GO SOLO -My Collaborative Inquiry Year 11 (As 91034 1.9)Transformation Geometry

My colleagues and I have been working collaboratively sharing resources and ideas. This adds motivation, excitement and enthusiasm as we share creative ideas. 

We met with Karen Ferguson from the technology department and she is happy to help us with the later part of the internal assessment which is the laser cutting.

GO SOLO for As91034 ( 1.9)

Achievement	Achievement with Merit	Achievement with Excellence
·       Apply transformation geometry in solving problems.	·       Apply transformation geometry, using relational thinking, in solving problems.	·       Apply transformation geometry, using extended abstract thinking, in solving problems.

Students are also enjoying this topic and after introducing SOLO taxonomy they have a clearer understanding of the differences in Achievement, Merit and Excellence.

Achievement Multi structural-skills
Rotation in design
Reflection in design
Enlargement in design
Translation in design
Achievement with Merit Relational - Describe,Relate, sketch,two steps, and modelling
Rotation identified in description
Reflection identified in description
Enlargement identified in description
Translation identified in description
Achievement with Excellence Extended Abstract-  establish a model
Rotation descriptions of the specified shapes refer to centre, angle and direction
Reflections of the specified shape refer to the location of the mirror line
Enlargements of specified shapes refer to centre and scale factor
Translations of specified shapes refer to distance and direction
Re-writes instructions to take into size of stamp or billboard. This could include: -          New dimensions of the pattern -          New area of the pattern -          Implications of new area -          New instructions for translation -          Invariant points unaffected by dimension change -          Other insightful, relevant implications

I caught up with Ms Seini Tuitupou who successfully taught this topic two years ago and she shared resources in teaching transformation using google drawing.

We have almost finished the topic and practice tests are set for next week.

Here are some examples of student work:

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My Inquiry Year 13-Chunk Chew Check Strategy

What is Chunk Chew Check strategy?

CHUNK = INPUT Students acquire new information 

in varied ways.

CHEW = PROCESS Students make sense of new
information in varied ways.

CHECK = OUTPUT Students show what they have

learned in varied ways.

Practice test for Differentiation

1)I began Practice test today by  chunking  first five questions  of the practice test.

(2) After presenting a “chunk,” giving students a task to do with a partner or group to actively process the new information. The techniques in this guide will give learners many ways to engage  in this kind of cognitive processing.

 (3) Following the processing, I gave  another chunk of new information. This chunk was a second five  critical information with a partner. Students have specific kinds of processing in which they will engage once each information-input segment has occurred.

(4)  I  repeated the above cycle until all the chunks of critical information for the practice introduced and processed.

(5) I instructed students to review the critical information chunks from the day and think about whether anything they learned in a previous lesson connects with their new learning. Then ask them to engage in some kind of summarizing activity to connect the various 

(6) My learners really enjoyed it and I am quite keen to see the real test outcomes tomorrow.

Yr13 - WFRC(3) #catalyst issues

WFRC#(3) Explain why you judge this to be the most important and catalytic issue of learning for this group of learners this year (In chemistry, a catalytic substance one  which increases the speed of a chemical reaction).


My main focus is literacy within the subject. Reading is the key to understand questions and pick up key information to find answers. By practicing literacy strategies repetitively, I can push more students to university as well as share strategies with my colleagues.

My collaboration approach adds motivation and values. When we work together with teachers to identify common challenges we can analyse data, test and challenge our instructional approach.

However my catalyst issues are:

How can I promote self-efficacy, independent learning and imitate university environments in the class room at all times?

Do my students really enjoy this subject and enjoy this pathway?

Are they doing enough homework in order retain the knowledge?

Do they know how to manage time effectively and are consistent with their learning or are they leaving everything to the last minute?

Are there enough resources and practice mathematical language activities to cope up with the NCEA requirements?

How can I best accelerate learning so my students can make more than a year progress?

Yr13-WFRC#(2) How and why?

WFRC#(2) Describe how and why you have selected this challenge of student learning. Locate your inquiry in the context of patterns of student learning in Manaiakalani overall. 

Last year my inquiry was about raising achievement of year 12 students as well as targeted Maori students. We did this by taking a focus  on literacy strategies. Differentiated teaching also helped the students improve their Statistics results. I also focused on improving Statistical investigation reports by utilising PEEL structure and Solo taxonomy.

I trialed a variety of literacy strategies to answer the questions with the insight and clarity to develop extended abstract thinking. Blog is here. Students worked hard by attending extra tutorials and using online resources , however there was still room for improvement.

