Digital learning - TOD - Rob Clarke

Teacher Only Digital Information Upskilling Day

Today we were able to spend some time as a teaching team looking at ways we can engage children on a meaningful platform through ICT. Rob Clarke walked us though some very helpful tips on using Google (spreed sheets, forms, questionnaires). We then spent the afternoon creating hands on activities that we could use within our classrooms. Greenscreen, Podcast, Stop Motion and Photography. I found this day to be a very hands on approach which for me helps me to learn. I will be using next year in the seniors many of the things we have learn here today. Here is a rundown of the day.

Evidence of team learning doc

Learning to do a spreadsheet and make it easier to record and interpret data. The good way of learning would be to make sure that all students have there Chromebooks with them with the shared document with information. Information can be created with a google form with some questions for the students to answer about themselves. Then explain the learning and do an example then choose the learners to do the activity with the rest of the cells.

Then let them have a play around with colours and cells.

Then show the students how to do the filters. This can be done through the tools link

A doc of My practice with sheets and my new learning

Vocab and skills within sheets

• Cells - label into information that can be sorted

• Conditional formatting

• Filters

• Formula's (e.g making random numbers appear for prizes etc) can be done by using the formula =randnumber(1,29)

• Highlighting cells

• Using the data button to create visual representations of what is being displayed.

The person with the least experience is to do the hands on and the person who knows a bit more is to do the pointers.

Show the students how to then make a duplicate and then can make sheets in pairs within the same doc to give the students to have a chance to play around and learn off each other.

Green Screen :  Bernie and I went and spent a little bit of time playing around with the greenscreen. This was very valuable to me as I would really like my class next year to play around with newshub a bit. Few key points need the floor to be green, pictures usable for overlaying.
We also talked about the need to place photos within google photos for easy placement onto our team sites.

Screencastify Tutorial:

I have used screencastify alot in my class over the past few years I have found it to be an excellent tool to showcase progress made with reading and what they kids are able to do for Math Whizz.

Stop Motion:
I would like to use this in the classroom to enhance the student learning. Although I didn't have time to attend Nicoles info her is her attached work. I was able to work with Bevan and the rest of the senior team to produce a short stop motion.

The most valuable part of the learning for me is the importance of wait time and how digital technology can be used in help engage students in the classroom. Watch this iMovie creation to see what we created. Questions that were answered for me today were.

1. How on spreadsheets can you have your header at the top of each printed page? - Highlight the row that you would like to repeat on each page that you print.

Click freeze the specific row that you would like to have on each page (freeze is found in View)

Great question +jilld@stmarysrotorua.school.nz make sure the header row is frozen in the Sheet, then bottom right corner of the print dialogue is the option for printing the frozen rows/columns on each new page!

Zones Of Regulation

Zones of Regulation PD - Glenda Paul

Monday, 15 October 2018

Link to presentation

In our staff meeting today we had Glenda Paul in talking to us about the Zones of Regulation. I have been using this model in my classroom for the last three weeks of term 3 and will continue for the reminder of this year. I decided that I needed support for a few of my boys and girls, to help them deal with outbursts, anger, jealousy and over all well being. I spent time with Nicole Hunter a senior teacher talking to her about how she used the programme in her classroom. I then had two students (whom I had taught in the past) be my teachers and guides come into the classroom to teach us what and how they were using the regulations.

Main themes I took away from today:

What do good coping skills look like?

identifying your feelings, talking/sharing ideas, Pause, Breathe and Smile, finding a quiet space, prayer.

Self Regulation

• Sensory processing - filtering out unnecessary stimuli
• Executive functioning - use our brains efficiently to problem solve and shift attention away from the problem
• Emotional regulation - control our emotions and our reactions in order to meet the goals

Being aware of triggers

* home environment, food, the need to know your students and what is going on in their lives. 

Great interventions - interrupt and redirect

* send for a drink, with a message, run around the field

Visuals very important. Critical thing: Doesn’t bring teacher judgment on how a child behaves

See Pinterest for ideas

Focus around zones

Various tools for self-regulation

• Sensory supports - rubix cube, pillow, slime
• Calming techniques - rubbing hands, breathing in through nose out through mouth, good thoughts (damien McKenise smiling to his grandma pre kicks)
• Thinking strategies - what is making you feel this way, how do you move out

How big is the problem?

Can students see the difference between a small med large problem. When do you need help? 

You Tube clips with Inside Out characters  - what are they feeling here?

Resources shared by Sylvia

Where to next for my Professional Development?

Sensory Support:

I have been using our pillows, mindfulness, circle time, breathing techniques, face movements on the feelings chart

* Adding calming music while working, open door policy for students who don't want to be outside (over stimulated) continue with 10mins after lunch and maybe experiment with before lunch (lunch major issue time)some tactile objects would like to develop a quiet room somewhere in the school.

