MANUREWA WEST PRIMARY SCHOOL - In Pursuit of Effective Excellence in Learning and Teaching Practice 2018 - Manurewa West ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
MWPS
MANUREWA WEST PRIMARY SCHOOL
In Pursuit of
Effective Excellence in
Learning and Teaching Practice
2018
- Embracing the Transformational building blocks of 2017 to build futuristic pathways for Teachers and
Learners of Manurewa West Primary School 2018
“We all live under the same sky, but we don’t all have the same horizon.”
Konrad Adenauer – 2009 (Futuristic Educator)
A presentation and focus direction for Staff, Board of
Trustees, Students, and Learning Community of
Manurewa West Primary School 2018.
Dave Wallis
Principal
February 2018MWPS Contents:
Page 1 Introduction
Page 2 Manurewa West Learning Principles
Page 3 cont’d
Page 4 Student as Effective Learner
Page 5 Difference between Teaching and Learning
Page 6 Reflective Activity – Folding Arms
Page 7 And So
Page 8 Effective Teaching Requires Supportive Accountability
Page 9 The “ATE” Platforms
Page 10 Presentation Activity
Page 11 Providing Exciting Learning Pathways into the “Future”
Page 12 Where to for us
Page 13 Implications for Education Systems / Teaching Quality and Teacher Quality
Page 14 ConclusionMWPS
Imagine our students, after an interactive, engaging, and progressive school year, saying
“WOW! I’ve had a great year, and learned a lot !
I can’t wait for next year to start!”
The learning opportunities that we (MWPS) connect our students to, and scaffold through effective
teaching practice, need to be applied in such a way, that our students at MWPS will experience learning
success, continuing progress and motivation, and on-going enjoyment of doing what they do, well.
“All kids need a little help, a little hope and someone who believes in them.”
- Magic Johnson (USA Basketball)
“We want the special magic that is Manurewa West Primary School, to light up the learning pathways for
every student that is blessed to be on our school roll!!”
- Dave Wallis Principal 2018
Therefore, to guide our MWPS understanding of learning, and how we will apply the essential Learning
Principles that will support engaged and meaningful learning progressions, the following needs to apply.
Page 1MANUREWA WEST LEARNING PRINCIPLES
MWPS
We know learning is effective when:-
Learners feel secure and supported
Therefore, learners need a positive and respectful learning environment in which it is safe to succeed or to make mistakes
and try again. They need to know they can ‘ask the question’ as well as ‘being asked the question.”
Learners understand the purpose of the Learning
Therefore, goals/learning intentions should be explicit, and learning should occur in context with connections to the world
beyond Manurewa West Primary School.
Learners construct new understanding by building upon Prior knowledge
Therefore it is important that new learning is connected to what the learner has previously experienced or understood.
Learners listen, talk and interact with others
Therefore, learners must have a range of opportunities to engage with others in a variety of situations, and ways.
Learners construct meaning by making connections between knowledge and concept
Therefore, learning experiences need to be organised around core concepts.
Learners are appropriately challenged
Therefore, learning opportunities should align with their instructional level , and the individual needs of learners.
Learners use timely and goal directed feedback
Therefore, on-going assessment should be regular and structured in a manner that allows for SPECIAL FEEDBACK to guide the
student
in constructing their next step (learning!).
Learners have time for meaningful and deliberate practice
Therefore teacher programmes, and class environments will provide opportunities to develop and improve skills and
understanding.
Page 2MWPS Learners think and act upon their learning
Therefore. Learners need opportunities to develop strategies/systems/steps to plan, monitor, reflect and make
adjustments to learning, as needed.
And
Learners challenge and critique their learning, and that offered by others, as well as from Factual/fiction;
fact/opinion; relevant information sources.
Therefore, learners need to know that just because information comes from a book, or internet, or authoritive
sources, it need not mean that it is correct. The key is to learn how to authenticate information from sources
available.
Those who educate children well are more
to be honoured than those who produce
them!!
- American Association for Advancement of
Science
Page 3The Manurewa West Primary School student should become an effective learner who has
the capacity to develop, and demonstrate, that he/she is a:-
MWPS
Critical Thinker Self - Manager
Communicator
Creative Innovator Applicator of Learning to new
contexts
Responsible, and
Collaborative participant reflective learner
The Manurewa West Primary School Curriculum should be a curriculum that is not crowded or cluttered.
Rather it should be focused on what the kids want to know, and how they’re going to know it.
Then the key for them to become an engaged learner is to construct the curriculum around activity – variety – time – co-operation
and independence – resourcing, and support to experience success”.
High achievement always takes place in the Framework of high expectations
- Charles Kettering
Page 4The difference between Teaching and Learning?
MWPS For us at Manurewa West Primary School,
Teaching takes place at the time!
whilst
Learning takes place over time !
Currently, our pathway for Teaching and Learning development embraces the Spiral of Inquiry Learning, and
Formative Teaching Practice as key essentials to effective Learning, and effective Teaching.
In the spiral of Inquiry Learning, Learning Styles have often been referred to as scientific ways in which some students
learn best.
