Impact Story: Student access to their assessment data empowers student learning AND teaching!

Glad you've visited my blog to read the impact story behind my 'burst' shared during our 'Burst' session today!
What happened for the learners? 
Empowered learners in the house whoop whoop!!
The group of target learners:
BEFORE inquiry:

• very quiet 
• accepted anything that was presented
• dialogue with each other and teacher minimal in small group time
• almost no questions asked
• focus was not on any specific part of maths learning
• did not have access to assessment results or analysis
• nervous about sitting tests - lack of confidence

DURING and AFTER inquiry in action:

• began to question more with a closer focus on the number strand (IKAN analysis prompted this)
• discuss how they'd found the teaching/learning/testing/results
• identify what areas were strengths and work ons
• went the next step to find support for work ons 
• students were empowered:  I could tell this by the way they asked questions, compared their own data as well as peers in group.    Having access then understanding their data created proactive learners, in particular in the number strand (analysis of IKAN, Gloss results and now PAT in Term 4)

 What evidence do I have for this? 
Please click on above links I've made to blog posts that show or describe this in action.  Also look at these latest results from our PAT tests.  I have gathered specifically data for the number strand.  (All year we had a close focus on IKAN and part on Gloss)

Key:
NS T1 = Number strategy Term 1
NS T4 = Number strategy Term 4
NK T1= Number knowledge Term 1
NK T4= Number knowledge Term 4
A - H: individual students who make up target group.   Where no bar is present this equates to have '0' correct - zero.

Average of results from Term 1 for Number Strategy in PAT test:
NS T1   NS  T4   NK T1  NK T4

3.25

5.625

2.25

3.875

**The greatest gain as a group - according to PAT test was in number strategy**  This correlates with the inquiry focus that has been on this strand.   

 What did I do to make this happen? 
There are the normal good practices of classroom teacher that are utilised to support my inquiry.  The looking closely at group work through to independent learning on sites was maintained as per normal Manaiakalani classrooms. 

Points of difference to make it happen:

• Building a sense of trust between teacher and student, student to student.  This to build up student's sense of self-efficacy when analysis and discussion of data would start.  Student self efficacy and student achievement relate
• Small group work included 1-2 sessions regularly to simply look at our data from IKAN's and Gloss.  Plotting our results in a graph to show comparative data was hugely motivating for the target learners.  Using colour coding - this seemed to have greater impact that just number comparisons.
• IKAN tests no longer one screen and one run through.  Now on own device with headphones, with the chance to run through test a second time.  
• MARKING IKAN, students marked their own test with the opportunity to circle those that were 'silly mistakes' made in the speed of the test.   
• OPPORTUNITY was continually provided to provide evidence that did 'know' what the question was asking therefore bettering their results when they initiated the conversation and provided evidence to the teacher.
• EXPLAIN READY, a problem with interpreting what was being asked in word problems became evident in mid-year gloss tests.  An additional practice was now to use 'Screencastify' to explain how we were solving problem.  This was analysed along side what the question was actually asking.   These discussions around interpreting the word problem and our screen cast of solution were carried out in groups for support and learning from our artefacts (screencasts).  It became very clear to students AND teacher what parts if not in whole we were misinterpreting. 

Wonderings about what next

1. With those remaining from the target group, 6 out of 8 I need to pass onto 2018 teacher the key actions from my inquiry to ensure this acceleration continues.  
2. More focused planning around other strand areas need to be implemented as most shift was made in the number strand.
3. Collating data in 2018 from these target students to track further progress
4. Creating a 'directory' for students to access once they have analysed their assessment data.   The next step AFTER they identify their strengths and weaknesses, especially a directory that supports them outside 9 - 3pm of school hours.

Teacher talk is so important! Being 'explain ready'.

