ALL Reflection - Where we are now...

This is a first draft (un-edited) of one of my students. What have I noticed:
His confidence has grown with regards to ideas, however, looking at this I can see that spelling and grammar is a problem. He is relying on his knowledge of vocab, he knows what they mean, but he is not sure how to access spelling rules. He is also not aware of the difference between past, present and future tense.

What next:
* Do a Pseudo test to identify which sounds are missing. (In this case, possibly long and short vowels sounds and the difference between sk and sc).
* Look at doing a lesson on the present, past and future tense word endings.
* Look at each students draft for further gaps.

ALL Spelling Worksop

Do we have a coherent, consistent delivery of spelling across the school?
We have the program, are we using it? Do Survey.

We should not be doing pockets of fix-ups. What happens with our ALL target students when they move back into class?

WARM UP: How many different spelling patterns for the 'f' sound:
of phone elephant off laugh fantastic whanau

Letter a: and all ate take cat ask antennae   (3 different sounds)

We say sound it out to write it down, but then there are different ways of spelling it.

If students don't know their sounds, they will struggle to learn to spell. Watch video of Joy Allcock - no matter what spelling program you are using. From language to Literacy - The bucket document (Staff PLD possibly)

Also look at The impact of spelling on writing  also: Joy Allcock classroom Practice

Compare to:
Word Lab Classroom Practice
Introducing a new chart and independent activities

Could we still do Pseudo Test to determine gaps?

Any spelling program can work as long as the students:
Sat it
Hear it
Identify it
Write it
Use it

Use visual prompts for these in all classes:

Get the students involved examples

ALL Inquiry

These are some questions my facilitator is posing to me. After chatting to the leadership team at our school, I realized that perhaps we are doing more than I realize, and my lack of confidence is creating a feeling of...oh gosh, I need to make some changes. But do I really?

I want to find out, how much we are already doing, and pinpointing exactly where I, as ALL teacher, can make a difference without reinventing the wheel.

The questions are:

A few points to note and to think about in preparation for our next school visits and skype sessions.

a)  How are you engaging with whanau?  Connections to Ka Hikitia, Taataiako and Tapasa.

b)  What does formative assessment look like?  Student agency how is this going with you and your learners?

c)  What is the impact of your practice transferring across the curriculum?

d)  What is your sustained plan to accelerate learners in your school?

If any of my school teachers are reading my blog, I would love your thoughts and input, please. 

ALL Reading - Learning in the fast lane by Suzy Pepper Rollins

Where to next with ALL?

In order to know, I read this reading about the 6 steps to take in order to accelerate students writing: 

Before other students have even begun the unit, the accelerated group has gained an understanding of:
The real-world relevance and purpose of the concept.
Critical vocabulary, including what the words look and sound like.
The basic skills needed to master the concept.
The new skills needed to master the concept.

The big picture of where instruction is going.

What is acceleration: Not pre-teaching rather it is an enriching experience designed to stimulate thinking, develop concrete models, introduce vocabulary, scaffold critical missing pieces, and introduce new concepts just prior to the acquisition of new learning.

Step 1: Generate Thinking, Purpose, Relevance, and Curiosity
Begins with a thought-provoking, hands-on activity that encompasses the big idea of the standard.

Step 2: Clearly Articulate the Learning Goal and Expectations
Their brains should be primed for the teacher's introduction of the learning goal—for
example, "What we just explored is actually the first part of the standard we'll be learning" or "In 40 minutes, you will be able to compare and contrast the core, the mantle, and the crust.". Standards should be deconstructed into classroom targets that unfold into opportunities for daily formative assessment.

Step 3: Scaffold and Practice Essential Prerequisite Skills
Acceleration pause as students briefly moves backward to remediate the deficits that would present a barrier to learning the new standard. To edit a potentially long list of gaps, complete the following statement:


Students could master the new standard if they just knew ___________________________.

Step 4: Introduce New Vocabulary and Review Prior Vocabulary
Create a TIP: a continually growing anchor wall chart that includes vocabulary terms, information on those terms, and pictures of the terms. As words are introduced, they are added to the TIP.

