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ShawnaOliver
ContextualFactorsAnalysis
EDU450
Fall2016

ContextualFactorsAnalysis:WilliamsElementarySchool
WilliamsElementarySchoolislocatedinOakland,Maine.Nestledintheheartofthe
BelgradeLakesRegion,Oaklandissurroundedbybeautifullakes,ponds,mountains,andforests.
With28squaremilesoflandandwatercombined,thereiseasyaccesstothewondersand
adventuresthatMaineswildernesshastooffer.ThechildrenwhogrowupinOaklandare
surroundedbylakesandcountryside,whichallowsthemtohaveeasyaccesstooutdoor
recreationallyearlong.Oaklandisalsohometoavarietyofchurches,communitygroups,
businesses,fulltimeemergencyservices,andaveryactiverecreationdepartment.Forone
weekendeverysummer,thetownandsurroundingcommunitiescometogethertocelebrateall
thatOaklandhastoofferthroughaneventcalledOakFest.Therearealwaysopportunitiestotake
advantageofinthisbeautifultown.
ChildrenwholiveinOaklandwillfeelincludednotonlyintheirtowncommunitybutin
theirschoolcommunityaswell.ThetownofOaklandisthe49thmostpopulatedcityinthestate
ofMainewiththetownwebsitereportingthepopulationtobe6,240citizens
(http://www.oaklandmaine.us/aboutus/).Becausethistownisrelativelysmallmostchildren
will,attheveryleast,befamiliarwithmostoftheirclassmatesintheirgrade.Thisisespecially
truesinceonlyabout22%ofthetownspopulationisundertheageof18
(http://www.census.gov/).ThemedianhouseholdincomeofanOaklandresidentin2013
accordingtohttp://www.citydata.com/was$43,718.Thisisabout12%lowerthanthestate
median,whichiscurrentlyat$49,462(http://www.deptofnumbers.com/income/maine/).According

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todatareportedbythe

PortlandPressHerald,54.08%ofstudentsatWESareeligibleforfreeor
reducedlunch.18.8%ofOaklandspopulationdoesliveinpoverty,yetincomparisontomuch
ofthestate,Oaklandisprettywelloff.

ThetownofOaklandisnotadiverseonewhenitcomestoraceandethnicity.Asthe

graphicsinFigure1(seeattached)show,Oaklandisprimarilywhite.95.8%ofcitizensidentify
assuch.Theremaining4.1%aredividedbetweenblack/AfricanAmerican,American
Indian/AlaskaNative,Asian,HispanicorLatino,andmixedethnicity.ThestateofMaineasa
wholeis95.2%white,soitisnotasifOaklandisabnormalwiththesenumbers.Sincestudents
aremostlysurroundedbypeoplewholookandtalkjustlikethem,theopportunitytocelebrate
racialandethnicdiversitywillnotlikelynaturallypresentitselfsoitisimportantthattheschool
findwaystoincorporateit.Itwillalsobecrucialthatthestudentswhodocomefromdifferent
backgrounds,ascomparedtothemajorityoftheirpeersandteachers,feelcomfortablein
celebratingwhotheyareandconsiderhimselforherselfjustanotherWESstudent.Itmightbe
easytosinglethesestudentsout,butthiscouldmakethesestudentsfeeltargetedwhichisnever
acceptable.Childrenmustlearnthatwhilewearealldifferent,weareallalsoverymuchthe
sameandwealldeservetobetreatedassuch.
WilliamsElementarySchoolisoneofeightpublicschoolsintheRSU18SchoolDistrict,
whichincludesthetownsofBelgrade,China,Oakland,Rome,andSidney.Thereisalsoanew
charterschoolinthedistrict,locatedinSidney,whichisanoptionforhighschoolstudents
especiallyinterestedinthearts.WESisathirdthroughfifthgradeelementaryschool.With204
studentsandthirteenclassroomteachers,thestudenttoteacherratioatWilliamsisabout15to1.
Thesenumbersshouldallowforintimateandcomfortableclassrooms.Somethingspecialtothe

