Blogpost #2- Teaching as Inquiry

Teaching as inquiry (TAI) is a process that encourages teachers to change their practice in order to enhance success for students. It involves inquiry into the impact of teaching and the teaching–learning relationship. TAI is "not a ‘project’, an ‘initiative’ or an ‘innovation’ but a professional way of being." (Timperley, Kaser, Halbert, 2014, p. 22)

                   

Blogpost #1 - 2022: Here We Go!

 Well, it's happened again, just when we thought 2022 would be better than the previous two topsy-turvy years, Covid has reared its disruptive head.

Covid has ripped through my class with students either testing positive or having to isolate because someone in their household has tested positive. Covid also paid a visit to my whare, but my husband was the only one to be given a wide berth. 

With the reduced student numbers and the number of staff isolating, we had to combine classes to make it work. 

In finding the silver lining, this was a fantastic opportunity to really get to know my students; their likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses.  

I haven't quite figured out my inquiry focus, but do know it will be a Reading focus as there is still a significant need in that area.

2021 CoL Interview

 Col Interview Questions

What achievement challenge are you considering as an area of focus in 2021 and why? Include in your WHY both evidence and your own passion/expertise

I have decided to continue working on Reading. As I teach both classes Reading, I have the opportunity to further trial strategies that will benefit a wider audience. Also, I chose Reading as I feel I will get more ‘bang for my buck’ as improved literacy skills will have a positive impact on Mathematics, especially word problems. 

What learnings from the 2017 - 2020 CoL teacher inquiries have informed or inspired your thinking.

I have been very grateful for the assistance of Dr Jannie. Dr Jannie has continued to support me in using chunking and deep-diving. My 2020 learning will always be part of my pedagogy. 

I have also been inspired by reading Poto’s blog. I loved how she found creative ways to reach her students during lockdown and it made me want to do more. 

How would your work support Manaiakalani pedagogy and  kaupapa?

Learn: strategies to achieve Tuakana teina

Create: Children use the strategies that they learned in order to produce someting e.g. DLO

Share: Blog/ Share on screen/ ako

Which elements of the extensive Manaiakalani research findings inform or challenge you as you think about this?

WFR showed reading was an area for improvement across the cluster.  HLP (high leverage practices). Using authentic texts to encourage deeper discussions. Using a range of strategies to promote critical thinking e.g. including three-level guide/ questioning/agency/ literature circles (collaboration to encourage student agency)

How would you like to be supported in 2021 as you undertake this inquiry?

Continued support of management and the BOT. Sharing during syndicate and whole-staff meetings. COL meeting support

CoL across school person to touch base with me, to verify and support

DFI offered to teachers who have previously completed it. Learn new Google innovations* in order to keep up with the latest developments.

How would you plan to support your colleagues in your school with THEIR inquiries and/or teaching in the area you are exploring?

Continue support collaborative PLD/ sharing expertise and what works in the classrooms/ syndicate and whole staff PLD. 

Continuing to focus on vocabulary

 With the smaller classes (introduced at in Week 9 of Term 3) I have continued to focus on vocabulary acquisition. Having a maximum of 16 students per class has definitely made a difference (don't let anybody tell you that size doesn't matter!). 

Using deep diving and chunking continues to be beneficial to the students. Using literature circles where students are able to collaborate and work together embraces the Maori concept of tuakana-teina. The tuakana–teina relationship, an integral part of traditional Māori society, provides a model for buddy systems. An older or more expert tuakana helps and guides a younger or less expert teina. In a learning environment that recognises the value of ako, the tuakana–teina roles may be reversed at any time. 

School Policy

 

INTRODUCTION

My innovation, like all other curriculum plans and strategies, has to operate within our country’s laws, regulations and policies. Although they may have some common elements, there is a marked difference between law, regulation and policy. Clinical psychologist, Alyssa Lee (UpJourney, 2019) differentiated law as “a policy written into legal language and passed by our elected officials” (UpJourney, 2019) and regulation as, “a rule within a law that specifies how the ideas of the law are actually going to be implemented” (UpJourney, 2019), while defining a policy as ideas “informed by how people would like to see the space defined. They are often aspirational in nature and do not typically have legal implications if they are not followed” (UpJourney, 2019).

