PLD attended: Dr Tony Attwood; Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorders

PLD attended: Dr Tony Attwood; Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorders

March 2018
What?
A comprehensive PLD day at Holiday Inn Auckland.

Notes were recorded on the power point.
Key points for me to take away are...be aware of the following

• App guide for Aspergers is www.learningappguide.com.au  
• Allow long processing time following requests or questions
• If they wait they forget
• Talent and interest in patterns and sequences
• Don't learn from their mistakes-repeated mistakes
• Can't recalibrate to new activity until he has finished one activity
• Teach giving and receiving compliments
• Need to calm down before accessing strategies-calming down is being "smart"
• Will misinterpret anger when it is not
• Make incorrect assumptions
• Need tick lists
• Know the heart not just the behaviour. Not just obedience.
• Good at metaphor but not idioms
• Mannerisms have a message-Youtube:  Found in translation-Tony Attwood
• De-escalate by giving him something he is good at
• Red or amber zone- go for a run-big movements
• 6th sense of negativity-will seek solitude because of negative emotions of others. Oasis of solitude.
• He observes, analyses then imitates
• manage big social times in 20 minutes blocks 
• Sensory perceptual issues in autism and aspergers syndrome- Olga Bogdashina
• www.irlen.com
• Movie "Inside out" a favourite
• No spontaniety
• Anxiety drives the opposition, need rituals and routines to cope...can become obsessive
• Special interests help them cope with anxiety
• Calmly think about what you need to do.
• use fit bits-"make the numbers fall"- calm. "Do you want to be alone?"
• Therapeutic massage, meditation, choose a scene from Harry Potter that best describes your sadness
• KEYs to anxiety: solitude, special interest, parents
• Love to collect and catalogue
• STIMs-repetitive Motor movements- a means of communication, reduces anxiety, blocking overload, soothing and very pleasurable
• Depression is a reaction to pain

Reading: Where to now with assessment, post National Standards?

Where to now with assessment, post National Standards?
By Adrienne Carlisle, Garry Taylor, Allan Powell- Feb 8, 2018

What now?
Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.
1. Keep some key principles in mind...
Effective assessment-

• benefits and involves students and helps them learn better
• helps teachers teach better
• helps leaders lead better
• helps whanau and parents support their child's learning
• measures things that are important
• is valid and fair

2. Think about who needs that assessment information and for what purposes.

• Students need to know what they are learning and why
• Teachers need to know achievement levels and progress; plan for it
• Parents need to now how their student is doing
• BOT and SMT-resourcing, set targets and support teachers to make improvements
• Kahui ako- COL- support their community
• MOE-resourcing

3. Think about the different levels of achievement within the classroom

4. Think about what tools are worth keeping and why, such as moderation, pact, literacy learning progressions, learning progression framework, use e-asTTle and PAT for formative assessment.

It is a golden opportunity to rethink, rejuvenate and improve our assessments.

And from me...

I agree that we need to think about the what and why but also the "How often" with assessments. We are currently over testing at the expense of quality teaching and learning, and we are over complicating the identification of at-risk/target students. We are still talking about anniversaries rather than goals for end of each year. We are still not clear about how school data should be reported and who does the analyses. 

Room for rethinking these aspects this year.

How we should group students in primary maths lessons? Ipu Kereru

How we should group students in primary maths lessons? Ipu Kereru
What now?
A Blog of the NZ association for Research in Education
How could mixed ability groups work best in my classroom?

• Make class warm-ups more collaborative through the use of choral counts, quick images, and strings see  https://tedd.org/mathematics/ as well as solving word problems . This will strengthen risk-taking, creativity and collaborative word problem solving. Arguing, modelling and generalising are key socially mediated strategies.
• Provide equity for all students (although, personally,  I feel that more able students would tire of mixed ability groupings, therefore equity appears to be more for the lower ability students)
• Better to use mixed ability groups for extra strands as these are more suitable for socially mediated learning.
• Lower achievers benefit from the mentoring of more able students
• GATE students learn faster so their needs are better served within an ability group, in my opinion, this also is research informed.

Guidance for NZ schools on behaviour management to minimise physical restraints

Guidance for NZ schools on behaviour management to minimise physical restraints; MoE
What?
The MoE document outlines the seriousness of restraint.  It should only be used in emergency situations, however, staff need to use their professional judgement in these situations. If the behaviour is a danger to themselves or others restraint should be used. Seclusion is no longer to be used in schools. 
Use minimum force only and use only for the time needed.

So what?

