Literacy Teaching as Inquiry 2016

My teaching inquiry will have quite a few contributing anchors this year.

1. Registered Teaching Criteria

2.  Core Education's Ten Trends 2016

The segment of change I will be focussing on is 'Cultural'

The impact of teaching / learning for diversity and Digital fluency

3. Teaching as inquiry - a refresher

4. Building collaborative Teaching as Inquiry teams using Spirals of Inquiry

5. Simple Habits for Complex Times by Jennifer Garvey Berger & Keith Johnston

I've taken a while to start writing my inquiry because, actually it's exactly like last years!

Inspired by a workshop I went to run by Jennifer Garvey-Burger
One of the writers of Simple Habits for Complex Times. 
There was a slide that I have been constantly thinking about.

I spent all of 2015 looking at the gaps - in student learning.  

So, the one difference for my Inquiry this year is, I will not be singularly focussed on the 'gap in learning.' Instead, I will be attempting to focus on the 'system of learning' and how this impacts on the student's learning. 

I'm going to try and do this by looking at the bigger picture of what is going on for the students. To look at the bigger picture I am going to use data from Positive Behaviour For Learning. (PB4L) To look at student/class behaviours and student / class academic achievement. 
At the start of April I attended a PB4L Tier 1 and 2 workshop. Our facilitator asked us:
"How can we set up the student to fail? then try the opposite." 
I instantly knew I had to give this a go. 

I am also going to work on something about my self.
I am going to attempt to listen to learn  rather than convince.  I want to see if its possible to listen to my students in a new way. 
The idea of listening differently has come from Jennifer Garvey-Burger.

I am reminded of John Hagel's  words:

"In order to make a big impact, you need to think about small moves, smartly made. That means three things. Focus, leverage and acceleration.

Focus = sense of destination and direction.

Leverage = convincing others to contribute more energy than you have alone.

Acceleration = taking time for reflection, learning, and refinement to optimise for non-linear improvement."

John Hagel

 @jhagel

Leave those Resolutions 

So here goes trying something a little bit different.

I will be adding to this post over the next few weeks and writing throughout the year.

Watch this space! (as you can see - I have data to transfer!)

Planning to Achieve
Strategic Goals   All  students learn, progress and achieve to their highest level
Annual Goal Achievement targets are set for groups of learners based on robust achievement information.					Annual Target Where do we want to be at the end of 2016? Māori and Asian boys who are currently not achieving the writing standard for their year level will make above average progress towards achieving the standard in 2016. Above average progress will be assessed by moving 2 sub levels within 6 months.
Baseline data Who are the Māori boys in your class who are currently underachieving in writing? Who are the Asian boys in your class who are currently underachieving in writing? How do you know that these boys are underachieving
Name	Reading running record & or STAR results		Asttle range in results Writing	Spelling Peters & Pseudo		NS – teacher OTJs Reading & Writing	observations
Student 1 HA			T1: 3P T2: 3A				enjoying writing onto his digital portfolio.  Seeks assistance form teacher when required.
Student 3 NB						T1: 3A T2: 4B	T1:Refuses to read. will read car manuals!  T2: During 1:1 reading. Recognising difference sentence structures and able to discuss their impact on the story.
Student 4 OC			T1: 3B T2:				T1: Negative about writing ability T2: wanting to get to mid day writers
Student 5 PD			T1: 3P T2: 3A				T1: Quiet in class T2: Seeking learning conversations with the teacher.
Student 6 TE			T1: 3B T2: 3B				Increasing independence in classroom routines. Is able to tell support teachers what he is working on and why. Excited about his learning.
Student 7 ZF Student 8 EG			T1: 3A T2: 4B T1:2B T2: 2P				ZF: T1: always keen to write. T2:Has started reading for leisure! EG: T1/T2seeks assistance from peers& teacher
Notes:
Key Improvement Strategies What will you do to make sure that these boys make above average progress in writing this year? 3x a week 12:00 - 12:30pm Students will be part of a wiring program called Mid Day writers. 1:7 student teacher ratio. This is extra writing milage and instruction.
Describe the aspects of your whole class programme that will promote learning for this group.		T1: Starting Book Selling T1: Use of  GAFE T1:Use of youtube clips for repeated instructions T1: Daily reading T1: Publish onto their digital portfolio. Share portfolio with  T2: Students will attend an intensive writing group 1:7 teacher / student ratio 3x a week 'Mid Day Writers Guild' T2: 1:1 Reading with NB
Spelling: Will instruction in learning to spell help these boys improve their writing? What will you do to		* Al the boys need to be using the right click function on their devices * Discuss with students families to start using Word Q. Down load not their own devices. T2: Explore use of spellodrome
Reading: How will your Reading programme  support these boys to achieve success in writing?		Reading for pleasure T2: Students joining the Eggspedition program See link to Reading Eggs See link to Reading Eggsonline event T2: constantly  recheckin library cards /  access to Wellington Central Library  - issuing of books. T2: Sharp Reading
Goals: Do these boys have personal goals for writing?		List goals here See writing Goals on eAsttle - these are cut out and stuck on their books and laptop key boards. HA Paragraph writing. Topic Sentence KB Paragraph writing. Topic Sentence OC Paragraph writing. Topic Sentence PD Paragraph writing. Topic Sentence TE Paragraph writing. Topic Sentence ZF Paragraph writing. Topic Sentence EG Paragraph writing. Topic Sentence
Other  notes:
Resources What do you need to be successful in raising the achievement level of this group of boys? Reading books that capture the students interest. Mirror texts. Text that reflect the students world. Explicit planning, that collects qualitative and quantitative data.

