My Learning Inquiry 2022

 

Class Site Link

Effective teaching strategies that enable students voice to be heard and acknowledged.

Date: 01.08.22

 

What is your inquiry question? How will integrating Beebots [emulator on iPads] into my Mathematics programme improve students’ motivation, directional skills, sequencing and critical thinking as well as numeral identification, sequencing and subitising.	What is happening in your class at the moment for this group of students? Students have difficulty explaining their thinking /strategies? They are unable to quickly give before and after numbers and identify numbers and dot patterns.
What strategies have you used? What do you see as your next steps in your inquiry?  Simon Says game to practice directional language. Practice with Emulator on iPad.  Next Steps: Use arrow cards  Waiata-a-ringa for directionality Beebots in groups Students explain their learning	How have you/ will you involve whanau during your inquiry process? Student leaning will be shared on the class Blog [photos and student voice]. Reminders to visit the class Blog posted on the school Facebook page and added to Term newsletters.

Final Inquiry Reflections

JAM assessment data T3 AND T4 [First score end T2 or T3; Second score T4]

 The data collected with nine of the students who were at school for both testing periods reflects improvement for both forwards and backwards sequencing [before and after numbers/1 more and 1 less].

Forwards Sequencing	Backwards Sequencing
S2 - S4 S2 - S3 S3 - S4 S2 - S3 S3 - S4 S4 - S4 S2 - S3 S2 - S3 S4 - S5	S2 - S3 S1 - S2 S3 - S4 S1 - S3 S1 - S2 S1 - S2 S0 - S1 S1 - S3 S3 - S5

What worked well?

Focusing on the explicit teaching of directional language has given the students

more confidence with all mathematical tasks. Development of vocabulary will

be ongoing learning for all students.

Challenges?

Time to complete what was planned - online learning was not conducive to implementing further hands on, group computational thinking activities with my

5 year olds.

Final Reflections

Focusing on explicit directional vocabulary is helping the students to see the importance of the meanings of words. Some students have worked out their own strategies for remembering before/after and forwards and backwards. 

The Computational Thinking - Theme ‘Fairy Tales’

Unplugged resources from Donna Golightly [DTC] is a fabulous resource which we will continue to explore in 2022.

All students were hooked into the many traditional fairy tales we explored. It was an ideal platform to develop vocabulary all round.

My Teaching Inquiry 

What has gone well?

[Introduce/practise using algorithms in an everyday context to develop computational thinking.]

• Most students think more carefully about solving a problem and can talk about ‘how’ they solved it.
• Students were engaged throughout unplugged coding activities. All worked co-operatively in pairs and small groups.
• Many students have improved their backward counting skills, 1 less/1more knowledge and strategies, left/right and forwards/backwards knowledge.

What has been a challenge?

• Time restraints due to lock down.

• Timetabling regular sessions.

• JAM assessments revealed that a few students have rote-learned backwards counting from 10 but can’t count back from 20 using the ‘one less’ strategy.

• Teacher involved supporting students in new learning and not taking photos for the class Blog.

What was an ‘aha’ moment with your students?

Students realising the need to be exact when completing unplugged coding activities i.e. understanding the problem to be solved, direction, careful counting, double-checking.

Where to next?

• Continue using unplugged grids.
• Introduce Bee bots.

 Computational Thinking - Unplugged Early Years

Last week Donna Golightly from 'Using Technology Better' has developed a site using the theme of Fairy Tales to support computational thinking.  I look forward to using the resources available through the following link. Fairy Tales  

The site has links to five well known Fairy Tales. Each Tale includes:

1. links to curriculum areas
2. computational thinking concepts
3. activities
4. literacy and/or maths focusses
5. a digital technology focus
6. sequencing images
7. a grid mat
8. assessment and reflection ideas.

This resource gives direction and structure for planning computational thinking units and could be adapted for different themes and learning levels.

We have also ordered a class set of Bee-Bots to with some plastic grids. 

Computational Thinking  

Why should we integrate unplugged computational thinking activities into learning?

"Students are given challenges based on a few simple rules, and in the process of solving those challenges they uncover powerful ideas on their own.
Not only is this a more memorable way to learn, but it empowers them to realise that these are ideas within their grasp.
The activities are also very kinesthetic - the bigger the materials, the better." csunplugged

Today Te Kakano students and myself had the pleasure of Donna Golightly facilitating an unplugged lesson. 