POLICIES

 Marouchak (UpJourney, 2019) explained that “policies are drafted and created by an organisation to help the members achieve their goals. They bring to completion whatever their plans are and unlike law, policies are flexible.” At our school we have a whole list of policies which facilitates the smooth running of the school.  The school's policies are governed by the Ministry of Education’s Education Act 1989 and Digital Technologies. All of our policies are drafted and housed on the Ministry approved School Docs website.  In delivering the innovation of vocabulary acquisition, I had to adhere to the school policies that included: the ICT policy - the use of devices, the internet, and being safe when online as students learn, create and share information online; the curriculum delivery policy - ensuring the innovation is delivered in an approved manner and assessed according to pertinent guidelines; The inclusion policy - that celebrates diversity and involves the identification and minimising of barriers to learning and participation that may be experienced by any pupils, irrespective of age, ability, gender, ethnicity, language and social and social background; the “Kawa of Care” policy - ensures that students know how to take care of digital devices.  As teachers, we are also subjected to the Teachers Council’s codes and standards. Our school policies are local, unique to our school and are reviewed and changed periodically.  

LAWS

Marouchak (UpJourney, 2019) defines law as: “Laws are directives which were outlined, drafted and directed by highly authorized personalities, the legislative body.  This is absolute and fixed and cannot be changed instantly not unless the body will amend that existing law provided that it will bring more unity, order, and benefit to the majority.”   Therefore my innovation of vocabulary acquisition is subject to the Education  Act of 1989 and Digital Technology. “The Education Act 1989 contains provisions that are directly relevant to how schools should manage an incident involving digital technology when it is involved in an incident.” (Ministry of Education. n.d)

REGULATIONS

Regulations are closely linked to laws as they represent the ways the law is to be applied. Lübeck (UpJourney, 2019) defines regulations as: “a set of rules created to make people comply. These are restrictions set by those people in authority to encourage people to follow the desired code of conduct. Like law, this is fixed.” Laws need regulations to ensure that the law is applied. Petersen (Upjourney, 2019) defined regulations as “a rule promulgated by the agency which is responsible for enforcing the regulation”. Lee (UpJourney, 2019), on the other hand, describes regulations as “a rule within a law that specifies how the ideas of the law are actually going to be implemented.” He went further to add that, “Regulations are vital to the implementation of the law.” (UpJourney, 2019). The  Education  Act of 1989 and Digital Technology lays out a whole list of regulations on how the Act is to be applied. We are bound by this act when creating and applying our innovation in the State Schools where we are employed. As an example, The Education Act 1989 contains provisions that are directly relevant to how schools should manage an incident involving digital technology when it is involved in an incident. The chart (Figure 1) below shows the steps a teacher must take if there is reason to retain a student's digital device.

Fig 1: Steps a teacher must take if there is reason to retain a student's digital device

CONCLUSION:

As initiators of our digital innovation, Hevaha and I have no authority to make changes in the laws and regulations of the country.  Regulations, either required by the Ministry of Education or The school’s Board of Trustees, need to be incorporated in our digital innovation and we are required to work within these parameters.  Working in the Manaiakalani Kāhui Ako has immense advantages in practising our innovation, as the cluster has a very comprehensive “Kawa of Care” and “Cybersmart” policies. These policies outline what we as innovators can produce/disseminate in our school while still working within the schools’ policies.  Account ownership, content ownership, privacy and guidance policies are entrenched in these two policies.  Finally, Nicholas Marouchak (UpJourney, 2019) sums up the concepts of policies, laws and regulations as:

