Wednesday, 9 October 2019
Week 29 - Consider your audience (Taking Action)
How can the use of robotics and learning with collaborative groups, be used to promote student engagement and have a positive impact on mathematical outcomes?
During this inquiry my plan was to improve student outcomes in mathematics using collaborative learning and robotics. I had planned to achieve this in my class then teach the other teachers in my team based on my new learning.
During this inquiry my plan was to improve student outcomes in mathematics using collaborative learning and robotics. I had planned to achieve this in my class then teach the other teachers in my team based on my new learning.
- batteries needing to be charged after each session
- not enough battery chargers to fit all the batteries required
- Some robots just didn't work
- Some robots were programmed different so even when given the same command did different tasks.
References:
Bolstad, R., Gilbert, J., McDowall, S., Bull, A., Boyd, S., & Hipkins, R. (2012). Supporting future-oriented learning and teaching — a New Zealand perspective. Report prepared for the Ministry of Education. Retrieved from https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/schooling/109306
OECD. (2018).Trends shaping education 2018 spotlight. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/Spotlight-15-A-Brave-New-World-Technology-and-Education.pdf
Bolstad, R., Gilbert, J., McDowall, S., Bull, A., Boyd, S., & Hipkins, R. (2012). Supporting future-oriented learning and teaching — a New Zealand perspective. Report prepared for the Ministry of Education. Retrieved from https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/schooling/109306
OECD. (2018).Trends shaping education 2018 spotlight. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/Spotlight-15-A-Brave-New-World-Technology-and-Education.pdf
Blended Learning Enabling Agency
Blended Learning Enabling Agency
Blended learning is the use of digital technologies within teaching. Blending learning and technology.
Flipped Learning - giving students the opportunity to learn a concept before coming to the teaching session.
Could students be creating videos of them practising/doing a strategy? Other students use this to learn from.
Could you save videos in Google Photos and share them with your children? I.e Spelling.
Microsoft 360 ? Children videoing themselves solving maths equations. Same as how we use SeeSaw.
Students give feedback.
Students give feedback.
Important to Note
Teaching students how to use Flipped learning is a very important aspect and this needs to be done
explicitly.
explicitly.
You need to teach students how to watch a video - how to engage with videos, how to take notes
while watching videos. How to use the tracking sheets. How to ask for help when needed.
while watching videos. How to use the tracking sheets. How to ask for help when needed.
Not just coding for the sake of coding.
Not just coding for the sake of coding.
Digital Storytelling in Scratch
Monika Kem
Raranga Matihiko weaving digital futures
Computational Thinking - unplugged -
Examples of digital stories
Thinking like a computer. How does a computer rank things from smallest to largest? How does it do it so fast? Get your children to discuss possible ways of doing this.
Examples of students work. Telling stories using Scratch. Children
have coded each story. Some stories are interactive, like a Pick a Path.
Rarangamatahika website has kids speak digital outcomes.
Digital Stories matched with the Computational Thinking Outcomes
Scratch
X goes to the side Y goes to the sky
Good for teaching coordinates
Scratch - templates on website
Use Glide and repeat
Create your own Pepeha -
Green screen pic of yourself/student
Use removebg
Use this to create your own scratch Sprite
Digital Storytelling in Scratch
Monika Kem
Raranga Matihiko weaving digital futures
Computational Thinking - unplugged -
Examples of digital stories
Thinking like a computer. How does a computer rank things from smallest to largest? How does it do it so fast? Get your children to discuss possible ways of doing this.
Examples of students work. Telling stories using Scratch. Children
have coded each story. Some stories are interactive, like a Pick a Path.
Rarangamatahika website has kids speak digital outcomes.Digital Stories matched with the Computational Thinking Outcomes
Scratch
X goes to the side Y goes to the sky
Good for teaching coordinates
Scratch - templates on website
Use Glide and repeat
Create your own Pepeha -
Green screen pic of yourself/student
Use removebg
Use this to create your own scratch Sprite
Friday, 23 August 2019
Jill Eggleton Writing Course
Monday 21st March
Jill Eggleton Writing Course
Link to oral language - you have to have great oral language in order to write well.
To teach writing well we need to
Know our learners
Know how to teach
Know something about writing
Ask ch to identify their best pieces of writing - and why?
Then need
Good written sight vocab
Mastery of how to form letters
Good oral language
About to put thoughts on paper before being concerned about genre or text types
What and How?
