How to use a "Say it grid" ....

Today Alida came into my class and modelled to me how to use a 'Say It' grid. I had used it before but after watching Alida, I realised that I wasn't using it to its full potential. 

I created the sentences on the grid and made it 4 by 4. 

Alida started by reading out the questions as a whole class, making sure all students understood the new vocabulary (Siren, enclosure).  Alida modelled to students how to respond to the questions and use the connective 'because'. She prompted students when they gave an answer to use the word 'because' to explain why something happened or why they gave that reason. Straight away I noticed the vocabulary the students were using and how Alida used prompting strategies and think alouds to help students extend their thinking and the sentences they are using. Alida recorded vocabulary that she wanted the students to use in their writing. (E.g Inappropriate, trouble, zookeeper, rules, mauled, well fed, habitat, respect, protect, disturb) . Overall my observation of Alida was a success and I managed to take new strategies to help me bump up my lower learners with their writing. 

So what? Say it grids are an important tool to increase students vocabulary and understanding about a given topic, to help students form correct sentences using unfamiliar connectives or sentence structure ( Compound or complex sentences) To focus ideas for writing. 

Middle Management

This term my goal is going to be around coaching and supporting other staff members in the school. I sometimes find it hard when 'helping' or supporting others that I take over and do too much- Preventing them from learning how to do something independently. Michelle recommended  

'5 (good) talk about' (Datnow & Park 2015) and 'The Secret to Great Coaching' 

What I took from the readings:

Data informed decisions are key 

(Conversations about data include healthy disagreement, conversations about data engender trust rather than suspicion, take a solution- oriented approach, there is an expected accomplishment) 

When playing the role of a coach you don't need to always be the expert.

Encourage staff to inquiry instead of giving them the answer. (This was interesting to me as our literacy facilitator talks about going into the 'pit' where we problem solves to gain a deeper understanding of a problem. This could be useful in my classroom as a teacher and as more role model within middle management 

 

So what?

Our monitoring meetings are an example where we use data and evidence to inform our next steps and discuss target students tracking across the year. Meetings take place every week. I always assumed that senior management ran the meetings, this was a misconception and Michelle explained to me that they are conversations where everyone is involved and offers suggestions. This week in the meeting I am going to offer more suggestions and take a proactive role in the meeting. 

How close do you think the student is to the expected National Standard?

What are you doing differently for the target student?

Why do you think that worked/didn't work?

I am also going to try and promote other teachers by directing my questions to the staff as a whole opposed to just Senior Management. This will hopefully move our meetings towards a collaborative task where everyone is responsible for every student.  

Building relationships with Whanau

Intensive Session 8

Todays session started by talking about empowerment. Dorothy discussed the idea that a digital device is not just a tool it should be used to empower students. It made me think about empowerment in my classroom. I thought about the choices I give by students and how I could give their more choice to empower them to drive their own learning. This connects well with my goals around inquiry learning which I am going to be focusing on over the next few weeks and into Term 3.  I want my students to be able to choose what they want to learn and how they want to present their learning. I also want to move into more of a facilitator role opposed to a directive role. I am going to be doing this by using an inquiry model to help direct myself and my students; as a result, students will be empowered through their ability to choose their learning focus. 

Empowerment is learner centered, future focused and personalized- which all tie in with Inquiry learning. 

New Google Sites. I also had a go at looking at the new Google sites. Although it had many limitations, it was user-friendly and easy to create. I made this site below in less than an hour. 

Site example

Manaiakalani Intensive Session Four

Today's session was around sharing to learn, Chromebooks  (Screen castify) and Ipads (explain everything).  Dorothy discussed that sharing is not the end of the learning. We share to get further feedback to promote further learning; specific and focused feedback is "one of the most powerful influences of achievement" according to John Hattie (2009). Sharing also enables others to learn from our learning. TheManaiakalani pedagogy focuses on learning being; rewindable, visible, transparent, personalised and accessible. My goal this term has been around making the learning in my classroom rewindable; I have created online modelling books where students can refer to examples, learning intentions and success criteria. In my class, most students refer to modelling books every day, to either check what they need to be doing or to assess themselves against the success criteria. I am wanting to take this rewindable learning further and record lessons so that students can revisit key learning ideas, this would be hugely beneficial to my learners giving them opportunities to go back and re-listen to instructions or specific learning. My first screen castify is going to show students how to post on their blogs- this is new learning for my students and there are many steps involved, it would be a massive teaching tool to have a video showing students what to do saving my teaching time repeating the same instructions. 