"Think of policy as the seed we plant, an idea that we have envisioned to improve our surroundings. The seed is planted and out of that seed grows the trunk of the tree, a law with a firm foundation. Finally, from the law, we get branches of regulations that reach out into the community and assist with the growth of leaves or community improvements in our tree scenario.... Watering that tree and helping it grow and thrive can be considered an essential part of our civic duties"

References:

Ministry of Education. (n.d) Digital Technology: Safe and responsible use in schools. Retrieved from: https://education.govt.nz/school/digital-technology/digital-technology-guide-for-schools/digital-technology-safe-and-responsible-use-in-schools/new-cd-page-3/the-legislation-and-rules/

Teaching Council. (2017). Our Code Our Standards. Retrieved from: https://teachingcouncil.nz/content/our-code-our-standards

Toki Pounamu (n.d) Kawa of Care. Retrieved from: https://www.tokipounamu.org.nz/parents/kawa-of-care

UpJourney. (2019). What is the difference between law, policy, and regulation, according to 7 experts. Retrieved from:  https://upjourney.com/what-is-the-difference-between-law-policy-and-regulation 

New Zealand Government. (2020). New Zealand Legislation. Education Act 1989. Retrieved from: http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1989/0080/latest/whole.html

Digital Ethics

 Digital Ethics

Technology moves at an aggressive rate because the demand for it exists. “Television didn’t transform education. Neither will the internet. But it will be another tool for teachers to use in their efforts to reach students in the classroom. It will also be a means by which students learn outside of the classroom.” Technology has the ability to give even the quietest, most unassuming student a voice. It is up to us as educators to teach and guide students on how to harness and use the power of technology to their benefit. 

                                                                    

 Figure 1:  Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives

As technology is an integral part of almost every aspect of life today, our comprehension ability will always be an essential skill - ntegrating vocabulary and technology will definitely enhance students ability in Reading. Many researchers have been investigating the effectiveness of integrating literature circles with digital technology. This was supported by Dalie (2001) as literature circles give students ample opportunities to practice and develop the skills and strategies of good readers. Peralta-Nash & Dutch (2000) quote that the literature circle provides a “low-risk learning environment for children who are learning English as a second language.” I truly believe that using digital literature circles will empower students to communicate, collaborate,  be more creative and become critical thinkers. 

                               

4 C’s of 21st Century Learning ( 4.bp.blogspot.com )

Despite the advantages of digital literature circles, we may still encounter issues of using technology with this innovation. 

Ethical Issue:

What is the ethical issue in using technology through digital literature circles in my innovation?

We all benefit from the advancement of technology and it being integrated into the education system.  Although technology has many advantages such as promoting independent learning, preparing students for the 21st century, encouraging both students and teachers’ creativity and many more, we also need to understand the challenges that it comes with, such as ethical issues of technology in the classrooms.  Knowing how to educate our students to become ethical citizens in a digital world is vital.  Preparing our students for cyberbullying and copyright issues was brought to the forefront prior to the implementation of my innovation. According to Mattison (2018) understanding the biggest ethical issues affecting our classrooms will help us better understand how to address them. Therefore, educating our students to be cybersmart will help them to confidently handle real-life situations and they will always make good choices when working online.  Manaiakalani has an awesome cybersmart curriculum, which teaches learners to be smart about what they do online and as Leonhard (2018) says, “do the right thing with technology. Understanding ethical issues of technology in the classroom helps students become ethical citizens in a digital world”  (McGilvery, 2018).  

Social Issues:

Alhumaid (2019) draws attention to the social issue of “isolation and loneliness [which] seem to be the ultimate repercussion of students’ use of technology as, being totally immersed in manipulating the classroom digital gadgets, they often forget there are classmates they can rely on and interact with.”  I hope that by using digital literature circles collaboratively, students are able to chat, to confidently navigate the site to access learning, confidently navigate and harness their devices and learning applications, ask questions, comment on each other's work, learn with and from each other.     

