Hear, Speak, Learn: Building Oral Competence

A fascinating day with Jane van der Zeyden. Beginning the day with data related to how children's oral language develops and the massive difference oral language development makes. The links to children who start school behind in their oral language development and the way this follows them through life.

“What’s the most important thing parents can do to make their kids super learners? Talk to them. Language. Language is the key” 
Professor John Hattie

The oral language expectations on Pf 42 of Learning through talk were fascinating - a great place to look to identify next learning steps for students and to look for report comments. Some great discussion around recordings of students talking - the difference in prompts and the ways the interviews were conducted all having an impact.

Amplify don’t simplify

When we are trying to develop our student's language and vocabulary skills we need to introduce them to increased levels of language rather than simplified versions. We want to challenge them, to ensure they are learning new words.

Now what?

• Create vocab wall - students can add to this when reading and come across interesting words, topic words also can be added. Use word wheel (four words placed onto wheel, students in pairs create a sentence using the topic words.) as an oral language opportunity.

EdTechTeam GAFE Summit 2016

Another awesome two days of learning at the GAFE Summit. This year I have come away with a three key things I am keen to implement in my classroom.

1. Genius Hour - I have experimented with this in the past, but have never really felt like it quite worked in my class. Some students came up with some great ideas, but others really struggled. Hearing Molly Schroeder talk about getting the students to identify "What problem do you want to solve?" really resonated with me. It gives genius hour a framework for the students to identify problems they feel are important and helps to steer them away from questions that are 'google-able'.
Some question starters could be:

• How might I…
• How might we… 
• In what ways …

I also attended Simon Ashby's workshop on Genius Hour. He spoke about the nuts and bolts of how Genius Hour works in his classroom. I think I will adapt similar expectations, here are his:

• • Must have research involved 30-60mins of research/week - recorded on google slides & blogged, 45mins blogging time, 1.5hrs creative time
  • Frame it as a driving question
  • There must be research involved
  • The project needs to have a purpose (& impact on someone other than themselves)
  • It must be shared

2. 360º Narrative with Jim Sill - I have thoroughly enjoyed attending many of Jim's sessions over the GAFE summit's I have attended and this year was no different. We were introduced to the Google Streetview app (which I have dabbled with before). It is fantastic for taking 360º photos. It is also available for ipads through the iphone app store. I think it would be a fantastic tool for us to use, especially as this term we are learning about different cultures and what better way to experience them than to use virtual reality so the students can experience being there.

3. Google Teacher Certification with Kimberly Hall. This was an informative session highlighting the progressions through Google Teacher Certification which are available. Beginning with the basics exam, moving on to Level 1 and Level 2 and then on to the Google Certified Trainor and Google Certified Innovator.
I have already completed the basics exam and think it would be a good place to support all staff to attain. It would ensure they have a good understanding of the GAFE tools and enable them to better utalise the tools at hand. I hope to sit Level 1 before the start of term and attain Level 2 before the end of term 2.

This quote from Molly Shroeder really sums up the whole theme of GAFE for me.
"Don't be afraid to fail. be afraid not to try"
I am really looking forward to the start of Term 2 and putting my new learning into action. 

ADHD Project - Professional Learning

Session 1, 2 and 3

These sessions were a refresher for me, reminding me of strategies that I was already aware of, but perhaps hadn't used in a long time. One strategy that I have taken and used in my classroom is to include more brain breaks, we are using gonoodle on average 1-2 times a day to encourage the students to get up and get moving. I think it is working well as a break after a period of intense concentration. I also think it is beneficial to encourage our students to move more. They don't have a great deal of physical stamina so for some students it is difficult to go through a 3min workout without stopping. I hope to increase this endurance throughout the year.

I have also begun using colour coding for the students to identify the order in which they will complete their tasks. They do this on a Monday morning as part of our first reading session of the week. As a class, we decided on a colour code, green for first, yellow second and blue for third. Students are then given specific time at the end of the lesson to make sure they have updated the learning log with the tasks they have been working on (even if they aren't finished).

I think this is helping those students who have ADHD or are ADHD like to better manage their time during reading. I will be using this strategy across the curriculum next term.

Tina observed me using this strategy, her notes can be found here.

Leading Toolkits - Bling your blog

The Ako Hiko Bling your Blog toolkit that I ran on the 25th of Febuary were a raging success. As my partner in crime, Tina, was unable to run the toolkit with me as initally planned I took five very keen and capable students along with me. 

After a brief run through of the basics in blog blinging we set to work, supporting teachers to make their blog their own. Helping change colours, fonts themes. You name it we changed it! 

The students who supported my toolkit were fantastic, there was nothing but positive feedback for them. 

Some feedback is as follows. 

Having the students present meant they were able to show case their skills, develop confidence in working with adults and share the links to their learning. Over all a great experience for all. 

TOD Day 1 2016

Tetramaps

An interesting way of looking at personalities and behaviors. Gave a good understanding of ways people react differently to things. I enjoyed being able to identify what my own elements were and how they come across in my interactions with others. I also found it valuable to learn what other staff members felt they were and how that comes across. I found one of the most valuable parts of the session for me was being able to come up with a chart of how we prefer to be spoken to, what not to say. I think it makes it a lot clearer for all staff, especially seeing when someone is a different element and how they would prefer to be approached. 

How will I use this new knowledge? 

• Thinking carefully about how I will approach conversations with those who I know differ from me and keeping the shared goal at the heart of the conversation (especially parents). 

PB4L 

Reviewing ways of dealing with minor behaviors - for me this was a refresher of the strategies I learned with IYT and during my years in a PB4L school. Was interesting to discuss minor vs major incidents, especially different ways different teachers would deal with them. We came to agree that major incidents can and are dealt with by the classroom teacher, but they need to be recorded, not necessarily sent to the office. 

