Daryk Educational Group.
High School - Middle School - Academy
(DHSchool)
Licensed by the Ontario Ministry of Education
BSID# 882053
English
Course Description
This course emphasizes the consolidation of the literacy, communication, and critical and creative thinking skills necessary for success in academic and daily life. Students will analyse a range of challenging literary texts from various periods, countries, and cultures; interpret and evaluate informational and graphic texts; and create oral, written, and media texts in a variety of forms. An important focus will be on using academic language coherently and confidently, selecting the reading strategies best suited to particular texts and particular purposes for reading, and developing greater control in writing. The course is intended to prepare students for university, college, or the workplace.
Teaching/Learning Strategies
- Lecture - Media Analysis - Peer/ Group Feedback
- Group/pair work - Independent Research - Note taking
- Guided reading and writing -Oral Presentations - Panel Discussion
- Literature Circles -Creative Writing - Independent Study - Guided Writing - Whole Class/Group Discussion
Assessment and Evaluation
Growing Success, 2010 is the assessment and evaluation policy of the Ontario Ministry of Education. It states that assessment is the process of gathering information that accurately reflects student progress with regard to the curriculum expectations of a subject or course. The information for student learning development constitutes the primary focus of the assessment process.
The policy distinguishes three types of assessment: assessment for learning, assessment as learning, and assessment of learning.
Assessment for learning (diagnostic/formative) records student’s prior knowledge, and helps assess future goals for individual improvement with respect to course curriculum expectations. It occurs through observation, before instruction and determines students’ readiness to learn new knowledge and skills; it also obtains information about students’ interests and learning preferences.
Assessment as learning (formative) illustrates student’s progress through self-monitoring and self-critical assessment of learning. In assessment as learning teachers help all students to develop their independent learning skills, ability to set individual goals, and measure and reflect on personal progress.
Assessment of learning (summative) reports on student progress at the end of the task/unit/course in relation to curriculum learning outcomes; student’s application of key concepts, knowledge, skills, and attitudes are measured through culminating activities. This assessment occurs at or near the end of a period of learning, and may be used to inform further instruction. This assessment will give the student’s final grade.
Major Assignments:
Students are assessed on their achievement of the provincial curriculum expectations. Achievement charts are used to determine student achievement, which is demonstrated in 4 categories of learning: knowledge/understanding (25%) – content acquired in the course and comprehension of its meaning and significance; thinking (25%) – use of critical and creative thinking skills and/or processes; communication (25%) – conveying of meaning through various forms; and application (25%) – use of knowledge and skills to make connections within and between various contexts.
Assessment Strategies:
The following strategies will be used to assess student’s performance: individual presentations, oral group presentation, conferences, essays/research papers, demonstrations/exhibitions, interviews, written comment, performance tasks, portfolios, questions/answers, quizzes/tests/examination, response journals, selected responses, student self-assessments.
Evaluation Tools: anecdotal records, checklist, rubric, ranking scale
Final Grade
The final grade is reported as a percentage corresponding to levels of achievement: level 1 (50-100%), level 2 (60-70%), level 3 (70-80%), level 4 (80-100%).
Learning Skills
Learning skills are assessed throughout the course and reported in these areas: responsibility, organization, independent work, collaboration, initiative, and self-regulation. These are reported separately and are not included in the calculation of the percentage mark. The development of these skills is critical to academic achievement and directly affects the final mark.
Considerations for Program Planning
Instructional Approaches
Teachers in the school are expected to:
clarify the purpose for learning
help students activate prior knowledge
differentiate instruction for individual students and small groups according to need
explicitly teach and model learning strategies
encourage students to talk through their thinking and learning processes
provide many opportunities for students to practice and apply their developing knowledge and skills
apply effective teaching approaches involve students in the use of higher-level thinking skill
encourage students to look beyond the literal meaning of texts
Teachers use a variety of instructional and learning strategies best suited to the particular type of learning. Students have opportunities to learn in a variety of ways:
individually
cooperatively
independently with teacher direction
through investigation involving hands-on experience
through examples followed by practice
by encouraging students to gain experience with varied and interesting applications of the new knowledge. Rich contexts for learning open the door for students to see the “big ideas” of mathematics that will enable and encourage them to reason mathematically throughout their lives.
Program Considerations for English Language Learners
Teachers must incorporate appropriate strategies for instruction and assessment to facilitate the success of the English language learners in their classrooms. These strategies include:
modification of some or all of the subject expectations depending on the level of English proficiency
use of a variety of instructional strategies (e.g., extensive use of visual cues, graphic organizers, scaffolding; previewing of textbooks; pre-teaching of key vocabulary; peer tutoring; strategic use of students’ first languages)
use of a variety of learning resources (e.g., visual material, simplified text, bilingual dictionaries, and materials that reflect cultural diversity)
use of assessment accommodations (e.g., granting of extra time; use of oral interviews, demonstrations or visual representations, or tasks requiring completion of graphic organizers and cloze sentences instead of essay questions and other assessment tasks that depend heavily on proficiency in English).
