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.  

Aug-Oct Lockdown & Distance Learning Reflection

With most of Term 3 in lockdown due to Covid-19, distance learning has been the ‘normal’. With this, come some challenges in keeping the momentum of my inquiry going. I have tried my best and adapted my inquiry to make it work for all my learners during distance learning. Manaiakalani’s Learn, Create, Share pedagogy has been my guide and put my students at the very centre of their learning. 

Here are my reflections:

We have used an integrated approach, linking our concept learning about Space with the curriculum learning areas of Reading, Writing, Maths and Science. 

The learners have impressed me with their device readiness, showing etiquette in the new digital classroom environment. They are communicating using the Google Meet hands up tool and muting microphones on and off with ease. 

Learners have created so many rich records of learning. These have been shared during our workshops and on Padlet. We have been able to provide feedback via the Padlet and SchoolTalk. It was great to see learners writing comments on each others posts as well.

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 NZ Polish

This evidence identifies formative feedback of students progress which was recorded on SchoolTalk for writing learning progressions. 

Term 3’ distance learning has highlighted the importance of involving parents in this process as well. Throughout this lockdown period, we have had high whānau engagement and interaction, it really feels like we are all in this together. In Week 8 and 9, I spoke with each family and discussed their child’s challenges and successes of distance learning and what learning they were most engaged in. I recorded these connections using the Whānau Kotahi tool so I can monitor the engagement and level of relationships.

As distance learning seems to be continuing for this term, my next step is to gain learner and whānau voice about their writing learning at home and how I can support.

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. 

Manaiakalani CREATE!

Emma and I co-hosted a workshop this week for the Manaiakalani: Creativity Empowers Learners meeting, with an amazing group of our learners. They were so determined in teaching a group of adults how to design their very own pencil case! 

Check out the presentation and photos below: