Focusing Inquiry for 2017

Malo e Lelei, Kia Orana, Kia Ora, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Talofa Lava and greetings to you all.

After Considering

1. My School’s targets
2. Woolf Fisher Feedback from 2016
3. Manaiakalani CoL Achievement Challenges

My inquiry this year as a CoL teacher is ...

To accelerate students achievement by providing multiple opportunities for student talk using open and authentic contexts and questions in all areas of their learning.

• Multimodal texts
• Balance of student and teacher talk ie. Taking-turn - teacher, student, student, student, teacher
• Develop cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP).  

Based on Aaron Wilson’s seven inquiry questions

To what extent:

1. Is there balance between teacher talk and  student talk? (e.g. # of words)
2. Does turn-taking follow a teacher-student-teacher-student ping-pong pattern? (Rather than teacher-student-student-student-teacher)
3. Are teacher questions open and authentic questions?
4. Does the text have a voice?
5. Are student responses elaborated with reasons, evidence, examples from the text?
6. Does the teacher use talk moves to keep the discussion moving in productive directions?
7. Do teachers and students have a shared understanding of the purposes, barriers and enablers for talk about text?

Target Group

These five new entrants in my class are sitting just below the National norm. I hope to see them working at their year level's expectations at the end of the year for all levels. At our school, based on last year's achievement data, Maori students and Pasifika boys are the ones whom we are going to be targetted this year.

Knowing my learner

Name	Data (JAM, GLOSS) Reading Writing Maths	Strengths	Gaps
Maori	Level 2 Pre Stage 1-2	Remember meaning	Very few letters known and their sounds - still cannot point finger as he reads - needs to learn to hold information in the head for a while
Maori	Level 1 Pre Stage 1-2	Still developing confidence	Very few letters known and their sounds - still cannot point finger as he reads - needs to learn to hold information in the head for a while
Maori	Level 2 Pre Stage 2	Can talk or make a story about the book Can point as she reads	Very few letters known and their sounds - still cannot point finger as he reads - needs to learn to hold information in the head for a while
Samoan	Level 1 Pre Stage 1-2	Can read few HW correctly Begin to follow the story (meaning)	Very few letters known and their sounds - needs to learn to hold information in the head for a while
Maori	Level 2 Pre Stage 2	Enthusiastic about reading	Learn few words (HF) Strong with using of meaning to read her book

Reading - blue        Maths - Red        Writing - Pink

ACTION PLAN

Last year our school wide focus was on Maths. We were using Mixed Ability Groupings and Talk Moves as strategies in teaching Maths. This year our school is encouraging teachers to use the same strategies plus other TESSOL strategies in teaching Reading and Writing.

TALK MOVES

Wait time – individual think time

Revoicing - So you’re saying... Is that right?

Repeating http://mathsolutions.wistia.com/medias/09lyt1vbry

Reasoning – Agree/Disagree?

Prompting – Can you add on?