Plan for AS91262 (2.7 ) Apply Calculus methods in solving problems (External 5 credits)

Plan for AS91262 (2.7 ) Apply Calculus methods in solving problems (External 5 credits)

My learners have finished Algebra AS91261 (2.6 ) and the last internal As91269 Systems of equations(2.14, internal 2 credits). 

This topic is L2 Calculus and the pathway to the Year13 Calculus course.
I got student input on how to teach this topic and after a discussion with my students. I made the following planning decisions:
• Applying SOLO taxonomy, to work on Achievement/Merit/Excellence.
• Spending more time on Keywords, Differentiation, Integration, Kinematics, Optimisation, and wordy questions.
• “Do now” questions every day to work on Calculus skills.
•  Dr janni Van Hees will assist in tackling complicated contextual questions.
• Tracking sheet will be used to track their progress.
• Continuing my study classes on Wednesdays and Fridays (after school hours.)
•  I will give students a Chunk, Chew, Check to retain the knowledge until examinations(November).
• At the end of the topic, learners will be sitting a practice test as this is an external topic.
• Using the online whiteboard, videos, lots of repetitive practice form past papers, and education perfect to make my online lessons more effective.
•Go hard with their homework.

Also, I am going to give lots of practice during extra study classes  to prapare them for mock examinations next term which decide their derived grade. My upcoming holiday class focus will be on  past papers.

       Next step: GOSOLO for AS91262 (2.7 ).

Plan and conduct detailed inquiry into specific aspects of your current teaching that are relevant to the hypotheses you identified in the literature. Inquiring into your teaching should give you:

TAI2020WRFC Inquiry question#6: 

Question6/1:
Plan and conduct a detailed inquiry into specific aspects of your current teaching that are relevant to the hypotheses you identified in the literature. Inquiring into your teaching should give you:
Formative information about your current strengths and areas for development
Baseline information that you can use at the end of the year to provide evidence of shifts in teaching
Use multiple tools such as self- or peer-observations, analysis of your class site, student's voice.

Peer observation:

My learners have completed three internal assessments, and here is the link to the student voice/perspectives.
I invited our literacy specialist, Mrs. Mele Suipi Latu, to do a peer observation.
Her feedback was:
“No behaviour issue, students’ engagement was fantastic, all students were on task. However, a great amount of attention was given to ESOL students.”
I found this feedback very useful for my future planning and will incorporate it with my planning.

Question6/2:
Present findings from this inquiry about your teaching. Ensure qualitative data includes rich descriptions of your teaching and quantitative data is clearly presented.

Qualitative data: I had many conversations with students while I was teaching and holding study classes. I also gained feedback on their attitude towards learning mathematics through google forms. I found there has been a large shift in terms of attitude and students have now started to take ownership of their own achievement. It was reassuring as I also had a good turn out during the winter holiday break study classes (first week of the holidays.) I also did catch up sessions in Algebraic skills and contextual based questions.

Quantitative data:
Here is the overall summary

Most of the students have gained 9 credits with Merit or Excellence. Due to COVID19,  12 credits with at least one external is enough to get an endorsement. My learners are in a very secured position with internals to gain an endorsement.

Question6/3:

 Write a reflection in which you summarise your main learning about your teaching and the next steps. This will prepare you to design an intervention next time.

Now my challenge is motivating students with externals (there are two externals) until the examination period and ensuring they retain knowledge. Having said that, there is also one more internal to finish this term too.

My Inquiry

End of Term 2 Update. Link

Evaluation- As 91257 (2.2) Graphs and As 91259(2.4)Trigonometry.

Evaluation- As 91257 (2.2) Graphs(4credits) and As 91259(2.4)Trigonometry(3 credits).

This is the second internal assessment. In this internally assessed 91257 Graphs standard,  Achieved 20%  compared to last year’s 26%, Merit  55%  compared to last year’s 48%, Excellence 25%  compared to last year’s 22%. Overall there is a shift in the progress and I am very impressed as this got taught during the lock-down. And lock-down has been a beneficial time for my learners.
Tweak: One of the learners found this standard challenging and she is working on Statistical experiments(2.10) to make up the credits.

This is the third internal assessment. In this internally assessed 91259 Trigonometry standard,  Achieved 32%  compared to last year’s 52.6%, Merit  32%  compared to last year’s 16%, Excellence 32%  both years. Overall there is a shift in their progress.

Students Voice:

Next step: Algebra teaching continues.

