Working smarter not harder.............

In my 12MAT class, I have learners working on up to 4 different achievement standards at any given time and all are at varying levels of competence. In order to maximise engagement and give students more ownership of their learning, all the teaching and learning resources have been centralised on a Google site with teacher-created "Cheat Sheets", learning programmes, tracking sheets, exemplars, practice tests and rewindable learning opportunities which they can access 24/7.


In a bid to work smarter not harder, I have armed students with the tools for success thereby giving me an opportunity to conference with small groups or work one-on-one as opposed to drip feeding information to students and hampering their progress.

Update

Just a follow up on my two previous posts about one of my undisciplined learners who was struggling to self manage, so I resorted to removing his laptop and making him work on paper,  has now had a change of heart.

He questioned me for a while about why I was taking such action and how long it would last, which I appreciated. Today, I gave him a choice of working online or on paper and he chose the former. He seems to have a renewed desire to be successful and is now showing commitment to his learning by focusing on the task at hand and initiating learning conversations whilst working  through his programme.  He has asked for assistance 3 times and not shown any signs of being distracted. What a joy to witness learners "managing self", one of the 5 Key Competencies in the NZ curriculum. He has been rewarded with a sense of accomplishment and much praise from me.

I love it when a plan comes together

I love it when a plan comes together....................my previous post about "desperate times calls for desperate  measures" was a plan that did not come together. This is the evidence of my reluctant learner after 3 and a half hours of maths. To be honest, it was an intermittent 3 and a half hours with toilet breaks, water breaks, blowing nose breaks etc.

I had to come with a plan B and fast. My plan B is to always make plan A work, so my learner was given a laptop today and he chose to start a new standard. We went over 

expectations for the standard, 

criteria for achievement 

subject-specific terminology needed for the standard

a few "Cheats" and

did a few examples together to build his confidence in the subject.

Hopefully, my learner will spread his maths wings and fly.

Desperate times call for desperate measures

I did not think that I would have to acquaint myself with the photocopying machine or laminator (pictured below in case you too have forgotten).......
     

......and I cannot say the "good old days" because teachers and learners and in fact, society has moved on. So what has caused me to resort to these desperate measures? 

Recently I formalised my goal setting where I aim to increase participation by using the Key Competency "Managing self" and it is going fairly well with most of my learners engaging, participating and progressing fairly well. Going fairly well does not sit well with me and goes against one of our school values of being EXCELLENT. A few ......and by that I mean one or two, ok maybe up to three learners have minimal "managing self" skills and are ill-disciplined when learning online and using digital technology responsibly, another school value. 

In a desperate bid to get them engaging and actively participating with their learning, I have resorted to laminating resources specially for them which I hope only lasts a day. I am saddened that I had to resort to that option but desperate times call for desperate measures. 

L1 Algebra Rewindable learning

As promised in my previous post, I could not wait to get started on a rewindable learning resource to help familiarise students with expectations and academic success for particular achievement standards. This is my attempt at L1 Algebra worth 3 Numeracy credits and I eagerly await my new arrivals to see if this has the desired effect.

Teacher Reflection and Action - Term 2

These are my reflections after being at my school for a term.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT - the majority of my learners in all classes sat their formative and  summative assessments before the due date as they felt confident enough about expectations for each standard and had provided sufficient evidence of their learning journey.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT -  my learners academic achievement was above national achievement data for each standard taught during the term

WHANAU ENGAGEMENT - participation in learning conversations at our Home School Partnership (HSP) evening increased from 52% the previous year in term 1 to 71% in 2019 in term 1.

I ended the term on a high and was eager to continue the trend in term 2.

With the transition of students to completely different courses and teachers in term 2, I am finding that it is taking longer for my learners to settle into new routines which seemed to work so well the previous term. I realised that rolling enrolments started much later in term 1 compared to term 2, so my learners who had previously had more time to adjust to classroom routines and expectations as a group, now had to contend with new enrolments much earlier in the term. The rest of the class were not ready to self-manage (one of the 5 key competencies) to an acceptable standard when I devoted time to those who had enrolled  late so early in the new term.

I had 2 options:

Option 1 - suggest that the school delay late enrolments till after week 4 to give me and my students time to set up sound working relationships. This is not even worth voicing to our Senior Leadership Team as it goes against our kaupapa; I had to come up with a more viable option which brings me to.....

Option 2 - invest time into creating REWINDABLE learning resources for students where they can hear me explaining or outlining expectations, success criteria and strategies needed for the various standards which will save me spreading myself too thinly and make settling in more manageable for learners and me.

I promise to post a rewindable resource soon and look forward to getting your feedback to help me improve.

Time flies when you are having fun

There is a saying, "Time flies when you are having fun"........ I am going to be bold and assume that my 12MAT class has had fun while learning this term as an analysis of their data is quite pleasing; thanks to the foresight of our Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and supportive staff who organised a "Catch Up" day for senior students. As a result of the"catch up" day, 90% of my 12MAT students have credits this term with 100% achievement for assessments sat.

We are ending the term strongly and with a sense of achievement which should hold us in good stead for a promising term 2. "Success breeds success" ......watch this space for term 2 updates.

12MAT Student voice - NCEA L2 Networks

My 12MAT students started the year with a clear focus on achievement. Once a CHEAT SHEET was shared and explained, students were super keen to get on with their learning journey. Feedback was given via a tracking sheet where students could work at their own pace, monitor their progress and then sit their assessment when they felt the confidence to do so. National data shows a success rate of 79%.  My 12MAT class has 100% achievement for the NCEA L2 Networks standard and below is some of the student voice from a survey done just before attempting a practice test

Something NEW9 responses

I learnt about nodes and traversability

nodes

What a network and nodes are.

