Our school had been very fortunate to secure Anne from CORE Eduaction and CLA as facilitator for our PD this year. One focus was on parent engagement... This has been something that I have been talking about in one of my past Inquiries... How can we get parents ENGAGED in their child's learning? Many people think that attending sports events means that parents are engaged, however; parents are here only 'involved' in what is happening at a school... therefore the importance of getting them engaged... in students' learning, especially class and individual student blogs as an ePortfolio is crucial.
A good starting point for us as a staff was to look at the elements of a positive learning environment for us individually. This also help us to understand each other a bit better (I think)...
Anne lead a session with parents around the eLearning Planning Framework. Feedback from parents and teachers both were very valuable...
As teachers, we also brainstormed our ideas...
Closer to the end of our PD, we went back to a Padlet we started at the beginning of the year and revisited our ideas...
So where to next for us at this stage?
Exciting times ahead...
~ "Excellent schools don't believe in excellence - only in constant improvement and constant change." - Dan McCabe ~
Hancine started our Connected Rotorua session by showing us a very interesting video on 'Computational Thinking'...
There is also a free course available for educators through 'Google' to help with integrating 'Computational Thinking' into the curriculum.
It was great to be around educators who knew that Computational Thinking is about problem solving...
Getting an explanation from Neil on how 'sphero' works...
Having a play while being talked through by Shaun...
Photo Credit: Sue Winters (Ngā Pūmanawa e Waru)
~ "There's nothing magical about any tech tool. Real magic rests in the minds and hearts of teachers using digital tools to introduce students to new individuals, ideas and opportunities." - Unknown ~
Although this seminar was aimed at Senior Management looking at obtaining a Principal role, it was obvious to me that the information shared, was also very valuable to an AP/DP.
Things covered were:
Appointments (Appointment letters, fixed term, permanent, job sharing and beginning teachers)... The discussions we had for fixed term and support staff appointments and whether they adhere to the PTCA and the Employment Act was definitely an eye opener. After working through a couple of scenarios, it became clear that commonly cited reasons for these appointments are not always that straight forward.
Unit Allocations... A fair process is to look at what is the needs at school and to have a conversation with staff. Put out a job description for the unit. Open to anybody who would like to apply. Needs to be clear, fair and transparent. 60% of units should be permanent and 40% can be fixed-term.
Leave (Sick, parental, bereavement, discretionary, refreshment)... Some very interesting clarifications came out of this, e.g. Stress and mental health are not considered illnesses for sick leave. It is also important to have conversations with staff about the entitlement for bereavement leave, so that they are clear about what this is.
Support Staff Review (Variation of hours, grading, annual salary reviews, surplus staffing)... It is important to look at allocation hours for the year coming up, as you cannot change hours in a school year (although, e.g. T/A - 10 permanent hours & 10 fixed-term, you can change fixed to 5). Variation should not be more that 20% of their permanent hours.
Competency / Conduct / Impairment Issues... The main message that came through was that the process should be fair to the parties involved. Discussion is absolutely crucial to ensure the non escalation of the issue. The mana and dignity of a person should be intact during this time. When this was discussed, it made me think of a thread I read a while ago and a discussion on a well know programme...
An overwhelming body of research is highlighting the excessive stress faced by New Zealand’s educators. Therefore, it is my opinion that no-one needs any 'uncertainty' added to any process that might impact on their well-being. Communication is vital...
~ "Compassion is an action word with no boundaries." - Prince ~
I was privileged to attend a NZCER 'Me and My School' Learner Engagement Survey Workshop.
"Me and My School is a unique, research-based student engagement survey designed for New Zealand students Years 4 to 10. It offers a snapshot of the learning culture in your school, standardised data to track progress over time and a nationally referenced gender, ethnicity, and year level comparison." - NZCER
Why 'Me and My School'? (Theory of Action)
Outcomes of using 'Me and My school':
- Impact of NPeW
- Potential link to other data
- Useful assessment at multiple level (schools, CoLs, District)
- Input into school strategic plans for 2018
What does the survey measures?
3 main aspects:
- Behavioural
- Effective / emotional
- Cognitive (willing to try new things??)
Links to the Key Competencies
Getting staff ready for online survey:
- Use demo sites to introduce staff
- Teachers need to talk students through 'instructions' & 'about me' parts
- When students start with survey, advised that teacher should not be walking around, due to anonymous nature
Results:
- With online reports you can view interim reports
- Making sense of the reports - lots of different ways that data can be looked at / intrepid.
