Sunday, November 17, 2024

Burst and Bubbles 2024

 My inquiry is to explore effective ways to help my Year 13 Statistics students prepare for tertiary studies by setting up a quasi-university style approach in class. This approach mirrors tertiary study methods by integrating flipped classroom model , rewindable learning, and tutorial-style sessions. As an Assistant Head of learning, my personal goal is to improve Mathematics achievement in Years 12 and 13, contributing significantly to this and  Department, and Manaiakalani goal.

Through my years in education, I have seen how crucial it is to ensure a smooth transition from secondary to tertiary studies. Readiness for tertiary education greatly influences how students adapt to the academic culture and expectations of higher education. This awareness drives my commitment to support my students’ transition as seamlessly and empowering as possible.

I developed this approach using multiple data sources, including student feedback, past results, and topic tests, to comprehensively understand my students’ learning needs. 

This is a mixed-ability group of 14 students, consisting of five Samoans, four Tongans, two Cook Island Māori, two Māori, and one Asian student. Last year’s NCEA results revealed that seven of these students had come from the Statistics pathway, while the rest had varied backgrounds in Mathematics.

This Year 13 course includes five internal assessments, two externals, and a Scholarship program. To provide targeted support, I divided the class into three groups focused on internals, an external preparation group, and a scholarship-focused group, the first such initiative at Tamaki College. 

The changes I implemented in my teaching include:

  • For Internals: Using the PEEL (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link) structure, Miro online boards, and rewindable video lessons.

  • For Externals: Introducing the Chunk-Chew-Check strategy, collaborating with the Pacifica Academy, providing annotated handwritten exemplars, study sessions, and working in partnership with Epsom Girls Grammar and Mount Albert Grammar.

I am grateful for the guidance of Dr. Janni for Designing my inquiry, Dr. Marion Steel Director of Mathsmatics Epsom girls’ grammer, Michael Walden( Mount Albert Grammer), Katalina Mau Pathway Manager Auckland University , and Matt Goodwin in making these adjustments.

Challenges-Teaching Statistics at the Year 13 level to students without prior Statistics experience poses challenges, as does managing deadlines and maintaining scholarship-level content.

  • Qualitative Shifts: They became self-directed learners, prioritizing well-being and adopting a growth mindset.

  • Quantitative Shifts: All students have achieved 14 credits, meeting the partial qualification requirement for tertiary readiness. We are now awaiting external results.

I strongly believe in the power of collaboration. Working with other teachers allows us to identify shared challenges, analyze data together, and refine our instructional approaches. You are welcome to view my blog for further insights.




Saturday, November 9, 2024

Extra for experts

 One of my students successfully completed her Statistics scholarship examinations yesterday. She really enjoyed the exam and this is the first time for Tamaki College.

 Scholarship Statistics is a three-hour exam covering all NZ Statistics curriculum areas. The exam has four questions consisting of multiple sub-parts and problems often link the learning from multiple achievement standards. The main focus is on data analysis so the report-based internal achievement standards are assessed more than the probability externals. Students do not need to be in the Scholarship Statistics course to consider taking this exam, but a strong work ethic is needed to learn new concepts. Students who enjoy engaging in discussion and those who can write concisely and insightfully generally do very well in this examination.

The topic content is as follows: Four internals and three externals have been taught. We worked hard to reach this point, and this would help her do a Statistics paper in university. Dr Marion Steel Director of Mathematics Epsom Girls' Grammar School and Michael Walden from Mount Albert Grammar helped me to make it successful.












Monitoring


Sunday, November 3, 2024

Monitoring CTD

 My learners finished their school year last week and will come to extra classes during study break until examinations. 

Here is the update:








Here is the final internal update:





Fourteen learners in this class have met tertiary partial qualifications: two for Law, one for Sociology, two for health science, one for flight attendant, one for Economist, two for tertiary, one for business school, two for study abroad, and one for vocational pathway.










Monday, October 28, 2024

Term4 planning

 My learners have been working hard towards the external examination and Catching up towards the internals. As the examination is on the 14th of November, I have decided to continue monitoring using   Chunk, Check, Chew strategy. I chunked different years' past papers and checked their strengths and weaknesses. 

