Thursday, 13 October 2016
At the Stopwork Meeting
Here to support the move against Global funding - which is of course just bulk funding! A detrimental move for equity and quality of teaching and learning for everyone in NZ.
Sunday, 11 September 2016
Bloom's and Digital Technology
An excellent video on how digital technology relates to Bloom's and higher order thinking.
It would be great to see more on which tools support which cognitive levels. . .
Tuesday, 2 August 2016
First Prize!
Well done to Dayna, Laura, Anita and Marissa for winning the first prize in the Matariki poster competition run by the Rotorua Public Library. You are awesome - gorgeous poster too!
Thursday, 28 July 2016
First Aid Refresher
We spent a very fruitful hour or so at our staff meeting on Wednesday going over First Aid issues in our school. . . how do we cope with children who have a bleed, break a limb, have a fit . .. and indeed what do we do on Camp when not near hospitals and ambulance services?
These issues are huge especially as so many more children have health challenges. Food allergies are of course also an increasingly huge challenge. Many thanks to Nick from Peak Safety and Emergency Management for answering our many questions and upskilling us.
Thursday, 30 June 2016
The-7-habits-for-kids
Values education for children?
Is this the option for us to replace Go Bananas and our values education?
Love the names of the 7 habits and seems very practical for kids .
. . watch this space!!
Most Likely to Succeed
A movie set in America about a High School that has changed their whole way of learning to increase student agency, motivation and achievement.
No teacher standing at the front of a room talking but a cooperative, learner centred, student directed environment where the teacher is a facilitator, guide, mentor, in the background.
The change in the students was remarkable - disengagement suddenly changed and the learning achieved was remarkable as students were able to take over the direction of the learning.
Can we do this in New Zealand? Can we do this in a Primary School setting? Can we do this within the National Standards context, with a focus on standardisation?
but . . . wouldn't it be a great way to operate in our classrooms? - and in an increasingly changing world, shouldn't we be focussing on developing those Key Competencies and core values in authentic contexts?
Wednesday, 29 June 2016
Storyboarding with Solo
What an excellent job the children did of storyboarding Ohinemutu legends prior to our Marae visit.
It turned out to be rather a difficult task - one I thought would be easy! However, we had to decipher language written in the early 1900 and all the diverse vocabulary prevalent then . . . and then retell in our own language. An excellent writing and reading task - but how would we know we'd achieved any form of success? 'A Solo rubric,' the children said.
What a great idea!
So we wrote one - and didn't that give so much more direction to our writing.
Tuesday, 28 June 2016
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Presentation by DIane Akurangi (ICAMHS) and Tara McGeough (MOE) 29/06/2016
- 'A brain that's hardwired differently'
- Autism - basically impairment of social interactions, difficulty maintaining interactions, preoccupied with special interests, repetitive motor movements: using speech, objects.
- Thrives on routines, ritualised patterns
- Sensory sensitivities
- Aspergers - no difficulty with language, usually high functioning,
- 2015: all labels now under the autism umbrella.
- Deficits in social settings across the board, difficulties with social/emotional reciprocity, difficulties with social relationships
- At major transitions in life they often crash eg transition to intermediate, high school, university . . . it's about how much this all impacts on day to day life.
- Mood disorders, (particularly anxiety), language impairments, specific learning difficulties
- SUPPORT NET- carer support, respite care, home based behavioural support
- Social skills training is needed for these kids - sadly lacking in our area.
Autism in schools and how to support them:
- Be informed about ASD and its characteristics - be aware, be prepared!
- 'Theory of Mind' - the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes.
- Educate the other children in the class as to the student - with the parents consent
- 'Social stories' can be used, see link
- Social scripts - how to interact with the librarian / conversation starters
- Power Cards - use the child's interests to create the activity they are to do.
- Echolalia - parrot's off
- Personal space issues
- They are concrete - not abstract
- Inappropriate body language, peculiar fixed eye gaze
- They struggle with other people's body language / facial expressions/ social dynamic
- Use their interests to get them to learn
- Inflexible adherence to routines
- Watch transitions from one activity to another - they have major problems with them
- Any learning must be at concrete level - they are concrete thinkers
- They don't filter information
- Know where their strengths lie.
- Know what potentially sensory issues really bother them.
- Tips for autism - www.tipsforautism.org.nz
- Autism NZ have excellent resources to help teachers work with these children.
Monday, 27 June 2016
Senior Assessment file
What a job this has been, basically the result of the parent questionnaire that Gareth set up last year.
Many parents in the senior school indicated that they felt there needed to be more accessible information on where their child was at in their learning.
Each year we also have requests for 'reports' to assist children and their families with their Intermediate applications - I agree; our school should have a handout / form of reporting as to their child's achievements to date.
This will hopefully meet that need - a work in progress. However, parents of the year 6 children were very happy when I rolled it out at 3-way conferences. Great!
