From Planning to Implementation

Restate your inquiry question:
How will I develop learners' ability to solve problems in maths through thinking skills and a problem solving framework to raise achievement in maths?

Implementation =

The learning outcomes I want to improve for my students in this inquiry are:

• Further develop learners key number knowledge and strategies.

• Design a problem solving framework to help learners in maths.

• Learners are able to explain their thinking and how they solve problems in maths.

The changes I have made to my teaching practise are:

• Incorporating problem solving in to my weekly maths programme

• The problem solving groups are of mixed ability allowing students to learn from each other, and not have their learning capped by their group's achievement “level”. 

• Inquiring into problem solving also influenced how I teach my number knowledge and strategy workshops. I went back to basics and used the NZ Numeracy Development Projects Books (Book 5 and 6). In these workshops learners have 'mini' problems to solve as well, broadening their exposure to problem solving activities throughout the week.

  
  
  

• Explicit teaching of what problem solving is (how to think, talk, act like a mathematician, maths talk moves) Adoption of the talk moves in maths discussions, is allowing the students time to wrestle with the problem on their own.

• Create a problem solving framework for learners to use. (which includes the Learning Process thinking skills)

Monitoring =
Throughout the intervention I have monitored progress using SchoolTalk evidence, student work samples, learner voice and teachers notes. 

I will keep samples from my target learner group from the beginning of the year till now and it will show the progress they have made. This information will be recorded on my blog.

Reflection =
Learners are engaging with the framework and need to continue using the problem solving framework as practice. My next step is to record some lessons so I can listen back and note down every time I model a Learning Process thinking skill and every time a learner uses the Learning Process thinking skills.

I want to further develop learners' ability to share their maths learning. This relates to my previous blog post about turbo boosting digital technologies. My next step is to screencastify my target group are able to explain their thinking and how they solve problems in maths. Screencasts redefine learning:  If they are created independently or collaboratively by students, they can then be uploaded onto a sharing platform and students can receive feedback from peers.  

Causal Chain

The purpose of a causal chain is to tighten up my intervention and to understand more deeply what I did that resulted in a shift in student achievement.

Tools/measures/approaches

The tools, measures, and approaches that will help gain an accurate profile of my target learners are using their JAM data as well as schoolwide tools including the Agency Self Perception tool, learner voice about the thinking skills in the learning process, and schooltalk progressions.

Learner Voice = I will use this to measure students’ understanding, help pinpoint what challenges they still have in their learning. This will also help me understand what tools are helping the students and what their next steps are.

JAM Data = These assessments will be taken during Term 1 and Term 4. In Term 1, I will use the results of these assessments to see what the learner’s gaps are and Term 4’s samples will be used to compare and see the progress the learners have made throughout the year.

School Talk gap analysis data = This data will show whether learners have progressed in particular number knowledge progressions.

Anecdotal notes =  Throughout the year I will be observing the learners during problem solving and recording this qualitative information to identify learners' needs, track progress and capture any rich dialogue. 

As stated in my last post, my learners' wellbeing is another important focus of my inquiry. I will be collecting data from the Hauora progressions on School Talk and our Stonefields Agency Self Perception tool.

 

From Planning to Implementing

 Restate your inquiry question:

How will I change my teaching practise and design for learning to support learners' ability to articulate their next steps in writing? 

Implementation =

The learning outcomes I want to improve for my students in this inquiry are:

• Know and understand what successful writers include in their writing

• Co-construct the success criteria for writing 

• Use the success criteria to articulate their next steps in writing
  
  

The changes I have made to my teaching practise are:

• Using the writing process and slowing the learning down. We now spend a few days building our knowledge before we even write! 

• Adopting mixed ability writing ropu (groups) and moving writing to the morning block of the timetable.
  
  

  
  
  

• Showing learners multi-modal examples of what good writing looks like. Below is an example from my learning design around narratives.
  
  

  

• Co-constructing the success criteria with learners. Below are some examples from my learning design around narratives. There are different success criteria for my 3 different ropu.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  Implementation of my change in practise will be evident in my design for learning and will be recorded on this blog.