There is also the fear or danger that students could access inappropriate sites. This is prevented by filters which screen out inappropriate content and blocks access to inappropriate sites. A headline in the NZ Herald, 14 October 2019 screamed out, “Schools block 2.2 billion attempts to access gaming and other blocked sites. This showed that students were trying to access websites that were not allowed but it also clearly demonstrates that the filters and restrictions placed on students by the school admin is effective. 

In many BYOD schools a child’s device is a marker of their economic standing. In Manaiakalani schools, all students are provided with a chromebook at minimal cost to the whanau (around $4 per week). This allows all pupils to have devices without placing a major strain on the whanau’s finances and without the device becoming a social or economic indicator.

Cultural Issues

The cultural issues in the planned innovation was acknowledging my students’ culture, traditions and language. As Baker (2006) says children come to school with a wealth of knowledge and expertise from their backgrounds. Gay (2001, p.106)  states that culturally responsive pedagogy is defined by  “using the cultural characteristics, experiences and perspectives as conduits for effective teaching”.  I address this cultural issue by making sure the stories used in our reading lessons reflect the diversity of our students.  I also ensure there are multiple opportunities to tap into our students’ cultural capital/ expertise so they see its value.  The Education Hub (2019) mentioned that “Culturally responsive teaching is about making school learning relevant and effective for learners by drawing on students’ cultural knowledge, life experiences, frames of reference, languages, and performance and communication styles.” (p.5)    The Ministry of Education (2007) affirms that all students should be supported and empowered to learn and achieve personal excellence regardless of their individual circumstances but we strongly believe that teachers have to be the agent of change in order for every child to reach their full potential.  According to Cummins (2001), students who are empowered by their school experiences develop the ability, confidence and motivation to succeed academically. 

References:

Baker, C. (2006). Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism (4th ed.).                           

Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters.

Cummins, J. (2001). Empowering minority students: A framework for intervention. In      

C. Baker, & N. H. Hornberger (Eds.). An introductory reader to the writings of 

Jim Cummins (pp. 175-194). Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters.

Leonhard, G. (2018). Why Digital Ethics is #1 topic in technology in 2019: keynote excerpt Gerd Leonhard. Retrieved from:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy0w1nRvgYU

Larson, L. (2009). Reader response meets the new literacies: Empowering readers in online learning communities. The Reading Teacher, 62(8), 638–648.

Mattison, L. (2018). Ethical Issues with Using Technology in the Classroom. Retrieved from:

https://study.com/blog/ethical-issues-with-using-technology-in-the-classroom.html

McGilvery, C. (2018). Ethics For Technology Use In The Classroom.  Retrieved from:  https://online.nwmissouri.edu/articles/education/ethics-technology-use-classroom.aspx

Ministry of Education (2007). The New Zealand Curriculum. Wellington: Learning

           Media Limited.

 

Peralta-Nash, C., & Dutch, J.A. (2000). Literature circles: Creating an environment for choice.

Primary Voices K-6, 8(4), 29-37. [EJ 604 621] 

Why I chose to use Literature Circles

My change initiative came about as a result of analysing and reflecting upon my students' results. It was apparent that the majority of Pasifika students had not made significant progress in Reading over the past years (fig.1). Over 93% of Pasifika students were achieving below the national norm. 

 

Fig 1: Year 7 Reading Comprehension Results (Beginning of the Year 2020)

My research question is, “How can literature circles improve Pasika students' reading comprehension and vocabulary knowledge so that they can be reading at or above their chronological age?”  

 In developing a plan to show my change initiative, we have modified  “the learning initiative canvas” (https://netmind.net/) for our learning innovation.  (see Figure 2)

Figure 2 (Adapted from Whare Aki’s Business Model Canvas Template)

RESEARCH

My decision to use literature circles as my change initiative was based on the following literature that I referred to:

Research #1:  Modified Literature Circles as an Effective Comprehension Strategy

The key findings from Holley Boor (2015) journal article were:-

• He identified key reading comprehension strategies that can be implemented through literature circles.
• He described eight 21st century thinking skills that can be taught and nurtured through literature circles.
• He emphasised how literature circles put demand on teachers to constantly think of the relationship between the text and the readers (students).
•  He listed the benefits of literature circles such as improving language development, reading comprehension, enjoyment of the literature and self-efficacy. 
• He also suggests that literature circles can be modified to meet the needs of students.

