2025 Inquiry - Term 3

My main focus this term is developing mathematical vocabulary. I came in with a lot of ideas, but I quickly realised I'd bitten off more than I could chew and wasn't able to execute everything I'd planned.

Last term, during Samoan Language Week, we incorporated playing cards into our maths lessons. We played 'suipi' – a card game from Tonga – using Samoan numbers and suit terms to practice our card skills. (Culturally Responsive Practice).

Today, we explored three different strategies for solving addition problems like 15+6, 16+3, or 4+18. We used whiteboards to show our working out, and we started with maths vocab that is supplied in Pr1me Text, including terms like "strategies" and "problems/dilemmas". I noticed some students were using the maths vocab and grasped it while solved the number sentence easily, while others definitely needed more practice.

As a class, we started with x-tra maths, and normally we work on 'Maths Whizz' which can take alot longer in our class, and our teaching time is shorten. I've had to include more whole 'class' teaching to making a OTJ. We've had maths warm up, to remind them of what they've learnt previously and include in our Pr1me Maths programme. As with the revised version of the maths curriculum, the maths stages have shifted. A handful of our students' OTJ in their reports show Early or Late Year 3, however this contradicts where they're place on the revised version of maths.

My next steps: begin 'maths talks' framework, to help our learners to incorporate the vocabulary language for maths.

Pod-casting: From research, I believe a key way our learners are able to cement their learning and engage in reflective practices is through metacognition. We'll leverage digital tools, specifically using Mr. Moran's template, to have students podcast their findings and thinking. This approach will empower them to explain concepts, demonstrate skills, and reflect deeply on their learning journey, all while fostering essential 21st-century skills like communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity.

Inquiry 2021

 

End of Year Results for 2019

Wow!  What a year!  My first year teaching in the same class as well as working with Year 5's.
Definitely so much to celebrate for 2019, at the same time so much to learn for 2020.

Inquiry

Wow!  Where did term 3 go?  So much happening in the life of Pt England School.  Starting with netball prize-giving,  our annual cross country, film festival filming, ongoing sports games that our students' rep and our school production that is showing this week.  On top of that, I'm enrolled in DFI (digital fluency intensive) and graduated with postgrad with Mindlab.

Looking at my enquiry for this term, we looked briefly at mathematical language as well as on-hands activities.  One plus, is my target students are more willing to participate in DMIC/small groups to solve word problems.  Our class has been working on maths times tables 2-5 and encouraging our students to use castify to record their work.  By this week, will test them to see what shifts had been made.   Feel free to provide any feedback, this would be appreciative. 

#3 Digitally Fluency Intensive - Media

"Poipoia te kakano kia puawai"  

Nurture the seed and it will blossom.

Kia ora whanau - it's week 3!  We're celebrating our Maori Language week & looking at different forms of Media we can use.


What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy?
What defines create?  ‘Creativity focuses on the process of forming original ideas through exploration and discovery.  With children, creativity develops from their experiences with the process rather than concern for the finished product.  ‘Create’ - is the hook in your lesson plan/practice.  Begin with ‘create’ & then let the learning emerge.  The learning is richer now with chrome books using online.

For students who are disengaged - Start with the ‘hook/create’, what will they be designing.  Our students should be creators of content, instead of consumers.  Learn-create-share is a linear process.  Will look at ‘create’ to be a spiral inquiry.

What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow as a professional?
Using youtube, I can create a channel, to begin a playlist.  Instead of asking students to research on youtube, I am able to direct students to the youtube video that they need to view. 

Google draw - able to create pages with pictures, even mind mapping or comic strips.  Multiple purposes of using google draw for our students to create.  Being able to set the canvas size, crop pictures, change the picture format including using word art.

What did I learn that could be used with my learners?
Google slides - creating animations slides.  From our inquiry this term, I was able to design an animation slide about the rocky shore featuring the starfish.  Being creative, not just using the standard themes including sound to accompany the slide.  By planning, plan and plan this will help our presentation be more effective.  The last slide is my pepeha, rather than speaking, but showing visuals to support my pepeha.  Feel free to leave a positive comment

My Inquiry Plan 2019

This year, my professional inquiry focus was looking at the dynamics of DMIC and grasping
the concepts which are relevant for the teaching of this method to my students. In
retrospect, I have also been looking at how my teaching could lift the achievement levels
of students through a culturally responsive lens.

My questions leading into this inquiry were:
* Through the lenses of Tongan/Samoan and Cook Island languages/cultures how could
I increase my students learning levels within their maths understanding?

* How could I create learning tasks that were relevant and deeply embedded in the LCS

framework to inspire and share with others?

Reflecting over my mathematics programme and teaching for 2018, it seemed that I
needed to look more closely into the maths content knowledge in order to keep my
students engaged and on task.

While learning how to facilitate and teach a DMIC plan, I could see the students struggle
with number knowledge. This realisation occurred during independent or group tasks.

While reflecting on what could have improved within my teaching, I discovered that the
followup experiences should have reflected the WALT of the lesson in more detail and
could have been more hands on. I fell into the habit of reusing a lot of tasks and plans
of other teachers. These were tasks that were not specifically designed or reflected the
needs of my own students. This was a major factor in the disengagement of the students.

The follow-up tasks were more like time fillers instead of focusing tasks on specific needs
of the students.

My 5 priority learners are either an ESOL student or students who portray behavioural or
learning challenges.  I will endeavour to blog and gather data on their progress
throughout this year. I am hoping to improve their learning levels and see a positive
shift in how I plan and teach a diverse range of students.

Teaching Inquiry 2018