D24 - Educational Trends

Educational trends or initiatives come and go all the time.  As educators we like to keep up these as we all know education is forever changing.

Today's post from the 30 Day Reflective Blogging Challenge is what educational trends captures your attention and why?  I know for me it is anything where I can teach more meaningful for the students such as the work from Jeff Anderson or personalising learning with a strong link to LwDT.

However, I think the bigger question isn't about what educational trends that capture you, is how much of it do you get to try out and use authentically to make it your own before moving onto another trend?

For me and my experiences I have seen a lot of trends come and go quickly through our school.  For the trends that have stuck with me, has been the PLP (personal learning plan) which the children have all their individual targets to work on and how Jeff Anderson delivers his lessons with a strong reading/writing link.

It is up to the schools to take a good look at these trends, see how it fits them, and give their staff enough time to experiement, get it wrong, play around further, discuss it, make it their own, keep the parts that fits, then move onto the next.  The saying that springs to mind is: quality not quantity!

 

Day 23 - Community Involvement

As a school we always have someone coming or going through the school whether it is to support the Environmental Group, talk to a syndicate, view the school, or support learners in their classes.  

Reflecting upon how I meaningfully have the community involved I instantly thought about social action. As an teacher I haven't had much success with social action.  We've always thrown the idea out there and got the children working away at it but they loose steam as they are waiting on a response from someone or it didn't quite workout the way they wanted.  This is all a part of the learning process with social action however can feel like a waste.  Again throwing caution to the wind, social action is on the cards again for next term!

So what do I define as meaningful involvement?
This can come in multiple forms:

• Sending an email to gain knowledge/information from an expert
• Visiting a site to learn more about what they do and/or help out for the day
• Experts coming to visit us
• Children getting involved in worth causes like the SPCA cupcake day 

And the list goes on.  I believe community involved is a vital part of learning.  A lot of children want to change the world, for our social action this year we are looking what we can do either at a class/syndicate, school, or community level. The children are looking to change the mindset of it's not just about fundraising it is about doing more.

A bit more information about our Social Action for Term 4

As next term our overarching theme is "Let's get Accelerated" instead of doing careers, like we normally do, we thought it meant using their learning targets to do more, push more.  So to motivate the children we watched a TED talk:

Stephen Ritz: A teacher growing green in the South Bronx

Session 2:
From there we got the children to complete a Bronfenbrenner style diagram with them at the heart of it.  Each level being: me - class - syndicate - school - community.  They were to list the things that concern them.

Session 3:

The next session we got them to get their diagram out again and have a think about what learning they were going to get out of it and tentatively choose a topic.

Session 4:

We emphasised the choosing of a good group that these were groups of 3.  They then chose a topic that they would like to do and start to map out the following:

• Timeline - what were they going to do when (8 week window)
• Holding time - what are they going to do while they are waiting for responses etc.
• Targets - what targets were they going to achieve?
• Learning - what learning are they going to go from this?
• Workshops - what workshops would they like the teachers to run

We are looking towards this week getting the children to cement what they did in session 4 so we can match them to one of the teachers in the house to be their mentor and who they work with for this project.

Day 22 - My PLN

When joining the 30 Day Reflective Blogging Challenge I didn't think that my PLN was that big at all as I didn't think I had much of an online presence.  Upon reflection it doesn't necessarily mean online.

My PLN is filled with teachers, parents/whanau, students, administration staff, teacher aides, RTLBs, and university lecturers.  It spans from here in the Hawkes Bay to down to Otago - all before I started making connections online, which now spans multiple countries around the world.

These people, this network, makes me a better teacher.  They challenge me to do more and be more.  They help me when I'm unsure or direct me in the right direction.

It always starts small but builds over time.  I never knew how big my PLN until now.

Day 21 - My Hobbies and Interests into the Classroom

Whales, UK

One of the first things we are taught when learning to be a teacher is knowing your students is the most important tool you can have.  Know them as a person and as a learner, use their interests to hook them into their learning.