* Visual Guides for Thinking Strategies:

Using the kids magnets they have 10 mins to move back to green before I approach them, what I would like to see is a buddy trying to manage some of that. Not a friend but a learning buddy maybe. Peer support pre coming to an adult.

Lucy Hone - Wellness

Lucy Hone - Guest Speaker P.D. JPC

Sept 18 2018
I had the pleasure to be able to listen to Lucy Hone, explain a little bit about the importance of resilience and wellness. How they work hand in hand.

Things I learnt 
Wellbeing = Feeling Good and Functioning Well
Regular Wellness practices will:
Increased ability to cope with stress
 • Lower incidence of cancer
 • Faster recovery from surgery
 • Greater immunity from colds & flu
 • More resilient to trauma
 • Reduced incidence of heart attacks 
• Greater job satisfaction 
• Increased productivity
 • Increased longevity
 • More creative thinking
 • Improved ability to make decisions 
• Fewer marriage break 
In my classroom/home I want them to feel Happiness • Be Healthy • Have Confidence • Be satified with what they can do and who they are • Have Love/Be loved • Have solid Friendships

PERMA summarizes the various elements of well being: the P stands for positive emotions (aka happiness), E for engagement, R for relationships, M for meaning and A for accomplishments. The presence of these five equates to flourishing psychological health; the absence is referred to by academics as languishing.

I also attended the JPC workshop here is a link to Lucy's keynotes

Implementation in my classroom
I am going to use the Breathe square in my classroom to teach kids how to relax. I also want to explore more with our sharing circles, allowing children to explore their feelings and how we cope with both the good and bad.
Have kids write on their blog a reflection each day. What did I do well today.

Set up an area where if they move there you know they need space and follow up time with you to debrief
For kids to know its ok and healthy to be mad, sad, happy (it's how they deal with that that they will be remembered for)
Its important for us as educators, mentors, parents to take time to be present and deal with our feelings (what makes us happy, sad, triggers for anger) Often we are so caught up at school that the volcano blows at home when it would not have in other places.
Implementation in my life
* Walk daily for some me time
* Keep a journal
* look into a yoga class
* spend more time playing with my kids 

Term 3 Observations

Athlene Wallbank came in to our classroom today to observe my teaching practices. I have asked her to look specifically at  my math s talk and give me feedback on my wait time, kids talk/teach/ and the relationship between the students and myself.

I have re evaluated what I was teaching the students as Athlene thought that simplifying fractions  for the children who are at stage 6 was not appropriate. I had gone to the senior team and asked them in regards to fractions what they felt were missing from those top children, it was there that I had received the feedback of  spending a little time on improper fractions and simplifying. Although the kids are still simplifying we have brought it back a step.

I have felt great movement in this top group and their willingness to talk and give problems a go a great gain. I have enjoyed challenging them through problem solving questions, I can see now those Ahhaha moments and satisfaction.

I still need to encourage the students to contribute and teach one another. I have decided that rather than trying to see every group really working the strategies well and not worrying so much about the time.
Athlene's observations
Link to Appraisals

Talk Moves - Math Inquiry

As part of my professional development programme over the next two terms, I would like to focus on fostering a rich problem based maths programme, using the information that Honor has been working on, problem solving and talk moves.

Since the start of term 3 I have been focusing on getting students into their group work using the problem solving approach and then using the 'Talk Moves approach' to motivate and encourage discussion about the various strategies that were used.
It is again proving to be an excellent way to expose children to new more efficient strategies to solve problems from their peers and for others to learn to discuss in mathematical language how they use their strategies.
Students seemed to struggle when in the mixed ability groups over the first two weeks. As a result I have tried moving back to leveled groups in the hope that I can build their confidence in the language, questioning and overall experience in unpacking and solving problems. The talk moves approach I am hoping can then be transferred to  real life situations as well.
 I  am thinking at this point trying the mixed again later in the term. 
My ALIM focus group of children have made great progress with solving problems in multiple ways. Continued support will see them moving along nicely.

I need to still work on giving that Wait time, and letting all children have success before moving on, even if that means extending the problem time.

Three Way Conferences

Three Way Conferences.

On July 31st and August 1st 2018 I held Room 11's three way conferences over the two evenings where the children came along with their parents to go over the goals they set in class for reading, writing, maths, RE and Self Management. The children had to justify why they had chosen the goal, review with their parents on whiter they met their past goal and what steps would need to be put into progressive goals along a continuum. The meetings were approximately 15 minutes, but we nonetheless managed to have a good discussion about the goals children had chosen and it was sometimes eye opening for the parents. Some children were able to discuss and justify their chosen goals while others had not listened at all coming up with their own goals, many of which lacked any thought.

