Review your use of the Code of Professional Responsibilityand identify next steps
Deepen your understanding of the Standards for the Teaching Profession
Share experiences and findings from goal, inquiry or standards focused appraisal
Extend knowledge of effective use of of observation and conversations
What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow as a professional?
I gained a better perspective on the Code. It is the VALUES belonging to the teaching profession.
Appraisal benefits learners, the appraisee, the appraiser, the school, whanau, the community and the teaching profession.
Appraisal should be robust, evidence based, growth focused, goal oriented, accountable to the Standards and the Strategic plan, include self-appraisal
The purpose of Appraisal should be clear, involve trust and be focused on equity.
That what evidence looks likefor an appraisal is up to each school to decide.
Key understandings
The Teaching Council will no longer ask teachers to send in evidence
Teachers do not have to have a professional blog to share their evidence. Each school will decide on what constitutes evidence and how this is recorded.
Teacher inquiry is mandatory as required by the NZC. How evidence of this is recorded is up to individual schools.
An emphasis should be placed on professional conversations between appraiser and appraisee with a focus on teacher goals re. the inquiry.
Spiral of Inquiry
Quality Practice Template
The following template was shared with us as an example of an appraisal document.
"This
template is not for individual teachers to complete as an appraisal record! It should be
completed with colleagues. It is about knowing the standards and having a shared
understanding of what they look like at your school. It allows you to focus your
appraisal attention around your goals or inquiry. Completing the Quality Practice
Template together means you, together with colleagues identify the Standards as practices in your context.
It makes it easier to see the naturally occurring evidence available for
discussion/analysis."
Professor Christine Rubie-Davies from the University of Auckland presented to the Manaiakalani Te Hiku cluster on 'Creating high expectation schools.' Teaching practices were outlined, that could improve the self-esteem of students. A main focus was finding alternatives to ability groupings within classroom programmes. Student self-belief is affected by teacher expectations therefore what a teacher values and how a teacher interacts through non-verbal and verbal signals sends messages to students about their abilities.
Key reflections for teachers
How do you form your expectations?
What influences your expectations?
What forms of evidence influence your expectations?
What have I learned that increased my understanding of high expectation learning?
1. Teacher expectations may influence learning support and emotional support.
Examples:
differential learning support
differential emotional support
verbal behaviours
non-verbal behaviours
the leakage heirachy
2. Expectations may influence stereotyping and bias. The consequences can be:
reduced opportunity to learn
warm and supportive interactions
increased learning support
positive emotional support
challenging learning activities
expectations of success
3. Many factors contribute to the way teachers behave towards their students and the expectations they have for individual student achievement.
How will this pedagogy EMPOWER me professionally with my teaching practice?
I want to ensure that ALL of my students feel empowered and have a positive self-belief that they are successful learners. I want to ensure I know what is going on for my learners and provide them with the opportunities to overcome any barriers to learning that are identified.
Key messages about grouping
Ability grouping may have limited or detrimental effect on student learning.
Ability grouping may have limited or detrimental effect on student achievement.
Planning for change
How will you set up a high expectation classroom?
Demonstrate through my interactions with students that my expectations are high for all of them. My words, gestures, body language and flexible grouping/activities will reflect that my expectations are high for all students.
What differences will you make to the way in which your syndicate/department
sets up instruction for reading/writing/maths?
I will intentionally have more mixed and flexible grouping across all curriculum areas to encourage self-belief, student agency and collaboration.
How will you ensure maximum opportunity to learn for all students in your
syndicate/department?
Provide the opportunities mentioned above and the necessary support for students to be able to do what is required.
What learning experiences will you include so all children are challenged?
Provide a variety of learning tasks that are scaffolded with different degrees of challenge [independent, some support required, step-by-step support]. Students will have choice about which learning tasks they complete.
In 2019 the Junior classes at school are introducing more ‘learning through play’ into class programmes. We need to adjust and alter our programme in order to meet the diverse needs of our students. Teachers from the New Entrant and Year 1/2 classes have been reading about the positive effects of play-based learning environments.Over the past five years we have noticed a steady decline in the range of achievement levels in oral language, reading, writing and maths.
Many children entering school at five years of age, are simply not ready to begin formal lessons as we have had in the past.
What did I learn that increased my understanding of Learning Through Play pedagogy?
After attending two days of professional development in Kerikeri during the holidays, we see more clearly how this fits into the NZ curriculum and benefits the children in a variety of ways: - helps to build problem solvers - encourages curiosity and concentration - develops language and memory skills - improves academic learning Play is an ideal way for children to develop social, critical thinking and problem solving skills and still retain literacy and numeracy as the main focus in the junior school.
