My Inquiry Focus

From the data analysis and discussion with Debbie, I decided to focus on Achievement Outcome 4 - To raise achievement of Years 7 to 10 in Reading, Writing and Maths as measured against agreed target. I focused on my target students that been identified by the school. 

My Question: - To develop dialogic teaching, together with talking tools and signals (talk moves) to improve students’ oral language, confidence and participation in learning.

I am excited to explore and look for opportunities to make a life long impact on my learners and hopefully lead to successful and happy future. I am open to learn and change my practice to maximise the learning of my students.  Happy journey 2019.

Maths in Action

Community Maths Approach

Based on DMIC, I have mixed ability groups . I established 4 talanoa groups  - I used talanoa because it's a Pasifika word for talking/conversation/meeting to discuss . I spread the students so there are expert and different levels of ability in each talanoa group. 

The Maths Process

1. Unpack of the Learn, indicators, Assessment/Reflection
2. Basic fact drill - use of material and online tools
3. Problem  unpacked together, finding key information. What is the problem asking for.
4. Individual time on the problem, then sharing, discussing and supporting.
5. Reflection  - Questioning.

My focus is to teach my students these steps. It was not easy. The capable learners were keen to help but they were not helping as they tend to tell the others what to do. The less capable ones were apprehended to seek help and tend to rely on the expert. However, we keep trying.

My Hypothesise

My Hypothesis

Having delved into the data and creating profile of each learner (target students especially) I want to take the learning conversation to the next level as I think that my students are struggling with expressing their thinking and having a proper learning conversation that can build up their learning.

The beginning teen is an issue. The students are very self conscious. This is a big social issue that I see that hinders learning ability.

Learning disposition is still a major issue.

Intervention in Action - Deep Dive into text

Deep Dive Into Text

With dialogic teaching as an over arching umbrella, I incorporated the deep dive into text, a  reading strategy from Dr Jannie van Hees. 

Students were given the article to read, individually. 

They have a template to record their thinking.  Then they come to their Talaoa group (Talking Group or Discussion Group) to unpack the text together. 

It wasn't an easy journey for the students. First it was a new approach to reading. The article were not familiar to the students - reading non- fiction text is different. However, they were topical ideas. Some students was aware of it being in the news. 

Our first try of this was during the Christchurch tragedy. It was a catchy news for them.

I like seeing everyone bringing something to the Talano/discussion. However, there is a need to support the students to bring about the deeper understanding. 

More to come on deep dive

Let’s unpack the ‘story’. Let’s ‘deep dive’. 

Where in the world?	What I’ve found out about this place:
Information in news item I explored further:	What I found out:

The main points in the news item:	Theories/explanations in the news item:	Wonderment points:	My thoughts:

Significant word groups:	Unpacking the meaning:

Reading in Action

New Approach for Reading

Following the discussion an PD with Jannie, I was ready to employ the DEEP DIVE approach to reading. Fortunately I have a very small number and had to form 2 groups only. This is called the TALANOA GROUP - 1 & 2. (Talking Group)

The reading materials are news article.  Jannie helped with selecting the articles. We both look at what is topical at the time. 

- Students are give the article to read first before coming to the talanoa (talk)  - often the day before    - They have to complete the guided form before coming to the talanoa  - this is the guided reading time. But instead of the teacher doing the talking. The talanoa group are sharing and questioning about what being read.                                                                                                                               Through this talanoa, I as a facilitator come in to help them unpack the text and add in deeper questions to the conversation.                                                                                                                     - a good 30 minutes is spend with each talanoa group - 4 times a week.                                                   Through these talanoa, meaning is unpacked, vocabulary building is happening, developing correct phrasing and reading fluency and other grammatical needs that may arise. These are done through collaboration and cooperation.

This reading approach was implemented in Week 6 of term 1.

 

More Thoughts

Further Testing and Focus Observation

Having looked and analyse the data, I also observe the learning behaviour of my students. 

For a week I observed the participation and contribution to learning of my students with particular focus on my target learners. I tracked their work daily and checked their home learning for the week.

From 11 - 15 MARCH 2019, this is a summary of what I recorded.

From this informal observation, I learnt that they seek each other's help in maths but not so much in literacy. There was a lot of distraction and incomplete work. 

Therefore, I need to develop their learning habit and teach learning conversation.  Overall from the data, Reading and writing do not show huge fluctuation as it is in maths. This is another sign post for my inquiry and my hunch.

Profile of Learners

I have chosen  the students below to be my target students for 2019. The reason for choosing them are:-

- they are just below for maths.Their reading are fluctuating but within the PAT band.

- The over time record of their PAT shows fluctuating in their progress.

- My concern is that they are able/capable to maintain their progress over the summer holidays and over the course of the year.

The writing, I wonder about teacher judgement. The result from writing is also fluctuating. I want to investigate into the marking that we teachers do.

Click on each name to learn more about the child’s.

Sia .  Kesa .  Lili .  Dianne  Charis .  Sateki .  George

Hunches About Teaching and Learning

Looking at the data from the PAT Student Report Overtime , it is evident that
students' achievements are fluctuating from year to year and even from February
to November of the same year.

The question is what is happening over the course of the year? OR is the summer effect
still a great impact on my students progress?

For Writing - The student Result Summary over the years has indicated teacher judgement is fluctuating too. I am trying to make sense the progress that some of my target students made over time. Was it good teaching or was it a wrong judgment.

I look at my students (the target students in particular) These students and majority of my learners come into school below the expected norm. All they do is playing catch up in learning. By the time they get to Year 7 & 8, the nature of development and looming teenage years has huge impact on them. I always noticed that the Learning Disposition is their enemy and so to me. I tried tirelessly to be encouraging and support my learners to be serious about their learning. I think, there is something I am not doing right.

2019 Journey