GO SOLO AS91261 (2.6 ) Algebra

GO SOLO AS91261 (2.6 ) Algebra
I found Solo very  useful to plan and teach, here is the breakdown


Achieve
Apply algebraic methods in solving problems:
• selecting and using methods
• demonstrating knowledge of algebraic concepts and terms
• communicating using appropriate representations.
Manipulate algebraic expressions
Expand brackets up to 3 factors
Factorising expressions including quadratics
Use fractional and negative indices
Change the subject of the formula
Use elementary properties of logarithms
Simplify rational expressions.
Solve equations involving.
Multi-step linear equations or inequations,      eg 3(2x − 5) = 5x + 7
Quadratics that can be factorised      eg 2x2 − 11x = 21
Polynomials in factorised form   eg 3x2(x − 7)(2x + 6) = 0
Simple logarithmic and exponential     eg Log2x = 2,  2x = 64
Forming and solving linear/linear simultaneous equations.
Merit
Relational thinking involves one or more of:
• selecting and carrying out a logical sequence of steps
• connecting different concepts or representations
• demonstrating an understanding of concepts
• forming and using a model;
and also relating findings to a context, or communicating thinking using
appropriate mathematical statements
Solve problems involving equations.
Assessment will be based on a selection from:
- quadratics requiring the use of the quadratic formula
- linear/non-linear simultaneous equations
- exponential eg 134x-5 = 6.
non-linear equations may be given as appropriate to the complexity of the problem.
Students will be expected to solve problems in context.
Excellence
Extended abstract thinking involves one or more of:
• devising a strategy to investigate a situation
• identifying relevant concepts in the context
• developing a chain of logical reasoning, or proof
• forming a generalisation;
and also using correct mathematical statements, or communicating
 mathematical insight.
Choose algebraic techniques and strategies to solve problems.
Where appropriate, interpretation of a solution will be expected and
 may involve the nature of the roots of a quadratic.
Next topic: Reflection on Trigonometry

Plan for AS91261 (2.6 ) Apply Algebraic methods in solving problems (External 4credits)

 Plan for AS91261 (2.6 ) Apply Algebraic methods in solving problems (External 4 credits)

This is their fourth topic and will be taught during the last four weeks of term2  according to the year planner. I am going to start Algebra(2.6, External) tomorrow. And with the knowledge, my learners will gain an extra two internal credits As91269 Systems of equations(2.6, internal 2 credits) too.

This topic is a combination of Algebraic skills and contextually based questions Algebra.
I got student input on how to teach this topic and after a discussion with my students. I made the following planning decisions:
• Applying SOLO taxonomy, to work on Achievement/Merit/Excellence.
• Spending more time on Algebraic skills, Forming equations, hard factorising, Simplifying, and rearranging.
• “Do now” questions every day to work on Algebraic skills.
• Focusing on the interpretation of questions and keywords. Mrs Latu will assist by translating wordy questions for one of Tongan ESOL students and Dr janni Van Hees will assist in tackling complicated contextual questions.
• Using Google calendar to set lessons and Alegra workbook for homework.
• Tracking sheet will be used to track their progress.
• Continuing my study classes on Wednesdays and Fridays (after school hours.)
•  I will give students a Chunk, Chew, Check to retain the knowledge until examinations(November).
• At the end of the topic, learners will be sitting a practice test as this is an external topic.
• Using the online whiteboard, videos, lots of repetitive practice form past papers, and education perfect to make my online lessons more effective.

Also, I am going to give lots of practice during upcoming holiday break to prapare them for mock examinations next term which decide their derived grade. My holiday class focus will be on expanding brackets,Simplyfing, Solving (Linear/Quadratics),rearranging, logs and past papers.

       Next step: GOSOLO for Algebra(2.6) and Systems of equations(2.14).

Share your findings about the nature and extent of the student challenge. Make sure it is clear what evidence from your inquiry supports each finding.

TAI2020WRFC Inquiry question#5: 
Question5/1: Share your findings of the nature and extent of the student challenge. Make sure it is clear what evidence from your inquiry supports each finding.

I have collected individual students' past year results from kamar. See  blog post is here
Historical results from NZQA site and my blog post is here.
The following is the year planner:

Data: My whole class has finished the first internal coordinate Geometry (2credits) before the lockdown and here is the comparison of results between 2018 and 2019




Trends:
The percentage of students who achieved Merit and Excellence increased, thereby shifting achievement higher out of the achieved level. Overall, I am happy with these results.

I am currently teaching the Trigonometry topic and catching up with teaching the second internal. We are following tight time constraints because of lockdown.

Challenges:

•Lifting achievement up to Merit and Excellence so that students can get Merit and Excellence endorsements.

•Another challenge is getting students to complete the second internal (Graphs) as few students are still in the process of internal completion.

To combat this, I have asked my learners to complete the graph internal while I teach Trigonometry.

I am also holding after-school study classes to ensure that students complete the learning which they missed during the lockdown.

To figure out how effective these solutions are, I have created a tracking sheet, google hangouts, catch up classes, and conversations with the learners.

Question5/2: Explain how some of the data you have used to build a profile of the students’ learning will be used as baseline data at the end of the year.

The credits they have gained are a huge contribution to my inquiry. And I am working on marking and catching on the second topic (worth of 4 credits) as well as teaching Trigonometry(worth of 3 credits).

Question5/3: Share three pieces of academic or professional reading and explain how they and other sources helped your form hypotheses about aspects of teaching that might contribute to current patterns of learning.

Reading one- Link

Reading two- link

Reading three-link

Next step: Learners working hard towards third internal Trigonometry.