• Avoid restraint if there is no danger imminent
• Fill in a restraint form the same day
• Debriefing needs to occur within 2 days of the incident.
• Create an Individual Behaviour plan for at-risk students
• The approach is"I am here to help"
• Principal involves the family

Standards for the Teaching Profession 2018

Matrix aligning Standards for the Teaching Profession with the Practising Teacher Criteria
Standards for the Teaching Profession (Our Standards)	Practising Teacher Criteria (PTC)
Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership Demonstrate commitment to tangata whenuatanga and Tiriti o Waitangi partnership in Aotearoa New Zealand.	Demonstrate commitment to bicultural partnership in Aotearoa New Zealand Work effectively within the bicultural context of Aotearoa New Zealand
Professional learning Use inquiry, collaborative problem-solving and professional learning to improve professional capability to impact on the learning and achievement of all learners.	Use critical inquiry and problem solving effectively in their professional practice Establish and maintain effective professional relationships focussed on the learning and well-being of all ākonga. Demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional learning and development of personal professional practice Show leadership that contributes to effective teaching and learning Analyse and appropriately use assessment information which has been gathered formally and informally
Professional relationships Establish and maintain professional relationships and behaviours focused on the learning and wellbeing of each learner.	Demonstrate commitment to bicultural partnership in Aotearoa New Zealand Establish and maintain effective professional relationships focussed on the learning and well-being of all ākonga Demonstrate commitment to promoting the well-being of all ākonga Demonstrate in practice their knowledge and understanding of how ākonga learn Respond effectively to the diverse language and cultural experiences, and the varied strengths, interests and needs of individuals and groups of ākonga
Learning-focused culture Develop a culture that is focused on learning, and is characterised by respect, inclusion, empathy, collaboration and safety.	Demonstrate commitment to promoting the well-being of all ākonga Promote a collaborative inclusive and supportive learning environment Respond effectively to the diverse language and cultural experiences, and the varied strengths, interests and needs of individuals and groups of ākonga
Design for learning Design learning based on curriculum and pedagogical knowledge, assessment information and an understanding of each learner’s strengths, interests, needs, identities, languages and cultures.	Conceptualise, plan and implement an appropriate learning programme Demonstrate in practice their knowledge and understanding of how ākonga learn Work effectively within the bicultural context of Aotearoa New Zealand Respond effectively to the diverse language and cultural experiences, and the varied strengths, interests and needs of individuals and groups of ākonga Analyse and appropriately use assessment information which has been gathered formally and informally Use critical inquiry and problem solving effectively in their professional practice
Teaching Teach and respond to learners in a knowledgeable and adaptive way to progress their learning at an appropriate depth and pace.	Conceptualise, plan and implement an appropriate learning programme Demonstrate in practice their knowledge and understanding of how ākonga learn Analyse and appropriately use assessment information which has been gathered formally and informally Demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional learning and development of personal professional practice Use critical inquiry and problem solving effectively in their professional practice http://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/maori-language/tikanga-maori/mihimihi-en-nz/

Reading- Teaching Writing in Years 1-3; MoE publication

Reading- Teaching Writing in Years 1-3; MoE publication  

What?
This publication serves to detail the expected learning that are expected after the various milestones achieved,  6 months, 1 year, 2 years etc at school. It makes clear the progressions that need to achieved so the learner continues to extend the quality and quantity of their writing.

So what?
I particularly noted what was required from students in their second year at school. These points are noted here to direct my teaching of Year 2 students and struggling Year 3 students.

Writing becomes more complex in Year 2 and requires teaching of the following...

• graphic organisers
• awareness of the audience and purpose for writing
• precise vocabulary e.g., precise verbs and adjectives
• greater details written
• Writing across the curriculum becomes a requirement
• reading responses require more writing
• spelling focuses on rules e.g., prefixes and suffixes
• greater teaching is needed of how to proof-read and edit

What now?

What does this mean for my teaching?

1. Guided revision
2. Helping circles
3. Buddy to help check spelling
4. Stretching sentences
5. Increase the pace of writing
6. Increase the detail through detailed "sketches" and think alouds.
7. Guided self assessment

Understanding Behaviour: Responding Safely (UBRS); MoE PLD

Understanding Behaviour: Responding Safely (UBRS); MoE PLD

What?
The school held a teacher only day to start 2018. The focus was on UBRS, a programme that looked at identifying and safely responding to challenging behaviour. All staff attended the day as all work with an increasing number of children with challenging behaviours. Safety of children and staff was emphasised throughout.

So what?
We covered topics such as...

• Differential responding and suggested strategies for each type or stage  of behaviour escalation e.g., Out of sorts, escalating, out of control and calming down
• Planning to manage at-risk behaviour using preventative and reactive strategies and who was responsible
• Safety/ escalation plan to detail the behaviours and triggers and various actions that can be taken at each behavioural stage
• When to restrain and when not to restrain
• Understanding why children behave as they do- the purpose behind it
• The effect of oxytocin as a stress reducer and health promoter
• The effect of cortisol -allowing the body to be charged up and ready to be at its maximum function for awhile
• Understanding our own stress
• Connect before you correct
• Maintaining calm through breathing and time/space
• Keep relationship throughout a response

So what now?

In my  classroom this means that I need to consider the at-risk students who have had no formal diagnosis yet and implement..

1. A safety/ behaviour plan that identifies triggers and responses at various levels

2. To protect our relationship and protect the child's self-esteem throughout a response

3. To connect before I correct

4. To allow time for the child to respond to a warning of upcoming consequences

5. To not restrain if there is no imminent danger to other students

6. To call for backup from staff if the situation has reached the "red zone" and things are out of control.