Final Paper Synthesis

Nadine Rossel
POTL 500
March 2016

March 2016

Final Paper Synthesis

Nadine Rossel
575665757

Throughout the semester I took a look at the topic of self regulation; this was my over
arching topic of interest. Self regulated learning is very important to helping students
make decisions, as well as monitor, direct, and regulate their actions. It helps for self
improvement and developing a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Students can
tackle day to day challenges using self regulation strategies to help guide them and keep
them on track. Self regulation helps students to control their learning environment. As I
pulled this topic of self regulation through the three courses of social studies, governance,
and special education, I got a fuller knowledge base of how self regulation can be used in
all subject areas and how many strategies there are to be used. I saw how self regulation
can be implemented for different types of students, how to fund self regulation, how
different types of sports or yoga exercises can be incorporated for self regulation and how
important it is for the students to be aware for what self regulation is all about.

Special education

With the special education inquiry, I got to learn more about self regulation and how
different strategies work for different students. Students with learning disabilities need
more modelling of the strategies as well as the implementation of goal charts. Students
with learning disabilities need lots of support to best understand their optimal self
regulation. Sometimes they can miscalculate their confidence in tasks so they need that
guided support to make sure they pick achievable goals. I learned how important and

widely used self monitoring checklists are in schools today. They are great to keep
students on task as well as a small check to see if they are regulated. I found it interesting
that in my research, I read that, self regulation helped students with ADHD with their
spelling and comprehension. I have a student in my practicum class who has ADHD so I
will be excited to see in the big practicum how they react to self regulated learning. I also
have a student with autism in my practicum classroom this term. I got to learn more about
the autism spectrum in this inquiry through my colleagues. I learned that many times
students on the autism spectrum have their own way of regulating themselves. I found
that the student in my class really enjoys art and making all their art perfect with rulers
and neat colouring. I think this is a good method of self regulation for that child but I am
also interested to see how more active self regulation works with this student. I really like
the program mind up for self regulation methods, and being mindful works really well
with the forest nature walks we do twice a week with the school.

Governance

During the governance inquiry, I learned a lot about funding. Funding programs,
alternative school funding, disability funding, outdoor education funding and more. In my
research I learned how to start up a program. You must contact the administrator, the
support staff and principal , have a book or guide planner, involve other teachers, have a
culminating activity, and apply for bursaries and grants, are the main points. I found out
how little students with disabilities really get for the school most of it goes to the
specialist needed to help support the student. I also learned how little alternative schools

and aboriginal schools get for funding but how they all work together to form a collective
usage of resources. In this process I also got to learn what a school trustee does and how
they are influenced by the public. We learned how they are part time workers in many
schools and how they have a big voice in the communities. Reading the class text, I got to
see governance in a different perspective. I read how the government many times is
blamed for where the money is spent in school systems but in reality the money is
discussed and delegated and distributed out before the public even knows about it. I
found the topics that other people researched to be quite interesting.

Social Studies

During my social studies inquiry, I got to research on interpretation and evidence. I

found this to be really fascinating because it really made me think about how everything
that we say or do is interpreted differently. I got to see how two historic pictures about the
Canadian railways could mean two very different things but they are about the same
event. I got to learn about Mt. St. Helens and how the ashes fallen created something
similar looking to fossil dating that we have been using for years on historic layers of
Earth but now has been created within a year. This put a lot of speculation on the methods
we have been using before but it all has to do with interpretation. I researched about
primary, secondary and oral sources. I related this back to self regulation in the fact that
the more students know about self regulation and the reasons we are trying it makes it
easier for them to want to try it. If they know it will make learning better for them they
will be more inclined to try rather then just thinking they are playing another game in

class. A common theme in the inquiries I noticed was that you need to show your students
comparisons of change throughout time. I know when I was in school and did an
interview with an elder I was shocked to find out what went on in the world only a few
decades ago. This put a reality check into evidence, interpretation, and change in
continuity for me. I also found that one of my pod members ideas for older grades was
quite interesting to do a blog, a wiki post or a craigslist add saying what is great about our
province. That way it gets students researching but also gives them the skills to use
technology. I really enjoyed this guided support inquiry project, because I got to hone in
on a specific area that really opened my eyes to the new social studies curriculum.

Into my practice

After my research, I now feel more confident to use self regulated learning in my
classrooms. I have signed my class up with GoNoodle which is an interactive website
that provides students with stretching, dancing, breathing and exercising movements.
There are videos for inside recesses as well as just shorter clips when the students need to
get the wiggles out. I think this will work great for my classroom. Two days a week we
do nature walks with the school and I think if there is anymore time we can get outside
we should try to. Being hands on and active is so great for self regulation as well. We
have a roll the dice game where students do an active movement then sit down and
practice their candle breathing. I will try to bring this back more into the class because
they stopped doing it the last few months. I also want to start a jump rope club, which is
the end result to my fitness passion project. This will help students get excited about

physical activity and look forward to self regulation knowing that activities like this will
get them in the green zone. I went to a self regulation PLC as well which helped me
better understand how to get students to be at their optimal level. Sometimes the way
students behave has to do with what they eat and drink as well as their sleep schedules. I
learned about how gratitude, attitude and aptitude go hand in hand. I know in my
classroom we have a gratitude jar and my teacher believes if you read something positive
each day it will help brighten your day. I got more strategies and resources to better help
me in my toolbox of knowledge to use in my classrooms. Also in this process I got to
learn how self regulation interweaves itself throughout all subjects, and how important it
is to help the students achieve their best control and tackle all that is thrown at them. I
hope to continue to learn about self regulation as my career goes on because I really
found it quite interesting and helpful.

Resources

Derek Poteryko PLC on self regulation

Karren Harris- Self monitoring of Attention Vs Self monitoring of Academic
Performance( effects among students with ADHD in general education classroom)
Karren Harris, Steve Graham and Linda Mason- Strategy development in the
classroom: Part of balanced approach to writing instruction for students with
disabilities
Micheal Wehmeyer- Self regulation and positive adult outcomes: A follow up
with youth with learning disabilities
Majorie Montague- Self regulation strategies to improve math problem solving
for students with learning disabilities
Harris, Graham and Sawyer- Direct teaching strategies with explicit self
regulation
Reid Lienemann and Hogaman- Strategies for students with learning disabilities
Ian Mathison and Nancy Hutchison- Cognitive conditions and self regulated
learning
Punya Mishra and Mathew Koehler- From research to practice: understanding self
regulated learning
Dr. Shanken- self regulated learning
Canadian Self regulation Initiative association
After school alliance association
School district 27 self regulation progress
TRB learn magazine summer edition on self regulation
tc2.ca/videos.php
BC curriculum
tc2.ca lesson plans
www.matsuk12.us/page/10077 weekly writing in social studies
www.study.com/academy/lesson/historicalmethodology interpretation video