Wednesday, 29 January 2020

Teacher Only Day 2020

GLEN INNES SCHOOL
Teacher Expectations
Mastery

Rationale:
  • Accelerate student learning in all areas of the curriculum, with a special focus on the school-wide goals.
Procedure:
  • Know the learners.
  • Employ explicit teaching strategies.
  • Provide students with effective feedback.
  • State the focus of each lesson.
  • Visible & rewindable planning.

Tools to employ to meet the expectations:
  • 1.  Create and follow a focussed timetable...  
The class timetable is to cover the following teaching areas:
    • Maths - 1 hour per day   (300 minutes per week)
    • Writing - 1 hour per day (300 minutes per week)
    • Reading - 1 hour per day (300 minutes per week)
    • Cybersmart       1 x 30 - 60 minutes per week
    • Library               1x 30 minutes
    • Topic -             at least 2 x 30 minutes per week. (60 minutes)
    • Sport - at least 2 x 30 minutes per week [ Sport Auckland + Teacher follow up ] (60 minutes)
    • Te reo -             at least 1 x 30 minutes per week (30 minutes - teacher remains in the class as the lesson is delivered.)                                       
    • Arts - Cover all 4 strands over each term.

Within each discipline, achievement objectives are identified for four interrelated learning strands: Developing Practical Knowledge in the Arts, Developing Ideas in the Arts, Communicating and Interpreting in the Arts, and Understanding the Arts in Context.

  • 2.  Create a word rich environment in the classroom.
    • Employ the 3 wall system:
      • Topic wall
      • Learning wall
      • Long term displays

  • 3.   Employ the most recent data as a starting point for each student.
    • Track ALL students (Reading, Writing, Maths) with a reporting requirement for priority learners.

Examples of some teaching strategies:
Feedback:
Provide feedback by using a general marking code in writing:
Marking Code:
Gr - grammar mistake                    Sp - spelling wrong
P - punctuation error                      pp - personal pronoun error
T - wrong tense                              ww - wrong word any other suggestions?









Provide oral/ written feedback 
daily for the lowest group in your class,
often, for the second lowest group in your class.
at least every week for the top group in your class.
But always for groups in  guided teaching contexts….provide feedback on the language focus that is being taught.

Shared Planning
Visible
            Ensure your planning is clear and easily understood in your relievers folder and accessible on your class site.
The planning must be visible, up to date and actually reflects what is happening in the classroom .
Rewindable

Important teaching/learning strategies through the creation of DLO’s  to be rewindable for students.

Monday, 2 September 2019

Manaiakalani Staff Meeting - SHARE

Today all the Manaiakalani Schools got together at Tamaki College for Manaiakalani Staff Meeting. It was from 3.30-5pm. 

The purpose of this staff meeting is for our people to:
  • understand the impact of Share for our learners and their achievement
  • connect with the valued elements of sharing, in the world we live in

Teachers were organised into groups and the conversation were planned and guided by one of the Manaiakalani Team or a CoL Teacher. We were divided into groups - Groups are listed here.





Once Dorothy gave a briefing about sharing our learning to school then we dispersed into our groups.
We were asked to stand in a Doughnut and share:

  • one of the strategies (anything) which is not working in our classrooms. We rotated and shared with other teachers.
  • Then discuss why do we think that strategy is not successful.
  • What I as a teacher doing to work on that strategy - could be anything. 
We heard some great things from other teachers.

Few of the strategies take home was:
  • using Bouncy Ball site to monitor/ sense the noise level in class
  • Use an app for maths to engage maths low learners
  • make the learners talk loud. One of the teachers used car park so kids can yell and talk to boost their confidence.
  • My one was if the book bag system is not successful in class, forget about using the book bag just give the books to kids to read. 
It was an awesome afternoon with great Sharing from most of the teachers across the cohort.

Friday, 16 August 2019

Digital Fluency Intensive - Day 9 Revision


Today is the last day of Digital Fluency Intensive. Had an awesome experience sharing, learning and growing with Manaiakalani. 

We also looked at: 




Ubiquitous Learning
The learning is different from how it used to be in the past. That is where more learning happened at school.