What do I have to teach?
How will I achieve?
What do ch need to achieve?
How will I assess?
What is important?
Balanced programme
Examine craft
Of writers
Develop and extend vocab
Other stuff she flicked over far to far
What specific objectives?
Beginning, progressing, advancing
Need to know where you are going...
Writing Approaches
Shared writing at all levels - from a common or shared experience - something we did together so everyone had the same experience eg not my birthday, although we all had one, everyone had a different experience. Could be an illustration or photo cos we can all see it.
Level 1 - look at this photo (lion) talk to your partner - ask questions re senses - If you could touch him what would he feel like etc.
Use the metalanguage of writing - Who is our reader / audience What is our reason / purpose etc
Say a sentence about what you can see. That is a sentence - can we add more detail.
Level 2 - topic, audience, purpose - photo to help remind us - Hook our readers in - with a partner think of a great hook in sentence - lets hear some - when you choose one you need to give a reason why you chose it (short, precise, shows not tells)
Keep lesson short 15 mins
Decide what part of writing is main focus (opening hook, body of textm conclusion, recrafting, editing, proof reading)
Proof reading is punctuation and spelling
Only do when a common experience happens (not every week)
Guided writing
When they are writing independently
Level 1 - I can see... I like.... What is your topic? Talk what happens. Which bit are you going to write about (don’t want it all) Next time.... Then move on to someone else, come back to them at end.
Level 2 - you said.... How can you show not tell your readers.... How can you re-craft that to show not tell. Can you be more specific so we can paint the best picture for your reader. Can you use a stronger word.
MIrror Writing - only for Level 1B, often ESOL - kick start of having trouble getting started.
Modelled Writing
Major instructional strategy
Need to think aloud
Whole class together - tell them something eg a story that happened to you
Then send away two groups
Keep one group - going to model for this group a piece of the story I have just told them.
I am going to write about... That’s my topic. I’m using something that happened to me as an idea. I am going to write it for you because I feel it is funny (topic, audience, purpose)
I’m going to make a quick plan (wind, hat, road) of the main things I am going to write about.
Say the whole chunk of language that you are going to write - the whole sentence - so they have what they are going to write in their head.
Discuss HF words, spaces, beginning sounds etc (stuff from progressions)
What will I write - My hat went onto the road - No I will craft that again - My hat went floating onto the road - Now you have a better picture of what happened.
On the progression do as many of the things as you can - use the language audience, recraft, etc etc
Sometimes it helps to have a title first, sometimes it comes at the end. Can help keep them focused.
With level 1p make mistakes in high frequency words for them to notice. Must be something they can recognise.
Tell them out loud the strategies of what a writer does.
A bus ran over my hat and took my hat away - tell that that it is two ideas and we are joining them together.
Read writing to see if it makes sense.
I need to check my spelling - Underline the words that are spelt wrong
Level 1a - introduce show not tell - my coat was flapping like a sail - tell they that is simile - introducing some imagery
Tell them we need to add some detail.
Talk about using different sentence beginnings
Simple sentences at 1b
Simple and compound at 1p
Simple, compound and complex at 1a
At level 1a we are editing and recrafting our writing - they need to change a word or add other words - they will not do it unless we model it
Proof reading for full stops and capital letters
Then finding words in dictionary
Personal experiences, descriptions of places and people,
Use techniques
Show not tell - to give the readers a picture in their head, clues as to how I was feeling
Moment in time - Tell them a story and then write about a moment in time - a small part of the story eg the spider landing on my face. Good to focus your writing - need to use senses -
Metalanguage of Writing
Modelling for Level 2/3
Through guided reading - teache
Observing us modelling
Examine the craft of writer using author models
Two kinds of reading
Reading like a reader
Reading like a writer - what techniques have been used to get the message across - what genre has been used?
Eg narrative, intro, setting, characters, imagery, problem, solution,
Personal narrative, descriptive, persuasive, explanation etc
Expose them to different text types and different features within those different text types.