Here is the progress so far: I started with 16 learners and now 14 learners ( 2 left). Eight students are focusing on externals and the rest focusing on internal only. According to my testing, four learners worked at the Merit/Excellence level, and four students worked at the achievement/ Merit level. They found the Venn diagram and conditional probability questions challenging, so I am committed to continuing my efforts to achieve my dream result. My challenging part is out of the eight learners two of them hadn't taken Statistics before.




Saturday, October 12, 2024

My Inquiry Question (7)


 








(1) Key changes are: Flipped classroom model, My learners were introduced to Pacifica Academy, Statistics Scholarship exam in collaboration with Epsom Girls' Grammar School, Katalina Mau- Pathways manager from Auckland University, talked about transitioning to Tertiary, Dr. Janni's guidance to design my Iiquiry, Video lessons for all the internals,   Miro online board and study/ holiday classes.

(2/3) This course has 4/5 internal tests and external examinations. My learners have completed internals and are working hard towards Derived grade examinations(week 2/term4) and external examinations(14/11/24) and the Statistics scholarship will be on 5/11/24.

here is the reflection is here for the internals and I will complete the derived examination reflection after the examinations and external reflections next year. Term1 Reflection, Term2 Reflection & Term3 Reflection.

(4) Reflection about my Inquiry:

The flipped classroom model is a teaching approach where traditional learning structures are reversed. Instead of receiving direct instruction in class and doing homework afterward, students engage with learning (video) at home and then use classroom time for discussions.

(1) Pre-class preparation: Learners watch videos for internals and read workbooks for externals.

(2) Class time- Applying knowledge, group discussions, and the teacher acts as a facilitator/ addressing specific challenges.

(3) Continual feedback- 

  • Real-time feedback during classroom activities helps students correct misconceptions and deepen their understanding.
  • Peer-to-peer interactions often play a significant role, with students collaborating and supporting each other's learning
The flipped classroom model, especially when coupled with tertiary providers, allows for more personalized, engaged, and practical learning experiences. It harnesses the potential of technology while fostering collaboration, making it an ideal fit for modern education.

Saturday, October 5, 2024

Term3 Reflection

 My learners have completed the internals except for one learner, and now they are working towards the external examination.

Here is the breakdown: five gained 18 credits, 10 gained 15 credits, and two gained 10. This means they have met partial tertiary entry qualification before external examinations. Holiday classes continue and working towards external examinations.


Here is feedback from learners:






































































Last term monitoring:


Sunday, September 22, 2024

Pasifica Academy

 My learners completed their Mentoring program at Pacifica Academy last week. They found it extremely useful to collaborate with other school learners and Mentors. This program helps them excel in external examinations and smoothly transition into Auckland University.

Here are some study notes given to them to revise Probability concepts.






Sunday, September 15, 2024

Monitoring continues

 My learners have been working hard towards externals and here is their internal update. All the learners reached their 10 credits and completed the last internal which is under marking to get 14 credits. Furthermore, they are working towards external examination to achieve their dream careers.











Monitoring update:




Sunday, September 1, 2024

CHUNK CHEW CHECK strategy

 My learners have completed all the external learning and have started past papers. I found it useful to use annotated exemplars written by me rather than online examples. Also, the chunk, check, chew strategy is beneficial.

For example, chunk questions by question, make them chew, and check the score.

Chunk:



























Saturday, August 24, 2024

My Inquiry Question (6)

 













My learners are getting closer to the examinations, and the time has come to aim for the prize. 
This is all about the transition from teacher authority to student authority. My tweaks are study 
classes, a smart study plan, Annotated exemplars, Pacifica Academy, A well-being check, making 
Here is my intervention.











Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Subject pathway evening

 Today is Subject Pathway Evening at Tamaki College and it is fully packed with students and parents. My learners had the privilege of conversing with tertiary providers to make their conversations with providers to finalize their next year's pathway.










Sunday, August 18, 2024

Pacifica Academy

 What is Pacifica Academy? is a tutoring program run in several high schools. Students are provided an opportunity to receive after-school tutoring.

