Term 1 Week 9 - differentiation, critical friends & some resources for research

Professional Reading "Critical Friends" by Deborah Bambino Although this article is from 2002, it explores ideas which are still relevant to teachers, especially the professional support we can get from each other. This article explores the notion that by providing structures for effective feedback and strong support, Critical Friends Groups help teachers improve instruction and student learning.

Differentiation Strategy

"Establishing classroom routines that suppport the differentiated classroom" by Jennifer G. Beasley This presentation covers:

• What do students need?


• How can teachers and students work together to meet those needs?

including, tips and ideas on how to create classrooms that support flexible teaching and learning. I especially like the idea of using coloured cups for managing groups.

General Resources - focus research skills/ information literacy skills Many of us are focusing on the explicit teaching of information skills and using the i-lit model with our students. These resources will help with this process.

• i-lit wiki - this wiki was set up as a place to store online and hardcopy resources for each of the stages in the i-lit model: reflecting, defining, retrieving, processing, creating and communicating.


• online research tutorial - When students hear the word 'research' they might think of work that is done in a lab or out in the field. Research also includes the process of gathering, analyzing and communicating information.


• online websearching tutorial - An online tutorial which helps students to be more successful with their internet searches.


• online plagiarism tutorial - what plagiarism is and how to avoid accidentally plagiarizing someone's work.


• online tutorial on finding credible sources - shows students how to evaluate information with a critical eye; use criteria to determine credible web sources; spot other reliable sources they can use.

Term 1 Week 8 - thinking & creativity

Upcoming Events

• 22 March - World Day for Water


• 23 March - World Meteorogical Day (WMO)


• 24 March - World Tuberculosis Day (WHO)


• Seaweek - Children of Tangaroa - Marine Mammals of Aotearoa
  Exhibitions - Natural History Events
  Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum, Auckland CBD
  On until Thursday 31 March 2011
  Children of Tangaroa - Marine Mammals of Aotearoa explores the stories of New Zealand's threatened marine mammals. Learn about the effects of whaling and Maori myths and legends surrounding each...

Professional Reading/ viewing:

• Scott McCloud on Comics - In this unmissable look at the magic of comics, Scott McCloud bends the presentation format into a cartoon-like experience, where colorful diversions whiz through childhood fascinations and imagined futures that our eyes can hear and touch. Scott McCloud is a comic book artist.


• 'Seeking, using and creating' -education for a creative age .Tapping the intellectual curiosity of the learner - a blog post

Thinking/ Creative Strategy:
The Showing Evidence Tool helps students learn how to construct well-reasoned arguments and prove their case with credible evidence. The tool provides a visual framework to make claims, identify evidence, evaluate the quality of that evidence, explain how the evidence supports or weakens claims, and reach conclusions based on the evidence. This thinking tool supports activities where students debate differences, make and defend decisions, and analyze conflicting infor-mation. The tool and related resources are available free online. Students may work on their claims and evidence at home or at school, and can be paired with another team to review their ideas. Michal Denny, LENScience

General resources:

The Best Sites for Learning about the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Part I

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2011/03/11/the-best-sites-for-learning-about-the-japan-earthquake-tsunami/

The Best Sites for Learning about the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Part II

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2011/03/12/useful-updates-on-japan-earthquake/

Today's Japan Update

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2011/03/20/todays-japan-update-3/

A Compilation of the Best Lists about Natural Disasters

http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2010/03/11/a-compilation-of-the-best-lists-about-natural-disasters/


Children Worldwide Fold Paper Cranes to Support Rebuilding Effort in Sendai - Dozens of Countries Responding Including Over a Thousand Haitian Children

SAN FRANCISCO, March 21, 2011 -- In response to the devastating earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan on March 11th, Students Rebuild has partnered with DoSomething.org's "Paper Cranes for Japan" campaign to inspire young people worldwide to support their Japanese peers.

Paper Cranes for Japan combines the power of DoSomething.org's deep experience engaging youth audiences and the Bezos Family Foundation's commitment to help young people connect, learn, and take action around critical global issues.

In less than a week, 7 schools in Haiti are making cranes, representing more than 1000 kids collectively folding for Japan; over 7,000 young people posted origami cranes and wishes of support on the "Paper Cranes for Japan" Facebook page and Students Rebuild has had over 200 requests for mailing labels to send in cranes from over 15 different countries including Romania and New Zealand. Building on that momentum, the Bezos Family Foundation announced today a pledge to donate $2 for every crane mailed in to fund Architecture for Humanity's plan to support Japanese architects' rebuilding efforts.

