Sharing my COL Inquiry

Today Kelsey, Gabe and I were asked to talk about our COL inquiry with our colleagues during our staff meeting. Each of us shared an aspect of our inquiry that we were working on. I decided to give a brief overview of my COL inquiry before talking in more detail about some of the interventions that I had tried.

I talked about the student engagement surveys that my literacy class used as a means to help capture data based on their levels of engagement during lessons. I also mentioned how the goal was to help students build greater self efficacy by taking greater ownership of their learning.

I introduced and shared an example of the ground rules for talk template that I had modified based on Rob’s original template. Then I shared an image from the Vosaic programme that I had been trialing for my extended discussions.

Finally, all other staff members had the opportunity to talk about their inquiry projects once we were in smaller groups. It was a great opportunity to share our experiences and listen to how other inquiry projects were coming along.

Gamification of Extended Discussion

Earlier in the year, during a guided reading session, I focused on introducing extended discussion and establishing ground rules for talk with a group of students. I felt a little discouraged as the lesson did not go as well as planned and after a couple of weeks, I decided not to focus on it as much as I should have. At the time I felt that it was more important to establish routines and to get to know my students. 

Later in the year, I decided to revisit introducing extended discussions and explored ways to make it more effective. I was fortunate that my Team 5 Team Leader (Rob Wiseman) shared a template he had created to gamify the process. When I first trialed it with a group of target students in my literacy group, it was a success. Extended discussion time become a lot more fun to do, especially for the boys in the group. The aim was to prevent the cases of gold from being taken by the character Neo (from the Matrix). 

Here is an example of the template I used:

Extended Discussion

The development and use of extended discussion as a strategy to improve critical thinking, listening and oral language skills has been a focus for a couple of years now at our school. I am familiar with this approach as I was fortunate enough to work with teaching expert Anne Sinclair a few years ago when we used paideia style seminars with extension students. Although this approach was very successful with the extension students (18 high achieving students), I found it more difficult to implement in a class of 30 students with varied needs.

Manaiakalani created the ‘6 ground rules for talk’ strategy to help implement extended discussion in our classrooms. Although I provided opportunities for extended discussion during literacy sessions at the start of the year, it was not utilised as effectively as it could have been. However, when my team leader (Rob Wiseman/Team 5) created a template using google slides to ‘gamify’ extended discussion, it proved to be very popular and effective with my students, especially the boys.

I modified Rob’s template slightly to create my ‘Extended Discussion with Neo’ template. This involves the students having to talk as much as they could about the text using the 6 grounds rules for talk. The aim was to avoid teacher intervention in the discussion, and to avoid losing the three cases of gold to Neo (character from the Matrix).

One of the best outcomes from this experience was when a student who is in my lowest reading group (reading at 7.5 years old) was able to join students from a higher ability group, and talk confidently about the text and about themes related to the text. This helped to develop the child’s confidence and his ability to see himself as contributing something of value to the group, even though he has issues with decoding simpler texts, and struggled in the past to stay focused and motivated.

COL: Data Collection - Observations and Surveys

Once I had identified my line of inquiry for my target group in reading, I went about collecting more data. Data was collected via observations and surveys. 

Observations: I continued to make observations of student behaviour and engagement in class towards their learning and towards others. In order to get a better picture of what was happening in terms of student engagement in class, I recorded 3 videos during literacy. They were each about an hour in length. I quickly skimmed through the video footage and made notes about how often students were on task during literacy class when they were not with the teacher for guided reading. I was not surprised to find that many students were busy talking to their friends or looking away from their chromebook, which meant that their literacy tasks were not getting done. This gave me an idea about which students needed to sit away from other students. It was interesting to notice that some of the quieter girls in class, who often went under the radar, were wasting quite a bit of learning time.

Surveys: I created a survey for my students in order to capture some of their feelings and attitudes towards reading and attending literacy class. I discovered that 66% of students did not read at home, and for the other 44%, it was their mother that usually listened to them read and not their father. Many of them did not spend any time reading at home for a variety of reasons. Some of the reasons included not having any books at home, spending time gaming, being busy with their family or being too tired. 75% of students did not read any books during the school holidays. 

When students were asked what they thought the 3 main things were that they needed to do to help them get better at reading, none of them chose the option to ‘read more often during my free time.’ The three top responses were to: 

• Try their best to understand what the story was about

• Read more often in class

• Stay away from distractions (e.g. people who talk too much)

COL: Inquiry Focus

 I have decided to focus on 3 key areas in my literacy programme for my COL Inquiry:

1. Student Engagement

2. Vocabulary Building

3. Extended Discussion

This was based on my data, observations, surveys, hunches and the needs of the target students in my literacy class. It was also based around a need in Team 5 (Year 7 & 8) that was identified and addressed by our Team Leader, Mr Wiseman. 

Why?

Student Engagement: I noticed that this was a big issue during literacy lessons. Students appeared to be engaged in their learning most of the time when they were in a guided reading group session with the teacher. However, I noticed that many students were off-task or quite noisy when they had to work independently. For many students, tasks were not being completed on time.

