2018 has been a huge year of learning for me and my inquiry focus has been language acquisition in mathematics. I have learnt so much about shifting the balance of talk and providing support for learners to engage in talk.
This is my presentation about my inquiry and my findings. I have also share some insights into my tool and how it has worked for me and my class. I hope that you will find this presentation interesting and perhaps it will have an impact on your practice as my inquiry has in mine this year.
Kia ora and welcome to my professional blog! My name is Clarelle Carruthers. I am a 3/4 teacher at Pt England school in Tamaki, Auckland. Thank you for following my journey.
Tuesday, 27 November 2018
Friday, 2 November 2018
My Inquiry Presentation Manaiakalani & Outreach Principals Wananga 2018
This year I had the privilege of being part of the MIT program and as part of this we shared our inquiry impact story with the Principles and School leader from the Manaiakalani and Outreach Cluster at the 2018 Wananga on the 1st of November. 
What happened for the learners
As a result of my inquiry was that learners became more confident in their use of mathematical language and this meant they were able to model, explain and use this language when solving problems and discussing mathematical ideas.
For one of my target learners this supported great shift in her mathematical ability and with her making two years progress in one year. Another learner in my inquiry group made 1.5 years progress. However this was not the case for all learners and as such I wondered if students interaction in the intervention played a larger role than I had anticipated.
What evidence do I have for this
A clear picture of the language development was painted by the vocabulary survey which was taken in terms 1 and 4 this showed that students understanding and ability to use this small range of vocabulary had greatly improved.
I also used Gloss Data to look at mathematical strategies and explanation. This as we have discussed a lot this year may not be the ideal for of assessment for the DMiC method however it did how that students how activity engaged in the intervention could understand the language and this supported them to solve the problems.
What did I do to make this happen?
This inquiry has been a huge area of growth for me as a teacher. I have step out of my comfort zone and tried many new things. This started with a focus on coding which quickly shifted toi using a range of approaches to support language development and discussion in mathematics.
-Developing a shared language and classroom culture.
-Write Questions rich in language and open for discussion
-Integrating language into coding tasks
-Providing language and discussion prompts
Wonderings about what next
As we move toward to end of 2018 and into 2019 I want to continue this approach and see if with learners becoming more familiar with DMiC in can have a bigger impact. I also wonder if the key principles of this approach the rewindable videos, prompts for discussion can be adjusted and applied to literacy as an aid to goal setting and discussion of goals in reading and writing. I am interested in this because of the work that Danni Stone has been doing this year with her year 7 and 8 students in the connection between reading and writing and the language that we can draw from reading to writing. It also came up at MIT that the prompts and videos could be integrated across the curriculum building more familiarity and cross curriculum integration.
Thursday, 1 November 2018
Video of my Inquiry Presentation Manaiakalani & Outreach Principals Wananga 2018
This year I have enjoyed the privilege being part of the MIT program. Throughout the year I have learnt so much and extended my knowledge. It was a big moment for me presenting to the Principals from Manaiakalani and the Outreach. This is the video of my presentation at the Wananga and I hope it will connect with my journey.
Opening Manaiakalani & Outreach Principals Wananga 2018
Today I am at a very special event. We had the opportunity today to come together with teachers, leaders and passionate in what they do as teachers.
We are so privileged to have partners who support us as clusters through financial support, research support, all the families and people who make this possible.
Today we are celebrating all the people that are Manaiakalani by making connections. Today is about making friends and staying friends when we leave here today to make the connections last, so we can make it work.
Why we do this is for because we want our learners to be out there. Playing the game with style, passion, as themselves.
We have been on this journey now for sometime and we are clear in our ambition. Clear in using the data to inform positive change and innovation.
We want the learning journey that communities want to be in the forefront of education and consider what we do to make this possible when it does not match what they Ministry of Education goals for that community. We are lucky in New Zealand to have a government who are willing to listen and hear and see what is going on in Education and notice the shift being made in Manaiakalani.
Change, accelerated shift is not possible without Manaiakalani teachers throughout New Zealand, who collaborate together, accept challenges and innovating and finding what works.
We are so privileged to have partners who support us as clusters through financial support, research support, all the families and people who make this possible.
Today we are celebrating all the people that are Manaiakalani by making connections. Today is about making friends and staying friends when we leave here today to make the connections last, so we can make it work.
We have been on this journey now for sometime and we are clear in our ambition. Clear in using the data to inform positive change and innovation.
We want the learning journey that communities want to be in the forefront of education and consider what we do to make this possible when it does not match what they Ministry of Education goals for that community. We are lucky in New Zealand to have a government who are willing to listen and hear and see what is going on in Education and notice the shift being made in Manaiakalani.
