Rethinking Assessment

I read a super article about the Rethinking assessment by Melissa Musgrove.
(1) what is the purpose of the assessment?
(2) How do you maintain or build trust with your students in the classroom- are you creating opportunities for this trust to be nurtured whilst online?
I found it very useful during this time.
Here ie the link

The Elephant in the classroom

I read a book about The Elephant in the classroom by Jo Boaler helping learners to learn and love; Mathematics. I found this useful during this critical time to cater to everyone to meet their needs.




In conclusion:
Mathmatics is a painful experience for many children in the English speaking world.
Without mathematical know-how, young adults are disadvantaged in the workforce.
The book is about helping children have a positive relationship with maths.
Our challenge needs to be to take the fear and boredom out of our subject and replace it with excitement and interest.

Leading for Differentiation

Leading for Differentiation

I read a book about Leading for Differentiation  by Carol Anne Tomlinson & Michael Murphey which is 
an ideal book as this class is a mixed ability class.
Four traits of classroom teaching

Student-centered, because to help each learner grow, it is imperative to know where that learner is in a 
progression from novice to competent to expert.

Knowledge-centered, so that teachers and students  invest in important learning goals that help learners

 make connections among ideas, see relationships among the various aspects of what they learn, 

and become able to apply and transfer what they learn to contexts beyond the immediate lesson

 and beyond the classroom.

Assessment- centered, because of the effective use of formative assessment helps teacher and students

 better understand the student's learning journey and know how to construct the next steps in 

that journey.

Community-centred, because it is important for students to have support as they grapple 

with challenge and because working in a  community (rather than in isolation) inevitably

 models varied pathways to learning.

I found this book very useful to differentiate effectively.

KWL Strategy

KWL Strategy

Currently our year 12 classes are working on Trigonometry.  This was particularly useful, as this topic has a lot of formulae to work with, Algebraic steps and contextual based questions.. I modified all the exercise by adding KWL in order to classify the correct formulae, learners found it useful.

Here is the sample lesson:

TOPIC: Trigonometry

What I Know              What I want to Learn          What I have Learned

                   

K-W-L is a group activity developed by Donna Ogle (1986) that helps students think actively while reading.

K - Stands for helping students recall what they KNOW about the subject.

W - Stands for helping students determine what they WANT to learn.

L - Stands for helping students identify what they LEARN as they read.

   

 Know- Right angled triangle SOH, CAH , TOA

            Non right angled triangle- Cosine rule- SSS, SAS

            Non right angled triangle- AAS

Want- Diagonal length

Learn- SAS therefore Cosine rule

Answer- Answer the questions and write in words.

Here is a sample lesson shared with my learners via google calendar.

KWL structure

Student work

Next step: Online teaching continues with Trigonometry

Term4 / Week 2 & 3 monitoring

Raise Māori student achievement through the development of cultural visibility and responsive practices across the pathway as measured against National Standards and agreed targets for reading Years 1-10 and NCEA years 11-13. As a CoL leader within the school. I  am more interested in inquiring about student learning and my own practice.

Monitoring CTD Term4/Week2 and 3

During week 2/3, two students were working hard towards scholarship and eight students were focusing on Complex Numbers and Integration. The idea was that complex numbers/Integration would accelerate mathematical gaps in Algebra and literacy comprehension that would be important in the exams. I encouraged students to learn key points and do a practice test which gave them a grade of Achieved/Merit/Excellence. We took a short, sharp focus; using exemplars to revise and consolidate learning.

Furthermore, three students worked towards an extra internal as two students are not sitting external exams and another one is only sitting one. One student has been absent for the whole term and the other learner is working from home.

I kept emphasizing the importance of going back and consolidating algebra knowledge, by looking at the contextual questions. I did a final quick test, to see how the students were going. Learners had their prize giving on Monday last week (4) and have started their study break on Tuesday.

Next step: Learners will be coming to school during the study break to get in touch with topics as the Calculus examination will be on the 26th of November.

working on internals

Weekend study class

After school study class

After school study class

After school study class

weekend study class

Term 4 Monitoring/ week 1 -- Differentiation

Raise Māori student achievement through the development of cultural visibility and responsive practices across the pathway as measured against National Standards and agreed targets for reading Years 1-10 and NCEA years 11-13. As a CoL leader within the school. I  am more interested in inquiring about student learning and my own practice.