Vocabulary: I noticed that students often lacked an understanding of unfamiliar or challenging vocabulary when asked for the meaning of the word during a running record or PROBE test. The use of a range of precise words was also often lacking in e-AsTTle writing samples. Analysis of data collected from STAR Tests also identified vocabulary as an area that needed attention. 

Extended Discussion: This has been a focus for Manaiakalani for a while now. It is an area of focus in Team 5 this year. I made an attempt to introduce and implement extended discussion sessions as part of my literacy programme earlier in the year, however, I know that I have not done it justice. Extended discussion provides an opportunity for students to develop their critical thinking, communication, listening and oral language skills. 

Feedback to Staff re: NZEI Pasifika Fono 2024

 On Monday at the staff meeting, those of us who attended the NZEI Pasifika Fono presented our findings to the rest of the staff. We talked about the four main themes from the Fono: Identity, Language, Digital Spaces and Va. We also shared some of our main takeaways from some of the workshops that we had attended. Next years Fono will be held in Wellington. 

COL - Responses to my Hunches

During one of our COL meetings, we were asked to share our hunches with our colleagues and take note of some of the feedback provided. I also added some of my findings and thoughts regarding my hunches.

Hunch One: If I find or create texts to help older students who struggle with reading, it will motivate them to read more

It is difficult to find texts suitable for older students who struggle with reading. Some of the online websites that do provide texts that may be suitable require a subscription and fee. I tried to find free online reading programmes that are suitable for older students, but they cost money (e.g. Reading Doctor online, Story Shares, High Noon books etc). Instead I will utilise free access at school to Literacy Planet which has good reviews and Read Theory (another free online reading programme). Possibly try some comic books and other types of genres that are of high interest.

Hunch Two: If I create an interesting literacy programme/activities, then it will keep students motivated and on task when they are not with me

When students are easily distracted it is hard for them to stay on task. I may need to provide rewards or ask the students what they want to learn about. I need to provide opportunities for more ‘choice’ for students. What will this look like? How to keep them motivated and engaged? Look at the literature around student engagement. Review the current literacy programme and make changes e.g. class layout, and decide who sits with who.

Hunch Three: If I can find a way to motivate students, then they will read more often (mileage)

I need to ask the students what motivates them to read. I need to find ways to encourage more reading mileage e.g. buddy reading or rewards. Other ways could include involving parents, creating an attractive reading corner, sending books home to read etc.

Hunch Four: If I can focus on improving behavioural and cognitive engagement, my students will improve their ability to focus and improve their reading skills.

I need to identify exactly how many students are off task or focused and how often. I need to identify which students are able to articulate their thinking. Strategies are needed to focus on improving student engagement in class. Strategies are also needed to improve student’s higher order thinking skills and communication skills.

COL - Developing a Hunch

Here were some of the issues that I had identified with my literacy class through surveys and observations:

1. Students were wasting a lot of class time when they were not with the teacher
2. There was not enough reading mileage happening for students
3. The reading programme needed to be used more effectively to enhance writing
4. Students needed strategies to deal with distractions
5. It was difficult to find suitable texts to motivate older students who struggled with reading

An important stage when undertaking an inquiry is developing a hunch. The idea is that a hypothesis is a tentative answer to our research question that has not yet been tested.

How to formulate? The simplest way is to use this form: if...then…
For example: “If I encourage my students to write for real reasons, then they will be motivated to write.”

Before arriving at our next COL meeting we had to generate at least 3 hunches to share with our colleagues.

Hunch One: If I find or create texts to help older students who struggle with reading, it will motivate them to read more

I find that it is not very engaging or interesting for older students to read books targeted for younger readers. Unfortunately, when older students are well behind with their reading levels, then generally the texts are quite basic and do not really appeal to older students.

Hunch Two: If I create an interesting literacy programme/activities, then it will keep students motivated and on task when they are not with me

I have noticed that when students are with me during guided reading sessions, most are quite engaged and focused on reading. However, I have noticed that many of the other students in the class tend to be off task and do not complete enough of their learning tasks on time.

Hunch Three: If I can find a way to motivate students, then they will read more often (mileage)

One of the results from the student survey showed that students were not spending enough time reading. Much of the focused reading for students seemed to occur during guided reading sessions with the teacher.

Hunch Four: If I can focus on improving behavioural and cognitive engagement, my students will improve their ability to focus and improve their reading skills.

Student engagement is a big issue in my classroom, especially among many of the boys in my class. I think that if they were provided with strategies to improve their levels of engagement, then it will help them to stay more focused in class.

NZEI Pasifika Teachers Fono 2024 - Day 1

 During the first week of the school holidays, I had the privilege of attending the NZEI Pasifika Teachers Fono. It was held over two days at Waipuna Conference Centre in Mt Wellington. This is a slideshow sharing some of my highlights during the first day. I attended with Ms Va'afusuaga, Mrs Ilaoa, Ms Teleso, and Mrs Sio. Mrs Tele'a also attended. I am very grateful to our school and Board of Trustees for helping to subsidise the cost of the conference. 