This afternoon was time well spent with Jo Knox and colleagues from year 5 through to 8.   The focus for our group PD was on the teaching and learning of fractions - ratios and proportion.   As the workshop unfolded it highlighted the following

- How we set problems to solve
- How we phrase our prompts and questions
- Which parts of a word problem to we spend time on teaching
- Which parts are redundant - not useful

This links to what I have found in parts of my inquiry.  The teacher's ability to articulate mathematical operations through to problem solving is significant in the learner's ability to advance in maths.   Where a teacher creates tasks effectively, use of correct terminology and mindfulness of scenarios learners may come up with - the thinking process of students is set up with greater stability.  The thinking process taken will prompt a transfer of skills across strands.  

Again I find myself reflecting on my own methods of setting up maths learning.  The language and phrases I use in maths to prompt the solving of various maths problems.   Jo Knox referred to the basics of how we describe fractions - what works and doesn't.   The part that doesn't work - showed thinking processes that were very limited and did not support the transfer of knowledge into other strands.   PD for myself - get explain ready for whatever scenarios students come up with in their efforts to problem solve.

The following are some helpful tips from Jo Knox's session.

• Some students in ratios use additive - stage 6
• We want to move into multiplicative
• ‘Launch’ of question. Ensure all students have access to understand the question. It’s not meant to trip up students. Explain different parts to allow students access to the question.
• Whatever your problem area. Do a 5 minutes piece with class daily. Maths wall could show the processes you want to teach.  
• Who can find keywords? etc
• Where are the key numbers?
• Redundant? Who can find words that are NOT useful
• Do exercise to picture what you’re trying to ask WITHOUT numbers. E.g. ‘I have money in this pocket and some in this one...how much do I have’. 
• Students will understand what operations you’re after BEFORE dealing with the numbers.

Student efficacy and achievement relate!

1. students see someone like them showing other students their work -  explaining how they solved a problem.

In my research for good practice in raising achievement in maths came across an article titled 'Assessing students’ maths self efficacy and achievement' by LINDA BONNE AND ELLIOT LAWES.

I found this very interesting and it confirmed what I have heard in my Pt England Inquiry group as well as COL within schools group.    Something most if not all teacher believe to be key to engaging students so that we can deal with the detail in teaching and learning.  This being the level of confidence or in this case self efficacy in maths.

What do researchers say self efficacy is?
s.1 Self-efficacy can be thought of as part of the key competency, managing self, which is “associated with self-motivation, a ‘can-do’ attitude, and with students seeing themselves as capable learners” (Ministry of Education, 2007, p. 12). 

One of the leaders in self-efficacy research and theory development, Albert Bandura, described self-efficacy as: people’s judgments of their capabilities to organize and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performances. It is concerned not with the skills one has but with judgments of what one can do with whatever skills one possesses. (Bandura, 1986, p. 391)

Good practice for effective teachers I believe is the making sure students feel safe and capable of learning in your classroom.  This promoting self efficacy for our students.  When reading further through the article, there was provision of a list of practices that would promote self efficacy.  I believe that using the screencastify app will support point no.1, 3, 6 and 7.   Those points left out I imagine could be catered for in timely feedback from the teacher, student peers and whanau.

 A recent New Zealand study (described in Bonne & Johnston, 2016), based on work by Siegle and McCoach (2007) and Schunk and Hanson (1985), suggested that students’ self-efficacy is likely to be strengthened when: 

1. students see someone like them showing the rest of the class their maths work, or explaining how they solved a problem 
2. students have strategies for coping when learning is difficult, and when they make mistakes or fail 3. students know what their learning goals are, and understand what they need to do to achieve their goals 
4. teachers give students feedback about the progress they are making towards their learning goals, and let them know what they need to do next to help them achieve their goals 
5. teachers encourage students to reflect on the role of effort in their learning, and—when appropriate—prompt students to attribute failure to insufficient effort, and encourage them to try harder and persevere when learning is difficult 
6. students’ attention is drawn to the specific skills they have developed 
7. students are enabled to develop internal standards for evaluating their own outcomes, rather than to rank themselves in comparison to others 
8. if a teacher—or a parent—found maths difficult when they were at school, then rather than commiserate with students, they challenge students to improve their maths—expect them to succeed, and give them the support they need to do so.