Monitoring CTD Term4/Week1

There are fifteen learners in my class. During week1 three learners were working towards scholarship, eleven learners were working towards NCEA, one students working from home (NCEA) due medical reasons and three learners are not sitting for externals due to their career pathway.
They were practice exam papers from NZQA web site and marking themselves and I guide them if needed. University entrance counts towards cut score. Achievement- 2points, Merit-3points and Excellence-4points. At this stage every grade matters so my learners and I working very closer to gain a good grade. My learners committed to attend extra school, weekend and past holidays.

Term 4 week 2/3 Monitoring Differentiation CTD

Raise Māori student achievement through the development of cultural visibility and responsive practices across the pathway as measured against National Standards and agreed targets for reading Years 1-10 and NCEA years 11-13. As a CoL leader within the school. I  am more interested in inquiring about student learning and my own practice.

Monitoring CTD Term4

This is Term4 and my year13s will be having their study break within three weeks’ time.
As we had a tight deadline the learners came in the holidays for two weeks and worked so hard towards NCEA and scholarship exam past papers.
This is the plan for 3weeks also agreed to come in the study break.

NCEA Calculus exam will be on the 8th of November and Scholarship will be on the 26th of November.

My learners will sit for three externals which are Differentiation, Integration and Complex Numbers. They are using NZQA website past papers, Student exemplars, and you tube videos.
Every week towards the exam there will separate topics for revision as indicated in the plan.
And they must finish three papers within three hours, so they are working on time management too.
Next step: I will post the first-week testing results.

Subject Selection and Future Pathways Evening

Raise Māori student achievement through the development of cultural visibility and responsive practices across the pathway as measured against National Standards and agreed targets for reading Years 1-10 and NCEA years 11-13. As a CoL leader within the school. I  am more interested in inquiring about student learning and my own practice.


Tamaki College will be offering Subject Selection Pathways evening on 28th of  August from 4pm to 6pm at the rec center where students and parents have the opportunity to connect with their tertiary providers, teachers, tutor, and dean. This enables them to make the best decisions based on how their course affects their future. I managed to make the above documents to promote Mathematics to our Department.

Link

Ex students visit to My Inquiry class

Raise Māori student achievement through the development of cultural visibility and responsive practices across the pathway as measured against National Standards and agreed targets for reading Years 1-10 and NCEA years 11-13. As a CoL leader within the school. I  am more interested in inquiring about student learning and my own practice.


Today two of my old students, both Ex-students Paul Pamaka ( Electrical engineer, Downer) and Emma brown (PhD candidate, Auckland university) visited my class to promote self-efficacy, self-directed learning and immitate university environment.

 The visit was very productive as students learned more about the career and the many types of engineering that are offered. Students were particularly interested in biomedical and civil engineering. They agreed to come back next term to empower and strengthen further.

Paul Pamaka and Emma Brown

GO SOLO Yr13

AS91579 (3.7) Apply Integration methods in solving problems




One of the advantages of using SOLO taxonomy is that it provides the perfect platform for learners as they transition into NCEA. Much of the thinking behind the NCEA Achievement Standards is modelled on the same scaffolding SOLO taxonomy offers. My learners found  SOLO taxonomy useful to differentiate A/M/E.

Woman in Engineering

Raise Māori student achievement through the development of cultural visibility and responsive practices across the pathway as measured against National Standards and agreed targets for reading Years 1-10 and NCEA years 11-13. As a CoL leader within the school. I  am more interested in inquiring about student learning and my own practice.

Enginuity programme.
One of my colleagues and I took a group of year13 Calculus girls to University of Auckland to Enginuity programme.

What is Enginuity programme?

Once a year high schools girls get a chance to visit University of Auckland’s Faculty of Engineering to explore the possibilities of a career as an engineer.
During the day learners got put into groups according to their interest in future study and did various workshop activities and demos. Learners found it useful to experiment with creativity and the problem-solving processes engineers use in real life. These conducted by Professional engineers, lecturers, and current students.

Here is the programme:

Preliminary session:

Highlights :

Faculty of Biomedical Engineering

Why should students(year13) need to see university environment when they are at school?

This is because Learners must understand the difference between high school and university life to make a smooth transition and this one of my key factors of the causal chain.
Our girls found it really useful to collaborate with current students and came up with double folded motivation.

