Author: Nick

The Differentiator – using Blooms Taxonomy to structure tasks

Published by Nick

This is a great web app. Although its name is a little misleading. Depending on how you use it it doesn’t necessarily make you differentiate your instruction. Never the less it is a fantastic tool to help you design a task statement in any subject area that is linked to Blooms Revised Taxonomy.

Go to the following link and watch the video then create a task using the tool (total time to do this – 1 min. 18 sec for video and 5 min to create the task).

The Differentiator Blooms Taxonomy 

If you like that try Respondo – creative literature task creation.

Both of these tools are created by Ian Byrd

Individualisation, Personalisation and Differentiation?

Published by Nick

Differentiation is something that has been discussed at school lately, perhaps spurred on by the literacy diagnostic and report our school undertook and received in 2011.

Very quickly differentiation is about the way we instruct to cater for different learning styles in our classrooms. But are we really clear about what differentiation is and are we aware that there are other terms out there that refer to how we cater for differences in student learning. You’re probably not surprised, it is not unusual for education academics to come up with terms (or buzzwords) to describe every facet of our profession.

I did find the following useful when trying to look at different approaches we can take in the classroom to improve student learning. Please be aware that these are not definitive definitions of individualisation, personalisation and differentiation.

Click on this link to find out how the U.S. Department of Education defines individualisation, Personalisation and differentiation.

Click on this link to look at individualisation, personalisation and differentiation from more of a teachers classroom point of view. By Barbara Bray.

Primary Maths Association Training and Development Term 1 and 2 2012

Published by Nick

The PMA offers good training and development for staff directly linked to the Australian Curriculum. A large range of options to choose from for term 1 and 2 are now available. If you see something you like you may need to ring the PMA as I noticed some locations were missing for workshops. Go to the link below to access the PDF flyer from the PMA. I haven’t checked yet but if we have any PMSS funding left the school may (I say may) be able to assist with cost.

Please note as this is a Google Docs link it will not work at school. Sorry, tried to unblock Google Docs but it would not work.

PMA Training Term 1 and 2 2012

Why is Finland’s education system No.1 in the world?

Published by Nick

If you can spare 20 minutes to watch this  TED Talk by Alan Lishness he will share with you some insight into how a great educational system runs. It takes about 8-9 minutes to get into the guts of the talk but it is interesting to hear him talk about how the Finnish system compares to the U.S. which ranks number 26 in the world compared with Finland at number 1.

What are the 5 key things that seperate the Finnish system to the American (Australian) system? You will admire (and like) these 5 things.

Other links:

Finland’s formula for success

What Americans Keep Ignoring About Finland’s School Success”.

The Finnish approach to education reform.

 

Bad Teacher

Published by Nick

Bad Teacher is a Cameron Diaz movie released last year about a terrible teacher. The Knox Professional Learning Blog has deconstructed a scene from the movie explaining all the poor methodology used by the main character Elizabeth (Cameron Diaz). Have a watch and see if it helps you reflect on your teaching. Are there some things that she (the teacher) does that we do on a smaller scale? Maybe when we are in a bad mood, stressed, unhappy, or our focus is elsewhere?

Lesson obs Demo Deconstruction REAP from Knox Grammar School on Vimeo.

Australian Curriculum & TfEL Staff Meeting Wed Week 1

Published by Nick

Our first scheduled staff meeting for the AC and TfEL is Wednesday 1/2. Below is an outline of how this meeting time and future AC/TfEL meeting times will run. As teaching staff are involved in a range of activities from AC science R-7, AC science 8-10, AC history 8-10 and TfEL we will not meet as a whole group. I’m suggesting that each group meets in their own area and gets straight into it. Below is an outline of how this might look – if you would like/need to change this you will need to catch the staff you are working with and arrange any changes with them.

Australian Curriculum Term 1

R-7 science familiarisation – All R-7 teaching staff. This group is up to looking at the Achievement Standards. Each teacher will get a copy of these and associated questions in pigeon holes to provide some structure to the discussion. Kim/Paul work together and JP teachers work together? Work in primary classrooms.

8-10 science familiarisation – Tanya and Allan. Will get the Year 8-10 curriculum in pigeon holes to bring to the meeting. Work in science lab.

8-10 History – Justin, Rosalie and Nick. Will get Year 8-10 curriculum in pigeon holes to bring to the meeting. Work in Justin’s room.

Pedagogy/TfEL

I will meet quickly with all staff to quickly chat about this process and help to answer any questions teachers may have.

Who?

All teaching staff not involved in the Australian Curriculum process.

Where?

Staffroom

What will I need?

SA TfEL Framework Guide

SA TfEL Review Tools Handbook

TfEL DVD

What will I be doing during the semester?

