"the secret to teaching success: educating teachers" Pasi Sahlberg
Classroom Strategies
Collaborative Planning
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During the collaborative planning process it is important to consider:
Conceptual Planning Difference between theme & concept A concept is an overall idea, a thought process, forming the base of a design, and then you design a them which depicts and expresses your core concept. Thus, a theme reinforces the concept. The theme is a communication bridge between your concept and the user of your design. It helps the user to understand your concept; look for good examples. |
Blogging in the classroom
Writing in classrooms seems to be use for two wildly different, conflicting purposes: a limited, traditional and strict purpose - because exams, like many decent jobs, will be about written skill; and a wider, idealistic one: the ultimate method of exchange of ideas in depth. So, first, we should repeatedly use formal tests to acclimatise students to exam-specific writing requirements - dull, precise, necessarily regular. And beyond that, we'd let writing have free rein, encouraging students to be as ambitious, open-ended and wide-ranging as possible. That would mean loosening up most classroom time outside of the revise/test/peer-mark cycle to be about project work, self-directed learning, talk and flexibility; and we'd make the recording of learning a highly flexible process, for students to write what, and when, they like.
Blogging, a way to give students self-directed learning...
Asking all students to write blogs as learning unfolds and interlinks empowers the teacher to be more supportive because it is student centred and differentates to the students' level, while raising expectations, giving an authentic audience and enabling IT skills. It also lets students see their own progress and differentiates well; it means more productive and accelerating learning-talk over rote-writing.
Blogging, a way to give students self-directed learning...
Asking all students to write blogs as learning unfolds and interlinks empowers the teacher to be more supportive because it is student centred and differentates to the students' level, while raising expectations, giving an authentic audience and enabling IT skills. It also lets students see their own progress and differentiates well; it means more productive and accelerating learning-talk over rote-writing.
Research on Blogging
Creating a Class Blog: A Strategy that Can Promote Collaboration, Motivation, and Improvement in Literacy
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/prin/rimp/2015/00000052/00000001/art00004
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/prin/rimp/2015/00000052/00000001/art00004
PLANNING FOR THE TEACHING OF WRITING
• a balance of direct instruction, guided instruction, and independent learning and student practice
• whole class, small-group, and individual instruction; discussion; collaboration
• a variety of assessment techniques
• the introduction of a variety of text forms, genres, formats, and electronic media
• authentic and motivating literacy experiences and learning activities
• activities and an environment that promote higher-order thinking skills , and feedback for students
RICH Conversations
Talk for writing needs to be extensively embedded in every phase of the teaching sequence:
•familiarisation with the type of writing and its key features – included in ‘reading’ lessons
•responding to, exploring and drawing on models
•generating ideas
• preparing for and planning writing
•making choices involved in the creation and development of texts
•after writing – when reflecting on and learning from a writing experience.
Jointly develop criteria for the successful completion of tasks and discuss different ways we learn to read and write
The precise nature of what is taught in modelled writing will need to take into careful account:
•the purpose and audience of the writing
•the key features of the type of writing
•the learning goal – what are we learning to write?
•implications for the students’ development as learners …. higher order thinking, creative thinking
•the needs of particular children and groups, such as English as an additional dialect
To make shared and guided writing a success…
provide students with basic metalinguistic vocabulary and routines so that they can engage in useful conversations during shared and guided writing
• even at early stages students can talk about difficulties in finding the right words, about a problem with organisation etc.
•students cannot be expected to do this without learning how to do so from a teacher. The teacher needs to present many models and guided examples of how and why it is beneficial to look critically at writing, assess the strong and weak points, look for better alternatives, and recognize the language structures and vocabulary that go with specific choices .
What should the teacher talk out during the shared writing lesson?
•Purpose WHY are we writing this?
•Organisation .. What should come first, after that
•Format – we are developing a web page so …
•Word choices- multiple
•Sentences – fluency and variety
•Features of grammar
•Spelling and punctuation
THE OVERALL COMPOSITION – tying it all together
• a balance of direct instruction, guided instruction, and independent learning and student practice
• whole class, small-group, and individual instruction; discussion; collaboration
• a variety of assessment techniques
• the introduction of a variety of text forms, genres, formats, and electronic media
• authentic and motivating literacy experiences and learning activities
• activities and an environment that promote higher-order thinking skills , and feedback for students
RICH Conversations
Talk for writing needs to be extensively embedded in every phase of the teaching sequence:
•familiarisation with the type of writing and its key features – included in ‘reading’ lessons
•responding to, exploring and drawing on models
•generating ideas
• preparing for and planning writing
•making choices involved in the creation and development of texts
•after writing – when reflecting on and learning from a writing experience.