I was very thankful that David Bach was able to come in and help out with some of the parents, questions were brought up regarding the reports that had gone home. Together, I felt that we were able to alleviate some concerns that both students and parents had over, the change in teachers.

A few things came out of these meetings that I would like to work on.

1. Parents not knowing or using the blog. - after the first evening I created cards that had the information on how to get to and use the blog, and my email. The children that came the first night I handed them out. 
2. The need for on going review of personal goals. - I think we will be placing these goals into their books and need a viable place for them within the class both for parents, kids and myself to review.
3. The importance of the first meeting, although many parents knew me from past classrooms or students, the reassurance that I had their child's best interest in mind was very important. 

Certificate in Tikanga Maori

 Certificate in Tikanga Maori

Dec 18, 2018

As part of my professional development programme this year I have signed up to participate,
along with a number of other teachers, The Certificate in Tikanga Maori, run by the local Wananga.
It will give me stronger an insight into a Maori worldview. Which will in turn help foster a stronger tie
to our cultural history here in Aotearoa. We will be learning about traditions. concepts, values, and
protocols and understand why Maori do things a certain way. It will be advantageous if we could
apply our learning to our teaching, especially of Maori students. We will also learn some
Maori vocabulary.

The first sections of the course involve learning Maori concepts such as whanauatanga,
pronunciation of Maori and various aspects of local tikanga. We will be doing the work for
this course together as a staff at staff meetings and finishing at home where necessary.

I am hoping that this course will help with the pronunciation of words and give me a broader
vocabulary that I can then use to foster a stronger Whanau within our classroom. I look forward
to starting this programme soon.


How I hope to incorporate this in my classroom.

• To use basic phrases within the classroom on a daily base
• Write in Maori on the board
• Learn a Waiata/prayer in Maori for our class
• maybe a term a week and place this on our blog challenge kids to learn/use it a home as well as school
• teach them how to use the translator on their chrome books and try and read more stories in Te Reo
• model that I to am learning and will make mistakes

Room 11 Blog

This term I am wanting to work on getting all parents onto our classroom blog, as this is the major tool used for communication. I have have sent home information on how to access the blog and are encouraging parents to make comments.

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6980846269977732088#allposts/postNum=0

Collaborative teaching/Planning- Middle School -Term 3

Last year when I taught in the middle team I was in a single cell classroom Room 12. I was part of a collaborative planning team which I really like and find very beneficial but left to my own devices. Upon taking the position of long term reliever for Room 11 (in room 16), I knew that I would be collaborating with Mrs. Simth's class and there will be another two classes collaborating in the same way within then block.

Some of the advantages:

1. Creates an environment of active, involved, exploratory learning
2. Our team has the strength of 4 brains
3. Shared learning styles- problem solving
4. Children have like minded students working with them so success is achievable.
5. Variety of teaching styles
6. Shared team planning

Disadvantages:

1. Days that swapping classrooms doesn't happen
2. Sharing progress with children increases
3. Communication between Kath and I needs to be on spot at all times

Ways to combat:

Middle room communication board,

10 minutes after school Tuesday, Thursdays to reflect together on targets. 

I am looking forward to the challenges that are ahead and the refection.

Link to Collaborative teaching plan

Nathan Mikaere-Wallis Professional Development

Nathan Wallis, is an international speaker, as well an child psychologist, father, and teacher. He was asked to come and speck to our school today and give us some insight to the importance of  one on one relationships in the first 1000 days of a childs life but also the continued importance of  a relationship and the strengths it brings.

Some of the main points that I took away from the day were:

•  Don't rush, be present in every childs life. Take time to make a connection/relationship. Positive, truth is critical to fostering the relationship needed for a child to prosper intellectually and emotionally I think what came through loud and clear was that warm, positive relationships with children is critical.
•  Boys and there later developmental rate than girls of the same chronological age. That children under the age of 5 are not developmentally ready to learn. Play based learning is a essential tool in the early stages of their schooling. As it fosters relationships, real based learning, and structure of peers.
• That the most important thing that makes a brain development healthy and develops intelligence is a strong relationship with one person, schools can help foster this by having children spend two years with a teacher.. This relationship is called a 'dyadic relationship' where a young person develops a mutual trusting relationship with the person as they know they are safe and don't have to protect themselves. 
•  He spoke about how some countries have brought in a programme that allowed a parent to stay at home once having children as a result both youth anxiety, depression and failure in childhood decreased. NZ has one of the highest rates of suicide in youth and that we were opening prisons rather than closing them. By fostering strong relationships with the dyadic these results would decrease.
• I thought his comment about using Te Reo Kori in the classroom was also very valid. Even though we don't have the largest Maori speaking group of children it plays in with the importance of embracing the full NZ culture that we live in. I do try to use it in the classroom but often tend to use only words I know I pronounce properly. I need to move out of my comfort zone and try and incorporate it. I will look to find some professional development around Te Reo to allow my teaching practices to grow.

