One Word Reflections

Back in January I wrote:

In my plot for cultivation are:

• Professional connections, especially via Twitter and other educational foundations.
• Growth mindset in all my students.
• Writing more about the professional reading that I do - creating a Google Doc with responses or highlighted aspects for other staff members.  I started this last year, but it has been slow to take off.
• Academic connections for my students.  I am going to look at using connections such as #NZreadaloud and Skype for providing more authentic and meaningful reading and writing.

So - how have I gone.

Professional connections - very happy with this at the moment.  I feel I have made further connections especially via #BFC630NZ which I miss greatly if my morning routine changes.  I have found Twitter to be an amazing source of provocation and also resources.  The British English teachers are amazing with their willingness to share especially critical theory work for literary texts and this has enabled me to further develop ways to share this knowledge with my Y12 & 13 students.

Growth mindset for my students.  Well, it is still growing.  My Y10 students sat an end of year wrap up assessment (aka exam, I know, probably old school) and they all gave it 100%.  Compared to the  beginning of the year where we had people not even attempting to write, they gave it a great shot!  I think at least 80% of the class are now comfortable with going somewhat out of their comfort zone.  Seniors are still working on being happy 'out' of the safety net, and in terms of this, we have discussed how we don't NEED 28 credits - but next year we will choose a theme (in Y12 it is Outsiders & Displacement) and work out which assessments fit in best, aiming for about 18-20 and working towards knowing what we need for Merit grades.

Professional Readings:  Yip - this.  Over the year it turned out I need to put more focus on the academic readings related to my Y13 course.  So - all in all, not a fail, but still cultivating.  I am taking part (with a colleague) in the Interlead Emerging Leader's programme.  This programme has given us an extensive reading list and we have purchased several in hard copy for our staff book self.  I intend to take these home over the summer and attack with sticky notes and a notebook.

Academic Connections for students:  This was (mostly) a success.  Over the first two terms we took part in the #NZReadaloud - first short stories, then a novel and then as a class following on we read another novel outloud.  This was the highlight of the year for me.  The students, especially the reluctant readers loved the final text we read, The Bone Tiki, by David Hair a NZ author.  Many students choose to still write about one of these texts in their final assessment, showing retained memory and engagement.   I am aiming to participate in the readaloud again in T1 & T2 of 2017.   We did not take part in Term 3 or 4 due to other school commitments - and I am not sure how the last two terms of 2017 would pan out.  Students found using Edmodo a positive platform, although I believe we still have much room for growth in using this technology.  I found it useful to be able to share lesson planning with other T's and see how we all created a wide variety of tasks and options for our students.    When doing this again I will be recommending we perhaps use a Google sites/page platform - not sure though.  More thinking and planning to do with the organizer here.


So ... as the 2016 school year heads towards it's ending - with one week of classes then EOTC for a week for my M3 group - I feel reflection is important.  It enables me to question what has been the best for my students, both in terms of personal and academic growth.  It enables me to look at how I have grown and where in the following year I should focus my energies.  It gives me energy now as I realize we have done well together!

Reflections on MOOC

The balance can be hard sometimes.  The balance between home life and work life, the balance between freedom of choice and teacher guidance, the balance between this text and that text, this option or that option. 

Balance has been weighing on my mind lately.  The MOOC course I joined up, run by the amazing Danielle Myburgh (@MissDtheteacher) from Hobsonville Point Secondary School, took up most of my personal PD time over Term Two.  By personal PD time, I mean time at home in the evenings or 'after' school teaching hours, before I left for home.   This is something I choose to do and I love doing.  My brain usually thrives on the provocation further study brings as I extend and challenge my thinking surrounding education, myself as an educator and my students' well-being.   

However, these past two-three weeks there has seemed to be more than the usual juggling game between all the aspects of life.  I have a young family, a self-employed husband, an amazing group of classes filled with teenagers whose cortexes are going through renovations (thanks NZATE for the keynotes of Nathan Wallis), and then the school holidays, NZATE conference and the PD I wanted write up as fully as possible as well.  Something had to give.  This time, it has been the 100% completed badge from the MOOC and the full reflection on each separate week.  While I love my job to pieces, in the past couple of week quality family time has been the most crucial, and while part of me feels the need to apologise and make up for that, another part of me goes 'people will get that.'

