The Effect of Covid

 The Lockdown and My Inquiry

Term 2

The term begin with learning from home. I focussed on the wellbeing of learners. We learned to use the google meet and discuss the protocol involved to ensure that we are productive when we are meeting online. It was totally a different experience for the students and myself.  I am aware of how conscious my students are in showing their background. They feel that we are invading their privacy. I have to agree with them and we talked about it. It was a great opportunity to enter the students' world at home.  It is a great way to get the parents' support and to make them aware of what is happening with their children's learning. 

Because my inquiry was in its initial stage, I tried to encourage my students to read something. I encouraged them to go to read online if they don't have a book (doubt it). 

The Lockdown

 The Lockdown and Online Distance Teaching and Learning 

What an unforeseen situation! The students left with urgency and a sense of anxiety. It is not to say that I wasn't but I have to work franticly to ensure that all learners at Te Wairua Pakiki Learning Space ( years 4 -8) has a device to access learning during this time (66 learners). Within 3 days, devices reached every single learner.  What's next then?

In term of readiness for this situation, it wasn't hundred percent, however, there is satisfaction, knowing that our learners can use their netbook and can access the learning site to various degree. 

Recalling a Lead Teacher Meeting, in the past weeks, Fiona, has alerted all of us to this situation. It helped preparing the staff and myself too. So our new learning journey began.

Identifying and Deciding area of focus for my 2020 inquiry

DECIDING ON A FOCUS FOR MY INQUIRY FOR 2020 

Explain why you judge this to be the most important and catalytic issue of learning for this group of learners this year (WFRC #3)

Where can I concentrate my energies in order to change the experiences and outcomes of my learners and be a powerful contribution to the whole school and cluster goals?

IN collaboration with the senior team and the staff at the TWP (Years 4 - 8) part of the school, I decided to focus on DEVELOPING A LOVE OF READING, WITH PARTICULAR FOCUS ON THE YEAR 8 STUDENTS AND THEIR SIBLINGS. 

The thinking behind the choice - 

Looking at the Year 8 data in Reading, Writing and Maths, there is an evidence that there is no great shift. There is evidence of fluctuating at the beginning of every year.

I have implemented strategies from Aaron and Jannie and they proved successful, however, I was looking for sustainability in learning. Something that can have long term effects on learning.

Once the Year 8 students moved on, they can use it at college but I have to re-teach the next lot of students. YES, totally agree and the more I do it the more I can tailored it for the learners. 

The conversationalist approach and the go deep and wide approach will always have impact on the learning. It need to start from the younger level not just when they get to year 7 & 8. That is another conversation. However, I want to grow a love of reading in all learners to enable them to have a choice in what they read and know what their interest are. 

So I am embarking on this journey, not just the Year 8 but with their siblings. Developing a love of reading early will have a lasting effect on their academic success.

What does the Literature say about Reading for pleasure and academic performance, 

According to a study on The impact of Pleasure Reading on Academic Success  by  Whitten & Labby (2015), Reading helps students think critically and improves reading comprehension skills, which is beneficial in every subject area measured in their study. However, the benefits of pleasure reading do not end in the classroom. 

In another study by Horbec, D. (2012).stated that reading habits have been correlated with academic achievement. Students who have developed the habits of reading academic and non-academic materials develop their comprehension of concepts, critical thinking skills, and verbal fluency and ultimately have better academic outcomes.

However,  most literature on the impact of personal reading on academic achievement, have identified that reading for pleasure have declined in teenager group. 

The Journey for 2020

 This year 2020, I have decided to take a different approach to my Teaching As Inquiry. 

In the past few years, I have focussed on  developing thinking and conversation skills with focus to accelerate the achieve of my learners in Reading, Writing and Mathematics. I had the support of Jannie, to implement strategies to raise the conversational skills of my learners with the hope that conversation will drive the thinking to engage more in learning. 
Deep dive into reading was a success in my learning space. Students come to the reading discussion wth some ideas. However, I noticed that it became onerous. The students needed more than that. Vocabulary was a big need and their general knowledge of their world and what around them is very limited.

I used a lot of articles shared by Dr van Hees. It was great to open opportunity for students to learn about current issues. However, I feel there is more to be done. 

What can it be?

Burst & Bubble 2019

Burst & Bubble 2019

The catalytic aspect of student learning my inquiry focused on this year was to promote deep thinking and understanding in reading, writing and maths by promoting dialogic teaching and learning in my year 7 & 8.

I identified this as my focus when I noticed that the data are fluctuating - as we say the summer effect.  How can I maintain that fluctuation and I know that summer blogging is happening but I think it is more to it.  This was evidently clear from the Wolfe Fisher Research Centre’s presentation earlier this year.  Although many of our students demonstrated shift in their achievement from Term 1 to Term 4 in 2018, they were still landing below the National norm for their age group.

The sources of evidence and data I used to build a rich picture of my students’ learning were PAT Reading and STAR assessments, Probe data and observational anecdotal notes of student oral reading and group interactions. 

The main patterns of student learning I identified in the profiling phase were they are very good answering questions about superficial questions. They can talk about what is happening in the text but can’t go deeper. At times they don’t express their thinking and struggle to logically explain their thinking. 

I realise there is a huge need for higher order thinker and to be more critical delve deeper into the text.

And there is a huge need for higher order thinker and to be more critical delve deeper into the text.

My profiling of my own teaching showed that I had strengths in providing students with opportunity to talk through planned hands on activities that promote discussion/conversation. I used texts that of high interest to my students.  But that my students would likely make more progress if I developed conversation that challenged their thinking to dig deep into the text or situation. I particularly promote comprehension strategies that resonate with my students, such as thinking aloud and making connections - text to self, text to text and text to the world.  I recognise individual’s ability and able to design learning to meet individual’s need.  

But that my students would likely make more progress if I provide opportunity for discussion where they freely talk without feeling the need to give “the right answer”. My students would be more confident to participate in the discussion if I give them talking frames 

The changes I made in my teaching were taking more time to plan what I wanted the outcomes of our reading sessions to be before, during and after a text was read. I used the deep dive into text reading strategy. This enable the students to read the text with a more focus purpose and know they will come back to discuss as a group. This discussion and conversation give each other opportunity to bounce ideas. 

The literature/expertise that mostly helped me decide what changes to make was the ongoing CoL PD offered by Dr. Jannie van Hees. I also attended two. 

Dr Aaron also shed light everytime we have CoL meeting. It made me reflect on what I did in class. 

The easiest and hardest things for me to change were…..  

Some changes I made along the way were I gave the reading materials to the students to read before coming to the table for discussions.

The use of structured talk eased and become free conversation. 

It was hard to begin with as students are too subconscious about sharing ideas. Sometimes the content is not related to the students interest. 

It was hard for me to reduce my talking and to allow the students to lead. But I became better, however, I always come in to heighten the conversation. 

Overall I would rate the changes in student learning as moderate. When I am in the classroom, the students knew it was deep dive. It became a common langage. However, I still need to work with them on deeper level thinking and thinking outside the box.   

The evidence for my rating is from my observation and talking with my students. 

The most important learning I made about dialogic teaching and learning was the importance of conversation along the way. The need for students to use vocabulary is  absolutely essential. However, the support they have from each other was phenomenal.