So I start on my spiral of inquiry journey...


Term 1

Scanning. Scanning constantly knowing the gaps. Wondering how I can nudge the learning system. 
Similar to last year, the students I am focussing on are quiet in class. Thanks to @BeccaSweeney 's comments in my 2015 Inquiry.  I'm going to talk to the students and ask them why they are quiet in class and what things do they think might help them improve in their writing.

Student suggestions that might help them improve in their writing.
1.  Have instructions written on the board.
2. Talk to the teacher 1:1 - not in a big or small group
3. Have more time to finish
4. Work with a friend.
5. Work in a small group on ideas for writing.

Why students think they are quiet in class.
1. Other students always ask the things they are thinking.
2. They put their hand up some times but teacher runs out of time to answer or does not see.
3. They have nothing to say.
4. Teacher talks too fast.
5. 

Based on student feed back and their honest reflection, a significant part of this inquiry as changing an aspect of myself. An example is I thought I was using 'wait time'. The experience for one student it is not enough.


Term 2

Circumstance:  As a school we are constantly navigating towards what does it mean to create a collaborative  teaching and learning environment. A key understanding around collaboration for us - is its not just creating something new within our team that could not have done alone, but creating teaching/ learning opportunities across teams. 
Action: 
'Mid Writers Guild' is established! 3x a week.  The students work on whole class writing in a smaller group with one teacher. The teacher they work with is from the Year 5/6 team. Whilst she works with the 'Mid Day writers', I am working with her whole class on 'creative commons - digital citizenship'.
Result:
So far, students are optimistic and arrive to 'mid day writers' knowing what it is they need to be learning. They tell the teacher what they need to know how to do. Each student takes their most current asstle results with them. Some of the students stick next learning steps on their key board. 
They meet in a shared work space in the library. Students are not needing to be reminded to attend. 


During Term 2 every teacher at my school will have two teaching observations. 
1x appraisal observation
1x peer observation
These observations must be relevant to our Teaching as Inquiry.
I am about to have my first appraisal observation. My colleague and I have decided to focus on the same thing. 
Focus: Clarity about what is to be learnt. 
We are using Evaluation Associates observation Template: Assessment for Learning Teacher's observation Notes - Guide to completion. Clarity about what is to be learnt. 