According to legend, anyone who folds a thousand paper cranes, which are sacred creatures in Japanese culture, will be granted a wish by a crane. With a goal to collect 100,000 origami cranes from young people to represent wishes of support and healing, the challenge hopes to raise $200,000 for the reconstruction of a youth facility by the Japanese team from Architecture for Humanity. The thousands of cranes will go on to become a permanent art installation in a school or youth facility being rebuilt by Architecture for Humanity in Japan. This huge display of cranes will be a symbolic gift from students around the globe.

Architecture for Humanity and the Bezos Family Foundation partnered previously through Students Rebuild in response to the devastating Haiti earthquake in January, 2010. Paper Cranes for Japan represents a second Students Rebuild challenge, in collaboration with DoSomething.org, mobilizing young people to connect and address critical global issues including young people in Haiti who know firsthand the devastating impact of a massive earthquake.

"This initiative empowers children around the world to created a simple gesture that will become more than just symbolic," says Architecture for Humanity co-founder Cameron Sinclair. "Through Students Rebuild, we look forward to updating the crane makers on how their efforts allowed our Japanese architects to respond to the rebuilding efforts in Japan."

"DoSomething.org started 'Paper Cranes for Japan' as a way for all young people who want to help to do so without a car, an adult, or money. With this partnership, their wishes of support will now translate into funding to rebuild schools and communities," says DoSomething.org Editor in Chief Betsy Fast.


Architecture for Humanity and its teams of local pro bono building professionals in Kyoto, Osaka, Sendai, and Tokyo are actively partnering and lending their services to organizations and community groups to mobilizing around long-term reconstruction efforts.


"We believe young people are uniquely poised to affect the world's most pressing problems," says Bezos Family Foundation president Jackie Bezos. "They're often overlooked as a source of talent and solutions."


For more information on Paper Cranes for Japan log on to Students Rebuild http://studentsrebuild.org/japan/


Get your friends involved. Fold, Show & Mail You Tube: How to Fold Cranes Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux1ECrNDZl4
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/papercranesforjapan

(We are going to be making paper cranes at Peace Group over the next few weeks)

Term 1 Week 7: Literacy

Upcoming Events

• 12-20 March: Muscular Dystrophy Bow Tie week - http://www.mda.org.nz/
  
• 14-20 March: Brain Awareness Week - http://www.neurological.org.nz/


• 19-26 March: World Shark Week - dsc.discovery.com/videos/shark-week-saving-the-sharks


• 20 March: Sun-Earth Day - http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2011/index.php


• 20 March: Brain Day - 9am - 4 pm, Owen G Glenn Bldg, 12 Grafton Rd, Ak.


• 21 March: World Forestry Day - http://www.fitec.org.nz/


• 21 March: World Poetry Day - http://languageisavirus.com/poetry-guide/world_poetry_day.html


• 22 March: World Water Day - http://www.emap.rsnz.org/


• On Wed 23 March at 7pm in the Events Centre, Ak Museum the 2011 Royal Society of NZ Distinguished Speaker Professor Robin Clark will be speaking on "Science meets art: investigating pigments in art and archaeology" at four locations around NZ. Professor Clark is an internationally celebrated UK scientist and an expert in forensic archaeology. The lectures are free and open to the general public. Register online to ensure a seat. http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/events/annual/distinguished-speaker/2011/


• 20 April - 30 May: Roof of the World Tour - http://roofoftheworldtour.com.au/. Spreading laughter and fun… sharing cultures, sparking imagination. Adventure Learning involves performers travelling in an area of the world and sharing their learning online.
  Visit the Himalayas with this group as they travel to 25 schools, teach juggling and theatre skills and learn about life in the highest mountains in the world. Ask them questions and watch their site for updates on the adventure.
  

Professional Reading
This month's newsletter from Adolescent Literacy focuses on Reading Comprehension. These tips are useful for all teachers in all subject areas.
Issue Highlights:

• Deliver Explicit Comprehension Strategy Instruction
• Scaffold Mindful Silent Reading
• Watch an exclusive interview with YA novelist/poet Marilyn Singer, who discusses her love of the rhythym and rhyme of poetry.
• Visit Adlit.org's National Poetry Month page for ideas to help students develop a love of verse, in time for National Poetry Month in April.
  

From the Literacy Online Community: You will be aware that a government priority is a focus on Māori achieving educational success as Māori. This was a focus at the recent conference that literacy, numeracy and ESOL facilitators attended. Professor Angus McFarlane, from the University of Canterbury presented a keynote address entitled ‘Diversity’s plea to educators: Kia hiwa rā!’ where he highlighted the importance of teachers recognising that they do not have to be of the same culture to be able to connect with a different culture and make a difference to student achievement. Learn more about Angus’ work by reading his presentation "Discipline, Democracy and Diversity: Creating culturally safe learning environments."


Literacy Strategies
Some resources to help you teach students how to summarise ideas from what they have read.

