Learning in the Fast Lane Chapter 4 - Formative Assessment

Here is the recording of our team discussion on Suzy-Pepper Rollins Learning in the Fast Lane on acceleration student progress.




I thought I would make Google Slides with the strategies for each section as my notes from now on. These can go on our team site, but feel free to use them. I will try to add photos of examples as they happen.

KPMG Day 3 - The Dragon's Den

On Monday the 12th of August we meet again at KPMG. Our task for this session was to sell our idea and tool to Dorothy, Anne and Jenny, as well as each other. Anne prefaced us with these questions:

• What is the tool/concept/idea?
• How have you tested it? What did the testers think?
• Why would we want to use it? 
• What is it able to do?
• How has it evolved and what changes have you had to make? How and why?
• What do the learners think of it? 
• Is it making a difference or will it make a difference? How do you know? 
• What has driven you in the development? 
• How is it different from other similar tools? 
• What does your team (us) think?

Here my summary of where my inquiry and tool currently sit.

It was great to see all my MIT colleague's tools. In particular, I am eager to use Nicola's, Joanna's and Amber's tools with my students.

As the day went on I started to draw some conclusions about my next steps. They are:

• Develop a supporting Google Site for teacher information and resources (Dorothy suggested I use an additional page on the LITCRICON blog)
• Develop scaffolding resources for all the roles in a literature circle - currently, I have a question poster for the Discussion Director role
• Get some of my Rāwhiti School colleagues to test it
• Set up labels on the blog and video submission Google Form for texts or theme

From Dorothy's notes, we also discussed how important it is to front-load students with behaviour expectations. Students need to apply the Key Competencies and "soft skills" to be successful with the LITCIRCON blog and literature circles.

Bring on October's Manaiakalani Wananga!

EdTech Sydney Summit

Learning in the Fast Lane - Chapter 3 - Success Starters

Title of Book/Reading/Study Programme

Learning in the Fast Lane - Chapter 3 - Success Starters

Author/s or Lecturer/s or Speaker/s

by Suzy-Pepper Rollins

Synopsis

This is a chapter about starting your lesson in a relevant engaging way. How to get students thinking and responding to learning in the first ten minutes of the lesson, the peak time for learning.

Motivation

Learning in the Fast Lane - team discussion

How will it help me? How has it helped me?

This made me reflect on how I begin lessons. What motivations can I create that engage learners, especially Maori and Pacific learners? 

Initial ideas - success starters for literacy circle roles:

Student surveys on the roles

Videos to apply roles - e.g. short video where they "make a connection"

Prediction - true false e.g. 

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.