Room 1 students voice

After some discussions with my principal and our PD session with Cynthia Greenleaf, I thought it would be good to get some student voice from my class. This was their response:

What helps you to be  a good learner? 
"doing handwriting, music, when it is quiet and relaxing, my friends, when nobody talks, my teacher".

What in Room 1 makes it hard for you to learn? 
"when everyone is loud, when everybody is screaming, when everyone is not good".

What do you like to do during a brain break? 
"sitting down and eating, play tag, rugby, touch, hide and seek, soccer, kiwi kids".

What are you interested in to learn about during science? 
"bubbles, explosions, dinosaurs, books(not sure if this was meant to be bugs as well), bugs, cutting worms, water".

So what?
After their input, we discussed that we need to volume down in room 1 in order to give others and ourselves the opportunity to learn. Also, it was good to see that they would prefer a physical activity during a brain break instead of something like blocks/lego's. And the science question, was just to give me an idea of what interests them. I was proud of Room 1 for being able to verbalise what supports their learning and will do everything I can to enforce a classroom culture of respect to others.

PD- Cynthia Greenleaf (Aaron)

Focusing on Argumentation:
I attended a talk on argumentation by Cynthia Greenleaf, from California. How to use it in class.

Setting up the rules of what supports and what comes in the way of learning during group work. e.g. if I don't feel like my ideas are valued, noise etc. What is socially acceptable or not - norms.

Do activity, have a quick de-breath - check - in, get the children's buy-in.

Focus on reasoning, find the evidence.

Slip - Trip - Go Meta (Possible questions to ask to reflect on the activity)
How did you work with others to figure this out?
What are some ways a group member challenged your thinking?
Where you able to challenge other's reasons or ideas?  (this encouraged thinking to go metacognitive)
List some things a partner noticed or said that shifted your thinking?
List some things you noticed or said that helped the inquiry?
List some things your group could do better next time?

Phrase norms so that it is in a positive statement. e.g. let's be comfortable while we wonder about. Confusion is cool! (Posters/shower curtains) Break the norms down in reading, thinking, talking.

When things are getting too "hot" (over conversation) - break into smaller groups (Manage process).

How may our collaboration norms serve students in online interaction?
This will help students pick up on social cues via digital. e.g. what I said might hurt your feelings.

E.g. Presenting a picture, everything can be contested, will encourage students to practice argumentation.

Norms face-to face is important, but we also need to prepare our children for digital to digital situations.

Children can write the transcript of their conversations to help them pick up on the norms.

What have I taken from this PD?
This emphasises what I have noticed in room 1. My students struggle to read facial expressions and linking it to emotions. I have done a bit of work on recognising feelings. I think it is important for them to understand face to face how words can affect people, in order for them to be sensitive for it when they go digital.

I would love to set the baseline for argumentative discussions, I will look into it to find out how this could be introduced in the younger classes. In my opinion it is a very important strategy for life, because being argumentative will help our children to make good decisions as adults. They will be able to look at all the possibilities/outcomes of decisions they might take, before they make it.

Inquiry - What is mindfulness?

I am very interested to learn about mindfulness. My students have made huge progress since the beginning of the year. They are more willing to take risks. The more I keep to my routine and make the transition into class easy, the more they calm down, however, I still find that they are very hyped up after any activities outside the class e.g. Kapa Haka or assembly.  My hunch is that they get over stimulated and find it hard to calm down or they are just tired and don't want to go straight back into learning.  I tried letting them lie down and listen to a story, but was surprised to find about 6 of them, struggling to settle, to such a point that I had to stop trying, but the class was immediately a bit calmer due to the rest of the class having 3 minutes "resting time".

My DP suggested Sparklers Christchurch website. I started the one activity where they lie down for 30seconds without talking, just listening to their breathing. I still have 2 students that cannot settle. But it is becoming easier for the rest. I have 2 boys that is able to immediately relax and nearly falls asleep.

Then I watched 1 News Now where Point England's principal advises that mindfulness
training is the thing that will make a huge positive change in the behaviour of school students.

So....what is mindfulness really? How can it improve my children's performance in school work and behaviour? Is this the magic pill that will improve co-operation, kindness and volume levels in my class? Will this help my students with coping strategies when they feel angry and teach them patience?

So I snooped around on Google and found this...

This linked in with the observation that Susan(Our science tutor) and I observed during a science lesson. The children could not identify feelings or read expressions. So we worked a little on emotions. It seems like mindfulness can build on this. 

Here is a website with some ideas of mind fullness activities. Teacher Starter

Next step: 

Find out what mind fullness really is, how it works and how can this help my students. (Exciting)

Kaitiakitanga -Science

For term 3 we are working on a big idea in science: My big idea is to show that even little children can make a difference caring for the environment,.The route that I want to take is to work from a point of making them aware of life under the ground, and then working toward the value of keeping our grounds clean, and how a worm farm can support us in looking after our environment.

