interschool blogging with Moana Learning Hub

Room 8 has been blogging with another school during Term 3 and 4.  My learners are so excited when they receive comments and questions about their learning experiences.  Warm fuzzies when I hear them telling each other how many comments and what's the best way to answer a question from MLH? Additionally Room 8 students enjoy reading all about the learning Moana Learning Hub experiences and asking them questions. I am delighted to hear a lesson on, 'how to answer an open or closed question', prompts the students to think and practise asking their questions when they want to carry on a conversation or have a discussion . Manaiakilani have brought to life 'create, learn, share', and memorable rewindable learning for all of Room 8 and myself.

Not what you do, but how you do it!

Is an intrinsic reward worth more when it is given spontaneously?

To think about:
Should I say, "Hey, we all worked so hard on our learning today, lets go have a game!"
Compared to: "If we work hard all day on our learning we will have a game."

Language in Abundance. Do I need to have all the answers?

Language in Abundance with Dr Jannie Van Hees

Why?


When?


How?


What?

Being perceptive on how students might understand or not understand - vocabulary.

For instance, today I set out some questions on a video the students watched and listened to. I asked what the effect was. 

Share and spy vocabulary you don’t understand with your buddy

Bold or italic the vocabulary, remember to give them specific thinking time

Balance the conversation so everyone gets an opportunity to voice their ideas and add onto their peers ideas

Push them to contribute

Peer share - listening - express your thinking

Sharing our ideas in some way

I need to model - now you're my partner - now your turn to talk

Now it is your turn - ideally we want students to turn take listening and speaking their ideas.

I have been known to talk too much!
I seem to have many inquiries going on at the same time. An important one is to get my Year 5 and 6 students to learn how to listen and contribute in a conversation and not just answer the teacher all the time.

The learners need to talk more and to do that they need to be confident to use vocabulary. I need to gift them vocabulary to use.

Let’s ask the question, what is a native bird?
Think for a moment.
Turn, think and talk about your ideas?
Turn back so I can collect the ideas, no hands up, and if your idea is already taken you will add more detail to the idea, lets share our ideas, if you really know put your thumb up.

Students talk to each other not to the teacher, don’t ask lots of questions to your students. Expanding oral language in the classroom.
Everyone has had a chance to talk. Here is …. Point, are you able to add onto …. idea in your own words, let’s invite someone else to contribute, are there are some examples, who knows, there is an interesting question/ thoughts on this, say what you mean so others understand.

We keep asking questions, how does this grow the vocabulary, if they just keep answering the teacher?

I know they want that acknowledgement that they have answered a question correctly. It is not easy breaking the habit.
Focus on…. They are going to say something…. Turn towards them, put your brain on, start your thinking, concentrate, we learn from each other,
Brain focus is important, everyone’s thoughts are important, we take turns, eye contact, add onto what the previous person has said so this will help us write paragraphs with more detail, everyone’s contribution is important, any ideas, we will value what you say, what you said is this but it is… a common misconception
Putting my hand up, I will be acknowledged by the teacher

The very next day we started. Luckily I chose the question carefully that was going to be discussed. There would be no wrong or right answer. I briefly explained about being mindful to not ask a question that could be responded with a 'yes' or a 'no'.

Horse shoe shape for discussions and seating.

It was about modifying spy gadgets and we were away: language, connections, prior knowledge and students wanting to help each other extend on their thinking.

phonics and oral language

• Engage in professional learning and adaptively apply this learning in practice.
• Communicate effectively with others.
• Develop an environment where the diversity and uniqueness of all learners is accepted and valued.
• Use an increasing repertoire of teaching strategies, approaches, learning activities, technologies, and assessment for learning strategies and modify these in response to the needs of individuals and groups of learners.

Ashley started todays Tool Kit: The above blend booklet, PR is the blend, make up all the words and how to say these words, prize, present, problem etc. Next day go over the last blend before moving onto the next blend. Laminate the cover sheet which is clear and bind the blends into one booklet.
We always need to consider not all students will have these blends even in later years at primary school. I really appreciated this resource being shared and it seems such a simple and helpful one to use in a busy classroom.
Social story: make a laminated A4 sign, with photos of how to be a good friend, how to sit on the mat, how to answer a question, how to listen. Room 7 made these social stories to remind each other what everyone in the class should be doing.

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Aireen presented Sheena Cameron oral language techniques, critical thinking, building up new ideas for students. It was fun because we had to get up and move around and be part of the learning the students would enjoy.

• Also known as 'Conscience Alley', the group takes on 2 contrasting viewpoints to provide a tunnel of thoughts for the character travelling through. Description. Split the group into 2 and ask them to form 2 lines facing each other - this is the 'tunnel.https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lycTq_fCIINXk7_1bwscIK-uz9DBpW6k

Laadan and Lucina presented, Yolanda Soryl phonics, quick learning on phonics

first , end and middle sound with hand actions,

Hearing, Robot the sounds h a t = hat, arms are waving up and down for the h, a, t

Seeing, with the cards.

