Selecting Text - So much to choose from....

 Another set of engaging sessions...

Love the sharing of learning that being part of Manaiakalani brings.  The encouragement and support if offers in terms of creating resources that will benefit my learners and resources that learners can create to improve learning outcomes. Fantastic resource bank of strategies today that can be implemented in the classroom.

Learning today was based around text selection. My ahha moment was exploring advanced search on Journal Surf! Why have I not used this before? Loved the session on shared reading. This makes it far more engaging for learners and meaningful in terms of 'bang for buck'. On reflection my current shared reading has been zone out time for students! I can see some ways to make meaningful change in this space. 

The Mirror, Window, and Sliding Door analogy is inviting, and a great way to view the learners perspective. It is aligned with text selection in that first learners need to see themselves related in text, then be able to see through the window into a wider world, then they are enabled to walk out into that space.

As a way of looking into the mirror I am thinking that using whakatouki in shared sessions would allow students to engage with  the culture of being a New Zealander and give the opportunity to look at inference. It would then need to be supplimented with a longer text so that the skills can be taught. I can see me deep diving into the skill builder sessions in the coming weeks. 

The window on the wider world will be broadening the context of learning. What does this look like elsewhere? My pondering is how far can I open the door and nudge my struggling readers out into the wider world without leaving them behind? My current thought is: even if it is only a toe out the door, it is still out the door. First a toe and then a foot... can I make in the weeks ahead? What will it look like for these learners next year?

The power of the Workbook was again emphasised with the opportunity to draw from what we already know about our learners and plan for success by ensuring that we are developing good readers, opposed to ensuring that they tread water.

I will continue to engage with parents, caregivers and whanau on the importance of modelling reading, and engaging in wide reading experiences with students. 

Fellow teachers would I'm sure benefit form the Skill builder resource. From the quick dabble today I can see what a wealth of information it will provide and model explicit teaching of the vital reading skills. 

Knowing Your Learners - Teacher Workbook

 My initial reaction to the teachers workbook was one of awe. A one stop shop for all your data! It is easy to navigate despite it's overwhelming intial appearance. 

The beauty of the workbook is that the information is avaiable quickly and has all my learners information at hand so seeing where nextsteps is appreciably easier.

A quick scan of the results of running records highlighted some easy next steps for the Ruru group.

A quick scan of the PAT test results drew another picture of these students, so I have hightlighted their year level, green for those above based on PAT results, those just at are white, and those just below are orange. Interestingly all learners had the same issue when completing a running record, assessment despite their PAT results. 

When answering questions in the running record they used general knowledge rather than text specific knowledge to answer questions.  I developed a learning intention around this. However when working with the group I quickly discovered that, although able readers, they did not know what a question was, or how to form one. As a result in group time we have had to back track over question starters, and differentiating between a question and a statement. I will be able to measure success with the hand in tasks that asks them to design four questions related to an excerpt from the text. 

It is my goal by the end of the week that they all can ask a question related to the text and provide a text specific answer. I realise that this skill will need to be revisited for at least next term to become habitual. 

My concern is if they continue to read without being able to ask and answer questions about text providing text specific answers it will impact on their ability to become good critical consumers of information.

I can see that I have set a higher expectation for my learners.

Day 2 - Know Your Learners as Readers

 What did I learn today? 

I focussed on the impact sharing has on success and how that sharing relates to tbe Manaiakalani pedagodgy. Having others respond to what we, as learners are doing is so motivating.  I am keen to share the experiences of students of the past that have gone on to greater success, although I wonder if this would be relevant to my learners in Hokitika were league is not as strongly featured in our local culture.

I also realise that having had new students coming into the room after week four, and absent students, means I am going to have to go back to ensure that they are inclued in the reading survey results. At the moment it looks quite a daunting prospect, but I need to start small instead of trying to run before I can walk.

Mining initial data, in a meaningful way to give a baseline, is initiallly going to be time consuming. The workbook appears to be the worthwhile place to keep all this data. I can see that regualr updating would be needed and that is why the linked examples of students work and self reflection would be great for reporting. This challenge will need to to be faced along side managing the wider classroom. 

This image caught my eye around the purpose of assessment and the data it brings:

Certainly for our Year 3's up it would be a worthwhile exercise to look at the information that can be gained from the standaridised testing.  As a cohort we could then look at the Curriculum, Learning Progresssions, and PaCT over Years 3-6  and to assess what we already have related to learning intentions.

My intention will be to do one group, focusing on an individual each day. I am sure with additonal practise I will get faster at this. I can see the benefits of using student interest to drive learning will deliver better results. However in a class with such diverse learning levels accessing text to cover the range looks like a challenge. Tha leads to the question what will be best, ability or mixed ablity groups? I ask this because my lower readers are those students targeted to actively participate in group conversations. Generally they are reluctant to offer opinions or will jsut say 'I agree with ...' , without being able to justify their position. I get the feeling it is said just because hopefull it lets the teacher move on. My very lowest readers are on one to one teaching if I have ability groups. 

I guess this is where planning with the end in mind links. Using the students own interests will help with this. Knowing that interest will help me with most of my learners. However I will still ahave a core at the lower  Level 1, finding a text they can access and looks like what their peers are reading is going to be challenging.  I also have students in multiple groups.The electronic Workbook is an item that caught my interest. Having all the data in one place would be more powerful that looking at information in isolation. I will be implimenting the sharing of, and co construction of learning intentions and success criteria with my learners. Whilst these have always been there in the background it has not been as explicit as I would now like.  

Definitely I need to visibly share the learning intentions with my readers. In the short tern this will mean going back group slide decks although to make is easier I will probably just use a template, changing only what is necessary.