Professional Development

Numicon - 1st March 2018

Numicon - a multi-sensory approach to mathematics

Reflection:  Implemented over term 1 and term 2 with some success for our lower learners struggling to understand number or with learning difficulties.  I enjoy the approach in that it gives exposure to number, algebra and calculating.  It is very hands-on and easy to teach with the step-by-step manual to follow.  Children making progress against ICAN goals with learning through the Numicon program.

Next steps:  Handover to co-teacher in term 3 to put Numicon training into practice.  Using it to higher ability students who are having trouble seeing the inverse relationship of numbers and family of facts to help multiplication and division development.

Storytelling - 12th March & 29th May 2018

Reflection:  Implemented over 2018 as our oral language & writing program to accelerate literacy in our year 3 cohort.  So far children are increasing their vocabulary (as seen in verbal and written language) and particularly enjoy the role play elements and innovations on the story.  We do need to move quickly through stories as only getting through 1 per term.  Also, all teachers need to be taking through to writing.  This will provide evidence for whether we have success or not as part of our inquiry.  The stories are challenging to learn and retell and I think for me if my storytelling isn't delivered confidently then it affects the children's retelling.

Next steps:  In term 3 complete one story (including writing) by week 6 before Ngaire (CORE) is in to help analyze whether the program is successful.  Provide opportunities in the classroom for children to independently 'play' with props etc to practice retelling.

Disruption - Mark Treadwell - 16th April 2018

Reflection:  A PD opportunity to compare the IPC with Mark's Global Curriculum which has a conceptual approach to learning as opposed to a contextual/thematic approach.  I agree that we shouldn't be teaching knowledge and this may be the disadvantage of IPC as it does have a 'theme' approach to learning. Treadwell advocates competencies being crucial now and knowing how to learn.  The brain needs 6 or 7 contexts before it 'maps' the pattern and concept.  Competencies need to be embedded before student agency will happen.  Oral language and being able to view information is important in today's world - knowledge is not as it is so accessible.

Next Steps:  This PD provided a start point and comparison to IPC.  Knowing how children/people learn is key to classroom practice.

Sue Bridges - 9th May

Sue Bridges (Literacy Specialist) spent the day in classrooms on Wednesday 9 May observing. The focus for the day was to look at writing practices across the school. Ngaire and Sue chatted to kids and to staff about what writing looks like at Rakaia.  The purpose was to move forward our collaborative teaching inquiries.

The timetable for the day

Time	Teacher
9:00 - 9:30	Sue catch up with Mark
9:30 - 10:15	Whānau Space - Natasha and Claire
10:15 - 11	Mahi Tahi Space - Lagan and Shane on release, Kara
Morning Tea	Catchup: Natasha and Claire
11: 20 - 12:30	Ako spaces - Elyse, (regular release teacher) Bridget, Alissa
Lunchtime	Catchup: Ako teachers
1:45	Catchup: Shane/ Lagan (if ok with Kara for just those two to catch up with Sue, otherwise lunchtime?
	Time to catch up with some students if Sue would like to.

CORE Education - Inquiry and Writing PD - ongoing throughout 2018

See Teaching Inquiry page for PD with Ngaire each term, readings completed and reflected upon (including play-based learning for year 3).

LINC-ED student management and reporting system - 17th May 2018

Reflection:  After attending an hour session with Paul from LINC-ED at Ashburton Borough I was sold on the idea of ongoing and 'real-time' reporting on children's progress through LINC-ED.  A one-stop shop for ongoing reporting & sharing of progress to parents, tracking progress (curriculum-wide), student agency (children posting evidence of meeting goals), support, appraisal, reporting to BOT etc.  I believe this approach is more inline to 21st Century reporting to parents as opposed to the incredible amount of time writing mid and end of year reports to parents of which the information is 'out of date,' takes an excessive amount of time that teachers could use to focus on teaching and learning.

Next steps:  LINC-ED has been compared with MUSAC's equivalent but the later lacks many of the features of LINC-ED and its track record for being easy to use isn't great.  I would like to see LINC-ED (with the right PD support) in place for 2019.  Parents and wider community need to be informed and views sort as is a big change.  Consideration will need to be given to parents who don't have WIFI access, how many updates per term to ensure consistency between teachers and syndicates, interviews - do these still happen?

Sheena Cameron & Louise Dempsey Writing PD - 24th May 2018


Reflection:  A highly engaging, practical writing workshop offering innovative and sound writing ideas.  The importance of sharing criteria, challenges for extension, hamburger model and the features that carry through all genres of writing, having variety in your program, incorporating ICT, shared and modeled writing (and editing) and the importance of this.  A fantastic PD course that has improved my practice.

Next steps:  Continue to review this PD especially as now teaching our lower writers (emergent to early writers).  Adapting my writing program to encompass shared experiences and writing activities suitable for this level of writer.

Nathan Mikaere-Wallace - 12th June 201

Reflection:  Well this man can talk and he knows his stuff!  A well-researched argument for play-based learning until 7 years.  I booked in to go to Nathan's presentation after Ngaire from CORE Ed suggested maybe our year 3's are not ready for cognitive learning as we had described them as socially and emotionally immature and their academic results low.  She referred us to a video link where he talks about the first 1000 days and the brain development of children e.g. children do not generally have their cognitive brain 'ready' for learning until they are 7.  In sum, children for the first 6 months are in their 'survival' (attachment) brain, 6 months to 2 years the movement brain, 2 years - 7 years social & emotional brain and 7-11 years the cognitive brain kicks in.  Therefore, children should be 'playing' until 7!  There are also a number of factors that lead to your success as a 32-year-old adult - parent at home for the first year of your life (secure attachment); firstborn, especially first-born girl; music & languages; same teacher for 2+ years etc.  It is a cultural myth that secondary schools have an impact on you as a 32-year adult.  It is a cultural myth that babies need to socialise with other babies - they don't, the primary caregiver and attachment are most important.


Next steps:  Had I understood and known about this research earlier in the year I think a play-based learning environment for our year 3 children would have been beneficial for them.  The tricky thing would have been balancing a program with our cognitively ready year 4 children.  The impact of the challenges we have had with this group of children has given management a chance to think more about whether our year 3 children remain part of the junior school.  This will be considered for 2019.  We now look towards providing more developmentally appropriate learning for our year 3's instead of full inquiry learning.  Prior to IPC, this would have seen the year 3's involved in 'developmental' or more project-based, experiential learning.  The challenging thing is how do we do this within the IPC pilot program?  It probably means separating the year 3 and 4's to provide an alternative, appropriate opportunities for each year group where we can.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018635221/when-should-a-child-learn-to-write

PLD - Opuke Community of Learning 2018

Focus:  Writing and mapping children against the Learning Progressions.

Reflection:  This PLD has been a little 'forced' and its relevance for us as an individual school questionable.  I have therefore taken it as a 'tool' to help our writing OTJ's if needed.  We have mapped our six year 3 benchmark children against the progressions and have a full report for their progress and next steps on the aspects/sets.  Overall we are either spot on or have been a little 'harsh' in our OTJ's according to this tool.  I still prefer our Rakaia rubric as the children know it, staff are well-versed in it.  Although he may need some slight tweaking and amendments e.g. to account for genre, planning etc.

• Tuesday - 22nd May
• Tuesday - 14 August (Middle Leaders catch-up)
• Thursday - 8th November (Middle Leaders PD with Evaluation Associates)
• Thursday - 15th November (Full Day - Arowhenua marae)

IPC - 9th July 2018/Observation date?/ Tuesday, Nov 6th 

LINC-ED intro & set up - Monday, Nov 7th

Herman-Brain - Leadership styles