tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30895146954424901632024-03-12T18:20:36.676-07:00Miss D the TeacherQuestioner. Complexity. Futures. Ed Rebel. Learning junkie. #edchatNZ founder. Rethinking Education. Teacher. E-learning. Learning design. Sustainability. Education. Education philosophy. E-learning. BYOD. Pedagogy. Future focused pedagogy. Deeper learning. Learning design. Curriculum design. Dispositional curriculum. Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.comBlogger178125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-35653593439258650662023-12-04T13:11:00.000-08:002023-12-04T13:11:05.723-08:00Assessment for Learning<p>How do we ensure that learning is progressing for every student? </p><p>Perhaps the most important thing that I have learned in my 10+ years of teaching is that more teaching doesn't mean more learning. More explanations at the front of the class doesn't mean more learning is happening. More worksheets and more tasks don't mean students are making progress. So what does make a difference? In my opinion, it is those three fundamental questions from John Hattie, how are you going, where are you going, where to next. If students do not know what they are supposed to learn, how they are supposed to learn it, and what their next steps are to learn it, then how can they take charge of managing their own learning? How can they develop a shared responsibility and a shared sense of agency? </p><p><br /></p><p>There are a number of practices that I have embraced and focused on doing consistently to ensure that my students know what they are supposed to learn, how they are supposed to learn it, and what their next steps are to learn it. There is overwhelming evidence that shows Assessment for Learning not only improves agency and shared responsibility, it also accelerates progress for Māori and Pasifika students. While it is easy to think of Assessment for Learning as more work, like everything, the more you practice something, the easier and faster you become at it. I am really proud of the effort I have put into developing Assessment for Learning practices that are at the core of my teaching practice.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here are some of the things that I have noticed that really make a difference for my students. </p><p><b><br /></b></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Instant feedback quizzes </b></h3><p style="text-align: left;">There are a number of reasons why I love Kahoot, Gimkit, Blooket, Quizizz and the Google Forms quiz function in Google Classroom. First of all, their reporting functions tell me in a quick, minimal-effort way <u>where</u> my students need additional support in their learning, <u>who</u> needs additional support, and who needs to be extended. It means that class time can thus be prioritised for maximum impact. </p><br />The second reason I love instant feedback quizzes is because it gives students instant feedback about their progress in understanding ideas. I also frequently set a quiz for two weeks at a time on Quizizz. Students are then expected to reattempt the quiz until they can improve their score. This allows students to have a concrete but simple next step in their learning. This is particularly great in science where large amounts of vocabulary are often a barrier to student learning. <br /><br />As a separate perk, I also appreciate that students who struggle to produce evidence of their learning find a gamified quiz a much less intimidating way to show their progress. <div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Google Classroom</b></h3><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Google Classroom has a number of features that allow teachers to improve the pace at which they give feedback. There are three features that I use a lot.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Rubrics<br /></b>I have set up a separate Google Classroom called Rubrics. In this Classroom I have created lots of rubrics that students often need feedback on, or things that I am tracking. Eg. I have a work completion rubric, a SOLO taxonomy rubric, and a paragraph writing rubric. I have also added the rubrics against which we assess for reporting purposes. Having these rubrics in their own classroom means it takes me all of one minute to add the relevant rubric to a task in Google Classroom. I can then also very quickly give feedback on student work by just clicking the relevant part of the rubric. I have also set each of these up with grades which helps track over time which students are falling behind, excelling, or making good progress. </li></ul><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQICqI_j6jUg2_ucesirpPXSOjo2Svimmqwkgmbn1I-J6tOZTbcd8n5cPCY-6kzoTXGz0BC7FdM3LP6ChLJCNr94Tov_sRld31nNd5Ecen0AT_mHBrpaps-7cV6UNU8ockLkvlwyaoV4p3cXOVRjCPiNdvCc5AezSW7Em_g2MjCd4nEJRn0ObRfk_DhyphenhyphenDU/s2000/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-05%20at%2010.09.06%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="142" data-original-width="2000" height="46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQICqI_j6jUg2_ucesirpPXSOjo2Svimmqwkgmbn1I-J6tOZTbcd8n5cPCY-6kzoTXGz0BC7FdM3LP6ChLJCNr94Tov_sRld31nNd5Ecen0AT_mHBrpaps-7cV6UNU8ockLkvlwyaoV4p3cXOVRjCPiNdvCc5AezSW7Em_g2MjCd4nEJRn0ObRfk_DhyphenhyphenDU/w640-h46/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-05%20at%2010.09.06%20AM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Gradebook function <br /></b>The grade book function in Google Classroom is a great way to track student progress. However, I found it most powerful when I tag assignments that will be used for formal assessments and deciding report grades. This helps students know where to prioritise their efforts. In addition, about a week before I start marking for formal reporting purposes, I get students to look at their overall grade on Google Classroom and then reflect on whether they are satisfied with what grade this translates to on their report. This usually results in a flurry of activity and prioritisation as students then do some really purposeful work where they focus not just on getting work done, but improving the quality of their work. This means that students also actually pay attention to the feedback I leave them on their work. <br /><br /></li><li><b>Comments functions</b><br />Google Classroom allows you to save a bank of comments. This means that when you type feedback comments on student work, it automatically starts suggesting the full comment. As a result, I have saved comments for common feedback items eg. "<i>This question asks your to explain in depth, hence, you will need more detail in your explanation. Try this PEEL writing guide to help you gain more depth.</i>" I then also include the link the necessary resource to help coach the student through their specific next step. This amazing Google Classroom feature means that the process of giving feedback is sped up as I don't spend hours typing and copying and pasting the same things. It also means that I can point each student to the resource they need for their next step in a much more expedient way. <br /><br /></li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqYmQiUOPezj-F6oCHNAm5Qm9c5zbARJK5Ykzp2miYLEAeCx-xPDpM_vcVpkbdZio5MfPfuLc9NSKl3WO2GTFp3nO46WPCVBN_GbWZ6QqS2BzXi-s0Us68dLaC0PKNvM3dnh4dTkYa9ZBiIGSb3bTmPOVh8Ku7UxfAVjkJaU4DvUly2Wpnf1CfPpmHfIx/s2450/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-05%20at%209.41.29%20AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="708" data-original-width="2450" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqYmQiUOPezj-F6oCHNAm5Qm9c5zbARJK5Ykzp2miYLEAeCx-xPDpM_vcVpkbdZio5MfPfuLc9NSKl3WO2GTFp3nO46WPCVBN_GbWZ6QqS2BzXi-s0Us68dLaC0PKNvM3dnh4dTkYa9ZBiIGSb3bTmPOVh8Ku7UxfAVjkJaU4DvUly2Wpnf1CfPpmHfIx/w640-h184/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-05%20at%209.41.29%20AM.png" width="640" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">ChatGPT</h3></div><div>For my senior students, I have also been experimenting with using ChatGPT to help them improve the quality of their work by giving them specific prompts to use for feedback on specific tasks. For example:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Check the accuracy of the biological claims in this text. Make an itemised list of inaccuracies.</li><li>Compare this text with the following criteria. (Insert achievement criteria).</li><li>Check this text for any redundancy. Make an itemised list of things that can be removed from the text.</li></ul>As a human, I am severely limited in the pace of feedback I can give. AI on the other hand is really good at reading fast. Hence, I have been experimenting with how we can use AI in an ethical way to help students improve their learning. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Where to next?</b><br />Next year I am keen to continue exploring the use of AI in helping students get better, more timely feedback on their learning. I think I might just have to finally invest in ChatGPT 4. <br /><br /></div><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /><i>Evidence towards PRACTICING TEACHER CRITERIA 6: TEACHING</i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><div><i>Teach and respond to learners in a knowledgeable and adaptive way to progress their learning at an appropriate depth and pace. Teach in ways that ensure all learners are making sufficient progress, monitor the extent and pace of learning, and focus on equity and excellence for all.</i></div><div><ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><i>Specifically support the educational aspirations of Maori learners, taking shared responsibility for these learners to achieve educational success as Maori.</i></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><i>Use an increasing repertoire of teaching strategies, approaches, learning activities, technologies and assessments for learning strategies and modify these in response to the needs of individuals and groups of learners.</i></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><i>Provide opportunities and support for learners to engage with, practise and apply learning to different contexts and make connections with prior learning.</i></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><i>Teach in ways which enable learners to learn from one another, to collaborate, to self-regulate, and to develop agency over their learning.</i></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><i>Ensure learners receive ongoing feedback and assessment information and support them to use this information to guide further learning.</i></li></ul></div></div></div>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-58017708115776194972023-12-03T19:33:00.000-08:002023-12-03T19:33:33.412-08:00Just how inclusive is your science curriculum? <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There are four questions I urge you to go and investigate in your school... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>If I struggled to read and write, how much of the learning in your year 9 and 10 programmes would be accessible to me?</li><li>How many of the scientists who are acknowledged in your school's science curriculum are women? Māori? Pasifika? BIPOC? </li><li>How many Māori and Pasifika students graduate from your school with 3 UE STEM subjects? </li><li>How many Māori and Pasifika students from your school go on to a science pathway?<br /><br /></li></ol></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFN0fkH5JrO2LWwMaQfHZevNdAUHXGXFMqmYGcmkZAxmLHHwgntWgrBdhfXijDc77TXjkr0apmLhmfaNujCdYxsvJxY7CvEQskRigGvNgbkk94G8RSvqmTwtEOMKQlnMt-59v0poqCOoeln7KvAIKc69NNHDEIrx1-p-4yvrKyipCNfhatPTY6tmgHbkN/s1424/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-01%20at%202.52.19%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1424" data-original-width="1076" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFN0fkH5JrO2LWwMaQfHZevNdAUHXGXFMqmYGcmkZAxmLHHwgntWgrBdhfXijDc77TXjkr0apmLhmfaNujCdYxsvJxY7CvEQskRigGvNgbkk94G8RSvqmTwtEOMKQlnMt-59v0poqCOoeln7KvAIKc69NNHDEIrx1-p-4yvrKyipCNfhatPTY6tmgHbkN/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-01%20at%202.52.19%20PM.png" width="242" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"></ol></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am a science teacher. I enjoy science. But the more I learn about culturally sustaining pedagogy, students with diverse learning needs, equity, and feminism, the more frustrated I have become with science. To become a 'scientist,' you have to find a way to pay for a bachelor's degree, master's degree, and a PhD. If you are lucky you might then get a lowly paid postdoc position after that. This is hard for individuals to afford, never mind for those people with a family for which they are financially responsible. If you don't have a family that can support you financially through all these years of studying, what are the chances that you become a scientist? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also think about the experience I had of science at school. All assessments required a lot of reading and writing, even at years 9 and 10. If you are a student who struggles with literacy, how accessible is our school science curriculum to you? And as a result, what impact does that have on your scientific literacy in the future? In the misinformation crisis that the world currently finds itself in, surely science teachers should be focussing on designing the most inclusive and accessible curriculum possible? (Note, I do not suggest we water down the science, only that we make it more accessible). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It is with the above in mind that I spent a significant amount of effort in the last few years working on how the science ideas that we teach in year 9 and 10 can be made more accessible through the way I design learning. Here are a few of the things that stand out from this year. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Engineering challenges<br /><br /></b></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfGYGeQ-PuisQoGNLB2NJ7_x6OsYpDtk7G9Y-ffA0QzH14AKem6b6n7dEegHbWEmju3d-usbUaYjik0wQtblGscvyKpAAzWtyB6ljn540JoccGwVW9VTRk97H5q4jbBjB60pKGpFiWiDyTLPB_8JPcVCIR7XISQjSOZiQq10kWO_gu6-bxCYk1xljFv3K/s852/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-04%20at%204.06.50%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="852" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfGYGeQ-PuisQoGNLB2NJ7_x6OsYpDtk7G9Y-ffA0QzH14AKem6b6n7dEegHbWEmju3d-usbUaYjik0wQtblGscvyKpAAzWtyB6ljn540JoccGwVW9VTRk97H5q4jbBjB60pKGpFiWiDyTLPB_8JPcVCIR7XISQjSOZiQq10kWO_gu6-bxCYk1xljFv3K/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-04%20at%204.06.50%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>Physics has many great opportunities for students to explore scientific concepts in a hands on way. One of the tried and tested ways to do that is by haivng students design small vehicles within a set of constraints, and then race them. As a result, I saw students investigate aerodynamics, how to reduce friction, how mass and accelleration might relate to each other, and a whole bunch more. The vehicle on the right was particularly memorable as the group experimented with using wax on the bottom of their racer to help it glide down the racing ramp easier.</div></blockquote><p> </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpgQdQHEdcz4qa00O1YYHTHnosioUEKCh-fVNDzmCA0-Yc8m8lonjE9Rn5dIyzRPEQpzOl5tODmTuQZStYdwhjZhm58i-H30LDz0cBcZ87lXi4yL9AL4DuiYsFWh96ZH6W2ZE6nmKwcxVcmdKFmNNILCIWEgWchWbNhJrRNnFLWY9KMUxbgFF2b3jOwXL/s1324/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-04%20at%202.35.53%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1324" data-original-width="986" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpgQdQHEdcz4qa00O1YYHTHnosioUEKCh-fVNDzmCA0-Yc8m8lonjE9Rn5dIyzRPEQpzOl5tODmTuQZStYdwhjZhm58i-H30LDz0cBcZ87lXi4yL9AL4DuiYsFWh96ZH6W2ZE6nmKwcxVcmdKFmNNILCIWEgWchWbNhJrRNnFLWY9KMUxbgFF2b3jOwXL/w78-h105/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-04%20at%202.35.53%20PM.png" width="78" /></a></div>Other engineering challenges include building an arthropod that is able to move. For this, students had to learn about the characteristics and taxonomy of different arthropods, as well as learning about the physics of simple machines to help their arthropods move. The arthropod machine on the right used a wheel and axle to create their insect that moves with wind. It was particularly rewarding being able to work with a hard materials teacher who was able to help students construct and prototype their designs in the workshop. </blockquote><br /><p> </p><p><b>Art </b></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">A favourite medium that I like to use when encouraging students to communicate science ideas is through art. This has involved everything from photo essays, illustrations, performances and more. However this year I was able to take my love for art and science to a new level by co-teaching with an art teacher. Students explored a socio-scientific issue of their choice from a provided list. As they explored the scientific, cultural, economic, ethical and other perspectives of their issue, they created a series of artworks to represent their understanding of these. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">The image below shows the Alexander Calder inspired mobiles students made to represent the different persepctivees around their socio-scientific issue. </p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQB6STguDG3xVKo_9vjHbn8M4m2F8_aX2QUTHMJcej-79xGy6CfsHqQXEbDGek8qEAyZ83o5FvTeRB9SaV5YpmxETJQ2sU9Bjzl-bKsZ3njopLMsAg781N1b5ZKQFKipdwKJaSxgnRXPYBCApmMhgD6u1MD2vqV3VYePTuEkvxEOwlJENKO5rViE8MEWW/s2844/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-04%20at%203.17.37%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="2844" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQB6STguDG3xVKo_9vjHbn8M4m2F8_aX2QUTHMJcej-79xGy6CfsHqQXEbDGek8qEAyZ83o5FvTeRB9SaV5YpmxETJQ2sU9Bjzl-bKsZ3njopLMsAg781N1b5ZKQFKipdwKJaSxgnRXPYBCApmMhgD6u1MD2vqV3VYePTuEkvxEOwlJENKO5rViE8MEWW/w640-h144/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-04%20at%203.17.37%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">A critical skills in science is observation. Few things teaches observation as well as teaching drawing skills in art. Hence, another task that worked really well was having students create a nature journal page of a native species of plant. You can see the task instructions below along with an example of a student's work. </p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-drsmcqYC6H94DYJrG1hlBycOvirQ9-eMmGXq1YZoE7b9GLtX1AXVPLMd-xU9JvbTHBEHmIXFokon7YfgzGw1jzvjTKaVwATEZAoNr5SOjmJBeXgZttDug-5U7LrOonHL0tgpg1TtZH5Icf2QaGAvX9YDKwlgbff8yE_2baIjzXqIsnrCnGdT_x1Wzihl/s1214/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-04%20at%202.36.57%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="1214" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-drsmcqYC6H94DYJrG1hlBycOvirQ9-eMmGXq1YZoE7b9GLtX1AXVPLMd-xU9JvbTHBEHmIXFokon7YfgzGw1jzvjTKaVwATEZAoNr5SOjmJBeXgZttDug-5U7LrOonHL0tgpg1TtZH5Icf2QaGAvX9YDKwlgbff8yE_2baIjzXqIsnrCnGdT_x1Wzihl/w640-h456/Screen%20Shot%202023-12-04%20at%202.36.57%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6XQS-g14w53gaFUliLWhfBYZ1CeOt6jF8Pwl9Up3NjnekAHYk9pKzXNMjxBgVEwyh108WvpPL-AZ-gpJyn-L5HUR1nE5i990EXn5yMmVKJDWAo2_b-Y1YaE-hf2US7DHsLj9CzrwfDSOU7v1IcPbg1-jaUSLA_K68XokQwxj1Yqu40WA2o_ZqfBZZqcFd/s960/Nature%20Journal%20Bingo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6XQS-g14w53gaFUliLWhfBYZ1CeOt6jF8Pwl9Up3NjnekAHYk9pKzXNMjxBgVEwyh108WvpPL-AZ-gpJyn-L5HUR1nE5i990EXn5yMmVKJDWAo2_b-Y1YaE-hf2US7DHsLj9CzrwfDSOU7v1IcPbg1-jaUSLA_K68XokQwxj1Yqu40WA2o_ZqfBZZqcFd/w640-h480/Nature%20Journal%20Bingo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b>Prioritising tools with UDL features</b><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">A fairly simple way of creating a more inclusive classroom is just about being more selective with the tools we use. For example, Quiziss is a en excellent tool. While it works much like Kahoot, <a href="https://quizizz.com/?lng=en" target="_blank">Quizizz</a> has the added benefit of being able to read the questions out loud to students. The tools is gamified for extra engagement and gives students instant feedback. On the teacher side of things, this tool is compatable with Google Classroom which means I can keep track of student understanding really easily. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">I am also a serious user of Google Classroom. When used effectively, it means that students can use speech to text tools to read instructions for tasks. Hence, I religiously post every single instruction for my class on Google Classroom. It also means that it easy to make videos, audio recordings, diagrams, etc. available for students. </p></blockquote><p> </p><p><b>Where to next?</b></p><p>In 2024 I hope to continue exploring ways to make science more inclusive, I am looking forward to working with the new level 1 NCEA standards to find ways to assess these in the most creative, inclusive way possible. <br /><br /></p><p></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><i>Evidence towards PRACTICING TEACHER CRITERIA 5: DESIGN FOR LEARNING</i></p><p><i>Design learning based on curriculum and pedagogical knowledge, assessment information and an understanding of each learner’s strengths, interests, needs, identities, languages and cultures." Select teaching approaches, resources, and learning and assessment activities based on a thorough knowledge of curriculum content, pedagogy, progressions in learning and the learners.</i></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>Gather, analyse and use appropriate assessment information, identifying progress and needs of learners to design clear next steps in learning and to identify additional supports or adaptations that may be required.</i></li><li><i>Design and plan culturally responsive, evidence-based approaches which reflect the local community and Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership in New Zealand.</i></li><li><i>Harness the rich capital that learners bring by providing culturally responsive and engaging contexts for learners.</i></li><li><i>Informed by national policies and priorities.</i></li></ul><p></p>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-61403693631288745502023-11-26T18:18:00.000-08:002023-11-26T18:18:37.483-08:00Life as a Learning Coach<p>October of this year marked my 10 year anniversary at Hobsonville Point Secondary School (HPSS) where I started as a foundation staff member. Much has changed since those early days before we had any students and we dreamed up a school that would be better at meeting student needs. A lot will keep changing, particularly with an all-new senior leadership now at the helm in 2024. With so much change on the horizon, I have found myself thinking a lot about the areas of our school where I am reluctant to see major change, as well as the areas in our school where I would like to see more change. </p><p><br /></p><p>One area that I hope will stay strong in our school as we go forward is Learning Hubs. Learning Hubs are our pastoral care system at HPSS, replacing the role of form teacher. While we do all the admin things a form teacher might do, we also have extra time with our learning hub students so that we have time to develop life skills such as self-reflection, leadership, emotional intelligence, etc. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjInFvIMPaCVggF9CVlGLjU4OqslyufQF7eLNK_eDq5Lga20IaX_wDiBJkmmvl2Q2t0OtVbMV1CRiSNZ0cCUM_8Sc0S_uFeHVpvSYzoYt3RbKAmkeVjreZqDI8PlJR0mDtBjaaEhhD4LCa0WxqiSDa9BNjHPxA4BxsVuVH7YKNM9DUIYNo19BtsaADMlu/s4032/IMG_9752.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjInFvIMPaCVggF9CVlGLjU4OqslyufQF7eLNK_eDq5Lga20IaX_wDiBJkmmvl2Q2t0OtVbMV1CRiSNZ0cCUM_8Sc0S_uFeHVpvSYzoYt3RbKAmkeVjreZqDI8PlJR0mDtBjaaEhhD4LCa0WxqiSDa9BNjHPxA4BxsVuVH7YKNM9DUIYNo19BtsaADMlu/w480-h640/IMG_9752.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Daniells' Donkeys - My Learning Hub</i></span></p><p>Without a doubt, being a hub coach is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job. Students keep the same hub and hub coach for their entire time at our school. This means that I see these students at the start of every day. Over time, this allows us to build really strong relationships where students and their parents trust us to discuss challenges in their education. Over the years this has involved supporting students and their families with everything from academic goals, behaviour expectations, bullies, gender transitions, parents with terminal illness, disabilities, etc. When families trust us, they are able to be much more transparent with us about the support that young people need. And as a result, we can meet their needs much more effectively. </p><p><br /></p><p>One of the aspects of my practice that I am really proud of is how I am able to help my hublings develop as a <b>hub family.</b> We know that when students experience a sense of belonging, they are more likely to succeed at school. Hence, I work very hard to create a sense of belonging for my students. This is done through lots of things but in particular:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>CHECK-INS</b>: For a check-in, we sit in a circle. Each student answers a question about themselves. For example, what was the best part of your weekend, in what class are you having a lot of success right now, etc. There are a few reasons why I have embraced this practice so thoroughly including:</li><ul><li>Ensuring that every student has had an adult and their peers listen to them, everyday. How can any student feel like they belong if they can go through an entire day without anyone actually talking to them? </li><li>Ensures that the hub group members hear what is going on for their peers. This allows them to make connections with each other and build their relationship with each other.</li><li>Doing this regularly means that I can stay connected to my students and what is going on for them in an effective way. <br /><br /></li></ul><li><b>THANKFUL THURSDAYS</b>: If you are not familiar with the neuroscience of gratitude, I suggest it is time you get caught up. Every Thursday morning during hub time, we each get a chance to share some of the things we are grateful for that week. This helps students start their day in a better frame of mind, while also giving me a little insight about what is on top for the students. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WPPPFqsECz0" width="320" youtube-src-id="WPPPFqsECz0"></iframe></div><br /><br /></li><li><b>TRADITIONS</b>: Few things make a person feel like they belong as much as being part of a tradition. For our hub, we have had a long tradition of playing werewolf. Our older students enjoy teaching the new ones and the young students enjoy having fun with the older kids. Other traditions in my hub include silly photos, and can collections for the annual can drive. We are working on some more traditions however these are best when co-created with students.<br /><br /><br /></li><li><b>LEARNING GAMES</b>: There are lots of<a href="https://www.nzcer.org.nz/research/games-learning" target="_blank"> learning benefits</a> to games, and this becomes particularly evident in hub. Over the years I have created many games for my hublings. Sometimes it is something like <a href="https://www.tes.com/en-nz/teaching-resource/team-building-game-wh-naungatanga-eels-and-ladders-nga-tuna-me-nga-arawhata-12800273" target="_blank">Whanaungtanga eels and ladders</a> that help students learn and make connections with each other. Other times it might be role-playing games that help them learn about career pathways. I've made games to help them develop critical thinking and games to help them with their communication skills. The great thing about using games for learning in a hub context is that as well as students learning and practising new skills, the games also help create shared memories that contribute to the students' sense of belonging and engagement. </li></ul><div><br /></div><p></p><p>Another aspect of Learning Hubs that I feel is really successful is the<b> academic coaching</b>. Sometimes in school students who just get on and do the work rarely ever get one-on-one attention. We also have students who with the right encouragement could do much better. We have students who struggle to make sense of their work and those who need more challenge. The benefit of hubs and keeping them relatively small is that we can have fairly regular conversations with every student individually about how they are going in their learning, what the challenges the are encountering, and what needs to be done about this. I believe that learning hubs are a key aspect of what allows us to have high expectations of our students at HPSS. </p><p>While academic coaching conversations can be helpful in communicating high expectations, it can also be helpful in helping identify where students need additional support. One area where this is often the case is advocating for students, particularly those with disabilities. As a learning coach, I have spent a great amount of time ensuring that students are getting the support that they need. More often than not, the areas where students needed support or someone to champion them were identified through a one-on-one coaching conversation. </p><p><br /></p><p>In summary, hub is one of the areas in my practice where I feel that I get the balance of warm and demanding right. There are systems and structures in place that allow an inclusive approach where every student has their own pathway, yet enable us to have high expectations of every student. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Where to next?</b></p><p>As our hubs have students from year 9 to year 13, every year we have new students who join our hubs. As a result, every year we need to bring new students on board into our hub and help them feel just as included. Hence, every year my 'where to next' is focussed on how I might continue to develop the warm and demanding in hub to extend to new students. </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></i><p><i><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;">Evidence towards PRACTICING TEACHER CRITERIA 4: </span><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;">LEARNING-FOCUSED CULTURE</span></i></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><i>Develop a culture that is focused on learning, and is characterised by respect, inclusion, empathy, collaboration and safety." Develop learning-focused relationships with learners, enabling them to be active participants in the process of learning, sharing ownership and responsibility for learning.</i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><i>Foster trust, respect and cooperation with and among learners so that they experience an environment in which it is safe to take risks.</i></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><i>Demonstrate high expectations for the learning outcomes of all learners, including for those learners with disabilities or learning support needs.</i></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><i>Manage the learning setting to ensure access to learning for all and to maximise learners’ physical, social, cultural and emotional safety.</i></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><i>Create an environment where learners can be confident in their identities, languages, cultures and abilities.</i></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><i>Develop an environment where the diversity and uniqueness of all learners is accepted and valued.</i></li><li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><i>Meet relevant regulatory, statutory and professional requirements.</i></li></ul></div>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-52310963911075017592023-11-21T13:15:00.000-08:002023-11-21T13:15:01.331-08:00Professional Relationships Toolbox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvId15y7hq-bM2kGCJMb2FVNHdtS0N94IY0UGMh6l-QWR4vUipypRg2x8fiAeEOimnPutW7rZXD7yhFICF4izITA1kns-bh4XqbIqxqdFe7Cng9EgVT6rFUcqipaOma1qpPmfxhWlF4AjhDI2kuf217dUIBu70iE9QCGVFF8IplIZoFwJNYdQTdXTEZzDy/s1414/Screen%20Shot%202023-11-21%20at%202.15.19%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata he tangata he tangata!" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="1414" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvId15y7hq-bM2kGCJMb2FVNHdtS0N94IY0UGMh6l-QWR4vUipypRg2x8fiAeEOimnPutW7rZXD7yhFICF4izITA1kns-bh4XqbIqxqdFe7Cng9EgVT6rFUcqipaOma1qpPmfxhWlF4AjhDI2kuf217dUIBu70iE9QCGVFF8IplIZoFwJNYdQTdXTEZzDy/w640-h422/Screen%20Shot%202023-11-21%20at%202.15.19%20PM.png" title="6 February 2011 Reference Number: DCDL-0017011" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://tiaki.natlib.govt.nz/#details=ecatalogue.635462" target="_blank">Image source</a>: Alexander Turnbull Library</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Research has shown us that relationships are at the heart of learning. Yet, human relationships are infinitely complex. How then might teachers become experts in managing the relationships that are critical for student learning and effective school leadership? </p><p>In my own practice, there have been two keys; <b>restorative justice and open to learning conversations. </b>Each of these practices is evidence-based with a solid body of research to show that it makes an impact when implemented with fidelity. These two strategies has a few things in common that I believe make them particularly powerful:<br /><br /></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Preserving <i>mana</i> </b>- In resolving any conflict or problem, it is important that each person can walk away feeling that they were respected, even if they were in the wrong.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Co-design the solution</b> - Solutions designed by one person tend to only work for one person. It is only when we combine the collective problem-solving of all stakeholders that we can create a solution that meets everyone's needs. This becomes even more important in situations where there is a high degree of complexity and where one human can never understand all the variables.<br /><br /></li><li><b>Learning is at the heart </b>- When we allow people the opportunity to learn from their mistakes by exploring the impact in a respectful, meaningful way, it allows them the opportunity to step up and do better. What's more, it can give people access to the perspectives of others in a way that they might not otherwise consider, hence, we can build empathy and compassion for our peers. <br /><br /></li><li><b>Don't make assumptions</b> - In each of these practices, we try to move away from making assumptions, about people, about events, about why or how things happened. Instead, we enter these conversations with curiosity. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwPlUlA7L1STBsr0oMo0QzIbUn-jK27FiCzdzQowev9lF3BP7po9LKim40Yqg2nzr0REr8Lo30lg6bEj7nGtPDENfXWIMcO6tV_-hpmDOqi3gorgmfcO7bUr1bHNe31d1uS9MPsVrKkrN_DM2isknMzgfdGY81yAuTZZaXlioPyIwYGV-2t2KwW0W-26l/s1516/Screen%20Shot%202023-11-21%20at%202.41.38%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="1516" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuwPlUlA7L1STBsr0oMo0QzIbUn-jK27FiCzdzQowev9lF3BP7po9LKim40Yqg2nzr0REr8Lo30lg6bEj7nGtPDENfXWIMcO6tV_-hpmDOqi3gorgmfcO7bUr1bHNe31d1uS9MPsVrKkrN_DM2isknMzgfdGY81yAuTZZaXlioPyIwYGV-2t2KwW0W-26l/w400-h289/Screen%20Shot%202023-11-21%20at%202.41.38%20PM.png" title="Assumptions - Medium" width="400" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://medium.com/@brought_on/the-elephant-sized-assumption-1f8c4d7153b5" target="_blank">Image source</a>: Medium</span></i></div></i></li></ol><p></p><p><br /></p><p>There is no question that education is influenced by an endless number of variables, and as a result, so are the relationships in schools. The relationships that we navigate within a school are often influenced by these variables. That conflict with a student about why they did not turn in their work might be a result of personal and family values, systemic bias, lack of resources, or disengagement as a result of disempowerment. What makes open-to-learning and restorative conversations so valuable for managing relationships is that they allow us to learn about the variables, and as a result, respond more effectively because that learning allows us to understand the cause of the problem, not just the symptoms.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeap0axHSzLG9M2Ou6_dxNdZt2AG9hl_FYX9lcwkST07gvRKuW1bFvQrvfW_d0rVF2SVzpKStDittD7DQZPkGcxebXxCtMAOuKjceYuM_7VeIiyj16tCor-NDfqjs48uSyJPf6Wvrp7hyphenhyphenZpdmn8NtTEkpN1UeI_WgjI72n1CltzrgVv0BevoXCv9hwJGDo/s960/Education%20as%20nested%20complex%20systems.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeap0axHSzLG9M2Ou6_dxNdZt2AG9hl_FYX9lcwkST07gvRKuW1bFvQrvfW_d0rVF2SVzpKStDittD7DQZPkGcxebXxCtMAOuKjceYuM_7VeIiyj16tCor-NDfqjs48uSyJPf6Wvrp7hyphenhyphenZpdmn8NtTEkpN1UeI_WgjI72n1CltzrgVv0BevoXCv9hwJGDo/w640-h480/Education%20as%20nested%20complex%20systems.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: x-small;">Education as Nested Systems of Complexity - image produced by me</i></div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div></span><p>I distinctly remember conversations during my teacher training about how schools have a tendency to dismiss the 'theory' of teacher training colleges for the practicalities of actually being in the classroom. In other words, all that academic theory is nice, but when you are standing in front of a room of chatty year ten students, it doesn't seem all that relevant. Similarly, when you attend a PLD workshop from a facilitator who hasn't been in the classroom for years and years, it can be hard to take their suggestions seriously. However, in my now ten-plus years of experience, I have found that this couldn't be further from the truth. It is learning to apply robust educational research that has allowed me to become a more effective teacher. So what does applying this educational research look like on a day-to-day level for a practicing teacher?</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Restorative practice</b></p><p>Like everything, to get better at something you have to practice it. In the case of restorative practice, this has meant years and years of learning about it through PLD workshops, my own reading, etc. I practised restorative conversations on a daily basis. I would read over the restorative script before having a conversation with students. I would have the script in front of me as facilitated conversations. Eventually, the restorative script became second nature to me, and as a result, this powerful practice that allows students the space to make mistakes, learn from them, repair harm, and move on, is now part of my core practice. It means that I can have better relationships with students. In a restorative practice setting it means my expectations of learning and behaviour can be clear, but these are not communicated and enforced at the expense of the relationship. After all, we know that people, adults and students, don't learn particularly well when they do not feel psychologically safe enough to make mistakes. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_obyZY4XzaI" width="320" youtube-src-id="_obyZY4XzaI"></iframe></div><br /><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Open-to-Learning conversations</b></p><p>When working with people, conflict and disagreement is inevitable. Open-to-Learning Conversations give us a way to navigate these difficult conversations, particularly with colleagues. </p><p><i>"An open-to-learning conversation, therefore, is one in which this value is evident in how people think and talk. Do they assume the validity of their views and try to impose them, however nicely, on others, or are they searching for ways to check and improve the quality of their thinking and decision-making?" - <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Viviane-Robinson/publication/267411000_Open-to-learning_Conversations_Background_Paper_Introduction_to_Open-to-learning_Conversations/links/54d7cb6c0cf2970e4e755956/Open-to-learning-Conversations-Background-Paper-Introduction-to-Open-to-learning-Conversations.pdf" target="_blank">Viviane M J Robinson</a></i></p><div><br /></div><div>Again, making this technique second nature and ready to go at a moment's notice in my leadership toolbox has been essential in helping me do my job effectively. This is the strategy I draw on when I need to have a conversation with a colleague about an assessment policy that hasn't been followed, or a deadline that hasn't been met. It is the strategy I draw on in challenging parent-teacher conferences and one I draw on when coaching students. Eg.<br /><br /></div><div><ol><li>Describe your concern as your point of view. - <i>I notice that you are not on track with your goal to get a Merit endorsement.<br /><br /></i></li><li>Describe what your concern is based on. - <i>This concerns me because I know you are working towards a limited entry pathway at university for the forensics programme you are interested in. <br /><br /></i></li><li>Invite the other’s point of view. - <i>How do you explain this?<br /><br /></i></li><li>Paraphrase their point of view and check. - <i>It sounds like you are really busy right now but that you feel like you can manage all your commitments?<br /><br /></i></li><li>Detect and check important assumptions - <i>What would be a sign that you are over-committed? How will you know when you are no longer successfully juggling your commitments?</i><br /><br /></li><li>Establish common ground. - <i>It sounds like we agree that you need to carve out some time to catch up on your work?</i><br /><br /></li><li>Make a plan to get what you both want. - <i>What do you think we should do about this? </i></li></ol><div><i><br /></i></div></div><div><b>Where to next?</b></div><div>There is no substitute for a one-on-one coaching conversation because it is tailor-made to check and challenge your <u>own</u> assumptions. It is for this reason that my goal moving forward will be to have even more coaching conversations. I am particularly interested in whether more coaching conversations might allow us to identify, challenge, and change some of the systemic biases that mean Māori and Pasifika students in my school are so underrepresented in STEM UE subjects. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /></div> <p></p><p><i>Evidence towards: PRACTICING TEACHER CRITERIA 3: PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS</i></p><p><i>Establish and maintain professional relationships and behaviours focused on the learning and wellbeing of each learner. Engage in reciprocal, collaborative learning-focused relationships with:</i></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>Learners’, family and whanau Teaching colleagues, support staff and other professionals Agencies, groups and individuals in the community.</i></li><li><i>Communicate effectively with others.</i></li><li><i>Actively contribute, and work collegially, in the pursuit of improving my own and organisational practice, showing leadership, particularly in areas of responsibility.</i></li><li><i>Communicate clear and accurate assessment for learning and achievement information.</i></li></ul><p></p>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-73739138587253712472023-11-19T21:53:00.000-08:002023-11-20T17:11:34.689-08:00Same old PLD, just a different slideshow format?<p>Where does your best professional learning happen these days? </p><p>One of the ongoing challenges with professional learning can sometimes be that the more you know, the harder it is to find professional learning that challenges you at the right level. As a PLD junkie in my early years of teaching, I have found on more than one occasion that many of the PLD opportunities out there have become a lot of the same ideas, just recycled into a new PowerPoint. Maybe I sound cynical, but it is hard to ignore that our refreshed curriculum's essential pedagogies are based on the professional learning workshops I have been attending and running for years - power sharing, design for inclusion, connecting learning to each learner, being urgent about progress... If you are ahead of the curve, where does your learning come from? Where do the new ideas, and new inspiration come from? Where can you go to ask and answer harder questions and debate more challenging problems? I would love to hear your ideas about this. Here are mine...</p><p><br /></p><p><b>There is no substitute for a good book. </b><br />The benefit of a book over other PLD tools is that it is a super cheap way to get direct access to the author's arguments, evidence and explanations. You can go back to them, read them over and over, and check the fidelity with which you have remembered and implemented their ideas. You can also check their facts and follow up on their references. A book also tends to be way more in-depth than any workshop you can attend or conference you can see them speak. Books also mean that your access to experts increases exponentially. John Hattie, Russel Bishop, Jane Gilbert, Carol Dweck, Howard Gardner, Ann Milne, Ivan Illich and Keri Facer are all hanging out in my handbag right now, ready to go on my Kindle at a moment's notice. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Coaching</b><br />One of the most impactful types of professional learning I have experienced over the last few years is having an effective impact coach. This has meant that I have had a safe place on a regular basis to help me unpick my assumptions and theories. It has meant having someone to help me sift through the noise to identify where my focus should be to really make a difference for students. (In case you are wondering, I am talking about Laurayne Tafa - an incredible coach). This has also meant that I have had a chance to develop my own coaching skills. This explicit focus on how I might become a better coach has also been invaluable as it has allowed me to build my skills in having conversations that challenge deficit thinking. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2gGkbFjHFmsRNUxf3nMi4HwJ49AOZgwNu69wa5D52gSKZH_5n9aR5gK6kFVssqTsnlKEZi05VzwAKUbiexTv1d8FkceMKSowdQcgYmxPyCnFKBsAkGDwbjv2Sdr3zvfEte__G61I-NffJFTV82D_Q9p5Pl7J8L7HjltZpaFIqL5SBcKpbXISnssrHIfm/s960/WSL%20Day%203%20-%20Term%202%20June%202021%20WSL%20Day%20Slides.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2gGkbFjHFmsRNUxf3nMi4HwJ49AOZgwNu69wa5D52gSKZH_5n9aR5gK6kFVssqTsnlKEZi05VzwAKUbiexTv1d8FkceMKSowdQcgYmxPyCnFKBsAkGDwbjv2Sdr3zvfEte__G61I-NffJFTV82D_Q9p5Pl7J8L7HjltZpaFIqL5SBcKpbXISnssrHIfm/w640-h400/WSL%20Day%203%20-%20Term%202%20June%202021%20WSL%20Day%20Slides.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><i>Evidence towards: PRACTICING TEACHER CRITERIA 2: PROFESSIONAL LEARNING</i></p><p><i>Use inquiry, collaborative problem-solving and professional learning to improve professional capability to impact on the learning and achievement of all learners." Inquire into and reflect on the effectiveness of practice in an ongoing way, using evidence from a range of sources.</i></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>Critically examine how my own assumptions and beliefs, including cultural beliefs, impact on practice and the achievement of learners with different abilities and needs, backgrounds, genders, identities, languages and cultures.</i></li><li><i>Engage in professional learning and adaptively apply this learning in practice.</i></li><li><i>Be informed by research and innovations related to: content disciplines; pedagogy; teaching for diverse learners including learners with disabilities and learning support needs; and wider education matters.</i></li><li><i>Seek and respond to feedback from learners, colleagues and other education professionals, and engage in collaborative problem-solving and learning-focused collegial discussions.</i></li></ul><p></p>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-47442903927121520492023-11-15T19:03:00.000-08:002023-11-15T19:05:47.036-08:00Te Tiriti o Waitangi parntnership<p></p><p>Since beginning my journey at Hobsonville Point Secondary School, I have come a long way in my personal journey with te reo Māori, mātauranga Māori, and Tikanga. I was recently asked about how I have incorporated culturally sustaining pedagogy in my leadership. After some more reflection, I identified a key overarching idea in the way that I have come to work in this space. Just like relationship counsellors might advise you to choose your partner every day, I believe we must do the same for our Tiriti o Waitangi partnership. We must choose our partners every day. Here are a few of the things that I have chosen to do as I continue to find ways to invest in this partnership:</p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">1.</span></b> I start every single course I teach with my pēpepha. The first time I did this a few years ago I was super uncomfortable. I prefaced to my students that I was learning to do this still. After I completed saying my pēpepha, the students clapped and were incredibly supportive of my visible vulnerability in my new learning. A few years down the track and this is now such a comfortable practice, that I have supported others through this journey too.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>KEY TAKEAWAY</b>: Practice makes perfect. This is not a surprise to anyone. However, as teachers, we are often cast as the 'knowers' of knowledge. Admitting we don't know and publically working on improving can be uncomfortable and confronting. Yet we must do this if we wish to make progress in our learning. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">2. </span></b>This year our whole school learnt a haka to farewell our foundation principal. I embraced this opportunity to learn alongside my students and colleagues with enthusiasm and determination. The moment we finally did this haka for our departing principal will forever live in my heart. A few weeks later we also welcomed our new principal. Again, our whole school joined in the haka and our school waiata. This too made me incredibly proud to be part of our school. Too often at formal events the "<i>hire a kapa haka</i>" approach is taken, aka. kapa haka students do all the waiata and haka while the senior leadership and teachers watch, not knowing the words confidently enough to be able to join in.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>KEY TAKEAWAY</b>: Our commitment to learning tikanga needs to include everyone in our organisations. When we devote time and resources to this, we can grow as a community. We can change a culture. Being a leader in this space means that sometimes we have to role model not knowing but doing the work to learn. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">3. </span></b>One of the challenges I have encountered in my own practice as I work to incorporate more mātautanga Māori has been around ensuring that I do not exclusively focus on historical knowledge. It is important that we do not inadvertently cast Māori as a culture from the past. Māori is a thriving, evolving modern culture. One of the ways that I have sought to do this is through showcasing and championing the work of Māori scientists, artists, and other thought leaders working today. My students particularly enjoyed looking at the stunning work from the <a href="https://www.manamoana.co.nz/" target="_blank">Mana Moana </a>project that showcased the work of Māori and Pasifika artists in response to climate change. They also really enjoyed learning about how waka are still made today and the physics that applies when these are built. There is a great <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p32SD7rQ2Q" target="_blank">series on YouTube</a> that my students particularly enjoyed. This even led to some of them designing their own waka - a task that was particularly well received by a student with a renowned carver in the family. In each of these contexts, I had to initiate the conversation with my colleague to include a more culturally located context in our learning. However, in each case, they could see the benefit once they saw the way students were able to engage with this task. <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEY0MYqvBt4vIp0s6U5FuMNUSGsftt-Iecz1RMt2jxz3mEUWI_NjLFXmiGAJTwiZ0g-hAWqBZ88FBS4IyzJKP8r9eItLb9lVzcWsjQritzF5LUelpPqM6BPImuq9WcDdRknwGSSSVgt-4PuyX28thUqW69Z0eap_O2pLJ2TyBghFXiNcVRdlK5uOASUATa/s960/WAKA_%20To%20EXPLORE%20by%20investigating%20the%20aesthetic,%20function%20and%20forces%20of%20waka..jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEY0MYqvBt4vIp0s6U5FuMNUSGsftt-Iecz1RMt2jxz3mEUWI_NjLFXmiGAJTwiZ0g-hAWqBZ88FBS4IyzJKP8r9eItLb9lVzcWsjQritzF5LUelpPqM6BPImuq9WcDdRknwGSSSVgt-4PuyX28thUqW69Z0eap_O2pLJ2TyBghFXiNcVRdlK5uOASUATa/w640-h360/WAKA_%20To%20EXPLORE%20by%20investigating%20the%20aesthetic,%20function%20and%20forces%20of%20waka..jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><b>KEY TAKEAWAY</b>: Once you start looking, there are so many Māori thought leaders, scientists, artists, historians, etc. who we can draw on as role models and inspiration for our students and oureslves. In my experience, Māori and non-Māori students find living breathing role models much easier to relate to than when we only look at historical figures.