Jointly develop criteria for the successful completion of tasks and discuss different ways we learn to read and write
The precise nature of what is taught in modelled writing will need to take into careful account:
•the purpose and audience of the writing
•the key features of the type of writing
•the learning goal – what are we learning to write?
•implications for the students’ development as learners …. higher order thinking, creative thinking
•the needs of particular children and groups, such as English as an additional dialect
To make shared and guided writing a success…
provide students with basic metalinguistic vocabulary and routines so that they can engage in useful conversations during shared and guided writing
• even at early stages students can talk about difficulties in finding the right words, about a problem with organisation etc.
•students cannot be expected to do this without learning how to do so from a teacher. The teacher needs to present many models and guided examples of how and why it is beneficial to look critically at writing, assess the strong and weak points, look for better alternatives, and recognize the language structures and vocabulary that go with specific choices .
What should the teacher talk out during the shared writing lesson?
•Purpose WHY are we writing this?
•Organisation .. What should come first, after that
•Format – we are developing a web page so …
•Word choices- multiple
•Sentences – fluency and variety
•Features of grammar
•Spelling and punctuation
THE OVERALL COMPOSITION – tying it all together
English and ICT
With the new syllabus rolling out next year, Lena and a motley group, formerly known as Sydney Region, have created a resource filled document to help us address the ICT needs of the new English syllabus.
Resources:
Click here to access the document: http://sts.sydneyr.det.nsw.edu.au/files/CC/2013/T3/CCTerm3_PrimaryLena.pdf
Scootle
www.scootle.edu.au
TALE
http://www.tale.edu.au
Sydney Bites on multimodal texts and digital texts
http://lrrpublic.cli.det.nsw.edu.au/lrrSecure/Sites/LRRView/14117/
English Units Resource for new curriculum:
http://e4ac.edu.au
Resources:
Click here to access the document: http://sts.sydneyr.det.nsw.edu.au/files/CC/2013/T3/CCTerm3_PrimaryLena.pdf
Scootle
www.scootle.edu.au
TALE
http://www.tale.edu.au
Sydney Bites on multimodal texts and digital texts
http://lrrpublic.cli.det.nsw.edu.au/lrrSecure/Sites/LRRView/14117/
English Units Resource for new curriculum:
http://e4ac.edu.au
Write Again
"Good writers are good thinkers"
How would you improve writing in your class? Through a functional knowledge of the English language, how to teach it, lots of strategies for a variety of learners, providing a real purpose to writing, loads of small chunks of practice and constructive feedback. Don't forget technology!
Synchronous use of technologies would further enhance the writing experience. Try using iPads with blogs, doc cams and Apple TV and you have the perfect recipe for just-in-time feedback, rewarding writing experiences and an authentic audience. Check out the gallery below for a range of apps to use with writing.
How would you improve writing in your class? Through a functional knowledge of the English language, how to teach it, lots of strategies for a variety of learners, providing a real purpose to writing, loads of small chunks of practice and constructive feedback. Don't forget technology!
Synchronous use of technologies would further enhance the writing experience. Try using iPads with blogs, doc cams and Apple TV and you have the perfect recipe for just-in-time feedback, rewarding writing experiences and an authentic audience. Check out the gallery below for a range of apps to use with writing.
Apps for Writing
New age, new syllabus...
The Australian Curriculum has come and with it the NSW BOS has adapted to it (or vice versa).
So, what's new?
There is an emphasis in the following:
So, what's new?
There is an emphasis in the following:
- an appreciation of literature
- cognitive/affective factors more prominent, i.e. critical, creative and reflective thinking
- cross-curriculum opportunities (an Asian, indigenous and sustainbailty element)
- an ICT element (great to see an online curriculum http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/ and builder https://pb.bos.nsw.edu.au/)
- text requirements
- comprehension, reading strategies
Self Organising Learning Environments or SOLEs
Sugatra Mitra's talk at Inspire Innovate covered:
- Roots of modern education in the British Empire thru the necessity of clerks to run the colonies (watch his TED talk to expand on this topic)
- Who wants your child educated? Parents (happy and capable), government (subservient), employers (entrepreneurial/profit minded), peers (cool). Though schools are not designed for peers and employers who will be more relevant for these students in the future.
