Term 1 Update - 2019

This term has been one of trial and error to see what is going to work and what might not work so well in my class. I have been bouncing ideas off some of my colleagues and have worked out where I would like to go next. I would like to observe a reading support session to see what my students are experiencing to try and compliment this incredible experience for my learners back in the classroom. While I was looking at my next steps for my inquiry and my learners I decided to have a look at the running record data for my 7-9 year old readers over the last 3 years. I found that some of them have been stuck (for lack of a better word) in the levels for one or more years. This has made me rethink my own teaching and how I focus my guided reading sessions. I have found that just focusing on comprehension for some of these students is not helping with achievement. I need to focus on learning to read as some of my students are still grappling with this concept. 

My next steps are to trial some of my ideas in the classroom and see if they are successful. I would also like to test these learners with a running record in the next week so that I am able to have further insight into the gaps in learning. I am hoping to have a lot of these ideas in my reading sessions next term and find out what works, what doesn't and what I might need development on. I am excited to see this roll out into action. 

KPMG Session 1 - MIT 2019

Today we had our first session at KMPG. We were given the opportunity to talk through our ideas and what we have been thinking about our prototypes. It was really great to be able to explain to people what I was trying to achieve and ask for advice on ideas that I have been challenged with over the last month. Straight after the hui when I was back in my classroom I trialed the voice to type tool on google docs. After a guided reading session with some of my reading groups I sent them away to re read their journal article. In stead of just getting the learners to read silently I asked them to read the journal to the voice to type tool. This allowed the learners to see which words they were getting wrong when they were reading and the opportunity to fix those words or work out how they fit into the sentence. It was a great success with student engagement they were very excited to try this out with a number of students asking if they could read to their chromebook every day. I am needing to figure out how to hi-light the words that have been changed because they got the word wrong and I also need to figure out if the chromebook is accurately picking up the words that they are trying to say. This was something that I had the chance to discuss at the session today and have many ideas of how to make this work better in my classroom. During our session today we had the chance to pitch our prototype to the rest of the group and receive feedback on what we need to work on next. This is the original idea that I had drawn up in our session today:

I received some great feedback today and was challenged on how this is going to work and what acts of intentional teaching I am going to show though this site. This was  great experience as I was able to really think about what I am trying to create and see what others thought of this so far. It has made me rethink about some of the ideas that I am trying to add and has also given me a number of things to try in my class to see if they are going to work and help create the shift that I am trying to achieve in my class. Being challenged on my idea I think will help me to make it better and cater to the needs of my learners. It was a massive learning curve and has given me a great deal to think about. This just leaves the question of:

Where to next?

MIT Hui Final Day - MIT 2019

Today started with a bit of reflection about what we are going to be trying to achieve with our inquiry this year. We had a chance to sit down with the idea's of the crazy 8 that we completed yesterday to think about what our first prototype might look like. I started the morning very unsure about where to start with my prototype and what it might look like. I began to contemplate all of the advice I was given yesterday and think about how that might sit with my own vision. 

We were then given the opportunity to work by ourselves and play around with what we might want our prototype to look like. I still had my initial idea in the forefront of my mind but as I began to think about how it might look added in details from what I had discussed with my colleagues yesterday made it sit better and look like a site that would be helpful for what I am trying to achieve. It is a work in progress and I will re visit this over the next few weeks and add and take away from it as I need to. Watch this space!

MIT Hui Day Two Afternoon Reflection - MIT 2019

Poor progress and achievement for year 6 learners who are reading between the ages of 7-9 years.  

Today has been a great day for my inquiry, I feel that I have made some progress with the problem I have identified that I want to inquire into this year. In our afternoon sessions we had the opportunity to share what we would like to create for our MIT proposal. We were able to bounce ideas off each other and develop new concepts and ideas. I still have a long way to go to figure out what my overall prototype is going to look like but I have some great ideas and things that I would like to try in my classroom. I have thoroughly enjoyed what I got out of todays sessions, they have been invaluable to what I am trying to achieve. Here are some of the activities that we had a chance to complete this afternoon. 

Who?

The first activity that we had to think about was who are going to be the people that are going to help us with our problem this year. We had to really think about all of the people that we can call on for help and bounce ideas off.

The reason that we did activity was to think of how we can make this work in our classes and if we are stuck with something we are able to use this as a base of people who we can check in with over the years. 

The Crazy 8's

The next activity that we had to complete was the crazy 8's. This was where we to write down our original ideas that we were hoping to create for our MIT proposal. We then had to think up of other ideas that we could use to work into our inquiry. Once we had created the 8 of them we hung them up on the wall and my other colleagues came around and put stickers on which ones they thought were viable options and could work towards helping our problem. 

I was very surprised that my first idea which was what I had used for my MIT proposal was not one of the top picks from my colleagues. It still includes a google site which is something that I really wanted to create for my proposal. There are some new things that I can now think about as to what is going to go on my site and how to set it up so that I am addressing the issue of poor progress in reading. Tomorrow we will be getting the chance to brainstorm what our first prototype will look like. Lots of ideas to go over this evening before I start putting my ideas to paper. 

MIT Hui Session Two - MIT 2019

Today we had our second session at the MIT hui for 2019. Yesterday I was lucky enough to meet up with my other colleagues today and start our first session. In our first session we have looked at the vision of Manaiakalani and where we will be heading with our inquiries. We had the opportunity to have a look at some of the innovative ideas that other teachers from Pt England have implemented over the years and how much of an impact they have had on our learners. 

Today's Session:
Our first session today was one which challenged my whole proposal and why I am doing what I am doing. I had to really think about what it is that I am trying to achieve but before I could even do that I needed to articulate my problem. I thought that I had already outlined my problem fairly well but when looking at it up on the big screen and looking at it from an outsiders perspective I realised that it hadn't addressed any problems and wasn't very informative at all. After lengthy discussions with other colleagues about how to actually write down what I was trying to say I think I finally have a concrete problem that is readable and accurate to what I am trying to achieve. We were given our original problem and we had to think about how we could articulate it better to make it into a problem that we can focus on. 

 

So what's the problem?
The problem that has stuck with me know has given me a clearer direction for where I am going and has also made me realise that this is what I am trying to do. I am not just trying to make something that is innovative I am actually addressing a real problem that is in my classroom. Without this process I don't think I would have had a solid idea or understanding of what I was trying to achieve. 
So the problem I have identified is: Poor progress and achievement for year 6 learners who are reading between the ages of 7-9 years.  
This is what I will be inquiring into this year and what can be done to raise reading achievement. I am so glad that we were able to complete this session because it has given me a a sense of purpose for my inquiry as well as a direction for what I am hoping to achieve.