Change, accelerated shift is not possible without Manaiakalani teachers throughout New Zealand, who collaborate together, accept challenges and innovating and finding what works.
Tuesday, 30 October 2018
DMiC Developing assessment exemplars
We have had a lot of questions about how assessment works within the DMiC pedagogy.
What we discussed today is why are are assessing?
We assess for our teaching to know what we need to do. To identify gaps and see student needs. We also must consider what we are collecting with each assessment and how that will be used in our teaching.
When we assess we find gaps in what we have taught and what has been learnt and this allows us to adapt our teaching a find next steps for ourselves and our learners. We also need to be aware of how these assessment impacts on our awareness of students ability, needs and helps us to report to parents.
What does assessment involve?
We are using evidence to make decision for many different reasons. We also have to communicate the evidence that we find from assessment for parents, boards, government and of course our learners. This communication is for different purposes both summative and formative for kids that is setting goals for themselves a long side their teacher.
Aim:
Our aim for assessment is to create some exemplar that allow use to moderate the understanding across the school. We need to have exemplars that work for us and our school. We want to know the learning trajectory for our kids.
In order to create these exemplars we needed to first have unit plans, learning outcomes based on curriculum elaborations, a learning trajectory and assessing the learning.
Students can set goals for themselves for the unit and they can self assess these goals. This could be based on the use of a few problems in the area and creating a list of goals which students could select from. The amount of goals and how this works would depend the students, their needs and how the teacher scaffolds the goal setting.
The aim is the push the individual accountability.
The exemplar tasks could include open questions that ask for all of students knowledge of a question.
Write and draw everything that you know about one half and one quarter?
Heather says she can prove 3/5 is the same as 6/10
Can you show some different ways she might do this?
What other fractions are the same? Can you prove they are the same in at least three different ways?
Can you put the fractions in order from smallest to biggest:
2/3 3/4 5/10 3/9
Show how you know.
The aim of a DMiC lesson is to touch on many levels so that students can show what they know and see the possibility of them extending beyond their year level or below their year level.
We are creating a trajectory and learning outcomes for patterns and relationships:
What we discussed today is why are are assessing?
We assess for our teaching to know what we need to do. To identify gaps and see student needs. We also must consider what we are collecting with each assessment and how that will be used in our teaching.
When we assess we find gaps in what we have taught and what has been learnt and this allows us to adapt our teaching a find next steps for ourselves and our learners. We also need to be aware of how these assessment impacts on our awareness of students ability, needs and helps us to report to parents.
What does assessment involve?
We are using evidence to make decision for many different reasons. We also have to communicate the evidence that we find from assessment for parents, boards, government and of course our learners. This communication is for different purposes both summative and formative for kids that is setting goals for themselves a long side their teacher.
Aim:
Our aim for assessment is to create some exemplar that allow use to moderate the understanding across the school. We need to have exemplars that work for us and our school. We want to know the learning trajectory for our kids.
In order to create these exemplars we needed to first have unit plans, learning outcomes based on curriculum elaborations, a learning trajectory and assessing the learning.
Students can set goals for themselves for the unit and they can self assess these goals. This could be based on the use of a few problems in the area and creating a list of goals which students could select from. The amount of goals and how this works would depend the students, their needs and how the teacher scaffolds the goal setting.
The aim is the push the individual accountability.
The exemplar tasks could include open questions that ask for all of students knowledge of a question.
Write and draw everything that you know about one half and one quarter?
Heather says she can prove 3/5 is the same as 6/10
Can you show some different ways she might do this?
What other fractions are the same? Can you prove they are the same in at least three different ways?
Can you put the fractions in order from smallest to biggest:
2/3 3/4 5/10 3/9
Show how you know.
The aim of a DMiC lesson is to touch on many levels so that students can show what they know and see the possibility of them extending beyond their year level or below their year level.
We are creating a trajectory and learning outcomes for patterns and relationships:
Tuesday, 23 October 2018
Inquiry update Term 4
This year I have learnt a lot so far but also seen some gaps in my teaching and my implementation. Recently I tested my inquiry group on the gloss test again and conducted the vocabulary survey again.
My findings were interesting.
What I noticed was that three of the six in my target group have made progress in some areas of maths. I found the shift in fractions interesting was this area is high in topic specific vocabulary that students did not know earlier in the year. This links to the data form the vocabulary survey in which I found students understanding of mathematical language tested earlier in the year had improved greatly.
I am wondering if Students A and B's lack of shift has to do with the way in which they engage with others in mathematics as these students skill struggle to talk positively to others and share their ideas in DMiC.