Research #2:  Literature Circle  - Voice and Choice in Book Clubs and Reading Groups

The key findings from Harvey Daniels (2002) journal article were:-

• He confirms that literature circles improves students' achievement scores.
• He argued that the literature circle has increased students' enjoyment and engagement in reading.
• He discussed how literature circles increased multicultural awareness, enriched students' experiences as well as promoted other perspectives on social issues and  gender equity.
• It describes the link between great readers and  great writers. When students get to high school they become fluent writers and skillful collaborators.
• He identified problems that could be encountered through the implementation of literature circles but he also assured that these problems are solvable.
• He argues that excessive testing and high demand of assessment data can put extra pressure on any innovation to prove it’s value and to justify its effectiveness.
• He states eleven key ingredients for successful implementation of the literature circle. 

Research #3: Literature circles for the EFL classroom.

The key findings from Mark. Furr (2004) journal article were:-

• He emphasises the importance of knowing and understanding the cultural values and capital of students with English as a second language.
• It is proved that the literature circle is successful in combining the close reading of texts (intensive reading) with fluency-building skills (extensive reading). 
• Mark replaces the first four of Daniel’s (2002)  key ingredients for the literature circle to meet the needs of his learners who have English as their second language.
• He states that the core of successful literature circles is the fact they do allow students to participate in real-life meaningful discussions.  
• He advocates the importance of choosing reading materials very carefully so that is appropriate for extensive reading.
• He reminds us that teachers serve as facilitators rather than instructors in the literature circle.
• He suggests that at the heart of the literature circle is a good story.

Research #4: Getting started: Using Literature Circles in the Classroom

Gilbert, Lori. Primary Voices K - 6; Urbana Vol. 9, Iss. 1,  (Aug 2000): 9-15.

The key findings from Gilbert  were:

• Before starting to use literature circles, class expectations need to be set up e.g. discussing the types of talk that is appropriate and the types of things we wanted to learn.
• During literature circles, reading a wide genre of books including picture books, novels, short stories, poems, newspaper articles and even recipes was encouraged.
• Initially, discussion focussed on simple retelling and then evolved into deeper thinking e.g. “What the author was thinking when writing, where the idea for the plot came from, how the pictures support the text; and connections from the book to other books, other authors’ styles, and to our own personal experiences are all now a much larger part of the talk in our classroom. We will often stop reading a book to make predictions regarding what will happen next and create 20 different books in the process!” (Gilbert, 2000)
• It was important to revisit and if necessary modify the expectations for the literature circles.

Reading this article by Gilbert, reinforced that expectations around literature circles had to be set at the beginning and that it took several weeks for students to get a thorough understanding of how literature circles work. It was also stressed that the expectations were to be revisited and modified if necessary to ensure maximum benefit from the literature circles' activity.

Research #5: The impact of literature circles on student engagement in middle years English Clark, Loren

• Literature circles have a positive impact on student perceptions, including independent reading habits and engagement in English.
• Students enjoyed positive perceptions of English. 
• Literature circles also provided authentic reading experiences for children and connected them to texts that had relevance in their lives.

This was a very interesting, albeit lengthy read. The benefits of using literature circles were clearly outlined using student feedback, data, teacher observations and anecdotal notes.  

THE STAKEHOLDERS

As identified in figure 1, the main stakeholders in my innovation will be my group of identified learners (Year 7 Pasifika learners) and their families followed by the rest of the year 7 and year 8 learners.  Teachers and the senior management team at school will also have a stake in this innovation. Finally, the Board of Trustees (BoT)  will want to see how any investment by them has secured better outcomes for our students.  According to Rogers Diffusion of Innovation Theory (1962), the early adopters will be one of the identified learners in this class, with the first follower being X, a year 7 or 8  boy, who is always eager to try things out and show his peers how it is done.  With his enthusiasm,  we can see the rest of the identified group become the early adopters of literature circles. As I take both Year 7 & 8 classes for Reading, I can implement this innovation across the intermediate school.  The early majority who take to the innovation we predict will be the rest of the learners in the class, as well as the other teachers who are teaching middle school learners and the late majority will be the rest of my colleagues at school. 