Antidiscrimination Education
Learning resources reflect students’ interests, backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. Learning materials:
involve protagonists of both sexes from a wide variety of backgrounds
reflect the diversity of Canadian and world cultures, including those of contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples
include, in English, use of short stories, novels, magazine and newspaper articles, television programs, and films
provide opportunities for students to explore issues relating to their self-identity
make students aware of the historical, cultural, and political contexts for both the traditional and non-traditional gender and social roles represented in the materials they are studying.
Literacy and Inquiry/Research Skills
The school emphasizes the importance of the following:
using clear, concise communication in the classroom involving the use of diagrams, charts, tables, and graphs
emphasizing students’ ability to interpret and use graphic texts.
acquiring the skills to locate relevant information from a variety of sources, such as books, newspapers, dictionaries, encyclopedias, interviews, videos, and the Internet.
learning that all sources of information have a particular point of view
learning that the recipient of the information has a responsibility to evaluate it, determine its validity and relevance, and use it in appropriate ways.
Literacy and Inquiry/Research Skills
The school emphasizes the importance of the following:
using clear, concise communication in the classroom involving the use of diagrams, charts, tables, and graphs
emphasizing students’ ability to interpret and use graphic texts.
acquiring the skills to locate relevant information from a variety of sources, such as books, newspapers, dictionaries, encyclopedias, interviews, videos, and the Internet.
learning that all sources of information have a particular point of view
learning that the recipient of the information has a responsibility to evaluate it, determine its validity and relevance, and use it in appropriate ways.
Career Education
Students are given opportunities to develop career-related skills by:
applying their skills to work-related situations
exploring educational and career options
developing research skills
practicing expository writing
learning strategies for understanding informational reading material
making oral presentations
working in small groups with classmates to help students express themselves confidently and work cooperatively with others.
The Role of the School Library
Although Daryk High School does not have an official school library, students are encouraged to use e-books, local libraries, and archives to develop important research and inquiry skills. During this course, students will visit the local library to meet with local librarians and have a library day, to develop important research skills that are critical for post-secondary education.
Health and Safety
Daryk High School Language Department is not usually associated with health and Safety issues. At Daryk High School, classroom practices and the learning environment complies with relevant federal, provincial, and municipal health and safety legislation and by-laws, including, but not limited to, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), the Food and Drug Act, the Health Protection and Promotion Act, the Ontario Building Code, and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).
Plagiarism/ Late and Missed Assignment Policies
Daryk High School has zero tolerance to cheating and plagiarism. Instructors are responsible for teaching students the appropriate methods of research and citation criteria in accordance with MLA/APA standards. Teachers will identify any suspicious work and will bring it to the attention of the school administration at which point an investigation will begin.
The administration in close collaboration with the teachers will:
-instruct students on the importance of submitting for evaluation their own work and on the importance of acknowledging the work of others.
-explain the gravity of academic plagiarism regardless of cultural differences and prior educational system rules and regulations regarding academic offenses
-consider behavioral and academic responses based on the grade level of the student, the maturity of the student, the number and frequency of incidents, and the individual circumstances of the student.
-inform students of the academic consequences of plagiarism (deducted marks for the work, up to and including the full value of the test/assignment/etc.)
-a meeting will be held between a student, a teacher, and an administrative staff; there will be records of this meeting and a teacher will be responsible for keeping observation notes about a student and his/her future behaviors
-the penalty of deducted marks will not be taken into consideration for the calculation of the final grade if the student’s behavior has improved throughout the semester
If a student missed a test due to a plausible reason (in the professional judgment of the Instructor) or has a documented reason for missing a test, he/she can rewrite the test at the date arranged with the Instructor and approved by the Dean.
A student who misses a test without any prior permission from the Dean or the Registrar will be:
-provided alternative assignments or tests/exams where, in the teacher’s professional judgment, it is reasonable and appropriate to do so. Extra fees will be applicable;
-deducted marks for late assignments, up to and including the full value of the assignment (Growing Success, p.43).
If a student knows he/she will be absent for a test, he is required to notify the teacher in advance and, if possible, write the test before the rest of the class. If a student missed a test because of a medical reason, then the test will be written before the next scheduled period for which he/she is present. In such case, the student must submit a written request for a retake of the test to the Dean and at the same time produce a certificate issued by a licensed surgeon or physician to substantiate the medical reason for the absence.