Immersion Assembly Term 3

This week's post comes to us from Angelo who will share with you what our first day of term was like. It's always a special time at PES - first day of any term! Read on!

It was the first day of school the immersion assembly was normal, until the lights turned off and little space ship came flying through the middle of the hall and landed on the center of the stage.

everybody was curious of what's in then suddenly two alien bursted out of nowhere, and started talking, before I could catch my breath on what's happening. Two brave souldier bursted out from hiding and defeated the two aliens with there lightsabers. then they stood up and took a bow lucky it was a act I was ready to run. Mr burt came out and said “give a round of applause for that amazing act”.

Team one played a movie about going to space in a flying car. Then it was time for team two they also played a movie but there movie was a song about space. Team three played a movie about time. Team four played a movie about what planet where gonna live on after the earth. Then the best group team five they sang a song about the moon and solar system.

The most interesting and informative item was team five. they explained how all natural resources were running out and people were going to have to find a new planet. They also explained how we failed to protect and look after earth.

I think team five was the most entertaining because i've never seen my teachers dance like how they did on the day. I also never expected mrs judd's voice to be that amazing but the funny dance moves from mrs tele'a is what made it all stand out.

This term I am looking forward to having lots of fun learning about how the tides affect the tide and also what planet we're gonna live on next. Another task i'm look forward to is how the solar system work and how planet earth effects it.

Screen casts that 'Explains and shows' my understanding

Following on from our staff meeting led by Dorothy Burt we had our own Pt England group inquiry session.  In this session we are invited to share and reflect on progress today with our own individual inquiries.

I will share about the findings of a colleague around the use of capturing screen casts that display a student working through a problem.  In this you will see their working out with a voiceover that is captured at the same time.

The idea I plan to implement with my target group is this very activity of having students capture their explanation of maths problems they tackle.  

Plan of action:
1. Demo working out a problem they find easy using screen capture
2. Demo working out a problem that is challenging for their maths group

I will need to support this process well with helping students to  identify specifically a problem to solve.   Also the skills needed to capture their explanation/working out well so that their example is a clear example of 'Rewindable Learning' for their peer group.

Screencastify - tutorial video

I can understand IKAN's

Update!  In my most recent post I shared my:
Next steps for my inquiry: CREATE rubric and templates that support the following:
1. Carry out the 'SECOND' step as outlined in Jo's presentation
2. Plot results out of Spidergraph
3. Implement activities that prompt reflection on data
4. Decide WITH student what our next steps are in learning in the number strand
5. Implement support this choice in follow up activities and home learning

I have completed step 1 where my all my students were given the opportunity to sit the IKAN differently to how I have administered it.  Most steps being those that Jo in our staff PD outlined.  I have also completed step 4, students have published this on their blogs.

Process:

• Students sat in their maths groups
• All with own chromebook and earphones
• Went through the IKAN test twice over
• Marked own test with teacher and group
• Circling those answers that were 'silly mistakes'.  This meaning mistakes that were made in the haste of test setting.  They could see what they did wrong and could prove themselves by answering a similar problem.
• Scoring the stages and various domains
• Blog post results and their own reflections that explained this different process and how they felt they performed using this new process

Students have made improvements overall.  Place value has not shifted as much as I had hoped for.   It has improved for approximately half of my class - the other half achieving stage 4 at the highest which still means no progress for a some students.   Target group as displayed: 6 same level, 4 shifted upwards.    

Identify the problem:  This statement stumps majority of my class: 'How many tens are in all of the number 782?  Answer 78 or 78.2.  Students answer '8'.   I can see that my lack in variety of questioning and activities of 'All of the number'.  Time to create a task that will help embed this!!  Look below for a draft of this.

The shift in attitude and 'can do' attitude has increased positively in students feeling more ownership over their learning, conversations with each other about how they made the mistake through to how to correct have been evident when marking in our small groups.  

