Term 2 - How's it going?

This week I've started to realise my kids are enjoying maths a whole lot more. 

I'm a shocker for getting stuck into a group, today I was with a group for 45 minutes because we were just flying and I totally forgot about how much time I spent with these kids, forgot about my other 3 groups (face palm).  I have a simple solution - timer.  I'm going to try and use a timer and do 20 minutes per rotation.  Lets see how that goes.

Rotations are working really well

Keeping it simple is the best, my biggest learning so far is getting kids to actually MOVE AROUND the classroom with the kids.  Each desk group is a different rotation, so the kids get a chance to move around and do all the different activities.

We had our first meeting and I was challenged "now that your children are engaged, what's next?", let's accelerate these children, the most acceleration they are getting is when they are with me, my learners need to be retaining what they are learning, this is why i'm using a modelling book.  All the learning that we are doing goes into the group modelling book, then the learners take these modelling books with them to help them solve the follow up activities.

My next step is to research and have more conversations about how to best teach fractions, and use the correct vocabulary during this!  If you have any tips, please help us out!

2021 Inquiry

 I'm Back!

After 2 years in the incredible Cook Islands i'm very grateful to be teaching back at Pt England School.

This year I'm inquiring into maths, I have literacy extension and feel like these learners will be able to accelerate, however, my maths class are behind where they need to be, because of this I'm choosing to inquire into my maths teaching to see how I can accelerate their achievement.

I do think that my learners are engaged in their learning, however, feel like they are lacking in several different areas that are holding them back from achieving. 

My Question 

How can I accelerate maths achievement for my learners by engagement, online tools with using what I've been taught from DMIC also?

I'm going to keep it short and simple. 

I have 4 rotations.

- Teacher

- Follow Up Activity

- Khan Academy

- Prodigy

The digital tools I'll be using to start with are Khan academy and Prodigy, my learners are loving Prodigy and I'll keep this positive attitude towards it up.

This works perfectly with my 4 groups.  I'm going to use modelling books for each group this year and get my learners referring back to these as much as possible.  I'll do this for a term, see how I go.

Keep posted!

1 year in! Rarotonga teaching and living...

Kia Orana!

Woooow, what an incredible experience so far.  I've now been teaching and living in Rarotonga for just over a year, it is very different, I fell so incredibly blessed!

I have loved becoming apart of the school community and the local community.  The Cook Island curriculum is very similar to the New Zealand Curriculum.  Every week we get 2 Te Reo Maori lessons and a cultural lesson every week where the kids get to dance, weave, sing, play the drums etc. 

Although resources and internet are very slim to none over here we have 8 iPads in our Junior School that I've been able to use to incorporate movie making in the classroom as you can see below.  My kids have been amazing at picking up different techniques and loving learning the process of making movies.  I've also been able to share my site with colleagues in the Cook Islands.

We've been doing statistical investigations around sizes and species of crabs, then we usually have a crab race, because why not?!  We have made boats and taken them down to the water to check buoyancy.  We've learned how to husk a coconut and all of the amazing different things you can use the coconuts for.  We go on a trip somewhere different every 2 weeks, the kids jump in the back of the ute and we are away!  Visiting Ancient Taro Patches, local Marae, snorkelling, swimming and lots more exciting adventures.

I'm really looking forward to 2020, next year I'll be teaching a Year 5 & 6 class, we will be doing more movie making in our classroom and will try and create a news net work in our school as well.  Will let you know how it goes! 

My biggest highlight so far, the people, they have been so accomodating and very generous, never knew how many aunties, uncles, nieces and nephews I had!  Everyone is family on the island, I love it!

Kia Manuia, Zac

Nearly the end!

My goodness what a year! Stay posted, last blog post of the year coming soon... exciting things ahead!

MIT - My Journey

Wow, what an amazing experience being a Manaiakalani Innovative Teacher has been!

It all started with an application to a nerve racking interview to being offered a position, it all happened very quickly.

We were off to Kuaotuno to the Burt's batch.  It was really awesome to spend a few days together as the little family that we have become, when you are living with people you get to know everyone pretty quickly.  We shared our inquiries and the same question was popping up... WHY? WHY? WHY?  We were questioned for everything, and I thought to myself, I'm not to sure, it made me really think about my inquiry and why I wanted to do it.

I went back to the drawing board and thought to myself - Why do I want to make movies?  I went back to the data and the the student voice that I had created.  My learners weren't enjoying writing and they weren't cognitively engaged in the learning.

I then started looking at Storyboards and movie making, this instantly helped with the structure in my learners' writing, my learners became a lot more cognitively engaged in the learning that was happening.  My learners' started asking lots of questions and were really intrigued about making movies.  I realised that they were hooked and it was working.

I then was given one of the biggest opportunities in my life and was put on a plane and flew to Sydney to present at the EdTech Summit 2018.  I was incredibly nervous and had to present to other educators for an hour, was very stressful!  Although what an incredible experience learning from so many educators from around the world, can't say you get the opportunity to do that everyday!

We were able to present at the annual Manaiakalani Annual Principals' Hui.  Personally I find public speaking quite a frightening thing, having all these opportunities to speak this year has really helped me feel a bit more confident about public speaking.

The biggest thing about being a MIT teacher for me this year is not only have I created a really cool tool for educators to use around New Zealand but I have a new whanau that helps, challenges, looks after and supports each other.  We have critiqued each others work intensely and have constantly supported everyone through the ups and downs.  Massive thank you to Aunty Anne (Anne Sinclair) and Aunty Dorothy (Dorothy Burt) for making this opportunity so amazing for us we are truly blessed.

Data and results are on the way!


 

Annual Manaiakalani Hui

I was very lucky to be given the opportunity to speak at the annual Manaiakalani hui this year.  I spoke about my inquiry and what I had done this year.  If you have time have a watch, I'm quite nervous during the presentation, not much of a public speaker! Haha

Learning Steps

Today we went through and showed the direct steps that we takes as teachers to engage and inspire our learners.  This was a lesson that I taught last term showing learn, create, share.  My learners were able to get outside and change a tyre on my car.  This is a link to my planning and reflections.