Observe the teacher modelling
Establish a prewritten example - topic, purpose, audience, form - authentic
I want to tell you what happened to me personally so I used the structure of a personal narrative
Plan appropriate to text for,
Pre written example
Talk about the features - who, when, where, events in order, conclusion
First person, pronouns, tense
Check what I have used - deeper features - simple sentence, compound, complex, strong verb, sense of sight, specific noun etc etc
What could I have done better? How could I make my writing better for my readers? Imagery, all senses, strong verbs etc
Few writers express themselves well in their first draft
Edit / re-craft - add/change/delete - there is no great writing, only great re-writing
Hearing, what was it doing, specific verbs, I felt excited - I felt my heart fluttering
The draft is up there and you show them how they can recraft to make it better.
Proof reading - spelling and punctuation
I want to find out how stars are found. I decided to write and explain to you how they are formed.
Teach them the structures through guided reading, reading like a writer
Examine the craft of the writer closely using author models - look at the handout.
Dr Ronco
Give them the text and a highlighted and get them to highlight / underline the parts that make you think the writer is doing something.
Collect samples of other good writing
Study writing you admire
Poem - be specific
Level 2/3 list of metalanguage of writing - we need to model it
Independent Writing
Level 1 - Jill has books of everything she thinks is important
Class together - teacher gives message
Teacher models to one group - others away
As you finish modelling, bring the independent children back one at a time.
Tell me about your plan - give feedback
Tell me what your writing says -
Acknowledge the message - use some of the language that she has used
Highlight the strengths
Then write what she has said underneath her writing, that is very clear. In very clear writing - letter formation
Get child to read back the writing
Go to goals chart and give her ticks
What are your next steps?
Highlight the strengths verbally
No need to tick
Don’t teach them to put brackets around the mistakes
If you write anything on the bottom it should be something about the message.
Stickers - could do stickers to show achievement
The bribe can become the focus, not the desired change
Can see from the goals when they are ready to move on.
We don’t want pages and pages of drivel - but we do want a reasonable amount - so encourage for three sentences.
Little steps - when children write one long sentences across whole page they need to be taken right back.
1a
Tell me about your plan
Read me your writing
Feedback about the message - make sure you use his language
I like the strengths - detail about the car, punctuation, need to link these to the goals in the back.
Go through the goals - some of the goals you need to establish orally
Needs to know that good writing contains different types of sentences
Should he have added more detail/ As the reader is there anything you want to know? Why is the motor different to other ones? You could have added that in here - show him how he could have added it.
Needs lot of modelling for how to sequence our writing and put together our ideas in different ways
No evidence of recrafting his work
Just need some evidence of rewriting - eg cross out turn and write twirl above.
Level 2
Draft book, goal sheet, writing forms, writers tool box,
Go through goal sheet at back
Personal narrative - ideas appropriate
Supports ideas with detail - is there a place where she doesn’t - you have a question
Puppy - needs specific detail / noun about what the dog was.
We can hear the personal voice
Could have used some stronger verbs
Did she use show not tell - she cried and cried - could have used show not tell
Did she use a moment in time?
Re-crafted a little bit but not enough
(we tend to expect them to write too much so don’t get to the recrafting)
Don’t let them go on. We need to take them back to fill the holes.
MOment in time - put a magnifying glass over - find the part that was the most exciting/challenging/boring and write only about that bit.
How do we make them better
Discussion and conversation
Rich variety of texts read to them every day
Make poetry a daily focus - rhythm of language and power of words
Print rich environment
Model for them
Guide them
Give feedback - acknowledge the message
Publish regularly
There are basic skills we need to have
But most importantly they need to enjoy the writing process.
Organisation
1b and 1p
3 groups
Begin with whole class together 5 min teacher talk - tell them about something
Group 1 model to
Groups 2 and 3 go away
They go to their partner and tell them what their writing topic is. (2 mins) ring bell and they swap
Routine is impt
Green group Go off to write independently. Then go to plastic pots where there are word work and spelling activities - 1 child per pot.
Purple group - publishing group - talk to buddy - illustrate publishing, write independently, plastic pot activities
Orange group - working with teacher modeling - students then talk to teach and tell them what their topic and audience is. Keep some cards for ideas for students to write about in case they have no ideas. They write independently and then do plastic pots
You conference with green group 1:1
Do not conference the ones they are modelling for
Then come back together for 5 mins sharing time
The group that have had conferences with you will be publishing the next day.
Options - shared writing can replace the teacher model any day a common experience makes it appropriate
Guided writing can replace the teacher modelling or the conferences on any day - but not every day or every week
Mirrored writing can replace teacher modelling if appropriate but not for too long.