I strongly encourage the view, that:
Learning styles need to be about making all students learn, NOT knowing the different ways of how some, and
others, learn.
A further myth of recent past (at MWPS) has been that Learning Styles are the key to effective learning – let us see
why this isn’t true!
“A healthy attitude is contagious but don’t wait to catch it from others – ‘Be a Carrier!’
- Tom Stoppard
Page 5REFLECTIVE ACTIVITY: e.g. Folding Arms Activity
MWPS
Fold your arms.
Now fold them the other way.
Your default ‘fold’ is like learning is to children.
It is the most comfortable.
Doing it in a different way, is like some learning is to children, therefore it needs practice to perfect.
i.e. the long term memory needs to change!
Therefore “CHANGE” as an agent influences effective teaching, and helps support effective teachers!
Consider the following:
e.g. – Teacher task – We need to improve student achievement.
• This requires improving teacher quality e.g. Targeted Professional Development
• Making it dependent on student empowerment (learning), takes too long
• So we have to make the teachers we have, better
• We can change teachers in a range of ways
• Some will change in a way within their practice which benefits students, and some will not (always do what you’ve always
done! NOT at MWPS !)
• Those that do (improve student achievement) involve changes in teacher practice
Our focus at Manurewa West Primary School is to support changing practice, and new kinds of teacher learning
– (supported by new models of professional development).
“Effective teaching is not decided at the end of a unit topic when you test the students.
We should know at all times how our students are learning, so that we adjust along the way to support their learning needs at
that time!”
- Dylan Wiliam
Page 6MWPS AND SO!
Teaching can be demanding, challenging, as well as satisfying, stimulating, and straight out ‘HARD WORK’.
If I was to know that at the end of a day, you were tired, then I would hope your students would be ‘exhausted’, because the
range of learning interactions – challenges – and experiences which had got them to think and respond throughout the day,
and to engage and build success around the learning task, were what led to that intrinsic exhaustion.
TO DISGRESS AND AS AN IDEA!
I offer a suggestion to a dimension of (formative) teaching practice.
E.g. Not always is a Learning Intention at the start of the lesson, the best way. This is because some studies may not have a
defined end, or in short, you don’t know where the journey is heading.
Sometimes the excitement of a learning destination is eroded when that destination is made known from the start.
Therefore there are times when the children don’t need to know at the outset – maybe at a later time of the lesson
development.
Successful Education?
The test of successful education is not the amount of knowledge that a student takes away from school, but his/her appetite
to know and their capacity to learn. If the school sends out children with the desire for knowledge and some idea how to
acquire and use it, it will have done its work. Too many leave school with the appetite killed and the mind loaded with
undigested lumps of information. The good schoolmaster is known by the number of valuable subjects he declines to teach.
- The Future in Education (Livingstone, 1941 pg 28)
Page 7MWPS Effective Teaching Requires Supportive Accountability.
I believe
What is needed from teachers is a commitment to:
The continual improvement of practice
Focus on those things that make a difference to students
What is needed from our school Leadership Team,
Is a continuing commitment to engineer effective learning environments for teachers at MWPS by:
Creating expectations for continually improving practice
Keeping the focus on the things that make a difference to students
Providing the time, space, flexibility, and support for innovation
Supporting risk-taking
In addition, with the cessation of National Standards into 2018, which had created a focus on results (data) driven
learning, we now have a much preferred opportunity to focus on the development of learners.
“Always remember that a C+ grade can be like an Olympic Medal where we know their effort has been that of a
Champion” - unknown
For those of us at MWPS, how might the:
• Continual improvement of teaching practice
• Focus on those things that make a difference to students, LOOK for 2018?
Page 8Teacher Planning – The key to having an effective and learning-centred Classroom Programme
MWPS The ‘ATE’ Platforms
of
Thinking ! Questioning ! Learning ! And Teaching !
at
Manurewa West Primary School
2018
‘8’ – Lucky Chinese Numeric Symbol
“– ATE” : 2018 – The Year of the – ATE!
Innovate Educate Motivate Stimulate
Create Collaborate Cultivate Activate
Integrate Investigate Demonstrate Evaluate
Simulate Regulate Speculate Celebrate
Mediate Formulate Inter-relate Initiate
De-contaminate Captivate Discriminate Generate
Negotiate Substantiate Frustrate Incorporate
Incorporate Appropriate
• ‘Captivate your teachable moments !!’
• ‘A classroom of Learners is a Learning Classroom’
• teacher effectiveness’
• ‘Enjoyment; a wish to be part of learning achievement’
• making a difference’ self’
others’
• ‘An intrinsic quest to add to what’s new today, with some ‘newer tomorrow!’
• ‘ Key vocabulary for everyone – Success! Achievement! Progress! Confidence! Enjoyment! Pride! Celebrate! Grow!
