Adapting to virtual learning & teaching in 2020!

Name of Course/Programme/Seminar:
Home Learning 101.
Provider/Presenter:
Fiona Grant (Manaiakalani), Chris, Johanna & GTS Staff
If I was to summarise the key things I took away from this Professional Development what would they be and why?

1. Establishing a new network of online/digital connections.
2. Implementing whole class instructional teaching via Google Meets
3. Initiating change to improve virtual teaching/learning.
4. Ensuring practices from in-class teaching are applied ie: Differentiation, Student Engagement & Motivation, Creativity

How has this professional development challenged my thinking?

• Due to the unprecedented event of the pandemic, teachers were challenged to familiarise and implement the pedagogy of distance learning. The implications of living in a technological environment are now heavily in focus.
• The absence of being able to physically teach the students was a huge challenge. I had to ensure that the resources and activities were manageable for the students to complete, digitally. 
• Making sure we weren't just setting up the students with time consuming "busy work". We still needed to take into consideration our school curriculum overview, inquiry focus, LPF learning and implementing it into our planning.
• Taking into consideration the students well-being, I was constantly thinking of ways to make the learning fun. Making sure I can eliminate the 'fear' from the situation the whole country was encountering, and manipulating it into a source of learning. For example: for maths, students were to investigate, compare & contrast numbers of confirmed cases between New Zealand and 10 other countries in the world. 

What aspects of my practice would I consider changing as a result of this professional development and why?

• Learn-Create-Share pedagogy and the integrated curriculum is utilised to keep my learners engaged, motivated and feel successful during these uncertain times.
• Informed learning. Setting up learning tasks that enable the students' to explore this lockdown experience in depth. One day they will look back at the current situation and be able to share, reflect & talanoa to others' about it. #Historical
• Use a cross-curricular approach and a range of deliberate acts of teaching in flexible and integrated ways that lead to the success of understanding what they're learning. Increasing my learners' cognitive and intellectual engagement.

Blog post #4: Collecting of Evidence and Data

Begin to collect evidence and data and come to the next session ready to share your preliminary findings about the nature and extent of the student challenge i.e. using your baseline student data and evidence

Collecting Data and evidence has been at a steady pace because of lockdown. However, student work output provides some form of evidence of students work ethic and abilities.

I started collecting evidence by using the Literacy Learning Map document. This was provided by our ALL intervention facilitator. Using this information, I converted it into a google form Learning Map - Google Form (as did my fellow CoL teacher Poto Faalili), and invited the students to complete this to provide me with some background knowledge on their interests and what their thoughts are about literacy.

Due to Lockdown, I feel like my inquiry came to a halt. It was the fear of not knowing how to go about things because was use to be normal (assessments, in-class observations, 1 to 1, guided sessions) is no longer normal. Virtual learning is now the new normal.

However, in hindsight, I plan to use the following to collect data and evidence from:

1. Literacy Learning Map/Google Form
2. Student Blogs
3. Student Home Learning Site (This was an expectation for my class to create during lockdown. We are planning to use it for the remainder of Term 2)
4. Student Work Output (looking at the quality of the work they have produced)

Blog #3: Tools, Measures & Approaches

Blog #3 Describe the tools/measures/approaches you plan to use to get a more detailed and accurate profile of students’ learning in relation to that challenge. Justify why you chose these approaches and tools.

Inquiry Question:

How will I change my teaching practice to ensure my learners are developing a deeper understanding of vocabulary in Literacy?

Reflecting on my 2019 inquiry, I decided to continue with a focus on literacy (Reading). Shifts were made by my target students, however, there was still room for more accelerated progress. After discussing with fellow CoL colleagues and teachers from school, I decided to continue with the focus on Reading.

I've identified possible tools that will help me carry out my inquiry this year, these are:

1. A.L.L strategies
2. Integrated curriculum using the L,C,S model
3. Learner voice
4. Students' prior knowledge and experiences
5. Talanoa
6. Cultural competencies for teachers of Maori & Pasifika learners - TAPASA, He Whakaaro, Tātaiako etc

To measure the students' progress, I will use assessments (standardised testing, formative assessments, overall teacher judgement, observations etc). This will inform me of what the students' strengths & weaknesses.

I aim to include the students' in decision making when it comes to their learning, having students choose the texts they wish to wish, choose what form of delivery they wish to be taught and encourage them to read both english and first language texts.

Working alongside the students' rather than a top-down approach will build our relationship, develop trust, result in highly engaged students and hopefully produce excellent results and higher level achievement throughout the year.

Blog post #2: Collaborate with school leadership team...

In our meeting with the senior management team, we identified our priority groups for 2020 using results from end of year assessments in 2019. Our priority groups are:

1. READING: Maori
2. WRITING: Maori & Boys
3. MATHS: Maori, Boys, Girls, Pasifika

Reflecting back on my Inquiry from the previous 2 years, I've learned a lot as a teacher and have seen some great shifts from students' attitudes & abilities towards literacy. 

As I begin to think about my inquiry for 2020 and after great discussions with colleagues and management, I realised that I need to maintain my focus on literacy and continue to build on this. Through observations and guided sessions with my students, I've identified VOCABULARY & IDEAS as areas of weakness.

I received a book from a colleague of mine, titled: What every primary school teacher should know about Vocabulary - by Jannie Van Hees & Paul Nation. I endeavour to read this to develop my understanding on new strategies and approaches to implement in class.

This year, my inquiry focus is going to be: 

Inquiry Question:
How will I change my teaching practice to ensure my learners are developing a deeper understanding of vocabulary (in Literacy)?

Blog post #1: Inquiry Stock Take

Reflection

What worked well?

• Using data to make informed decisions about selecting target students to work with, forming hypotheses, 
• ALL intervention strategies
• Whanau Engagement with intervention
• Student voice
• Talanoa sessions 
• Having another CoL Teacher to work alongside with at school 

Challenges

• Consistently monitoring/reflecting on my inquiry
• Identifying WHAT & WHY some students assessment results were inconsistent (probe results different to their PAT results)
• Finding time to commit to professional readings & research to help with my inquiry
• TIME!

Additional Support I'd like

• Taking it upon myself to reach out to other CoL Teachers (across & within schools), communicate with Woolf Fisher research team for some insight/advice
• Seek support from experienced practitioners to further enrich my inquiry this year

What I aim to learn about Inquiry this year

• How to be a more effective within schools CoL Teacher
• How to have a purposeful Inquiry - ensure my achievement challenge is relevant to school data results (ie. Our priority groups are Reading: Maori, Writing: Maori & Boys, Maths: Maori, Boys, Girls & Pasifika)
• How developing relationships with Woolf Fisher Research Team and Manaiakalani Team could enhance effective teacher practice and my understanding of research.