Spiderweb graph - students reaction

Students found this a fun activity - to plot their results from both Gloss and iKan tests.

Feedback: they felt it showed their results in a different way but did not show them anything new.

Our discussions took us again towards looking for more detail around what being say 'level' 4 in 'Add Sub' meant.  

This brought us to look at the national standards poster which outlines what students should know by the end of the year levels.

It was agreed that we needed to look again at our test papers to try and identify where/what we did and didn't understand in the assessments.

As  a teacher this resource of under 'Possible misconceptions' gives a good support to identifying what the problem actually could be.   We will be making use of this resource in the new term where we plan as a team to carry out a pre and post test for measurement and geometry.

Te Taiao O Tamaki - learning that is ubiquitous and rewindable!

 Te Taiao o Tamaki quad blogging this term has been a highlight for students across our cluster. We are delighted to see names from our school listed in those who were very active in the Te Taiao o Tamaki quadblogging go kids!  In the lead up to this event Dorothy Burt led our staff meeting - focus was 'Ubiquitous Learning is Rewindable'. A good part of this had us focusing on the role our blogs have. It is here that students post about their learning which include artefacts of their collaboration with others and often their very own learning and creating processes. It is here that ubiquitous learning can be rewindable.

 In the presentation embedded above by Dorothy Burt you will find from slides 14 onwards, examples of blog posts where students have not only explained their learning in text but have captured video and voice recordings as evidence of their learning.

 I reflected on this as a teacher of year 7 and 8 students. My students are now in their 4th and 5th year of having their own blogs.   These are some questions we need to keep checking in on as educators of Manaiakalani Tamariki.

• How do we as a team of teachers keep the students enthused and understanding their success when posting such artefacts of learning? 
• What am I providing as a teacher to ensure this ubiquitous learning continues? 
•  Does my planning through to delivery provide opportunities for learning to be captured and rewindable? 
•  What feedback am I giving once this rewindable learning is posted by the students?
• Opportunities to go back and 'rewind' their learning - is this time of reflection included enough times to enhance and support the learning journey?

Where to next:
As the team of teachers for year 7 and 8 students we often reflect on the above points.   In our collaboration when planning and delivering it is important to continually check over the components of learn, create and share.  At the end of term 1 we can see clearly that learning that goes through all three - provide experiences and learning opportunities that are rewindable.   The learning is embedded more effectively.

Our specific goal as a team is to continue building the create component of our learning along with ways to give timely feedback to our students further than the dialogue that happens in small group.    Feedback is crucial in motivating our learners, the power of an active audience has been and still is valuable to our tamariki.

We've discussed that in the less public domain of google drive we can give critical feedback.   On our blogs which are public we can give feedback with greater depth about understanding and messages projected through the posts.  This will prompt a more evaluative response from both students and teachers.

Looking forward to our celebration at Te Oro where our tamariki will get to capture and blog about this experience that will be rewindable and reflected upon.

Empower learners - show them the data!

Kia Ora, Talofa lava!  After considering my school’s targets, Woolf Fisher Feedback from 2016 and the Manaiakalani CoL achievement challenges I have arrived at the following:

My Inquiry this year as a CoL teacher is to use data to empower learning and teaching in maths.

What does this looks and sound like? Students receiving explicit teaching and guidance through their own data.   Student empowered to interpret from data what their strengths and weaknesses are.   Collaboration of peers and  teacher to map out steps to accelerate their individual and group learning in maths.

Target Group - Priority Learners?

7 children - majority are sitting below the national norm.   2 from 2016 data show to be at.  However small group conferencing and IKAN test it seems that they are sitting below.  The absence in results for IKAN, for 2 due to poor attendance and the other an incorrect filling out of answers.   I hope to test them this week to add their first round of data for 2017.

