12/4: Reflection - Term 1 Review of Junior Classes

Reflection: Term 1 Review of Junior Classes

12th April 2018

What's going on for my learners?

What does achievement data tell me about my current cohort?
Current achievement data from Junior classes, especially Y9s, show me me I need to focus on making learning more visible within my lessons. Although we start lessons with learning intentions and relate back to these through questioning both throughout activities and with a class discussion at the end of the lesson, some students are still not getting it. I am hoping that students are still adapting to the change from primary school PE but it is something I want to work on next term to see if there is a difference.

What am I going to do about it?
-spend more time reinforcing key terms & continually checking for understanding with individuals
-ensure students understand achievement criteria e.g. get them to break this down - how do they get graded for this unit, what are the differences between each of these levels
-see if there is a difference between work that is produced in class time vs prep time
-give students more written feedback on their work between submissions

Who are my priority learners this year? (Those in danger of not achieving)

I have a wide range of priority learners throughout my Jnr classes. Some have more than others and I have identified these students in their class spreadsheet with help from data from Synergetic in regards to ethnicities and SAP reports. Also after Term 1 I have noted other priority learners who struggle with learning intentions and handing in of assessments to an appropriate level and on time.

16/3: Reflection - Inquiry Update for 2018

Reflection: Inquiry Update for 2018

16th March 2018

What’s happening and why?

At the end of last year I identified ways to carry on and continue my inquiry of creating independent learners. I knew that I would have the IGCSE PE class as my senior class for the year. I was able to reflect on what strategies were successful last year with my Level 2 students and apply some of these concepts from the start of the year. Some of the successful concepts from last year were:

• introducing concepts such as checklists, ask 3 before me etc. at the start of the year
• the release of learning
• ensuring students understand the why
• using student voice to interpret teaching style/activities

Setting up the year

I ensured to start my year off valuing the importance of building relationships and setting expectations and routines. This included spending longer on setting routines - what happens at the start of a lesson, how to find things on iTunes U & submit assignments, how to use PDF expert, using class Quizlet for revision etc. My thoughts on spending time ensuring I do this well was that I would be saving time later on in the course. Overall I feel like this has been relatively successful. Students understand basic processes and this has saved time. Also if students do get stuck other students have been proactive in assisting.

Relievers & Student Ownership

The start of the year often brings disruptions to classes. Whether it's swimming sports and athletics or PE department camps.  As a result of camps, professional development and other inevitable absences such as sickness I have missed a few classes with my IG class. During this time students were left work complete with instructions on their iTunes U course. I simplified their work as much a possible knowing that not all new content they would be covering could be found in their textbooks. For content that was not easily accessible I left them notes in which they had to fill in the blanks and then had to answer some questions to show their understanding.

Just before returning to school I received an email from one of my students. In summary this email said that they did not think it was fair that they were left to learn this new content on their own, especially with relievers that weren't able to help them. This email was a response to my email to the class about the lack of work that had been submitted while I was absent. When I returned to class we broke this down and discussed student ownership. They identified that I do not tell the the answers and they need to seek them themselves, so I challenged why should it be different if I was absent. This discussion resulted in referring back to the range of places where students can revert to for help while learning new content. These included; textbook, iTunes U, notes, Quizlet, Google, classmates or myself.

I have been absent since this conversation and it was great to see that students completed and submitted all work as expected. I also noticed when students were studying for a recent test that they were referring to the wide range of resources available.
I have been trialling different teaching styles and types of activities with this class to show them that I am interested in how they like to learn and how they learn most effectively. I have also received informal verbal feedback and actioned this.


What’s not happening & why?

• Although students most students are starting to become more independent and show more ownership of their learning not all are. Certain students can be quite needy. Whether it is handing in incomplete work as they 'don't know what they are doing' or where to find answers. These particular students are also the ones that ask questions expecting me to give them the answers when completing activities. 

What am I going to do to influence what is not happening?

