Wednesday, 30 May 2018

Manaiakalani Tool Box PLD 31.5.18


Manaiakalani Tool Box 31.5.18

Today we are working with the Blogging Tool Kit Slides that were downloaded.  We added a second page to our personal Blogger and inserted an image.

Wednesday, 18 April 2018

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