	Ethnicity	Year	OTJ 16	Add/Sub	Mult/Div	Fr/Pr/Ra	Overall	NS	Fr	PV	BF
Boy	Maori	7	At	6	6	E6	6
Girl	Tongan	7	At	6	E7	5	6	5	4	4	5
Girl	Samoan	7	Below	E6	E6	E6	E6	5	5	4	E7
Boy	Samoan	7	Below	6	6	E6	E6
Girl	Maori	7	Below	6	6	E6	E6	4	5	4	6
Boy	Samoan	7	Below	E6	6	E6	E6
Boy	Cook Island	8	6	6	E6	6	6	E6	5		4

Hypothesise?

Through empowering students to analyse and understand their own personal and group data, the students will accelerate their achievement and move into the 'At' and/or 'Above' in the number strand.  (Gloss, PAT and IKAN assessments)

Slide from Lenva Shearing presentation to Manaiakalani School Leaders PLG

Action plan to date

On completion of our most recent IKAN and PAT maths assessments students have and will be 

1. analysing their personal data (what do the lines, numbers and dots mean?)

2. can explain their strengths and weaknesses (dialogic and  text/symbols in blog post)

3. learner access any time to individual sets of data to help set learning goal.   Goal is specific for target strand, determined by analysis in step 1.

 Lenva presented to the School Leaders of Manaiakalani on 'Using student data to empower learners'.  I plan to use this also as a title for my inquiry.  Lenva's presentation  was an excellent reminder having just completed testing cluster wide.

I will be using resources from this page on the Manaiakalani site  to support teachers at PES to carry out the same with their learners.   Also creating DLO that are rewindable for teachers and students.

**In addition to supporting learning in maths, as a Spark-MIT I plan to investigate how to better support home learning.   Home learning being focused on the strand of number in maths.  It'll be interesting to see the change this could bring about too!

Map it out

Math inquiry
*Issue: breaking things right down - work out the building blocks are!  Gift and practice the necessary strategies and knowledge.
*Aim?  Map out clearly the path the target learners need  to become competent in their weaker areas of number.
* How?    Planning with the target learners and experts I have access to on our staff.  This will include use of wall displays that mark out 'Where we are' and 'Where we need to get to'.   Use of student knowledge IKAN forms.  Slow down and provide opportunities to 'show off' this knowledge!

A new year brings new students and another round of enthusiastic learners.   My maths class has these learners in all groups.   Where things are explained carefully the students are able to make connections and bring their understanding to the task at hand.

Most recently we sat an IKAN test - across classes in team 5.  These produced some interesting results which had teachers and students talking a lot!   I overheard reasons as to why some thought they did well and not so.   Some as simple as writing the answers across rather than down the columns.  Others - just found it too hard after a certain stage.   The voice and slides moved too quickly etc.

This was a great opportunity to set some individual and group goals.   My target group decided that we'd tackle one of our weakest strands as shown in the IKAN test - place value.  Our plan is to work on the next area of weakness until we are confident in all areas of number, ready to re-test through another IKAN in week 10.

An extra support will be that home learning will target the number strand also.

Beyond 9 - 3, Spark-MIT 2017 Teachers

Today we met as the 2017 Spark-MIT 2017 teacher group. 8 teachers on a mission to inquire into a range of things that impact achievement for our learners. We shared ideas that connected to the Manaiakalani pedagogy that need to have visible and ubiquitous learning, strong learner agency and connectedness to grow knowledge. 


My focus for Spark-MIT inquiry:
 I propose to explore home learning for year 7 & 8 students.  How can we support ubiquitous learning to become a daily practice from school to home?   Manaiakalani encourages and supports expanding the hours of learning beyond the start and end bell of the school day.  Are our students taking advantage of this open all hours access to their learning? What can we do at school to motivate and maintain this opportunity to accelerate achievement?

 Data Gathered: Just a start... A survey completed by learners in team 5 - year 7 and 8 learners this month found the following stats. *Note these are only some of the questions I asked. It's helped me to see that first issue to resolve would be the access issue. While internet is available at home - over 80% - it didn't translate to students having actual access to it via a device. Over 50% do not take netbooks home - why is this? Another factor - students have voiced the desire for more parent help. How can we support this? How can we teach around the use of resources be it online or in the form of whanau. I'm looking forward to finding out and supporting this to happen and gaining more ideas from this Spark-MIT group who I can see are a rich resource to have. Thanks for today Dorothy@Manaiakalani and Lynne@Spark Foundation for what has been a great day of learning and professional development.