Sunday, 26 June 2016
Thursday, 19 May 2016
Reading to Learn
Reading to Learn with Melanie Winthrop
Years 3-6
Years 3-6
***Reading to Learn strategies: Some excellent ideas/reminders on how to approach targeted teaching strategies for ' reading to learn' learners.
- Disciplinary reading / subjects
- Success - sharing assessments
- Teaching strategies and skills
- A variety of genre
- Reading related to writing to information - making that link
- Transfer of knowledge often doesn't get taught
- A good sight vocabulary
- Can identify author's purpose
- Thinking critically
Learning the code - the alphabet, punctuation
Making meaning. . . Being deliberate
Thinking critically - what is the author's purpose. . .
What does literacy acquisition mean in yrs 4-6?
Children need to be able to navigate the text, read the headings,
Pull information from a number of texts. . .
How to use something we've read to answer a question
Locate, evaluate and synthesise
Using strategies for a particular purpose
**There's a big difference between a good lesson and an effective lesson
By year 6 children need to have a number of strategies under control - these tools must have a purpose.
Metacognition
5 key strategies for reading to learn - High 5:
*Activating background knowledge
*Questioning
*Analysing text structure - knowing how a text works, using it for a purpose
*Creating mental images
*Summarising
Deliberate acts of teaching
Chn visualise their own text structures . . . Buildings
PACT
The aspects show what the chn have to do to engage with the curriculum
Look at PACT for teaching next steps
Teaching issues -
Empathy
Cultural values, social issues
Relationships . . . .
Summarising: Can they delete irrelevant details, connect major themes (slide is good)
Tuesday, 17 May 2016
Ohinemutu Visit
What a fabulous day at Tunohopu Marae!
We arrived for a powhiri - a great experience for all the children, followed by four activities: a hikoi around the village, science based in Kuirau Park, drawing the carvings and tukutuku panels in the wharenui. Lastly, making fried bread in the wharekai. A flat out day, but a great experience for our children - amazing how many didn't know about the significance of Ohinemutu! A great big thanks to NPeW for their
support and Callie for liaising with everyone.
Friday, 29 April 2016
Planning for Marae visit and Maori focus this year
Te Āo Māori Planning 2016 Term:2 Level:2 Teacher/Team: Senior Team
Over-Arching Topic/Learning Area (NZCD):
Achievement Objective(s): 3.1
(From Progressions)
Students should be able to:
3.2 communicate about events and where they take place
|
Specific Learning Outcomes:
(Learning Intentions)
Children will be able to:
|
W.A.L.T:
- Identify powhiri practices and procedures
- Understand that there are specific behaviours acceptable and unacceptable when on a marae
| |
Modes: (Highlight)
(Nga Ara Reo/Learning Modes)
 Pānui (Reading) Whakarongo (Listening) Mātakitaki (Viewing) Kōrero (Speaking) Tuhituhi (Writing) Whakaatu (Presenting) |
Māori Context: (Highlight)
|
Language Focus: (Content)
Vocab/Pronunciation of Location, powhiri terminology - and learning of the marae specific vocabulary
|
Topic Focus: (Context)
The marae and use of vocabulary related to the Marae
|
Resources:
|
Integrated: (Highlight)
|
Activities / Learnng experiences:
*Children learn about the sentence structures and vocabulary associated with going to a Rotorua marae at Whakarewarewa.
Activity 2 : Ngā tikanga o te marae - Marae customs Discussion about acceptable behaviours on a marae. Children create a storyboard illustrating the powhiri or marae behaviours. **More activities on Te Marae | |
Assessment:
See Assessment Rubric below
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Integrated (how):
Children to attend a day at the marae in week 3, where they will be involved in science, social studies, baking and drawing activittes.
|
Reflection:
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Next Steps:
Units to follow: Days of the Week TKI level 1
Weather TKI Unit 2
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Saturday, 9 April 2016
Sue Larkey: Making it a Success
A fabulous day spent listening to someone who really understands autism - and Lily! Inspiring, practical and full of great strategies for teachers dealing with these challenging kids - who really don't mean to be difficult . . . its just the way it is! Great PD Thanks Sue Larkey for such insight!! I will use so many of your suggestions!
__________________
Sue Larkey: Making it a Success
Essential is a sense of humour with these kids
Be Short, sharp and terrific when dealing with these kids
Be eclectic in your listening
Difference between knowing and doing - is your coat in the wardrobe or are you wearing it?
If there is no communication from a child then we only have behaviour to go on
8+ kids have very different needs, . . . they need physical activity
Don't worry about why they're as they are, worry about what to do!!
1 in 88 Children in Australia are on the spectrum.
Choices are debilitating - they don't want choice No free choice - direct choice
Choice making, collaborative learning, working with other kids is awful for them, the more choices, the worse it is for them!
A tote box is awful, they need their own tray with books all lined up and tidy
Stand their books up, colour code them so they are easy to find
The child will be calmer if there is less choice
Anxiety is one of their biggest issues . . . .