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stateofMaineisthatrankingonlybehindVermontandWyoming,thestatesaverageclasssize
(forElementarySchools)isthesmallestinthenation(refertoFigure2).Thismeansthatallover
thestateteachersareabletofocusmoreoftheirtimeoneachindividualstudent.Something
specialaboutWESisthatithasalearningcoachwhoworkswithalloftheclassroomteachers.
Thislearningcoachwasthe2011MaineStateTeacheroftheYearandatthetimeofheraward,
shewasaclassroomteacheratWES.Herjobnowistoformconnectionswithstudentsand
overseetheireducationalprocess.EverystudentatWEShasanindividualizedlearningplan.
Eachteacherintheschoolkeepsadatabinder,whichtrackseachoftheirstudentsprogress.In
theenvironmentatWilliamsElementarySchool,studentswillgetthatoneononeadult
relationshipthatmanystudentsthisageneedand(hopefully)nostudentwilleverfeelleftbehind
orforgotten.
IamteachinginafifthgradeclassroomatWES.Mymentorteacher,Mrs.Glueck,has
setupourroomtoappealto10yearoldlearners.Thefirstthingthatstudentsseeastheywalk
throughthedooristhevarietyofseatingoptions.Attheveryfrontoftheroominthemeeting
area,insteadofacarpetorbaretile,Mrs.Glueckhasprovidedthestudentswithavarietyof
flexibleseatingoptions,whichincludebeanbagchairs,twoexerciseballs,cushionedbenches,
andcomfortabledishchairs.Thisareaismostlyusedduringwholegroupinstruction,partner
work,andindividualwork.Thestudentsthenalsohaveahomebase.Thisisaplacewherethey
alwayshavetheoptiontodoindependentworkat,likeareservedseat.Itisnotoftenthatallof
ourstudentsaresittingattheirhomebase.Otherflexibleseatingoptionsthatstudentscantake
advantageofduringindependentworkorpartnerworktimearelocatednearthebackofthe
classroom.Theseoptionsincludeashorttablewherestudentssitoncushionsonthefloorto

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workat,aswellastallcounterswherestudentscaneitherchoosetostandorsitontallstoolsto
dotheirwork.Thereareseatingoptionstohelpalltypesoflearnersactivatetheirbrains.
Flexibleseatingoptionsarenottheonlythingwerelyontobestmeettheneedsofour
classroom.Smallgroupinstructioniswhatourclassroomrunson.Mrs.Glueckhasasemicircle
tablewhereshedoessmallgroupinstructionwhileIuseoneofthehexagonalhomebases.For
bothmathandreading,wespendthevastmajorityofourtimerotatingthroughstations.This
way,studentsgettwodosesofinstructionaltimeonestationwithMrs.Glueck,onewith
myself,andoftentimesanindependentworkingstation.AllstudentsintheRSU18school
districthavetheprivilegeofhaving1:1technologydevices.AtWESallstudentshavetheirown
personaliPadstoredintheclassroomthattheyoftenworkonduringtheirindependentstation.It
isapowerfultoolthatweusetosupplementourinstruction.Mrs.GlueckandIareconstantly
groupingandregroupingourstudentstohelpthemreachtheirlearningtargetsandbesurrounded
bypeerswhocanhelpthemgetthere.
Somethinguniqueaboutourclassroomisthatitisveryhomogeneous.WESdecidedfor
thefirsttimetotryaninterventionclassroom,whichIamluckyenoughtobeapartof.Allofthe
studentsinourclassroomarestrivingreaders.TheyeitherreceiveorhaverecentlyreceivedTitle
IservicesorhavescoredpartiallymeetsorbelowontheNWEAreadingtest.Whilesomemay
findthisaquestionablestrategy,Ihavefoundittobeveryeffectivesofar.Inourclassroomall
ofourstudentsareabletoshine.Thesearestudentswhoareusedtoslidingundertheradar,but
inourclassroomtheywillnotbeabletobepassivelearners.Thesestudentsneedalittlebitof
extraattentioninordertogaintheselfconfidencethattheyneedtosucceed,andweareableto
providethatfortheminaclasswithjust15studentsand2teachers.

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TobetterpreparemyselfforwhatthesestudentsneedandhowIcanhelpthemreach
theirfullpotential,Ineededtoknowhowtheylearnbest.Therefore,IconductedaMultiple
IntelligenceSurvey
(https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MultipleIntelligenceTheoryforKidsLessonsPrintablesandPosters152575).

