Ngā Whetū o Manaiakalani 2024

On May 16, my application to be acknowledged as a teacher who implements the Manaiakalani pedagogy (Learn, Create, Share) and our kaupapa (Visible Connected Empowered Ubiquitous) was evident in my teaching last year and 2024. Manaiakalani Network was delighted to have me in the group of Ngā Whetū o Manaiakalani 2024.

In Term 2, we received a goodie bag each. Mrs. Burt and Mrs. Grant personally came, congratulated and handed over the goodie bag. It comprised of:

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However, with 16 other educators from the Manaiakalani Network today, we were fortunate enough to receive the badge. This is so that we can add them to our digital spaces.

The 2 different kinds include:

• A circle shape that we may like to display on our site, a professional blog, or any other professional site.

• Addition to the email signature.
  

Being a Ngā Whetū o Manaiakalani candidate has enabled Ms. Naicker and me to accommodate 3 new facilitators every Wednesday (Term 2 & 3), where the facilitators come and observe how we put my Manaiakalani Pedagogy into practice.

Accepting and Acknowledging Feedback as I am moving Forward

While discussing with my senior lead teacher and CoL colleague, Ms. Naicker, a few months ago I was given some constructive feedback which I have appreciated and acted upon such as:

• I would suggest that you could make use of the PAT Vocabulary assessment data as well. Also, have your essential high-frequency words list with a small number of precise words on the "Word Wall". (Ms Naicker)

• For this, I have provided each learner a copy of their Essential Spelling List. Also, the high-frequency word list is pinned on the wall as well. 

• Morphology– the study of meaningful word parts (eg: adding prefixes and suffixes and how they change word meanings). This is also quite effective at year 4 level to expand their vocabulary. (Ms Naicker).

• Do you find that students learn the spelling word for the test and then always spell it correctly? Or do they still spell it incorrectly in their written work? 

• I have noticed that those learners who have mastered the words spell them correctly in their written work compared to those who have not mastered the words. (Mrs Petersen).

• I've always felt that a word-rich environment is essential. Get the students to revisit the word wall often. Make the word wall more interactive: involve students in creating and updating the word wall. This can include writing words, drawing pictures, or adding definitions. Use magnets, velcro, or sticky notes so words can be moved around. This allows for sorting activities, games, and easy updates. 

• For this, I am still working on helping learners build confidence where learners openly and freely ask for help, such as by saying, “Who can help me spell the word ____”. I have kept a separate whiteboard where those learners who know how to spell the words go and write words to assist those who are struggling. This assists both the learner who is assisting and the learner who needs help with spelling. (Mrs Petersen).

Share/ Tohatoha Workshop

Today I had the opportunity to participate in our Manaiakalani Professional Development Workshop. Manaiakalani pedagogy revolves around Learn, Create, Share. So this afternoon the focus was on Share/Tohatoha. 

This was an opportunity to get to know other educators who have been working on comparable achievement challenges and exchange strategies with them. 

From the collaborative discussion, I realised that all of us in our Meet Group had the same challenges: learners are hesitant to produce creative writing. Some even do not want to take a risk and enjoy writing. There is no excitement among learners.

Discussion slides with recommendations are attached below.

For further discussions regarding our Share/Tohatoha meet, visit our Manaiakalani Professional Development site.

End of Term 2 Data

Towards the end of Term 2, one of my learners whom I was tracking for my study left for Tonga. So, currently, I am monitoring only 7 learners. 

The spreadsheet below shows the writing data from Terms 1 and  2. The highlighted cell shows the shift the learners have made in Term 2.

One of my learners went back a level, i.e., from 1A to 1B, just because she lacked confidence and motivation. She does not want to take risks and constantly needs reminders so that she can focus and do her writing. I have included a slide below to show how she has been tracking in her writing since Term 1. There have been some attendance concerns as well.

I even noticed that the Attitude Questions, the learners answered looked better from Term 1. It reveals that they have a better understanding of themselves and their writing.

Screencastify

Surprise! Surprise!

I have been using Screencastify to make short recordings for quite some time. However, today via email, I got recognised and acknowledged by Payton from Ohio, who now lives in the Sunshine State. She has sent me a cute badge.

Thanks, Payton

Hapara Champion Certificate

I have successfully completed the Hapara Champion Educator Course this month. It focuses on basic proficiency in the Hāpara Instructional Suite: Teacher Dashboard, Highlights, Workspace and Student Dashboard and how to implement these features for student-centred instructional use. 

The Hapara Champion Educator Course empowered me to transform my classroom into a dynamic and effective learning space. By completing this course, I gained the skills and knowledge to:

Enhance my Teaching and Student Learning

• Master Hapara: Deepen my understanding of the platform and how to leverage its features to maximize student engagement and productivity.

• Improve Classroom Management: Learn effective strategies for organizing and managing my digital classroom, saving me time and effort.

• Foster Collaboration: Discover ways to promote teamwork and communication among students.

• Personalize Learning: Tailor instruction to meet the individual needs of my students.

• Enhance Digital Literacy: Develop my own digital skills and equip students with the tools they need to succeed in the digital age.

Advance Your Professional Development

• Earn a Valuable Certification: Demonstrate my expertise in using Hapara and stand out in my professional field.

• Build Your Network: Connect with other educators who are passionate about using technology to enhance learning.

• Stay Ahead of the Curve: Keep up-to-date with the latest educational technology trends.

Benefits for Your School

• Support School Goals: Align my teaching practices with my school's technology initiatives.

• Improve Student Outcomes: Contribute to better student achievement through effective use of technology.

