Before school starts... (2017)

For the past week I have been setting up my very own class!

Yes, I am a second year teacher, but last year I was co-teaching with my mentor. At the beginning of last year, I was just fitting into her class. I didn't have any 'stuff' to bring with me and put into the class, nor did I have any preference for furniture arrangement, wall displays etc, I just turned up and everything was already there. So this year, I am setting up my own class on my own for the first time. It is vastly different than last year. Although I did make 'stuff' last year (e.g. wall displays), I left these behind in my old class and made my own newer versions. I wanted a fresh start. I have stuff (boxes, furniture, stuff to put on the walls, etc), I have some idea about where I want things (and why I want it like that) based on my experience from last year. 

The before photos...

The after photos...

I'm very proud of how my class has come together, and excited for what the term will bring. 

I have also already started working on some of my goals for this year, including being more assertive and doing things in the way I want to do them. Ottilie and I are going to be so great together and the kids are going to learn a lot, and have a lot of fun!

PB4L PD - Active Supervision

Linda from PB4L came in today to talk to use about our programme. We are currently a Tier 1 school. I loved how she explained that PB4L is somewhat based on the Whare Nui. She talked about how in each Whare Nui, the tukutuku patterns are reflective of the local peoples and their history. In such a way, each school should make PB4L reflect their own people (students) and its own history. It is not a cut and paste programme, it should be moulded and made your own.

Part of PB4L is the triangle model.

Tier 1 (green) - 80% of school population - Most of the school population responds to the standard initiatives implemented across the school. 

Tier 2 (yellow) 10-15% of school population - these students need extra focus as they are not responding to what the 80% responded to, possibly because they are on behaviour programmes, learning support etc etc.

Tier 3 (red) - 1-5% of school population - These students are then referred to agencies because they don't respond or can't fit within the school system anymore.

The first thing we did was look at a map of our school, and use post its to reflect on 'problem' areas - where incidents happen, what happens there, who is typically involved, why we think this might be happening etc.

Active Supervision

Pre-correction - front loading expected behaviour before students they even go outside. Encouraging desired behaviour. This only works when done often and consistently - yes, those children who fit into tier 3 might need 1:1 discussion about this, but everyone needs to be on the same page.

Active supervision is moving, scanning and interacting.

Movement should be constant, unpredictable, planned/purposeful, targeted, designed to increase contact opportunities.

Scanning techniques

- target both appropriate and inappropriate behaviours

- target known problems areas, activities, groups and individuals

-uses both visual and aural cues

-extends ability to supervise large areas

-increases opportunities for positive contact

Interacting

- positive greetings should be non specific in contact e.g. "hi everyone, its good to see you" rather than "gidday guys, what are you making there?" (these get you stuck with that group, hindering your ability to move and scan)

After that, Ottilie and Sally talked to us about how PB4L relates to our school values, and what expected behaviour we have for our students related to those values. Here are two values -

Overall it was a great session and I definitely learnt a lot. Thanks Ottilie for sharing your knowledge about PB4L! 

Summer School (Friday)

Today we did activities that were designed to scaffold us through our assignments for this course.

Firstly, we collated a list of Thought Leaders, then made a blog log. These lead into our assignment, in which we have to critically analyse education blogs from around the world. Next, we were each 'interviewed' for an imaginary job in which blogging was a major component. We had to describe things we had done in our digital practice to support learners in learning, our view on blogging, how we would introduce blogging into a new school and how we would approach teaching the staff about the benefits of blogging.

If you know me well, you know I am terrified of public speaking. I might seem like I'm fine and maybe even good at it, but on the inside I'm shaking and crying.

We also looked at the ethical guidelines for our dissertations that all the MDTAs are doing this term. We have a meeting next week with the university big-shots who will approve or deny our ethical applications (which you NEED in order to do your research). It's a pretty big deal.

Summer School (Thursday)

Activity #1

"Purpose: select one key learning theory, which has been covered over the last three days, and create a quick rap to explain it"

Read our new lyrics here.

Activity #3

"Purpose: To identify and apply the key pedagogical ideas in the TPACK model"

Across

5. Knowledge (knowing how to integrate technology successfully for learning purposes)

6. (refers to the 'stuff' that must be taught)

7. (knowing how best to teach a particular piece of content for a particular group or person)

8. (an understanding and awareness of a particular thing or skill)

9. (knowing how to best use technology and content together)

10. (knowing how to teach)

Down

1. (how teachers teach)

2. (the basis of effective teaching with technology, requiring an understanding of the representation of concepts using technologies; )

3. (knowing what to teach)

4. (knowing how technology can change teaching and learning)

Activity #4

Impact of phones.

Summer School (Wednesday)

Yesterday Rena asked if we knew about SAMR, and I personally didn't.

So we talked a little about SAMR.

Substitution - when you use technology, but you don't need to. You can do it the same way without technology. E.g. answering questions on a Google Doc

Augmentation - technology does change the task slightly, and make it better. E.g. digital story boarding

Modification - When the task is hugely different from what it would be without technology.

Redefinition - Doing a task that could not be done without technology. E.g. Aurusma to view a poster, QR code to get more information.

Slide 9 provides examples of apps used in each way.

We did a cool activity where we had to record activities we had done with our class on a post it note, stick the post-it to a block, and use as many blocks as possible to build a tower.

Here is what my group created.

We also briefly talked about the ADDIE model, and the Carpe Diem model of learning design.

This is the carpe diem model, based on digital teaching and learning.

Summer School (Monday)

As part of the MDTA programme, we are completing our honours degree at the UoA.
Hence, we have summer school this week. The paper is called EDCURRIC720.

To start with, our lecturer Rena asked us to share a gem. Here is what we made.

We had to do a lot of readings before the course started, which was draining after being on holiday. We each had to present one of the readings to the rest of the class.

My reading was about growth mindsets, which we all already know about.

Here is the presentation I prepared which we collaborated on. 

As part of this, I also introduced my peers to Answer Garden, which is pretty much the same as Padlet, however I think it's better.

Each person presented their reading throughout the morning.

After lunch Rena talked us through these slides.


At the end of these slides, we went outside and took a photo of something that represents one particular learning theory. Check out what we came up with here.