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">4. </span></b>As an Across School Leader for our kāhui ako, one of the key areas that I have focused on this year is how we know if we are making a difference for our Māori students. Too often schools create interventions that are done to the students rather than with students. Too often schools don't have any data about how students experienced the interventions a school put in place. As a result, when working with our kāhui ako Within School Leaders this year I have developed resources to prompt them to disaggregate their data. I have also continued to focus on developing my <a href="https://gazette.education.govt.nz/articles/impact-coaching-improves-engagement-with-students-2/" target="_blank">impact coaching skills</a>. However, this year I have made sure to ask; "<i>how do you know if this is making a difference for Māori students</i>?". This has led to teams making a much greater effort to learn what is happening for their Māori students, and in some cases, it has led to teachers beginning to champion the voices of their students</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrX9JVUOb7X_w0kujcuYQSwyJpk4nK-BVC-Xr558hIKNiZmhP_X_EZ-elfSq-FEdSLrslGh9x2mm5gd0ReoCaDyR9GZZYxBk8WzV7UCtYfTDcl8pvkIY1xbB0ds10M2sSIok3ZvGBQSodJEtzPTuWY27vx-AJw5mmr_fZk0e9VBvIlF9eJkko0Ee59gIj/s1586/Copy%20of%20NITS%20-%20IMPACT%20ANALYSIS%20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1586" data-original-width="1122" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrX9JVUOb7X_w0kujcuYQSwyJpk4nK-BVC-Xr558hIKNiZmhP_X_EZ-elfSq-FEdSLrslGh9x2mm5gd0ReoCaDyR9GZZYxBk8WzV7UCtYfTDcl8pvkIY1xbB0ds10M2sSIok3ZvGBQSodJEtzPTuWY27vx-AJw5mmr_fZk0e9VBvIlF9eJkko0Ee59gIj/w452-h640/Copy%20of%20NITS%20-%20IMPACT%20ANALYSIS%20.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><b>KEY TAKEAWAY</b>: Most teachers really do care about their students. Once they really get to 'see' what our Māori students are experiencing in school, their journey with culturally responsive pedagogy tends to accelerate, simply because they don't find the systemic bias in our education systems and schools acceptable. Hence, a key part of leadership in this space needs to be around how we help our teachers and middle leaders see the bias in the system more effectively. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p> </p><blockquote><p><i>Evidence towards: PRACTICING TEACHER CRITERIA 1: TE TIRITI O WAITANGI PARTNERSHIP</i></p><p><i>Demonstrate commitment to tangata whenuatanga and Tiriti o Waitangi partnership in Aotearoa New Zealand.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Understand and recognise the unique status of tangata whenua in Aotearoa New Zealand. Understand and acknowledge the histories, heritages, languages and cultures of partners to Te Tiriti o Waitangi</i><i>Practise and develop the use of te reo and tikanga Maori.</i></p></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote><div></div></blockquote><div><br /></div>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-15963223596220653742022-11-29T19:17:00.000-08:002022-11-29T19:17:53.204-08:00Google Classroom grade book<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today's post is a screenshot from one of my Google Classroom's grade books (student names removed). This year I have really focused on using this function to help students track their progress in my courses more effectively. There are a number of ways I have done this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Using the grade book effectively makes it easier to see if a student is not turning in work on a consistent basis. Eg. at a glance you can see that student 5 has some major concerns below. <br /><br /></li><li>Any tasks that I use to make my overall judgment for their grade at the end of the term are signposted. This way students know which tasks to invest extra effort in, rather than just getting them done. (I have found that it is important to teach students when to focus on 'good enough' and when to focus on 'perfect'). <br /><br /></li><li>By using a consistent grade allocation for tasks related to their report, I can use the overall grade function to track the 'level' they are working at more consistently and with less bias. <br /><br /></li><li>During class time students are regularly asked to look at their overall grade, and then take action to improve them. This looks like students finishing incomplete tasks, catching up with work from when they were absent, and most frequently, going back to past work and improving the quality of work that they produced. </li></ul><div>The major benefits of using this system this year have meant that reports have been SUPER FAST to complete. Students are much clearer about where their report grades come from and have devoted significantly more energy to 'improve'. </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vgm5qQViFOfkLyD-iWVZqHnM7IHVR1bM0KTUvqjzkp6O_fcomNuQRgY8Ng4RYHOhytHRL_cBs9FtZ5PcirQVfex_2X1FOcB_lkmiJ5EBzHhTZoIgUNyRjcs9xSeFAb4CxNNWFbPKzkdAzMB-zDpG8Ffaj2Wq_nabP6C7CRJB0PEbDk0Lbl9g6WTE8A/s1510/Screen%20Shot%202022-11-29%20at%203.47.28%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="1510" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vgm5qQViFOfkLyD-iWVZqHnM7IHVR1bM0KTUvqjzkp6O_fcomNuQRgY8Ng4RYHOhytHRL_cBs9FtZ5PcirQVfex_2X1FOcB_lkmiJ5EBzHhTZoIgUNyRjcs9xSeFAb4CxNNWFbPKzkdAzMB-zDpG8Ffaj2Wq_nabP6C7CRJB0PEbDk0Lbl9g6WTE8A/w640-h284/Screen%20Shot%202022-11-29%20at%203.47.28%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><i><br /> ("It's been a little while since I've blogged regularly so to get back in the habit, I thought I would share one photo every day for the remainder of the school year to capture some of my learning, reflections, and creations for 2022. Each photo is accompanied by a short caption. The idea is to keep it short, simple, and reflective. I would love for people to join me - if you do, make sure you include #edphoto22 on whatever platform you share it (Twitter, Mastodon, Facebook, Instagram, wherever...)."</i><p></p>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-41277536052201584982022-11-28T11:16:00.004-08:002022-11-28T11:16:52.233-08:00NITS action plan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today's photo is a screenshot from one of the documents we used in our kāhui ako this year. We encouraged all our schools to use the NITS framework that we created to help guide their inquiry practice this year.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><blockquote><h4 style="text-align: left;">NITS </h4></blockquote><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">N - What NEED are you addressing?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I - What IMPACT are you intending to have?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">T - What actions will you take in which TIMEFRAME?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">S - SO WHAT? What did you learn through your action? </div></blockquote><p>Getting everyone to use the same framework means that we could more easily help the twelve schools we work with communicate with each other about where they were at in their inquiries, and as a result support each other more effectively. Each school completed an action plan like the one below. All action plans were combined into one presentation so that each school could then follow up, learn from or even collaborate with schools working on similar goals. </p><p>PS: You can learn more about the rubric referred to in the document <a href="http://missdtheteacher.blogspot.com/2022/11/learner-agency-rubric.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ogoeGejochQKxi7lvvH4SzrLCuNz5iVTwWWDKLaND0JD_RJejFe6naJKDg9FzB4NTK06Naq_2z54DxaatIjhssL3kkKbm8m5ZSKV6hNPvnR3o4kOxUWnxYFxmA6PGeQTsgNbx_OrRo0T90DptiSN6l-b4lima24gpBIDYLSIBS-LH8bkDjKxWgqR0g/s960/ASL%20NITS%20action%20plan%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ogoeGejochQKxi7lvvH4SzrLCuNz5iVTwWWDKLaND0JD_RJejFe6naJKDg9FzB4NTK06Naq_2z54DxaatIjhssL3kkKbm8m5ZSKV6hNPvnR3o4kOxUWnxYFxmA6PGeQTsgNbx_OrRo0T90DptiSN6l-b4lima24gpBIDYLSIBS-LH8bkDjKxWgqR0g/w640-h360/ASL%20NITS%20action%20plan%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="text-align: center;"><i>("It's been a little while since I've blogged regularly so to get back in the habit, I thought I would share one photo every day for the remainder of the school year to capture some of my learning, reflections, and creations for 2022. Each photo is accompanied by a short caption. The idea is to keep it short, simple, and reflective. I would love for people to join me - if you do, make sure you include #edphoto22 on whatever platform you share it (Twitter, Mastodon, Facebook, Instagram, wherever...)." </i></span></p>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-14984748520815911392022-11-23T16:04:00.002-08:002022-11-23T16:04:16.365-08:00Whakatauki cards<p>I am always looking for ways to bring more te reo Māori into my classes. However, doing this in a really meaningful way when my own understanding of the reo is limited can be a challenge. One resource that I created this year to help are the cards pictured in these photos. I collected a range of whakatauki from <a href="https://www.mightyape.co.nz/product/the-raupo-book-of-maori-proverbs-paperback/19866677?gclid=CjwKCAiApvebBhAvEiwAe7mHSD7IYIphavFbjFXsqShHQMFHflwfsaQQJKRp_X1JOwRu7hMmYjgFCRoCU3sQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">this book</a> with their translations and a brief explanation of their meaning. I then created a number of activities to use with students. This worked even better than I expected as students really enjoyed the discussions of how these important generational lessons applied to them. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhx1vAZPMLw4-C2eGX16LCYBooR-tfBySpw8ehG_GXrj4xcSB9ppWpMq28E6dR7Xt0G7cb1PaV9F3LwN2PUxDwf7pjnFkDHSiraad_xwhM87BNXLQ50NJRyRRmXUGXFu1RsKS5Crje7P3qe9k6pADcr4g6XQa95_iU9xcud6RxQvb7f7X_e_42lFZMnw/s4032/IMG_0711.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhx1vAZPMLw4-C2eGX16LCYBooR-tfBySpw8ehG_GXrj4xcSB9ppWpMq28E6dR7Xt0G7cb1PaV9F3LwN2PUxDwf7pjnFkDHSiraad_xwhM87BNXLQ50NJRyRRmXUGXFu1RsKS5Crje7P3qe9k6pADcr4g6XQa95_iU9xcud6RxQvb7f7X_e_42lFZMnw/w640-h480/IMG_0711.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><i>("It's been a little while since I've blogged regularly so to get back in the habit, I thought I would share one photo every day for the remainder of the school year to capture some of my learning, reflections, and creations for 2022. Each photo is accompanied by a short caption. The idea is to keep it short, simple, and reflective. I would love for people to join me - if you do, make sure you include #edphoto22 on whatever platform you share it (Twitter, Mastodon, Facebook, Instagram, wherever...)." </i></p>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-1630072041398815332022-11-22T16:44:00.006-08:002022-11-22T16:44:59.424-08:00Growth mindset ludo<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhD7CkBBdo1bm_8bAEUlZdT8gTaal67F2LnDgpKh4xlr26ZeqmzFqfk0Npf5B0VXa1LKeeiGTnjYgS7euom-XyWqzzj9bL3YTOHmI-wWSn0mNXSQ6aCe3uMDKVC5dCkydX_t1p0yGeu0zEniTxju6kwIkO-jIgLY1GVtVRHdhTx261sYvJl4FPHkOpg/s4032/IMG_7912.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhD7CkBBdo1bm_8bAEUlZdT8gTaal67F2LnDgpKh4xlr26ZeqmzFqfk0Npf5B0VXa1LKeeiGTnjYgS7euom-XyWqzzj9bL3YTOHmI-wWSn0mNXSQ6aCe3uMDKVC5dCkydX_t1p0yGeu0zEniTxju6kwIkO-jIgLY1GVtVRHdhTx261sYvJl4FPHkOpg/w640-h480/IMG_7912.HEIC" width="640" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A resource I have been working on this year is 'growth mindset ludo'. As students move around the board, they land on various reflection questions about<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiiEeMN7vbQ" target="_blank"> fixed and growth mindsets</a> to help them identify the patterns in their own thinking. After all, it is reflection that helps us learn from our mistakes and improve. I'll make sure to share more about this game when it is done. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">("It's been a little while since I've blogged regularly so to get back in the habit, I thought I would share one photo every day for the remainder of the school year to capture some of my learning, reflections, and creations for 2022. Each photo is accompanied by a short caption. The idea is to keep it short, simple, and reflective. I would love for people to join me - if you do, make sure you include #edphoto22 on whatever platform you share it (Twitter, Mastodon, Facebook, Instagram, wherever...)." </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-15529356016942937922022-11-22T16:40:00.003-08:002022-11-28T10:58:26.858-08:00Guerrilla warfare<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0l2YoRLJ52QE5KX8XNjZrXXKflQlb3BO5qwFi887KXYz3HOImtNiLfbwBtv7eTOo8FJGVbrOGuFcbc-oPY0NfqPEQsf0lvbhFom8EBSF5ro8ESszGAQY7yzel_M7VI0pBfGT56z0c0D0Oeb7gRvGMSXudJivIhaBbVqQeQU56b75rx4Y_nhnhjIjIg/s4032/IMG_7213.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0l2YoRLJ52QE5KX8XNjZrXXKflQlb3BO5qwFi887KXYz3HOImtNiLfbwBtv7eTOo8FJGVbrOGuFcbc-oPY0NfqPEQsf0lvbhFom8EBSF5ro8ESszGAQY7yzel_M7VI0pBfGT56z0c0D0Oeb7gRvGMSXudJivIhaBbVqQeQU56b75rx4Y_nhnhjIjIg/w480-h640/IMG_7213.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br />Wikipedia describes Guerilla warfare as "<i>a form of irregular warfare in which small groups of combatants ... fight a larger and less-mobile traditional military</i>". Due to their size, they tend to avoid head-on confrontations, focusing instead on very targeted attacks including sabotage, ambushes, and hit-and-run tactics. <div><br /></div><div>I often wonder about guerilla warfare as a metaphor in education... </div><div><br /></div><div>When education attempts to make large-scale shifts, such as by introducing more Mātauranga Māori in the curriculum, there are those people who hide in the shadows and staunchly defend their existing territory. You might even be able to think of examples where someone deliberately sabotaged a project, or planned an ambush to derail an initiative.<div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, we can use Guerrilla techniques for the positive too. Just think of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/oct/19/the-guerrilla-girls-interview-art-world-rebels">Guerilla Girls </a>and how they have done this in the art world. The photo I have selected to share today reminds me of the guerilla girls a little. It is a simple action I have taken that did not require permission, lots of infrastructure or resources, and was a one-person action that impacted a larger group. What did I do? I just made a small sticker for each staff members' computer so that it is easier for staff to identify various priority learner groups when they take the roll. It is a simple action, but it really helps people know who the students in front of them are. What other small things can we do as leaders that to reduce the cognitive load for our colleagues to make it easier for them to do their jobs effectively? <br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn.aucklandunlimited.com/artgallery/assets/media/met-museum-1989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="800" height="253" src="https://cdn.aucklandunlimited.com/artgallery/assets/media/met-museum-1989.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><i>("It's been a little while since I've blogged regularly so to get back in the habit, I thought I would share one photo every day for the remainder of the school year to capture some of my learning, reflections, and creations for 2022. Each photo is accompanied by a short caption. The idea is to keep it short, simple, and reflective. I would love for people to join me - if you do, make sure you include #edphoto22 on whatever platform you share it (Twitter, Mastodon, Facebook, Instagram, wherever...)." </i></div></div></div></div>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-64367154026054783212022-11-21T16:11:00.001-08:002022-11-21T16:11:11.263-08:00Learner agency rubric<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIg12Ge2OVGGaCAP8xvXHyJMdXYLsfVFs840kT1JdhbwwAcpEaRxUvUgnzeFiycm3jSNLpOJOxnA44V5rLke1MgBhM70SSXk6awb7kWSV7acTA5K0ZPiZE4w5vXxiTaTtzcOi-f5Vry_BlY365k5orW6p_z9nks21C9-1MI3s93SAT5pXK9rHEAyw6A/s4032/IMG_0556.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIg12Ge2OVGGaCAP8xvXHyJMdXYLsfVFs840kT1JdhbwwAcpEaRxUvUgnzeFiycm3jSNLpOJOxnA44V5rLke1MgBhM70SSXk6awb7kWSV7acTA5K0ZPiZE4w5vXxiTaTtzcOi-f5Vry_BlY365k5orW6p_z9nks21C9-1MI3s93SAT5pXK9rHEAyw6A/w480-h640/IMG_0556.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our community of learning has been focussing on increasing learner agency across our schools. We have developed <a href="https://www.whiriatetangata.school.nz/la" target="_blank">rubrics</a> to help us track our progress in doing so. The photo above shows a staff activity where teachers were asked to think of examples of existing practices in our school that promote learner agency. We then collected some data about where teachers felt we were on this rubric to help us set professional learning school goals for next year. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>("It's been a little while since I've blogged regularly so to get back in the habit, I thought I would share one photo every day for the remainder of the school year to capture some of my learning, reflections, and creations for 2022. Each photo is accompanied by a short caption. The idea is to keep it short, simple, and reflective. I would love for people to join me - if you do, make sure you include #edphoto22 on whatever platform you share it (Twitter, Mastodon, Facebook, Instagram, wherever...)." </i></div><p></p>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-81607885886169694262022-11-17T18:27:00.002-08:002022-11-17T18:27:31.370-08:00Bones<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTB2ReD57Adft0O3dxrjzfzzI-Un4xOtkAsOBwxQ2Y-D4Lx4kCnxr82PVYGiyMucwWw6tCZXtF6PXN3xfqenD4M-1jTzABg_nF0wx-aridkKNV2ie200bEB1lA5zvPlarCYma3-tzHYoN8AwHFndG7lDUofvVDa0dJPBrvjUFkWjLJ-hjYBk2KtMJJA/s1456/Screen%20Shot%202022-11-18%20at%203.15.06%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1022" data-original-width="1456" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTB2ReD57Adft0O3dxrjzfzzI-Un4xOtkAsOBwxQ2Y-D4Lx4kCnxr82PVYGiyMucwWw6tCZXtF6PXN3xfqenD4M-1jTzABg_nF0wx-aridkKNV2ie200bEB1lA5zvPlarCYma3-tzHYoN8AwHFndG7lDUofvVDa0dJPBrvjUFkWjLJ-hjYBk2KtMJJA/w640-h450/Screen%20Shot%202022-11-18%20at%203.15.06%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The misinformation around COVID and vaccination has particularly highlighted for me the importance of ensuring that science needs to be more inclusive. This year I've been trying to assess science in more ways than just writing. One of the ways that I believe science excludes students is that it relies too heavily on writing to communicate an understanding of scientific ideas. Hence, this year I designed and taught a unit called Bones. We focused on creating models and representations of bones. This illustration was produced by a year 10 student. Pretty amazing right? </p><p><br /></p><p><i>("It's been a little while since I've blogged regularly so to get back in the habit, I thought I would share one photo every day for the remainder of the school year to capture some of my learning, reflections, and creations for 2022. Each photo is accompanied by a short caption. The idea is to keep it short, simple, and reflective. I would love for people to join me - if you do, make sure you include #edphoto22 on whatever platform you share it (Twitter, Mastodon, Facebook, Instagram, wherever...)." </i></p>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-19848382923319616532022-11-16T19:45:00.008-08:002022-11-16T19:45:41.461-08:00Elwyn Richardson<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB05F0nuTvAOXNlEk9v0Zhp3bSgYxgZVcWqaASp6sxra-0NyXBnDritrvDZdDNerJCz-mbpMJDq0QPffgMVl4T7ID9SA8K3F-VlENxnU7uh1D-WlLqXeei8tu-l3gfb2sl_8Huh3FhFC81dDUA4ieGkMIJHuintZSE5_PgiQ2BekjKBUm0SC4Mfqb5dg/s4032/IMG_9468.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB05F0nuTvAOXNlEk9v0Zhp3bSgYxgZVcWqaASp6sxra-0NyXBnDritrvDZdDNerJCz-mbpMJDq0QPffgMVl4T7ID9SA8K3F-VlENxnU7uh1D-WlLqXeei8tu-l3gfb2sl_8Huh3FhFC81dDUA4ieGkMIJHuintZSE5_PgiQ2BekjKBUm0SC4Mfqb5dg/w640-h480/IMG_9468.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>The pottery work in this photo is some of the artworks produced by the students of Elwyn Richardson. If you don't know, Elwyn was an influential educator both in New Zealand and internationally for the impact his educational philosophy had. I was lucky enough to get to see some of these artifacts in person earlier this year when I visited the University of Auckland's Epsom Campus. I include this photo here because it is a good reminder that sometimes we have to break the rules to succeed. It is when we break the rules that we are able to break free from racist institutions. It is when we break the rules that we see innovation occurring. However, knowing when to break the rules and when not to requires wisdom. So just how does one acquire wisdom?</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="370" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7v2IeWIr2A8" width="445" youtube-src-id="7v2IeWIr2A8"></iframe></div><p><br /></p><p><i>("It's been a little while since I've blogged regularly so to get back in the habit, I thought I would share one photo every day for the remainder of the school year to capture some of my learning, reflections, and creations for 2022. Each photo is accompanied by a short caption. The idea is to keep it short, simple, and reflective. I would love for people to join me - if you do, make sure you include #edphoto22 on whatever platform you share it (Twitter, Mastodon, Facebook, Instagram, wherever...)." </i></p>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-49487672604892760252022-11-15T15:28:00.002-08:002022-11-15T15:28:16.424-08:00Power<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupmmG0lGYrlsQIxc7BM1v6pMdp5J99D7GeambZTqQV7Bpd3UcFV7avx9APrQ4RRzgAoi_zRohC1vRd-ErxCesjPId5ixJSXGZFMA90eyAeKIvYVU2DdGEjA09AhaR20dw6YRHGA-LNGP-lVdYCMKrDlm3LBGSZYmCN-4R571Pk453ngqCEgfdeiEBgw/s3411/IMG_0563.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3411" data-original-width="2268" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupmmG0lGYrlsQIxc7BM1v6pMdp5J99D7GeambZTqQV7Bpd3UcFV7avx9APrQ4RRzgAoi_zRohC1vRd-ErxCesjPId5ixJSXGZFMA90eyAeKIvYVU2DdGEjA09AhaR20dw6YRHGA-LNGP-lVdYCMKrDlm3LBGSZYmCN-4R571Pk453ngqCEgfdeiEBgw/w426-h640/IMG_0563.HEIC" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Today's photo is from my PLD journal. As you can see I do like a bit of bullet journaling. The notes on this page are from a PLD session lead by Perry Rush. I was reminded again about why I think the idea of a student-centered focus in education is problematic as it still results in an imbalance of power structures. I am more interested in how I might become a genuine partner and collaborator in the learning journey of a student. My reasons for shifting to this position are long and complex. But in a nutshell, our society is full of stories that show what happens when there is an imbalance of power. I talk more about how I came to reframe how I thought about power sharing in the classroom in<a href="http://missdtheteacher.blogspot.com/2018/11/disengagement-or-is-it-something-else.html" target="_blank"> this post.</a> In particular, I talk about how I am increasingly convinced that a lack of power contributes significantly to the disparities we see in the academic achievement of Māori and Pasifika students. </p><p><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">("It's been a little while since I've blogged regularly so to get back in the habit, I thought I would share one photo every day for the remainder of the school year to capture some of my learning, reflections, and creations for 2022. Each photo is accompanied by a short caption. The idea is to keep it short, simple, and reflective. I would love for people to join me - if you do, make sure you include #edphoto22 on whatever platform you share it (Twitter, Mastodon, Facebook, Instagram, wherever...)." </i></p>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-16432042557373354252022-11-14T16:07:00.000-08:002022-11-14T16:07:33.541-08:00Every kid needs a champion<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0_zk2h_4LQxi-lX0m2Flf6QPi7qbTVD0cefAq8lkRFicW2DVgGBaC7IhpXnGygq5tw3Mg_Wjvc58cdHvyteYbE14spPuRNfaoLci--lYaCeDkiK588fV7BfdfxhoP5Dksg9f_WnO1GiaJSOuIijYF-AUFS1qsYAnBLn4bW_LLYW8xbGdCADk8Rj03w/s1506/0FE385D5-9229-42D4-A03D-F6C61E4894C0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1241" data-original-width="1506" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0_zk2h_4LQxi-lX0m2Flf6QPi7qbTVD0cefAq8lkRFicW2DVgGBaC7IhpXnGygq5tw3Mg_Wjvc58cdHvyteYbE14spPuRNfaoLci--lYaCeDkiK588fV7BfdfxhoP5Dksg9f_WnO1GiaJSOuIijYF-AUFS1qsYAnBLn4bW_LLYW8xbGdCADk8Rj03w/w640-h528/0FE385D5-9229-42D4-A03D-F6C61E4894C0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Hobsonville Point Secondary School (HPSS) uses an <a href="https://www.enrichingstudents.com/high-school-advisory-program-models/">advisory</a> model for pastoral care (informed by the work of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Big-Picture-Education-Everyones-Business/dp/0871209713" target="_blank">Dennis Littky</a> and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/825612.One_Kid_at_a_Time" target="_blank">Eliot Levine</a>). We call these pastoral groups hubs. The young people in this photo are my responsibility for their time here at HPSS. I work to help them succeed in whatever goals they set. I work hard to help them feel like they have a place here at school where they feel they belong, and where there is an adult who will always have their back while having high expectations of them. Or in the words of Rita Pierson; "<i>every kid needs a champion</i>". And that is exactly what I work hard to be for these students. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SFnMTHhKdkw" width="320" youtube-src-id="SFnMTHhKdkw"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><i>("It's been a little while since I've blogged regularly so to get back in the habit, I thought I would share one photo every day for the remainder of the school year to capture some of my learning, reflections, and creations for 2022. Each photo is accompanied by a short caption. The idea is to keep it short, simple, and reflective. I would love for people to join me - if you do, make sure you include #edphoto22 on whatever platform you share it (Twitter, Mastodon, Facebook, Instagram, wherever...)." </i><p></p>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-45179904053345203622022-11-13T17:14:00.001-08:002022-11-13T17:14:29.961-08:00Tiritiri Matangi Island<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XCIdB8Imn7JLP0tdgNZ-HqJVIaHkUTDrzQ55WF5KAGB4EWMymcF_6FexM2j7NUcGYP0uJQhdtXPSvSTf9L5gnroMwLcnaWYL0uGZhVhxS9-BQx_3Ch9zidSgHNNu8pjT0ClH8I4Bdh1iwT2tgdB42abMFPjSslA-DbCjcGDUhVUfn64_WIQtCxwXIQ/s4032/IMG_7584.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XCIdB8Imn7JLP0tdgNZ-HqJVIaHkUTDrzQ55WF5KAGB4EWMymcF_6FexM2j7NUcGYP0uJQhdtXPSvSTf9L5gnroMwLcnaWYL0uGZhVhxS9-BQx_3Ch9zidSgHNNu8pjT0ClH8I4Bdh1iwT2tgdB42abMFPjSslA-DbCjcGDUhVUfn64_WIQtCxwXIQ/w480-h640/IMG_7584.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br />Today's photo is of a takahē on Tiritiri Matangi, the bird sanctuary which is located in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, 3.4 km east of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula in the North Island and 30 km northeast of Auckland. Earlier this year I visited the island sanctuary with my level 2 biology class. This photo is a reminder that experiencing learning with all your sense is always powerful. But where the deep learning happens is where that experience is then used to inspire deeper inquiry. <p></p><p><i>("It's been a little while since I've blogged regularly so to get back in the habit, I thought I would share one photo every day for the remainder of the school year to capture some of my learning, reflections, and creations for 2022. Each photo is accompanied by a short caption. The idea is to keep it short, simple, and reflective. I would love for people to join me - if you do, make sure you include #edphoto22 on whatever platform you share it (Twitter, Mastodon, Facebook, Instagram, wherever...)."</i></p>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-76326454896398364782022-11-10T13:13:00.001-08:002022-11-10T13:13:55.517-08:00Photo essays<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd47rOhmCKouqz2NZtuaET7E-zQC2L1RSG-LoZuuRj6tRpvFW9NmGoMtmXFiIS3Z9VxM_y0x3IG5EMe3yvaqs8fH8QDLgGzd9YQN-eXivmZlkNUo_4jpfjZBUd_cmdNe5aboHfYDCIxJ22yjWN1rNWo1i4x3SfeP9p9hS_PsQAXXZvYpsH0rH_xpMnKA/s960/Socio-scientific%20photo%20summary%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd47rOhmCKouqz2NZtuaET7E-zQC2L1RSG-LoZuuRj6tRpvFW9NmGoMtmXFiIS3Z9VxM_y0x3IG5EMe3yvaqs8fH8QDLgGzd9YQN-eXivmZlkNUo_4jpfjZBUd_cmdNe5aboHfYDCIxJ22yjWN1rNWo1i4x3SfeP9p9hS_PsQAXXZvYpsH0rH_xpMnKA/w360-h640/Socio-scientific%20photo%20summary%20(1).jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />One of the things that frustrate me about our current education system is that it has a bias toward using writing as a means to represent learning. Students are asked to write essays, write reports, write an email, write a letter, write a story. In science, this is particularly evident through the prioritisation of exams, tests, and reports that remain fixed as one of the primary means to assess students (not in all contexts but in many). I have a hunch that this bias contributes to the lack of cultural and gender diversity represented in science fields. In response, I wanted to spend some time this year emphasising some other modes of communicating ideas in science. The photo above was taken by a student as part of their photo essay about climate change. <a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1iMBuHH3UjtfbVArtF487Jv2uZBz-n7a8kl5-JODuCyo/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Here is the task</a> I used to scaffold students in their photo essays. <p></p><p><i>("It's been a little while since I've blogged regularly so to get back in the habit, I thought I would share one photo every day for the remainder of the school year to capture some of my learning, reflections, and creations for 2022. Each photo is accompanied by a short caption. The idea is to keep it short, simple, and reflective. I would love for people to join me - if you do, make sure you include #edphoto22 on whatever platform you share it (Twitter, Mastodon, Facebook, Instagram, wherever...)."</i></p>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-78192315404864974822022-11-10T12:55:00.001-08:002022-11-28T10:58:48.170-08:00Ngā tuna me ngā arawhata - eels and ladders<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyXdejp98mcM_qMCFYxG8jm6woriqW8I2moJOL3QG_dEKq-UiA1oSf-TwKf_9I7bwNdi6ZxJQ_BOjl2hl0MFRnpzJQcQllXwodSqG1t5qS2hTrcZxGUaQL2e0r8Pe3VbXTb0rHIBfcK6yNwoL2PoKTA0pz39mBYJNcBw9fl0Q_R6g-icd-bwhOUX4ZQ/s4032/IMG_0453.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyXdejp98mcM_qMCFYxG8jm6woriqW8I2moJOL3QG_dEKq-UiA1oSf-TwKf_9I7bwNdi6ZxJQ_BOjl2hl0MFRnpzJQcQllXwodSqG1t5qS2hTrcZxGUaQL2e0r8Pe3VbXTb0rHIBfcK6yNwoL2PoKTA0pz39mBYJNcBw9fl0Q_R6g-icd-bwhOUX4ZQ/w640-h480/IMG_0453.HEIC" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Two photos today, but of the same thing. One of my roles is as an Across School Leader for our kāhui ako of 12 schools. As we come to the end of the year, the teams I work with will be reflecting on the impact they have had in 2022. To help those conversations along I have reinvented snakes and ladders. Firstly, since we don't have snakes in New Zealand I changed it to eels. Secondly, on each open space there is a question to prompt deeper reflection about the focus of each team's inquiries this year. When you land on the space, you will need to answer the question you have landed on. </p><p><i>"It's been a little while since I've blogged regularly so to get back in the habit, I thought I would share one photo every day for the remainder of the school year to capture some of my learning, reflections, and creations for 2022. Each photo is accompanied by a short caption. The idea is to keep it short, simple, and reflective. I would love for people to join me - if you do, make sure you include #edphoto22 on whatever platform you share it (Twitter, Mastodon, Facebook, Instagram, wherever...)."</i></p>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-51707428693185476212022-11-08T14:22:00.001-08:002022-11-08T14:22:29.284-08:00Battleground - generating inquiry questions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTekBGdQZRiOFyZhhsWHcGeDB5j86aJOewcYSUk029GLqPoAJus3qQCUdjMFygPF0XG5LECUyVV0xbKaeH7p2AbLpTA_XJCe38T4fh7TvBtXLNL7rZXPdai7nOzA7fkNTyhDuBTmDPtsmrZeGVbMn-cXNqkD5C0c-lQ1jlutf0N0IHPV6xAwEd4dnMw/s1592/Screen%20Shot%202022-11-08%20at%206.02.20%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1242" data-original-width="1592" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTekBGdQZRiOFyZhhsWHcGeDB5j86aJOewcYSUk029GLqPoAJus3qQCUdjMFygPF0XG5LECUyVV0xbKaeH7p2AbLpTA_XJCe38T4fh7TvBtXLNL7rZXPdai7nOzA7fkNTyhDuBTmDPtsmrZeGVbMn-cXNqkD5C0c-lQ1jlutf0N0IHPV6xAwEd4dnMw/w640-h500/Screen%20Shot%202022-11-08%20at%206.02.20%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;">Students in this photo are playing Battleground. In order to have agency in their learning, students need to be able to ask good questions. I invented this game as a fun way to have students practice generating questions. When playing this game students can develop their critical thinking through both generating questions and the strategy that they try to use in order to win the game. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 13.2px;">PS: It's been a little while since I've blogged regularly so to get back in the habit, I thought I would share one photo every day for the remainder of the school year to capture some of my learning, reflections, and creations for 2022. Each photo is accompanied by a short caption. The idea is to keep it short, simple, and reflective. I would love for people to join me - if you do, make sure you include #edphoto22 on whatever platform you share it (Twitter, Mastodon, Facebook, Instagram, wherever...). </span></p>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-39916627825835818592022-11-07T15:29:00.000-08:002022-11-07T15:29:17.316-08:00Inquiry baskets of knowledge<p>It's been a little while since I've blogged regularly so to get back in the habit, I thought I would share one photo every day for the remainder of the school year to capture some of my learning, reflections, and creations for 2022. Each photo is accompanied by a short caption. The idea is to keep it short, simple, and reflective. I would love for people to join me - if you do, make sure you include #edphoto22 on whatever platform you share it (Twitter, Mastodon, Facebook, Instagram, wherever...). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJcmpzfr32vWk4cjOkKgGXNb-R36FdPm60bzZLBuBWx-wDS9NrcRk87MonDUCTHmNeQMZHtOpFVR9WIwKjRufClqkg5cQZ0L1_9uwAcTWtVWhAjB74-qx6IntoZa5n3w7DZqnioXfd3B521uuTqCg1NLrwtRmLRD0IovqPtMYeA65ZvVqgdJ03M6gkpg/s2952/IMG_9228.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2952" data-original-width="2214" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJcmpzfr32vWk4cjOkKgGXNb-R36FdPm60bzZLBuBWx-wDS9NrcRk87MonDUCTHmNeQMZHtOpFVR9WIwKjRufClqkg5cQZ0L1_9uwAcTWtVWhAjB74-qx6IntoZa5n3w7DZqnioXfd3B521uuTqCg1NLrwtRmLRD0IovqPtMYeA65ZvVqgdJ03M6gkpg/w480-h640/IMG_9228.heic" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p>This is a photo of students' literal baskets of knowledge. Their key learning and questions from their inquiries were summarised on strips of paper that were then weaved into a kete (basket). Students also reflected on the purākau (story) of Tāne and the baskets of knowledge and what this could teach them about how to tackle their own pursuit of knowledge in their inquiry. Here is the <a href="https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12761569" target="_blank">full resource</a> if you wish to repurpose or reuse it.</p>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-28999482322650244472022-03-24T19:20:00.002-07:002022-03-24T21:38:18.160-07:00Return to normal?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vig9sHaAp1j3UU9ZJiAx859hS2Yee5B03z9OUM9p1fjzytVJ6fLQQ_DIhy4p6NGwRDVfjnrWuKx9wKROeJTkn7_Zw2JJbSMoQDyPCFY0WHkiOwardPC73hDMpxKxZ4qXPXkBJor8PoZFAJOHhnZV5acnkFsWuOIOEsLSS8kKcNkxdDtRvJqRztttWg/s1434/Screen%20Shot%202022-03-23%20at%2011.35.01%20AM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1434" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7vig9sHaAp1j3UU9ZJiAx859hS2Yee5B03z9OUM9p1fjzytVJ6fLQQ_DIhy4p6NGwRDVfjnrWuKx9wKROeJTkn7_Zw2JJbSMoQDyPCFY0WHkiOwardPC73hDMpxKxZ4qXPXkBJor8PoZFAJOHhnZV5acnkFsWuOIOEsLSS8kKcNkxdDtRvJqRztttWg/w640-h348/Screen%20Shot%202022-03-23%20at%2011.35.01%20AM.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>There is no question that Covid has disrupted the status quo in education. Schools have had to adapt to new challenges about how we deliver our programmes, how we support student wellbeing, how we assess and a whole lot more. Across the country and across the world, different populations, people and families have all been affected differently too, whether it is due to days, weeks or months of lockdown, extended periods of illness, or the financial ramifications of covid exacerbating inequity even further. However, when speaking to many of my teaching colleagues, they frequently identify that perhaps one of the biggest challenges, if not the biggest challenge that we have faced as a result of Covid, is the large amount of uncertainty that covid has introduced.</div><div><br /></div><div>One might argue that for some time now, in many contexts, teaching has involved large degrees of certainty. We have steady salaries and steady timetables. We are able to make assessment plans and exam timetables because of the certainty we have in our routines. We have been able to plan ahead because we knew what to anticipate from year to year. In fact, many of us even plan our bathroom breaks ahead of time because we know where those busy blocks in our week are! While schools often bring in new changes and initiatives, these are usually cumulative small changes over time, rather than distinct disruptions that result in sudden systemic or radical change. We might have a new open-plan building, new curriculums, try new pedagogies, but students still came to school five days a week. Student to teacher ratios stayed similar, assessments were carried out in fairly similar ways. (Think first order vs. second order change - "<i>First order change relies upon step-by-step incremental learning, expansively building upon previous capabilities while simultaneously modifying what has been learned before. In contrast, second order change demands fundamental shifts in students' thinking, a reframing of previous learning which serves as a springboard for a transformation to new levels of comprehension</i>" (<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J274v17n03_04?journalCode=wzcc20" target="_blank">source</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div>Nek minute...* Covid happened.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some schools had months of operating online. Schools that were still device free at the start of 2020, suddenly had to start teaching and learning online completely, for weeks (if not months) on end. Assessments that were usually done in class, often under test conditions, suddenly had to be done from home, on a device. Students used to come to school 5 days a week for about 40 weeks of the year. Yet for some Auckland students, they had no school on-site from August 2021 right through to the start of February 2022. Some of us went to sleep one night and woke up the next morning to find that while we slept, we entered another snap lockdown and there would be no school for the next week. Even school holidays were moved suddenly. </div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, this doesn't even touch on the degree of uncertainty in our personal lives. There is the constant question of will I or won't I get covid? Will my loved ones and I be okay if we do get covid? Can my family financial support ourselves with such rapid increases in the cost of living? Does my incredibly mild sore throat mean I should stay home, or that I just talked too much with my mask on? Taken together, for many of us this uncertainty seems to have led to more stress and anxiety. In fact, there is <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09638237.2021.2022620">research</a> that has shown links between uncertainty and mental health outcomes. </div><div><br /></div><div>While the uncertainty generated from covid has in some cases felt novel after such long periods of stability in many parts of the world, experts have long called our attention to an increase in VUCA, that is an increase in volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity in the world. In the last few years we have seen everything from the current situation in the Ukraine and the fear around nuclear escalation, the election of Trump and consequent capitol riots, Brexit, and even an increased numbers of natural disasters. This doesn't even begin to touch on the uncertainty generated from climate change that will only increase if we remain on our current trajectory - increased risk of additional pandemics and diseases, increases in food scarcity, loss of land leading to escalated conflicts about land, climate refugees, more natural disasters, etc. </div><div><br /></div><div>As we navigate this uncertainty, I keep hearing myself and others talk about "<i>when things are back to normal...". </i> And despite hearing myself and others talk about the <i>"new normal"</i>, I can't hep but wonder if either subconsciously or consciously, we are waiting for things to return to a <i>"normal" </i>closer to what we were used to? Are we waiting for a return to the predictability that we had gotten so used to? I know that I have caught myself in this particular waiting around mindset a few times. </div><div><br /><b>However, I think it is time that we ask ourselves; just how useful is it to be waiting around for the <i>'old normal' to return?</i></b></div><div><br /></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Many times I have caught myself thinking "<i>when things are back to (old) normal, I will...[insert designated activity, plan, etc.]</i>". Unfortunately, I suspect that that the constant postponing and waiting for things to be able to happen<i> 'as normal',</i> leaves me with a greater sense of uncertainty. Some things definitely needs to be postponed, concerts, international travel, etc. And some things that keep being postponed is definitely beyond my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj8dmSgQa1c" target="_blank">circle of influence</a>. However, I have noticed that the "<i>when things are back to (old) normal, I will..." </i>thinking is often an excuse for postponing something that I find difficult, uncomfortable, frustrating, boring, and so forth. Other times, I have found that my postponing is an excuse for not being willing to do the mental work of rethinking an activity - how could we change this activity to make it feasible in our current conditions? <br /><br /></li><li>Next, in the<i> "old normal", </i>many of us had stability, predictability and routines that made use feel safe and secure, financially, emotionally, physically, etc. However for many people, the <i>'old normal' </i>sucked too. Long before Covid came along, we have been surrounded by racism, poverty domestic abuse and epidemics of mental health. While the <i>"old normal" </i> might have been a comfortable place for myself and my immediate family, this is definitely not the case for large parts of our population. So it is only right to ask myself whether my wish for a return to <i>"old normal" </i>is really preferable to a wish to move to a <i>"new normal" </i>that might be better than the old? In other words, perhaps I need to stop wishing for things to go back to how they were, and instead wish for things to be radically improved in a new normal?<br /><br /></li><li>Third, yet perhaps the most important question I have been asking myself... What opportunities am I missing by waiting for a return to (old) normal? There is a tendency for complex systems to maintain their momentum along a particular path until sufficiently disrupted by competing phenomenon. One might argue that schools and the education system is enmeshed in significant amounts of system momentum - while there are small fluctuations, mutations, disruptions, etc. these rarely change the whole system. Just think about the LONG list of school and education initiatives that have been discontinued, rather than becoming fully embedded and changing the way the system operates. For example, there is overwhelming evidence that our education systems are not equitable and in many places, racist. There are numerous initiatives to address this, yet gaining sufficient momentum within these initiatives to overhaul the whole system often seems an insurmountable task. Covid has managed to disrupt numerous systems at various levels. So while I could focus on "<i>when things are back to normal...", </i>I wonder how instead we might focus on what opportunities for radical change has been created through large scale system disruption?<br /><br /></li><li>Following on from thinking about opportunities created by disruption and uncertainty, I have to wonder, are we just making things harder on ourselves by waiting for things to go back to the <i>'old normal'</i>? By waiting around in limbo, are we stopping ourselves from truly adapting to our <i>'new normal'</i> because subconsciously (or consciously) we are still waiting for things to return to the stability we were used to? Perhaps it's like a breakup? If we are still waiting around for and ex partner to change so that we can be better together, we stop yourself from really being available and open to finding better possibilities with a new partner. </li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>In summary, when I consider how often I have found myself thinking about a return to normal as I navigated the uncertainty brought about by covid, I have also had to question my capabilities for managing this uncertainty. What skills and habits do I need to develop further to better cope, and perhaps thrive in uncertainty? What opportunities can be found in uncertainty? </div><div><br /></div><div>I'm curious, have you experienced this '<i>return to normal</i>' bias? </div><div><br /></div><div><i>*If you are not familiar with 'nek minute', it's a New Zealand thing. It just means next minute.</i></div><p></p>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-3999479081496505522021-12-13T15:01:00.001-08:002021-12-13T15:01:12.663-08:00Reflecting on the practicing teacher criteria 2021<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To have spent so many months working from home in a job that usually involves so much face to face time, has made 2021 feel like a bit of an odd year for msot Auckland based teachers. So many of my usual patterns and routines as a teacher was disturbed, and so many plans were disrupted. And while supporting student learning from home is certainly not the norm, it doesn't change the professional responsibilities we hold. In fact, as I reflected on the practicing teacher criteria for 2021, I was reminded once again of just how flexible we need to be if we are to support our learners effectively in such uncertain, and somewhat volatile times. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QGTjo41COv8/Ya_aTW3ScqI/AAAAAAAAndk/MgTZbl4f3t4K8vKFTqXGBxDnnGdHEQTTQCNcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-12-08%2Bat%2B11.03.49%2BAM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="788" height="408" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QGTjo41COv8/Ya_aTW3ScqI/AAAAAAAAndk/MgTZbl4f3t4K8vKFTqXGBxDnnGdHEQTTQCNcBGAsYHQ/w640-h408/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-12-08%2Bat%2B11.03.49%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>What follows is a brief reflection about how I attempted to address the practising teacher criteria in 2021. I have included some examples of my practice, as well as a brief reflection on some of my next steps for 2022. <div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tadvSLeHTp8/Ya_ckvz571I/AAAAAAAAnds/FJ69ULwQdpQ3Cgs9zAHi9DtMcNxgFmPqACNcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-12-08%2Bat%2B11.13.30%2BAM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="517" height="303" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tadvSLeHTp8/Ya_ckvz571I/AAAAAAAAnds/FJ69ULwQdpQ3Cgs9zAHi9DtMcNxgFmPqACNcBGAsYHQ/w215-h303/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-12-08%2Bat%2B11.13.30%2BAM.png" width="215" /></a></div><p></p><p><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">1</span> Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership:</b> Demonstrate commitment to tangata whenuatanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership in Aotearoa New Zealand.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Creating a te reo Māori Kahoot or Quizziz for each topic that I taught to help students learn important vocabulary in both English in Māori. </li><li>Ensuring te reo Māori terms are always used for common headings alongside English. Eg. learning objective/whāinga paetae, success criteria/ngā paeru angitū.</li><li>Introducing myself to every class with my own pepepha.</li><li>Having students share their own pepeha, and then linking examples and contexts in the learning to student pepehas. Eg. students had to interview someone older than them about how an environment they are linked to has changed over time. </li></ul><b>Where to next:</b></div><div>While I have learnt to incorporate a more and more te reo Māori in a range of ways throughout my practice, I am still limited in using this when speaking. Hence in 2022, I intend to use find more opportunities for incorporating te reo Māori in speaking opportunities. </div><div><br /><span><!--more--></span><div><br /></div><p></p><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">2 </span></b><b>Professional learning: </b>Use inquiry, collaborative problem solving and professional learning to improve professional capability to impact on the learning and achievement of all learners.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.whiriatetangata.school.nz/showcase">Across school lead inquiry</a> into our leadership of the WSL teams. </li><li>Working with Laurayne Tafa re. improving our impact coaching.</li><li>Professional reading to support the development of our kāhui ako rubrics; <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kEiciRj_uZq8WvzIzx0S826Fe3W9CeXLTYk0bvF91TY/edit?usp=sharing">learner agency</a> rubric & <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bROemvqV1_7LnRHxNESem0cVtCAINv_MipTrLb92yXE/edit?usp=sharing">collective teacher efficacy</a> rubric.</li><li><a href="http://missdtheteacher.blogspot.com/2021/09/ghost-busters-dealing-with-ghosting.html">Researching and synthesising</a> best practice to support learning in lockdown. </li></ul><b>Where to next:</b></div><div>In 2022, I hope to keep developing my knowledge of tikanga and Mātauranga Māori, particularly in science. I am also looking forward to working with Laurayne Tafa to continue developing as an impact coach. <br /><span><!--more--></span><div><br /></div></div><div><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">3 </span></b><b>Professional relationships:</b> Establish and maintain professional relationships and behaviours focused on the learning and wellbeing of each learner.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Continuing to develop Impact Coaching practice using our kāhui ako coaching model. </li></ul><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="702" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBL0UioAUxTLsts_8d54RTo4c7ytLp8njeyySSU0mYD0FmZEalR1UXgiucE2HLMYD36ZJMSDWLs36yskhuMjhVT4rfJUKN8zr1j9PyAUzPmoPpf_PlxH1mOFyUo4mHJu7DFo6T13n6UACpOJhNpIZlyOcy9wj26g666hxJSGIH60MuPLpTMFKCo-GRFA=w630-h358" width="630" /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Using a range of communication methods to suit learners, both on-site and offsite eg. </li><ul><li>Daily Google meets with hub during lockdown. </li><li>Private comments though Google Classroom as reminders on student work and feedback. </li><li>Email</li></ul></ul><div><div><b>Where to next:</b></div><div>Building strong relationships between ASLs and WSLs have been a real challenge for me as so much of this happens through email - and this is definitely NOT my preferred style of communication. In 2022 I think I need to find more ways to build relationships beyond emails and two termly coaching meetings. </div></div><div><br /></div><span><!--more--></span><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">4 </span></b><b>Learning-focused culture: </b>Develop a culture that is focused