What am I noticing?
The teaching who leads the 'Mid Day Writers Guild' is not needing to rush to the group to get them started, the group can manage them selves and are ready when she arrives. This is a new experience for this teacher. 

Circumstance:
Based on learning conversation with my students, they have said they will learn better if they work in a small group with their writing. I am going to work with them on creating a mind map. This group are part of the 'Mid Day Writers Guild.' They all need to learn about topic sentences and the writing of paragraphs. 
Action:
We worked in a small group on creating a mind map together.  The focus of the mind map is to dig deeper in the topic so students have material for writing a paragraph.
The  mind map focus was. A neighbour has been told by Zealandia not to feed the native bird the Kākā. Some nights she has up to 100 birds visiting. Using the critical thinking tools. 
Whilst working I asked the students is this work easy? hard? or just right? How do you know? The last section of clarity about what is to be learnt was students have the opportunity to check their understanding of the learning.
Result:
Students all contributed to the mind map. Students who would not normal talk and give their opinions were extremely vocal.  They often built on each others ideas. When asked was this easy,hard or just right. 4/5 students said it just right and they know this because they can do it but they had to think a little bit harder. 1/5 students said its just right, but was not sure how he knew this. Upon reflection, I think the topic of the mind map was quite important. I gave them a real life community problem which they wanted to grapple with. 
I will definitely repeat building mind maps in a small group. 
Next time I will have the students doing most of the writing on the mind map.

What am I noticing?
I am noticing that the students are enjoying the extra focus on their learning. I notice as I scan round all students that my TAI students are at the for front of my scan. They often catch my eye. Because of this I have started to give them a thumbs up or thumbs down gesture. -  as to how they are going. They respond with one. This lets me know very fast (in a busy room) if they need me to check in with them. I notice I feel and am more confident that they know what they need to be working on.

Circumstance:
This week I  attended a workshop about Māori, Pasifika achievement and the conditions required to accelerate learning and watch a live webinar with Keri Facer about Futures Education.
Keri Facer asked:
What do we care about and where can we act. And, how might this open up possibilities of the present?
Lauren Tafa asked what will we change about our own practice and how will we interrupt our own assumptions?

Action:
Was determined to do something different with of of my target students. Chose a book and read 1:1 with him. We shared the reading. The setting of the book was WW1 London. Together we looked at London using google earth and talked about what it might have been like for the characters in the text. 

Result:
For the first time the student said I can see pictures of this story in my head. The studnet is wanting to have this time where we read together. Reading, this week, is not a tussle. I"m not sure how I am going to sustain this in a classroom of 40 students. However, I must ensure it continues.


Term 3

Circumstance: Some of the target students continue to not want to read.  One of my students asked if he could read 7 year old books and then he might get better. I said, he might just need to read smaller bites of information. Often off task  student behaviour in my classroom is the target students.   Today I withdrew a student from the main group of students, to work quietly on their own, next to me, whilst i was also working. This student also happened to not want to read 'stuff'

Action: Whilst talking with the student about the work they need to complete, I also asked him about what types of things they liked to read in the news paper. This student said technology and cars. So as he was talking to me I was printing out articles on stuff for him. I put the articles inot a folder titled:
Random Rapid Reading: Real Reading Real Time

Result:
I pulled one of the pieces of writing out at a random moment with a target student. It was hard to read but he really wanted to know what it was bout. He read it, I read it, we then discussed it. He enjoyed this. I think it was because the reading was, non fiction, relevant, and up to date. This student wants to know what else is in the Random Rapid Reading folder. There was tricky word. It was 'parabolic' - because we are using sharp reading, I was able to ask is the one of those road blocks. The student said yes. At this point the reading lesson turned into a Math knowledge session. 

Circumstance: I've been trying so many ways to engage students in writing paragraphs. The paragraphs are not sharp enough. I noticed all my target students enjoy playing with gifs. How can I use gifs as a vehicle to achieve improvement in paragraph writing?