1a
Class together teacher talk
2 groups away keep one for modelling
Conference with conferencing group
Independent writers Write using writing steps card - they might only get part of this
Publishing one piece of writing per week (illustrating)
Level 2/3
Read to them a rich piece of writing
Send some away to write independently
Keep one group to work with
Groupings are fluid
The WALT is not quite so bad - different groups need different walts
Eg examining or observing the craft of the writer
Ask yourself who/who/how
Plan your writing
Draft your writing
Ask yourself - have i said all i want to say, if there anything i should add/take out does anything need changing, does my writing have the characteristics
Ask yourself have i used correct punctuation, are there any words i need to check for spelling
Teacher / student conferencing - try to get to them all every week
Sharing time - timetable for them to share their piece of published writing
Writers need to see the effect of their writing on the faces of their peers
Publish once every 3 weeks - one in every 8 pieces of writing approx
Strict routine and stick to it.
Visual planning - helps students focus on topic and main ideas, labelling becomes a detail in writing, helps it become richer
Planning - quick sketch of the main ideas.- not doing a picture
Next stage fdo it in sequence (3 bits)
Next stage plan according to the text form you are going to use.
Publishing - provides a purpose for the writer.
Needs reactions of other human beings
L1b
Booklet - on the computer - child illustrates - at end of writing time, anyone who has published writing, teacher says this is Anna's writing - it is about alice - teacher reads it - who has a comment - they say something about the content. She takes it home. It comes back and gets stuck in a scrapbook.
Children can do it through digital tools if you want to.
Published work on a sheet - comment sheet stuck to the bottom - teacher writes the first written comment - students are encouraged to write comments to the writer. Writer is so proud of the comments that have been put on the bottom.
Jill tends to type them up. They can do so - but if it becomes a boring task then don’t - we don’t want to turn them off writing. Anything that is published needs to be correct. Anything in a book that others read - needs to be correct - in the back can be a reader's response sheet. Published writing goes home - mum and dad make the first comment on the reader's response sheet -
Sheena Cameron publishing book is recommended
As is Gail Loanes book
What do good writers need?
Ideas
Experiences -
Imagination - reading, talking, language, other peoples writing
To use their senses - closely observant in the environment - and art and painting and buildings - look with seeing eyes - notice, wonder and record
Observing - lots of stuff
Instead of writing about that - why not write to them.
Tap into their memories
Encourage their writing ideas - authors notebook
Have an idea box - got loads of stuff in - shells etc
Photos on cards
Stuff cut out from newspaper - photos - put questions on for them to think about
Moving images - literacy shed - good at the beginning
Fairy tales and nursery rhymes - how did the mice get blind? Humpty get on the wasll
Questions for writings
Is the tops
Something you know about
Someting you can describe in detail
Will your audience think it is worthwhile reading
Title - should invite you to come on in
Purpose
What situations make you want to write - real situations
Real reasons
Audience
Is important
Tooth fairy
Santa
Notes to each other
Voice
Writer revealed from inside out.
Begin books in the classroom for students to add examples as they find them
Painting pictures with words
Adjectives
Strong verbs
Activating nouns
Specific nouns
Good example of show don’t tell
Sentences that make you tingle
Give kids examples of text forms when they are ready - models of structure and features
Back of key links - laminate and put in a box
Planning an informational report etc
Important things to think about
Ideas and content and reason for writing
Own topic - something they find impt and know about
Select idea, narrow and develop and add info
Organisation is impt - hook - details work like stepping stones - getting closer to main idea
Add detail by adding detail
Think about reader and write as if they are standing right next to you,
Good writers do good short sentences
Read writing aloud and listen to rhythm of language
Specific detail helps reader picture
Think brief, sharp, exciting
Strong verb
Choose words that fizz
Write with bite - smash not hit
Specific nouns are better than a list of adjectives
Conventions are a way to make meaning
Don’t teach grammar in isolation
Got to practice - practice requires time
No single strategy works for all students
Modelled writing and independent writing is most important
Writing comes from life's experiences
Topic
audience
Purpose
plan
Main ideas
Sequence
Only teach structure and features when foundation has been understood - level 2
Students need to care about their readers
Jill Eggleton Writing Course
Link to oral language - you have to have great oral language in order to write well.