Week 1 we created a demarcation to investigate over a few weeks. We took some rocks and placed them on healthy grass in order to see how it will change. Last week, I gave the children a clipboard with a mini beasts spotting chart, and a table where they could jot down the insects they do spot under the logs and rocks. They had to draw it, name it, identify how many legs, whether they had wings, etc. We also looked at bones and examples of invertebrates and vertebrates.

Initially I did not think they would be able to do the activity, but was surprised that they were able to complete the task, with the exception of 2 or 3 children. The children seems very interested in the activities,  and is eager to learn about the critters.

Although I got this idea from Susan, I try to modify it a little and bring in a variety of activities to enforce the learning. My focus for myself was to explicitly introduce vocaublary, get them interested and excited about science, and observe change.

What I am struggling with is to explain why things are the way they are, due to my own lack of knowledge. When I know I am introducing things, I ensure that I am prepared and know how to explain it, but sometimes the children come up with questions on the spot, and I can't really answer them. E.g. why are the insects under the rocks and scurry away when you lift it up.

So what:
what I thought I could do is to write their questions down, do the research and give them the answers the following week.

Also, I am not yet using the questions as Susan has suggested we do. I want them to start wondering about things. So I should print those questions/prompts, or decide which one I want to focus on and add it to my planning.

Science - Bubbles

Yesterday we did part two of our bubble experience. We only had 11 students at school and Rhys and I split it so that we both got the opportunity to teach. It worked really well with the smaller groups.

My lesson didn't flow as I wanted it to as I had to refer back to the lesson plan all the time. However, in doing that, I managed to ask the right questions and we managed to discuss some of the key vocabulary e.g. cluster, floating, detergent, air, what do we call moving air etc.

At some point I stood back and kept quiet to observe, the children were "playing" with the bubbles, but they were discovering new ways of making them e.g. instead of blowing they started running with the wand and more bubbles formed.

When we moved back to class to write our observations in our journal, it was interesting to see what stood out for each child.

While doing writing and drawing in our journals, everybody participated in the discussions, we looked at some of the video and photos they added to Seesaw. The children were excited about seeing themselves on the big screen. 

As a final activity, we drew the bubbles on seesaw, especially to get the colours that they observed. 

So what: 

Some of the children in my class, were using a close eye by observing the little drop at the bottom of the bubble, however, most of the children were too excited about the bubbles to slow down and observe. How do I slow them down? I want them to spend time to observe, but if one starts running around, the others follow. 

Vocabulary that we used at previous experiences came through e.g. transparent and liquid. 

I need to think of a way to prepare better. Perhaps doing the experiment (no matter how simple) before the time and talking it through either by myself or with a colleague will help me retain some of the vocab. so that I don't have to refer back to the lesson plan as much. 

What next: 

I want to print photos of yesterday and revisit by adding labels. This will serve as visual prompts during writing. 

We will do a brief revisit of the lesson by looking at the videos and photos in order to help the students that were absent to catch up. 

Do part 3 of the bubble experiment as soon as possible. 

Growing strong foundations Hui - Exploring the potential of the National Curricula for all students

What stood out for me at the HUi. Some food for thought:

Helen May - Emeritus Professor University of Otago: 
- Readdressing mismatch between ECE and primary school
- Framework should be of Te Whariki move into school - appropriate assessment for young children in schools
- Young children should be happy and healthy - "they should learn to work and play with other children, his mind kept lively and eager and full of wonder" H.G. Mason (Minister of education 1944)
- Children learn through play - child agency (free play and discovery) This use to be so important, it was done first thing in the morning.  (Sand, wood, water, paint)
ECE plan: Turn the profit tide. Strong and equal partnership between ECE and Jnr School, not ECE responsibility to ready children for school. 
- Children could bring the ECE portfolio's to the new school when starting. NE Teacher could view portfolio's before new students start and set up something from that portfolio that the child likes a lot e.g. lego's .
LET THE CHILDREN PLAY _ WE MUST ALLOW OUR CHILDREN THE TIME TO PLAY.
Could we create a more playful early years curriculum for the junior classrooms framed around learning dispositions and the principals and strands and the 3 R's?

Melissa Corlett & Helen Taylor-Young
- Research show that young children learn with a different part of their Brain than adults. When young, it is more about social and emotional development. They are only ready at 6 and a half to learn. (Disposition as we force young children at 5 to learn)
- The downward push in assessment practices into the first year of school in response to NS is having a undesirable effect on teaching practices.
- We think that the earlier we teach children the clever's they are, but there is no relationship to how successful they will be as an adult at 65. What matter is how much you love learning. 