Auckland University runs this program to advance external results for Pacifica/Maori learners. With the influence of Katalina Mau's visit to our school, my learners enrolled in this program. Learners started this program last week and my learners found it very useful to explore/ collaborate with the other learners, it will be a smooth transition into university with confidence. My learner found it useful with their annotated exemplars and a few of them going to attend alternative week as they have another program at school too.

Here is an example of an Annotated exemplar:










I continue to monitor my learners as the time is getting closer to examination. Here is the monitoring sheet. So far getting better and better to aim for the prize.



Sunday, August 11, 2024

Intervention design towards external examination

Annotated exemplars: 









There are two distinct types of learners in my class: those with an external focus and those who concentrate solely on internal aspects. The externally focused learners tend to be motivated by outside factors, such as grades, feedback, or peer recognition. These learners work in pairs at different stages of their learning process, which allows them to collaborate and share ideas as they progress.

However, I found it challenging to meet the diverse needs of all students, especially given their varying levels of ability and the different stages at which they are working. To address this, I took the initiative to create detailed exemplars in the workbook and past papers. These exemplars served multiple purposes: they helped me better understand each learner's specific requirements and provided a clear, annotated guide for students to follow.



By designing these exemplars, I was able to encourage peer teaching based on their ability levels—whether they were achieving at an  Achievement/Merit/Excellence level. This method allowed students to teach and learn from one another in a structured way, tailored to their individual capabilities.

The result has been very positive. The annotated exemplars have become a valuable resource, making the learning process more accessible and understandable for all students. This approach not only helps them grasp the material more effectively but also fosters a collaborative learning environment where students are actively engaged in helping each other succeed.


Monitoring week3






Sunday, August 4, 2024

Term3 Topic- Plan

 

Learners have almost completed internals and stepping into external as the derived grade exam is on week 2/Term 4 and the External examination is on the 8th of November.

I have divided them into three groups, the first group focuses on two Externals, the second group focuses on one external, and the third group focuses on completing externals.


Topic1: As91585(3.13) Probability concepts(External- 4credits):

  • Promoting the Flipping Classroom model: 
  1. Every day prepare before class in the workspace by working on Walker's workbook.
  2. SOLO taxonomy.
  3. Every lesson conversation with learners about smooth transitioning.
  4. Past paper practice.
  5. Meeting deadlines/Deadlines.
  6. encourage study groups.
  7. Attending Pacifica Academy for extra practice.
  8. Encouraging peer groups.

  • Rewindable learning- 
  1. Video lessons on the workspace, weekly Study classes for poorly missed lessons, and catch-ups.
  2. Written annotated exemplars, and written answers on the workbook.
  • Face to Face tutorial lesson-
  1. Clear learners' doubts.
  2. Intensive teaching on merit and excellence is provided according to their needs.
  3. Differentiated teaching.
  4. Using Graphics calculator.
  5. Annotated exemplars and Walker book to refer to.
  6. Meeting deadlines/Feedback.
  7. Literacy strategy-  chunk, check, chew strategy.
  8. Monitoring using Excel spread sheet.


Topic2: As91586(3.14) Probabilty distributions.(External-4 credits):



  • Promoting the Flipping Classroom model: 
  1. Every day prepare before class in the workspace by working on Walker's workbook.
  2. SOLO taxonomy.
  3. Every lesson conversation with learners about smooth transitioning.
  4. Past paper practice.
  5. Meeting deadlines/Deadlines.
  6. encourage study groups.
  7. Attending Pacifica Academy for extra practice.
  8. Encouraging peer groups.

  • Rewindable learning- 
  1. Video lessons on the workspace, weekly Study classes for poorly missed lessons, and catch-ups.
  2. Written annotated exemplars, and written answers on the workbook.
  • Face to Face tutorial lesson-
  1. Clear learners' doubts.
  2. Intensive teaching on merit and excellence is provided according to their needs.
  3. Differentiated teaching.
  4. Using Graphics calculator.
  5. Annotated exemplars and Walker book to refer to.
  6. Meeting deadlines/Feedback.
  7. Literacy strategy-  chunk, check, chew strategy.
  8. Monitoring using Excel spreadsheet.
Monitoring sheet:




Friday, July 19, 2024

My Inquiry Question (5)-Part2

 





My Qualitative Data: Link

  • I noticed a positive shift in the classroom dynamic when employing student-centered approaches. However, balancing different teaching styles to cater to diverse learning preferences remains a challenge.