To teach writing well we need to
Know our learners
Know how to teach
Know something about writing
Ask ch to identify their best pieces of writing - and why?
Then need
Good written sight vocab
Mastery of how to form letters
Good oral language
About to put thoughts on paper before being concerned about genre or text types
What and How?
What do I have to teach?
How will I achieve?
What do ch need to achieve?
How will I assess?
What is important?
Balanced programme
Examine craft
Of writers
Develop and extend vocab
Other stuff she flicked over far to far
What specific objectives?
Beginning, progressing, advancing
Need to know where you are going...
Writing Approaches
Shared writing at all levels - from a common or shared experience - something we did together so everyone had the same experience eg not my birthday, although we all had one, everyone had a different experience. Could be an illustration or photo cos we can all see it.
Level 1 - look at this photo (lion) talk to your partner - ask questions re senses - If you could touch him what would he feel like etc.
Use the metalanguage of writing - Who is our reader / audience What is our reason / purpose etc
Say a sentence about what you can see. That is a sentence - can we add more detail.
Level 2 - topic, audience, purpose - photo to help remind us - Hook our readers in - with a partner think of a great hook in sentence - lets hear some - when you choose one you need to give a reason why you chose it (short, precise, shows not tells)
Keep lesson short 15 mins
Decide what part of writing is main focus (opening hook, body of textm conclusion, recrafting, editing, proof reading)
Proof reading is punctuation and spelling
Only do when a common experience happens (not every week)
Guided writing
When they are writing independently
Level 1 - I can see... I like.... What is your topic? Talk what happens. Which bit are you going to write about (don’t want it all) Next time.... Then move on to someone else, come back to them at end.
Level 2 - you said.... How can you show not tell your readers.... How can you re-craft that to show not tell. Can you be more specific so we can paint the best picture for your reader. Can you use a stronger word.
MIrror Writing - only for Level 1B, often ESOL - kick start of having trouble getting started.
Modelled Writing
Major instructional strategy
Need to think aloud
Whole class together - tell them something eg a story that happened to you
Then send away two groups
Keep one group - going to model for this group a piece of the story I have just told them.
I am going to write about... That’s my topic. I’m using something that happened to me as an idea. I am going to write it for you because I feel it is funny (topic, audience, purpose)
I’m going to make a quick plan (wind, hat, road) of the main things I am going to write about.
Say the whole chunk of language that you are going to write - the whole sentence - so they have what they are going to write in their head.
Discuss HF words, spaces, beginning sounds etc (stuff from progressions)
What will I write - My hat went onto the road - No I will craft that again - My hat went floating onto the road - Now you have a better picture of what happened.
On the progression do as many of the things as you can - use the language audience, recraft, etc etc
Sometimes it helps to have a title first, sometimes it comes at the end. Can help keep them focused.
With level 1p make mistakes in high frequency words for them to notice. Must be something they can recognise.
Tell them out loud the strategies of what a writer does.
A bus ran over my hat and took my hat away - tell that that it is two ideas and we are joining them together.
Read writing to see if it makes sense.
I need to check my spelling - Underline the words that are spelt wrong
Level 1a - introduce show not tell - my coat was flapping like a sail - tell they that is simile - introducing some imagery
Tell them we need to add some detail.
Talk about using different sentence beginnings
Simple sentences at 1b
Simple and compound at 1p
Simple, compound and complex at 1a
At level 1a we are editing and recrafting our writing - they need to change a word or add other words - they will not do it unless we model it
Proof reading for full stops and capital letters
Then finding words in dictionary
Personal experiences, descriptions of places and people,
Use techniques
Show not tell - to give the readers a picture in their head, clues as to how I was feeling
Moment in time - Tell them a story and then write about a moment in time - a small part of the story eg the spider landing on my face. Good to focus your writing - need to use senses -
Metalanguage of Writing
Modelling for Level 2/3
Through guided reading - teache
Observing us modelling
Examine the craft of writer using author models
Two kinds of reading
Reading like a reader
Reading like a writer - what techniques have been used to get the message across - what genre has been used?
Eg narrative, intro, setting, characters, imagery, problem, solution,
Personal narrative, descriptive, persuasive, explanation etc
Expose them to different text types and different features within those different text types.