Investing in #familytime #rejuvinating #refresh #Mummylove #Tekapo

So, while I may not have finished a final full portfolio (and I will, just not in the immediate here and how)  here are my thoughts surrounding two key aspects of the course.

The aim of the course:
discuss ideas about education futures, particularly around education reform, revolution and transformation, with much greater depth and complexity. We hope to provide you with more powerful thinking tools to examine schools and your role in them, whether it be as teacher, student, parent, school leader, professor or maybe even as a board member, policy-maker or politician.

One of the biggest aspects of learning in this course for me were the discussions surrounding technology and what the world will look like in terms of technology and education in the future.  I wrote in week four:

W4: Technology: I feel a bit worried that I need to keep up with it all so that  I am able to provide my own children and my students with up to date knowledge, but then, the internet and their own research probably will do more for them than I can.   I think family becomes impacted in that we are starting to create more 'screen free' time deliberately.  We notice if any type of 'screen' time happens for longer periods, kids (all under 8) get crabby/cranky with each other.  Does this happen in school as well?  
I think for smaller schools and rural areas, the impact of technology is going to be the ease of further connections.  We can easily participate in things such as #NZreadaloud and self-directed PD is easier without the hassle of travel.  

What do I think now? 

I am more confident with allowing my students to use the technology they are confident in.  We learn new technologies together.  My room has a new set of laptops (AMAZING!!) which are touch-screen and I am in awe of the way the students are swiping their way around them, compared to the older 'clunky' ones.  In NCEA assessments I have given students a wider range of options for presenting that have allowed them to access a variety of technologies if they so choose.  Several still chose the 'safe' assessment, but some chose to use a new (to me) technology that they were comfortable in.    #NZreadaloud was a success in T2, as we had used T1 to become familiar with the technological platform.  This use of different platforms etc, it something that needs time to be built into a teaching/flipped classroom programme.    Access to the internet is still also a barrier from some rural students.  

In terms of technology & family time - my just five-year-old can zoom around Minecraft quicker than a mozzie can find blood, but I think we are aware of balance (and rightly or wrongly, its use as a currency).  He is going to grow up with the iPad being the norm - and who knows what he will be using in class in another ten years time.  I want him, and my other children (biological or students) to grow in the KC of managing self and thinking about what they are engaging in.  For me, this means talking to him about what he's building ... why do you need a boat ramp there?  what sort of bricks are you using?  how do you know that the fire is going to burn that? what does that building remind you of? can you make a building like that church we visited on Sunday?  What shapes do you need to use?  These questions can be mirrored in my classroom situations. 

The next thing that resonated deeply with me was what the future may or may not look like.  I wrote: 

Wk7 The future would scare me if I took the time to let all these things sink in.  I think I often rush too much through the day, taking only the now into account.  My biggest concern for my children is radical inequality.  How can I teach my own biological children, along with my 'children' in my classroom to be empathetic, caring, sharing and not just believing everyone is equal, but acting in such a manner?

I then read through the rest of comments from participants but the one that resonated with me the most was from Philippa Nicoll Antipas "The more we understand that we have the power to shape narratives, and not blindly head towards a narrative chosen by others, I believe the better off we are."

Where I am now ...
Inequality is obvious in New Zealand, I don't think anyone would argue about that at all.   I do not think we are going to overcome this in a single day;  BUT we can and must make a start, especially when we are in the privileged position of working with the young people of the future.  If I can work with them to help them realise they can and do have, as Philippa said, the power to shape their future - then I believe the future has the potential to be bright. They will be able to say, as Boy "Welcome to my interesting world."