Activity 1

Donna began by choosing a classroom stool and 1 student. The student was a robot and had to be told what to do and where to go because a robot has to be programmed. It cannot think on its own. The students had to give the robot instructions to get to the stool and sit down. It took a few attempts to direct the robot correctly with the students learning about the importance of exact instructions. The vocabulary included the words 'turn, right, left, forwards, backwards, straight.'  

Activity 2

Donna used a grid with animal body parts.

UTB | Unplugged coding | Animals

The students chose a head and body part.

They chose a blank starting square on the outside of the grid and then had turns at telling Donna where to go next. She recorded the instructions using arrows on the white board. The students got to name the creature i.e. a 'elesnail.'

Activity 3

The students repeated the above activity in pairs, recording their progress with arrows.

Activity 4

One student secretly chose 2 body parts and then plotted out the directions using arrows. the partner then followed the arrows. 

The students remained engaged throughout and I look forward to reinforcing todays learning with similar lessons. 

 My Learning Inquiry 2021

My inquiry question

Will increased time spent developing computational thinking skills and specific vocabulary lead to a better understanding of number knowledge and strategies for my learners?

Our school-wide Professional Development this year is the 'Digital Technology Curriculum' with a focus on mathematics. Donna Golightly from 'Using Technology Better' will support teachers to use the DTC and technology better to improve student learning in maths. I have taken this opportunity to improve my knowledge of developing computational thinking in the classroom and use this as a basis in my inquiry.

Digital Technology Curriculum

What is happening in your class at the moment for this group of students? Students do not have a clear understanding of the relationship between counting and 1 less/1more. They confuse ‘before/after’ and often take a guess at a number rather than use a strategy. JAM assessment results show that students are not transferring forwards/backwards counting knowledge to 10, to bigger double digit numbers.

What strategies have you used? What do you see as your next steps in your inquiry?

We use daily calendar maths, class number knowledge warm-up sessions, games and numeracy group sessions to discuss our knowledge and understanding. Independent activities are completed in workbooks and using Math Seeds on the iPads.  

Next steps:

• use EE - students take photos and record an explanation [practise using appropriate vocabulary to talk about their maths]. Recordings shared in maths groups.

• Introduce/practise using algorithms in an everyday context to develop computational thinking.

How have you/ will you involve whanau during your inquiry process?

• Share learning on our class blog

• New vocab added to our take home vocab lists - students have to explain to their whanau what the words mean and/or use the words in a sentence.

Last week at staff meeting we discussed the Te Kāhui Tai Kura o Te Hiku Achievement Challenge 2021, in relationship to our own school vision and teacher inquiries for this year. As a school we have been discussing  our local environment, and our location within Ngaitakoto as being the platform for meaningful learning for our students. Our waiata, school pepeha, and pou have historical significance and provide connection to our locality and culture.  

Te Kāhui Tai Kura o Te Hiku Achievement Challenge 2021

Our shared vision: A genuine commitment is evident to removing barriers and forging partnerships connecting iwi, whānau, and kura under a shared purpose. We value the upholding of te ao Māori through te reo me ona tikanga Māori and are driven by thoughtful understanding of the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We will create a community that:

● puts our ākonga at the centre and is focussed explicitly on cultivating student agency and ownership

● develops ākonga who are confident in Te reo me ōna tikanga Māori .

● seeks to improve the hauora of our ākonga, both within our kura and our wider hapori

● develops resources that are localized, culturally relevant, and foster understanding of the histories, traditions and languages of Te Hiku o te Ika.

● ensures authentic collaboration and partnership around our shared goals and outcomes. That all involved feel respected, valued and listened to.

● develops quality kaiako and kaimahi who are culturally competent, relational, and highly capable in Te reo me ona tikanga Māori .

● ensures that the process of all mahi completed by the Kāhui Ako is informed by reflection and analysis.

Our aims- Kia tu tangata o Te Hiku o Te Ika

● Tu Tangata Ora: The physical, mental, spiritual and whānau wellbeing of ākonga are protected and nurtured.

● Tu Tangata Kaha: Ākonga have ownership of their learning and future direction through agentic participation in the learning process.

● Tu Tangata Marama: Ākonga are inspired to learn and engaged in quality learning experiences that are rich in the culture, environment and heritage of Te Hiku o Te Ika