Critically Thinking About Text

Here are two activities that I used with my students to get them thinking critically about texts.

The first introduces to the art of debating, taking a point of view as the reader based on your own personal experiences, values and connecting these to the information in the text.

The second uses both information in the story and creativity to change the ending of the fairytale.

My students found both activities extremely motivating and the activities created brilliant opportunities to talk and listen to the viewpoint of others. 

Debating; What Should Jack Do?

1. What is a debate? We talked about the election and how the different parties had to tell the people of New Zealand why they should vote for them. We discussed that in a debate you share your point of view and give a reason. 

2. I then asked if the students thought that Jake should give the cow to the man in exchange for the magic bean or take the cow to the market like his mother asked?

3. I got the students to sit at opposite sides of the mat depending on whether they were 'for' giving the cow to the man, or 'against'. Those students undecided sat in the middle with me.

4. I then told the children it was their job to get me and the other students to move to their side of the mat by giving their argument with justification. I also gave the expectation that they would need to take turns to talk.

5. The debate went backwards and forwards, students listened to each other and even added on to what others were saying and responding to others on the opposing team. 

6. Once all students had their turn at sharing their arguments. I said that I was still undecided as everyone's arguments were fantastic. I then asked them to write at least two different arguments for or against and that I would then choose the winner.

Talk about motivated learners!!!! This was the most animated, vocal and excited I have ever seen them during literacy. The oral language, turn-taking and listening were incredible as was their creative and critical ideas.

I think Jack should listen to his mum because the man must be lying. That bean is fake! It must be fake because he (the man) just wants the cow to eat it.

By Rakeena

I think Jack should give the cow to the man because it (the bean) looks like a plant and it is green (referring to a picture of the beanstalk later in the book)! I think he can sell the bean to customers at the market and the customers can give the money to Jack and he could go home and give the money to mum.

By Virginia in response to Rakeena's argument.

Change The Ending To This Fairytale

Using the sentence starter the students had to write a different ending to the story.

1. I began by reading the big book to the class, stopping at this page. The children had read this text many times over the week so the students were very familiar with the plot. 

2. What if we changed the ending to this story. What if something different happened next? Turn and talk, if you could change the story what would happen?

3. The students then went off to write their endings using the story starter ... 'He crept inside the castle...'.

Jack crept inside the castle and saw a giant sleeping with a goose. The goose laid a gold egg. Inside the egg was a dragon in the egg. Jack went to get the goose and the egg. he went down and down the beanstalk. He went to the market and sold the goose and the egg. Jack got some money. he went to the shop and got some food. he went back home.

By Toko

Bilingual Approaches Open Linguistic Spaces

Below is an article published in the Education Gazette featuring Room 2's teaching and learning through a bilingual approach in an open linguistic space.

Incorporating the PELP programme into my everyday teaching practice is something I have been exploring as part of my CoL Inquiry into developing an intensive oral language acquisition programme to raise student achievement in literacy. The below whānau and student voice describes the effectiveness of the PELP programme for my learners.

Bilingual Approaches Open Linguistic Spaces

Tamaki Primary School whānau kōrero

Tamariki Q&A

Q: What do you like the most about reading stories in your first language?

A: Because it is my language. I have to speak more so I can be a Tongan person and know people that have passed away. It makes me happy to read books. It is hard to think about the story if you get stuck on it in English. Toko, 7

A: They make me smart. The books have stories and pictures, some are easy and some are hard. Virginia, 7

Q: What do you like the most about speaking your own language at school?

A: You get to teach people different languages and you get to see if anyone else knows your language. I don’t really know much about Niuean and I get to learn about it. Saryah, 6

A: I can teach the teachers how to speak in Tongan. I can speak in Tongan to my friends. Epalahame, 7

Whānau Q&A

Q: Has the Pasifika Early Literacy Project (PELP) helped your child?

A: YES, it has helped my child learn more about our language and culture and it has encouraged our family to speak more of our language at home.

Q: What do you like the most about the dual-language books?

A: The fact that the books have both English and Tongan versions; that way our children can understand what they are reading about and make connections to their culture.