• I can introduce the use of checklists before students hand in any completed work. This could ensure that students have completed all tasks by utilizing all resources when trying to complete activities, have included key points for each topic, have broken down the questions and used appropriate sentence structure when applicable
• I am going to ensure I do some formalized student feedback & learner voice before the end of term to help construct my 2018 inquiry and see whether or not I will continue pursuing this inquiry or something similar

28/2: Interlead PD

PD: Interlead PD

28th February 2018

Name of Course/Programme/Seminar: Interlead Professional Development for Staff - Workshop 1

Provider/Presenter: Tony Burkin

Notes/Thoughts from today's session:

• Each of the 4 Interlead PD sessions are not repeats, they separate and build on one another
• We ask our students to write goals down and reflect on what they are doing so why are we not doing the same - we need to walk the talk
• Why do we need to get registered every three years? Teaching was the only profession to not have an 'integrity' unit, so the teachers council was created. In 2010 the PTCs were created to ensure that teachers are providing evidence that they are up to date in the teaching profession and growing and developing in their profession.

• Professional Capital (2012) = Michael Fullan - How do you develop it?
• Professional Capital = f (Human Capital, Social Capital, Decisional Making Capital)
• Human Capital - who you are as a person
• Social Capital - can you take on criticism and do you change your practise to act on this
• Decisional Making Capital - do you make the right decisions
• All three need to work together to create your professional capital. If you are missing one of these you do not have your professional capital. These three work together and flow into your professional practice

• Defining Performance Management - 50% Accountability & 50% Development

• How do you prove you are growing and improving?
• How does teacher registration have an impact on student outcome?
• Factors affecting Student Achievement Data - School 10%, Peers 10%, Family 10%, Student Capability & Capacity to learn 50%, the Teacher 30%
• The only thing we can only control is what we do as a teacher so we need to focus on this e.g. unit planning, listening to student voice etc.
• Culture - Performance Management can be eaten by School Culture
• An Everyone Culture: Becoming a Deliberately Developmental Organization by Robert Kegan & Lisa Laskow Lahey

• Professionals have their first job, their 'Core Business' such as Students, Organisation, Community that leads into emotional, behavioural, cognitive, intellectual, academic, social & economic. But then they also have their second job which is hiding and managing risks to identity and maintaining image. This could include ensuring that you don't look; incompetent, ignorant, negative, disruptive.
• How can I create an environment that is more psychologically safe so my students are able to open up? E.g. students feeling safe enough to ask questions and ask for help
• Limitations of Learning Conversations - Learning through conversation
• dialogue vs criticism
• Criticism = learning through judgement 

• Criticism - Critical Thinking; doing things better, motivate & triggering performance, turbo changing performance & workplaces, promoting change, growing personally & professionally, challenging thinking directly
• dialogue = learning about differences, criticism = learning through differences. Both build trust & respect and strengthen professional relationships
• Limitations of Learning Conversations - there is an idea that the giver is in charge of the conversation e.g. HOD critiquing you and telling you what you are doing well and what you need to change. We are trying to shift the conversation to the receiver 
• Get Better at Receiving Feedback - 'Thanks for the feedback'
• quite often we train the managers to give better feedback when really we should be training
• we all want to learn and grow but we also want to feel accepted and respected the way we are now
• three triggers; truth, relationship & identity
• truth (the challenge to see) - we can't see ourselves and vague feedback means we might not understand the 
• relationship (the challenge to )- feedback lives in the context of a relationship. Depending on the type of relationship you have with the giver can interpret how you respond or whether you take on the feedback.  Who, how, when, where.
• identity (the challenge to ) - feedback that hits closer to home such as something we are good at hits harder to home. Depending on how you take on feedback can then impact the way you deliver feedback e.g. you take on feedback well and take direct feedback, then you might deliver feedback too direct or blunt to someone who needs to receive it more delicately