Action: Starting Rapid Writing based on a Gif. Firstly, students will collect fun gifs about our Inquiry. They will them choose one and have 15 minutes to write a paragraph about it. 

Result:

Mathematical Teaching Inquiry: Building on Students Thinking 2014

2014: My Mathematical Inquiry is centered around
Chapter 3 - Building on Students Thinking
Effective Pedagogy in Mathematics

This is a years roll out...
Starting January 2014 - December 2014
Please be patient as you scroll to the latest update.
It just seem odd to blog it all backwards!

I mentioned my  2013 Math Inquiry on this blog when I was first wondering about the potential legacy that Sugata Mitra's ideas may have on 21st century teaching and learning practice. This years inquiry has me working towards being more explicit in my understandings. The greatest difference between 2013 and 2014 Teaching Inquiry is my establish maths program called Maths Like a Pirate

The Inquiry process as a pictorial:

Questions I think about are:

What does building on student thinking mean?

Who does the building?
Questions of student agency

What is being built? 

Whos knowledge is being valued?

Theses questions remind me of Michael Young's talk titled
Powerful Knowledge, Knowledge of the Powerful 

When I think about building on student thinking I am wanting to maintain constant focus on the role of the digital trends as explicitly identified by CORE Education

CORE 10 Trends for 2014

Further to the digital trends is a powerful and thought provoking blog post  by 

Karen Melhuish Spencer titled Teaching as inquiry and e-learning: 3-questions 

The three questions are:

1. What kinds of things do we focus on for our inquiry?

2. Do we all have to use the same platform to share our learning?

3. How do we chose what to capture as evidence of our e-learning inquiry?

As my Math Teaching Inquiry is using e-learning in multiple ways, I'm thinking about the three questions as I work towards a dynamic relationship between my program Maths Like a Pirate and e-learning.

Remebering, as  Karen States:

" The tech is merely the enabler - the engine-  while the curriculum and pedagogy are in the drivers seat."

For this teaching Inquiry, my understanding of 'Building on Student Thinking' has two pathways....
1. Starting from the knowledge that the a student has and through 'learning progressions' building individual thinking.
2. The second understanding is about the importance of building student thinking with others. The key is to create something new by working with others. 'Utilizing the third space' The spaces in between. Taking into consideration the role of knowledge in the 21st century.

Both understandings are needing to nudge into play the understanding that Students are no longer consumers but producers of knowledge.

I am reminded that Bereiter, C. (2002) 

Believes that if education

 is to participate in the knowledge age then,

our conceptions of "knowledge and mind

need to change."

My Inquiry Question:
How can I use students mathematical knowledge to engage in tasks and conversations that relate to everyday experiences and problems?


Questions (from Te Toi Tupu)
Focus on the Inquiry
What should my students achieve?
Where are they in relation to the school's goals and priorities?
What do they need to learn next?

Teaching Inquiry
Which teaching strategies will support the students to achieve the identified outcomes?

Learning Inquiry
What learning happened for the students?
What will we do next to ensure that they continue to achieve?

BIG QUESTIONS:
How will you address the Inquiry in your class? 

What steps will you take?

Continue explicit improvement of online maths collaboration  Maths Like a Pirate

Term one:2014

T1Wk:1 Preparation week

T1Wk:2

Circumstance: Making buns.  Asked where is the Maths. They replied counting. Probed asking What did that sound like. Used 1:1 match only

Action: Placed an equation on each tray eg 2+2+2+2= Can you make the buns on the tray look like this equation?

Result: Groups raced each other to make 4 groups of 2 on the tray. As well as students counting in 2s. One student decided counting in fours was going to be alot more fun, the result was the others followed!

T1Wk:3 
Circumstance:  Students not able to explicitly talk about where they see maths in the living world.

Action: I showed the class our movie trailor Epuni Gardens, Lower Hutt, Wellington 
I asked where is the Maths?

Result: Students immediately saw patterns in sunflowers and in the numbers of seeds. A highly distractable student ran out of the classroom and brought back a large dried sunflower head and the class made many maths knowledge connections. 

