This week we (Korepo) are focused on our kaupapa ako thinking and a great 'robust' conversation began during Monday's session on what our kaupapa ako sessions could run like and whether our thinking of 6 tasks should be compulsory or of choice.
I was of the thinking that choice should be the case and that for some learners they could be hooked and then not want to do the other tasks.
My thinking was that we would hook then engage personalised planning to drive learning areas that were missing from the initial task. Having been a advocate of integration i saw this as a given thought. I was wary that some links could be token measure but saw that literacy was a given for all tasks and with the right research numeracy could be added with a problem/question.
I was scared by our conversation that we were going down the line of Hobsonville Point and Rototuna and linking just 2 curriculum areas and having fixed co-teaching pairs.
This is my thinking for Monday.
Monday, 12 December 2016
Sunday, 11 December 2016
Weeks 8 & 9: Ako
I am a huge advocate of reflection in learning and have used for many years in my learning spaces. It was important to me that a reflection is a true reflection and not just a token reflection that ticks a box for my site.
Therefore this reflection has been one that has grown through now 6 drafts, I was struggling with both finishing the post and then publishing the post with the fact it was going to be read and or commented on. I was struggling with how my honesty would be perceived.
It began as a reflection of the Apple IT sessions and how disengaged myself and the majority of the kaiako were. The sessions were run as a whole instead of smaller groups and I wrote on my post-it what's fun for some isn't fun for all. Don't get me wrong I love IT but I felt I was learning something that I had to listen to rather than play. I am a kinesthetic learner and while I waited for the app to download I was unable to play and lost my engagement because I was having to learn by listening and watching rather than doing. I was however impressed with the facilitators realising the disengagement and finishing the lesson earlier rather than persevere and this led me to reflect on the
concept of ako especially as our week developed in to the nineth week with our puna ako sessions.
Utilising the reading/ definition Mel shared with us 'The principle of ako affirms the value of the pair and group learning approaches in which students interact with their peers, teacher, tasks, and resources'. the reading stated that 'these are very effective approaches for teaching and learning te reo Māori' but for me its for all learning. Reciprocity between a learner and a teacher is vital in my thinking especially in relation to engagement.
As a learner like in the Apple IT, I was feeling disengaged because I was feeling bored in the task type and the repetitiveness of the task process. I enjoyed the robust conversations we had as a group but was wary that not all wanted to talk or got to speak up. We were now taking our unlearning and testing the waters and for some we were all at different places on the continuum.
This boredom and disengagement meant I couldn't delve deeper in my thinking and I was token engaged. I was frustrated especially when I asked to revisit the task process I wasn't listened to. This frustration compounded and erupted the next week when a collective purpose was reworded by our kaiarahi and I felt in someways disrespected. I liked the revamp, it made sense but I was disheartened that the collective process we were forced to follow wasn't abided by to achieve it.This frustration made me query the purpose of the next task we were given.
This led in to a quite a robust conversation about how we were feeling about the task and the majority of the korepo team were thinking the same thing. Credit to Jono and Paul they took it, digested it and listened and as a result I finished week 9 engaged and feeling respected.
Taking a piece from Mel's definition is fitting: 'Embracing the principle of ako enables teachers to build caring and inclusive learning communities where each person feels that their contribution is valued and that they can participate to their full potential. This is not about people simply getting along socially; it is about building productive relationships, between teacher and students and among students, where everyone is empowered to learn with and from each other.'
And as I read and tweak my reflection today after a great puna ako session focussed on kaupapa ako; I relish in the fact that people can be honest about their thinking and our conversations can be debate-like or robust as we like to say. We're making it work for us and owning it as korepotanga.
It made me also think of myself in the sense of ako and how the 'real' essence of ako can be lost when the learner doesn't feel engaged or respected. How often do we as kaiako use a tone of voice when we don't like result of collective thinking and tweak it to speed the process along or redirect the process. How reciprocal is this and who really benefits?
Therefore this reflection has been one that has grown through now 6 drafts, I was struggling with both finishing the post and then publishing the post with the fact it was going to be read and or commented on. I was struggling with how my honesty would be perceived.
It began as a reflection of the Apple IT sessions and how disengaged myself and the majority of the kaiako were. The sessions were run as a whole instead of smaller groups and I wrote on my post-it what's fun for some isn't fun for all. Don't get me wrong I love IT but I felt I was learning something that I had to listen to rather than play. I am a kinesthetic learner and while I waited for the app to download I was unable to play and lost my engagement because I was having to learn by listening and watching rather than doing. I was however impressed with the facilitators realising the disengagement and finishing the lesson earlier rather than persevere and this led me to reflect on the
concept of ako especially as our week developed in to the nineth week with our puna ako sessions.
Utilising the reading/ definition Mel shared with us 'The principle of ako affirms the value of the pair and group learning approaches in which students interact with their peers, teacher, tasks, and resources'. the reading stated that 'these are very effective approaches for teaching and learning te reo Māori' but for me its for all learning. Reciprocity between a learner and a teacher is vital in my thinking especially in relation to engagement.
As a learner like in the Apple IT, I was feeling disengaged because I was feeling bored in the task type and the repetitiveness of the task process. I enjoyed the robust conversations we had as a group but was wary that not all wanted to talk or got to speak up. We were now taking our unlearning and testing the waters and for some we were all at different places on the continuum.
