KPMG Day 2 - 20/5/19

In today's hui, we looked at how we can refocus and energise our Inquiry.

To start off we talked about how our thinking had changed. On top for me was how the much time it has taken to introduce the Literature Circle process to my students, the soft skills that needed to be taught with this process, and then getting the literature circles working. Now I am encountering problems with student video making, which we have to work through.

The next part of our day was spent playing the Catalyst Game. Here I outlined where I was in my inquiry, and Santi, Joanne and Marc all asked questions to challenge my thinking. Anne pointed out that my inquiry and tool were too broad. Some key thoughts and actions following the game:

1. Refer back to the LLP's - how does my inquiry tie into these, or can be supported by them?
2. Change my literacy programme to have more purposeful reading. As Joanne pointed out, %90 of reading at school post-Year 6 is for a purpose, so my Year 6's need to develop these skills. 
1. To Trial: Get my students into semi-permanent groups for the duration of Term 2. Get a selection of texts that fit into our inquiry (Connection to Our Community - Awhai mai, awhi atua). Groups select the text best for them. Run a more traditional model of Literature Circle.
2. Considerations: Text selection for JH and JK. Buy in for RW, DF, JC, JS etc
3. Refer back to the 7 Principles of Learning - what does it cover?

1. 1. Learners at the centre
   2. Social nature of learning
   3. Emotions integral to learning
   4. Recognising individual differences
   5. Stretching all students
   6. Assessment for learning
   7. Building horizontal connections
   
   

After this, we discussed who our TEAM was. Who was challenging our thinking and keeping us in an echo chamber? I am very much in an echo chamber at this stage, but possible contact to extend my TEAM could be contacting a secondary school. I will approach the HOD of English at Shirley Boys and Avonside Girls to enquire if there is anyone whom I can meet with to discuss the inquiry.

The final part of the day was spent discussing and preparing for Sydney. 

4 Minute Walk Through - Ata Harpara - How Learning is Organised

Learning in the Fast Lane - Chapter 2

Audio of my team's discussion for Chapter 2 of Learning in the Fast Lane.

The focus of this chapter was using Standards Walls.

Literature Circle Conversations - My Digital Tool

Here is a link to my digital tool - Literature Circle Conversations blog


The Problem: To improve the acceleration of Year 6 boys in their reading

Proposal: To use literature circles as part of my reading programme so students are more engaged in their reading and develop comprehension skills. To also develop a digital tool that supports my learners by allowing them to see other literature circle discussions and continue the discussion online.

Reading - Literature Circles and Their Improvement of Comprehension

Here is a video of my thoughts around a reading I came across earlier this year: Literature Circles and Their Improvement of Comprehension by Laura Coccia.

Warning: It is 30 minutes

It outlines the literature review for her research and much of the key thinking and research that has already gone into Literature Circles. A particular focus is how literature circles the Sociocultural History Theory for education, where student experience and language impacts their learning, and how this can be used to enhance comprehension with the use of literature circles.