They have some of the books and are gradually working their way through them with the students and report back that the students like these short snappy lessons.

Clapping out the syllable and rhyme of nursery rhyme after having read to the students.

Jo presented

Building our ideas on a sentence using lego bricks as a progressing reward.

I went to the park, I went to the park it was a sunny day = 2 bricks

I played on the swings

I sang

Each time add a lego brick

Rule the page into 3 sections, park, swings, sang

You could add coloured bricks for adjective or adverb

Create or is it?

• Engage in reciprocal, collaborative, learning-focused relationships with: 
  • learners, family, and whānau
  • teaching colleagues, support staff, and other professionals
  • agencies, groups, and individuals in the community.
• Communicate effectively with others.
• Actively contribute, and work collegially, in the pursuit of improving my own and organisational practice, showing leadership, particularly in areas of responsibility.
• Communicate clear and accurate assessment for learning and achievement information.

Ashley presented at our staff meeting this week. She was driven by the prior meeting with Lenva on 'Create', Learn, Create, Share with Manaiakilani.

What stage of integration using technology are we?  It is always a good time to reflect to see if you are just substituting. Nudge a bit further to augmentation, I think the students and I might be more engaged in the way we create, share and learn. Perhaps I could nudge further to make sure we are heading towards modification. Soon, with the continued push, support and collaborate my colleagues give each other we could be at redefinition in a school dedicated to professional development with the child at the centre of our teaching and learning.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1UA6J65Athr_O4TSzWKUZuBnuv25po9SuytkHIr2MjkU/edit#slide=id.p

Change to your teaching approach ?

Student achievement is at the heart of the learning and teaching.
What do I want my students to achieve?
What are the targets and how will I achieve this?
Analyse data, collaborate with my colleagues, use CRT to make professional observations to improve my teaching strategies.


I am aiming for:
Stage 3, Teacher Learning and Development:
As an instructional leader, To have good knowledge of teaching and learning. Discuss teaching problems with staff and attempts to help them solve these problems.
Stage 4, Ensuring Quality Teaching
Self Management in consistently and confidently prioritise own time to ensure oversight of teaching and learning.


Keeping a close eye on the effectiveness of this approach, I offer to the students to choose a reading. Students form different reading groups each time, we read, discuss, think of questions to ask, find responses...

03 Using mixed-ability reading groups to improve achievement for reluctant readers

http://www.ero.govt.nz/publications/teaching-strategies-that-work-reading/03-using-mixed-ability-reading-groups-to-improve-achievement-for-reluctant-readers/

DMIC is mixed ability grouping. Knowledge holders and knowledge seekers.

Mathematics in Years 4 to 8 Developing a Responsive Curriculum

http://www.ero.govt.nz/publications/mathematics-in-years-4-to-8-developing-a-responsive-curriculum/

Nudgin' and Boostin'

• Engage in professional learning and adaptively apply this learning in practice.
• Harness the rich capital that learners bring by providing culturally responsive and engaging contexts for learners
• Use an increasing repertoire of teaching strategies, approaches, learning activities, technologies, and assessment for learning strategies and modify these in response to the needs of individuals and groups of learners.

I have heard this before, rather than planning from the beginning, plan from the outcome back. What do you want the student to learn? Work backwards, how are you going to get the student there?


I am excited to trial this as we already make google drawing storyboards to go with our narratives.
In the past before I became digital and when I taught Year 7 and 8 I used to include colour and images. For example, white for peace or a dove.

Instead of off the shelf teaching resources go further and deeper.

For example: Critical literacy learning outcomes: I want children to think critically of
gender types in Disney fairy tales. Compare and contrast.

Students to notice what is pertinent to the text: the beautiful are good characters
and the ugly are the bad, success…

Big order thinking:

Physical beauty

Gender orientation

Collaborative in the classroom

Quadrant Board link to discussion board link, writing, reading, discussion online

For example: warrant, claim, counter claim, conclusion

Questioning, did anyones response make you think, change your mind?

I used to do this in Year 7/8 for debating. Students are given a scenario and need to move
to one of the pre posted signs around the room. Definitely agree or disagree compared to slightly
agree or disagree. Any student will be asked to explain why they chose the sign to stand next to
and students could then take turns to discuss different points of view.

One that I would like to find out further about is the 'google groups' where students have conversations online: online etiquette

Conversations on online in google groups

persuasion/ argument/ debating/ compare and contrast/ clarifying/ how can I reach an
informed conclusion./ including other people’s point of view/ teaching these skills of listening
discourse features/ referencing with links, questioning a point of vlew by researching