OLC4O - Grade 12 Ontario Secondary School Literacy

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OLC4O - Grade 12 Ontario Secondary School Literacy

Course Code:

OLC4O

Course Type:

University Preparation

Credit Value:

1.0

Prerequisite:

Eligibility requirement: Students who have been to write the OSSLT at least twice and who have been unsuccessful at least once are eligible to take the course. (Students who have already met the literacy requirement for graduation may be eligible to take the course under special circumstances, at the discretion of the principal.)

Course Description For OLC4O Grade 12 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Online Course

The OLC4O course helps students develop and show important literacy skills. These skills are assessed by the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, also known as the OSSLT. Completing this course meets the literacy requirement needed for graduation.

In the OLC4O course, students will read a variety of texts. These include informational pieces, stories, and graphic materials. Students will also improve their writing skills. They will write summaries, information paragraphs, opinions, and news reports. Additionally, they will create a portfolio. This portfolio will highlight their reading experiences and showcase examples of their writing. It will serve as a complete record of their growth.

Overview Of Units And Timelines For Grade 12 Ontario Secondary School Literacy OLC4O

Here’s the suggested sequence for delivering course units, along with the recommended hours needed to complete each one. For a detailed breakdown of the specific expectations and activities included in each unit, refer to the Unit Overviews provided in the OLC4O course profile.

Unit

Titles and Descriptions

Time and Sequence

Unit 1

Reading and Writing for Personal Success

In this introductory unit, students will reflect on their own personal information, experiences and interests. With this information, students will write self-reflections in a variety of forms. Key activities will include paragraphs introducing themselves, conversations between strangers, and

also using that information to write resumes and cover letters. Students will be guided as to how this information can be used to present themselves in through a variety of mediums to differing audiences.

27 hours

Unit 2

Interpreting and using narrative forms

Students will be introduced to various forms of narratives, and their commonalities and differences. Both fiction and nonfiction will be covered, and the necessity of the 5Ws (Who, What, Where, When and Why) in creating complete picture for their audience. Students will also be taught the elements of the differences between narratives that discuss current events such as news articles and how the differ from the elements of storytelling, and to apply that knowledge.

27 hours

Unit 3

Persuasive Writing and development

Students will be presented a variety of texts to read, and asked to pay attention to the format of writing both persuasive paragraphs and essays. Students will be taken step by step through the writing process (brainstorming, outlines, and drafting) to help them with organizing and editing their ideas before presenting

their positions on a given subject

27 hours

Unit 4

Interpreting Informational and instructional text

27 hours

Unit 5

Culminating Activity (15%)

Final Exam (15%)

3 hours

Total

110 hours

Teaching / Learning Strategies

Whole-class lecture, small-group, and individual instruction;
Make appropriate and effective use of technology
Use a variety of media resources (e.g., newspapers, Internet, magazines)
Provide practice and extension opportunities
Provide regular, informal assessment
Provide feedback for students in order to improve their

Make connections between the concepts learned and potential careers

Assessment and Evaluation Strategies of Student Performance

General and Specific Principles Guiding the Assessment of Student Achievement in the OSSLC

The general principles guiding the assessment of student work are outlined in the ministry document Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting in Ontario Schools, 2010. These principles apply to the assessment of student work in this course.

In addition, to promote the growth in reading and writing skills of students taking this course, teachers need to ensure that their assessment practices:

provide opportunities for frequent diagnostic assessment before the introduction of new learning (e.g., review of the OSSLT Individual Student Report [ISR]; reading and writing interviews; observation of students at work);

provide varied, frequent, targeted, and ongoing feedback about students’ work, including teacher-student conferences;

provide multiple opportunities for students to practise skills, demonstrate achievement, and receive feedback before evaluation takes place;

provide students with models of quality reading responses and writing pieces to guide them in improving their own work.

The Final Grade

Assessment of student work in the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course differs from assessment for other courses in a number of key ways:

Students who receive 50 per cent or higher in the course receive a credit for the course and also are deemed to have met the secondary school literacy requirement for graduation.

The assessment will be based on the following processes that take place in the classroom:

Assessment FOR Learning	Assessment AS Learning	Assessment OF Learning
During this process the teacher seeks information from the students in order to decide where the learners are and where they need to go.	During this process the teacher fosters the capacity of the students and establishes individual goals for success with each one of them.	During this process the teacher reports student’s results in accordance to established criteria to inform how well students are learning.
Conversation	Conversation	Conversation
Classroom discussion Self-evaluation Peer assessment	Classroom discussion Small group discussion Post-lab conferences	Presentations of research Debates
Observation	Observation	Observation
Drama workshops (taking direction) Steps in problem solving	Group discussions	Presentations Group Presentations
Student Products	Student Products	Student Products
Reflection journals (to be kept throughout the duration of the course) Check Lists Success Criteria	Practice sheets Socrative quizzes	Projects Poster presentations Tests In Class Presentations

Although this course is offered in Grade 12 and represents a credit awarded in Grade 12, the standard for a pass in the course is comparable to that established by the OSSLT, which represents achievement of Grade 9 literacy expectations.

The course has an achievement chart that describes the levels of student achievement of literacy skills. However, as the Overview of the Achievement Chart below shows, the levels and their associated percentage grade ranges differ from those in the achievement charts for other courses.

This course differs from other courses in outlining specific requirements for evaluation in order to ensure alignment with the requirements of the OSSLT (see section on “Reporting on Student Achievement”).