2016 the year of 'So'o Tau'au' - To join shoulders

So'o Tau'au, 2016 sign off from SchoolTV on Vimeo.

2016 has been everything BUT normal!   We had changes to the timetable weekly, family, new baby :) teacher's on leave and leaving, Papa's and a Mama passing -  and in all this our kids stayed amazing!  Stayed normal!  Why??
We knew how and why - to 'So'o Tau'au'.

So'o tau'au is a Samoan saying that you typically hear in times of challenge.  Families and elders will visit those in a time of trial to offer support, this statement will be made.    Typically in our team we have sayings that help to embed our school wide korero.   Rather than a growling - it's a prompt to re-focus using our korero - saying.   This we carried through our learning spaces, in and out of the classroom - Te Reo, camps/field trips, tech@Tamaki College, testing, tuakana teina, visiting speakers, fundraisers, health talks and more!

Early in term 2 I shared this Samoan saying with our team during one of our morning karakia times.   It became something we used year long along with all other korero.   With all the changes that were expected and especially those that were not - this saying was one we held fast to.

Signing off for 2016 - I would like to wish all the students and teaching staff of Team 5 a fantastic festive season!    Well done on another amazing year, you've all contributed to making this year one of positive difference.

Looking forward to what 2017 will bring - opportunity to again 'So'o Tau'au'.

Ia manuia lava le tausaga fou, faamanuia atu le Atua ia te outou uma.

Mrs Andrea Bakulich Tele'a

Simon says this about 'So'o Tau'au' 

September Update

Student led learning requires a different approach to how one speaks and hooks students into learning. Creating the atmosphere and environment where students feel welcome to share their perspective. Then taking the next step of validating perspectives by including it in the learn, create and share - further than the small group discussions.

 The skills of allowing discussions to travel as well as curbing it in when needed has become a priority for me.   Being careful to value the opinions by recording it somehow in the learning process.  This has motivated the students so much more when going through the creating and sharing process.

 The effort to promote student agency can consume a lot of time - however is very valid as it helps to embed the learning for the students much more than the normal teacher chosen and led process.

 The students are participating in the learning actively with a clear understanding that their perspective is needed in the learn, then communicated in the create and sharing process.

 Next step: discovering more ways to encourage the student voice and agency whilst getting through the requirements of the curriculum in preparation for year 9 and further.

Alo mai ia lou foe!

Embed it?

This captures in summary the learning journey for me as a teacher and my students as learners in reading. Next step: embed it!

Where we at?

Just to remind you here's what I set out this term to investigate and provide support around for my learners. Group 1 Background. Higher order thinking to extend (focus on improving evaluation in Comp) using Solo model 12 kids reading at 14+. These students have reasonable demand on their time with the roles of student leadership for most. They are often called upon to be spokespersons for the school for a range of professionals that visit our school. They have a high standard of the key competencies which allows for good collaboration as well as independent achievement.

 Challenge - area needing strengthening: Stuck on 'Evaluative' questioning and thought processes in probe tests. Ability to infer needs to be pushed further to make conclusions and summaries more easily. Action to support: Drawing conclusions across range of texts to prompt the thinking process further than the text in front of them. Adding also their own experience and knowledge.

 Action: The texts I have selected have connections in ideas and themes. One example in particular I will share here was the reading of the entire journal, Level 3, June 2014. All 7 texts in this journal link to each other - some more obvious than others.