Further INFO into the first 1000days

Nathan Wallis Power Point

PTC #11. analyse and appropriately use assessment information that has been gathered formally and informally

Today we worked as a whole staff to make sure that we are all marking e-astle writing at the same levels correctly. I found it was much easier to accomplish this with work that wasn't my students, as I marked on what was on the page not what I knew they were able to do. When it comes time to marking these I will not look at the writer, but the content. I have suggested that within our team we swap class writing.
Another meeting that would be good to go over would be running records some results aren't adding up based with the children's placement on the boards.

P.D on correct marking of e-astle workshop

PTC #6 6. conceptualise, plan and implement an appropriate learning programme

PTC #6. conceptualize, plan and implement an appropriate learning programme
i. articulate clearly the aims of their teaching, give sound professional reasons for adopting these aims, and implement them in their practice
ii. through their planning and teaching, demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of relevant content, disciplines and curriculum documents
Minutes from Team planning

Every fortnight we meet as a middle school team to review practices, planning and share documents so that the whole team is on board and working well.
I really enjoy these meetings, they reassure me that what I am doing it to standard and provides feedback on areas of continued growth. Through the meetings I have realized that if something is making kids fizz at the seams its ok to keep going forward with it and allowing students to have a voice in their learning. If we end up writing all day one day, read the next. I am loving how we are sharing our maths, writing and reading books from the different levels. Feedback through conferencing is the key to making it real with the kids.

PTC #12 Critical Inquiry Sue Winters

12. use critical inquiry and problem solving effectively in their professional practice
i. systematically and critically engage with evidence and professional literature to reflect on and refine practice
 ii. respond professionally to feedback from members of their learning community
iii. critically examine their own beliefs, including cultural beliefs, and how they impact on their professional practice and the achievement of ākonga
 video of my teaching

On Thursday 25th May Susan Nelson and I went with Sue Winters to discuss peer coaching and having professional questioning techniques / questions in order to illicit true reflection and hopefully positive changes in practice (with high trust a must).
We both recorded on paper what was happening during 6 minutes of video of the other teaching. This was then read back to the teacher and questioning began.

Link to Npew folder

What aspect of your teaching practice did your Peer Coach question you about? (No more than 2 sentences)

The sequence of instructions and differentiation for the children in the group.

What is a change/fine tuning that you will make to your practice as a result of Peer Coaching Cycle 1?

I will reflect on giving too many instructions as a general overview and break the instruction down into the component parts of the planned maths lesson. Think about the specific learners in the group and not only take into consideration their maths learning needs but also their specific needs to help clarify their learning as they problem solve.  If I don’t get that right it will be hard to figure out why they may not have answered the question the way I anticipated they would.

What are you mulling over as a result of Peer Coaching Cycle 1?

That taking time to video my lesson should be something I do more often than when someone asks for it.  I also like the idea of having a variety of peer professionals being aware enough to help me become a more reflective teacher.  In this job we can’t do it alone. So as we become more collaborative in our planning that we need to look at how to become more aware of what we do in the classroom.  Perhaps as we work in classes with multiple teachers (ILEs) these teachers already have access to these types of professional relationships.

PTC Collaborative feedback on Anzac Imagery Poems

Today we focused on reworking our writing through the use of student editing feedback. We have been working intensely on creating quality writing and positive feedback from our peers. Students have reworked the poems three times now, Editing with themselves, their mixed ability buddies,students shared their learning then in small groups having someone else read their poem, to see if what they wrote was what they actually wanted to hear, lastly we had a teacher student conference. Our aim was to use language that would provoke the audience to create a clear picture of what was happening on the page. The end result was amazing, although it was a long process over three day. I would diffidently do this form of editing again with the students. The results were amazing, students were proud and quality was there. I would like to try and do this again using creative writing on an open topic so that they can write on what interests them.

 Life of a Soldier
Sorrow blankets the air, like thick fog,
Pain and grief was made.
Hopelessness, strikes the soldiers like lighten.
 Stories and letters fall.
Weeping, by dawn. Hopeless, by midnight.
 She weeps for her son at war.
 A map of torture, awaiting the letters of pain,
Torture comes and never leaves till the next letter comes.
Lest we forget
 Death rushes as quickly as water down a raging river,
Frightened, weak, sad, with despair.
Death come more quickly than expected. Life of a soldier By Olivia Scholte

PTC CRITERIA NO: 7 PROVIDING A COLLABORATIVE

PTC Criteria #7 ii. foster trust, respect and cooperation with and among ākonga

Today we had fun in room 3 creating art based on the concept "We Belong to God " Students, teachers and aids all placed a hand on our cross. We then broke into mixed groups and created them for our class. Each group working together created an original quote showing their understanding of we belong to God at school, home, our community, our country or the world.