Robinson (2009) advises that the early majority followers of an innovation must be nurtured as this is the crucial part of the innovation.  In educational terms this is to be:

• Early adopters assuming ownership of their own learning.
• They are motivated to continue either intrinsically or by being offered incentives (extrinsically)  like stickers, points, books, free time, etc.
• Recognised at assemblies or/ and by the senior management team as leaders.
• Ensure the tasks are interesting, easy to follow and simple to understand.
• Teacher to support the early adopter learners.

I will incorporate Robinson’s advice about early adopters and early majority learners and colleagues as well, by recognising that they are the main takers to follow my innovation. 

TIMELINE FOR OUR CHANGE INITIATIVE

I will use Kotter’s 8 step change model (Kotter, 2017) to outline our actions and timeframe of my implementation plan.  See figure 3

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Figure 3: Kotter’s 8 Step Change Model 

Kotter divided these processes into three phases, the first being creating a climate for change, the second, enabling and engaging the organisation and finally implementing and sustaining change brings up the last phase.  Aligned to Kotter, in the first phase I plan to create a sense of urgency by ensuring the school’s management team, the learners and their whanau are aware and back our implementation plan.  I will be guided by the management, students and their families to the content of my implementation plan.  My vision and initiative will include using literature circles to enhance students' reading comprehension and vocabulary knowledge.  

In the enabling and engaging phase, I have my colleagues who will assist me to put the plan into action.  The early adopters, hopefully will be the group of students who are really enthusiastic about participating, and they will hopefully lead the early followers.  To ensure this happens, I plan to reward the early adopters to encourage them to influence the other students.  I also hope that the school’s management will resource this innovation.   

In the third and final phase sustaining the initiative will be by proving that the implementation will accelerate learning, and get more students to participate.  When my innovation results in the achievement of the stated goal, I hope that the way reading is taught will incorporate literature circles. 

At our school we base all teacher inquiries on Timperley’s (2014) spiral of inquiry.  This is the format that we will use for developing a hunch and taking action.   

I plan to incorporate Kaupapa Maori principles when working with our Pasifika students. As teachers we want to see ‘Maori success as Maori’ and we also want to see Pasifika success as Pasifika.  I pondered this I was formulating my research question.  The question now is, ‘What does Pasifika  success as Pasifika mean?’  The Ministry of Education mentioned that it’s having an “education system that provides all Maori students with the opportunity to realise their own unique potential and succeed in their lives as Maori.”  Due to a high percentage of Pasifika students in my classes I have to incorporate the Kaupapa Maori approach into my research topic. This means I will be incorporating the knowledge, skills and values of the Maori society and the Pasifika society. 

In this research I am aiming at working collaboratively with our Pasifika students and making connections with their whanau to nurture mana in students.  I believe that the students' success can be based on the “Pasifika Success Compass”, Figure 4.  In incorporating the Tapasa model in my teaching, I plan to centre my teaching and learning of literature circles in reading, around the Pasifika student, their families, and the communities. Using the Pasifika identities, languages and cultures; maintaining collaborative and respectful relationships; and implementing pedagogical approaches that are effective for Pasifika learners I hope to cover the three ‘Turus’ (competencies) which form the framework for Tapasa (Teaching Council, n.d.)  

Figure 4: The Pasifika Success Compass

  This will promote self-worth, enhance their confidence, and empower our Pasifika students to succeed academically. 

IMPACT

Change initiatives or innovation eventually has an impact on several levels.  Using literature circles in reading to improve the students' vocabulary and comprehension will also have an impact.  The most profound and focused impact that my change initiative will have is that my students will be able to make meaning of what they read and widen their vocabulary by using student agency.