Monitoring = 

I am monitoring the effects of my changed practices/intervention on learner outcomes through SchoolTalk evidence and writing samples. I keep samples from each learner from the beginning of the year till now and it shows the progress they have made. I will also be monitoring thorough student voice, observations and anecdotal notes. This information will be recorded on my blog. 

Reflection = Learners are engaging with the co-constructed success criteria and can reflect on their writing when conferencing with me. However, I want to further develop learners' ability to articulate their next steps in writing when they are independent of me (working with a buddy or whānau). My next step is to create feedback prompts to support learners articulating their next steps. 

Additionally, I have noticed an increase in learners' confidence in writing. I had learners at the start of the year that were writing 1-3 lines with lots of teacher support. Now these learners are writing 1-2 pages independently! My next step is to gather student voice to see if this is reflected with the learners. 

Causal chain

This is the causal chain for my inquiry which shows my plan for the rest of the year.

This may be adapted as the year progresses to meet the needs of the learners.

The current status quo

Develop a rich profile of relevant aspects of your current teaching.

At yesterday's PLG Anita, Emma and I had a really good chat with Fiona. She asked us to talk about relevant aspects of our current teaching. This will help me design an intervention and give me baseline information that I can use at the end of the year to evidence shifts in my teaching. 

Currently learners are hooked into writing through real life experiences. For example, we had some whānau come into the hub and we made sushi. From this I was able to extend learners' vocabulary by teaching them ‘powerful verbs’ (inspired by Murray Gadd). Here is the language that came out of this provocation: 

“Chomping on the crunchy seaweed”

“The delicious sushi vanished in my mouth”

“Soft, slimy and slippery avocado sliding into my mouth.” 

Another aspect that is increasing student engagement is creating an element of choice in their learning. After making sushi they could choose to write a description or a thank you letter to the parent helpers. The learners opted-in to the workshop they preferred and in doing so, felt more ownership of their learning.

The current challenge of student learning is they do not know their next steps and are not able to articulate these. 

Learners can identify surface features but do not have enough knowledge of how to apply these correctly when refining their writing. 

Learners are using visuals to check they meet the success criteria. 

On reflection, I am jumping ahead and trying to design the intervention already! 

I am going to fold back and ask the learners for their voice about what they think good writers include in their writing. I am going to co-construct the success criteria! 

If learners have a better understanding and clarity of surface features in writing, they will make connections for what they need to include in their writing.

If I empower learners to co-construct success criteria about what good writers include in their writing, they will include these features in their writing.

 

Research #2 = Murray Gadd

 I was fortunate enough to go to Murray Gadd’s “What makes a great writing lesson/programme?” presentation in May.

My takeaways from the presentation are:

Data shows that 36.4% of all Year 1-8 boys are under-achieving in writing, and 39% of all Year 1-8 Maori and Pasifika students are under-achieving in writing.

He highlighted that learners finding success in writing is important. Not only because writing is used to demonstrate understanding and learning in school but, beyond education, it is part of their daily lives with texting, blogging, and social networking. 

Engaging kids to write through sensory experiences or ‘open’ topics where there is freedom and choice about what to write about and give them thinking/talking time. 

Effective teachers know how their students are progressing as developing writers and ensure the learning is differentiated. 

I have since incorporated writing groups into my practice. Who needs what teaching and when? I can monitor learners' progress of using surface features and plan my workshops based on the gaps. I will record this information on SchoolTalk. 

Effective teachers know what writers do as they write. 

In collaboration with other teachers that also attended the presentation, we have designed some visual success criteria that help the learners move between the different phases of writing. 

Effective teachers ensure there is a positive and enthusiastic mood and learners are prepared to take risks when they write.
Teachers must continually ask themselves: Are my students writing enough? I reflected on this question and I have now introduced free writing into my writing programme. This gives learners an opportunity to write on self-selected topics. This writing will not be assessed but is available to be shared and celebrated during sharing time. 

Effective teachers make constant links for students between reading and writing. 