During and After reading: summarising ideas

• http://smc-sct.wikispaces.com/file/view/Summarising+ideas+Aaron+Wilson.doc - Teach students how to recognize the ways that the texts they read are organised so they can make their own 'structured overview' of the text they are summarizing.


• http://reading.ecb.org/teacher/summarizing/index.html - has videos to show you and your students how to summarise effectively.


• http://www.adlit.org/strategies/21827 - goes through how to support students to summarise and has resource sheets as well.


• http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/summarizing - for younger students. Goes through the steps to effective summarising with examples from English, Maths and Science.

General Resource

World Conservation magazine - latest issue

New challenges, new approaches, new players
January 2011

The latest issue of World Conservation magazine takes stock of the Convention on Biological Diversity conference that took place in Japan last October where governments approved a ‘Big Plan’ for saving biodiversity and looks ahead to what’s in store for conservation in the coming years. We cover some of the latest thinking and new approaches that might be used and hear prominent figures outline what they see as the greatest priority for saving biodiversity. Which new partners will become engaged in conservation? What progress will be made in curbing burgeoning levels of wildlife trade? What future for the oceans?

Term 1 Week 6: e-learning

Upcoming Events
11 March: World Kidney Day - http://www.kidneys.co.nz/
14-20 March: Brain Awareness Week - http://www.neurological.org.nz/
16 March: Westie Brain lecture, Ak Museum, 7pm -
http://www.fmhs.auckland.ac.nz/faculty/cbr/brainweek/brainweek2011/westie_mind.aspx
20 March: Brain Day ,9am - 4 pm, Owen G Glenn Bldg, 12 Grafton Rd, Ak.

On Wed 23 March at 7pm in the Events Centre, Ak Museum the 2011 Royal Society of NZ Distinguished Speaker Professor Robin Clark will be speaking on "Science meets art: investigating pigments in art and archaeology" at four locations around NZ. Professor Clark is an internationally celebrated UK scientist and an expert in forensic archaeology. The lectures are free and open to the general public. Please register online to ensure a seat. http://www.royalsociety.org.nz/events/annual/distinguished-speaker/2011/

Professional Reading
Reshaping the secondary school curriculum: Building the plane while flying it? Findings from NZCER National Survey of Secondary Schools 2009 - Rosemary Hipkins
This report draws on data from the NZCER National Survey of Secondary Schools 2009. The final version of the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) was released in late 2007 and the survey carried out in 2009 so the findings are a snapshot of the thinking and changes in practices that had occurred to that time. The report focuses mainly on secondary teachers and their views of curriculum change. It explores their professional learning and how they have changed or plan to change their teaching as they delve more into the intent of NZC.
The title of this report reflects both the complexity of the process of giving effect to NZC in secondary schools and the ongoing, evolving nature of curriculum change. Schools cannot stop, take stock, redesign and then start again. They have no option but to “build the plane while flying” if they perceive that significant change is required. NZCER, 2010

Although the report is pretty long there is an Executive Summary at the beginning and a comprehensive index which means that you can just look up the bits that you are interested in.


e-learning Strategy:

Are you using digistore? Digistore has been created by the NZ Ministry of Education and is a storehouse of digital content to support learning across the curriculum, from early childhood through to senior secondary. You need an Education Sector login to be able to access the resources. The site tells you how to get one if you haven't already.
How to use digistore: On the digistore wiki (http://digistore.wikispaces.com/) there are examples of how you can use the digital content in your classroom.

• http://digistore.wikispaces.com/Science+Snaphot1 - Teachers and students at MRGS have explored how an online learning environment can enhance learning opportunities. Teacher Alison Cook created learning paths to support her Yr 9 science students and shares how she has integrated digital content to support learning. Useful tips for teachers exploring using learning paths with their school's learning management system.
• A Secondary English example: Using a learning path to support the teaching and learning for close reading of a visual text - This learning path is designed to be used to prepare students for the new Level One NCEA English Achievement Standard 1.11 Show understanding of visual and/or oral text(s) through close viewing and/or listening, using supporting evidence.
• There are also examples for The Arts, Careers, Health and PE, Languages, Maori, Mathematics and Statistics, Social Sciences and Technology.
  