Tips:
Think about protocols on how to administer - maybe get students to all do it together in class or think about how it works best for your students. If someone is away, get them to do it when they are back. Aim to get all students to partake.
Conclusion:
This assessment tool is designed to give a school robust and systematic information about student engagement.
~ "Measure what you value instead of valuing only what you can measure" - Andy Hargreaves ~
I have been really interested in attending the consultation sessions, since the official announcement in regards to the addition to the New Zealand Curriculum from Education Minister Nikki Kaye and as Digital Technologies|Hangarau Matihiko is to be formally added into the NZ Curriculum by 2018 and fully integrated by 2020.
My notes:
Leadership / BOT session - 9.00am - 12.00pm
When thinking of DT, think about people using it.
Digital supports arts, science etc. It is not standing alone.
Timeline:
What is needed to teach DTIHM?:
Algorithms are not new to us. Give students the opportunity to learn the language.
- Writing a program brings the algorithm to life.
- Computational thinking is about how to create something new.
In Technological Areas part - (‘Computational thinking for digital technologies’ & ‘Designing and developing digital outcomes’) are the new part of the Curriculum.
How would you start a conversation about DT in your school? What does it look like? What is it about?
It is not about the pc that sits on the desk, but the pc that sits in the mind. Schools have autonomy on how to implement.
Teachers' session - 1.00pm - 3.00pm
Students should be "doing" computational thinking without computer / numbers (using alphabet)
How would you explain this whole new digital world to primary schools?
This is not about tech hardware, it’s about our brain.
We have a role as navigators and guides to our children
Creating with technology can have students feel ownership.
Algorithm comes up quite a lot in the new curriculum. All data is represented by using 2 values (binary code). A bit is the smallest bit of information...
As I am really passionate about technologies and how it can be used to support learning, I am looking forward to the implementation and embedding of ‘Computational thinking for digital technologies’ & ‘Designing and developing digital outcomes’ in learning by 2020.
I've always incorporated Phonics into my literacy programme, but as I am constantly reflecting on my teaching and how it can be improved, I jumped when the opportunity to attend the 'Yolanda Soryl workshop' arose.
Yolanda confirmed the view I have that students need a range of basic phonics strategies so they can easily work out new words in reading and spelling.
Teaching tips and pointers:
Allow only lower case letters to be written in phonics
Only have a reason for a capital letter like writing your name. When they write a capital letter in writing ask what the reason was for writing letter in capital - if no reason, rub out.
Only teach capital after lower case is secure
Summary:
Blending important for reading: d, d-o, d-o-g = dog
Break up word to write- segmentation
Some students know their sound, but don’t know how to break it up
Teach kids how to hear
The aim is to look at work and recognize it instantly
Read name before school - this is recognition of graphic knowledge
Teach high frequency words fast
Phonics is for low reading learners
Grammar - does it sound right. Get them to read their sentences back
Ingrain a sense of a sentence - repetitive reading
Teach students to re-read their writing, to check if it sounds right.
3 levels that students use to connect (sounds, words, sentences). Students that struggle don’t connect these three
Important to decode to enable them to comprehend
Book introduction important - look and introduce unfamiliar words
Teach fluency at word level - then you have chance to read page
Dyslexic kids tend to use both sides of the brain
Hear low level reader read out loud every day to improve reading outcome
Phonics is about using sounds, not only knowing sounds
I am also looking forward to the release of the Phonics App which can be used to learn/revise the alphabet sounds. It also follows a Phonics 'Hear, Read, Write' lesson plan and can stand alone or be used to revise a lesson. The App features a New Zealand accent which is so important for helping students learn the short vowel sounds.
~ "It shouldn't matter how slowly a child learns, as long as we are encouraging them not to stop" - Robert John Meehan ~
In this Language & Learning Intervention workshop I attended, speech-language therapists worked with teachers and some parents in our cluster to provide learning support for our children with high language and communication needs. The support we were given was around being reflective of our communicative behaviours and how we can adapt and differentiate our interactions with students who have communication disorders.
Module 1 (Planning Language and Learning Goals):
Some children might have language, but can’t retrieve it...
Incentive: Think about your day yesterday... What activities did you do that involved language? What activities did not involve language?
Three components of language:
What? (are kids talking about) e.g. family, hunting, birthday, other children in class, farming, tractors, weekend activities, learning. This includes vocabulary labels, action and describing words. Think about the meaning of the message.
How? (understanding content and express in various ways) This may involve pointing, gestures, facial expressions, smiling, physical leading, eye contact.