Here is the presentation the students needed to work through. Go to slides 5 - 8 in particular. This has the students evaluating and linking the texts they have read.
 Findings:
1. Children needed diagram/visual to begin to make links
2. The aide of the whiteboard with a similar layout was important to repeat the process
3. To embed the process the using of titles written on card and students making links this way - picking up titles and sharing themes worked well. See this in action here and here.
4. Provision of tools to capture their 'summary' or 'conclusion' of learning from across texts was a welcome aide BUT not necessary for some as they were happy to simply use text to communicate this.

 Note to self: 
a. A push for target audience next time may prompt a more robust use of different media to communicate?
b. Keep to themes and ideas rather than the big task of synthesising each article, this job became more distracting rather than supporting the focus.
 c. How do I do this again AND promote vocabulary - felt this was a weak point of learning sequence.

2016 Inquiry focus

2016 brings us to another inquiry into my teaching and learning. My new focus:
How can I teach learners to make inferences or judgements from layers of meaning in a text?

Group 1 Background.
Higher order thinking to extend (focus on improving evaluation in Comp) using Solo model 12 kids reading at 14+. These students have reasonable demand on their time with the roles of student leadership for most. They are often called upon to be spokespersons for the school for a range of professionals that visit our school. They have a high standard of the key competencies which allows for good collaboration as well as independent achievement.
  Challenge - area needing strengthening: Stuck on 'Evaluative' questioning and thought processes in probe tests. Ability to infer needs to be pushed further to make conclusions and summaries more easily.
  Action to support: Drawing conclusions across range of texts to prompt the thinking process further than the text in front of them. Adding also their own experience and knowledge. Second group:

Group 2 Background: This group enjoy reading and at times seem bored with it. In discussions they can explain their thinking. When having to respond in writing, often it will seem the wrong way around when. Sequence to answering process is not correct.
  Challenge: Making an inference or a judgement from layers of meaning in a text clearly. When testing they struggle with looking across text to make a clear conclusion or summary using sound judgement from what they could infer. 
Action to support: A lot of 'So what?' questions. Encouragement of full sentences to respond. Opportunities to teach each other about - not simply teacher to student.

Group 3 Background: This group is one of the most enthusiastic. Often asking for the next piece before others.
  Challenge: Word knowledge poor. This prompts a unclear response to text often and an inability to express their opinions verbally.
  Action to support: work on linguistics...sounds/shapes of letters through to words, sentences, contexts. Lots and lots of talking about what we read BEFORE our written responses. A shift in focus for sharing to happen between the group more rather than student to teacher alone. Group 3 this term has shown improvement in understanding inferences through a more focused learning sequence around learning and then sharing - teaching each other. This culture of sharing and teaching one another has prompted a positive approach from this particular group to ensure all understand before moving on. An element of peer support has occurred. A short reminder weekly of how we can help one another with language and processes modelled by myself has supported this group better. Deliberate acknowledgement and praise of when this 'Learning and teaching talk' is heard and seen has been powerful.

 All groups: have deliberate acts of teaching that 'Sell the text' and modelling of linking to other texts.  The students are more enthusiastic about the learning and teaching around selected text when this hook has been made. This is important to do at all levels.

 Term 2: I will continue with a focus on groups 2 and 3. I am hoping with group 1 that the demands on their time will lessen from outside class which will enable a more settled and prepared group of learners - ready to use the SOLO model in a real and meaningful way.

Solutions Hunters

A great afternoon listening to this bunch!  A group of dedicated - devoted and passionate teachers.   The barriers shared covered a whole range of things we face daily as educators!    In the image you will see what topics led our discussions.   From classroom practice of scaffolding through to the key competencies and the typical logistics of state schools.   We spent a greater portion of our time sharing about how we can or at least begin to overcome some of the barriers our students can face.

One thing I'd like to share here and didn't this afternoon (my forgetfulness) was the inability a teacher experiences from time to time to make connections with students.  In particular the students that we may find extremely quiet or disruptive.  This can be a real barrier to the student's learning.

My attempt to find a solution to this is talking with a range of experienced people.   This includes people who may have taught the child  or is experienced educator in the leadership team.  I've found time and time again that the team - wrap around actions of colleagues, whanau and community brings about the most change.  When we're all on the same page - the support and sometimes forced direction the team promotes has the student begin to change and in some cases get right back on track!