A significant deterioration in the gross and fine motor skills of many children could be attributed to a lack of physical activity and outside play. Some children are unable to sit upright on the mat or at tables for long due to poor core strength. Some have very little upper body strength and cannot hang or climb without assistance. The lack of fine motor control means that children find it difficult to grip and control pencil, crayon and brush movements. Writing and handwriting is complex enough, without struggling to hold and manipulate the pencil. I learned about the characteristics of play as clarified by Sarah Aiono, and now see play with a new perspective.
The Characteristics of Play Primarily, play is:
1. self-chosen and self-directed;
2. process rather than product driven;
3. contains structures or rules established by the players themselves;
4. imaginative, non-literal and removed from reality;
5. occurs between those who are active, alert and non-stressed.
(Gray, 2013; Brewer, 2007)
Many children’s creativity and imagination is stifled due to limited opportunities to explore, discover, create and discuss. These are essential skills that the children will need to learn through inquiry, as they grow older and move on through the year levels.
How has the Learning Through Play pedagogy EMPOWERED me professionally with my teaching practice?
We feel that due to the former National Standards constraints and timeline constrictions, we have been unable to cater for these escalating needs by giving children time to learn through play. Because some children are not ready for more formal learning activities/lessons, they show signs of anxiety which in turn causes additional barriers to learning for them. Understanding that from three years to seven years children are typically within the pre-operational cognitive stage means our school children in Years 1 to 3 (Level 1) are typically operating within this stage of development and therefore need learning experiences that cater for this. This perspective has inspired me to make changes in my teaching practice. I feel supported in the knowledge that the changes are suited to the developmental stage of the students. The following slides from the 'Learning Through Play: The Nitty Gritty' workshop give an idea of the day's content. I highly recommend attending both the workshops if you are thinking about making changes to your learning programme in Years 1-3 particularly. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hRnXACinlujrfsWdqDtFlbYryy4eA4N2
Recommended Reading to support a Play Based Teaching and Learning Journey:[Sarah Aiono]
Free to Learn by Peter Gray
The Best Schools by Thomas Armstrong
Creative Schools by Sir Ken Robinson & Lou Aronica
Online Video Material (You Tube): Kathy Hirsch-Pasek Scrap Store Playpod
Peter Gray 'The Decline of Play'
Sir Ken Robinson (TED) 'Do schools kill Creativity'
What did I learn that could be used with my learners?
I understand that we are at the beginning of our Learning Through Play journey which, we are advised, can take five years.
Our plan for the first year is to provide resources which will cater to the schema or urges of the students
- increase the time allowed for Learning Through Play. - provide resources (inside and out) to enable LTP. - utilise our beautiful school grounds to develop more outside play
areas
Sandpits - designed by children and teachers
Tree climbing
Hill rolling/sliding
Digging/roading/science/geology
Hut making in the bamboo and gardens/habitats
Water play/moving water/volume
Carpentry/measurement
Potions table/science
Creative play areas such as theatre/shop/vet clinic
Art creations
Covered outdoor play area within sight of junior classrooms
Outdoor storage (wheelie bins or shed) for loose parts used in play
e.g. pipes/reels/building materials
Literacy and numeracy will still be covered daily. Reading, writing and mathematics groups will be withdrawn and taught during LTP time. The timetable will need to be flexible to allow this.
Children will also still participate in all school-wide and timetabled events. Children will continue to be assessed and reported on as per usual.
Since attending the workshops we reported to the school Board of Trustees on our Professional Learning Development, and asked consent to begin by designing the sandpits with student input. We are grateful to our B.o.T. who totally support us in making changes to the class programmes and environmental alterations, and will provide the resourcing to make it all possible.
What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow as a professional?
Thank you Kerry, Dorothy and Dave for having this session and for recording it. I have used sheets before for collecting data but learned today how to freeze rows and columns, use the function key to analyze, and, to make, share and put charts onto a separate sheet. I will definitely use what I learned today to analyze and sort student achievement data. Creating charts from student data will visually support reports made to the B.o.T on student achievement and progress.
What did I learn that could be used with my learners?
I would like to use forms to gather feedback from whanau instead of paper forms. It will make data analyzing a lot easier and the whole process more manageable.
What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow in my personal life?
Using forms to collect data and then simply turning it into a sheet will make data collecting and analyzing a much quicker and more enjoyable process especially on a school wide basis.
What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy?
Ubiquitous Learning can occur any time, any place, anywhere, from anyone. Learning can happen outside school hours because content is accessible through the class website. Students who are away from school for whatever reason are able to review content and supporting resources [Rewindable Learning].
How has the Manaiakalani kaupapa EMPOWERED me professionally with my teaching practice?