Kupu Hou = He Kai ‘aahuhanga’ Geometry!

T1Wk:4 
Circumstance: Students doing Number problems in small groups. I asked How did you find your solution? Their constant response was in my head. I guessed. And yet.. their solution was correct.

Action: I tried one of the questions offered to me by our facilitator Phoebe from Cognition Education to help nudge this inquiry.  Q. What other way can you solve this problem?

Result: A roll out of speaking of different strategies by all the students. Inspired by student voice!

T1Wk:5 
Circumstance: During Pirate Challenges students language was limited when reflecting on the questions afterwards.

Action: Showed the Pirate Movie Trailer Seussical Pirate Challenge Movie created by @ugafrank & @21stStacy. We then looked at the images from when they did the challenge. Asking what is the same what is different in how we all did the challenge. And.. Why do you think the two classes  have done things differently?

Result: Stunning result with students completely engaged with language around same and different. As well as applying inference when thinking about why.

T1Wk:6

Circumstance: a little unsure what best to focus on during Pirate Challenges:

Action: Explicit about what is being assessed when doing Pirate Challenges. Focussing on CORE Education conversation about Student Centered Approach To Assessment

Result: I was able to distil responses to the challenge. Focussing on problem identification and improving ideas. Students starting to say..” I can see a problem with…”

T1Wk:7 
Circumstance: Regardless of stage/ ability Students are forgetting to start from the largest number when using addition.

Action: Students created a Mathematical art work 9I was remembering the importance of STEAM) The art work was of Sharks. Each Shark had a different set of silver teeth. Each set of silver teeth are set as even numbers.  The art was to amplify  the importance of counting on from the largest number. I told the students a story about pirates going fishing to catch two sharks to make fish and chips for the crew.  Pirates Remember, Always catch & count on from the shark/mako with the largest number of silver teeth!

Result: Students focussed and discussing the silver teeth. There were conversations around doubles of numbers which was led by the students when creating their Shark. As the art was worked on independently through out the day, I heard students taking maths! I was surprised and very excited. I have learnt and somehow forgotten the importance of using art to communicate number knowledge.

Tweet tex

1. 1. Diana-Grace Morris ‏@dianagracenz  Feb 22

      STEAM Science Technology Engineering Arts Math @DrTonyWagner: The case for STEAM http://theatln.tc/1cdHOWk  #edchatnz @FestivalofEdNZ

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T1Wk:8

Circumstance: Students starting to use Math language 'count on from the biggest number' as well as using the strategy. However, still requiring practice.

Action: Chose to continue practicing using the context of sharks teeth and made contact with @SharkyJillian A Shark expert on twitter. To ask how many teeth did sharks really have. To see what numbers were we really dealing.

Result: @SharkyJillian has offered to take a Math lesson on Sharks! Exciting Term 2 Maths Planning Number Knowledge and Strategy 

Context: Sharks!

Let me know if anyone else is keen to join us. As we will use @SkypeClassroom

Jillian Morris ‏@SharkyJillian  15h

@MathsPirates you can email me sharks4kids@gmail.com and we can connect for a sharky math lesson!

Expand

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T1Wk:9
Circumstance: Students had difficulty in identifying small and large numbers. 
Action:  Used lego blocks to show a number. eg. a tower of five blocks, a tower of 10 blocks. Which number is biggest? Which tower is biggest? Increased the numbers. Replaced the word biggest with the word largest. Made this into a game.
Result: Students showed increased confidence when  identifying small and large numbers. Students had alot of fun!

T1Wk:10
Circumstance: I realized students did not know that the words biggest and smallest were part of mathematical knowledge
Action: Created a daily Mathematical vocabulary brainstorm as part of morning 'hotspot'. 
Result: Students contributed the following words: square, circle, plus, minus, less, difference, measurement. Students were very unsure about mathematical vocabulary and almost shy to contribute.

T1Wk:11

Circumstance: Students continue to be unsure of their mathematical vocabulary.

