Day 3 AGQTP or is it day 4

Came late to this session - too busy discussing constructive teaching strategies with teachers.
Spend some time using the extended T chart which involves unpacking objectives (eg SACSA) and then using the chart to say what you want the students to know, at what Blooms level, and what skills the students need to achieve it.
Could be useful with the all-day session next term with Margaret.
We also discussed trying to understand the different levels of Blooms using three cups.
Knowledge - they are cups
Understand - they are reasonably big and either plastic or clear in colour.
Apply - use them to drink with
Analysis - one might hold more liquid, but another might be safer in a bathroom
Synthesis - create a new use for the cups - as a hat.
Evaluation - just how good each cup is according to its environmental impact.

We then spent some time on rubrics. It was good to go over this again and to hear that you should avoid putting too many levels (ie good, fair, excellent), otherwise it becomes unwieldy.
It was also useful to hear that student should be taught how to use them to help organise and prioritise their work for an assignment.

Finally, we did a PMI on our presentation. Must get students to do that with their own efforts.

The next day, I used some of the Blooms information for the next set of meetings with our Learning teams. We were talking about SACSA and how we can use Blooms to create criteria that illustrate what a SACSA "A" looks like. The English/SOSE/RE teachers decided to try and clarify what an "A" was for them - other than an "X" factor and use it in an assessment task in the next term.
The Science/Maths/ITC people decided to come up with generic rubrics (using the reporting A-E) model for things such as tests, practical reports etc. and to try one of them in the next term. I noticed that Adam was pretty quiet in the meetings. Must try to find something for him to bring up at the next meeting.

Finally, today I showed the Year 11 students a remembering technique. I can't remember what it is called but if you need to remember a series of facts then try to visualise the structure of your house - the rooms, the features and appliances. Link each fact to an appliance, feature of the room in a visual and literal sense. Then do a walk through the house trying to remember the idea as you walk through each room.
For example, the students were trying to remember the names of the key placental groups (eg rodents, carnivores, ungulates). I suggested that they put a representative animal in each room (eg rats [rodent] in the kitchen, bat [chiropteran] in the shed, whale [cetacean] in the pool or baht) and then write a story of their adventure through the house. They even included the animal doing something which illustrated their groups main features. For example, dog [carnivore] eat a leg of lamb [as meat-eaters do] in the bedroom. The really liked it and were intent on creating a story. The test will be tomorrow if they remember the rooms, animals but particularly the groups.

A big couple of days.

AGQTP Day 3 2007

Some more cooperative ideas:

• Transfer booklet. Give students a sheet and a question. Give minimal verbal input on how to do the booklet and how to answer the question. As the students get closer to what you want, give minimal positive feedback. If they say things that are irrelevant, ignore them.
  
• Donut strategy. Two circular groups - inner and outer. Inner talks about a point, then outer talks. Rotate outer circle for three people. Repeat tell and retell. Better in outside area.
• Acrostic introduction. Use the letters in a person's name to introduce them to others. It could be used to explain what key words mean as well. Or use an acronym to summarise a key point.

We spend most of the day planning a small input session explaining what TRIBES is. My limited understanding of the topic was that it was cooperative learning made explicit in ALL aspects of school life. So the key features such as caring for others, high expectations and an opportunity for all to participate are promoted in all aspects of school life - not just the classroom.
We decided that we TRIBES was very much like what Catholic schools are on about. So our first step was to present some key ideas about TRIBES as quotes and then ask the participants what activities, programs, people, processes etc., encourage and develop these values.
They then brainstormed by using the ABC graffiti method ie list all the letters of the alphabet. Then add the names of the people, programs and policies that reflect the values mentioned earlier.
Once that was done, they should they revisit the ABC graffiti and group them according to what TRIBES value was being met ie high expectations. We expected that they should see gaps in what they were trying to do in schools ie use it as an audit. We then encouraged them to try to fill that gap (in part) before the next day in June.
We were then reminded to journal our experiences. For me, this day remains a little fuzzy - typical of the approach used so far. There are so many things to consider that it becomes difficult to hold it in your head for the day.
The good thing is that we were reminded of some good teaching strategies and also could interact with some of the other teachers from other schools.

AGQTP Homework

Research cooperative learning

• Here are examples of what I know of cooperative learning not already covered in previous posts:
  Think, pair, share - one of my favourites for science. Get students to think carefully about a topic BY THEMSELVES. Tell them that you want them to write or draw their own ideas and share them later. Write what they think, don't worry if they don't know it.
  Then share it with another. Defend their positions but then come to an agreement about their understanding.
  Finally share with another pair and then write a list of their common understandings.
  Great for ideas such as "What is the smallest particle", "What are living things made of", "What causes disease", "How do plants get their food."
  
  Go ask an expert - put a question on the board. All students stand up. Put your hand up if you think you know the answer. Those that don't, go and ask the "expert". Get them to clarify the answer. Then go and ask another expert until you are satisfied by the answer. Then clarify the answer with the whole class - even asking one of the experts to answer it.
  
  Three Muskateers - go around the room and find three others at random. Number off from 1-3. Each number person given some part/information to summarise to the other two.
  
  ABC graffiti - List all the letters of the alphabet. In groups, brainstorm key ideas about a topic so that all the letters have at least one word after them. Then prioritise the most important three - this is where the analysis comes in.
  
  One minute write - write on a general topic for one minute - could be a review of the unit or just on a theme. Don't lift pen off paper. Count the number of words/number of words of three syllables (quantity v quality). Set a goal for the next minute of writing (ie more words, more 3 syllable words). Write. Did you achieve your goals? Share strategies for achieving goals.
  

• Find out about Tribes (from http://www.tribes.com/abstract_character_education.htm)
  
  

  CHARACTER VALUES	TRIBES PROCESS COMPONENTS
  Caring and Compassion	Four caring Agreements are used:
  		Listen with the heart as well as head.
  		Express appreciation/no put-downs
  		Mutual respect (for others, the school and environment)
  		The right to pass within a peer group
  Responsibility
  		Students maintain membership in small groups (tribes) to support learning and positive social behavior.
  		Teachers use cooperative learning methods for academics, transfer responsibility to students to help each other.
  		All members are responsible to each other and for group accountability.
  Justice and Fairness
  		Time is taken to reflect on tribe member's work, special qualities and skills after every group task.
  		Equal participation, fairness, open and honest communication is acknowledge.
  		Group issues and conflict are mediated within the peer group.
  		Teacher observations, instruction and modeling support the cooperation with the tribes.
  Trustworthiness
  		Peer support, respect and appreciation built with the tribes and classroom enables students and teachers to know each other well and count upon the affirmed individual virtues repeatedly cited throughout every day.
  Honesty
  		Repeated use of reflection and feedback (processing) by peers develops a high level of candor and honesty. The sense of belonging (inclusion) facilitates speaking the truth.
  Doing One's Personal Best
  		Setting goals, completing tasks on time, respecting others, living responsibly and loving learning becomes the norm.
  		Hundreds of cooperative learning studies have proven that students work more diligently on task and excel academically when in caring groups than individually.
  Social Skills
  	The Tribes process is recognized as a very successful cooperative learning model because it teaches and gives daily practice to important individual and team building skills:
  	Participate fully Listen attentively Express appreciation Reflect on learning experiences Value diversity of cultures / ideas Think constructively Make responsible decisions Resolve conflict Solve problems creatively Work collaboratively on tasks Assess improvement Celebrate achievemen

  
  
  
• Do a journal entry - done previous and this entry.
  
  
• T-chart of actual teaching practice - compared to the T-chart of beliefs. Audit your classroom.