COL - Spiral of Inquiry

 

Spiral of Inquiry Model

This is an image of the spiral of inquiry model developed by Timperley, Kaser and Halbert (2014). It is a framework for improving teaching and learning, and is based on the idea of continuous inquiry. Educators gather evidence, analyse it, and make informed decisions. There are six main stages: scanning, focusing, developing a hunch, learning, taking action and checking.

I will be using this model to help develop and implement an intervention to improve reading outcomes for my students.

Professor Graeme Aitken wrote an article titled ‘How to undertake Teaching as Inquiry’(Education Hub). He states that ‘teaching as Inquiry is one of the most powerful forms of teacher learning and is a vital strategy to improve student learning.’ I am at the ‘developing a hunch’ stage at the moment.

COL - Profiling

A crucial first step in any inquiry is understanding students' individual learning strengths and needs. This process, often referred to as profiling, helps to tailor instruction effectively. Effective profiling was discussed during one of our Manaiakalani COL sessions. Our principal Russell Burt talked about using EdPotential which is available to all teachers in Manaiakalani. This is an effective resource which is used to track student learning, whether individually, in classrooms or across schools in our cluster. 

To gain insights into my students' literacy abilities and requirements, I employed the following strategies:

1) Spent time during Term 1 getting to know my students e.g. through discussion and via tasks e.g. writing (‘All About Me’) and personal mihi and pepeha.

2) Gathering data and information from their 2023 and Term 1 2024 results e.g. PAT Reading and STAR data, Running Records or Probe.

3) Collecting data from EdPotential - tracking achievement for individual students in reading, writing and maths - to get a sense of their overall performance in these areas.

4) Student survey in reading - to gain insights into their reading habits, interests and strengths in reading.

COL - Analysing STAR data

 After analysing the results from my students Term 1 STAR Tests, I have noted down some of the key areas that I need to work on when planning for literacy in Term 2.

Teaching and Planning Strategies:

• Vocabulary:
  • Varied activities (image matching, writing definitions) based on reading and topics.
  • Build a word wall and hold regular quizzes (e.g., Kahoot!)
• Sentence Comprehension:
  • Focus on inference, vocabulary, and diverse texts.
  • Practice cloze activities, multiple choice, and writing for mechanics (e.g. proper grammar and punctuation) and clarity (e.g. sentence structure to ensure their writing is easy to understand).
• Paragraph Comprehension:
  • Teach strategies: skimming, summarising, identifying key words, and testing logical flow.
• Vocabulary Expansion:
  • Explore synonyms, antonyms, and word families.
• Decoding Advertising:
  • Discuss persuasive language techniques used to influence consumers.
• Writing for Audience:
  • Analyze titles, identify audience, and understand formal/informal styles through diverse writing exercises (fairy tales, news, job applications etc.).

COL - School Leaders Discussion

I initially decided to focus on tracking only one reading group for my COL inquiry. There are eight students in this group who are all reading at 9 years old. However, after some discussion with our Acting Principal Toni Nua regarding the recent Reading PAT and STAR test results, I will now focus on two of my reading groups. The second group are reading between 8 and 8.5 years old.

In total, there will be 16 students in my target group for my inquiry. This will allow for a larger sample size for my inquiry and hopefully better data collection. The discussion with Toni Nua was very valuable as she has a great wealth of knowledge and experience around teaching Year 7 & 8 students (She was the Intermediate School Team Leader years ago) as well as expertise in the literacy curriculum.

The next step will be to analyse the data from the PAT Reading and STAR test to identify where the student strengths and weaknesses are.

COL Data: PAT Reading and STAR Results Term 1 2024

PAT and STAR results: 

I used a table to track the PAT Reading and STAR data for 16 students who are in my potential target group for my COL inquiry this year. I initially thought about just tracking one reading group (around 8 students) but after discussion with Toni Nua (Deputy Principal) I will be tracking 2 reading groups who are reading at a similar age. 

Some Key findings: 

* The results from the 8-8.5 readers were quite similar to the 9 year readers. 

* PAT Reading range: Stanine 1 - 4

* STAR range: Stanine 1 - 3

* Word Recognition in the STAR test was a strength compared to the other sections. 

* Student weakness in STAR was: Vocab, Advertising language and Writing Style.

COL (Community of Learning) 2024

COL Inquiry 2024

Welcome to my professional inquiry blog! This year I have the privilege of being a member of the Manaiakalani COL (Community of Learning) for 2024. Last week we had our first COL meeting for the year. It was an opportunity to meet all the other COL teachers in our cluster as well as the across-school COL leaders. When we were interviewed towards the end of 2023 for COL we were asked what our inquiry focus might be. We needed to relate it back to one of the 6 main goals of Manaiakalani as follows:



This year I have decided to select achievement challenge 3 which is to:

'Lift the achievement in Reading for all students, with a particular focus on boys and Māori students (both genders) years 1-13'

I have selected reading as my area of inquiry because most of the students in my literacy class of Year 7 & 8 students are reading below their age. I have 30 students in my literacy class. Their reading ages range from 5 years old (ESOL student) to 11 years old, so there is quite a range. The first part of our inquiry involves gathering data. This will enable us to form hunches around what the real issues are regarding our students learning needs.