My findings were interesting.
Gloss
What I noticed was that three of the six in my target group have made progress in some areas of maths. I found the shift in fractions interesting was this area is high in topic specific vocabulary that students did not know earlier in the year. This links to the data form the vocabulary survey in which I found students understanding of mathematical language tested earlier in the year had improved greatly.
Vocabulary Survey
I am wondering if Students A and B's lack of shift has to do with the way in which they engage with others in mathematics as these students skill struggle to talk positively to others and share their ideas in DMiC.
Tuesday, 16 October 2018
Getting Feedback
Throughout term 3 I have been working on creating a site and physical prompts that will support students to have in depth conversations in maths.
This site draws on students created videos as models for vocabulary and language scaffolds.
What did you find useful on this site?
The layout was clear and things were easy to find and seem easy to use.
I liked the layout of the QR code links - vocabulary item with a explanatory video featuring 'real' kids using the target word - great to see the vocabulary item in action with real kids.
I loved exploring this site. It left me with a thirst for wanting more. I loved the connections students can make through the use of QR codes to link a rewindable video of peers explaining their maths thinking. I actually found your ideas regarding coding extremely helpful as that is what I want to be exploring next Term. Your videos to explain activity to students is just what I needed as a teacher.... and is exactly what other teachers that are new to coding will need. I thought the information on each page was simple and easy to read.
More videos showing the kids using the QR codes.
Videos of what the QR codes link to. I would have loved to see these videos on this page. A short description of the DIMC theory about the benefits/power of students explaining their thinking (the why behind what you are doing).
Two out of three people who have given feedback so far said they would use the site. The other stated that she felt the content was to young for her year 7 & 8 class.
If yes how do you see it being used?
I would love to use the student prompt videos especially when introducing them to my groups next year.
I would love to try using this with my students next term, using Tamaki student videos. I think this is a great way to consolidate their understanding. I will also use this site to explore coding with my students, something I have wanted to do for sometime. Love these videos.
Any additional ideas or feedback
I would like to adapt the idea and use QR codes within Literacy to help build students vocabulary knowledge/retention/understanding.
Wow you are an inspiration! Love what you are doing at Point England. Your passion shines through in your site. Keep on sharing!
Thank you very much to the kind people who have given feedback so far. I hope to add a section on the site with more specific detail about the DMiC approach to Mathematics. I would also love to start working with other teachers to build up the content on the site and will be contacting some of the teachers who gave feedback to see if this is of interest to them.
This site draws on students created videos as models for vocabulary and language scaffolds.
As I feel this site, the prompts and QR codes are working well for me and my class I wanted to share the resource and see what other teachers thought about its potential use in their classrooms.
Here are the questions I asked and some of the feedback I have received so far.
The layout was clear and things were easy to find and seem easy to use.
I liked the layout of the QR code links - vocabulary item with a explanatory video featuring 'real' kids using the target word - great to see the vocabulary item in action with real kids.
I loved exploring this site. It left me with a thirst for wanting more. I loved the connections students can make through the use of QR codes to link a rewindable video of peers explaining their maths thinking. I actually found your ideas regarding coding extremely helpful as that is what I want to be exploring next Term. Your videos to explain activity to students is just what I needed as a teacher.... and is exactly what other teachers that are new to coding will need. I thought the information on each page was simple and easy to read.
What else would you like to see on this site?
Videos of what the QR codes link to. I would have loved to see these videos on this page. A short description of the DIMC theory about the benefits/power of students explaining their thinking (the why behind what you are doing).
Two out of three people who have given feedback so far said they would use the site. The other stated that she felt the content was to young for her year 7 & 8 class.
If yes how do you see it being used?
I would love to use the student prompt videos especially when introducing them to my groups next year.
I would love to try using this with my students next term, using Tamaki student videos. I think this is a great way to consolidate their understanding. I will also use this site to explore coding with my students, something I have wanted to do for sometime. Love these videos.
Any additional ideas or feedback
I would like to adapt the idea and use QR codes within Literacy to help build students vocabulary knowledge/retention/understanding.
Wow you are an inspiration! Love what you are doing at Point England. Your passion shines through in your site. Keep on sharing!
Thank you very much to the kind people who have given feedback so far. I hope to add a section on the site with more specific detail about the DMiC approach to Mathematics. I would also love to start working with other teachers to build up the content on the site and will be contacting some of the teachers who gave feedback to see if this is of interest to them.
I would love any additional feedback. So please feel free to check out and potentially use this site in your classroom. If you do I would really appreciate your feedback which can be given through this form.
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