In W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s (1998) logic model, in order to effect the desired change, there needs to be a change in “organisations, communities, or systems”.  The change for us will begin with the change in our mindset because it is said that we cannot change others unless we ourselves change. It will be much easier recommending this changed pedagogy to colleagues once I have tried it out and have measured the success of such change. Certainly, the greatest motivator to adopting new pedagogy will be the positive effect that pedagogy has on students. If the positive effect is to be the success of the learners making meaning of their reading and growing their vocabulary, this will be a change worth adopting.  

If such success is something I am really pleased with, I can certainly ask the BOT for further funding to implement this across the school. Teachers need to take time to thoroughly prepare students on how to conduct literature circles, to lay the foundation of the expectations and to occasionally revisit and modify the expectations.

Using literature circles also presents an opportunity for students to use the key competencies from the New Zealand Curriculum. Literature circles encompass the competencies of thinking, relating to others, using language symbols and texts, managing self and participating and contributing. 

REFERENCES

Boor, H . (2015). Modified Literature Circles as an Effective Comprehension Strategy: A Focus on Diverse Learners.

Clark, L.  (2013). The impact of literature circles on student engagement in middle years English 

Daniels, H. (2002) Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in Book Clubs and Reading Groups.      

           Second Edition. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse.

 

Furr, M. (2004). Literature circles for the EFL classroom: Proceedings of the 2003 TESOL Arabia Conference, academia.edu

Gilbert, L. (2000). Getting started: Using literature circles in the classroom

Kotter Inc. (2017). 8 Step Process. Retrieved from https://www.kotterinc.com/8-steps-proces s-for-leading-change/

Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishers, Inc.

Rangahau, (n.d.) Principles of Kaupapa Māori. Retrieved from http://www.rangahau.co.nz/research-idea/27/

Robinson, L. (2009). A summary of Diffusion of Innovations. Changeology. Retrieved from http://www.enablingchange.com.au/Summary_Diffusion_Theory.pdf

Rogers, E. (1962). Diffusion of Innovations. Free Press of Glencoe.

Teaching Council. Retrieved from: https://teachingcouncil.nz/content/tapas%C4%81-cultural-competencies-framework-teachers-of-pacific-learners

Evaluation - Bursts and Bubbles Presentation

Bursts and Bubbles Presentation

The catalytic aspect of student learning my inquiry focused on this year was raising reading comprehension through expanding the vocabulary of students
I identified this as my focus when I noticed that only 20% of my class was reading at stanine 5, with not a single student achieving beyond that.
To build a rich picture of my students’ learning I used PAT reading and vocabulary data, lesson observations, running records and anecdotal notes.
The main patterns of student learning I identified in the profiling phase were that students had limited life experiences and therefore limited vocabulary.
The profiling of my own teaching showed that I had strengths in using ESOL strategies but that my students would likely make more progress if I developed my pedagogy in vocabulary acquisition and use.
The changes I made in my teaching included doing more whole-class texts. This made it more inclusive, easier to discuss as a class and to elicit prior knowledge and vocabulary. We used the chunking strategy together with deep-diving and transcripts accompanied by videos. Students were encouraged to read the text into screencastify with the chunks in place. This enhanced both meaning and fluency.
The literature/expertise that helped me decide what changes to make was Dr van Hees as she modeled deep-diving and chunking and did observations of my teaching, followed by feedback sessions. I also used the book by Dr van Hees and Dr Paul Nation, ‘What every primary should know about vocabulary’
The easiest and hardest things for me to change was to stop using vocabulary maps. It was easy because after speaking to Dr Jannie and getting feedback from students I realised they were of very little value. It was also the hardest thing to change as it was one of those activities that kept students occupied for long enough for me to work with another group without interruptions. This meant that I had to further inquire into my own practice to find truely engaging activities that had real educational value.
Overall I would rate the changes in student learning as extremely encouraging with 80% of my focus group making progress and 60% making accelerated progress.
The evidence for my rating is the end of year PAT scores. I now have to look closer at the learners in my target group and compare their  progress to the norm,  data from last year, and other comparative learners in school.