Observe the teacher modelling
Establish a prewritten example - topic, purpose, audience, form - authentic
I want to tell you what happened to me personally so I used the structure of a personal narrative
Plan appropriate to text for,
Pre written example
Talk about the features - who, when, where, events in order, conclusion
First person, pronouns, tense
Check what I have used - deeper features - simple sentence, compound, complex, strong verb, sense of sight, specific noun etc etc
What could I have done better? How could I make my writing better for my readers? Imagery, all senses, strong verbs etc
Few writers express themselves well in their first draft
Edit / re-craft - add/change/delete - there is no great writing, only great re-writing
Hearing, what was it doing, specific verbs, I felt excited - I felt my heart fluttering
The draft is up there and you show them how they can recraft to make it better.
Proof reading - spelling and punctuation
I want to find out how stars are found. I decided to write and explain to you how they are formed.
Teach them the structures through guided reading, reading like a writer
Examine the craft of the writer closely using author models - look at the handout.
Dr Ronco
Give them the text and a highlighted and get them to highlight / underline the parts that make you think the writer is doing something.
Collect samples of other good writing
Study writing you admire
Poem - be specific
Level 2/3 list of metalanguage of writing - we need to model it
Independent Writing
Level 1 - Jill has books of everything she thinks is important
Class together - teacher gives message
Teacher models to one group - others away
As you finish modelling, bring the independent children back one at a time.
Tell me about your plan - give feedback
Tell me what your writing says -
Acknowledge the message - use some of the language that she has used
Highlight the strengths
Then write what she has said underneath her writing, that is very clear. In very clear writing - letter formation
Get child to read back the writing
Go to goals chart and give her ticks
What are your next steps?
Highlight the strengths verbally
No need to tick
Don’t teach them to put brackets around the mistakes
If you write anything on the bottom it should be something about the message.
Stickers - could do stickers to show achievement
The bribe can become the focus, not the desired change
Can see from the goals when they are ready to move on.
We don’t want pages and pages of drivel - but we do want a reasonable amount - so encourage for three sentences.
Little steps - when children write one long sentences across whole page they need to be taken right back.
1a
Tell me about your plan
Read me your writing
Feedback about the message - make sure you use his language
I like the strengths - detail about the car, punctuation, need to link these to the goals in the back.
Go through the goals - some of the goals you need to establish orally
Needs to know that good writing contains different types of sentences
Should he have added more detail/ As the reader is there anything you want to know? Why is the motor different to other ones? You could have added that in here - show him how he could have added it.
Needs lot of modelling for how to sequence our writing and put together our ideas in different ways
No evidence of recrafting his work
Just need some evidence of rewriting - eg cross out turn and write twirl above.
Level 2
Draft book, goal sheet, writing forms, writers tool box,
Go through goal sheet at back
Personal narrative - ideas appropriate
Supports ideas with detail - is there a place where she doesn’t - you have a question
Puppy - needs specific detail / noun about what the dog was.
We can hear the personal voice
Could have used some stronger verbs
Did she use show not tell - she cried and cried - could have used show not tell
Did she use a moment in time?
Re-crafted a little bit but not enough
(we tend to expect them to write too much so don’t get to the recrafting)
Don’t let them go on. We need to take them back to fill the holes.
MOment in time - put a magnifying glass over - find the part that was the most exciting/challenging/boring and write only about that bit.
How do we make them better
Discussion and conversation
Rich variety of texts read to them every day
Make poetry a daily focus - rhythm of language and power of words
Print rich environment
Model for them
Guide them
Give feedback - acknowledge the message
Publish regularly
There are basic skills we need to have
But most importantly they need to enjoy the writing process.
Organisation
1b and 1p
3 groups
Begin with whole class together 5 min teacher talk - tell them about something
Group 1 model to
Groups 2 and 3 go away
They go to their partner and tell them what their writing topic is. (2 mins) ring bell and they swap
Routine is impt
Green group Go off to write independently. Then go to plastic pots where there are word work and spelling activities - 1 child per pot.
Purple group - publishing group - talk to buddy - illustrate publishing, write independently, plastic pot activities
Orange group - working with teacher modeling - students then talk to teach and tell them what their topic and audience is. Keep some cards for ideas for students to write about in case they have no ideas. They write independently and then do plastic pots
You conference with green group 1:1
Do not conference the ones they are modelling for
Then come back together for 5 mins sharing time
The group that have had conferences with you will be publishing the next day.