Next steps: Intervention for Internal is link is here








Next steps: My learners will be starting externals next term my next steps are:

  • Expand Interactive Methods-Continue to incorporate and refine interactive teaching strategies such as group work, flipped classrooms, and video lessons.
  • Professional Development: Pursue additional training in technology integration and differentiated instruction to better manage diverse learning needs.
  • Enhance Feedback Mechanism: Develop clearer expectations and structured feedback systems to help students track their progress and understand areas for improvement.
  • Student Voice: Regularly gather and analyze student feedback to adapt teaching methods to their preferences and needs, ensuring a student-centered approach.
  • Resource Allocation: Ensure adequate resources and support for the implementation of new teaching strategies, including time for preparation and technical support.

My Inquiry Question (5)-Part1

 



Hypotheses:

  1. Encouraging students to have a genuine purpose increases their motivation.

  2. Extending tasks at home with pre-recorded lessons or reading articles promotes student independence.

  3. Providing video lessons for all work makes learning rewindable.

Inquiry Steps:

1. Self-Observation and Reflection-

  • Maintain a daily teaching log noting the strategies used, student engagement levels, and any notable successes or challenges.

  • Reflect weekly on the effectiveness of strategies aimed at increasing student motivation, independence, and the benefits of rewindable learning.

2. Peer Observations

  • Schedule regular peer observations focusing on specific aspects such as student motivation, independence, and the use of video lessons.

  • Use standardized forms to collect structured feedback from peers.

3. Student voice

  • Design surveys to gather student opinions on how the teaching strategies affect their motivation, independence, and ability to revisit learning materials.

  • Conduct focus groups or interviews periodically to delve deeper into student experiences and gather qualitative data.

4. Class Site/Workspace Analysis.

  • Perform a thorough review of the class site to ensure it is well-organized, accessible, and contains all necessary resources (pre-recorded lessons, reading materials, video lessons).

  • Use analytics tools to track student engagement with the materials provided on the class site.

5. Formative Assessment Data

  • Regularly assess student progress through internals, practice tests, and assignments designed to measure understanding and engagement.

  • Track class participation and completion rates of home tasks and video lessons.

Implementation Timeline:

Initial Phase :

  • Conducted baseline surveys and initial peer observations.

  • Set up reflective journals and teaching logs.

  • Review and enhance the class site with necessary resources.

Term1 Reflection: 

  • Continue self- and peer-observations.

  • Collect and analyze end of term1  student feedback.

  • Review formative assessment data to identify trends and areas for adjustment.

Term2 Reflection:

  • Conduct final peer observations and student surveys.

  • Analyze term 2 data to measure shifts in teaching practices.

  • Reflect on overall progress and identify areas for future development.

Evaluation and Documentation:

  • Formative Information: Use ongoing reflections and peer feedback to adjust teaching practices throughout the year.

Baseline Information: Compare initial and end-of-year data from surveys, observations, and assessments to evaluate shifts in teaching effectiveness.

My intervention


Here is the intervention for my internals and will be stepping into externals next term. I strongly believe:

  • "If I encourage my students to have a genuine purpose, they will be motivated." 

  • "If I focus on extending tasks at home by setting pre-recorded lessons/reading articles, they will become more independent."

  • "If provide  video lessons of all their work, their learning is rewindable”

I could reach reach my dream goal.

Holiday class

 My learners came in the first week of the holiday and worked on externals and worked by themselves with minimal help from me. I am so impressed by the way worked on externals. 








Term2 -Reflection

My learners have completed most of the internals, and a few of them are working on the last one.

Here is the breakdown: Five of them gained 15 credits, nine of them gained 11 credits, and two of them gained 7 credits.












Here is the Google form student voice:











Burst and Bubbles 2024