Nowadays the learning is rewindable however we need to keep in mind that 30,000,000 words are missing when kids start school at the beginning of the year.

Over school term the learning accelerates but over summer break it drops.

Manaiakalani has given opportunity to children to learn even over summer and this keeps the journey going enabling them to engage in various learning even during school holidays.


Thanking Gerhard and Dorothy for taking us through this journey and not forgetting teachers from other school who made it fun.

Monday, 12 August 2019

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES - INTRODUCTION

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES - INTRODUCTION

This afternoon for staff meeting at school Victor and Chelsea took the meeting which was about Digital Technologies - Introduction.

Digital Technologies  
Introduction to Computational Thinking

  1. In authentic contexts and taking account of end-users, students use their decomposition skills to break down simple non-computerised tasks into precise, unambiguous, step-by-step instructions (algorithmic thinking). They give these instructions, identify any errors in them as they are followed, and correct them (simple debugging). EXEMPLARS.
  2. In authentic contexts and taking account of end-users, students give, follow and debug simple algorithms in computerised and non-computerised contexts. They use these algorithms to create simple programs involving outputs and sequencing (putting instructions one after the other) in age-appropriate programming environments. EXEMPLARS.
  3. In authentic contexts and taking account of end-users, students decompose problems into step-by-step instructions to create algorithms for computer programs. They use logical thinking to predict the behaviour of the programs, and they understand that there can be more than one algorithm for the same problem. They develop and debug simple programs that use inputs, outputs, sequence and iteration (repeating part of the algorithm with a loop). They understand that digital devices store data using just two states represented by binary digits (bits). EXEMPLARS.
      Code.org Resources

Friday, 9 August 2019

Digital Fluency Intensive - Day 8 - Devices Agenda

Devices:  Today we focused on the devices our young people use and we had some experience - Learn Create Share using Chromebooks and iPads.

We used both devices today to:

  • See what it is like for our learners
  • Learn tips and tricks to support our learners


Where we empower our learners as connected and confident decision makers.
As educators we need to make sure that learners are at home in a digital world.
The language we use needs to be positive and so on.
Teaching them to be proactive and productive.
Teaching them about digital footprint.

And for all this there needs to be nicely implemented:
The whole school needs to be focused with collaborative planning
Look for the priorities for your/ our school
There needs to be deliberate acts of teaching
As a school/ cluster there should be evidence of teacher shift and student learning.

3 categories that are fundamental to the daily digital lives every year.
Term 1: Smart Learners (Our LEARN term)
Term 2: Smart Footprint (Our CREATE term)
Term 3: Smart Relationships (Our SHARE term)

Being cybersmart empowers learners to connect when their learning is visible and ubiquitous.
Empowering - "confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners"
Ubiquitous -  when learning is accessible A4 being cybersmart empowers our learners to harness technology in smart and clever ways.
Connected - empower our young people to engage in online behaviour and thinking that...elevates positive actions.
Visible - "whenever and wherever we share online...it;s personal!"
Empower parents and caregivers by partnering with whanau and aiga to confidently connect with their children's learning.

Quality Blog Comments - it needs to be positive, helpful and thoughtful.
Being Cybersmart also increases opportunities for learners to engage in cybersmart conversations and decision making with peers, whanau and teachers.
Cybersmart learning is at its best when embedded into an existing educational programme.
Young people learn that everytime they connect, collaborate and share online combines to create their digital footprint. Using Ipads and chromebooks learners learn faster to create and share.




Hapara is a powerful tool as it enables teachers to track children's learning via their drive. All learning should be visible provided the learners share on their drive. 


Future focused learning in connected communities depends on:
Partnership
Participation
Protection

Activity we individually had to do in regards to the use of shortcut keys which learners basically use while using their Chromebook.

Explain Everything is the main app which learners are taught to use in early years of school.

Another day with loads of learning took place for me. 

Such as the folders on Hapara - is same as the folders set up on children's drive.
Everything should be visible on Hapara.
Learners have to put/ save the work on drive so it's visible.
Comments folder on Hapara means - the comments received by kids.
Comment (red) - anonymous user left comment eg. aunty, uncle etc who don't have google account.
Green pencil - means draft on posts.

