School: Island Bay School
Year Level: 2
Teacher: Jennifer Hunt
Focus area: Managing Self: To investigate ways to improve student capability to manage self including student understanding of self, especially their understanding of their own strengths and the strengths of their classmates
Research Questions:
Related to the deep understandings :
- Everyone is successful and has strengths, needs and asspirations
- I can contribute and learn from others
Implementation: Can we demonstrate improvement in the deep understandings over time?
Engagement : How engaged are the children in developing the deep understandings?
Knowledge : What knowledge and understandings of self has been developed?
Method:
A matrix detailing the breadth of expected complex performance in the deep understanding was developed. It was decided that the descriptors of complex performance in matrix needed to be very specific in order for the teacher to design learning and assess against them. Descriptors were developed for knowledge and understanding, not competency. Due to the young age of the children only 4 stages will be used with no beginning and proficient used within each stage.
LEVELS OF KNOWLEDGE | GENERIC SWELL KNOWLEDGE SCALE | SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE SUCCESS CRITERIA FOR THIS PROJECT |
An | 8. Proficient | Shows independence in using own strengths and strengths of others in a wide range of situations. (student rubric) I can ask and give help by myself. I can do this with different people during different activities |
A | 6. Proficient | Can use strengths to benefit others and invite others to help you. (student rubric) I help other people using my strengths and can ask others to help me. |
An | 4. Proficient | Can articulate the strengths and needs of others. (student rubric) I can talk about the strengths and needs of others. |
A | 2. Proficient | I can articulate simple statements about own strengths and needs. (student rubric) I can talk about my own strengths and needs. |
An initial assessment was taken in week 6 term one using the matrix. The children after discussion with peers place themselves on the matrix and then used picture and scribed text to justify their positioning. One to one conferencing during this enhanced children's knowledge of both the matrix and the deep understandings. The conferences also enabled the teacher to make beginning judgments on where the children were at. Four children (low, mid, upper, top) were selected for assessment purposes for this research project.
From the initial assessment four children were selected for ongoing monitoring. These children were ...
low -J; mid - O; upper - K; top - G
It was interesting to note that most of the class were at novice level in the initial assessment, even though we had been working on these deep understandings for some weeks. This altered my planning and teaching for the next few weeks.
Other assessments were collected as the topic was implemented. It was deemed important to collect multiple samples as we were seeking to ascertain whether the deep understanding is transferable to other situations and whether it is embedded (observed on more than one occasion across multiple contexts).
Learning Stories - activities designed to develop the deep understandings where key children were observed and their progress noted.
Learning story – Success Waka
Date: 8.4.08
DEEP UNDERSTANDING : I can contribute and learn from others.
WALT: identify our own strengths
TASK: crate a class waka with each child having their own paddle with their strengths written on it.
CRITERIA: Can you identify your own strengths and justify it?
The children were keen on the idea of class waka and in particular that I would take a photo of their faces. We brainstormed the different strengths we could have and why they would be a strength. The children identified two strengths to write onto their waka paddle. We then put all of the children and their paddles onto the waka. After finishing we completed a PMI on the waka.
G. commented that some people might not really know their strengths or they might need to change them.
K. and O. were able to use the class waka and success charts to identify someone who could help them with a specific topic.
J. needed help to use the waka and charts to identify an appropriate person.
Unless directed the children are not independently accessing experts from the waka or success charts – they just tend to ask friends or whom ever is close at the time.
Need to refer to the chart more often, also get children to reflect on who they asked for help at the end of the day and why. Also who they helped and why that person asked them. maybe transfer into the home situation – what can our parents help us with?
Learning story – Asking for help
Date: 14.4.08
DEEP UNDERSTANDING : Everyone is successful and has their own strengths, needs and aspirations
WALT: Ask for help
TASK: use the class waka and success charts to identify who could help us during the day after looking at the timetable
CRITERIA: Can you identify who to ask for help and explain why them?
As part of our morning class meeting we look at the timetable and share we are excited about and what we would like help with. We are now also identifying who we can ask when we need help with that subject.