- Who are schools designed for? Governments, religions and parents... mainly.
- But it is peers and employers who education needs to be most relevant to. (I know you shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition--but honestly, we all do it)
- How can we make education relevant and meaningful to students, their peers and their future employers?
- Self-organised learning environments is one of his solutions--he wants us to integrate SOLEs within the curriculum and our own teaching.
- Want to learn more? Read and grab his resources at www.sugatam.wikispaces.com
What is SOLEs?
SOLEs are self-organised learning environments. By saying self it doesn't mean that the teacher doesn't play a vital role. The teacher designs learning environments where the students can cooperatively and independently learn.
How to create SOLEs?
Suprise, suprise! Start with a question! But a very engaging, zany and almost ad absurdum question, like "Can you stare a goat to death?". This will lead to a heated discussion, lots of research, further questions (perhaps to the paranormal) and finally to science (well, with some guidance). There is much more to this, but I paraphrase--read his wiki to find out (www.sugatam.wikispaces.com).
How to create SOLEs?
Suprise, suprise! Start with a question! But a very engaging, zany and almost ad absurdum question, like "Can you stare a goat to death?". This will lead to a heated discussion, lots of research, further questions (perhaps to the paranormal) and finally to science (well, with some guidance). There is much more to this, but I paraphrase--read his wiki to find out (www.sugatam.wikispaces.com).
Paperless Classroom
On average, a teacher uses two pages of paper per day. How much paper do you use? Your class? Your School?
Alex Gollan gives great reasons, ideas and tips on how to go paperless (or nearly) in your classroom. From quizzes on Edmodo to Facebook profiles for student projects. And he teaches Year 2--awesome! A few amazing things I took away are the use of Weebly to get student feedback via the contact form, the use of Socrative to set surveys and quizzes, and finally Vimeo to post student videos and password protect it.
He shares his ideas on this Padlet http://padlet.com/wall/alexgollan
Alex Gollan gives great reasons, ideas and tips on how to go paperless (or nearly) in your classroom. From quizzes on Edmodo to Facebook profiles for student projects. And he teaches Year 2--awesome! A few amazing things I took away are the use of Weebly to get student feedback via the contact form, the use of Socrative to set surveys and quizzes, and finally Vimeo to post student videos and password protect it.
He shares his ideas on this Padlet http://padlet.com/wall/alexgollan
World Class Learners
Yong Zhao humourously confronts our education paradigms and systems, with a bundle of evidence, claiming that:
He further argues that schools would need to stop teaching students from being mere employees to build them into having an entrepreneurial mindset. To this end, schools need to:
Teachers need to:
- schools homogenise students, like a sausage maker...if you can picture that
- schools are not preparing students for the creative and service economy that has replaced our manufacture and agriculture economy
He further argues that schools would need to stop teaching students from being mere employees to build them into having an entrepreneurial mindset. To this end, schools need to:
- support entrepreneurship skills and qualities of resilience, risk-taking, passion, confidence, curious, opportunistic, unique and globally competent
- teach with passion, "risk" and tech (as it removes physical barriers to learning and collaboration)
- be hyperspecialised in fewer things, but more collaborative
- create environments for diversity, flexibility, creativity and collaboration
Teachers need to:
- give student chioce, voice, personalisation, support and mentoring (no small task!)
Yong's Entrepreneural Ideas |
Mitra's SOLEs Toolkit |
Schools that work?
Milton Chen, Jedi and Senior Fellow, gives ideas and resources to have a look into schools that work.
Where can you see this? Go to the website
http://www.edutopia.org/ and don't forget to click the top right hand tab "Schools that Work".
Also, Edutopia is a great repository of educational ideas, past, current and future.
Pedagogically, Milton recommends project-based learning (PBL). You probably already know of project-based learning; but if not, find out more at www.bie.org.
Where can you see this? Go to the website
http://www.edutopia.org/ and don't forget to click the top right hand tab "Schools that Work".
Also, Edutopia is a great repository of educational ideas, past, current and future.
Pedagogically, Milton recommends project-based learning (PBL). You probably already know of project-based learning; but if not, find out more at www.bie.org.