Through the Digital Fluency Intensive I have learned to navigate my way through a variety of Google apps and apply these to organising, planning and collaborating with colleagues. I am able to design a site with linked sub-pages and make it accessible to my students, embed slides, videos, images, google docs and drawings into a site to support student learning. I have blogged for the first time in my life and feel more comfortable about sharing thoughts and ideas publicly. I have made connections with other teachers in the Te Hiku cluster who are also on the Manaiakalani journey and will continue sharing and collaborating with them through Google Groups, email and other professional networks. I am also more equipped to explain the Manaiakalani pedagogy to whanau and the wider school community. I have really appreciated that teachers who have experience working in Manaiakalani schools have shared with us their knowledge, skills and resources.
What did I learn that could be used with my learners?
Because I am more confident using Google apps I will be able to implement these when designing learning projects for the students, making learning visible, rewindable, appealing and accessible on their iPads. I will also be able to teach students how to share and organise their learning on the iPad as a record of their learning journeys.
This timeline activity that I completed in our Staff Meeting facilitated by Donna Yates from Manaiakalani, presents a clear overview of how social media and digital technologies have dramatically increased the opportunity to be connected worldwide. I think that advancements and opportunities will increase at fast rates with continuing improvements to make access easier.
What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy?
Empowerment gives people control or agency over their own lives.
As teachers we should first identify what disempowers the students and their whanau in our communities. 50% of those living in the Far North represent the 5th most deprived people in NZ. As educators we must consider the impact of poverty on our students and what we can do to change this.
Manaiakalani pedagogy aligns with the NZ Curriculum in the firm belief that students must be given opportunities to develop 'capabilities for growing, working and participating in their communities.' Students need to feel comfortable in the digital world because this the future. They can not be empowered unless they have agency/choice in their learning and are able to create their own digital footprint in a digital world - VISIBLITY. They will not be empowered until they can learn globally, at anytime, anywhere - UBIQUITY. Student learning will not be visible or ubiquitous unless they are CONNECTED and are able to share and collaborate.
Manaiakalani pedagogy aims to empower students, their whanau and teachers through digital technology capability. Digital technology should NOT be understood as just a tool but instead as the means to empower our lives. Class sites and Blogs therefore need to be visible and accessible to whanau which will support families to be more connected to schools and to discuss and understand the learning of their children.
How has the Manaiakalani kaupapa EMPOWERED you professionally with your teaching practice?
Today in the beautiful setting at the Waitangi Museum we had the opportunity to develop our understanding of Hangarau Matihiko, the new Digital Technologies Curriculum which has two strands: 1.Computational Thinking for Digital Technologies 2. Designing and Developing Digital Outcomes
Monika and Kerry from the Raranga Matihiko programme gave us the wonderful opportunity to inquire into computational thinking and design by experimenting with a variety of amazing resources.
I had fun discovering with Esther Dickenson as we created the following video using the 'Green Screen', and adding photos to the background. Our 'bloopers' were not arranging/inserting objects in the right order and that is why the whare, which should have been in the foreground, is imposed on the photo of trees and sky in the background. The outcome is still pretty cool. What a great activity for using and developing the imagination and creativity. I would love to set up a 'Green Screen' booth or corner in the play room next year.
How has the Manaiakalani kaupapa EMPOWERED you with new skills to use with your learners?
Computational Thinking is a task broken down into little parts i.e. coding. Decomposition skills can be taught/practised without devices. This is coding 'unplugged' which I loved the idea of and can see this working really well in the junior classroom to develop computational skills, thinking and the key directional vocabulary in a collaborative and fun way. The coding app/programme 'SCRATCH' developed by Mitchel Resnick provides printable coding tiles to be used in this way. I will certainly take advantage of this. I've also ordered his book 'Lifelong Kindergarten - Cultivating Creativity' to help give some inspiration as I work towards establishing play-based learning at our school. Blending the 'Manaiakalani' and 'Learning through Play' pedagogies will be my focus.
How has the Manaiakalani kaupapa EMPOWERED you personally?
My learning today has given me a clearer perspective of the Manaiakalani kaupapa and the necessity of preparing our students for the future. This pedagogy links to The Digital Technologies Curriculum perfectly. Both have their roots in creativity and diversity, teaching and using the skills that will be required for productivity and input to better our communities and personal wellbeing and accomplishments. Computational thinking can be applied to any activity [waiata ringa ringa; poi, rakau, tukutuku panels]. It is about applying rules, patterning and relationships, and can be intergrated into any classroom focus to make the learning authentic. Good pedagogy dictates that we do this anyway. It is the scaffolding that gives structure and embeds the learning. .