• What is one thing I could differently to _____ (specific point)?
• "Receiving feedback to drive their own learning"
• Learn to receive students feedback - 3 things I'm doing well, 2 things, 1 thing I need to change
• If you are learner centric - do you ask your students what you need to change in your teaching practice, do you share what you are doing with them, 
• student voice through interlead
• Learner voice vs Student voice
• Student Voice - provides 'blunt' data for teacher improvement, development and growth. Quite often personality and relationship based e.g. I like her but can't explain what she does that I like in teacher talk
• Learner Voice - 
• Scaffolding Feedback - to identify potential 'blind spots'
• Appreciative - to see, acknowledge, connect, motivate. Motivates & encourages
• Coaching/Developmental - helps receiver expand knowledge, sharpen skill & improve capability. Raises feelings within relationships
• Evaluation - tells you where you stand by 'rating'; aligns expectations and informs decision making. Speaks the loudest and can drown out the other 2
• Collecting Learner voice - have a colleague go in the classroom when students are submitting survey for feedback and take them through the survey question by question to explain in more detail what each question is asking. This allows students to be more open and honest - less appreciative feedback.

If I was to summarise the key things I took away from this Professional Development what would they be and why?

• The difference between student voice and learner voice and how to collect learner voice effectively. This was a key thing I took away because I struggled in collecting valuable student voice last year. The feedback I received was mainly appreciative and I found that students struggled to give feedback that I could effectively bring into or adapt in my practise. 
• That this idea of hiding can come in different forms e.g. I might not hide my practice but I hide my opinion from other members of staff when I could be giving them feedback - especially in most cases where it could affect their learners

How has this professional development challenged my thinking?

At the start of today's PD session I started to feel more comfortable in my teaching practise. All aspects that were being covered and challenged I felt I was doing. I felt that I myself have a good Professional Capital (Human Capital, Social Capital, Decisional Making Capital) but then this idea of hiding came up. I realized the two main ways I hide is by not giving feedback to members of staff due to the thought of them not liking me and accessing student voice rather than learner voice resulting in more appreciative feedback and therefore making myself feel better.

What aspects of my practice would I consider changing as a result of this professional development and why?

• I am going to change my teaching practice by trying to collect learner voice through Interlead. From that I will inform my inquiry for the year - most likely to be with my IGCSE class. I will ensure that I will be open & honest with the students about the results of their feedback and then discuss with them how we are going to change as a class and move forward
• I am going to attempt to not 'hide' by giving more feedback to staff especially if it can impact learners

21/2: Positive Education Faculty Meeting

Positive Education Faculty Meeting

21st Febrauary 2018

1. New PosEd Course outline – MB/GM
   1. New structure this year where 1 teacher now teaches all 4 courses (Y9 - thinking, philosophy, round square, character & values)
   2. Now include assessment tasks? Students complete reflective task for assessment, year 9 & 10 courses now linked via 5 questions, could work on and could into eportfolio - teachers, mentors would be able to look
   3. Curriculum doc draft - ties pastoral to curriculum
2. Health Update - CM
   1. Importance of Who Am I - Chris wants to push to whole school
      1. Other subjects are doing similar things - repetition not bad & teachers wouldn’t
         1. Contact Steph re what they do around reproduction and drugs in science
   2. Hauora
3. RE Update – OA
   1. Y10 running smoothly but Y9 haven’t started yet - will come into 5 lessons for a term
   2. What is happening in these lessons?
4. Mindfulness update – GM
   1. Need to try and complete all 8 sessions before the end of the term
5. Yoga – GM
   1. Now funded for staff
   2. Looking to organise for students
6. SAP – GM
   1. Sam Roberton & Emelia Leggit trying to start up for the year - will be talking at assembly next week about student lead groups
      1. Student Council - top 6 & HoH e.g. maintenance around school
      2. SAP - big issues, connections to other areas of school, inclusive and listening to others
      3. Student Health Council
      4. Cultural & Sporting Councils
   2. Student voice not just tokenism - needs to be worked with and equitable
7. Ethics Seminar at King’s, 21st May - GM
   1. Have been given hand out
8. AOB

Action Points:

1. Pull up students when being inappropriate
2. See if Chris needs a hand with Health outline
3. Discuss with other faculties (e.g. Science) about what double ups are occuring
4. Continue to work on Mindfulness sessions!

