staff posting to the Blog

I have given all teachers a business card with a login that will allow them to add their thoughts to the blog. I have heard some great ideas about possible names and also heard the ideas that teachers are implementing in their classes regarding Independent Learning trials. I hope they start adding ideas soon!

Second Staff Meeting Reflection

Yesterday I exposed myself to the staff...and it was not pretty! I videoed a lesson I took in a senior classroom and focused the camera on the students. I wanted to really see what they were doing while I was "teaching" them. The results were scary. In the 5 minutes the video played I saw yawning, frustrated faces. It was evident that I was selecting the students who I knew could answer the questions and, hence, not slow down the flow, but the rest of the class were not engaged on any meaningful level.

So, what of this? Well, it highlighted several important points. The teacher must understand the needs of the children...not as a whole class, but as individuals. These individuals can be grouped for management purposes, but we need to be thinking about their needs as leaners. I would also encourage teachers to be thinking about ways to lessen their whole class teaching opportunities...not the quality, but the frequency. Having a WALT that we need the whole class to work on, (The use of adjectives for example), should be delivered in ways that reflect the eneds of the students. Rich texts, challenge, examples, modelling, prompting and other best practice techniques should be evident in the lesson. Don't forget about differentiation!

Name possibilities for Independent Learning

Oh I don't know what you think about this acronym for Independent Learning but.... How about P.I.L.O.T time where children are able to take control to navigate and fly to the direction of success....

P= Personal
I=Independent
L=Learning
O=Opportunity
T=Time

Could also have planning, organisation, targets...????

All children in the school could understand this concept and would lend itself to becoming more complex as they move through the school - could be more specific for senior levels. just an idea.. not sure if anyone has flicked other ideas on.... but thought I'd get the ball rolling or keep it rolling...into the bin or not!!!

First Staff Meeting term 1 2010

Today we looked at where we were in the Journey that is Independent Learners. The staff added their faces to the pyramid in the staff room to indicate were they were in their personal knowledge of this teaching and learning style.

These topics were ones which created the most debate or questions as the teachers were writing personal goals for their own learning:
Subject Compartmentalising - This links to STRESBusters, the creation of busy work, out of class projects, (like Inquiries),
Time Management - Planning for teachers, individual planning for students, and groups...who would this be managed?
Success Criteria - what about quality? Why use it? What about the students who are just "not gonna"?
Tracking systems
Goals
Differentiation
Timetabling
How does this benefit the Inquiry process?

Links to Resources

Along the right-hand-side of this blog are readings and resources that are useful. If you have any troubles reading them, then just check with Toby and I will help you out.
Cheers

PIMS - of Independent Learning @ FOS

Here is some of the feedback from our Independent Learning Workshop at Wainui.

Positives:
Gives students an appreciation of choice.
Kids taking responsibility for their work
Interested students.
Allows us to focus on quality teaching of small groups - this meets their needs - multi-intelligences
Don't photocopy too much
Kids can better articulate their learning
Builds a better learning community
Kids can see the meaning behind their learning
Kids can "run themselves"
Great way to get to know your students
children making own plans
Gifted students can arrange own timetables - infact MOST students can do this!
Get to know the student very well
Meet with children more regularly
they enjoy/love the sense of achievement and their learning choice
The students respect having the time with the teacher so many of the students will want to protect that time during the day
More focused learning time


Interesting:
Use the library as a flexible space (S- utilize Desna's strengths, get parent to help)
How to deal with time management - (S- Timer, more teacher direction).
Have the same class for more than one year
Have a success timetable to help younger children share their work (S- create a structured plan of what skills need to be taught, build up choices and scaffold children well)
Can explore "new" areas that they may not have got to before.
Change of structure, time management.
Learning Reports - how do we fit these in?
Easier to chose their sparkle
Differences from term to term
more cross-class stuff
build in year 6 responsibilities - librarian, FOS News etc...
Upskilling new teachers and staff.
How to manage ESOL or other Special Needs areas
What the rest of the class is doing needs to be specific and significant, but they have chosen the order/when they do each task.


Minus:
Some children can't deal with choices
Wary of trying to achieve too much
Will children stay in their comfort zone?
People not taking the time to succeed
QUALITY????
How to monitor - systems?
Team work? Where/how do this fit in?
Wild-cards kids - those who need constant behaviour and/or time management
Can lose some to the 'whole class" cohesiveness
The time and effort that needs to be put into setting up properly is significant


Suggestions
Have to do, but can decide when
Scaffolding the porcess
Support for people - CRT Toby and the Independent Learning Team
Rubrics
Develop clear expectations
Use of PD and CRT times
Extra scaffolds for groups
Set up REALLY strong routines early in the year and work on ethic environment/class norms/Class culture

Staff Retreat @ Wainui January 28th/29th

We started the year with a workshop about Independent Learning.
Independent Learning Workshop:

1. Introduce the three activities that people can choose to do:
• PE – with a selection of cones and different sized balls
• School Plays – Three to choose from
• Art – Sketching

2. Move into the activity you want to work on.
3. You will need to create SMART GOALS and SUCCESS CRITERIA, so how you will organise your groups?
4. Move out and work on your activity – 15 minutes then regroup…..need to be back on time and ready for the next bit….(30 Minutes)
- Reflect on your learning – SMART GOALS and SUCCESS CRITERIA – (15 Minutes)
• How were the 5 Key Competencies reflected in your activity/learning
• What made it work?
• What didn’t make it work?
• Where to next with your learning?
- PMI of Independent Learning – (15 Minutes)
- What should Independent Learning Look like at FOS? – Brainstorm ideas and share back (15 Minutes)
- Where to next – what do we need to develop/know/try to make Independent Learning Successful at FOS? (15 Minutes)
- Sharing Top Tips – Free For All (15 Minutes)