Action: Continue with Daily Mathematical Vocabulary brain storm in the context of their Pirate Challenges!

Result:

Daily increase of identification and use of mathematical vocabulary! Huge Success!

Will do this activity for a whole week, every third week of term 2.

Base line vocabulary at start of the week - 16 words

and then there was...

Term Two 2014

T2:Wk1
Circumstance: Students who I expected to be settled were unsettled.
Action: Decided to do a JAM assessment on students who were the most disengaged. Needed to check was the base line data still correct.
Result: Base line data indicated a need for extension

T2:Wk2

Circumstance: Attended a Key Note Address to the Wellington Mathematic Symposia by Suzzane Chapin. Focussing on the importance of mathematical language.

Action: Based on new base line data I started fractions with my students. I asked my students to use the word fraction in a sentence. Or to use the word "quarter' in a sentence.

Result: Ihaia said. "If I had four squares and I chopped them all into quarters how many squares would I have?" I had no idea Ihaia knew how to apply fractions.

T2:Wk3

Circumstance: Students were showing signs of becoming disengaged with the weekly 'bun making'. Placing the buns into rays eg 2 + 2 +2  / 4+ 4 + 4 / 5 + 5 + 5. This has been a very effective way of students applying theri number knolwedge. However, I am wanting to maintain application of Math knowledge as motivating and energizing.

Action: Shifted bun making with focus on number to making pizzas with the focus on fractions.

Result: Students talking about cutting their pizza into 1/2, 1/4, 1/6. Students cut cooked pizzas into their desired fraction! Stunning response. 

T2:Wk4

Circumstance:  Using @googlehangouts_ the class connected with @MsLombardoClass in CANADA. 

(We use  @googlehangouts_as it is more stable than Skype and is cost free for CANADA.) 

We played two games. Guess my Math number, focussing on the language Greater than / Less Than and Guess my Math Word.

Action: @MsLombardoClass chose a word we did not know. The word was 'odd number'.

Result: Students wanted to know what an odd number was and after the 'Google hangout' conversations continued about what was odd about a number. Our next learning steps were introduced to us by our new friends in CANADA. We were all a little bit excited and started talking about just how far away is CANADA? So we did a little bit of standard measuring!

Circumstance: Following up from term one. Time to collecte base line data on knowledge of Mathematical vocabulary.
Action: Base line data of Mathematical Vocabulary colected through out the week.
Results: Daily increase of identification and use of mathematical vocabulary! Huge Success! Largest number compiled was 57 words in ten minutes! 
Will collect again in week nine of this term.

T2:Wk5

Circumstance: School closed for most of the week due to teaching staff attending EDUTECH in Australia.

Action: NA

Result: NA

T2:Wk6

Circumstance: During the Math Pirate Challenge,'Build a Bridge' students were asked to use their language and knowledge about fractions.

Action: Students started talking about their bridge in relation to fractions! They also started talking about how they were building parts of cubes!

As evidenced in captured student conversations.

"I started creating my bridge by folding a piece of paper in half." - Ihaia

"There are 18 eggs in total on our bridge. Half of 18 is 9. We know this because there are the same amount on each side." - Leah

"Ideas for designing this bridge came from @MsEsClass in CANADA. Our Bridge works with fractions. Can you see a half? " - Devin

" You've got a bit of a cube going on here." Ihaia

Result: This Math Pirate Challenge was one of the best pirate challenges to date. Students were successfully applying their knowledge of fractions and attributing the start of their ideas to influences out side of the classroom. The students are starting to realize that using their Math Knowledge they can start to improve on other students ideas.

T2:Wk7

Circumstance: Extending Fractions work into number knowledge. Context making model pizzas.

Action: After students made pizzas from dough, students then  made card board models of pizza that were sectioned into fifths. Each student given 10 paper olives and 10 paper tomatoes to share evenly on each fifth of pizza.