8/12: 2017 Inquiry Overview

2017 Inquiry Overview

8th December 2017

As the year draws to an end it is time for me to share the findings of my 2017 inquiry. This year's inquiry was based around creating independent learners within my Level 2 class. I noticed early on that as a whole the group was quite dependent.  More information explaining the start to my inquiry process can be found here. A further post outlining the progress I had made can be found here.

What progress did I make?
I really struggled to find my way and start my inquiry. I was unsure where to start. Soon after I realised I was struggling to start was because I was unsure what an independent learner looks, sounds and feels like, therefore unsure what I needed to change in my practise. After starting to look into techniques I realised a lot of things I had been already doing in class were forms of strategy, for example the use of rewards and punishment for motivation. However, these weren't proving very successful.

From here I ensured to use student voice more. This was done through collating student voice via Google Forms on my teaching style and the learning activities I was using. This was to let them show preference of how they like to learn, what they like and what they want to change. From here when we were completing activities I was able to link these back to the feedback and why I was doing something in a certain way. This proved to be slightly effective but it also helped students to realise they didn't actually know how they like to learn. I started to reiterate why we were doing certain tasks. Students said they found more purpose in the activities when they understood why we were doing it. However, I soon learnt that this also meant that only if it related to the assessment that they would find it important.

Example of student results from Google Form

 I also introduced the use of Google Classroom. This allowed students to find all resources and notifications in the one place and receive email notifications about them as well. This meant students were able to spend more time completing their work rather than creating copies etc. Upon reflecting on this yes it made it easier for both myself and the students - yet it did not help create independent learners.

Another strategy I trailed was the Release of Learning. I completed this process when preparing students for their 2.7 assessment. This was completed as follows:
Part 1 - break down of assessment with teacher, what certain words mean, what are the questions asking us to do, what sentence starters could we use, example answers. Students can use this information to answer questions and complete PMIs
Part 2 - Students working with a partner to brainstorm answers to questions & PMIs
Part 3 - Students completing the questions and PMIs individually
Part 4 - Students are able to complete the assessment
I found this strategy one of the most effective. By starting with breaking down what questions are asking and what answers look like and slowly building independence students were able to see more clearly what was expected of them. I believe that this strategy and the authentic learning environment of snow camp helped to create the high grades achieved by the students.

The checklist strategy was starting to become effective but too late in the year. Only got the the point where I was creating checklists for them to ensure they had completed with assessments and learning tasks, not co-constructing or them creating their own.

Certain strategies I trialled I felt weren't successful as I brought them in too late in the year, such as  as ask 3 before me and checklists. I was trying to get students into these habits in Term Three. I feel like if I had brought them in earlier on in the year and set them up as a part of the classroom culture and expectations that they would have been more successful.


So what did I learn throughout my inquiry?

As my inquiry tracked along I found that I was already using a lot of strategies in the class that I was unaware of. In short some worked and others didn't. I learnt that by instilling these strategies as expectations and making sure they were very clear and consistent helped to create greater success. This is something I know I personally need to work on.
I believe overall it would have been more effective using these strategies from the start of the year and building them into the culture of the class as a expectations. I believe that it was harder trying to start half way through the year when students already had set ideas of these expectations.

Where to from here?

I really enjoyed this inquiry and felt a sense of achievement seeing it start to pay off in the classroom. Because of that I am going to ensure that I continue this inquiry next year with my IGCSE class. By learning from past mistakes and starting right from the first class I am hoping that the results will be more effective.

30/11: PD - Flipped Learning

PD: Flipped Learning

30th November 2017

This morning I attended another optional PD course as apart of the schools end of year initiative. This session was about flipped learning and was run by Lauren Lethbridge, a Classics & Languages teacher. She started off the session by explaining what flipped learning was and how she does it with her classes. Below are some notes and key points that I took away from today's session:


How to give content?