Nodes,Shortest Route, Minimum Spanning Tree

Networks

Dijkstra and Krushals algorrithim

mimimum spanning tree

Traversability

everything

The strategy (ies) that I used for this standard were9 responses

Finding traversable circuits by finding 0 or 2 odd nodes

Shortest path, Traversability and Minimum spanning tree

Work at a pace that is suitable for me. Read the question properly. Take my time, but also getting all my work done. Be confident in my work and answers.

Shortest Route, Traversabilty,Minimum Spanning Tree

the zero or two odd node checking strategy

-

using low numbers

Kruskal's Algorithm

idk

What can your teacher do differently to assist you to become successful9 responses

Nothing

nothing shes is the best teacher

Nothing. My teacher has taught me perfectly.

She's a fantastic teacher :)

N/A

nothing to change

exactly as they are doing now

nothing

What can your whanau do differently to assist you to become successful9 responses

Nothing

nothing

nothing everything is fine

Nothing really. Maybe just to encourage me.

Nothing

N/A

not sure

What can your friends do differently to assist you to become successful9 responses

nothing

Nothing

working together

Doing their work and not be distracting.

N/A

not sure

What can YOU do differently to assist you to become successful9 responses

Focus more on the topic

nothing because i do the work

Find a way to concentrate better.

Work Hard

focus

concentrate

focus on the topic

Be more focused, gain more passion for Math

nothing

What support or encouragement has your teacher given you for this Achievement Standard9 responses

Shes encouraged me when i made mistakes

confidence

Let me work at my own pace.

Helping me and letting me understand better :)

detailed help and explanations when i am unsure of something

alot

telling me i can do it

That it is possible to achieve as long as you keep trying

idk

11MAT Student voice

As we near the end of a busy term, students are focusing on finishing standards and assessments and teachers are reflecting on the term that was.

Below is some student voice from my 11MAT class for their Linear Algebra standard worth 3 credits.

Something NEW (I learned...)-

Everything

How to automatically get the SUM of each question, how to group, how to read across the line,

how to remotely do algebra

how to use the laptop. and how to do algebra

Algebra

everything

how to work out the line graph

solving

how to form an equation

I learnt a faster way to calculate the equations

Value	Count
-	2
A friend taught me how to form an equat…	1
Nothing	1
how to graph my work	1
how to merge cells	1
i taught Sam how to merge cells and als…	1
nothing	1
nothing i did it by myself	1
to create a graph and properly format i…	1
use the computer	1

Something BLUE (I struggled with...)11 responses

-

Solving the equation

getting the SUM in the correct order according to the forming equation order

how to format a graph and not make mistakes

i struggled with the computer

naming the line graph

nothing really

ask for help

codes

nothing really

How to solve the equation

What STRATEGY/STRATEGIES helped you with this standard11 responses

chunking

Asking the teacher lol

grouping and using SUM to automatically get the answers for questions

chunking and reading on the line

chunking secret words

idk

Chunking

by understanding and focusing

by writing my work out than doing it

the chunking part

The solving equations part. =sum( )

By the end of this topic, my confidence level was11 responses

Value	Count
1	0
2	0
3	1
4	2
5	8

What can your teacher do differently to assist you to become successful?11 responses

-

feed me

encouraged us and helped when we were stuck.

keep on being an amazing teacher

im not sure

nothing keep doing what she's doing

shes a very good teacher, she does everything she can to help you even if shes busy. so shes already met my standard.

helpful and understanding

nothing

nothing

Nothing much really because she has already helped me

What can your whanau do differently to assist you to become successful?11 responses

-

nothing

feed me more

keep on encouraging me

give me money

Nothing

Give me 1million dollars

by doing my work

Nothing

What can your friends do differently to assist you to become successful?11 responses

stop being annoying

Not distract me

stop being annoying,

not distract me

not anoy me

Help me when asked

Help me when i ask for help.

advice and helping me

nothing

stop distracting me

Nothing

What can YOU do differently to assist you to become successful?11 responses

remove myself from any distractions

Stay on task, distance myself from my friends

focus a bit more, not lose any focus when people talk to me

be more concentrated

i an be smarter

Do as asked

change my attitude towards learning because i get distracted easily

focusing , work hard

stay on task

focus more

Come school daily

What support or encouragement has your teacher given you for this Standard?11 responses

EVERYTHING

Moral and mental support

everything

by giving me constructive feedback and helping me improve and stop making mistakes by teaching me to do it correctly

helped me

Everything.

she basically taught me everything

helping

asking me if im alright

a lot of support and encouragement

Helping me understand how to do this standard in a easier way

Managing self leads to academic success

My Level 2 Maths class have trialled the use of a Tracking sheet to help them self-manage (one of the 5  key competencies) their progress this term.

64 % of the class attempted their assessment before the due date and 100% of them were successful and gained 2 credits.

The tracking sheet is a visual way for students to see whether they have met the standard (green) for each activity and gives them the confidence to move onto the next one. Orange means that the standard has not been met either because work is incomplete or there are errors. Red indicates that there is no evidence at all for that activity. My L2 tracking sheet is shown below.

A few generous students gave me feedback on the use of the tracking sheet as it was their first time being exposed to one.