Learning Centres

For 3 days of week 10, term 3 we tried learning centres;

• Day 1 we had the children in Whanau groups and put 3 groups together for each area, so a total of 7 groups, and we had 8 areas.
• On reflection we thought that were too many children in each group and so;
• Day 2 we had 8 children in each group, a total of 9 groups, with 2 leaders and 9 areas.
• We also rotated them in a logical way so they moved around the space rather than criss-crossing
• Day 3 was humming!

Here is a more detailed PMI;

Can't wait until next term when we can iron out the "M", carry on the "P" and make use of the "I"!

Beginning Teacher BPP

One thing I really love about Shotover is the fact that we try and start with the Why of something before moving to the How and then lastly the What rather than the age old question of "What will we do this term?"

At the beginning of the term Ben, Claire and myself looked at a BPP for a beginning teacher programme. This is what it looks like - at the moment!

Reflection, term 3

A meeting at the end of week 9 with Ben and Claire to reflect on the term. The focus for the term has been on the relationships.

One discussion surrounded what collaboration means and having worked in this environment for a term my thinking has changed or become clearer. Working and planning together is a form of collaboration but to be teaching in a truly collaborative manner the success (or failure) needs to be dependent on everyone. The rotations we did for Concept I initially though of as a great way to collaborate so students see multiple elements of change taught by an "expert" in the area, however, my lessons had no impact on Eve's and likewise if Carmel's lessons went really well that had no impact on how well or badly mine went!

When I did my Inquiry for Uni I looked at Managing Self and came up with 3 legged milking stool with Plan, Do and Review. When thinking about the concept plan we did the planning together but the doing was independent as was the review of our own areas.

Hopefully as we move towards more learning centre based learning and team teaching with eagle and owl roles all 3 legs will be done collaboratively.




Click here for a more detailed Term 3 Reflection.

Using the Environment

A great korero this week centred around what's on top, responsive stuff and wonderings. Our weekly chats are something I have begun to really look forward to. I especially appreciate the reciprocal nature of learning at our chats. Many thanks!

We continue to talk about writing and meeting the needs of the kids we are working with. We followed up from a recent professional learning session about activating and using student voice. It has been a real shift in thinking for Kimi aakau to students giving their voice to what happens within the school and the classroom. We want to encourage children to know that their experiences, opinions and ideas are valued.

You've used this well this week with your discussions with the kids about what they would like to achieve with their writing. They are clearly driven by their audience and the format of posters. As mentor and the holder of curriculum knowledge you have been able to make links to the children's voice and you have managed to engage the children to write for a real purpose. I look forward to see how that goes next week.

We discussed the environment and how to plan this to have an impact on learning. After some hesitation, we ascertained that the environment and how we use it is a significant part of learning relationships so still fits with your focus for the term. I came to a point of shift in my career when I viewed Ewan McIntosh's thinking about the link between digital and physical spaces. It's a little out of date in a short period of time but still a good provoker....

I loved how you made links from this to the work you are doing in maths at the moment and the fact that the learning pebbles which are already on the wall could be accompanied by examples of maths language and vocabulary. I look forward to seeing what that looks like. 

Onenote

With the development of the Eagle role in to a more fully developed roll (from the chick to the Eagle!) we've been looking at ways of note taking that are accessible to all.

We started looking at Onenote (Microsoft app!!) as you can have a pdf of the planning or tables of names or events which can be shared amongst the team with the ability of adding photos, notes more tables with info ... endless possibilities. I've been using it all week and have found it great - my notes are easily accessible and I haven't wandered with my clip board, just my ipad. The children are all far more curious about what i'm doing with the ipad and so after reading groups I read them the comments I have made, things they are doing well, or next steps. They seem to really take it on board as i'm doing it on the ipad not a scrap of paper!

The fog is lifting

The fog is kinda beginning to lift in some areas!
Writing for this rotation has morphed from writing instructions to making posters about how to behave in KA. This took me a couple of days to process but it's all about being adaptive the childrens' needs and desires (in a curriculum supportive way!) All stemming from a challenge to engage children in writing. Have made a progress pebble for the poster to scaffold what needs to be done. Should be good!

Concept wasn't as planned simply because we had some sheep visiting and Mike sheared them for us too - a great example of change, both looking at the change in seasons and also from being a fat wooly sheep, to a skinny wool-less one! The children loved it and it was a great spark for writing a recount. Muireann came in and taught this lesson for me to observe and now I have a huge list of potential ideas for writing. Very excited by the idea of team teaching writing next term.


Maths has been good, although it is only now that I have gotten around to looking through NumPA and on nzmaths for teaching ideas for the 4 groups Eve and I have, and next week I'm eagling and Eve is teaching. Will be a big change to be eagling and quite a challenge as it's not the cruisey wander round the habitat role that some perceive it to be. This is the "just in time" role - watching, seeing the needs and then stepping in "just in time" to help facilitate learning. Such a change - and as Muireann said we're here to "cause learning, not just teach".

Analogy

You are only as "good" as the environment you're in lets you be. Plant a flower in sand and it won't grow and flower. Plant the same flower in decent soil and it will flourish, bloom and it's seeds will keep the flower blooming year after year.

I've got something to say by Gail Loane

Having read chapter 1 which is all about the teacher of writing becoming joyfully literate Claire recommended that I read chapter 2 of this book which is about the writing classroom and creating conditions to help writers flourish.

Some of my takeouts from this chapter are;

• build on knowledge and skills that the students already have
• share the writing
• sharing circle ("helping circle" Ken Macrorie)
• share the writing
• teaching points
• modelling
• teacher models how to be a learner
• all comment on each others writing - firstly positive, then a "next step"
• partner conferences
• with a specific goal
• peer response group
• after the first draft and then through the process
• comments
• on post its?
• writers club where mini lessons are taught with small, specific goals
• linking this to KA this could be looking at full stops
• edit together
• scaffold
• model
• prompt
• explain
• have displays of words and examples
• provide a variety of texts
• make links between reading and writing
• give students think time
• this enables the words and ideas to be spoken before being written
• feedback to each other
• It's a partnership

One quote that has struck me as relevant across the board is "every word uttered ......has an effect on students and their learning".

Piecing it altogether...

I'm just preparing our next professional learning meeting based around the learning model in maths, the place of materials, imaging and number properties and I re-found this Think Board. I have used think boards with kids but never as a tool to help me reflect/ plan. 

I thought this fitted nicely with a discussion you and I recently based around your maths group and ways to extend their understandings and knowledge to real application. 

From the Add/Sub and Place Value booklet