Step 5: Dip into the New Concept
Now students are poised for going a bit deeper into the new content. Students may score sample papers using a writing rubric.

Step 6: Conduct Formative Assessment Frequently
It is essential to collect ongoing data on student progress.

Checklist for acceleration:
□ Students can clearly articulate the meaning of today's learning goal.
□ Students receive scaffolding for prerequisite skills in the context of new learning.
□ Vocabulary development is hands-on and ongoing and focuses on clearly identified academic vocabulary terms.
□ Remediation provided is just in time and set in the context of new learning.
□ Assessment is visible and yields immediate feedback.
□ Students largely work cooperatively in a safe learning environment.
□ Students are learning the big idea of new concepts in advance of their core-class peers.
□ The acceleration teacher and the core-class teacher engage in ongoing collaboration regarding pacing and student progress.

What next: 
* The problem I have is that students are from two different classes, it will be hard to work with them on a topic from their class in only 20min. Speak to my mentor on how I can work around this problem.
* Create a TIP wall
* Start planning ALL more purposefully following the 6 steps

PB4L PD

Yesterday we revisited keeping on top of behavior issues at PES. It is crucial that we complete forms when needed. How to differentiate between, what needs to be recorded and what not.

Then we looked at one student in our classes and come up with a plan.
I found it helpful to drill down on one child, identifying the behaviour we see, analyzing why and when the behavior pops up and deciding what the behaviour is that we want to see.

My focus student leaves the class, hurts others, yells out loud and refuses to do his work.

We identified that he craves adult attention as he did not go to school last year, and was with mum at home. He lacks social skills such as sharing, taking turns, following instructions and boundaries.

We decided to give him 10minutes adult time with our Learner Support. She plays a sight word matching game that he learned to love. We set up goals each morning which is easy for him to achieve and earns stickers. Goals such as line up, stay in class, gentle hands, etc.

He responds well with the stickers and is not leaving the class without permission.

I have now noticed that he tends to want to hog our learner support and demands all her attention. So now my focus has shifted a little as he now needs to do at least one learning activity in order to get the adult attention.  The moment he steps back in line, I praise him and follow-through with my promise of adult time. 

I'm hoping to get him to the point where he is able to participate in class activities and be able to have a healthy relationship with his peers so that he is no longer dependent on the adult attention only.

TAI - ALL Boys as Reluctant Writers Follow-up

What is our goal with ALLat PES? What have I identified as good practice? What now?

At the start of my inquiry, I thought that teaching students how to use a dictionary, or teaching them to check their SC at the end of their writing would help students to create better writing samples. (This is still important, but not the shift in practice that will develop good writers). However, as I have been working with the boys, I have made many shifts in my thoughts.

First: What is our goal with ALL at PES? Yes, we want to help these boys to accelerate in their literacy learning, but if they leave school, they take it with them. If I leave, I take my knowledge with me.  Am I working in a single pocket? NO! I have to look at the bigger picture. This inquiry is not just about my learning and what I can do to assist children. It's about how I can change the way writing is presented at PES. How can I support teachers so that they know what to do when they have reluctant writers, across the board. How can I influence decisions around teaching writing in our school so that senior management supports me?
Therefore it's time to have meetings with staff. Not a once off, tick of a box, kind of meeting. It doesn't have to be long, but it needs to be consistent every two weeks. Checking in, and supporting teachers by focussing on what they are doing well, encouraging, enthusiastically, through examples and modeling on what they can do. Teachers then need to try it, and feedback on it. This is very important because often we have meetings, we present ideas, and then there is no accountability to give it a go.

What is the main thing that stood out for me in my inquiry that will signal good practice? Teaching PES students at the right level. Not too low, not too high.
Are teachers' expectations of what the students can do on the right level? E.g. if a child is writing at level 1, are they trying to fill the gaps in level 1, which keeps them working only in level 1.  Are they beating a dead horse for ten weeks by teaching the same thing over and over? Or are they teaching a little higher than where the child is in order to make a weekly shift?
Are they engaging students in interesting ways using variations in resources, or is everything kind of going on the same pattern every week?

I would like to investigate these two questions, getting teachers, management's, and students voice.