They can't write while their talking so . . . Give time to discuss, 30 secs to record, then we'll discuss
Ticks for correct, an o for opportunity. 'Sugar on the table' doesn't always need to be an A
If you want him to have a go, stop correcting him
We're not teaching Chn the routines we ourselves use everyday
Year twos have 'why bother syndrome'
We all have routines - we're just sneaky about it, this kid is just honest about it!
Get to bed early it pays dividends the next day
Prepare them for when you, their teacher is going to be away
The more information, the calmer you are!
Drink and toilet routines have been lost - these Chn don't know they want to go till they're busting - so they don't drink. We need to up their drinks. Toilet, drink 3x a day.
Drinking through a straw is relaxing.
Teacher aide, encourage the Chn to ask other Chn - it's a social skill, they need to learn to network - see 2 then see me. This child also needs to help other children. Every day Lily needs to help us! But teach her, who to go to.
They need to learn to ask for help! Lily could help people with drawing!!
What would it take for you to change? Washing line and toilet roll behaviour
Set realistic goals. Better things to do / make it someone else's job /
Put the toilet roll in a basket
Change the structure not the child, give them a spot on the mat, a buddy in the line,
This kid isn't motivated by a certificate, use their currency.
They're visual learners - write it down. . . Use repetition, imitation
2 things at a time / week pick the thing that means most to the parents first.
Use a stylist on the iPad - need to use all fingers - can't use buttons / zips
See her website - poster on change your mindset
- Hand push ups to calm down
Aspergers kids have mainly social issues/angst, they want a friend. . . .thats the line in the sand!
Between autism and Aspergers.
A diagnosis tells us what help Chn need.
It's not about 'I've got the perfect teacher, no I've got the perfect staff'
Teacher aides = 'Angels'
Teachers - how are the child with a relief teacher - not with me as with me there are routines, things in place . . . What then.
Tourette's
Girls: on the spectrum. . . PDDNOS (DSM 5 now ASD) Wanting a friend = Aspergers
Keep them with their friends
Only 2 choices - you can do your work now or in 10 mins . . .the end result is always the same but they feel they have choice.
'Veneer of Coping'
No means never! No is a trigger word for them. . .
As these kids get older they should become more independent - not strategies they need
These kids need downtime -we are the adults and need to give set time for downtime and reward time.
This kid doesn't want a certificate, he wants mine craft, Lego - they overstim - you need to tell them for how long - they don't know how to self regulate.
Now. Next. Later.
Reward = time, task or token
Clear rules and boundaries - a routine. . . What works for that kid
She gets Tokens at school that give her xtra time on mine craft
Task, task, 10 minutes with figurines. . . Then again . . . Keep it the same
Name - Alex, what do you think. . . Always use the child's name - be explicit - they're literal, they need you to tell them what to do, they like a calm tone. Men go down in tone not up.
Tell them what to do - not what not to do
Be a GPS! Be specific and tell what to do - each step - and give them time to process. Do a u turn in 4 m. It doesn't say you idiot when they make a mistake. Stays calm.
Don't talk over kids when they are working
We create 'prompt dependency' we keep on repeating instructions
Glasses create access
ASD = teach all Chn about it so when they see it, they can recognise it. It needs inclusion. All children know what they are seeing, they also need to understand it. Like with asthma.
A bright red ear is a precursor to a meltdown or a shutdown
Write a list for what the child can do in spare time -
Consistent routings are essential to have. Smooth running day
Party analogy - avoiding coming to school, going to the playground.
Where is our school bar?? Friendship seat
Create ways for Chn to go to the ADD child - buddy tree or friendship tree. . . It's an older child's job to get those Chn up and playing. . . It's about teaching social skills.
Values cards with questions on. . . - what can you do towards someone you've made sad?
What you'd say and an action? Conversation map . . . With whom, when, where . . . and make it visual.
Do 5 mins of social skills a day.
If they're not invited to things outside of school, we need to build it. These families, parents included, are isolated.
'We may all be individual fish, but in this school we all swim together'
You must learn about their special interests
Big difference between follow through and it's not working.
Persistence, consistency, tough love
Lots of repetitive action is to block out external noise, stuff. . .
Sensory meltdown is immune to reward or punishment - what helps is pre warning and assurance.
If targeting a particular person or thing it's a Sensory meltdown will use an object or they'll get contaminated.
They spit at people to keep them away from them
Behaviour meltdown
1. Build up / Rumbling: shoulders is a barometer / colour of the face / sucking the hair / pupils -watch the hair is everywhere or tightly brushed / the newsreader look: glazed eyes,not blinking
Underneath table to escape,
What works: a sensory box, a tent, drawing (but give a time frame) a box of things they'll love - not technology cos too much can go wrong. TIME / IGNORE THEM / SPACE
2. Survival
3. MELTDOWN: Involuntary response they want escape, solitude, reassurance
4. TANTRUM: They want something / there is a knowing . . ./often right in your face . . .the kid that hates being in your face.
Anger is instant, anxiety is the last straw to b the c back
You need different plans for different situations.
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