Why? (the reason for communicating?) e.g. gaining attention to express feeling / telling the rules, needs met / want something, greeting, ask questions - can I?, responding, re-tell.
We need all three these components, otherwise something might break down.
When a child do not have the language they need to use, it is like a can of coke that is being shook, waiting to explode. Pressure was building up, they feel like they are on the back foot all the time. Anxiety might be increasing. Some children might be holding it together at school, but explode when they get home. Simple change in routine could inflict as well (e.g. reliever). This could be tiring for children.
Language underpins all learning. The four language steps are: Early Words User, Word Combiner, Early Sentence User and Complex Sentence User.
Reflection: It is therefore important to build children's expression and feelings about things and to build vocabulary.
There are four Conversational styles: Participator, Responder, Do My Own Thing and Reserved Communicator.
Responder:
Children rarely start the conversation and may find it easier to respond more to adults than peers. Adults might say the child "takes awhile to warm up".
Do my own thing:
Children mostly communicate about their needs and interests. They rarely respond to attempts to engage them in conversation. Adults might think they are "in their won world".
Reserved Communicator:
Children often have little or no response to your efforts to engage them. They rarely initiate and show little interest in people or objects in their environment. Adult find it difficult to engage the child.
Participator:
Children who initiate and take part in interactions. They are responsive and will try (and keep trying) to communicate. Adults might describe them as "easy to talk to".
Reflection: Think about strategies children might use to figure out what might be happening in classroom e.g. categorize, body language, ask, sensory cues, process of elimination etc.
Module 2 (Language and Learning in Action):
The features of a great conversations is the opportunity to talk, ask questions or to clarify.
Ask questions, safe - take risks, make mistakes, valued
Different props - creative, ties with children's name who will be the
leader, classroom displays (with care), work hanging up
Classroom conversations could include: Initiation, Response, Feedback.
Strategies to Encourage Engagement:
- Be face-to-face with children
- Respond to their attempts to initiate
- Notice children who are feeling 'left out' or uncomfortable
- Pause to give time for responses
- Make comments and wait for the child to initiate a comment
- Repeat and go slow
- Provide encouragement and explicit feedback
Acknowledge that you heard what child has said, by affirm, model, and extend.
Reflection: To extend is really important as you increase the opportunity for conversation. Don’t just label things for kids, otherwise they will do it back. Describe what happens in a picture, so that they can learn to do the same.
Idea: Feed in four 'comments' about the topic, before asking a question. That way language is 'fed in' and this will enable children to gather language to interact.
Reasons for asking Questions:
- To check children understand new information
- To check reading comprehension
- To prompt for more information
- To ask for clarification
- To stimulate thought
Blank’s Levels of questioning
Blank’s Level 1 is about immediate
Blank’s Level 2 is about properties, punctuation, comparing
Blank’s Level 3 is about what they know, relating
Blank’s Level 4 is about reasoning and why something has happened, justify
Reflection: When the goal is successful communication, match the question complexity to the child's language level.
~ "Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow." - Olivier Wendell Holmes ~
I have been part of organising yet another EducampRotovegas. This year we were a small but select group and the conversations were rich and meaningful.
At times we followed the slides, however it was great to have had the opportunity to have impromptu discussions not even added to the slides.
~ "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it's the only thing that ever has."- Margaret Mead ~
I signed up for the Apple Teacher learning program, which was a fun and easy way to build my skills and be rewarded for the work I do every day.
What I liked about the program was that you start your own self-paced journey and when you are ready, you can test yourself by taking interactive quizzes in the Apple Teacher Learning Center. Each time you pass a quiz, you earn a new badge and once you collected all eight badges, you are recognized with an official Apple Teacher logo (see right panel on my blog) to share with the world.
Message received:
Thank you Apple for this opportunity. It is an honour to be recognized as an Apple Teacher!
~ "Never stop learning, because life never stops teaching" - Anonymous ~
Our school was fortunate to secure Anne Robertson for one of our Teaching Only Days. After posing the Key Question for this session: "How do we challenge the way that professional learning has traditionally been structured and make it more consistent with modern learning practice, that is collaborative, creative, daring and challenging and meets the needs of all teachers in your school?" we introduced ourselves and discussed what motivates us to learn. One interesting thing that came to the front was that learning styles can change and develop. Therefore, Professional Learning has to be meaningful, relevant and focused on how it is going to support our learners.