G, K and O were able to use the class waka and success charts to identify someone who could help them with a specific topic. They were all able to say that they chose that person because it was on their paddle. Karma added that it was that person’s strength.
J was absent.
The children are getting better at knowing others strengths, but still need prompting to think about it. Maybe discuss how we can ask for help, when to ask for help etc in co-operative learning groups.
A final assessment was made at the end of the project with the children positioning themselves on the matrix again - with a justification of why they think they are there using pictures and text scribed by the teacher. During the completion of the matrix and picture one to one conferences with key questioning by the teacher aided in developing and clarifying the child's understanding and in teacher knowledge of the child.
Outcome 1. Engagement:
SCALE:
1 = never
2 = not very often
3 = about half the time
4 = often
5 = always
Note : The engagement reflection was very difficult to administer due to:
- Criteria being very dependent on classroom culture and environment. The class is based on a co-operative learning environment with high expectations in regard to participation and engagement, with interdependence, individual accountability, equal participation and interaction (Co-operative Learning in NZ Schools, Brown and Thomson, 2000) being valued and explicitly taught.
- Short time frame of pilot - esp to show deep understanding
- Subjective nature of the assessment
- The high level of parental support for learning outside the classroom.
STUDENTS ... | MEAN LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT | MEAN LEVELOF |
Offered ideas | 3.52 | 3.76 |
Asked questions | 3.44 | 3.44 |
Listened to and thought about other's ideas and responded respectfully | 4.00 | 4.00 |
Used positive body language related to task | 3.60 | 3.60 |
Perservered in order to enact related task | 3.28 | 3.36 |
Showed evidence of being active learners outside school time | 3.52 | 3.52 |
Showed interest in directing their own learning | 4.68 | 4.68 |
Had behavioural issues that impacted on their learning | 2.16 | 2.16 |
Show evidence of using what they have learnt | 3.32 | 3.44 |
The children improved in their ability to offer ideas, persevere and using what they have learnt. However these improvements were minor and may be within margin of error esp when considering the subjective nature and human error (and caffeine intake for the day)
Outcome 2. Deep Understadning:
SWELL | # OF STUDENTS ACHIEVING AT LEVEL BEFORE PROJECT | # OF STUDENTS ACHIEVING AT LEVEL AT END OF PROJECT |
8. Proficient 7. Beginning | 0 | 1 |
6. Proficient 5. Beginning | 1 | 6 |
4. Proficient 3. Beginning | 1 | 13 |
2. Proficient 1. Beginning | 22 | 4 |
Conclusions:
Implementation: Can we demonstrate improvement in the deep understandings over time?
The children needed a lot of unpacking to grasp the deep understanding and the related matrix. The use of the matrix during multiple sessions, with multiple contexts aided in this. The use of learning stories enabled me as their teacher to improve my knowledge of the child's learning, understanding and engagement with the deep understanding. The use matrix has clearly shown an increase in the children's complex performance related to the two key deep understandings.
Engagement : How engaged are the children in developing the deep understandings?
This is difficult, needs a wide range of assessment tools that are contextualized, individual and flexible. The use of learning stories along side the complex matrix provided a base for which to show improvement. The children developed their awareness of their own strengths and needs and began to grasp the idea of interdependence alongside individual responsibility to themselves and the class. Having the children justify their position along the matrix increased engagement and also regular referrals to the matrix and the goals set by the children kept the deep understanding "ontop" and in focus.
Knowledge : What knowledge and understandings of self has been developed?
Because knowledge and understanding of self were an integral part of the deep understandings the children have clearly become more aware of their own strengths and needs and begun to extend their awareness to others. They still need to work on understanding why someone might ask them for help - they don't connect their strengths to others needs without prompting.
Key notes -
- simplify matrix to suit age level
- use a range of assessment methods
- collaborate with children to develop matrix, assessment tools, activities
- all data must be considered in the context of the classroom environment, activities and individual children
1 comment:
great risk - great success
Way to go Jen
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