Gmail -  is there for care and protection. 
Treaty (protection, partnership...
Any emails children have deleted / received, it stays on gmail.
Put screen up - don't have to tell children, let them figure it out.

Sharing - if not shared on drive it appears on sharing bit.

Highlights - purpose to be not in authority and knocking kids off.

Main points to consider:
*If children sit and work on their computer however the teacher can not see any work being done on drive then it could be that the learner is on their own gmail account.
*New Zealand - 18 is the universal age for kids to have google account.
* After 3pm we can not see what kids are doing at home. However if we do see then as a class teacher we need to send Hapara a message alerting them so that can turn it off. Email can be sent by scrolling down and typing a message.

Class Information - can be used to reset passwords
Check children's box.
+ add new child/ ren - teacher can add a new child but when Hapara update the new child/ ren misses out. The office need to add the new child/ ren fast so they don't miss out. 
Child/ ren gone we can click and remove ie. if the office has not removed them but then when the update takes place vis Hapara then happens the child/ ren will show up again.

Student Dashboard - learners get their own work to see in files Year 7 & 8 or high school. Any work on any google product, can star doc, annignments, document.

Ipad - I did use ipads few years ago but the updates I need to get familiar with. Having a lite ipad session was fun with Sushmita.


Friday, 2 August 2019

Digital Fluency Intensive Day 7 - Computational Thinking

Topic : Computational Thinking

Our day started with the discussion about - EMPOWERMENT/ EMPOWERED

* If we don't want children to be disempowered then the work should be there before and should be rewindable. 
* Chromebook use empowers learners.
* We can't just say that tech is just a tool. It needs to transform the peoples lives.







Then the second session was followed by OMGTech! Trialblazers. 
Vivian Chandra and Simon took the session.

The session was to help teachers to gain confidence in teaching digital technology and computer science. Digital technology is going to be critical to every aspect of life in the future - be it robots, AI, Flying cars, Augmented Reality, 3D printing and so much more….
To recognise this the Government has made in part of the curriculum in schools. Which means teachers are now the key to ensuring all children learn digital technology! This workshop was a great first step to prepare teachers for this awesome responsibility. OMGTech! is committed to supporting teachers on their journey with digital technologies.

While diving into Curriculum Deep Dive we learnt the difference between:
Digital Fluency - such as we can take photos, filter and post it such as on Instagram.
Digital Technology - can be I don't like deer ears but like bunny ears so I can do photoshop and then post it.
So Digital Technology is one step ahead Digital Fluency.

We also experienced doing some of the activities such as - Binary Maths, Art & Algorithms, 10 Block Challenge and so on.

Art & Algorithms Game - we went online and found out how many kilometres far is our birth country and then 6 people were selected to stand on the 6 starting arrows. Once asked then 2 people moved into one box and there were 3 boxes only. We said our distances in kilometres and the one who had the highest moved towards right and lower distance person moved towards left. Outcome was we were all lined up from the lowest to the highest in kilometres.
Binary - it was the first time I heard about this but it was pretty fun as I enjoyed it a lot.
Hour of Code - we played Minecraft, Kodables and Code Combat. For me these were quite challenging but I understand my learners will love it.
Another challenging game we played was Scratch.
Scratch Junior is available on Ipad and Androids as well.
There were few other games as well.
So to make learning fun for learners we educators need to upskill our teaching so we can transform the lives of our learners.

Friday, 26 July 2019

Digital Fluency Intensive Day 6 - Enabling Access

Today's learning focus was about Connecting with each other.

Leading learning with Class Sites

After looking at various sites, giving and receiving feedbacks, actually I knew but I think I wasn't thinking much about leaving learners reading levels on the site. My site was liked by my colleagues since I received lots of positive comments such as the pictures, layout was nice and simple, used slides thoroughly into my planning etc.

The only thing I needed to fix was to remove the learners reading levels and so I did.

For my reference:
Presentation
Get feedback on your Site
this Form Responses Spreadsheet
record them here

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