Below is an example of me using screencastify, in the video below I am discussing the four elements of effective feedback. I mainly discuss focused feedback. The feedback I give my students in particular in the area of writing has been the most effective in terms of their achievement outcomes.  I have had PLD around feedback. We learned about connecting our success criteria to a model or an exemplar and annotating it so that students can see exactly what their success criteria is. I then give them feedback on their success criteria and if they have completed all components I provide generative feedback ( I make sure to keep them achievable) I am hoping to incorporate a buddy feedback and self-check effectively into my writing programme so that when I conference with students my feedback can be an additional next step that is going to promote further learning and hopefully provide some acceleration.  (This is happening in my class but they are still getting the hang of buddy feedback and making sure that it is specific and linked to their learning intention or goal). 

 Current annotated modelling books ( I am hoping to include a video with the lesson for some of my groups)

Manaiakalani Digital Intensive Session three

Manaiakalani Digital Intensive Session Three

This week we looked at google mail, google calendar, google keep, google hangout and quicktime player.

The sharing of the Manaiakalani pedagogy around the term ‘creating’, made me wonder “am I allowing my students enough opportunities to create", and “Am I planning for creativity”?. I think this could be a focus for me over the next few weeks as I think I could be allowing for more opportunities. Ideas like giving students the opportunity to create drawings, videos, recordings .. etc. To find examples of creativity I am going to look at the creativity empowers learning link and gather some ideas. One idea I had last week after our Kootuitui staff meeting was to create stop motions so the students could create a scene demonstrating their learning and understanding of the water cycle/ or severe weather (Our focus last week). I am hoping to implement this next week or in week 5 (Time dependant).

Google keep is a great google app that will save me time in a personal and professional capacity. I am going to use google keep for my very long 'to do’ lists and for shopping lists. On a professional platform I am going to use it to take pictures of texts and putt them on a google document for students to answer questions to OR fill in blank words (Cloze activities) as this is a real need in my class but the time for me to create close activities was too long so it was put at the bottom of my to do list.

QuickTime recorder. I am hoping to use quicktime recorder this week to show the students how to use website that some of them are forgetting- Maths learning centre. It will also help new students become familiar with our class routines and activities- this would save me time and help them settle in quickly. I may also start recording lessons (rewindable learning) to help my lower learners if they need to hear the instructions or lesson again.

Manaiakalani Intensive - Session Week 1

Session One (5th May 2017)

Learn

Today’s session focused on exploring google docs, google extensions/ add ons, harper teacher dashboard. Here are the notes below.

Main goals of Manaiakalani:

• Was to motivate learners to engage with the curriculum.
• Create an authentic audience (more than just the teacher)
• Personal voice is valued and powerful
• Raise achievement outcomes

Lead teachers of Manaiakalani achievement was observed. (Large shift in N.S results 2010 compared to ‘normal’ classes not using the learn create share philosophy.)

-Internet into students homes??? Kotuitui

-Whanau- need to be active partners- Could we do a whanau/student- chromebook share? On top of what G. is doing?? -Could the students take part and present as part of next years induction?/ could students present what and how the chromebooks can be used for?

-How can whanau support their students at home?( Is this monitored?)

- School collaboration - Primary/ College.

-Parents can constantly view students work.

-Purpose of this - Intensive programme about supporting teachers outside of the classroom.

Google Save (Similar to bookmarking but a visual display a large amount of content)

Google Drive- Organising folders.

Am I teaching my students what I learn here? Think am I building my students tech capability? Can I give suggestions throughout my lessons?

Google Docs

Create headings and a table of contents (Each heading has its own link. So you can send your document and it will take the person to the specific heading/ part of doc you want them to look at).

Example

Figure out how to put it into my site!

Google Voice typer

• Using google typer (Next week could do for follow up for reading) - English NZ
• Reports/ reflections.
• Get students ideas down.

Publish to web- becomes a mini website.

Addons

• Easy accents - Maori accents for words
• Docutube- (Keep students on a specific video)
• LucidCharts- About charts and diagrams.
• “Move it” - Get students up on their chromebook (Chrome Extension)
• Hyperlink
• bitly
• Doc secrets
• Word Cloud
• https://www.jasondavies.com/wordcloud/  - (Shared document, PB4L- then create a wordcloud).
• Talk and comment ( to support low level readers and ESOL) ( Allows you to voice comment on a document- students can listen to the comment if you want to discuss something in depth.

Teacher Dashboard

-Drop and drag to move students.

-Can show more than 5 items.

- Parent dashboard?

-Password- Maybe students have their own?

- You can email students all at once.

Create

Share

I was able to take away new tools and skills for myself and for the students. As you can see in the venn diagram I have many tools and new skills that I am going to implement in the next few weeks. The comic about the kawa of care will help me pull in my digital skills and also support my students in caring for their chromebook. This session has helped enhance my confidence with google docs, harper and the learn create share pedagogy. I am hoping to present some ideas back at my school and cluster in particular for my school inquiry ( Writing) using the voice typing add on for google docs- this will help my lower writers get their ideas down on paper. ALSO the extension of type and comment will help me give more detailed feedback that students can listen to again and again- opposed to me saying it once (Rewindable learning). Could also use the type and comment to give students instructions.