teaching, planning, and learning (consider the following: student population, languages, school resources, community partners, etc) • “Manage” your group project using Scrumy (name it, assign roles, email DrFH the link/URL) • Present your school to the other interns during lunch

  19. Resources for Investigation • Metro Nashville Public Schools • www.mnps.org • Nashville • www.relocationessentials.com • www.Zipskinny.com • www.city-data.com • State Report Card • http://edu.reportcard.state.tn.us/pls/apex/f?p=200:1:288756484797648::NO:::

  20. Continuing the Investigation • The information gathered thus far is valuable, but much more needs to be considered to truly understand your school. • Suggestions: • Discuss contextual factors with mentor and others in the school • Guided observations of the school, classroom, and students • Getting to know the community within the school zone

  21. Continuing the Investigation • Drive around area zoned for your school • Read newspapers/articles related to your district, school, and zone • Talk with your students to learn more about them • Observe how students interact and work in the classroom (abilities, difficulties, interests)

  22. Homework Assignment for First Class Session • Complete the Contextual Factors template about your community, school, classroom, students and submit on August 22 in hardcopy form (narrative, data, TEAM Instructional Rubric)

  23. Reflection on What We Have Learned and How to Apply It • How would you use this information to advocate for the students and families in your school/district/community? ( 2 examples) • How would you use this information to advocate for the teachers in the building? (2 examples)

  24. Bon Voyage!! (Use Aurasma to Augment Reality)

  25. Further Resources • Online Training Module for Involving Families and Community Members in Child Readiness for School from Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL): • http://www.sedl.org/learning/text_versions/Module3.pdf • Article on Contextual Factors and School Performance: http://myweb.fsu.edu/vshute/pdf/lee_shute.pdf • Me on the Map Activity: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Where-in-the-World-are-We-FREEBIE

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