I have had an interest in photography since I started university - never been any good at it but do get a few gems from time to time.

The other interest that I have is baking and cake decorating.  Something that started when I was younger, standing on a chair watching my mum bake cakes and cookies for school lunches.  It wasn't until last year that I was able to bring those actual skills into the classroom through an options class to this year doing Sugar Figures.

Reflecting upon the skills needed to bake and decorate cakes reflects much of the learning process:

• Topic/Plan - what do I want to achieve?  How do I want it to look?  What do I want to be able to do?
• Skills/Questioning - what do I already have/know?  What skills do I need to have?
• Source - find resources and information to help learn the new skills
• Practice - refine my skills and go back and modify my plan if need be
• Present - put together my final product
• Reflect - what worked?  What didn't?

I had been able to use these skills all along, the context maybe different but the skills are still the same.

7 layer rainbow cake

I am very lucky to have a sugar figures and photography options group this term as well as step into the soft materials teacher's shoes when she was away for the contributing school visits - this was a lot of fun!

No matter what interests or hobbies you have, you can always bring them these into the classroom whether it is through a different context or as it is itself.  If you're interested and motivated this is always a great thing for your class and always has a positive effect.  It also allows the children to learn more about you which is always a good thing!

Day 20 - Curation of Work

Sharing and celebrating the learning of your class is an important aspect of learning however sometimes never gets any further than the walls of your classroom.

Technology has been one way to curate students work and as it becomes more and more accessible the limits is becoming boundless.  Over the years I have experimented with Wiki's, e-portfolios, and last year with a class Weebly.  To be honest, a person who isn't ICT challenged, I found it like putting another subject into my classroom that I didn't have time for.

This year, with the new found motivation through my lovely LwDT teachers Leigh and Barb, I have started up a class blog through Blogger, as we are on the Google platform, to each child having their own blog.  The children are starting to want to blog things about their learning.  

Now the next step is how to build our audience!

Day 19 - The Power of Reflection

Reflection is a powerful tools we use as teachers to ensure we are doing the best job we can.  Teaching kids to reflect and see the value behind it at times can be very hard, especially when they have either done it before but ineffectively or haven't experienced it at all.

Some of the tools I use for reflection in my class is:

• Checklists and TimelineWhen undertaking a longer unit of work such as an inquiry topic, I like to use checklists paired with a timeline.  This helps teach the children to:
  - make sure they've fulfilled all the criteria
  - map out a long term project, meeting milestones
  
  I always begin with very structured to model to the children how to do this then as the year goes on they take more and more responsibility for their own checklists and timelines.
  
  At each milestone, we discuss what they should have achieved and where they should be now - usually this is just small reflection by looking at their checklist and timeline, marking off where they are.
  
• Mid and End of Term ReflectionsThis is common practice in our school.  Some teachers do it weekly where others do it at the mid and end of the term.  I prefer to do mid and end, this is in the form of questions which stay the same throughout the year for them to reflect upon their learning as a whole.  I encourage the children to re-read their last reflection to see if they achieved what they set out to or what they need to continue to work on.
  
• It feels like Punishment!  I feel Successful!Some of the children "coast" through the term, where others put their heads down and work hard.  I work with a level where they are about to be much more responsible for their learning so giving them the tools is necessary. 
  
  I believe a part of that is feeling the "punishment" or disappointment of not doing as well as they could have and the kids who did not "coast" their success is in their work - this is where I feel you get the most powerful reflection and motivation for the next.

As an educator I want the children I work with to think critically about what they're doing, why they're doing it, and how they can do more.

Day 16 - Super Powers in the Classroom

My son is a huge Marvel and DC fan, along with many of the students in my class.  I had used this interest to do a Super Hero activity through Maths Shed where the children learnt about multiplying/dividing/rounding/subtracting decimals and mode/median/mean.