Learners need to understand that there is a writer behind everything they read. On the flip side, making opportunities for their writing to be read by someone else, will make the experience relevant and purposeful. During feedback with me, we will talk through the visual success criteria and reflect on what changes we can make to our writing. I will ask learners some guiding questions. What must I do to help the reader? Does it make sense? Does it sound right? Have you used the best words? 

Murray was incredibly inspiring and I left with practical ideas and resources to strengthen the engagement and achievement of my students in writing.

Gadd, M. (2020). What makes a great writing lesson/programme? {PowerPoint slides}.

Tools/Measures and Approaches

 Describe the tools/measures/approaches you plan to use to get a more detailed and accurate profile of students’ learning in relation to that challenge. Justify why you chose these approaches and tools.

• Student Voice = I will use this to measure students’ understanding, help pinpoint what challenges they still have in their learning. This will also help me understand what tools are helping the students and what their next steps are.
  
  

• e-asTTle Writing Samples = These will be taken during Term 1 and Term 4. In Term 1, I will use the samples to see what the learner’s gaps are and Term 4’s samples will be used to compare and see the progress the learners have made throughout the year.
  
  

• I will also be using writing samples from the learner’s books from guided writing sessions throughout the year. These samples will show whether the different tools and approaches are making an impact in the students learning and understanding.
  
  

• These writing samples connect with the School Talk gap analysis data. This data will show whether learners have progressed in particular writing progressions.
  

• Whanau engagement and voice = At Stonefields School a Parent Engagement Tool - Whānau kotahi has been created to monitor parent engagement. I will also be collecting whanau voice for specific evidence around writing and feedback. This is an important part of my inquiry as I believe when parents and teachers share a responsibility to help their children learn and meet educational goals, they are more effective in raising student performance.

Learn, Create, Share - Student Inquiry Focus

Summarise the challenge of student learning you plan to focus on in this inquiry.

The challenge of student learning is they do not know their next steps and are not able to articulate these. The evidence below is taken from School Talk, which shows my Year 1/2 target learners are not tracking where they need to be. Green means they have achieved and yellow means they are working towards the progressions.

Target Learner 1:

Male, Year 1 Sri Lankan

                                                      Target Learner 2:

                           Female, Year 2                              NZ European

                        Target Learner 3:

                             Male, Year 1                                  Chinese

                       Target Learner 4:

                          Female, Year 1                            Sri Lankan

                        Target Learner 5:

                             Male, Year 2                                  Russian

    

                
                       Target Learner 6:

                             Male, Year 1                                  Polish

There are gaps especially in proofreading, editing and feedback, and surface areas (punctuation, spelling, and writing legibility). A wondering I have is by building their knowledge and skillset in these surface areas, will that help them to be successful in proofreading, editing and feedback?

 

Describe how and why you have selected this challenge of student learning.
Although the Manaiakalani data shows that writing is an area that is progressing, the data from my school shows that there is low achievement in writing and learners are not making the expected shifts they should be in writing. One of the Manaiakalani/WFRC reflections was that teachers need to refine their practice and use tools to get the step change.

Powerful teaching conversations

1. Feedback?

2. Formative assessment?

3. Explicit instruction?

Summarise the discussion you had with your school leader(s) about your proposed inquiry focus and their reaction to this.

The discussion we had was around the CoL teachers aim which is to be a powerful force together to grow the capability throughout the school. We feel that our inquiry is bigger than just a target group and we can have a bigger impact across year groups. Our inquiries also fit with the Stonefields strategic goal of:

Growing OUR Culture - Our Place, Living our Values: 

Increase participation and belonging through nurturing a culture of inclusion for whānau and other community.

We all feel excited about our collaborative inquiry because it enables more opportunities for us to share our research and changes in practice with more people.

Explain why you judge this to be the most important and catalytic issue of learning for this group of learners this year. 

This area of learning feels to be the most important and catalytic because it is building learners' knowledge of feedback and involving whānau in the process. Regular sharing of feedback about the learners writing to whānau will strengthen the partnership between home and school, which, in turn, will promote shared language and tools for helping raise student achievement in writing.