“The first rule of learning is that people learn what they need to learn, not what someone else thinks they should learn” Peter M Senge: The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organisation
An exercise we had to complete was to think about three people on staff, think about their needs and put ourselves in their shoes when thinking about learning. It is vital that teachers should be considered in the same way we think about planning for our learners. We have to allow for different ways for teachers to engage in PL&D. One size does not fit all! Ownership and agency is essential if teachers are to engage positively.
Consider Knowles’ 6 principles of adult learning...
- Adults are internally motivated and self-directed
- Adults bring life experiences and knowledge to learning experiences
- Adults are goal oriented
- Adults are relevancy oriented
- Adults are practical
- Adult learners like to be respected
This can be easily applied to students as well, although not all of them might be motivated to learn, because they have to be in class / at school. What happens at home in the morning, might very well impact on how they learn...
Think UDL and cater for all learning needs in class, this however needs to be the same for teachers.
Image credit: Anne Robertson @robeanne 2016
Each of us had to think about our three teachers again while imagining one came across this small cave entrance with our three teachers... consider... What is my first instinct? What is their first instinct How would you feel if someone said to you - right we are all going to go into this cave now? Think about why your reaction is as is. What is it based on?
It might be hard for some to go in, having a fear of the unknown. This might be the same for people when having to learn new things. It might be easier to motivate kids, rather than motivate adults. Getting people out of their comfort zone. Tip for whānau engagement... think about cultural situations, think about that acting in a different culture could be quite scary.
We bring a whole lot of baggage with us when it comes to making decisions about what we do. Our Mental Model is shaped by the unspoken, unacknowledged, unrecognised assumptions we have just beneath the surface that guide our actions - positively and negatively. Our prior experience plays a huge part as does our situation and context - age, gender, family situation, school setting. And mental models often resist change.
It is important to remember that we all see thing from different perspective, due to our experiences. This underpins our values/virtues and beliefs.
Enablers and Blockers challenge...
What do we see as the ENABLERS to engagement in professional Learning at our school and what are the things that BLOCK people from engaging?
Sheryl Nussbaum talks about schools being “Future Ready” - there are 4 elements to being future ready. However, it is very important to consider as we develop Professional Learning programmes, that teachers are learners too.
An environment where the message is always ‘we are not good enough’ can be demoralising and counterproductive for all stakeholders.George Couros #Innovatorsmindset ln the book “The Innovator’s Mindset” George Couros talks about the need for leaders to trust, to allow a positive space for people to grow and develop their skills, to focus on strengths not weaknesses. Something to ponder... Do we look at strengths of people or do we always look at the negative? Finding people's strengths is so important. "When we build on our strengths and daily successes - instead of focusing on failures - we simply learn more” Tom Rath
Simon Sinek talks of how 'why' should be first, even before the 'how' and the 'what'. This seems a deceptively simple idea... But teachers also need a sort of personalised why… e.g. why should I adopt new practice. It has to be contextual to the way they teach and learn, to the students in their classes and the way that they are as teachers and learners themselves. It is possible for the ‘why’ to evolve too and it doesn’t have to be static. However, you can’t just change the ‘why’ without a moral purpose or reflecting on it and considering why it might have changed. Which is where Spirals of Inquiry come in…
Anne talked about an analogy that she heard of recently... consider a fire - what does it need to keep burning? (fuel and oxygen and space between the sticks for the fire to develop). If more sticks are being piled up on the fire, it collapses and has no space for the oxygen to keep fanning the flames so it suffocates and dies out. This is the same with teachers... they need to have space and time to keep motivated to learn and care should be taken not to overload them.
One thing that came through strongly though was the idea of time for reflection and consolidation which is represented in the Poutama - the Maori representation of steps that symbolise levels of learning and that after each step there is an opportunity to consolidate, to take a breather (rekindle the fire) and assimilate skills learned before moving onward and upwards. Key idea: We need to provide space for people to have inspiration. Don't keep on piling up... What can we take away... Allow teachers to take a step, and then have time to get an understanding and put learning into practice, before taking the next step. Engagement in PL&D isn’t an option but leaders need to model good practice, be sensitive and respectful of the learners’ needs and be warm but demanding just as we are with the students in our classes…
Building on the Poutama steps of knowledge acquisition with time for assimilation and consolidation of skills discussed earlier - and the spiral of inquiry - this idea of a spiral staircase that can provide space for teachers to focus on their practice and the needs of their learners, that encourages constant, ongoing reflection, and further inquiry is very powerful. A never ending spiral staircase of learning...
~ "You are never too old to learn. At no time ever say, 'It's too late to learn,' not until the day you die." - Kimani Ng'ang'a ~
