Screen recording of blog conversation (used this a lot (everyday 3x a day) during lockdown).
Monday, 27 July 2020
DFI- Session 2 (Workflow)
Today our focus was about 'workflow'. Honestly, I'd already set up a lot of the functions that we covered today so today I haven't learned a lot. However, upwards and onwards!
Although I knew about Google Keep (and don't like it for myself- I use Google Tasks), I might try and use it with some children to see if they like it or not.
I am going to try and use Toby Mini so that I can keep all my planning in one place (instead of clicking from folder to folder ugh!!).
Monday, 20 July 2020
DFI Week 1
Today was the first day out of nine sessions for the Digital Fluency Intensive (DFI) Term 3, 2020.
Throughout the day, we covered a variety of learning including:
- Add ons and Google Extensions
- Google Groups vs Contacts
- Formatting Google Docs (to make it pretty!!)
The following is my favourite take-aways from today's session
We played around with Google Docs and this is the 'poster' I've created to fit into my technology for the term. Click on the link at the bottom to go to the pdf to access the links to take you to the videos!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B5dTD1LpYB726N0G2LRODhdc2BhF7pCG/view?usp=sharing
Throughout the day, we covered a variety of learning including:
- Add ons and Google Extensions
- Google Groups vs Contacts
- Formatting Google Docs (to make it pretty!!)
The following is my favourite take-aways from today's session
We played around with Google Docs and this is the 'poster' I've created to fit into my technology for the term. Click on the link at the bottom to go to the pdf to access the links to take you to the videos!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B5dTD1LpYB726N0G2LRODhdc2BhF7pCG/view?usp=sharing
Tuesday, 8 December 2015
Monday, 9 November 2015
The Learning Pit
This year we have begun to focus on the "Learning Pit" concept as a growth mindset. The aim of it is to teach children that learning isn't always easy and that when the learning is tricky, that's when you will accomplish the most when you succeed.
The children have adapted to using the term "I'm in the pit" to communicate that they are finding the task at hand difficult, instead of saying "It's too hard" without giving it a proper go. Since introducing this simple concept, the mindset of the children has shifted to become more positive and believing in themselves that they can achieve any task they put their mind to.
The "Learning Pit" is about challenging learning and challenging children's comfort zones. It teaches them to become resilient learners. The simple concept provides them with steps and skills to get through a learning challenge. The challenge of the "Learning Pit" leads to more enhanced learning and encourages students to challenge themselves.
This image, perfectly captures what the "Learning Pit" is all about.
The best thing about the "Learning Pit" concept is that it can be easily adapted to suit any age group. It is important that the children understand from an early age that learning shouldn't be easy because otherwise they aren't challenging themselves, and therefore potentially not learning anything new.
This video provides more information on the "Learning Pit".
The children have adapted to using the term "I'm in the pit" to communicate that they are finding the task at hand difficult, instead of saying "It's too hard" without giving it a proper go. Since introducing this simple concept, the mindset of the children has shifted to become more positive and believing in themselves that they can achieve any task they put their mind to.
The "Learning Pit" is about challenging learning and challenging children's comfort zones. It teaches them to become resilient learners. The simple concept provides them with steps and skills to get through a learning challenge. The challenge of the "Learning Pit" leads to more enhanced learning and encourages students to challenge themselves.
This image, perfectly captures what the "Learning Pit" is all about.
This video provides more information on the "Learning Pit".
Friday, 16 October 2015
The Power of Three
Over the past couple of terms in our collaborative classroom we have been using the "Power of Three" with our learners for collaborative group work.
The idea came about initially because we have a few rather low learners who struggle to keep up on occasion, when working with just one other buddy. This therefore, leaves the other buddy within the pair swamped with most of the hard work.
By adding another student into the mix, it enables a weight to be lifted off the one student who would have otherwise been "weighted down" with the majority of the tasks involved in the learning and creates a shift enabling the work load to be shared.
However, as with any way of learning- problems do still occasionally arise. The main problem that my collaborative teaching partner and I have encountered is forming the right combinations. We learnt the hard way.
