I had been to ASHS a few times before, but never when there were students there (strange I know). It was a completely different experience visiting when the students were there, and when there was all the staff. I found so many of the things/initiatives that are happening at ASHS so inspiring. Everything they do at their school is to improve teaching and learning, and the learner is always at the centre. I really like their Impact Projects, and how they are promoting learning for learning's sake through the projects (although some have the possibility of credit earning as well; it is just not the main focus). I think their 100min periods are a good idea, as is the dedicated time to tutor groups and how these are organised. I can see this working really well to foster relationships - which are the heart of what we do (or at least should be). I REALLY like how everyone is 'mentored' - the tutor teachers know their 15 students extremely swell and guide them, team leaders guide the teachers working in their learning space and HODs (or Subject Specialist Leaders) guide those within their departments, and HODs and team leaders are guided by the DPs, who regularly meet with who they are guiding, and the principal guides the DPs. There is support the whole way through. Their teacher inquiry, which is compulsory, is high-stakes. High expectations are set, and they must be met. Monday afternoons are used to alternatively work one week within their teams and one within their departments on their inquiry. There are several times throughout the year when they present to the staff, on a Tuesday morning I believe, on their progress. At the end of the cycle, they must put together a professional presentation and deliver this to their learning space team. Then 8 'finalists' are presented to the staff, and a big deal is made out of them. This is recognising teacher achievement, and encourages people to take their inquiries seriously - I mean it is all about helping make our teaching and learning better after all!!
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Now the #edchatNZ conference! If I had to sum it up in one word: AMAZEBALLS. I got so much out of the two days of this conference. It inspired me! It gave me direction and new ideas, allowed me to network with other like-minded teachers (as well as other English teachers), and it made me realise that I am not alone. I am believe myself to be a future focused teacher, and I would do anything to help improve my teaching to help the students improve their learning and engagement (and to help make their time at school more positive). I completely believe that what we do should be centred around our learners. I am always trying to learn new ways of doing what I do, and am willing to give things a go. And I was surrounded for two whole days with people who thought like me!
I thoroughly enjoyed all of the workshops I went to, and was able to take things away from each of them - I mean, come on. I ended up with 14 pages of notes that I had typed on my Google Doc over the two days. But there were a couple of stand-outs for me - the ones that have inspired my 5 page 2015 'brain-spew' plan of what direction I want to head in.
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1) Linda Rubens (@lindarubens) workshop on flipping the classroom (and a contact I have now made with another teacher teaching the Create a Visual and Verbal text at Level 2 and 3!). This is something that I have been interested in, and kind of knew what to do, but she introduced a nice and easy way to flip the classroom using the IPad App - 'Explain Everything'. I had downloaded it before the session had even ended. I can completely see how this could work with my classes, and I cannot wait to give it a go. Students will be able to come back to the recordings/YouTube clips time and time again, when they need me 'there' to help guide them through. I liked how Linda also talked about how students were also able to have the clip playing, through earphones, during the lessons where they were completing the corresponding task/activity/assessment. It also means that they are learning the 'nuts and bolts' via your video, and you can spend the time in class talking through, and having discussions around, the context.
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2) Andrea Hensen's (@AndreaHensen_nz) session on using SOLO in the secondary classroom - I learnt a LOT about SOLO during this session. In fact, in evaluating where I was at (in terms of my understanding of SOLO and how it could be used) at the beginning of the session, which Andrea got us to do using the SOLO hand signals, I guessed I was at about the Uni-structural level. I can see clearly how this could be used in the classroom, and I really liked the usable rubrics. The suggestion that for some tasks you could co-construct the rubric with the students was great - it helps students with their understanding of what they need to do, and helps them take ownership of their learning. And we all know co-construction is the way to go. Of course this would not be feasible for all tasks and activities, but definitely for some. I also learnt later on on Day 2 that there is a rubric generator on Pam Hook's website - HookED. This was something practical, again, that I could take away and see myself using and implementing in my classes.
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Now, the next two are my majors! These are the ones that aligned completely with what I think, and gave me the focus and direction to plan where I want to go next.