Options - shared writing can replace the teacher model any day a common experience makes it appropriate
Guided writing can replace the teacher modelling or the conferences on any day - but not every day or every week
Mirrored writing can replace teacher modelling if appropriate but not for too long.
1a
Class together teacher talk
2 groups away keep one for modelling
Conference with conferencing group
Independent writers Write using writing steps card - they might only get part of this
Publishing one piece of writing per week (illustrating)
Level 2/3
Read to them a rich piece of writing
Send some away to write independently
Keep one group to work with
Groupings are fluid
The WALT is not quite so bad - different groups need different walts
Eg examining or observing the craft of the writer
Ask yourself who/who/how
Plan your writing
Draft your writing
Ask yourself - have i said all i want to say, if there anything i should add/take out does anything need changing, does my writing have the characteristics
Ask yourself have i used correct punctuation, are there any words i need to check for spelling
Teacher / student conferencing - try to get to them all every week
Sharing time - timetable for them to share their piece of published writing
Writers need to see the effect of their writing on the faces of their peers
Publish once every 3 weeks - one in every 8 pieces of writing approx
Strict routine and stick to it.
Visual planning - helps students focus on topic and main ideas, labelling becomes a detail in writing, helps it become richer
Planning - quick sketch of the main ideas.- not doing a picture
Next stage fdo it in sequence (3 bits)
Next stage plan according to the text form you are going to use.
Publishing - provides a purpose for the writer.
Needs reactions of other human beings
L1b
Booklet - on the computer - child illustrates - at end of writing time, anyone who has published writing, teacher says this is Anna's writing - it is about alice - teacher reads it - who has a comment - they say something about the content. She takes it home. It comes back and gets stuck in a scrapbook.
Children can do it through digital tools if you want to.
Published work on a sheet - comment sheet stuck to the bottom - teacher writes the first written comment - students are encouraged to write comments to the writer. Writer is so proud of the comments that have been put on the bottom.
Jill tends to type them up. They can do so - but if it becomes a boring task then don’t - we don’t want to turn them off writing. Anything that is published needs to be correct. Anything in a book that others read - needs to be correct - in the back can be a reader's response sheet. Published writing goes home - mum and dad make the first comment on the reader's response sheet -
Sheena Cameron publishing book is recommended
As is Gail Loanes book
What do good writers need?
Ideas
Experiences -
Imagination - reading, talking, language, other peoples writing
To use their senses - closely observant in the environment - and art and painting and buildings - look with seeing eyes - notice, wonder and record
Observing - lots of stuff
Instead of writing about that - why not write to them.
Tap into their memories
Encourage their writing ideas - authors notebook
Have an idea box - got loads of stuff in - shells etc
Photos on cards
Stuff cut out from newspaper - photos - put questions on for them to think about
Moving images - literacy shed - good at the beginning
Fairy tales and nursery rhymes - how did the mice get blind? Humpty get on the wasll
Questions for writings
Is the tops
Something you know about
Someting you can describe in detail
Will your audience think it is worthwhile reading
Title - should invite you to come on in
Purpose
What situations make you want to write - real situations
Real reasons
Audience
Is important
Tooth fairy
Santa
Notes to each other
Voice
Writer revealed from inside out.
Begin books in the classroom for students to add examples as they find them
Painting pictures with words
Adjectives
Strong verbs
Activating nouns
Specific nouns
Good example of show don’t tell
Sentences that make you tingle
Give kids examples of text forms when they are ready - models of structure and features
Back of key links - laminate and put in a box
Planning an informational report etc
Important things to think about
Ideas and content and reason for writing
Own topic - something they find impt and know about
Select idea, narrow and develop and add info
Organisation is impt - hook - details work like stepping stones - getting closer to main idea
Add detail by adding detail
Think about reader and write as if they are standing right next to you,
Good writers do good short sentences
Read writing aloud and listen to rhythm of language
Specific detail helps reader picture
Think brief, sharp, exciting
Strong verb
Choose words that fizz
Write with bite - smash not hit
Specific nouns are better than a list of adjectives
Conventions are a way to make meaning
Don’t teach grammar in isolation
Got to practice - practice requires time
No single strategy works for all students
Modelled writing and independent writing is most important
Writing comes from life's experiences
Topic
audience
Purpose
plan
Main ideas
Sequence
Only teach structure and features when foundation has been understood - level 2
Students need to care about their readers
Sunday, 31 March 2019
Friday, 22 March 2019
Week 32 - Reflect on your learning journey - (Check)
Stage 1:
Prior to starting the MindLab I had preconceived ideas about what collaboration was.