GO SOLO Yr13 -Systems of Equations As91587(3.15)

Systems of Equations As91587(3.15)


Using SOLO taxonomy involves learners in their own differentiation and makes the
process behind learning explicit. It highlights the difference between surface and deep
understanding, helping students understand where they are on that spectrum, and what
they need to do to progress.
My learners found SOLO taxonomy very useful to understand the NCEA breakdown A/M/E

Achievement

Form the 3 simultaneous equations

Find a solution to the simultaneous equation

Interpret the valid solution in context

Merit

Defined the variables

Justified the valid discrete solution

Formed new equations

Shown algebraically solved 0=0 and interpreted the  solutions

Found the relationship between variables and filling equations and interpreted

Excellence

Shown algebraically solved 0=0 and interpreted the  solutions

Found the relationship between variables and filling equations and interpreted

Find the equation representing line of solutions

Find a combination of values  for the variables that satisfies the model

Next step: Working on accuracy, Algebraic skill (3x3 Equations)

Intervention Designs- Systems of equations

Raise Māori student achievement through the development of cultural visibility and responsive practices across the pathway as measured against National Standards and agreed targets for reading Years 1-10 and NCEA years 11-13. As a CoL leader within the school. I  am more interested in inquiring about student learning and my own practice.


Systems of Equations As91587(3.15)

Achievement		Achievement with Merit	Achievement with Excellence
·       Apply Systems of equations methods in solving problems.		·       Apply Systems of Equations methods, using relational thinking, in solving problems.	·       Apply Systems of Equations methods, using extended abstract thinking, in solving problems.

This is last internal(3 credits) for the year to the 13MAA class. This is an exciting topic as it entails an online assessment with the use of Geogebra to draw graphs.
I got student input on how to teach this topic and after discussion with my students, I made the following planning decisions:

Intervention Designs
• I am going to apply SOLO taxonomy, Geogebra and differentiated teaching in pedagogy.
•   I’ve decided to get help from Dr Janni on forming and using a model which will; relate findings to a context, communicate thinking and use appropriate mathematical statements.
• I am going to focus on Problems which are situations that provide opportunities to apply knowledge or understanding of mathematical concepts and methods.  Situations will be set in real-life with mathematical contexts.
• I am going to focus on building accuracy and Algebraic skills as this has been identified as a student weakness.
• I have made a site already using Video lessons, Khan academy videos, Online quizzes, Power points and repetitive practice on online past papers to enhance learning and promote self-directed learning to imitate university life.
• I have decided to continue my study classes on Wednesdays and Fridays including scholarship topics as well.
• At the end of the topic test, I am going to get feedback from the students to get their strengths and weaknesses in order to organise a resit if needed.

Every week I will do one to one interview and progress test to see the improvement.

Meeting with Dr. Janni van Hees

1.  Raise Māori student achievement through the development of cultural visibility and responsive practices across the pathway as measured against National Standards and agreed targets for reading Years 1-10 and NCEA years 11-13. As a CoL leader within school. I  am more interested in inquiring about student learning and my own practice

Meeting with Dr. Janni van Hees
I am currently working on Multivariate date practice test for my year11 class. I met with Dr Janni, to get guide lines to discuss at least three features of the Graph/data.

How to discuss at least three features of the data/Graph.

Practice test

Firstly unpack the word discuss-What does this mean in terms of assessment. Learners need to 
know the Mathematical language they are required to use and what that language means.

Unpack the word comparatively so learners understand what is required.

Make a comparison statement from the graph using the language that has previously been
 taught (bullet point1).

Clarify the comparative statement to explain the data.

Provide support evidence by using numerical values.

NEXT STEP: Learners will be sitting their internal next week.

My Inquiry learners' group activity on Linear programming

#1.  Raise Māori student achievement through the development of cultural visibility and responsive practices across the pathway as measured against National Standards and agreed targets for reading Years 1-10 and NCEA years 11-13. As a CoL leader within school. I  am more interested in inquiring about student learning and my own practice

I have just finished linear programming and currently it is under marking and moderation. 

I have started my Exam revision with my learners as exams will commence next week.

One group will be doing Differentiation paper as a third round of practice tests and the other 

group will be doing Complex Numbers and Differentiation. Complex Numbers is a self-directed 

learning topic where the learn most of it themselves and I help them after school if needed.

This week my learners are working on past papers using the found Chunk. Chew Check strategy.

Chunk: Past papers.

Chew: Working in two or groups using whiteboards or past papers.

Check: Videos or Teachers.

  
Next step: My learners will going to continue revising until Examinations(week 8).