TBCS - Decodable Texts - Judy-Anne

Inquiry:

So I had been seeing posts on Facebook pages about decodable texts and how amazing they are but didn't know what they were or why they were so great, and I also wasn't sure how to get new resources with an empty money pot!

I did a little research on them today and discovered they are phonics based. There are heaps of free ones available, some online and some that you can print but looking at them I realise we have some of them sitting in the back room as well. What a bonus!

I am wondering whether increasing use of phonics and decodable texts will help my youngest boys with their reading at a more accelerated pace.

Action Plan:

. Set up the phonics song on the sample student on seesaw so they can access it for themselves more readily
. use decodable texts with Samuel, Beauden, William and Elijah
.continue to work on blends with the whole class



Chalking on Blogger

Decodable books

• Undertaking PLD and further professional reading.
• Engaging with school-wide inquiry approaches as expected.

• Use of inquiry to inform planning and teaching.
• Checking to see if planning and delivery of programme is tailored to the strengths, needs and interests of ākonga.
• Using appropriate pedagogies to accelerate progress of ākonga who are achieving below national expectations.

TBCS - PLD - Play Based Learning - Judy-Anne

Play based learning at Kaimai School

New Entrant Teachers in the area had a meeting to discuss Play Based Learning this afternoon.
This was one of the people worth watching.

I will add my notes from the session  and a link to Nathan Mikaeer Wallis- what 3-7 year olds need to know too.

Sensory Classrooms - Training by Richard Hirstwood - 12 May 2018

Sensory classrooms

Richard Hirstwood

Lots of information available here and also on his you tube channel.

Richard deals with children with more severe sensory issues than we generally strike but has lots of valuable ideas and resources, which are worth checking out.

eg Make a sensory box / tool kit filled with things children can use to self calm.
Go noodle- Mr Catman- fist and flat, makes the brain work !
Go noodle- roller coaster- when kinaesthetic learners see something that moves it helps them stay still
Sound to light bars- you can see speech. These are a novelty, not a toy. Get a plastic bin, a survival blanket and a light up strobe bar to make a sound to light box
You can even get sound to light drink coasters
Develop a smell kit- if you don't have a good sense of smell you don't have a good sense of taste so it needs developing
Maitai school has a sensory art fence, bits move, make noise, colours are labelled...
Vestibular sense- balance, need to swing, hang, spin to develop this
Proprioception- understanding where your body parts are- great video of a dog biting itself because he doesn't realise it is part of himself he is biting
Sensory overload autism- great video
Chris Barson- website about autism
Sensory autism in the classroom
cstr (coaster) physics
use back projecting eg through umbrella, sheet...
reverse sequin fabric- great for a tactile wall, making marks, patterns, letters
Fire exit sign material- trade name lumiglow. You need the one that holds the light for the shortest amount of time. Put a hand on it, shine a uv light on it for a few seconds and you can see the hand shape. Could use for shapes or letters, also put your uv light on it and make patterns or write on it
Make an outdoor sensory environment with 5 m of lycra sewn together, children lean back on it, like a huge rubber band

Herve Tullet books, especially the dot one
Meteor light balls- strong, float in water

Robyn Stuart website

Barbara Prashnig- the power of learning book

Many Coloured Days by Dr Seuss- emotions

Use sensory stories- ie when you tell a story you include all the senses

Vision for doing- a free online book
you can't fix a vision or hearing impairment but you can train the brain

Norman Doige- The Brain that Changes Itself- a book about neuroplasticity

Mirror neurons- there are neurons that make you feel like somebody else- so we wince when we see somebody fall down- empathy?????


Why do kids need to move?

Find out what our kids are good at, how can we include that in their everyday learning?

Where to from here?

How can Luca and Brianna be given the opportunities they need to move?

What else can go in  a sensory box- have kaleidoscopes, blanket, bouncy ball which glows

have been burning aromatherapy oils. Try different smells

Make some calming bottles

check those websites and readings

make mosaics we can touch

get some of the reverse sequin fabric

make walls sensory

re organise classroom- clearly define movement and quiet areas

Inquiry into Practice - Going Deeper

How might we go deeper in order to investigate how our students can be better learners?

Process

1. Spend some time on the focussing stage - use whatever tools you wish - to go deeper into understanding the needs/problems/challenges of your students in writing. Make sure you identify if you have any limiting beliefs or preconceptions, the language you use either out loud, or in your head are key aspects to notice.
2. Decide on what is most important to work on and how. Brainstorm some strategies for how you might go about this.
3. Trial and test, play and explore. Reflect and record

Refer to p.34-35 of NZC as you do this. Record these as individual reflections at each stage, for each person.

References:
Blog post 1 - Craig/Rob
Blog post 2 - Judy-Anne
Blog post 3 - Steve

Reflection - Rob

What's on top for me...
I thought you all did really well yesterday - it was a day of lots of new skills, quite 'heady thinking' around learner agency and looking at school systems. The biggest areas of progress from my perspective related to:

1. Learner Agency - you are doing some great work on deepening this.
2. Digital Skills - Google Forms, Sheets, Team Drives, Document formatting, Blogger (labelling, 
3. Introduction to the SAMR model - to help you decide the quality/depth of the learning outcomes students are producing.

I have a couple of questions in my head today:

1. How might you use the rubric for Learner Agency with your classes so they can delve into what it is, how to grow it, etc.?
2. How do you know the outcomes your students are producing are quality? 
3. How might you unpack what inquiry into practice is so that it is useful, relevant, manageable for your school?

Reflection Day One PLD - Steve - 17 April 2018

Hi points - interaction and sharing of ideas, processes , presentations and seeing how we all have different ways of achieving the same goal.
Functions I can use. Potential for using the blog, also tidied up labels to be clearer. Learner agency update as to not just students but our impact.
Positive way of including photos.
The Blog has way more impact by the simple adding of a picture. Keep this in mind for recording.
Teaching Standards: what works.
Teacher reflection

Reflection on the term - Rob

I've had a great term. I've really enjoyed working with you all and am excited to see your progress and where we can go to next.

I've also had some exciting learning that I've been doing during the term, with the highlight being going to Sydney to train to become a Gallup certified Strengths Coach. This is a coaching framework which takes the philosophy of 'what if we only focussed on what people are naturally good at, rather than what they aren't good at?'.

This is something I'm super excited about and I am applying this to the work I do with school leaders, leadership teams as well as collaborative teams. I've done the youth version with Isabella, my 11-year-old and it has also given me a new 'language' to use with her as her Dad.

My team has grown in my business, with Tabitha Leonard who is based out of Auckland and has specialist skills at inquiry into practice and design thinking/SOLO taxonomy, as well as two new people to help in the background of the business.

In terms of the progress for Tasman Bay Christian School, it's great to see how attempting new things is challenging each of you and the mixture of skills, confidence, and pedagogy coming together as you learn to more naturally integrate technology into the learning process.