RPI - Day 5

Going to try to make this post shorter so its an easier read. Lots of reminders today on timetabling everything in and was reassuring to hear the Manaiakalani take on the structured literacy, as this reflects the shifts we have been working towards as a school. With such a big class tracking progress is my biggest challenge. One thing that was really good to be able to reflect and play around with a range of Mahi tracker for students. I have previously used this system (with previous classes) but when I trialed it earlier in year I put it on the "to revisit" shelf as students needed to build digital and independent working capabilities in order for this become students driven. Currently I use a checklist as this is a way that I can keep track of work and students know their work is being tracked but making it more student led would be a great focus moving forward. I also liked the "TURN IT IN BUTTON" that was share on someones site.

Although this is a primary focus of our Kaikohekohe cluster the other part of its Kaupapa is to enable students to know they are both successful and to know their next steps. Students in TeAwa are going great guns with their reading and with responding to text and also being able to discuss with others what they are learning, as well as discuss the learning they are focusing on. Students knowing they are successful goes hand in hand with the awareness of their learning intentions (or goals), however developing their awareness of knowing their next steps and where they are headed is the tricky bit for Awa learners now. - This is like the holy grail.

One section that was a highlight was the section on Read like a writer and write like a reader. Although I try to do this already, I am excited to trial a could of the examples with my class in the coming weeks.

Todays Takeaways and celebrations really * Class are developing into really independent and engaged readers/learners

* Students are engaging in multiple texts on topics.

* Reading Tumbles are working well and providing both support and structure as well as extension and choice.

* Students are now becoming more capable digital learners and are making suggestions on "other" ways to share their learning on topics.

TO DO:

1. Keep on keeping on...
2. Re-trial the use of a Mahi tracker for students in Awa
3. Trial the Great Beginnings Task with class.
4. Introduce, model and reflect on the LtR rubric as a class during Shared reading and then ...
5. Create a further activity for students in my class that enables students to insert recordings of themselves reading a specific passage of text and then have both teacher and students use the LtR rubric to reflect on their fluency. - This is a carry on of last RPI days mahi as I think there will be real value in this.

RPI - Session 4

Todays Mahi was based around the following model for teaching of guided reading that is based on the work by Fountas & Pinnell, 2017

Introducing text and and purpose

Background, vocabulary and reading purpose key factors in setting students up for success - Prior to the reading. 

Observation

Today we recaped on this, and a number of tools that can be used for this.  A new one for me was the Listening to Reading which appears to be a good alternative to the traditional Running record.  One thing I really liked about this one was the fluency framework which makes it really clear to both teacher and student as to what reading fluently includes.  Often we talk about fluency with our students but don't really break it down to show students exactly what it means or looks like.  This also provides students with the opportunity to reflect themselves and in peers to critique their own reading practice.

We also used this framework to review a couple of our own students reading behaviours that we had preciously recorded.  In my class students are getting good at recording themselves but for the purpose of reviewing thier reading fluency it is something I want to keep exploring - As I trialed a couple of students reading their running record texts into a recording.  Initially with a TA in their proximity, but this is a work in progress.

I normally just stick with my traditional RR's and notes related to each child in groups in my own paper book of what and how they are going. 

Discussion

Part of the discussion here was really interesting as one of the ideas that was shared was that this is actually the point in the lesson that we actually do the discussion on the LI's and SC - rather than right at the beginning, as this provides students with the opportunity to just simply read for enjoyment/pleaseure and interest without being focused on the Specific task/focus of the lesson.  This enables students to get a deeper understanding and enagement with the text rather than being hyper vidilant on the acutal Key tasks for the lesson.

Teaching points 

As always this is where the LI's and SC really come into play and making sure that the learners really connect in with the focus of the lesson.  There was lots of discussion on the modeling book and its role in making the learning rewindable.

There were also some really cool prompts that were shared that could help to target students in their learning.  

Consolidation and independent practice

This was again good to look at other ideas and say how these are structured in a way to support continued learning.  Some of these examples incoporated some of the teaching points above.  I know that lots of this are very evident in my practice 

Todays Takeaways

• Trialling the LtR tool (will probably share this tool with our Phase team) as an alternative to RR's
• Continuing to build capacity of learners to record their reading with the focus on it being an assessment tool for me as their teacher (seperate to their reading and recording for pleasure).
• Trial the modeling book idea (as a digital tool for rewindable learning).