Initially we let the children choose their combinations- mistake number one. This was just too hard. All our most difficult children seemed to place themselves within the same sets of three. Our effort that went into management seemed to escalate incredibly.
We then tried to choose the groups ourselves but even sometimes this wouldn't work because some children would just not work together. It was like a clash of heads- nobody would co-operate.
Lately we tried letting them choose their groups but giving them guidelines they had to meet e.g. one year 5, one year 6, one girl, one boy, someone you haven't worked with before etc. This tends to work really well because they still have some control over the people that they are working with and everyone is included.
The latest way of forming groups we tried is by using an online random group generator and then moving some children around that wouldn't work in some combinations. We have done this with our most recent writing groups and the combinations are a dream!
The best thing about children working within a group of three is there are more ideas floating around rather than just two heads working together. The work load is shared more equally and there is a broader range of skills that can contribute to the learning. The children also actually seem to be way more on task as well.
I personally find the "Power of Three" to be highly beneficial to children of all learning capabilities and will endeavour to continue using it within our learning space.
The idea came about initially because we have a few rather low learners who struggle to keep up on occasion, when working with just one other buddy. This therefore, leaves the other buddy within the pair swamped with most of the hard work.
By adding another student into the mix, it enables a weight to be lifted off the one student who would have otherwise been "weighted down" with the majority of the tasks involved in the learning and creates a shift enabling the work load to be shared.
However, as with any way of learning- problems do still occasionally arise. The main problem that my collaborative teaching partner and I have encountered is forming the right combinations. We learnt the hard way.
Initially we let the children choose their combinations- mistake number one. This was just too hard. All our most difficult children seemed to place themselves within the same sets of three. Our effort that went into management seemed to escalate incredibly.
We then tried to choose the groups ourselves but even sometimes this wouldn't work because some children would just not work together. It was like a clash of heads- nobody would co-operate.
Lately we tried letting them choose their groups but giving them guidelines they had to meet e.g. one year 5, one year 6, one girl, one boy, someone you haven't worked with before etc. This tends to work really well because they still have some control over the people that they are working with and everyone is included.
The latest way of forming groups we tried is by using an online random group generator and then moving some children around that wouldn't work in some combinations. We have done this with our most recent writing groups and the combinations are a dream!
The best thing about children working within a group of three is there are more ideas floating around rather than just two heads working together. The work load is shared more equally and there is a broader range of skills that can contribute to the learning. The children also actually seem to be way more on task as well.
I personally find the "Power of Three" to be highly beneficial to children of all learning capabilities and will endeavour to continue using it within our learning space.
Monday, 29 June 2015
Teaching As Inquiry
This year as a staff, we have been focusing on the area of mathematics for our Teaching as Inquiry (TAI) focus.
As I started at my current school half way through last year, I didn't have the opportunity to start a full TAI last year. As this is my first one, I found the lead up to it daunting. I constantly had multiple questions running through my head. How would I identify my target children? How would I ensure that my target group would improve? How can I justify these improvements? Are only a few of the questions that took over my mind and stressed me out.
In the Senior Syndicate we are working our mathematics programme across a four. We have a system where we see the same groups at the same time every week. Each of us roam for half a session a week. For example I roam on a Tuesday for the first half of a session and then work with a group. (All of us are teaching during this point). The purpose of a roaming teacher for the first half of the session is to assist children where they need it, check in on specific learners to ensure they are on-task and observe teaching when/where needed. It is also beneficial for the roamer to see how other teachers teach certain strategies/work with children to gain ideas and professionally develop their own teaching and learning.
We have a "roaming book" which we record anything necessary in, so that we have a record of it.
Our Target Groups consist of children who we have identified from Gloss Testing, that are below where they currently should be. The other groups are not based on ability. They are completely mixed ability.
I find this beneficial as the children at higher stages, who are able to make sense of a strategy quickly are able to also become a teacher and teach their peers, engraining their knowledge further. Children who are working at a lower strategy stage then learn from their peers as are exposed to a wider range of mathematical vocabulary and reasoning.