I will continue work on contextual based questions in every topic and I am going to get help from Marc Milford and Dr Jannie Van Hees to bridge the gap and expand extended abstract thinking to enhance achievement. This is with the aim that students can gain at least 14 credits to get university entrance and endorsement.

While I was working with students last year I identified a few outstanding students to whom I offered scholarship tutorials to this year. I began preparing these students last year with two extra Level three standards and one extra level two internal.

By the end of year I hope the whole class will confidently use mathematical language, written skills, listening skills, confidence (in facing questions), interpersonal skills, comprehension and listening skills in order to experience tertiary education or work with confidence and become lifelong learners.

My Challenge is:

Currently there are 3 students who are working at the expected level, 4-5 students who are at an average level and 5 students working below the level. 2 of these students have never taken calculus before. There are clear gaps here in terms of mathematics and literacy skills.
My challenge is to accelerate learning to get an entry level for university.

I am interested in learning more about myself to cater effectively for every learner in the classroom to move to the expected level.

Yr 13-WRFC#(1) Summarise the challenge

WRFC#(1) Summarise the challenge of student learning you plan to focus on in this inquiry. Be as clear and specific as you can about the evidence you have about this to date

This year my focus will be:

By end of the year, I will develop a classroom community that is focused on helping students develop their mathematical identities and proficiencies. I will do this by building on their prior knowledge and experiences, using worthwhile mathematical tasks that will allow opportunities for students to make their thinking visible. My hope is that they will share their ideas using appropriate mathematical language confidently.

My yearly focus is for students to gain at least 14 credits to get university entrance by the end of the year. The Maori (targeted students) and the rest of the class can experience success in their learning by getting Mathematics Merit and Excellence endorsements.

NCEA endorsement is at least 14 Merit or 14 Excellent credits in the same year and the same level with atleast one Merit or Excellence external standard.

The above data shows that students found it challenging to pass at least one external and to achieve endorsements at this level. I am developing strategies to help the students to overcome the challenge they face.

My Inquiry Year13-GO SOLO AS91587(3.6) Differentiation

My learners found SOLO  taxonomy very useful to understand the NCEA breakdown A/M/E.
We are almost halfway of the topic and planning to sit the mid topic test next week.



Here is the breakdown

Achievement Criteria	Explanatory Notes
Achievement Differentiate functions  and use derivatives to  solve problems. Multi structural-skills	·         Types of functions will be selected from: -      power -      exponential (base e only) -      logarithmic (base e only) -      trigonometric (including reciprocal functions). ·         Differentiation of functions may include the use of the chain  rule and product and quotient rules for expanded polynomials: -          chain rule with polynomials in expanded form such as i           (x2 + 5x)7 iii        7e2x iv        ln(2x + 7) v         sin5x -          product and quotient rules for combinations of straightforward  functions, at least one of which is in expanded polynomial form, such as i           x2. sinx ii         (2x3- 4).ex iii         2x   . Iv (x + 3) products, such as (3x2 –7)3(4x + 8) or                    v quotients, such as
	·         Problems may include: -        optimisation of a given function -        rates of change which may involve kinematics -        finding equations of normals and tangents -        locating maxima and minima of polynomial functions.
MERIT Demonstrate knowledge of advanced concepts and techniques of differentiation and solve differentiation problems. Relational - Explain,Relate, sketch,two steps, and modelling	·         Knowledge, concepts and techniques of differentiation will be selected  from the following types: -        sketching the graph of a derived function from a given graph -        differentiation of combinations of functions including: i         implicit differentiation such as x2+ 3y2 = 15 ii        parametric differentiation for first derivative only -        identifying features of given graphs involving a selection from: i         limits ii        differentiability iii       discontinuity iv       gradients v        concavity vi       turning points vii      points of inflection -        sketching graphs to demonstrate knowledge of the above features.

	·         Problems may involve: -        interpretation of features of graph -        modelling of a situation -        optimisation -        related rates of change, involving two directly related rates.
EXCELLENCE  Solve more complex differentiation problem(s). Extended Abstract- proof, establish a model	·         Problems may involve: -        establishing a model -        a proof -        testing the nature of turning points and verifying points of inflection -        related rates of change involving more than three related rates,  eg dh/dt = dh/dθ.dθ/dv.dv/dt -        the use of higher derivatives including parametric and implicit  differentiation techniques.