When I read this yesterday I started to think about the different super powers I'd like such as invisibility, super speed, etc.  I decided to have a real think about it and had a look around the internet where I came across this website - IGN's Top 100 Coolest Super Powers.  Going through the list to find a "cool" super power there were the usual ones you know of however there were other powers like self confidence, empathy - isn't it interesting that these are considered super powers.

Back to which one I would like and how it would help, it would have to be...

PHYSICAL DUPLICATION

It doesn't seem so exciting but being able to duplicate myself so that I can work with all the groups in my class.  The ability to personalise everything in the class would benefit all the learners as I would be able to workshop for them, give 1:1 help, the list of what I could do was would endless!  

It would be slightly scary for the children to have so many of me but I think they would get used to it!

Day 15 - Strengths as an Educator

Today's challenge is to name 5 strengths I have as an educator.  Not always the easiest subject but I will give it a go!

My 5 strengths as an educator:

• Relationships - building good relationships with students, whanau (family), and other teachers.
  It is so important me to me to know who the students are and their whanau.  As well as who the people I work with as people and professionals - this is why I believe I build strong teams.
• Organised - not only having an organised classroom where all resources are easily accessiable by all students, lessons, paper work, activities etc.
• Procedures and expectations - Paul, my second year mentor teacher, taught me: without procedures in place and high expectations no learning can happen.  This is something I take with me and how I set up my team/class each year, ensuring we're all on the same page.
• Open - I consider myself to be an open person to talk to whether it is a problem they are having or need advice, or to try new initiatives
• Questioning - this is a forever evolving skill, that everyone should work on, which I am yet to master.  However, I do believe I have gotten better at questioning the students to get more from them.
  I also apply these skills when unpacking things with the staff which I work with.

As teachers we all have to have multiple skills and abilities.  It is something that is always changing and it is part of why I love this job!

Day 14 - Feedback to Feedforward

Thinking back to teacher training we were taught the CRC method (comment recommend comment), encouraged to do a lot of written comments, and some verbal.

Almost 8 years down the track, experimented with lots of different ways, and many PLD sessions later.  I have discovered a few things about feedback, it has to be:

• timely - given in the moment but also enough time for them to act on it
• focused - linked to what they're learning/doing to give it meaning, to push them to do more either to extend further or to rise to meet the expectation

I have spent much time sitting and writing comments in children's books for it to be not read or acted upon.  I have found the following strategies to work for me:

• verbal - having 1:1 conversation with the child, I can gain better understanding of what they are doing, if there are gaps or a need to push.  With that they also need time to be able to act upon it, usually they are back before I know it for further discussion.
  NOTE: to indicate that I have had a conversation with the child or sited their work, I sign and date it for a record for me and the child.  I either make anecdotal notes and/or remember what we talked about.  Usually sessions follow each other so this is not hard to do.
• Google Comments - when the children submit a piece to me I am able to highlight a section and leave a comment, they are able to reply to it and we can have an open dialogue about their learning



Comments section using Google

• question - when addressing the learning I ask them questions, getting them to think further about what they're doing or why they did what they did

 Feedback has to be meaningful, or I believe it's not worth giving it.

Day 13 - Top Tech Tools

I need to explain my approach with my class.  As we all do, we deal with a range of learners, not all tools will suit them or meet the need of how or what they want to do.  With this in mind I take the approach of they are to use the tools that fit what they want to do.  

This being my second year in a BYOD blended e-learning class the learners who I work with, a lot of them spent their first year in a BYOD class, bring their own wealth of apps and knowledge.  There are some in my class that are new to BYOD.  The learners share with each other different apps/tools to try and I also throw my ideas out there too.  Often as a class we review apps to reflect upon it's ability to meet our needs.