My target group has been my main focus this term. However, my teaching strategies which I use on these children automatically flow through to my teaching of my other maths groups.
When working with my groups, I use my modelling book. I have one for each of my groups. I ensure we recap on the previous session and share any new learning that is going to occur within the next few sessions. The children use the modelling book when working independently or away from the teacher but collaboratively, to further understanding and challenge themselves.
Some of the activities that I have the children working through include:
- Working through a Task Board. This has been set up to encourage the children to purely work on what they need to learn based on their I Kan knowledge test results.
- Working through strategy based activities made up with informative videos, questions and games.
- Figure it out activities
- Weekly challenges
- Variety of group box games
- Knowledge games e.g. greedy pig, place value millionaire, rocket, countdown numbers, maths tag
Overall, I'm not sure what I was so worried about. I have found that with the right support, I have managed to keep on track and really dive head first into my TAI- with confidence and with the willingness to learn!
Most importantly though, the feedback provided from the children in the syndicate and the parents has been phenomenal! One parent has said "I don't think I've ever heard so many children rave about how much they are enjoying maths!"
Feedback like this, for me speaks for itself. The children are excited about their learning and can't wait to come to mathematics each day. I can't wait to see if there has been a change in their mathematics results, as there has been in their attitudes towards maths.
As I started at my current school half way through last year, I didn't have the opportunity to start a full TAI last year. As this is my first one, I found the lead up to it daunting. I constantly had multiple questions running through my head. How would I identify my target children? How would I ensure that my target group would improve? How can I justify these improvements? Are only a few of the questions that took over my mind and stressed me out.
In the Senior Syndicate we are working our mathematics programme across a four. We have a system where we see the same groups at the same time every week. Each of us roam for half a session a week. For example I roam on a Tuesday for the first half of a session and then work with a group. (All of us are teaching during this point). The purpose of a roaming teacher for the first half of the session is to assist children where they need it, check in on specific learners to ensure they are on-task and observe teaching when/where needed. It is also beneficial for the roamer to see how other teachers teach certain strategies/work with children to gain ideas and professionally develop their own teaching and learning.
We have a "roaming book" which we record anything necessary in, so that we have a record of it.
Our Target Groups consist of children who we have identified from Gloss Testing, that are below where they currently should be. The other groups are not based on ability. They are completely mixed ability.
I find this beneficial as the children at higher stages, who are able to make sense of a strategy quickly are able to also become a teacher and teach their peers, engraining their knowledge further. Children who are working at a lower strategy stage then learn from their peers as are exposed to a wider range of mathematical vocabulary and reasoning.
My target group has been my main focus this term. However, my teaching strategies which I use on these children automatically flow through to my teaching of my other maths groups.
When working with my groups, I use my modelling book. I have one for each of my groups. I ensure we recap on the previous session and share any new learning that is going to occur within the next few sessions. The children use the modelling book when working independently or away from the teacher but collaboratively, to further understanding and challenge themselves.
Some of the activities that I have the children working through include:
- Working through a Task Board. This has been set up to encourage the children to purely work on what they need to learn based on their I Kan knowledge test results.
- Working through strategy based activities made up with informative videos, questions and games.
- Figure it out activities
- Weekly challenges
- Variety of group box games
- Knowledge games e.g. greedy pig, place value millionaire, rocket, countdown numbers, maths tag
Overall, I'm not sure what I was so worried about. I have found that with the right support, I have managed to keep on track and really dive head first into my TAI- with confidence and with the willingness to learn!
Most importantly though, the feedback provided from the children in the syndicate and the parents has been phenomenal! One parent has said "I don't think I've ever heard so many children rave about how much they are enjoying maths!"
Feedback like this, for me speaks for itself. The children are excited about their learning and can't wait to come to mathematics each day. I can't wait to see if there has been a change in their mathematics results, as there has been in their attitudes towards maths.
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