Page 9MWPS Presentation Activity
In groups, discuss and identify TEACHING (T) and LEARNING (L) contexts
that your “-ATE “ platforms relate to, and ‘pin’ on the display board
T L
Page 10MANUREWA WEST PRIMARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM
MWPS Providing exciting Learning pathways into the ‘Future’
Digital Learning Inquiry Arts
• Robotics • Deeper Questioning • Music - Playground
• Activ Panel • Coding across the Curriculum - Classroom/Jelly Beans
- Zoom • Analytical/Moderation Conversations - Choir
- Flipcharts • Kinaesthetic/Visual/Tactile/ Discovery • Drama - Plays
- Video Conferencing - Role Play
• Multi Media Project Learning - Movement
- Integrations - Learning Rubric’s • Arts and Craft
- Visual presentations - Parent Connect
• School Radio Station
• Mobile devices/Outdoors
- Study Skills Literacy Rich Classroom
- Integrated Learning
- Independent approach Environments
- Inquiry Questioning - Current
- Student Centred
- High standard/ Display quality!
S.T.E.A.M Culture Enviro’ School Sport
- Science • Maori - Garden - School
- Technology • Pasifika - Healthy Foods & Nutrition - Inter School
- Engineering • Indian - Recycling/Waste - Field marking
- Arts • Celebrate Diversity - Equipment
- Mathematics - Add ‘Mini ‘ Van
Health – 2018 Year Student Culture Teacher Development
Planning/Focus - Leadership - A.L.L
- Healthy School/Physical Activity - Voice - A.L.i.M
- Health Expo - Values Education - Teacher Aide PD
- Parent Workshops (SWiS) - School Displays - Global PD
- Student Posters - Student Murals - Principal Research (Global)
- Cultural Connections
“Invest in the Education Economy to make a nation progressive and successful.
Page 11Where to for us !
MWPS
For Manurewa West Primary School teachers, - 2018
Being an effective teacher, very good in our practice, and influencing our student’s learning, is a given norm,
and expectation.
When we say “We are doing our best”, or “I’m trying my hardest,” or ‘I’m doing what I can,” we should not see
that as a level of performance, or seek acknowledgement that ‘there was nothing more that could be done.”
Such examples of comment are merely the ‘new’ norm, where it is an expectation without question or debate
that as a norm “doing your best’; ‘trying your hardest’; etc. is a fundamental expectation of teaching at
Manurewa West Primary School.
What our line of responses should be when asked how effective are we as teachers, we should be saying “I’m
really making good progress – How can I improve?” or ‘What do I need to change?’ or ‘What have I learned,
and what do I need to do next?’
That is what effective teachers at Manurewa West primary School will be doing – making inquiries of ourselves,
questioning our own responses, critiquing our teaching practice, being responsive to change if need be, and
reflecting on how our practice is impacting on others.
We are all leaders of learning in our successful school, each of us can expect to grow our professional
potential further, we want to be the ‘best and brightest’ teachers we can possibly be, in order to brighten the
days of every learner we support.
Page 12MWPS
Implications for Education Systems Teaching Quality and Teacher Quality
• Currently all teachers slow, and most actually stop • Teaching quality depends on a number of factors:
improving after two or three years in the classroom - The time teachers have to plan teaching
- The size of classes
• Expertise research therefore suggests that they are - The resources available
only beginning to scratch the surface of what they - The skills of the teacher
are capable of - P.D applied
• What we need is to persuade those with a real • All these are important. But the quality of our
passion for working with young people as teachers, to teachers seems to be especially important
continue to improve as long as they stay in the job - Replacing poor performing teachers with better
ones, or
• There is no limit to what we can achieve if we support - Investing in the teachers we already have
our teachers in the right way
• As best as is possible the Manurewa West Primary
School Strategic Goal focusses on:-
- Recruitment of the right teacher to do the job; to
- Dylan Wiliam 2014 grow them professionally, and resource their
practice, whilst also understanding the need to
support and accelerate Student Learning
achievement
“WHEN ONE TEACHES, TWO LEARN”
Dave Wallis - 2017
- Robert Heinlein
Page 13MWPS Conclusion
In my 2017 presentation, my theme of TRANSFORMATION provided the fertility from which the 2018 theme of
‘In Pursuit of Effective Excellence in Learning and Teaching 2018” can grow.
I acknowledge the professional commitment of all staff given to ensuring the successful outcomes of our collegial,
professional focus (2017), were realised.
I am confident there are many new Learning pathways that will generate much excitement as we
innovate, create, collaborate, motivate, and evaluate etc. etc!, the many opportunities that students will focus
their learning around in 2018.
Teachers reflecting on their teaching practice, and being prepared to change to embrace other (new) ways to
set up interesting learning environments for students, will undoubtedly influence the success we believe will be
imminent from our 2018 focus.
I extend to each and every one of our staff a most exciting, rewarding, and professionally satisfying year. I hope
by the end of 2018 school year, you will reflect on your learning journey throughout the year, and know that you
have arrived at a more desirable destination of professional practice and personal growth.
Best Wishes
Noho ora mai
Na “ People don’t buy what you do!
David Wallis They buy why you do it!”
PRINCIPAL
- Tom Hierck (USA)
February 2018
Page 14You can also read