3) The PBL session, run by Sarah Wakeford (@hpssprojects). While I wouldn't be able to run Big Projects the way they do at HPSS, what I was able to take away from this workshop I could see being easily adapted into my future direction. I LOVE the idea of Big Questions governing students work. I completely agree that PBL helps to make student learning MUCH more authentic and relevant to the students. While, in moving forward in the near future, I may not necessarily move straight out into the 'authentic partner in the community' bit, I am already formulating ideas, and have talked them over with my 2IC. I want to allow my students, especially the seniors, the opportunity to inquire and investigate a big question that they have; one that is of interest to them. Juniors will be more guided. I want their learning, and assessments in English, to flow naturally out of what they are inquiring into. Blogging is a great way for them to track what they are doing. And this approach to PBL ties in great with my other TOP, MAJOR workshop. (Note: I am planning on doing further research and investigation myself into PBL.) When Sarah mentioned the example, for Social Studies, of instead of having a unit that studies 'Nazi Germany' rather turning it into an inquiry of 'What can we do to make sure Nazi Germany never happens again?' I was off! I had ideas ticking over in my head faster than I could think!
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4) Megan Peterson (@mrsmeganpete) and 'Harnessing the Beast' - this was my top take-away workshop. Everything that Megan went through just clicked and felt right with my way of thinking. It was almost like she was re-affirming what I have been thinking for a while, and then some! I have been doing bits and pieces of what she went over, but I can now see how I can move forward - and move my department forward with me. WE are the ones who are creating the Beast of NCEA. I think a lot of people use NCEA as their excuse not to try. Dangling learning as the carrot and not credits (as many of us, or our schools) do is where we need to go. Figuring out ways, within the boundaries that are set by your department/school, to allow student choice around assessment and how to assess when ready and not when the calendar says so is so critical.
This tied into my thoughts around PBL, and made up a large part of my conversation on the airplane home with my 2IC. How can we move our department forward in the best interests of our students? And I think we figured out a way. Watch this space on where we move to next year - think student guided choice around Achievement Standards, authentic assessments naturally flowing out of inquiries, and assessing when ready.
I really love the challenge that Megan set, of not putting marks on anything until the end of Term Three/beginning of Term Four. This is something that I have kinda tried to do, with the focus being more on the feedback and feedfoward, but I have still (reluctantly) put marks on (formative work towards externals, not the portfolio work for internals).
I was actually reflecting on this yesterday afternoon, as I was marking four class sets of practice essays for my seniors. Today was the last day before I see them, before their practice exams which start tomorrow. Now I hated, and I mean in my gut, putting grades on these essays. I could picture the students' faces, and their reactions, when they hadn't done as well as they had hoped (and particularly those who did not achieve). All I could think was that it was going to crush some of them, and right before exams no less. Now, I was almost tempted to put no grades on, but with no notice to the students I thought that would be unfair. HOWEVER, post-exams with the practice essays that they will be writing, I am going to endeavour to take this approach - no grades, let's just concentrate on the feedback and feedforward.
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Now, I have also had some conversations with my DP who came to conference with me. She went to a session on MLEs, and how you don't need to bust down your walls to create an MLE. And then we started talking about how my classroom offers prime opportunity to create a MLE. We talked through use of the 'kitchen' space at the back (note, my classroom used to be the old student common room), about clearing out the room at the back of the class (which is filled with desks and chairs and bolted/hinged on the wrong side so that you can't open the door) and using it as a break-out space, about getting rid of some of the desks to create more room, using the high tables I have to create different levels for learning within the classroom, the possibility of getting a couch in, creating partitioned individual learning spaces, and painting to give it a more vibrant feel (than the grey blah that it currently is). Most of these things will not actually cost anything, and I am willing to come in over the next break to 'working-bee' my room - even if I'm all alone! :-) I can see such huge potential, as can she. It is going to be fantastic. We will be able to use it as a model, so others can see how an ordinary classroom can be transformed into an MLE. She came into my class at the start of lunch, and we confirmed some of the ideas we had - I can't wait!
In fact, I might try to post pictures of this idea as it progresses. I will take some before pictures tomorrow, and perhaps post them once I have more of an official word to move forward :-).
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So, onwards and upwards as they say. This is all about me becoming a better teacher for my students. Thank you #edchatNZ for allowing me this fabulous learning and developing opportunity. This was so invaluable.
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