So, where does that bring me?  I am happy in myself to know that I have completed (the majority) of this MOOC to the best of my ability and have used the information learnt for the benefit of my learners.  I have appreciated the chance to not only challenge my own thoughts but to read along and see how others interpreted readings and videos.  I am in awe of the educators that we have scattered around New Zealand - and am confident these (and others) are doing amazing things with and for our learners.  I look forward to continuing to interact with #edchatnz and other NZ educators via twitter & will keep trucking along to find the perfect balance between home and school on the scales.  

Reflection on NZATE conference (1)

Image taken from NZATE website.

So this is where I spent the last three days of week one.  While I managed to squeeze in a bit of conference knitting in the very early AM whilst chatting to other teachers - it took a HUGE backseat to the re:generation of ideas through workshops and keynote speakers.   I have notes on three of the four keynotes (due to snow forecast and needing to get back to my babies, I left a tad early on Friday), along with notes and thoughts from five workshops attended.   There were many, many highlights, but pinnacle for me would have been making IRL connections with several from the #BFC630NZ PNL, along with making new acquaintances and looking forward to stronger connections with these.  Oh - and listening to Banqo's Son by Tania Roxbourgh on the way home.

First KeyNote:  These are in note form for now ....

Nathan Wallis 

He discussed how children spend the first 1000 days figuring out data to figure how intelligent they need to be, it is the transcript they gather.  Genes are not the highest indicator of success, environment plays a huge role.  Cultural vs research based reality.  Research shows opposite to cultural norms. (note to self, research Tedx talk first 1000 days.)

Four different brains in head. A way to remember it is that the cortex = brain dog doesn't have.  Huge leap from the animal kingdom to us. We are able to (as adults) control emotions, understand consequences of actions/behaviours, risk-taking.  But the cortex is shut for renovations for plus/minus at least three years = adolescence, regenerating.  Fully developed at 24/25, but there is new research all the time.  This doesn't account for individuality or gender.  Birth order also impacts, npsychologyogy.  Neuroscience looks at numbers. First born or not firstborn.  First born meant to be most qualified and earn most money.  Difference is said to be that the first born, can have the sole attention in first 1000 days.   More data gathered in first born.

THOUGHTS: does is matter which parent is at home, what type of ece is in the first 1000 days, how close siblings are?

No.1 brain, survival brain, 2. Movement brain cerubellem, brain 3. Limbic system, emotional brain, lizard, dog, human.   Four brain grows outside of the womb.  

Adolescence can start as early as nine.  Principles such as body mass and race, PI hit it earlier than maori and earlier than europeans.  Cortex goes through regeneration process in about three years.  Our experience as teacher/parents, is they as teens seem to go backwards.  This is about access to cortex.  We need to nuture the parts of the brain, lavish attention onto it, planning, coordination etc.  don't respond to other part.   Restorative practices nuture this part of the brain, turns on empathy etc.   seeks to grow compassion/empathy = leaving a better citizen, exercising frontal cortex.  

No point asking what were you thinking = literally thinking nothing, they are in the emotional brain.  Appropriate = what were you feeling?  All lights are on in the emotional brain, results as two year old. Anxiety and depression of 15/16, frontal cortex is brakes on emotional.  Kids need to be tied in to another adult who can be the frontal cortex for them.  10% of time adults ignore cortex to limbic system.   Feeling and thinking function = we need to understand that teens live ,emotional brain and need to respond to that emotional.  

Step one, calm the brain stem.  Need to do mindfulness with students.  (THOUGH: I wonder if the NZreadaloud helps to do this?). Calm the brainstem down, people calm down in individual ways.  Don't impose own styles, meet needs of other people.   

Step two ... Validate the emotions coming from the limbic system "you seem really angry about that."   Ensure we are listening to them, not the 10% we want to hear.  Reflect emotions back to them.  Children will do as you do not as you say.  I need to listen to their limbic system.  We do this with our besties, so why not with our kids.  We need to validate rather than give advice.  Don't go straight to problem-solvingStep three cognitive training ... Tell the kids what to do; not what not to do.  In our room we ..... Don't punish for not having a skill.  Teach behaviours you do like. We are not eliminators.  We are teachers of skills.  Give the good behaviour words and dialogue.  Need to empower the, with the way to go it.