• Become a Technology Leader: Share my expertise with colleagues and help my school become a model for digital learning.

In essence, the Hapara Champion Educator Course is an investment in my professional growth and the success of my students.

* The thing I found interesting was planning using Hapara Workspace.

             

Heather sent the below email to our school principal.

Hi Jonathan,

We are excited to share that Anjila Kumar has successfully completed the Hāpara Champion Educator course! 🎉

The Hāpara Champion Educator course takes time and dedication. It focuses on basic proficiency in the Hāpara Instructional Suite: Teacher Dashboard, Highlights, Workspace and Student Dashboard and how to implement these features for student-centered instructional use. 

We are proud of Anjila and wanted to share the great news with you. Anjila has decided to move further through the Hāpara Champion program and has enrolled in the Hāpara Champion Scholar course starting in September! 🎉

Heather Rentz

Community Development Manager | Hāpara

 

Hypothesise and Research

“Framing your theories and beliefs as hunches (a feeling or guess based on intuition rather than fact) enables you to subject them to scrutiny (the careful and detailed examination of something to get information about it) ..." 

For this, I have to make a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an assumption, an idea that is proposed for the sake of argument so that it can be tested to see if it might be true. 

Formulating a hypothesis (a tentative answer to a research question that has yet to be tested) in teaching as inquiry is essential for creating a structured, focused, and evidence-based approach to improving teaching practices and student learning outcomes. It promotes reflective practice, facilitates data-driven decision-making, and supports continuous professional development.

So, while a hypothesis might be "wrong" sometimes, the process of formulating and testing it is a valuable learning experience in inquiry-based teaching. It will equip me with essential thinking skills and a deeper understanding of my teaching as an inquiry. 

When investigating whether an emphasis on using precise vocabulary (such as adjectives, nouns, and verbs) at the draft stage leads to improved writing proficiency, several hypotheses can be formulated:

1. Impact on Overall Writing Proficiency:

• Hypothesis 1: Students who emphasize precise spelling/ vocabulary in the drafting stage will demonstrate significantly higher overall writing proficiency scores compared to those who do not.

2. Specific Vocabulary Use:

• Hypothesis 2: Emphasizing precise adjectives, nouns, and verbs in the drafting stage will lead to more varied and sophisticated word choices in students' final drafts.

3. Clarity and Coherence:

• Hypothesis 3: Focusing on precise vocabulary during drafting will result in clearer and more coherent writing, as measured by teacher assessments or rubrics.

4. Grammar and Syntax:

• Hypothesis 4: Students who concentrate on precise vocabulary in their drafts will produce fewer grammatical and syntactical errors in their final writing.

5. Engagement and Interest:

• Hypothesis 5: Emphasizing the use of precise vocabulary in the draft stage will increase students' engagement and interest in the writing process, as indicated by self-reports or surveys.

6. Revision Quality:

• Hypothesis 6: Students who focus on precise vocabulary during drafting will make more effective and meaningful revisions in subsequent drafts compared to those who do not emphasize vocabulary precision.

7. Audience Awareness:

• Hypothesis 7: Emphasizing precise vocabulary in drafting will enhance students' ability to write for different audiences, as evidenced by improved scores on audience awareness in writing assessments.

8. Writing Fluency:

• Hypothesis 8: The emphasis on precise vocabulary at the draft stage will lead to greater writing fluency, as measured by the quantity and quality of words produced in a given time frame.

9. Peer Feedback:

• Hypothesis 9: Drafts that emphasize precise vocabulary will receive more positive peer feedback in terms of clarity, engagement, and readability.

10. Teacher Perceptions:

• Hypothesis 10: Teachers will perceive an improvement in the overall quality of student writing when precise vocabulary is emphasized during the drafting stage. (OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT)

These hypotheses can guide the research and inquiry process, helping to determine whether focusing on precise vocabulary in the drafting stage has a measurable impact on various aspects of writing proficiency.

My Year 3 and 4 learners are classified as COVID-19 learners. They have missed a lot of learning since most of them missed school or did not attend any online lessons at all. Most of them have this huge gap in their overall learning and writing is been one of them.

By focusing on the hypothesis listed above, I came up with three hunches from what I have learnt so far about my students and their learning environment:

1. If I encourage my students to learn spelling words, then they will feel confident while writing.

• I am teaching them how to form correct letters

• I have also set up a word wall and I am going to continue working on it.

• I have also got an individual Spelling Book and a Handwriting Book.

2. If I teach my students how to sound out words, then they will be motivated to spell. 

• I am also teaching them how to sound each letter/ Jolly Phonics.

• This is because most of my learners are scared of taking risks such as sounding out words and giving a go at writing. When I noticed this, I brought it up with the management and they have asked me to take on The Code programme with RTLit so I can teach learners the alphabet and letter sounds. I am also going to start Heggerty programme from Term 3 as well.

• Using The Code Book, I have made a poster for the Heart Words. 

3. If I focus on teaching the nouns, verbs and adjectives, then the students will start using them in their writing.

• With lots of encouragement and motivation, I am still in the process of getting my learners to produce a structured piece of writing with lots of detail.

• I also have to aim at achieving,  Year 3 and 4 level or Curriculum 2 standard writing.

• While I am doing that I have also introduced and taught my learners what are nouns, verbs and adjectives. There needs to be constant revision with lots of various activities so that my learners can remember the difference between nouns, verbs and adjectives and how they can use them in their writing to make it sound more interesting.

Reference:

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (July 11, 2024 version) [Large language model]. Retrieved from OpenAI platform.