I also found really interesting looking at the expectations from across the different school settings and identifying how many were double ups, how many were not actually measurable and seeing that it really was time we went back and relooked at some of the PB4L systems we have in place. 

I really like that we are aligning PB4L, The Hay Park Way and our values. Respect, Responsibility and Resilience. 

How will I use this new knowledge? 

• Reminder of the strategies for dealing with problem behavior is very timely at the start of the year. I am looking forward to challenging myself to use 4:1 positive comments and linking the comments to our values eg ".... when you keep trying that maths problem you are being resilient, well done!" 

Power of Reading - Reflection

Today's staff meeting was PD on the Power of Reading.

We began talking about what is going well for us with our PoR. I am really enjoying the drama that is coming through. Seeing the children creating freeze frames, and then the rich discussions from this. Also the writing that is coming through, the descriptive language that is developing is really powerful.

Where to next?
Using the planning template that Amanda has sent through. Plan and integrate ALL drama aspects. Use the key drama definitions to help with planning and teaching.

Summarising your Postgraduate Learning Journey and your planning towards the future:

Looking back on the 32 week journey (plus 2 more weeks because I’m always late getting assignments in!) I can see the changes that I have made through my practice and more importantly in my pedagogy. I began the course having taught in a 1:1 classroom for almost a year and was very excited by the opportunities this course gave me to connect with other like-minded, future focused educators. During the face to face sessions some of the most valuable time, for me, was the discussions we had with other teachers, from other schools, with different communities, yet who shared the same enthusiasm for learning and how we can make the most of opportunities for our students.

When looking back through the papers we have completed and the learning outcomes several jump out at me as ones that have struck a chord for a variety of reasons, some because they challenged me, some because it was something I was looking to find more about and others because they were aspects of the course I enjoyed.

From Leadership in Digital & Collaborative Learning

• Reflect on personal leadership attributes and styles within the context of leading innovation.
  I found the leadership paper on the whole challenging, I hadn’t considered myself as a leader (beyond leading in my classroom) and changing this ingrained mindset took some doing! And yet I know look back and see the ways in which I do lead, the leadership styles I use and the know when I am called to lead I am more aware of how different leadership styles can be more beneficial to different tasks. I will choose the best style for the task at hand and it has enabled me to better reflect on the leadership that I do have as a colleague in my school.

From Digital & Collaborative Learning in Context

• Identify a potential digital and collaborative innovation and design an implementation plan that can be applied in a learning environment.
  First of all, I loved the play element of this paper, the introduction to new ideas and ways of doing things which I could take back to school and implement immediately was hugely satisfactory to me. I was able to share things with other staff members and ignite some enthusiasm from some of the more reluctant staff members. This paper introduced me to flipped lessons and the assignments I did based around this concept (and the feedback I was given) helped me to understand how and where flipping can be successful. This has led to some flipped lessons occurring in my classroom. The kids love it! They enjoy being able to rewind their teacher, being able to go at their own pace, being able to share the learning with their families. It has been a huge success in my class.
• Evaluate collaborative educational research and investigate its application in a digital environment.
  Through evaluating collaborative research I was able to read and think about the collaborative aspect of learning in a digital environment. I know for myself that I have benefitted hugely from working collaboratively - be it assignments, note taking, or planning. Being able to work with others, not only online, but also to brainstorm and share ideas face to face produces much more. I am more motivated, I am better able to express my ideas, I achieve at a higher level through collaborating, so why wouldn't I want this for my students? Using GAFE in our classroom means we are easily able to collaborate on our learning tasks and when students collaborate the level of work they produce increases hugely.

Links to the Registered Teacher Criteria or Practising Teacher Criteria

Professional relationships and professional values

• Criteria 1: Establish and maintain effective professional relationships focused on the learning and well-being of all ākonga.
  One of my professional goals for this year and into next year is to build on my relationships with the whanau and community of my students. Through being involved in extra curricula activities this year I feel I have got to know the community better, however I now feel I need to focus on strengthening these relationships, especially ensuring they are learning focused. I would like to develop the use of my class blog as a space to update parents on the learning that is taking place in my classroom. I would also like the blog to become a two way means of communication, with whanau commenting on the blog too.
• Criteria 4: Demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional learning and development of professional personal practice.
  This course shows my commitment to ongoing professional learning and development, implementation of ideas gained through the course and through reading done as part of the course show my commitment to developing my personal practice. I look forward to continuing to grow and develop my personal practice through the connections I have made in this course, through the Facebook group, through the VLN that I joined whilst on this course and through twitter. One of my professional goals is to be more vocal in these online forums, to share more with others.

Professional knowledge in practice

• Criteria 7: Promote a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive learning environment.
  As part of our literacy programme blogging, and blog commenting at taught. Students regularly post new learning on their blog, and then other students have the opportunity to comment on this learning.  Students also work collaboratively in a range of curriculum areas. Through writing, reading, maths and our concept learning students have opportunities to collaborate on their learning. I would like to develop this further with students collaborating with others from beyond our classroom, with other classes and perhaps eventually with students from other school.s
• Criteria 8: Demonstrate in practice their knowledge and understanding of how ākonga learn. My students have a strong sense of agency over their learning. They understand where their learning needs come from, and work alongside me to develop goals for themselves. Students take control of their own learning, and through the use of flipped lessons, and kahn academy students are able to learn at their own pace and seek support  where they need it. One of my goals is to continue to develop this student ownership and student agency in my classroom.

My main goal going on from this certificate is to continue to learn, grow and implement new ideas into my professional practice. To continue to build on the knowledge I have gained, and the skills I have learned. In the future I would like to take on a leadership role, helping school to develop their pedagogy, providing students with opportunities to become future focused learners.