ConnectED Meeting August 2015

ConnectED Meeting   Southwell School  27/08/15

Thought provoking video by Sir Ken Robinson
In discussion with Ashoka
https://youtu.be/mWIpo7xi6MI

Blog posting for Professional Appraisal

Hine held a discussion table on how to set up and develop your own professional blog linking professional learning to Teacher Appraisal RTC's.  We had a looked at Post settings on Blogger.       A reminder that postings can fall into a range of Labels. Don't forget links to Documents of interest and Readings. 

Toolkit

Leadership have been working on the 
Hamilton East School Toolkit.

We now have 5 areas of the Toolkit instead of 4, taken from the Key competencies.
We no-longer have adult or kid speak, we now have 'One' speak.

Working together in groups, we unpacked and matched statements inline with the following headings:

I am learning to manage myself

I am learning to think

I am learning to relate to others

I am learning to use language

I am learning to participate and contribute

We found that there were some statements that could be used in more than one area.

Teacher Inquiry Becks and Edie

Teacher Inquiry
The art of teacher Inquiry presented by Becks and Edie.
Becks and Edie shared their ideas about the art of teacher inquiry. Their work based on extensive research. They outlined the following points

Inquiry

• Look at the need for an inquiry.
• Look at the research for support

Pre and post testing and teaching

• be specific to your focus
• decide on your time

Reflection time

• what did you observe?
• How did this compare to the research?
• What were your limitations?

Implications

• Was there any improvement in achievement?
• What does the inquiry tell you?

Remember
The inquiry process informs your teaching and learning.
Whatever the outcome of the inquiry, successful or not, this will inform our teaching

Resources
Journal: Kairaranga
Google Scholar

Growth Mindset

MLC Workshop     6/8/15
Speaker:  Michelle 
From Melville Intermediate
Growth Mindsets  by Carol Dwecks

1. In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. Virtually all great people have had these qualities.

Michelle talked about what:

• she needed to know
• helped students to reflect on their learning
• supported her students learning
• how she developed the language of resilience and growth for students
• she did to develop Learning journeys

Students:

• had a strong voice in their learning
• they became more encouraged to help others
• they began to choose tasks wisely
• a Classroom culture was evolving
• there was praise for effort and not ability

MLC: Mathematics Leadership Community

Sue Bullick & Brenda Walker  6/8/15

Learning in the Fast Lane
Preparing students to move in their learning.
Exposing the students to the language.
Students have more time to think and have their say(voice).
Developing self reflection and understanding.

Read question

• What is the question asking you to do?
• Record the question

Unpack the question (in student voice)
Using the key language
Unpack the language
anticipate
student reflect and re-voice
Relaunching: where are we at?

(commit to an answer and on reflection we can change our answer)
we can have a chart divided in 2 our first thinking and 2nd thinking
ask students can we share your thinking (it could help other people)

• Anticipating and sequencing
• You can put the problem into pictures
• Get your buddy to check your work

Ask students:
How did you get the answer - Look at the process- what are their recordings / steps
be specific (language) in how they answer the problem
The importance of acceleration is to move students to higher thinking.

Basic Facts
What is happening in your school?
Reflect on these questions...

What are basic facts?
How do you know what facts to teach?
How do you teach basic facts?

Basic facts is a tool that allows you to access solutions for problem solving.

Unpacking the Implications in the Pasifika Education Plan

Chris Jeffs: Unpacking the Implications in the Pasifika Education Plan: 40 minutes
P.E.P - downloadable PDF online through MOE.

http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/~/media/MinEdu/Files/EducationSectors/PasifikaEducation/PasifikaEdPlan2013To2017V2.pdf

Can download onto iPad and put in iBooks

Aims - promoter closer alignment and compatibility between: The learner’s educational environment, and their home and / or cultural environment.

Pasifika Education Plan - “While some Pacific students may be born in New Zealand others may be new arrivals.”
The Current picture - one in six Pasifika students will not have achieved basic literacy and numeracy skills by the age of ten. Almost one in five will leave school without any qualification; another one in five will leave with NCEA Level 1 only; and around one in five with NCEA Level 2. One in ten will become disengaged in their own learning. The students / learners are at the heart of everything.
There is a need to explore educational achievement through a cultural lens that sees Pasifika knowledge and practices as valid and valued. Studies indicate that for Pasifika students, identify (language and culture) is central to learning.
Schools that had succeeded in raising Pacific student achievement typically had close links with parents, families and communities. Some of these schools had a Pacific Liaison person who assisted with engaging parents in students’ learning and in the life of the school.

In schools where PEP was well used, school leaders, teachers, learners and parents had established strong home and school partnerships. Schools used the targets and goals in the plan to determine actions to create a better learning environment for Pacific students.

What are the advantages of using an ePortfolio?
ePortfolios offer a number of advantages:

• Collect and reflect on your work.
• Save educational and work experience
• Create a plan of study and work online
• Showcase achievements
• More active involvement of the student in the selection and design process
• Strong sense of personal responsibility and ownership
• Fuller picture of student achievement
• Can show examples of performance assessment
• Condenses collection of data and artefacts and reduces quantity of paper handled and stored
• Requires reflection
• Enables performances to be viewed more than once in context

Source: Wikieducator

Something I found on MyPortfolio http://docs.myportfolio.school.nz/index.html#