Observation by Dr van Hees- Changes in Practice

Dr van Hees had modelled a reading lesson in my class in Term 2 and I have been using the strategies that she showed me. I had an observation today, as I wanted to be sure that I was doing it correctly.

The students enjoyed the reading using chunking, and are almost able to  do chunk independently. I used a whole-class text with lots of scaffolding of vocabulary. Vocabulary needs to be taught explicitly, even though most vocabulary learning occurs incidentally, through engagement with spoken language and reading. The number one requirement for vocabulary learning is large amounts of of language input at the right level for the learners.  Research by Farkas and Beron (2004) shows that the vocabulary gap between high and low socioeconomic learners is established by about the age of 5 and is persistent unless there is a determined effort to support a very rapid gain of vocabulary knowledge for learners who have lower levels of vocabulary knowledge at an early schooling age. - excerpt from 'What every primary school teacher should know about vocabulary' by Jannie van Hees and Paul Nation.

Some feedback from students about doing whole-class reading, using chunking and deep-diving:

Sam: "This is so much better than doing vocabulary maps. Vocabulary maps are boring and it takes long to complete."
Sau: " No-one feels dumb 'cause we're all doing the same story."
Lathaniel:  "Spending lots of time on vocabulary makes it stick."

New Plan

I had a meeting with Dr van Hees today. She was able to help me make clearer meaning of what I had read in her book. One of the things that I found particularly interesting was Dr Paul Nation's vocabulary lists. I googled it (naturally!). After finding what I thought was 'the' vocabulary test, I administered the test to my students. It was important to me to get another source of testing in order to compare the results at the end of my inquiry.

My students found the set-up of the paper-test very confusing and performed poorly. On showing Dr van Hees the test that I had administered she confirmed that it was not the right test. Instead she talked me through various strategies that were bound to have a positive impact on my students vocabulary-acquisition.

Dr van Hees suggested I tried' deep diving' with my students. Deep diving is unpacking the text using ‘chunking’ to get meaning and to identify the main ideas.  Jannie also suggested using more interesting texts. After looking through the texts that I normally use, she suggested two useful websites, where I could find interesting, levelled reading texts. These websites were National Aquarium of New Zealand and Newslea. I was previously disinclined to use whole-class texts as I have such varying reading levels, from 8- the high 20's. Dr van Hees assured me with proper scaffolding, chunking and having lots of talk accompanying the reading, all students should be able to cope.
We ended our meeting with Dr van Hees gifting me a slide presentation for me to use with my students. I feel really inspired after talking to her and I'm looking forward to deep diving with my students.

Holiday Reading

Reading 'What every primary school teacher should know about vocabulary' by Dr Jannie van Hees and Prof Paul Nation has been really inspiring! I can't wait to try some of the strategies in my classroom!

Word Wall

Like most classrooms in New Zealand I had a word wall where we put up new or interesting vocabulary.
After speaking to Dr van Hees she suggested that the word wall display be more interactive. As well as having a static, permanent display of new vocabulary,  I now duplicate all the words that go onto the word wall. The extra set of words live in a snaplock bag that is also attached to the wall, but these words are now used by students to test their understanding of vocabulary that they have encountered. We also use these words as an end of the day reflection tool - recapping new words encountered during that day. This is also an opportunity for students from different reading groups to explain to the class about the new vocabulary that they have encountered. This serves as another opportunity for children to interact with new vocabulary.

Chain Talking

"Chain talking" is a phrase coined by Dr Jannie van Hees. It relates to the to and fro conversational talking. Each speaker has to listen to what has been said and then add to that conversation, by gifting the listener  more vocabulary.
Chain talking is generally referred to as 'conversation in the classroom'.
This is one of the first attempts of 'chain talking'.