I'm not sure if this link will work but it is well worth reading edutecher's February newsletter for updates on new online tools. These include:

• WebTool of the Month: Popplet
  Popplet is a wonderful engaging web tool that allows for a collaborative mind-mapping experience. With lots of great features, a slick interface, and easy to use note-taking or organizing tool. This is a full-featured site that can be used with multiple subjects and for myriad reasons. This is a must-try site and there is also an incredible iPad app available (Lite and Paid versions).
  Click here to check out Popplet
  
• Resource of the Month: Lesson Writer
  Lesson Writer is a fantastic free resource tool for teachers. Using this site, educators can automatically pull vocabulary words, create exercises, create questions using Blooms Taxonomy and then quiz students. The site lets teachers customize the lessons based and even allows scaffolding for students of different abilities. While no tool is able to automate lesson writing altogether, this comes in as a very handy helper to allow provide a lot of assistance.
  Click here to check out Lesson Writer

from http://www.edutecher.net/

General Resources

‘From Good to Outstanding’: Tips for Teachers
Based on extracts from an extended interview with the series’ Inspector, Clare Gillies (CG)

Planning For Individual Learning - Contributed by Dr Alan Davison, Pivotal Behaviour Management Trainer

Curriculum planning is the point at which educational philosophy meets practical teaching and learning.

So... what is your philosophy?

Do you see your learners as empty bottles waiting to be filled up with your knowledge, beliefs and perceptions? Or are they active bundles of potential awaiting the opportunity to burst into learning and develop dormant skills?

Is pedagogy dead?

Things have changed so much that we no longer hear school masters mutter, "If you can't beat pupils, why teach?" as they look back on cheerier days the world has left behind.

There are now very different values woven into our educational structures, many given shape and meaning through "Every child matters". The elements "be happy", "enjoy and achieve", and, "make a positive contribution", are reflected in what have become key learning targets.

1. Teach learners as individuals, and enable them to become independent learners.

2. Enable learners to develop their awareness and management of their social and emotional skills.

3. Enable learners to internalise positive reinforcements and motivation through a growing sense of belonging and purpose.

4. Ensuring all learners have a voice in planning and evaluating their learning opportunities and the issues based on their own safety and well being.

5. Develop a form of independence that encourages learners to know when and how to do things for themselves, and when, how and where to find support and help when they need it.

Curriculum planning which both incorporates these elements and supports a teacher training programme which ensures staff understand how to achieve these aims, will prove effective for school, college, teachers, but most of all, in meeting the aspirations of the learners.

© Pivotal Education Ltd 2001-10

Term 1 Week 5 - differentiation

Upcoming Events
3 March World Book Day - http://www.worldbookday.com/
6 March National Children's Day - www.childrensday.org.nz

Professional Reading

PISA 2009: Our 21st century learners at age 15
This report published in December 2010 provides a picture of New Zealand’s 15-year-old performance in reading literacy (main focus), mathematical literacy and scientific literacy. It compares New Zealand’s results with other top- and high-performing countries. In July and August 2009 4,643 New Zealand 15 year-old students from 163 New Zealand schools took part in PISA 2009.

Positives:

• New Zealand 15-year-old students’ overall reading performance was substantially higher than the average for the 345 OECD countries.


• There were Asian, Māori, Pākehā/European and Pasifika students who performed at the highest level of reading literacy.


• New Zealand students’ overall mathematical literacy performance was significantly higher than the average for the OECD countries.


• New Zealand students’ overall scientific literacy performance was substantially higher than the average for the OECD countries.

What we need to work on in NZ:

• While Pākehā/European and Asian students were more likely to be at the higher end, Māori and Pasifika students were over-represented at the lower end.

More complex than skills: Rethinking the relationship between key competencies and curriculum content - Dr. Rosemary Hipkins, New Zealand Council for Educational Research
I have been thinking about how I can encourage my junior students to goal set and reflect on their use of the Key Competencies during learning in English. This conference paper gave me some ideas to get me started.
Abstract: Drawing on the New Zealand experience, this paper outlines two possible implementation pathways. The “skills” pathway could lead to modest improvements in teaching and learning. It is, however, unlikely to achieve longer-term goals such as strengthening citizenship, enhancing creativity and fostering lifelong learning. Such goals have future-focused and dispositional components. The “participatory” pathway could support these longer-term goals. Students are challenged to use knowledge, not just get it. However following this pathway requires a rethinking of how curriculum content is used, with implications for what is seen as evidence of learning. The presentation will draw on several common science topics and two of the key competencies as they were developed for the New Zealand Curriculum (Thinking; Using Language, Symbols and Texts). These will be used to illustrate possible changes in teaching and learning approaches. Implications for curriculum support processes will be raised.

Differentiation Strategies

This article ("Defining Differentiated Instruction") expands on Edutopia's definition of differentation. It covers:

• Starting with the student


• A classroom example


• A matter of fairness (using sentence starters, graphic organisers with some students)

Pre-assessment: A Differentation Power Tool

Pre-assessment is often the first step to differentiating in our classrooms. This document goes over some of the ways that you can pre-test students - academically and in terms of their interests.

General Resource

"Becoming a master asker" - this article explores the question what makes a good question? Very helpful tips for us teachers.