Q: What difference does it make for you (and your child) that they can do some classroom learning in their own language?

A: It makes a huge difference, especially in today’s world. My children are encouraged in the classroom to use their language and it’s amazing for me as a mother, to hear them speak and understand. My child has also taken on the role of sharing and helping other students and teachers to speak our language and he shows great pride in sharing our Lea-fakatonga.

Q: Why do you think this is important?

A: It is significant that my children learn our Lea-fakatonga and to do that in the classroom is amazing. This is a part of their identity as a person and I believe that all our tamariki need to have access to learn their language and about their culture in order for our culture to thrive. This will also teach them how sacred all cultures are no matter the differences and beliefs; we are fortunate to live in Aotearoa as a country that encourages diversity. Jade Fonua

Presenting At Manaiakalani Wānanga

Today we presented our projects at the Manaiakalani Wānanga.

Public speaking never gets any easier. But with the support of my wonderful MIT colleagues, I did it...we did it.

Listening to my fellow MIT team members sharing their journeys and projects I felt so blessed to have been a part of this journey. Not only have I learnt through my own project but I have all of theirs too. I know that every single member of the teams Mahi has made an impact on not only my practice now but will do into the future. 

With a few little presenting hitches and a discovery that I need glasses (reading of my phone was a little tricky), the nerves subsided and my project was shared.

A big thank you to Dorothy and Matt for making this all happen. You are both amazing.

CoL 2021

 There are two areas I would like to focus my work on next year, one being my own inquiry focus and the other being affecting change across my school to better meet our students' needs.

 

For my own inquiry I’m wanting to continue to focus on literacy across the curriculum, that is my passion and area of expertise. I know that was my focus in my last inquiry, however, there have been surprises that have emerged which I feel need exploring, for example using drama and storytelling, and the effect my solid phonics programme has had on both reading and writing, both Elena - using drama within literacy, and Clarelle’s wonderings about phonics have inspired this thinking. 

I also want to further my understanding of culturally responsive teaching.

 

Raising literacy achievement especially in reading is a school-wide focus moving into next year and although I have experienced success in my own classroom through change of practice… I have yet to see this change of pedagogy spread across my team (which is something I had hoped for). The Manaiakalani findings through our junior data collection and the research into students starting school highlight the importance of accelerating our students within the first few years at school, building the foundations of early literacy and oral language acquisition. These findings are what challenge me and make me change my teaching to strive to be the best teacher I can be.

 

How would I like to be supported in 2021?

I would like to be supported by the new leadership within my school, and the experience of leaders across Manaiakalani to affect change of practice across school. I would love to investigate the 'how' of change. I want to learn more about change and how to inspire other teachers to change their pedagogy to better meet students' needs and to continue to help them, themselves, learn, create and share through inquiry. The uptake of teaching as inquiry across our school has been my biggest area of reflection, point of frustration and point of littlest success in my current inquiry (all of which tells me that it is the perfect area of learning for me as a leader). I have been aspiring to inspire teachers to do teaching as inquiry, I have explored using staff meetings, collaborative inquiries and sharing effective practise and PLD with some success but I still feel I have a long way to go. I’m excited about the new management within our school and the possible opportunity to make TAI something that we all do. TIA  is such a powerful change agent. I would love to work with my colleagues more on their inquiries within my school and across Manaiakalani. 

 

As well, I would like to align my inquiry with the vision of my new principal to support them in the leadership of the school providing data through my inquiry to help drive changes they envision for our school.

 

Learning Vocabulary Through Creating A Beebot World

Below is an example of the two-week topic that I used with my class. 

As I worked through the unit my focus was on vocabulary and giving multiple opportunities for students to use and reuse through hands-on experiences, and opportunities to talk with peers using that vocabulary. This is now always at the forefront of my mind as I teach. At the beginning of my inquiry, I found this was more of an effort....with practice it has now become automatic and something that has come through on observations of my practice. 

The result is that the students are talking more using the new vocab through multiple opportunities and the vocabulary and concepts attached to that vocabulary is coming through in their writing.