Professional Inquiry Project Proposal

Student Teacher: Guy Becker

Teacher Mentor: Maridell Veenstra
University Consultant: Marlo Steed
School: Niton Central School
Focus:
The focus of my professional inquiry project is to create an essential learning outcomes
manual/chart for mathematics from kindergarten to grade nine at my school. This document will
be created with the assistance of weekly PLC meetings and mathematics instructors at each grade
level to ensure the construction of a document that aids in the continuity of essential math skills
from grade to grade. In the past, my school has focused on creating an essential learning
outcomes document for language arts using the same strategies that I will be using, and with a
thought shift towards numeracy, it seems fitting to develop a skills manual for mathematics. This
document will include strategies for outcome achievement, as well as resources (complimented
by Kim Sutton seminars) for each grade level.
Activities/Process:

Research and discussion

o The process begins with bi-weekly math class observations in order to gather a
list of strategies used in each lesson. These observations are complimented by
follow up questions with the observed instructor in order to attain the essential
outcomes addressed in each lesson. This will allow me to contribute to further
discussion on the development of our document.
o I will also be attending three numeracy workshops by Kim Sutton at the annual
teachers convention with math instructors in order to attain further resources and
strategies for outcome achievement to add to the document.
Collaboration
o Weekly PLC meetings provide staff with the opportunity to discuss the layout of
the document that we want to create. These meetings will be used to develop a
solid template for the document, discuss essential learning outcomes at each grade
level, and create a rough draft for the document. I understand that I must play a
key role in this process, and I will be facilitating these discussions, participating
in discussions, and developing the final product of each weeks collaboration.
Create final essential learning outcomes document.
o Although the final look of this document must be determined by the math
instructors at the school, it will include
A list of essential learning outcomes at each grade level.
Strategies for achievement of each outcome.
A list of resources to compliment these strategies.

Timeline:

January 4th Present template for describing essential learning outcomes to mathematics
instructors.
January 11th Begin observations of math lessons at each grade level and noting
strategies used.
January 27th Develop two templates for possible document to present at PLC meeting.
Staff can decide on a template that will be used before Kim Sutton workshops.
February 5-6th Attend Kim Sutton workshops to obtain resources and strategies
applicable to essential learning outcomes that are being developed.
February 17th Have all elementary essential learning outcomes on template to allow
for strategy and resource collaboration on a google document.
February 24th Have all junior high essential learning outcomes to allow for strategy
and resource collaboration on a google document.
March 16th Having had the past two weeks to collaborate, and the use of google docs,
have strategies and resources recorded on a document for elementary learning outcomes.
March 18th Have junior high strategies and resources for essential learning outcomes.
March 30th Present rough draft of document to staff at weekly PLC meeting in order to
allow time for correction.
April 4th Final document completed and ready for presentation to UC and
Administration.

End product:
Essential learning outcomes manual that includes:
Essential learning outcomes in math from grades k-9.
Strategies for achievement of outcomes.
Resources list to compliment strategies at each grade level.