Dr Bobby Hunter and Dr Jodie Hunter- MATHS
- How are we assessing children against what matters to them and their families and not the dominant majority?
- Problems: Less qualified and experienced teachers especially in low decile - only BT's applying not experienced teachers - every time they have to start again, high teacher turn-over, less money per student, poorer funded buildings and facilities, mis-match of teacher and students which supports deficit views of students and their family and community
- Culture is a strength - know who your children are by knowing who you are (What are your values and beliefs) Values and beliefs takes a really long time to change. Each culture different.
How do these values and belief affect your interactions in the mathematics classroom?
Ask yourself:
Who has more opportunities to participate and learn within these interactions? e.g. putting up hands encourages individualism.
Who has less opportunities to participate and learn and why?
Solutions: Smart tool: Communication and participation framework, mixed ability grouping, group worthy (problematic tasks with a low floor and high ceiling), culturally responsive problems.
When students in your class don't learn as expected, what do you find are typically the problem? Teachers easily blame students - but what could we change? When the maths is about us and about my culture, it makes me feel normal and makes the work feels normal.
NZ should no longer put all the emphasis on Literacy, Maths is just as important.

Georgia Jensen-Procter - experienced decile 1 teacher - SENCO
http://inclusive.tki.org.nz/  Helpful information for Teachers and Principals
Children who learn together love together - unknown author

Helen Collins - Teacher - DMIC (Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities: Learning maths together) and Inclusive Practices
Being a good Mathematician means that you can explain how you got your answer. Every child is able to be a mathematician.
Collaboration: Let the children set the rules for group work. Make it visible. Group work is a shared responsibility.

What is going to change for me?
Thinking carefully about what activities are available for my class. What I wonder about....Play based learning?? Is it possible in a Year 2/3 class if they missed out when younger? Will this not settle my class and set the foundation for learning? Will this not engage my class more and encourage writing? Whats the difference between play based and practical experiences?

Frazer Smith -  Principal Oturu School Kataiya
AWESOME schooL. ENVIRONMENT - beehives, ponds with tadpoles, olive trees, making products, selling products, flying kites, making boats, drama, dance, art.

Teachers are not confident to teach in the arts. We should teach the arts through integration across the curriculum. Dance and Movement will strengthen confidence, cooperation, language. Teachers need to let go of NS. Make learning purposeful and 'fun". Don't be scared of incidental learning. Grab opportunities as they arise. these are precious teaching moments. 

Perry Rush - Hastings Intermediate - Principal
Post NS:
Look at the diversity if learners and the complexity of the human condition. How??
- Make learning problem-based
- Primary Experiences that activates senses (not digital devices)
- Memorable learning experiences - everywhere I go I need to make a mark - how can you grab their interest?
- Make learning perform with power e.g. rubbish on beach - collect, divide rubbish in classes-make inferences on who dropped the rubbish - then develop a plan to change the behaviour. Not just stopping at inquiry knowledge, it's what you do with it.
- teach and learn with maximum creativity -
- Activate synthesis between competing ideas....constantly
- And iterate the same concept in multiple contexts - smash up previous ideas....building on previous year's inquiries - school wide - revisit big ideas to get to deep learning.

Tony Trinick 
There is no limit on what you teach, but there is still a bit of gate keeping in order to meet NCEA levels.

Science PD

Last week Susan came to do science PD in room 1.  The topic was looking at bubbles.

After an initial rocky start due to behaviour, a core group of the class were settled and ready to learn.

Susan showed some photos of different bubbles in real life. Bubbles when you pour tea, when you jump in the water or when you blow etc. Her questions were very specific.

What do you see in the picture? How do you think these were formed? What do we call more than one bubble together? etc

Then the children were allowed to go outside to blow bubbles. There were no instructions as to what they should be looking out for or what they should be doing, accept they have to share wth a buddy.
Then we went outside and listened. We responded to comments or observations the children made. E.g. "Aaaah look at my many bubbles!" Susan, "yes, you have a cluster of bubbles".

Susan was even patient with Lucian throwing all his bubbles down the drain, and filling his bottle up with water. Her comment was purely, " that is an experience as well, and it was his choice".

What I have noticed: 
Ignoring non-compliance or disengagement is important.

I noticed how casually new technical words were introduced. The visual prompts were carefully selected in order to show the different ways that bubbles were formed. Questions such as what shape bubbles have, encouraged thinking and linking it to own experiences where bubbles were not 100% round. What would happen if you blow hard or soft? What will happen if you stir the soap before you blow your bubbles? Colours?

At the end of the lesson, 98% of the class were all blowing bubbles and learning was shared.

So what:
The lesson was student driven in the sense that Susan took the pace of the children. The moment they were finished talking about a photo she moved on.
She did not do a lot of talking, but rather asked lots of questions. Some she answered if the children were unable to do so. Especially when new vocab were introduced.
She did not exclude children from the lesson because of behaviour, but rather tried to "catch up" with them through conversations outside.
Science is more about the I wonder questions, rather than the obvious initial observation.
We should be teaching children to think like scientists through talk-a-louds and modelling the type of questions they should ask.

I would like to repeat this lesson and journal it in our science books. This will reinforce the learning and give the students that did not want to participate initially, the opportunity to participate, now that they know what will be expected of them.