Sincereadingisabarrierformanyofourstudents,Idecidedtoconductthissurveybyreading
thequestionsaloudandhavestudentsrespondusingPlickers(seeFigure3forashort
description).Mygoalsforthissurveyweretoallowstudentstofindoutwhattheirstrengthsare
(andtocelebratethem),andtohelpguidemyinstruction.Thissurveyallowedstudentstofind
outwhatskillsallowthemtogainnewknowledge.Theresultsofthissurveygavemeabetter
senseofwhatourstudentsinterestsarewhichwillguidemyinstructionthroughoutthis
semester.Thesurveytests8areas:nature,math,word,music,art,body,people,andself.The
completeresultsarefoundinFigure4.Ihavehighlightedtheareasinwhichthemajorityofour
classroomseemstobestrongestinwhichareasfollows:ourstudentswillbenefitfrom
connectionstolifeoutsideoftheclassroom(nature),theywillbemostengagedwhentheycan
makeconnectionstorhythmandmelody(music),andwhentheyareactivelymovingor
manipulatingthelessonathand(body),and,finally,whentheyarebeingindependentand
selfmotivatedlearners(self).Inthefuture,whenIhaveastudentwhoisreallystrugglingwith
something,IcanreferbacktothissurveytodecidewhatotherwaysIcouldgoaboutteaching
themthelearningtargetathand.Itwillbeimportanttokeepthesefactorsinmindinthemonths
tocome.
Toreiterate,thestudentsinourclassroomarereallygoingtoneedanextradoseof
motivationtoreachtheirpotential.Wehavequiteafewstudentswhohaveabadhabitofjust

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sayingIdontknowhowtodothisorImbadatthisandcallingitquitsbeforetheyevenput
theirnameontheirpaper.HavingagrowthmindsetisathemethatMrs.GlueckandIwillbe
referringtotimeandtimeagainthisyear.Thesestudentsneedustobelieveinthembeforethey
willbelieveinthemselves,andIamexcitedtoseewheretheycangooncetheygainthat
confidence.AsKidPresidentsaidinthevideothatIshowedstudentsbeforeadministeringthe
MultipleIntelligenceSurvey,Nomatterwhoyouaresomebodyislearningfromyou.
Everybodysateacherandeverybodysastudent.Lookfortheawesome!

Figure1:Datatakenfrom(http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/2301154560,00,23)

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Figure2:Averageclasssizeinpublicprimaryschools,middleschools,highschools,and
schoolswithcombinedgrades,byclassroomtypeandstate:201112.
(https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/sass/tables/sass1112_2013314_t1s_007.asp)

Figure3:PlickersisanonlinetoolthatIcanusetocollectformativeassessmentdata.Each
studentisassignedabarcodeonmyapplication.BasedonifthestudentswantstorespondA,B,
C,orDtoamultiplechoicequestion,theyholdtheirbarcodeadifferentdirection.Ithenscan
studentsbarcodesusingmyphoneandthePlickersapplicationstoresstudentanswersthatIcan
referenceanytimeatmyconvenience.FormoreinformationonhowPlickersworkvisit
www.plickers.com.(ImagestakenfromGoogle.)

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Figure4:MultipleIntelligenceSurveyresults.Ihaveassignedeachstudentanumberfor
confidentialityreasons.

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WorksCited
"ExperienceWhatOaklandHasToOffer!"TownofOakland.TownofOakland,n.d.Web.21Aug.2016.
<http://www.oaklandmaine.us/>.

"QuickFacts."UnitedStatesCensusBureau.N.p.,n.d.Web.18Aug.2016.
<http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/2301154560,00,23>.

"TheMostCurrent,EasyToConsumeFarmingtonDemographicsAvailableINSTANTLY,InOnePlace."
OaklandDemographics.N.p.,n.d.Web.18Aug.2016.
<http://www.mainedemographics.com/oaklanddemographics>.

"CurrentOakland,MainePopulation,DemographicsandStatsin2016,2015."SuburbanStats.org.Suburban
Stats,n.d.Web.18Aug.2016.
<https://suburbanstats.org/population/maine/howmanypeopleliveinoakland>.

WilliamsElementarySchool.RSU18,n.d.Web.18Aug.2016.
<http://www.rsu18.org/index.php?id=2&sub_id=7840>.

"WilliamsElementarySchool."Profile.PublicSchoolReview,n.d.Web.18Aug.2016.
<http://www.publicschoolreview.com/williamselementaryschoolprofile/04963>.

"Table7.AverageClassSizeinPublicPrimarySchools,MiddleSchools,HighSchools,andSchoolswith
CombinedGrades,byClassroomTypeandState:201112."InstituteofEducationSciences,2012.Web.18
Aug.2016.<https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/sass/tables/sass1112_2013314_t1s_007.asp>.

"MaineSchools:FreeandReducedMeals."PortlandPressHerald,n.d.Web.19Sept.2016.
<http://www.pressherald.com/interactive/search_maine_school_database_free_and_reduced_meals/>.

Candler,Laura."MultipleIntelligenceTheoryforKids:Lessons,Printables,andPosters."TeachersPay
Teachers.TeachersPayTeachers.com,08Sept.2011.Web.19Sept.2016.
<https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/MultipleIntelligenceTheoryforKidsLessonsPrintablesand
Posters152575>.