Lauren explained that her flipped learning journey started partially because she didn't like standing up and talking in front of her class as a teaching style and also because Classics is very content heavy. She created iBooks and Keynotes for her classes and then proceeded to turn these keynotes into videos. When flipping her classroom Lauren focusses on the students learning the content at home before completing the higher thinking of that content in class. This content is accessible in two different forms via the class iTunes U course - written notes or a video. This helps to provide students an opportunity to work with their preferred learning style. Each task is accompanied by questions to help guide students with their note taking.


How do you get students on board?

• Started the year by explaining what they are doing in regards to the flipped classroom and why they are doing it e.g. why it is worth while, receiving student feedback
• Used a Blooms Taxonomy task in regards to skills and levels of thinking and related it to A, M & E
• Students are given all info upfront so they can organise themselves e.g. if they are busy they can complete prep earlier etc. 10-15 min chunks of prep per lesson (80% of lessons). This can be completed can do it on one large chunk or small bits e.g. nightly prep
• What you do in the lesson needs to be thought out carefully and needs to be worth them doing the prep - higher level thinking rather than content, answering questions that arose from the prep and create your own questions. These were discussed this at the start of each lesson
• Up to the teacher if they want to police the work done at home. Whether you want students to answer questions in a Google Form or a worksheet that is handed in through iTunes U, a quiz at the start of the lesson focussing on the prep the night before or check notes. Lauren said that those who didn't complete there prep were excluded from the class activity until they had completed it and caught up

How to create a video?

There are a few different options of how to create a video. There are some apps and sites that allow you to create flipped videos such as - Screencastify or Edpuzzle. Lauren has even made a video to explain how she creates her videos in Keynote here (similar function is also available on PowerPoint.
Another list of apps can be found here & sites here.


How might I do this next year?

I am aware that the IGCSE Physical Education course is a very content heavy course, as are all IG courses. I like this idea that students will be able to be introduced to new content by learning about it home and bring their questions with them to class. This also gives me more of an opportunity to differentiate learning (one of my goals for next year) and also apply it practically in class.

17/11: PD - Quizlet

PD: Quizlet

Friday 17th November

As the year is coming to an end, we start to prepare for 2018. School has brought in the initiative of optional PD courses that are run over numerous periods in weeks 5-7. The courses are mainly e-learning themed and focus on a variety of different apps. These include; Quizlet, iBooks, Turnitin & Notes. Each staff member needs to attend a minimum of two courses, but as per usual I find more than two fascinating and have the time so I have signed up for five. 

This morning I went to my first session on Quizlet. I was interested to find out more about Quizlet as I am a lover of Kahoot and have heard they are similar. In short Quizlet is used to learn terms and definitions and has just brought out a new function of being able to label diagrams. As a teacher you can find, adapt or create 'sets' of flashcards. These are just sets of terms and definitions that can then be played in multiple ways for students to learn. These can include the following:

• Live - work collaboratively with your team to gain points, the trick is that the term that matches the answer might be on a team mates iPad
• Gravity – more game like, need to write the definition or term to try and blast the meteors as they fall towards earth (individual)
• Write – type the answer, term or definition (individual)
• Test – written, multi choice, matching etc
• Flashcards – creates flashcard sets
• Match – mix n match (individual for time)

Steph who was running the session, suggested that live may be the best form to introduce Quizlet to the students. It brings a collaborative and competitive approach to learning simple terms. The main differences between Quizlet and Kahoot is that Quizlet's live form is collaborative and unlike Kahoot if you get a question wrong all of your team's points are lost. This brings less of an influence on time and more towards getting the right answer. Sometimes with Kahoot students focus more on answering the questions quickly, rather than getting the question right. 

All of these functions could be used as a great form of introducing new terms to students, revising and also collating informal feedback on the learning area. As the free version of Quizlet does not allow you to collect data, this could be used for informal feedback or copies of the tests could be printed and collected for evidence.

So what are my thoughts on Quizlet? Overall I like that the more formal feel of Quizlet. It still has the fun competitive side like Kahoot but can be more collaborative and information can be reused in different forms. It can also be accessible for students when revising for exams. This app could prove really useful with the IG PE course next year and I am planning to use this throughout my course next year.