on learning, and is characterised
by respect, inclusion, empathy,
collaboration and safety.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Start each course with some team building games to help develop classroom culture. </li><li>Include games for learning where ever possible to revise learning, but also to continue building a classroom culture. Eg. cranium using keywords and terms,<a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1_9M4Kpb0Ca-nsxmGsw89CDbJDTIziPYlnbPpbRWCv-E/edit?usp=sharing"> image reveal game </a>(revealing one tiny section of an image at a time and students have to guess what it is), pictionary and charades with keywords, etc.</li><li>Valuing diversity that students bring to the classroom where students need to draw on their culture for success, eg. thinking about cultural food, interviewing someone from your own culture, researching an aspect of your own culture. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkL84E3iDehe7yhs6O9vKIiKeRSK8oB8W3y5TGJJJ6zNsa4Z6_v_A8jL0CeF2_-qzl107l5OWA-o8d44S7Xmi6IpIKS3qyD1DSX8KhE-7s_K7K68SNkY_u88jYIHokMk32T0PIWnWTkJh5FoWWjPNJkjjKHQ88VIism2ErJC6FsSWUysS86BV4nqrW-A=s560" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="560" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkL84E3iDehe7yhs6O9vKIiKeRSK8oB8W3y5TGJJJ6zNsa4Z6_v_A8jL0CeF2_-qzl107l5OWA-o8d44S7Xmi6IpIKS3qyD1DSX8KhE-7s_K7K68SNkY_u88jYIHokMk32T0PIWnWTkJh5FoWWjPNJkjjKHQ88VIism2ErJC6FsSWUysS86BV4nqrW-A=w435-h299" width="435" /></a></div><br /></li><li>Using proven best practice strategies that helps all learners succeed eg. regularly updating glossary with key terms, supported by translating explanations into their own words (including own native language if appropriate), as well as finding an image or example. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIGU2Mq7H0R5VMZTd2nRvDDOujnP2BH_moP3f5dVPkfOhWikGcGAh2DZbOAq483YjAeWtBVrevrbQVq6en2Kc2idfWmZtKWD35Szh-VRNEsG4nLrTSwzQxsEWt0XQepzAuW6uZTDeglvzh5Ba1k9-9R3VAAOl4NNDZYncw2R6leN352zIoSHY5u5f-wQ=s1010" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="1010" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIGU2Mq7H0R5VMZTd2nRvDDOujnP2BH_moP3f5dVPkfOhWikGcGAh2DZbOAq483YjAeWtBVrevrbQVq6en2Kc2idfWmZtKWD35Szh-VRNEsG4nLrTSwzQxsEWt0XQepzAuW6uZTDeglvzh5Ba1k9-9R3VAAOl4NNDZYncw2R6leN352zIoSHY5u5f-wQ=w514-h220" width="514" /></a></div></li></ul><div><b>Where to next:</b></div><div>An idea that I keep coming back to based on some of the reading I have been doing around culturally sustaining pedagogy is the idea of how we create a sense of belonging in our classrooms. Hence, for some time now I have been thinking about how I might create 'whanau' style groups in my biology classroom to help students have a base group to get feedback from, ask questions, etc. In 2022 my level 2 biology class will be quite big, hence this seems like the ideal situation to creat smaller groups where the students can been a greater sense of belonging. </div><span><!--more--></span><div><br /></div></div><div><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">5 </span></b><b>Design for learning:</b> Design learning based on curriculum and pedagogical knowledge, assessment information and an understanding of each learner’s strengths, interests, needs, identities, languages and cultures.</div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Using a range of modes to determine what level students are at including</li><ul><li>Quizizz and Kahoots to quickly assess understanding of key terms. </li><li>Checkpoints for assessments to check student progress. </li></ul><li>Use of inquiry learning approaches to facilitate students directing the direction of their own learning. </li><ul><li>One helpful thing we did to support the research aspect was that each student recorded their inquiry question on a page. Each page was then passed around the class for other students to suggest 'search terms' for the student to try when researching. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiWGL5lfEw7HxpiJKPQVX_Jkm27ZY3a-B1N6sjRmG40N0ZtY7PSdZzfOgenLQg59iwx1uF_pXeLPpRcLJWm8xvPd3dEUySjnxeQhmatnDHKqDjFTrgtJAdFRR2p82g0NP-Da0c-MfW5-72We4gdxwypFMZlwgeqGp1Jvqvhz4jv-_r6J2d_z6RzShjKg=s3024" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiWGL5lfEw7HxpiJKPQVX_Jkm27ZY3a-B1N6sjRmG40N0ZtY7PSdZzfOgenLQg59iwx1uF_pXeLPpRcLJWm8xvPd3dEUySjnxeQhmatnDHKqDjFTrgtJAdFRR2p82g0NP-Da0c-MfW5-72We4gdxwypFMZlwgeqGp1Jvqvhz4jv-_r6J2d_z6RzShjKg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /></li></ul></ul>Another helpful tool for developing student research skills was playing <a href="https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1vXsvKHbxDFW_sK5cnaEChoYg3zR6rnb8JJmiVW1C4GI/edit?usp=sharing">research bingo</a>. This was especially helpful for senior students as it helped them to learn the skills to use a range of databases for their research, rather than just Google. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9IOOv_lP0NmhyVUJ6DoVu6rytnQBCarkLBRktSB96sMo5XfZmK8os8VUIV3xg_uMLPMVm0KhiJbH6I2bU_r-7PdlUYZg4UhZ9ImEjIM-6KgLWtkpHmGM06N-0TJhA9TrOgfYqjNw4djoZY8lOeMW1usuVv5ldWj4-lX6XHTYOZGFdTm7tUL581I8ZpA=s1053" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1053" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9IOOv_lP0NmhyVUJ6DoVu6rytnQBCarkLBRktSB96sMo5XfZmK8os8VUIV3xg_uMLPMVm0KhiJbH6I2bU_r-7PdlUYZg4UhZ9ImEjIM-6KgLWtkpHmGM06N-0TJhA9TrOgfYqjNw4djoZY8lOeMW1usuVv5ldWj4-lX6XHTYOZGFdTm7tUL581I8ZpA=w640-h382" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div><div><b>Where to next:</b></div><div>Design for learning is probably the aspect of my teaching practice that I have put the most effort in to over the past few years. I have had particularly focusses on facilitating collaboration, inquiry learning, games for learning, and Mātauranga Māori. In 2022, I intend to go back to the Universal Design for Learning practices and develop them further. I have selected this as a focus because I still think there are many of our priority learners that are not served particularly well my senior science courses. </div></div><div><br /></div></div><span><!--more--></span><div><br /></div><div><div><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">6 </span></b><b>Teaching:</b> Teach and respond to learners in a knowledgeable and adaptive way to progress their learning at an appropriate depth and pace. </div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Use of Google Classroom's grade book function to track engagement and progress. </li><li>Using SOLO Taxonomy to design tasks to ensure adequate scaffolding and success for all learners. Eg. This <a href="https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1vXsvKHbxDFW_sK5cnaEChoYg3zR6rnb8JJmiVW1C4GI/edit?usp=sharing">musical instrument design challenge</a> for year 9/10, and this <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Nul-o6T3GdTAsnyMQUNHnblsxHbs2jU19K74MT2Tvl8/edit?usp=sharing">meiosis task for year 12</a>. </li><li>Designing learning with a UDL approach ie. including video and text explanations with tasks, multiple modes of learning in activities eg. making an instrument, providing choice in assessment task output. </li><li>Students were particularly supported to develop agency by developing their planning skills throughout lockdown. In particular, working one on one with students to complete their daily planner until they were both confident and capable of completing this themselves proved infinitely valuable in helping students manage themselves. </li><li>Providing students with adequate feedback on their work including using:</li><ul><li>Rubric, comment bank, and private comments functions in Google Classroom.</li><li>Providing clear checkpoints for assessments where students submit work for feedback. </li><li>Requiring students to incorporate feedback to progress in a task. Eg. students were required to produce a draft script for feedback before producing a final script and submitting this for feedback. </li></ul></ul><div><div><b>Where to next:</b></div><div>There is overwhelming amounts of research that indicates the quality feedback at the right time makes a huge difference in student learning. Hence in 2022, I intend to keep refining my practice re. giving quality feedback in a timely manner. </div></div><br /></div><span><!--more--></span></div></div>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-22355339141887030072021-09-06T18:43:00.004-07:002021-09-06T18:50:34.627-07:00Ghostbusters! - Dealing with ghosting students in lockdown (and the classroom). <p>We are back in lockdown thanks to COVID and the delta variant. As the days pass while teaching remotely, it becomes increasingly apparent that some students struggle to engage in lockdown more than others. And some of them try their best to ghost you. As always, it is often these disengaged students that are the most vulnerable and at risk. So how do we get them engaged again? </p><p>What became overwhelmingly clear as I sifted through the research, teacher, and student feedback is that <b>good practice is good practice - regardless of whether you are teaching in person or remotely.</b> All of the recommended practices, strategies, tools, etc. reflect the key messages from the OECD's <a href="https://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/50300814.pdf" target="_blank">The Nature of Learning</a> report. (If you haven't read this yet, do so urgently. It provides a really great summary of research to inspire good teaching practice.)</p><p>Of particular relevance are the 8 basics of student motivation that this report summarises:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ei8w49m8O0U/YTbCnCd-fXI/AAAAAAAAgyI/tJxNKtzSPDcjAWUgBl419g1IqzGCbeO6ACLcBGAsYHQ/my-visual_55712944.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1449" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ei8w49m8O0U/YTbCnCd-fXI/AAAAAAAAgyI/tJxNKtzSPDcjAWUgBl419g1IqzGCbeO6ACLcBGAsYHQ/w453-h640/my-visual_55712944.png" width="453" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br /><div>This post is a list of ideas, recommendations, and best practices compiled from teacher feedback on Twitter, reports from ERO (New Zealand Education Review Office), the Education Hub, as well as a student survey done at Hobsonville Point Secondary School. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>How do you know if you have a ghost?</b></div><div>The <a href="https://ero.govt.nz/our-research/responding-to-the-covid-19-crisis-supporting-auckland-ncea-students" target="_blank">Responding to the Covid-19 crisis: Supporting Auckland NCEA students</a> report clearly identifies that the longer a student is disengaged, the harder it is to reengage them. Hence, it is important to reach out to disengaged students as early as possible. Additionally, focussing on the relationship first appears to be a key aspect of getting our ghosts engaged, and keeping them engaged</div><div><ul><li>Setting up tasks that 'self mark' so that it is easy to track disengagement with minimal effort eg. Google Quiz through Google Classroom, Quizizz, Playposit, Education Perfect, Pear Deck. </li><li>Using the assignment function through Google Classroom to make it easy to see when students have turned in work or turned work in late. </li><li>Using the grade book function in learning management systems (eg. Google Classroom) to track overall engagement. </li><li>Doing a roll in synchronous video calls. </li></ul></div><p></p><div><div><b>How do you stop them from being ghosts in the first place?</b></div><div>As with so many other things in education, <b>relationships are at the heart of the matter</b>. Hence, we need to think about how we might maintain our focus on relationships, with students and between students. This is also great for helping students to manage their well-being in lockdown as the absence of their peers can have a detrimental effect on their mental health. Some ways to do this include:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Smaller group asynchronous video calls rather than large group calls.</li><li>Personal emails to check in with students. </li><li>Collaborative tasks that require students to reach out to their peers. </li><li>Pastoral group meetups for fun. eg. quiz, pictionary, etc. </li><li>Private comments through Google Classroom as reminders.</li><li>Email telling them I am thinking about them and miss them in class will often do the trick, especially with higher year levels. </li><li>Email whanau. Call whanau if still nothing. </li><li>Organising a one on one video call to check in and help problem solve any issues acting as obstacles in proceeding with learning. </li><li>Organising small group synchronous video calls specifically for students who are struggling. </li><li>Connecting students who need extra support with a counsellor, teacher aide to help as appropriate.</li><li>Support students with building self-regulating skills. Eg. helping them to fill in a daily planner, teaching them productivity tools eg. single-tasking, quick writes, kanban, etc. </li><li>Don't give up. Keep emailing and calling, keep getting in touch to check how the student is doing. </li></ul></div></div><div><br /></div><div><b>How do you set ghost busting tasks?</b></div><div>During a lockdown, it is much easier for students to opt-out of tasks that are boring, busy work, too hard, etc. Hence, the quality of the work tends to have a much bigger impact on student engagement than when we are in their faces at school actively nagging them. The research and student voice is really clear about the kinds of tasks that help to keep students engaged and as a result, motivated. As a result, we should focus on designing tasks that are:<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Fwk2-PZbtbI/YTaZiqkKOlI/AAAAAAAAgxc/31Y1_9cG0o4BIgqv6qDLKT15yzkZcPJmwCLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-09-07%2Bat%2B10.43.13%2BAM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="709" height="462" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Fwk2-PZbtbI/YTaZiqkKOlI/AAAAAAAAgxc/31Y1_9cG0o4BIgqv6qDLKT15yzkZcPJmwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h462/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-09-07%2Bat%2B10.43.13%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Set tasks that are clearly linked and matched to the intended learning outcomes that students know and value - aka. moving beyond low-level tasks and “busy work” to tasks that students feel are important and meaningful. </li><li>Scaffold. Scaffold. Scaffold. Students don't have access to the teacher or peers in the same way as at school so making sure that the tasks is broken down in a way that is easy for them to make sense of is key. </li><li>Shorter instructions, which broke tasks into chunks, tended to be more effective in scaffolding students through the learning.</li><li>Ramping up the difficulty level in tasks as you go along to ensure that all students feel a measure of success when completing tasks. (SOLO works really well for this - <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UjzOTnsMX5chDReJ5_M0f9skuzAlWZ4dE8sRsL6Tg1M/edit?usp=sharing">see example)</a></li><li>Using Universal Design for Learning practices eg. </li><ul><li>Supplementing written instructions for tasks with short video explanations.</li><li>Offering personal 60 second video lessons for question messaged in the private chats.</li><li>Mixing up the type of tasks eg. hands-on.</li></ul><li>Reduce the fear of failure such as by using gamification eg. Kahoot.</li><li>Providing students with a degree of choice over how they completed a task typically led to greater engagement in the learning and a higher probability of the task being completed. </li></ul><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>How do you help the students manage themselves in order to avoid ghosting?</b></div><div>Despite 'managing self' being one of the key competencies of our New Zealand curriculum, lockdown really highlights our short fall in helping students develop self-regulation skills. There are a number of ways that we can help students improve their self-management, and as a result, improve their engagement and motivation during lockdown and at school. Additionally, maintaining high expectations and holding students accountable for meeting these expectations is also critical for maintaining students’ motivation and engagement and facilitating learning. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8MQY9mHjP5Y/YTawwId7jBI/AAAAAAAAgx4/AzYElobVoFc8Jdnt2eNfo9xNjnQoVQFmACLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-09-07%2Bat%2B12.22.17%2BPM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="469" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8MQY9mHjP5Y/YTawwId7jBI/AAAAAAAAgx4/AzYElobVoFc8Jdnt2eNfo9xNjnQoVQFmACLcBGAsYHQ/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-09-07%2Bat%2B12.22.17%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Ensuring flexibility in when students can do work. Too many set times reduces engagement and opportunities for self-management. </li><li>Setting realistic amounts of work. Don't fall into the planning fallacy (a prediction phenomenon, all too familiar to many, wherein people underestimate the time it will take to complete a future task, despite knowledge that previous tasks have generally taken longer than planned.)</li><li>Set work at the start of the week so that students can plan out how they will do their learning for the week. </li><li>Setting tasks that are truly independent as parents and caregivers are not always able to support.</li><li>Don't overload students with too much information or communication - keep it simple and concise with a clear and easy option for following up if they have questions.</li><li>Make videos for students to watch in their own time. </li><li>Must do/Should do/Could do tasks to ensure that workload can match student context, but also to provide a sense of agency. </li><li>Setting deadlines and time limits of tasks, and following up with students who have not met these. </li><li>Supporting students to complete a daily planner to help them identify deadlines and prioritise their efforts (<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I_K7CWeqq04JzpgnvGY0Y_0Cxwh2EzzNN3dbVgc88PU/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">see student example from Hobsonville Point Secondary</a>). </li><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Providing regular formative assessment and feedback that was connected to the expectations set by the teacher was crucial for motivation and engagement as well as for ongoing learning.</div></li><li>Students who established some form of routine or daily structure were more likely to stay up-to-date with work and to maintain their engagement. eg. daily small group check-in, daily planner. </li><li>Use <a href="https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1p5A7hPwvca3Db8hnpPEiIRKhGNv1Anm3tlCS2volJK4/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">coaching conversations </a>(eg GROW coaching) to help students problem solve and self determine their next steps. </li></ul></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Y39Z8OEXZ34/YTa11vcefoI/AAAAAAAAgyA/5jyhtcTqHv4GMuXmqIaFaTEgfwHYjRLYwCLcBGAsYHQ/GROW%253B%2BCoaching%2Bquestions.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Y39Z8OEXZ34/YTa11vcefoI/AAAAAAAAgyA/5jyhtcTqHv4GMuXmqIaFaTEgfwHYjRLYwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/GROW%253B%2BCoaching%2Bquestions.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></b></div><div>Hopefully, there are some helpful ideas in here to help with your ghosts. If you have more ideas of things that have worked for you. Please leave them in the comments too!</div><div><br /></div><div><div><b>Further reading</b></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://ero.govt.nz/our-research/responding-to-the-covid-19-crisis-supporting-auckland-ncea-students" target="_blank">Responding to the Covid-19 crisis: Supporting Auckland NCEA students</a> (ERO)</li><li><a href="https://theeducationhub.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/7440-TEH-learning-from-lockdown-document3.pdf" target="_blank">Learning from lockdown</a> (Education Hub)</li><li><a href="https://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/50300814.pdf" target="_blank">The Nature of Learning</a> (OECD)</li></ul></div><p></p>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3089514695442490163.post-6361991473541130162020-08-23T16:32:00.002-07:002020-08-23T16:32:44.956-07:00A day in the life of a quarantined teacher<p>2020. What a year! As we sat planning our courses and curriculums at the end of 2019, could any of us have predicted how much of it would be delivered in lockdown, from home? I started this blog as a provisionally registered teacher in 2012 and have kept it up ever since. It has been a wonderful resource to show the development of my thinking, professional practice and knowledge over the years. I thought it was only right to capture some of the this latest development in practice too, that is, teaching while in quarantine.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>9:30am - 10am Live Google Meet with Learning Hub in pyjamas</u></b></p><p>Every morning I have a live session with my Learning Hub. At our school, Learning Hubs have replaced form classes and tutor groups in favour of an <a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/2015/04/the-role-of-advisory-in-personalizing-the-secondary-experience/" target="_blank">advisory model</a>. In a nutshell, this means I take more of a 'life coach' role than just monitoring student attendance. </p><p>These daily hub sessions involve having a quick conversation with each of my 17 hublings (an HPSS term that has evolved to refer to the students in our Learning Hub) to check how they are doing, pass on any messages from the school or other teachers, help them set goals for the day/week and keep them accountable. We also go over their daily planner. </p><p>The <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JBDhhbwYUhUmg8ROBUXlJMcdSGWxRszUFpQA1vIkyMg/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">daily planner </a>is a key piece of the puzzle for HPSS students. This helps students to manage their learning while off-site by helping them identify the learning tasks that should be completed for the day. As the hub coach, it also helps me identify when a student is not regularly checking in with what learning needs to be done. For students who do not yet have great self-managing skills, our morning check-ins involve me helping them to complete their planners for the day to ensure that the students know what they should be doing. It is important to remember that students don't all come to us with self-managing skills - we have to teach them how!</p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qy0k-0RXyj4/X0LMK1WqblI/AAAAAAAAf8o/lv2CFMv48EIZWIX9Oe14YmYIx_1nvmQZACLcBGAsYHQ/s1277/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-08-24%2Bat%2B8.05.51%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="659" data-original-width="1277" height="330" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qy0k-0RXyj4/X0LMK1WqblI/AAAAAAAAf8o/lv2CFMv48EIZWIX9Oe14YmYIx_1nvmQZACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h330/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-08-24%2Bat%2B8.05.51%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>It's also worth pointing out that we tend not to turn our cameras on for this morning meeting. It's perfectly acceptable to plan your day while in your pyjamas you see...</p><p><b><u><br /></u></b></p><p><b><u>10am - 11:30am Get dressed, check emails, schedule jobs, have coffee in the sun</u></b></p><p>After our daily hub check-in, I tend to get dressed in my lockdown work clothes. This involves some variation on my onesie, track pants, and sometimes a slightly tidier looking shirt if I have meetings where I have to be on camera. I then make a cup of coffee and sit in the sun (or under a blanket if no sun) to check my email. Email, despite being the bane of my existence, is also a key part of what helps schools function these days, whether we are together or apart. </p><p>This part of the day also involves tending to various leadership responsibilities. For me, this involves dealing with various NCEA queries in my role as <a href="https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/providers-partners/assessment-and-moderation-of-standards/managing-national-assessment-in-schools/the-principal-s-nominee/" target="_blank">Principal's Nominee</a> and updating my own to-do list accordingly. I also check in with my various Across School Lead tasks for our Kāhui Ako and follow up on any aspects of this work that need my attention.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>11:30am - 1pm Planning time</u></b></p><p>Next, I like to spend a bit of time checking how my students are progressing in the tasks that have been set for them. To do this I use the Google Classroom grade book function to help me do this quickly or other websites that let me track student engagement. I tend to set at least one activity each week that 'self marks' so that it is really quick and easy to see who is engaging with the activities in the Google Classroom, but also who might be struggling with the basic language, concepts or skills we are dealing with. Tools I use for this include the auto mark Google Form Quiz, <a href="https://quizizz.com/" target="_blank">Quizizz</a> and <a href="https://go.playposit.com/">Playposit</a>. During this planning time, I will also notify other hub coaches if their hublings are not keeping up with classwork so that they can notify their parents. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wnuDwHsMNFE/X0LUphL2a7I/AAAAAAAAf88/nJwTjnqRIkIm7wfhyjD3z5YQ4rs_kUqBgCLcBGAsYHQ/s391/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-08-24%2Bat%2B8.39.49%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="391" height="242" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wnuDwHsMNFE/X0LUphL2a7I/AAAAAAAAf88/nJwTjnqRIkIm7wfhyjD3z5YQ4rs_kUqBgCLcBGAsYHQ/w313-h242/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-08-24%2Bat%2B8.39.49%2BAM.png" width="313" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>As well as a quiz type activity, I also set an additional set that requires students to keep working on it for a more sustained period of time. This task is usually based on a SOLO Taxonomy scaffold to ensure that all students will be able to complete at least some of the task (<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mfiwLhJSoy4rHY81NPHVbhkmOuuKqHNAb5OoazUY6I8/edit?usp=sharing">see example task</a>). Instructions are communicated to students in the same format on Google Classroom that I use when we are at school. I have found that using really consistent practice when in school and out of school sets my students up to be more successful for when I am not there to support them. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-90qV9psd6LY/X0LXlZBRJcI/AAAAAAAAf9Q/GroaMPbAIEUt5PKZWudgT-IOGTmhVmznQCLcBGAsYHQ/s782/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-08-24%2Bat%2B8.54.27%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="543" data-original-width="782" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-90qV9psd6LY/X0LXlZBRJcI/AAAAAAAAf9Q/GroaMPbAIEUt5PKZWudgT-IOGTmhVmznQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-08-24%2Bat%2B8.54.27%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Student voice that we collected during our previous lockdown indicated the students liked having:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Tasks set at the start of the week that they can work on for the whole week.</li><li>Must do, Should do, Could do tasks</li><li>Video instructions</li></ul><div>Hence, I make sure to include the student requests in my planning too. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p><p><b><u>1pm - 1:30pm Lunchtime</u></b></p><div><p>Since we can't travel the world right now, I am using my meals to reminisce about vacations past. Crepes have been a lockdown favourite as they remind me of the wonderful time I had exploring the streets of Paris this December just past. So much has changed in the world since then and I am incredibly grateful that we got to have one last holiday before the pandemic. Other travel food favourites include homemade pizza from scratch (because you have time to make the dough from scratch when you are home all day) and fancy European cheeses and bread. </p><p>Of course, 1pm is also when we watch the 1pm Daily Update show - you can read the reviews on <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12511606/" target="_blank">IMDB</a>! The storyline on IMDB reads:</p></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><i>"Set in a dystopian world where autocratic and populist leaders are in charge of the USA, China, UK, Brazil and many other nations. 1pm Daily Update takes place in the imaginary island nation of New Zealand, a utopian society where science, facts, strong leadership and a genuine care for its people and environment take precedence over money and big business."</i></p></blockquote><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zn4mgNdiWWU/X0Ly5WCIQ-I/AAAAAAAAf90/Os18OloTWeAFRgfcduupbEHShzwv0IfSACLcBGAsYHQ/s803/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-08-24%2Bat%2B10.50.23%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="803" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zn4mgNdiWWU/X0Ly5WCIQ-I/AAAAAAAAf90/Os18OloTWeAFRgfcduupbEHShzwv0IfSACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-08-24%2Bat%2B10.50.23%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div><p> </p><div><p><b><u>1:30pm - 3pm Teaching time</u></b></p><div><p>During this time of the day, I like to actively engage with my students online. This has involved everything from running Kahoots and running a 3 minute <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/tussenkunstenquarantaine/" target="_blank">Art History Challenge</a>. Most of the time, however, live teaching time is reserved for one of two things:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Drop-in question and answer sessions:</b> During the regular class time, I let my students know that I will be online if they have any questions or if they need any help. Attendance is not compulsory and essentially this is just a chance for a face to face conversation if a student needs it. <br /><br /></li><li><b>One on one sessions:</b> One on one slots are usually reserved for my senior students working on assessments. Students are asked to book in a one on one session for us to check in on how they are going with their assessment. This can help the student overcome any obstacles they might be encountering and help keep the student accountable. Additionally, it has the added benefit of helping me to feel confident about the authenticity of any student work done at home as I can hear students talk to their work. We use a Google Sheet for students to make their appointment times.</li></ul><div><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OYxS_YW9t_g/X0LcmMG_K4I/AAAAAAAAf9c/Xh-F39OgKFQStoBfacTAWQpRp48C8_l4gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1360/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-08-24%2Bat%2B9.15.51%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="1360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OYxS_YW9t_g/X0LcmMG_K4I/AAAAAAAAf9c/Xh-F39OgKFQStoBfacTAWQpRp48C8_l4gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-08-24%2Bat%2B9.15.51%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div><p> </p></div></div><p><b><u>3pm to 4pm Feedback and marking</u></b></p><div><p>As well as the usual marking of NCEA work, I spend quite a lot of time giving feedback to my students. Before beginning an assessment, I give my students a practice task. For the practice tasks, I give them an abundance of feedback that I ask them to address before beginning the assessment. This means that rather than just resolving my comment, they actually have to 'fix' things to ensure that they really take the feedback on board. Google Classroom makes giving feedback a whole lot easier these days. I love the comment bank which lets me upload common statements that I use again and again so that it is faster and easier to get through big classes. Sometimes I will come back to marking after dinner too. Usually with a hot toddy for motivation! </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7sGS4MAYknc/X0LhKQQjGlI/AAAAAAAAf9o/xdXUdfBDupE4vA_xDUpomTbGsinrkQ6yACLcBGAsYHQ/s1087/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-08-24%2Bat%2B9.35.15%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1087" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7sGS4MAYknc/X0LhKQQjGlI/AAAAAAAAf9o/xdXUdfBDupE4vA_xDUpomTbGsinrkQ6yACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-08-24%2Bat%2B9.35.15%2BAM.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><b><u>4pm onwards</u></b></p><div><p>From 4pm I have device free time. So much of the day is online at the moment in in reality, I'm finding this quite difficult. Hence, I make sure that when I finish the workday, I try to get off my computer for a few hours. During the many weeks of lockdown this year, non-screen time activities have included flexibility training, circus training and conditioning, drawing, reading, sewing facemasks and cooking.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><u>What about the next day?</u></b></p><div><p>I'm not really a creature of routine. So while the above might be one day's schedule, it is definitely NOT every day's schedule. Our daily 9:30am hub meeting happens every day (to help our whole hub get out of bed and get to work at a reasonable time), the other things shift around in the day based on meetings, my motivation levels and when the sun is out to go for a walk. </p></div></div></div>Miss D the Teacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03245118658390381701noreply@blogger.com5Auckland, New Zealand-36.848304800000008 174.7624886-65.158538636178861 139.6062386 -8.5380709638211627 -150.08126140000002