Thanks to the team of expert teachers and student teachers this afternoon.    It's a huge plus that we discuss these very things because we desire only the best for our Tamaki Tamariki.  

IEP - yeah you know me!

IEP - Individual Education Plan = Yeah you know me??

Individual Education Plans

IEPOnline is for anyone involved in developing or implementing individual education plans (IEPs) to support students with special education needs. Central to the website is the Ministry of Education publication Collaboration for Success: Individual Education Plans (September 2011) which replaces the 1998 ‘Individual Education Programme (IEP) Guidelines’.

Connecting to my previous presentation 'To obey like a canoe before the wind' I have arrived at this point in my inquiry.   There are students in my classroom and across my team where school is a serious challenge to be a functional part of.  These students have - special needs in the classroom daily.  You plan for groups at a time, however the plans must then be tailored again to support these particular individuals as their ability to work in a small group is challenging for themselves, their peers and teachers.

It has been aptly put on the TKI site, under the title 'How to succeed at IEPS': 

The IEP process is about writing students INTO the New Zealand Curriculum rather than writing students out.   

This has a teacher thinking, dreaming and looking ahead to the new term of what can be done for the INCLUSION of these students in the day to day, week to week running of the learning environments we strive to create, maintain and sustain??  What do I write into my plans to ensure these students are not just here in body but seriously engaging with the curriculum? 

My vision is to have blocks of learning change during the week for these particular individuals.   Relate to the time of day/week where the student tends to become disengaged or may need a 'second wind'.    Recent talks also with GATE in our staff meetings have supported this view.

For example:

Sporting student: weekly learning sessions with our Sports Teacher and Coordinator, linking to learning in classroom. Planning how to tackle the tasks set and further.  Linking to community and region sporting events and goals.  Mentoring with people in community outside PES?

Naturalistic student: weekly sessions to work on garden boxes in block and further.  Support from our school caretakers etc.  Linking this to the wider community and it's benefits.  

All this would need to be consistent and regular to ensure engagement and shifts of positive change for the students.

Barriers: 

• the teachers/adults/mentors need to be available consistently.  
• feedback and feedforward to be regular from student/mentor and teacher to ensure progress is monitored and recorded
• resourcing of people to work one on one and to fund the projects for these programmes
• 
  

Solution

• look at timetable of team teachers, locate time specifically for the set up 
• research funding/resources available for this type of IEP - more individuals to make up the different focus groups?
• regular updates on the progress of these programmes, record and share with SMT for future

In striving to achieve this we will be looking closely at what these particular learners have in their winds and hopefully provide the 'second wind' .   It will certainly differ from the majority.   

Imagine if we get this right the IEP will have these students saying - 'Yep, teachers knows me!!

Connections

My previous posts speaks of connections we make with our learners, in particular the connections through the relationships we develop with the learners in our care.   This is a clip shared with me by an older friend.  I think it's worth your time to sit and watch.   Be reminded of how our connections set up the environment for learning - for achievement further than we can imagine.

After I watched this TED talk, I called a meeting with my son's Principal, I asked him if he would show this video during the next all staff meeting in November. He reviewed it, and said he'd be honored, and sincerely thanked me!~ Melanie Bell

Posted by Melanie Bell on Monday, October 28, 2013

Impact inquiry

Thinking and thinking before reacting. This is part in parcel of the impact I have experienced from my inquiry. Facts are presented as who did what to whom - teacher and student, my job now is to think about the wind that had the canoe (student) arrive where they have. Often this is NOT a quick process, I must reflect and tap into supports in my senior leadership team and colleagues.

 In our group sharing today I can draw parallels. In everyone's attention to breaking down the big picture to steps, scaffolding, detail - the content of the winds for our students. Regardless of whether it's a reading, maths, small group - behavioural - cognitive - there's a need to pay attention to the small that makes up the big.