This boredom and disengagement meant I couldn't delve deeper in my thinking and I was token engaged. I was frustrated especially when I asked to revisit the task process I wasn't listened to. This frustration compounded and erupted the next week when a collective purpose was reworded by our kaiarahi and I felt in someways disrespected. I liked the revamp, it made sense but I was disheartened that the collective process we were forced to follow wasn't abided by to achieve it.This frustration made me query the purpose of the next task we were given.
This led in to a quite a robust conversation about how we were feeling about the task and the majority of the korepo team were thinking the same thing. Credit to Jono and Paul they took it, digested it and listened and as a result I finished week 9 engaged and feeling respected.
Taking a piece from Mel's definition is fitting: 'Embracing the principle of ako enables teachers to build caring and inclusive learning communities where each person feels that their contribution is valued and that they can participate to their full potential. This is not about people simply getting along socially; it is about building productive relationships, between teacher and students and among students, where everyone is empowered to learn with and from each other.'
And as I read and tweak my reflection today after a great puna ako session focussed on kaupapa ako; I relish in the fact that people can be honest about their thinking and our conversations can be debate-like or robust as we like to say. We're making it work for us and owning it as korepotanga.
It made me also think of myself in the sense of ako and how the 'real' essence of ako can be lost when the learner doesn't feel engaged or respected. How often do we as kaiako use a tone of voice when we don't like result of collective thinking and tweak it to speed the process along or redirect the process. How reciprocal is this and who really benefits?
Tuesday, 29 November 2016
Week7: Transitioning Akonga
Loving taking the time to transition Tre (and others) by sharing my excitement. Tre is a student I have worked with my 2 & 3/4 years at Aranui and who is verbalising that he doesn't want to come "Too scared". He is initiating this conversation because he associates me now with Haeata. But by being with him, showing photos he turns his conversation around to what he will take and what colours the buildings are. Anxiety is huge for our community and its a privilege to be part of a positive influence.
Week 7: Warriors/ Mt Smart Stadium
Loved the programme that the Warriors have for their developing players. How an individual plan at Haeata could cater for the learner.
This statement made me reflective and appreciative of the time we have now to prepare for 2017 and the need to have the 'will to prepare' and in my thinking the will to not over-prepare. I am quite comfortable with the fact nothing is set in place and planning for ākonga is not happening. We are preparing our minds and unlearning our restrictive default settings.
Week 7: Ronotuna
Loved the approach by the Principal in his approach of letting the ākonga inform/show us how the school works. Our guides Ella and Cooper were very passionate about their school and proud of their learning. I appreciated the fact that the DP shared the changes they made with respect to the timetable.
I was surprised/gutted to see that one teacher (with 2 other teachers immersed amongst) and a large group of 50/60 kids learning. I saw this in 2 spaces. I liked the design modules when the teacher was difficult to spot and groups/ individuals were working and explaining their learning. The teacher spaces were also used for storage.
I took the opportunity to check out the lunchtime space. It was a fundraising day and a water slide, cake stall were raising money. An idea to take away for our first day- music playing, dancing space.
Liked the scooter space and that scooter ramps had been made/designed by learners.
Week 7: Hobsonville
Multi-disciplinary learning - 2 subjects taught by teachers whose strengths were these. The modules were designed by staff.
To support ākonga with their self-directed learning their were clocks everywhere. Interesting that these were all analogue clocks. Does this affect some who have struggled to tell time?
Space was light and airy. Learning process (hexagons) were on walls and transparent to all. Staff voice/plans were transparent and not made pretty. Documentation was not redone to be neat and flash.
Concerns were the teacher space and Learning hubs had their fixed space. Really wary of this happening organically. Surprised to see the tables/desks all facing the TV with a traditional class number of desks. I hope we don't work in this way- like to see groups and that video is accessed through different platform.
chewing gum- great to see that Maurie (the Principal) did not comment to students their use of chewing gum in the learning spaces.
Saturday, 26 November 2016
Week 6: School Engagement Reflection
Personally I really enjoyed all 3 of the sessions engaging with the learners. I was initially nervous pre-AHS visit but this anxiety quickly dissipated when I recognised a third of the faces and engaged right from the start. Both sessions at AHS I engaged with learners sho I had not worked with before and was excited by their excitement about the building and their passions leading their learning.
I was really disappointed with the turn-out at Aranui Primary School. A lot of the ākonga are struggling with change and anxious about the new. It was a low-key visit made worse by some late arrivals and a small number.
Week 5: contributing to mai time
At the beginning of week 4, Rebecca Wilson asked Julie and I to run some Samoan language sessions for kaiako. I reflected on how I learnt to speak Samoan and I organised some akonga from Aranui Primary School to tutor the kaiako. I shared a google slide for the girls to work from. The girls provided pronounciation feedback for the kaiako. It was a pleasing outcome. However we just had one session due to kaiako choosing to not attending. I hope that I also modelled through the mai time enabling akonga to be kaiako.
Week 4's reflection
This is where I was at, at the beginning of the week. My head was full of words I was trying to remember, my shoulders were full of knots from sitting, yet my heart was loving what I was hearing. I finished the week in Fiji- knot free-thanks to a Fijian massage and the time away to make sense, take a break and breath.
For me I began week 5 with a sense of clarity, confidence and knot free.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)