After much reflection upon the tools in which I use on a daily basis whether it is to help me teach or learners in my class, I came up with a rather small list:

• Evernote
  Me - record my RTCs, PLD, meeting, and class notes
  Learners - Maths notebook, Inquiry notes
• Camera (iPad, smart phone, digital camera)
  Me - capture moments that I want to record, PE, presentations
  Learners - tutorials, blogging, PE, speeches, recording learning
• Blogger
  Me - blogging whether it is for 30 Day challenge or the class blog
  Learners - achieved learning targets, "ah-ha" moments, reflections
• Google Drive
  Me - sharing files with learners, colleagues, giving feedback, workshop notes
  Learners - collaborative work, sharing files, handing in assignments/home learning
• YouTube
  Me/Learners - flipped lessons, inspiration/motivation for lessons

Unsure of the acronyms that I use, here they are:
RTCs - Registered Teacher Criteria
PLD - Professional Learning Development
BYOD - Bring You Own Device

Day 12 - Back to the Future

I like to plan for the future and look to what I want to do next.  As we all know education is forever changing, just like taking on a university paper this year was something that was planned to do but changed.

The question today is how you envision your teaching changing in 5 years?

• Children will be blogging their achievement/learning progress - or sometime similar to this
• Classes will have their own PLN to source experts to help them develop their projects
• Workshops would be something everyone does - children nominating workshops they need for their learning
• Children being actively involved in the decisions made for their learning and how they're going to learn it based on their needs and interests

A part of this question brings up thoughts of what would I have done, thinking about that, this is what I would like to have done 5 years in the future:

• Ra and I would have developed our version of personalising learning.  This is something I am passionate about and would like to see this well developed and in use.
• Presented this to a wider audience other than the staff
• I am unsure if I am meant for the classroom or management, I would love to have done some time in a curriculum role as a deputy principal to further develop staff professional learning
• Grown my PLN 
• Become a competent blogger to continue to share my love of teaching

We never can plan for what will happen and how things will change.  But for now, this is the plan, the hope.

Day 10 - Getting to know me better

I'm finding myself going back to my about page not to repeat myself!  Today's reflection is about the following:

5 random facts about myself
*I have a 3cm scar on my right foot which I got when I was 7years old
*I can play the piano and flute, and have achieved a grade 3 in music theory
*I am quite good at fixing/making things, thanks to my father - when I feel low all I want to do is to go home to do some DIY with my father
*I am exceptionally good at packing things - it's like a game of Tetris which I enjoy playing
*I can't sit still, there is always something that has been done

4 things from my bucket list
This is a little bit difficult as I don't officially have a bucket list but applying the same questions I usually ask my students if they don't know (I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about!) - if you had one what would it be?
*Drink cocktails, one with a small umbrella of course, on an island while enjoying the sun and surf
*Visit Legoland with my son - Lego mad he is!
*Learn to ride a motorbike
*Bake and cake decorate when I'm doing with education when I retire

3 things I hope for this year
*To do well in my university paper - its been 8 years since the last time I studied
*Get the staff in my school more actively involved in staff activities through the social club
*Build my PLN by getting more out there and involved in twitter, etc.

2 things that have made me laugh or cry as an educator
*Laugh - when the children start to truly become themselves and the conversations you have
*Cry - not quite but very emotional, every end of year prize giving, seeing how well all my children have done and the pride in their faces when they receive their awards

1 thing I wish people knew about me
*I love crazy out there ideas - the challenge of it is what attracts me! 

Day 9 - Nothing is earnt without a bit of hard work

I think one of the things that spring to my mind about one of my biggest accomplishments that people may not know, and I can't take all the glory in this as Sandy the TA in my class played just a major role in this success too.

This child struggled with all learning and a lot of support was put in place for him however, only small gains were being made.  We managed to work out a lot about this child such as he was getting up in the middle of the night to play on his PlayStation which led to him being exceptionally tired in class and sometimes falling asleep - mum was great, sorted that one out!  This was one of many that we had to get to the bottom of in order to get him moving.