  1. Read page 8 which shows the overview of the entire TfEL review process.
  2. Read pages 9-13 which outlines working independently – you may want to be in a room with someone else to bounce thoughts, questions, and ideas off them.
  3. Undertake the ‘Personal Reflection’ process outlined on page 10. This is an individual activity but you may wish to work in a room with someone else in case you wish to clarify something.
  4. Undertake the ‘Reviewing Your Practice’ process outlined on page 11. This is an individual activity but you may wish to work in a room with someone else in case you wish to clarify something.
  5. Once this process is completed you will need to make some decisions about what Domains – Elements of TfEL you feel are areas for improvement. You may wish to prioritise these so that you can then select the most pressing/interesting/needed area for improvement.
  6. At this point you will need to undertake some research into the area you have chosen. Start with the DVD but also look for your own resources. This is where communication between staff will become important. If others know what you are doing they may be able to offer resources or help.

Remember that you will be required to include something relating to TfEL in your Performance Plan and also eventually share with staff in the middle of term 2 and at the end of term 3.

The above will require staff to lead their own learning with the support of colleagues. I hope the process is a useful one.

Process for investigating the Australian Curriculum

Published by Nick

Process for Investigating the Australian Curriculum

What will you need?

  • The Australian Curriculum website
  • A hard copy of your subject content on A3 paper with space to write notes (Nick will provide this).
  • Some work samples from your own students

What is the
process?

  • What does  your (or the schools) program in this subject area currently look like? Describe how it looks in your classroom including structures, topics, assessment, reporting etc.. This would be a broad overview in note form.
  • Australian Curriculum: Investigate the AC subject content (requires time to investigate the Australian Curriculum and compare it with your current program).

IMPORTANT to do this
properly you will need to go on the website and open the ELABORATIONS.

    • What do I currently teach that is not required?
    • What do I do that is required?
    • What is new that I have never taught before?

 

  • How will I (can I) make the Australian Curriculum work in a composite classroom? At present there is no magic bullet to make this work. It is up to the teacher and school to make it work as best we can in our context.

 

  • Achievement Standards/Work Samples
    • Have a look at the Work Sample Portfolio for your subject/year level. This will have multiple samples within it. Each sample is supposed to represent a satisfactory result.
    • Will the assessment tasks I currently use allow my students to meet the Achievement Standard?
    • Will the assessment tasks I currently use allow my students to meet the Achievement Standard to a high
      level?
    • Compare the work sample portfolios from the AC website with our own student samples. Have some
      discussion around this.

      • Do we consider them above or below the standard our students would be expected to achieve at a particular
        year level (the portfolio samples are at a satisfactory standard)?
      • How do we assess and provide an A-E or word equivalent result based on the Achievement Standard? What tells us
        an ‘A’ or ‘Excellent’ is justified for a piece of work?

        • Using current work samples and discussing our expectations as a group to arrive at some common understandings about what makes an ‘Excellent’ piece of work. Similar to a moderation process used at Years 11/12. Have a go at marking work using the Achievement Standards and discuss within your group.
        • Have a go at creating some assessment tasks using the Achievement Standards. Select an assessable element
          from the content and create a task that uses the Achievement Standards to assess this.

What is so great about schools in Finland?

Published by Nick

Lately I have read a few different articles on Finland and its Education system. Described as a model of a thriving, innovative education system that focuses on students the Finish system is being held up as one of the leading education systems in the world. Interestingly it does not match closely with the UK, US or dare I say it Australia’s system which seems focused on places like the UK and US. We have NAPLAN, the My Schools Website and in the near future (2014) our first performance paid teachers. Some of the key features of the Finish system are:

  • No private schools
  • High level administrators have worked as teachers
  • They don’t focus on tests
  • Teaching is revered
  • They trust teachers

From the final paragraph

“You know, one big difference in thinking about education and the whole discourse is that in the U.S. it’s based on a belief of competition,” Sahlberg said. “In my country, we are in education because we believe in cooperation and sharing. Cooperation is a core starting point for growth.”

Does our system encourage sharing and cooperation or competition?

Read the full article by Tina Barseghian here.

How do you handle change?

Published by Nick

Education is going through some significant changes at the moment. A new curriculum and a more intense focus on pedagogy and teacher performance. The Federal Government (rightly or wrongly) wants to reward high performing teachers, they want to rate teachers on a yearly basis using the newly formed Professional Standards for Teachers that focus on our pedagogy. As well as these “system” based changes there are those changes that are occurring because they are part of our and our students daily lives. Web 2.0, iPhones, iPads, Android Tablets, educational apps, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, Cloud technology, online gaming ……. it can be all a bit overwhelming.

So considering all of the rapid changes occurring in education at the moment how do you see the next 5 years in education? How will you handle all the change?

I like the following quote about change, I think it sums up nicely that fear we have when we are between the comfortable and the new.

It’s not so much that we’re afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it’s that place in between that we fear… It’s like being between trapezes. It’s Linus when his blanket is in the dryer. There’s nothing to hold on to. ~ Marilyn Ferguson

Here is an interesting blog post by Canadian teacher Joe Bower on change. The lizard brain, ninjas and pedagogy