Result: Students who understood the activity talked it through with the rest of the group. Answering questions. Students who understood  were able to use language that referenced back to when they had pizzas with their families and the importance of sharing the toppings. When asked how many tomatoes on one fifth of their pizza most students knew there needed to be two.

T2:Wk8

Circumstance: Based on the importance of idea improvement and returning to a similar task. Students continued with new pizza models. This week the Pizza model was in thirds.

Action: Each student was given a pizza divided into thirds, with 6 paper olives, 6 paper tomatoes and 6 paper pieces of salami to divided evenly amongst the whole pizza. Each student completed the activity confidently. As an extension, each child was then given a different number of pieces of cheese to divide evenly over the pizza. Eg. 24 pieces of cheese. (depending on the students number knowledge abilities)

Result: Students speaking confidently about pizzas and fractions. Specific conversation arose from the kinds of fractions commercial pizza shops cut their pizzas and how the topings are shared. There was alot of debate about wether the local pizza shop cut pizza into eighths or sixths! Math vocab from this activity was written down and placed around the interactive white board.

T2:Wk9

Circumstance: During the Math Pirate Challenge Building a Bridge WK 6 I asked a group how did they come up with the idea of using a structure of a cube to help create the bridge. The answer was, "We mixed our ideas together and we started to make a cube." - Leah. Based on the idea of change I wondered what else the students could work with where change would occur. Aim: To be explicit in our math about change / shift.

Action: Introduced a "Matariki- Maori New Year" paper folding activity that involved working with fractions. A piece of paper started as a rectangle and changed into a diamond. Four diamonds, placed together create a star!

Result: Whilst doing the activity students were able to identify mathematical language used during the activity. eg centre line, half, quarters, corners, line. Students used the math vocabulary to explain the instructions to their peers if they were unsure of the next step.

Completed Star images are on their way.
Watch this space!


Term Three 2014
My Mathematical Inquiry is centered around
Chapter 3 - Building on Students Thinking
Effective Pedagogy in Mathematics

My central objective for term three is for each of my students to improve in their additive strategies.
All the students are wanting to get faster at their basic facts.
Base line data = JAM test and anecdotal evidence. 

T3:Wk1
Circumstance:
Students first day back from holidays and I wanted to find an activity that would allow them to use their fractions vocabulary and introduce them in a playful way to their term of  'amplified additive strategies.'
Action:
Made oragami, guess my lucky number games with simple single digit addition and subtractions inside.
Result:
Students spent 20 minutes testing each other.It was Maori Language week so they played the game using maori language vocabulary.
The second result was,  when folding the paper they used their math vocab from term 2. Vocab used: line, half, centre, corner, quarter, triangle, square.

T3:Wk2  
No launch pads. A happy math humm.

Circumstance: 
Action:

Result:

T3:Wk3

Circumstance: The students find subtraction difficult. 

Action:  Created number problems using their marshmallow challenge images.

Result: Students were fully engaged in working out the difference in the number of marshmallows used to build a tower. I will continue this strategy - it was an energetic lesson with a lot of laughter form the students and a lot of effective problem solving.

T3:Wk4

Circumstance: Whole class playing online mathematical games. Sometimes children say the games are too easy.  I heard two children talking together about how they can do these number problems in class but not on the computer and why is that?

Action: I was very excited to hear them recognize their learning needs. The game I had set for them were subtractions of less the 10. I talked with them about their discovery of their learning.

Result:  The two students understood they needed to practice and apply their number knowledge in lots of different contexts. The students communicated Increased optimism as they could see they were working towards improvement.

T3:Wk5

Circumstance: Students are working on place value partitioning. They are learning to expand two and three digit numbers and are getting a bit confused.

Action: Introduced Bubble Gum Maths. I mimed chewing and stretching bubble gum and talked about how bubble gum and maths had a lot in common. I said we were stretching numbers today, making them look long! That the other word for stretching was expanding!

Result:  Tremendous discusion about bubble gum, 100% instant accuracy when expanding three digit numbers, that they asked for four digit numbers! So I tossed a few in. It was one of those beautiful moments in maths when everything just made sense. 