The break through happened when we discovered that he saw the world like a comic strip.  We knew he enjoyed drawing and would do this all day if he could but we know this isn't the case.  He always had really out there ideas and could articulate them reasonably well with some muddled parts in there - fantastic sense of humour!  So, when we understood how he saw the world, we were then able to use this information to get him writing.

Comic book character by a student

All his writing/planning was done through a comic strip.  He first started off doing full comic strips, progressing to strips with writing under each slide, increasing words until it was no longer needed.  His spelling was an issue, so we got him to make up the words until he was able to spell them himself or was able to find them. 

The other barrier that we found was that because he wasn't able to keep his words on the line or in it, we started giving him blank pieces of paper and he was away.  His writing was amazing, he had all aspects that writing should have - beginning, middle, end.  To then developing his characters and setting.  His spelling and reading improved, his motivation for writing and all things English went up, and attitude towards school became positive.

I believe this is one of my accomplishments so far for my teaching career as we had a lot to overcome first in order to get to the bottom of what was going on, and of course I couldn't have done it without Sandy who was there to push him along.  We both still talk about him and wonder what is he doing now.

So, I suppose when reflecting upon accomplishments all the ones I can think of are the ones that I've worked the hardest for - but definitely worth it!

Inspiration...I don't have to look far!

Day 7 of 30 Day Reflective Blogging Challenge - an inspirational colleague and why?

I was lucky to have been taught by some amazing teachers and this list would be very long however they all had some things in common:

• Passion - for the job and for us
• Laughter - they laughed with us and wasn't afraid to laugh at themselves
• Perseverance - when we didn't understand or needed additional help they were there, going the extra mile

I was further molded by great educators in university, who too shared the same love for the job.  

Now working, I'm have inspirational teachers all around me.  Again all these teachers have the above in common.  I have picked up some "tips and tricks" so to speak along the way and still use them today.  So I want to change that statement to...

 Students that have inspired me and why?

 

Over the years the students have taught me different things.  Inspiration causes us to create a change or come up with an idea for change.  This is what has happened to me...

• Patience - counting to 10, keeping a calm neutral voice
• Knowing me, knowing you - we all need to relate to each other in some way, we're human - aren't we!  We need to listen and observe.
• Boundaries - is something that is need to be put in place at the beginning and never let them slip
• Feedback - so invaluable, especially when they know they can be frank with you

So why are the student inspirational to me?  They're all very different, all with their own challenges/needs/interests.  They push me to be the best that I can be, that's why they're my inspiration!

Day 6 - What "Good" Mentors Do

I've taken some time to reflect upon this, as most of us just react to the situation relying upon our experiences and knowledge to inform us.  

This year I have got my 3rd PRT (Provisionally Registered Teacher) since becoming fully registered in 2008.  With much reflection upon each of them it reminds me of my dad and all his little pearls of wisdom which, dear I say it, I hear myself saying to these PRTs!

That lesson I think has been one of the hardest lessons I've had to learn.  Not only as a teacher but as a person too.  As teachers we all like things done a certain way and accepting this is sometimes a hard pill to swallow.

I too have also had some amazing mentors...but that's for Day 7's blog post.  So, I'll save it till then!

This blog post seems very timely as next term I am becoming an associate teacher for a 2nd year student teacher and will be finishing up my year with my PRT.  

So, my thoughts on what "good" mentors do, they...

• Observe and listen - not only to what they see but having the time to debrief at breaks/end of day
• Question - they don't give answers, they help you find the answers
• Communicate - being clear in what is needed, reflections, etc.
• Walk the talk - models what they are talking about
• Say sorry - we all make mistakes, no one is perfect
• Are human - the most important part of it all, we're all human!  Getting to know the people you work with not only as a professional but as a person is so important.  Links back to Dad's words of wisdom and understanding that will help you get the most of of the people you work with.