Thing to try: 48 hrs only do steps one and two.

Early Morning

Of course, it is Murphy's Law that when I don't need to get up to the kids, I'm wide awake!

I am in Christchurch for the #NZATA annual conference.  Really looking forward to getting into it today, meeting new people and learning new things.  Will hopefully be able to tweet during the day.

Support Staff Day 2016

May Edblog Challenge

Tuakana–teina
The concept of a tuakana–teina relationship

The tuakana–teina relationship, an integral part of traditional Māori society, provides a model for buddy systems. An older or more expert tuakana (brother, sister or cousin) helps and guides a younger or less expert teina (originally a younger sibling or cousin of the same gender). In a learning environment that recognises the value of ako, the tuakana–teina roles may be reversed at any time. (NZC - http://tereomaori.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-guidelines/Teaching-and-learning-te-reo-Maori/Aspects-of-planning/The-concept-of-a-tuakana-teina-relationship)

This year my Y10 class has taken hold of this concept and we have become this for the Room 8 (y1/2) class.  For the first two terms, twice a week, my students go in and read aloud to the students.  They have free range from the library to choose a text they are comfortable with.  More often than not they come back really excited as they have found a text that they loved as a child.  They then read the text themselves before they go in, and after interval, they then read aloud to a group of these students.  This term the roster is somewhat more determined rather than volunteered, as it is my hunch that reading aloud to these students is going to support and improve the literacy of the Y10 students struggling with reading.  

Feedback from the Y1/2 teacher is that she is seeing a growing confidence in the students asking questions of the younger ones.  They are inviting them to be critical listeners, often without even realising it.  She is seeing a growing strength in their speaking and reading.  I am seeing students come back with a more positive mindset about reading.  "They loved it Miss."  "They didn't care that I made a mistake." "They asked ME questions."  "They wanted us to read another story to them."  For my readers who struggle to engage in a text or level of the text that school tells them 'should' be reading, this readaloud opportunity gives them a positive reading experience.  Now to do the teacher thing and figure out how to record some DATA about it.  

Refresh - April

REFRESH

An NZ government reference group report from 2014 suggests that collaborating in regional networks in partnership with our communities produces better outcomes for students.  In Area schools, this collaboration and networking becomes all the more pertinent, as in the senior school, you are often the only 'expert' (yes, in quote marks for a reason) in a subject area.

This report goes on to state that "Education is the powerhouse of modern societies. To prosper, grow and innovate, New Zealand needs highly-skilled people — people with increasingly sophisticated skills and digital competencies."    It continues with a list of ten things that need to happen to support this within NZ.  The one that stood out for me was number 4.

 Create future-focused learning environments.   Design vibrant, technology-rich, cyber-safe learning environments. Make these environments flexible enough to serve multiple learning contexts, including one-to-one, small groups, collaborative and community learning. Put learning at the heart of the system.

I believe that the creators of #NZreadaloud5 have done just this.  This is my refreshed resource - a change in the way that I am using novels and story within the classroom to create a more future-focused learning environment.  We joined in Term One, which was not a great success - mainly due to both myself and the students not being that confident with the technology platform.  This term however, has been AMAZING!  My students are enjoying being read to each period (for at least 20 minutes) and then working in smaller groups on tasks, which are relevant and topical.  They then collaborate to post to Edmodo and have been getting feedback from other staff and students around the country.

I am enjoying taking turns making to share and then also using the created tasks of other staff around the country.  I am finding seeing how other teachers have posed tasks and learning activities has also given me the confidence that I am able to design more vibrant tasks for my students.  This supports a finding from the report that suggests  "that innovative teaching practices flourish when: 1. Teacher collaboration focuses on supporting peers and sharing teaching practices. 2. Professional development involves the active and direct engagement of teachers, particularly in practising and researching new teaching methods."

So, all in all, that is my revamped resource - and further inspiration from some amazing educators around NZ.  You all rock!