MINDLAB post Graduate study.
This term I have had the opportunity to engage in a professional learning community via blogs. I have studied, researched and reflected upon readings and discussions around priority learners. Our Maori and Pasifika learners needs are best met when teachers/educators take the time to: Learn about the culture, interact with the wider community and involve themselves in it, allow learners to work in groups and have design in their learning journey. As a teacher of several Maori and Pasifika students in my classroom, as the school SENCO leader and now DRS, I especially am keen to know how I can engage my priority learners and lift their level of understanding and achievement. Relationships is the key. I believe by building and sustaining real, hands on, genuine links with the Maori and Pasifika community at my school, I will better understand their needs and how they want to participate and learn. Once that is clear, and I work hard on this in my room in a variety of ways (text, visits, SLC, parents face to face, check-ins with these students, follow up of data collection for these students) it is a matter of meeting those needs in a relevant and engaging way. ICT allows group work, collaboration between borders, feedback and feed forward, and a real ability to drive persoanal learning within a set framework for achievement. I also think it is necessary for a teacher to be reflecting and reviewing continuosly and asking self "what else can I do to make a real difference?"
see my link to my APC discussions.
Applied Practice in Context Blog
Term 3 2015
Reading Recovery with Wendy Johnson.
Wendy often talks about the importance of building relationships with the children we are working with and also their parents. Knowing the child really well and what makes them motivated to succeed will help the Reading Recovery teacher to make smart choices of how and when to intervene and when to step back and allow the child to take risks. We want progression but then we need acceleration in RR. We work with some of the toughest clients in this area and so we need to really capture their interest and motivation early.
I have invited parents to come and watch lessons and they have. I have taken 3 children to RR sessions at WHPS -Max, Thornton and Luka. All with their parents knowledge and well wishes. The children have performed well under the pressure of 10 expert teachers watching their moves and mine! These sessions have been invaluable to my understanding and learning and to really have access to other teachers input into my practice.
In RR we are constantly watching, questioning, listening and reviewing our own and other teacher practice. We refer constantly to Marie Clay vision and text book. We pursue questions and collaboratively arrive at solutions. There is no one way for all children because all the children we get are so unique, but their are tried and effective techniques to use to get results. As a group of RR teachers and practitioners we explore the ways to get results.
Term 3 2015
Reading Recovery
Colleague visits are encouraged and are well worthwhile. Robyn from Westbrook school came and visited me in week 9. I asked her to come watch a child that I had concerns with his writing. Robyn gave very positive feedback and it was great to hear what was/is working well. Robyn especially commented on my repore with the child and how focussed they were. She saw the hard work over the weeks that have gone into this child's learning and how far he has come. I look forward to visiting Robyn in term 4.
Term 1 2015
Reading Eggs PD with Graham Flanagan.
Graham showed us ways to utilise teacher tools on the reading eggs site. There is a vast range of books to read in the library on line and story boards to use with the class when teaching different genre in writing.
Also ways to print out student success records for parents and whanau to see. Reading eggs is designed to be used in the home and at school so it helps maintain school and parent relationships. It also allows parents to see and view the development of their child's literacy as their child moves through the steps in reading eggs.
I like the way reading eggs help promote home/school connections and simultaneously benefits the learner. I especially liked the teacher resources and will be using these on recount with room 8.
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