T3:Wk6

Circumstance:  Every Wednesday students  engage with  an online math programme called SUMDOG There is an going conversation about the learning choices we all make.

Action: Before logging in, I asked the students: 
Why do we play SUMDOG? 
What do you think would be the most useful activities for you to play and why do you think that?

Result: Students talked about prioritising hard games over easy ones. Furthermore, students said they were going to work on the games that used plus and minus as they knew they wanted to get better. One student asked, Why is it I can do all my basic facts in class but can't do them so well on SUMDOG? I was excited to hear my students thinking about their learning and realising that there was value in practising the same skill in different contexts.

T3:Wk7

Circumstance:  I am unsure if a couple of my students are really seeing the patterns of numbers. I often ask how did you get to a particular answer and they  reply it was just in my head. With further probing it is often difficult for students to find the mathematical vocabulary to discuss their work. I also wonder how much they can image. Although achieved within a JAM assessment I feel a need to keep checking in on this skill. I am reminded of a slide in a Fractions presentation by Phoebe at Te Toi Tupu Cognition Education. The movement from materials - to imaging - using numbers.

The Strategy Teaching Tool

Action: This week we worked with double digits using blocks of ten and single blocks. As well as sticks of old fashioned chalk and a lot of carpet space.

Result:
The two students I was concerned about were able to identify and build two digit numbers and see patterns using their addition skills. All the students were engaged and enjoyed doing their number work on the floor. When using their mathematical vocabulary there appears to be a mix up in understanding what a set is and what a group is. The interchanging of these words may be acting as a speed hump to moving forward. How many groups of ten are in the number 22?
The other result: Cleaners were not so happy. Next time use white chalk and do it outside!
Will certainly be doing this activity many times in different ways. 
A great warm down may be to show a number using cubes and students to find it on the hundreds board.

T3:Wk8

Circumstance: Participated in a Place Value (PV)  Workshop by Phoebe at Cognition Education

Action: Played a, fast paced, stunning PV game with Playing Cards. Called Pyramids.

Result: Played PV Pyramids as the warm up and students were completely engaged with the fast paced nature of the game and quickly started using their mathematical language to describe, ones, tens, hundreds.  My students would say I have the biggest number. My number is 623. My number has 6 one hundreds,  2 tens and 3 ones. 
(I will find the game instructions and post here - this game is an absolute must. Great game when all you have is a pack of cards and so easy to extend into larger numbers and decimal work.)

This photo is off seniors playing the same game. 
The game is extended by adding a decimal. NOTE: little plastic pig = decimal! 

I need to add here in WK 8  
The class participated in THE DOT CLUB International dot Day.
finding fractions and number patterns  using dots for

"My number is 12. 
1/6 of my dots are blue". Leah












T3:Wk9

Circumstance: A class in Canada, who we connect with in @MathsPirates wanted to  Mystery Skype the class. (Its a new school year in Canada, so new children) My first thought: Ok, so where is the maths? How can I make this work as a valuable activity to be doing in our Math time?  Answer: Students to focus questions around, Measurement:  time, distance, seasons, temperature and money m

Action: Students wrote mathematical focussed questions.

Result: Students took turns asking Questions using their mathematical vocabulary. One student at the end of the Mystery Skype said we could have added a Geometry question. We could have asked what shape is your country. Is your country look like a square or an oblong? I was very happy that students were again seeing that Math is every where and time and its relationship to world time clocks is a significant part of our lives. Students talked at length that when it was a 9:00am on a Spring day in NZ it was the end of a summer afternoon in Canada. Mystery Skype with Math focus was stunning!

T3:Wk10

Circumstance: The whole term has been to focus on increasing basic facts. I'm also interested to learn what  Term 2 Mathematical Vocabulary has been retained.

Action: This week - Basic Fact testing and daily Math Vocabulary warm ups. (JAM and 5 minute word blats)

Result:

And.....
Here is where I dropped the ball.