I teach in an innovative learning space where myself and another teacher 'collaborate'
it is said that we do collaborative teaching/learning.
I teach in an innovative learning space where myself and another teacher 'collaborate'
it is said that we do collaborative teaching/learning.
Another rather large problem for myself as a teacher is the fact that research supports
heterogeneous grouping however when this was used in our classroom space it was strongly
suggested from management that we stop and to go back to streaming as we have a very low
achieving year group who they believe would benefit from 'traditional teaching'.
heterogeneous grouping however when this was used in our classroom space it was strongly
suggested from management that we stop and to go back to streaming as we have a very low
achieving year group who they believe would benefit from 'traditional teaching'.
Stage 2: Observation and analysis
What kind of data of the identified problem you have gathered?
Firstly my colleague and I are working at level 5 on the ITL rubric. However when we it became apparent that although we are working collaboratively our students are still on stage 1 where they are required to work in pairs or groups.
Secondly in regard to heterogeneous groups we started the year with such groups. I felt that for
the first time in a very long time I had evened out the playing field for my students. I had students
of mixed ability, gender and nationality in each group. When I introduced a new concept and a child
knew something about it, they became the expert. I saw an genuine interest from different students
in each topic we did. Every year previously when I name my groups children instantly know who
the lower achievers are based upon what group they are placed in and you can hear the kids
ranking themselves. However this year I didn't experience this. Until I had to stream. One little
boy who is in the lower group who had previously been so eager to share his thoughts I could
visibly see his shoulders slump.
Stage 3: Abstract reconceptualization
In regard to collaborative teaching after an in depth discussion with my co-teacher we have
decided that we need to come up with activities that promote collaboration. We will need to
change a lot of the traditional ways we teach. The 21st century skills Voogt & Roblin (2010)
include collaboration as being one of many necessary skills to prepare our students for an
unknown workforce in the future. We need to investigate what this will look like with one
curriculum area before implementing it in all areas of the curriculum. We will need to ensure
that management understand what we are doing and why.
In relation to heterogeneous groups MOE (2017) states that 'we as teachers should
develop a learning-focused culture, a culture that is focused on learning, and is characterised by
respect, inclusion, empathy, collaboration and safety". Which I believe heterogeneous grouping
does. Hattie & Yates (2009) suggests that there is little difference to outcomes between whether
or not you use heterogeneous groupings or not. However he does explain that children who are in
the lower levels usually stay in the lower levels throughout their schooling. I am wondering whether
this is because of the fixed mindset that they develop when they are put in 'the low group'.
Dweck (2016) explains that students from lower socio economic backgrounds have a fixed
mindset and perform at lower level compared to their wealthier peers. Could the connection
between always being in the low group and a having a fixed mindset be connected?
Stage 4: Active experimentation
I have learnt that I still have a long way to go in regard to both implementing collaboration and
heterogeneous groups Fullan et al (2005) found that successful change involves learning during implementation. One of
the most powerful drivers of change
involves learning from peers, especially those who are further along in
implementing new ideas. So visiting successful schools and using eight forces of leading change (Fullan et al, 2005).
Fullan, M., Cuttress, C., & Kilcher, A. (2005). Eight forces for leaders of change. JSD, 26(4).
Growth mindset tempers the effects of poverty on academic achievement.
Claro, S. Paunesku, D. Dweck C, S (2016)
ITL Research. (2012). 21CLD Learning Activity Rubrics. Retrieved from https://education.microsoft.com/GetTrained/ITL-Research
Ministry of Education (2017). Our code, our standards. Retrieved from https://educationcouncil.org.nz/content/our-code-our-standards
Osterman, K. & Kottkamp, R.(1993). Reflective practice for educators.California:Corwin Press, Inc. Retrieved from hhttp://www.itslifejimbutnotasweknowit.org.uk/files/RefPract/Osterman_Kottkamp_extract.pdf
Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn
Hattie, J. & Yates, G. (2009)
Voogt, J. & Roblin, N. (2010). 21st Century Skills Discussion paper. University of Twente. Retrieved from http://opite.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/61995295/White%20Paper%2021stCS_Final_ENG_def2.pdf
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