TER 2015 Portfolio - Jaishree Shingade @terportfoliojshingade-blog - Tumblr Blog

A Very Big Thank You To Colleen and Irene.

Jaishree Shingade.

Reflection 29 April

We started the day learning about formative practice and self-assessment. It was interesting to learn about how to teach students to do self-assessment and peer assessment using the matrix. The questions I should remember to tell my students for them to reflect on their learning are:

1.what could I do to help myself with the learning? (using the green matrix)

2.What helped me most with my learning?

3.What made me really think during today’s learning?

4.What am I now able to do because of today’s learning?

5.What do I need to learn next?

Butler & Winne (1999),http:padlet.com/iandersen/terselfassessment

Formative assessments will be used to identify gaps in my students’ learning. Small achievable tasks will be provided in order to bridge their gaps and improve their learning outcomes. I will encourage students to identify their needs and provide opportunities to achieve the learning goals. Students will have opportunities to provide peer assessment and give feedback in pairs or small groups. Shared learning and acting on feedback allows students to take ownership of their learning. Therefore, engaging students to their potential to help them learn. Formative assessments help both teachers and students to create a healthy learning environment.

In the afternoon session we spent time reflecting on where from here after completion of the course. As a group of job seekers we shared ideas about different school cultures and how to make connections. Colleen suggested that we all should be able to start relieving immediately. Most of the times schools absorb their relievers as and when positions become vacant. We also shared strategies of being good relievers; carrying a folder with a bit of extra work, leaving comments to the teachers about specific students etc. Getting to the level of students and interacting with them is one idea that I picked from these conversations which I think is going to be very useful.

Last but not the least realisation is that we need to be passionate and positive about our own teaching skills and keep applying for jobs.

All the best .

#Reflections

Contextual factors that influence teaching and learning,

Catering for diversity.

Reflection Thursday 28 April

Today’s morning session was on Inclusive practice. The facilitator provided us with a lot of readings and activities to understand what Inclusive practice is, and how we as teachers should be incorporating it in our pedagogical practice.

The differences between mainstreaming and inclusion was explained, along with information about different legislations, events /plans. The videos on the voices of deaf students about their expectations of teachers were very touching, as they made me think over different aspects of inclusive practice.

I now understand Inclusive education is to encourage learners to engage fully in their learning by providing opportunities through differentiated learning programmes both within classrooms and beyond. I believe as a teacher, I need to recognise the uniqueness of each learner and plan accordingly providing access to a range of learning resources to accommodate their individual needs, skills and abilities. When students are engaged and achieving they have a sense of pride and belonging in the school environment. Valuing the achievements of all learners, building social relationships for all, and to make my students feel welcome to my class would be my priority.

In the afternoon session Colleen introduced us to the contextual factors that influence teaching and learning, while catering for diversity. The activity on contextual factors in groups was very helpful to understand the facts and implications. The linking of the understanding to the GTS made it more clear.

I realised that once lessons are planned it is important to double check with GTS and make sure they are aligned to the curriculum.

#Reflections

Reflection Wednesday 27 April

Today’s sessions on diverse learners, Pasifika achievements and English language learners have given me something to take away and think constantly. The importance of building relationships with students, whanau and communities has been emphasised. The PEP is aimed at educating pasifika learners to participate fully to their potential. I understand that specific goals, targets and actions for schools, educators, families, communities, and the learners have been laid out in the plan. Therefore, for the plan to succeed everyone has to ensure their side of the expectations are met.

In my teaching practice I will encourage sharing of cultural experience and knowledge to affirm identity and respect among different communities. I will be open to feedback and invite students to express their views on how I can improve to suit to their needs.

Being an ESOL teacher I understand the ELLP documents and the way they are designed to support educators of ESOL students. They help us to figure out at what level the student is and guide us from there to focus on how to progress the student. This session was about the main ideas about how to assist a student to go for their next learning step. I also realised that students may get bored when they are taught the things they already know.

#Module 5

Reflection Tuesday 26 April

It was the last week of the course, we were eager to share and listen to the practicum experiences. Our successes and struggles as student teachers and trying to teach our associate’s classes. My associates had great management strategies and were very well organised. I picked up a few good qualities from them and it was easy for me to complete the practicum without any problems.

We discussed a few questions with Irene that was helpful in understanding how to deal with behaviour problems, mixed stream classes, planning to keep all students engaged and developing teaching strategies. We learnt to care for students as individuals. I got to understand that as teacher I will be very powerful in affecting the lives of my students and that I cannot take to my class any attitudes which I don’t want my students to cultivate.

During the second half session, the guest faculty did an introduction activity, which was good for me to know everyone as I was new in the class. Later on they spoke about their expectations of the teachers on Maori achievements. I was expecting to know or gain knowledge about Maori culture and beliefs in general for me to be able to understand and behave accordingly. I was a bit disappointed that they did not talk anything about what their beliefs and traditions are. The outcome of the second activity they did wasn’t clear. The class already knew everything about NZC and adapting it in their planning. Upon reflection, I understood how my students would feel if the learning outcomes were not clear and also that it is important to know what my students are expecting to learn.

#Reflections

Pedagogical practices that I will develop as I engage in the tasks that I plan:

I will encourage reflective thought and action while establishing their prior knowledge of the topic, in order to enhance the relevance of new learning5.

I will check the ways in which I can prioritise the needs of the groups of unengaged students by introducing more choice, challenge and creativity.

I will provide decision-making opportunities within the curriculum.

I will often get in contact with the school authorities and the school community to decide up to what extent they think the curriculum has to be ICT-based in order to be engaged.

I will make sure the key competencies needed by students are considered and developed6.

#Reflections #GTS 6 & 7

Reflection:

The next time I teach Instructional language, I might get the students to watch videos first and form questions for them to come up with language type. I am also thinking of including activities like, fill in the blanks while watching the video etc, to develop their listening skills. I will create more scope for the students to interact in order to develop their interpersonal skills.

I will explain to my students why it is important to learn instructional language, and how it can be relevant in our daily lives. For example, when they buy new appliances which they have not used before, they will have to read the guide that comes with the appliance for instructions on how to use it. I will develop students’ meta-cognitive skills by providing various opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate comprehension and vocabulary through DATs. The learning objectives will be made clear and manageable to the students by the following strategies:

ï Modeling and demonstrating reading strategies

ï Brainstorming new ideas

ï Discussing vocabulary and ideas in the text

ï Using the question matrix to formulate questions

ï Completing comprehension tasks/graphic organisers

ï Teaching and modeling a variety of comprehension strategies

ï Providing feedback

ï Teaching them to think aloud

#Reflection #GTS 1 3 7

Classroom activity

To get students confident at listening and talking, I taught instructional language in my ESOL class. I did exercises on how to “Tie a Tie”, “Bed Making”, “How to Make a Cup of Tea”.

The main objectives of these exercises are:

1. To help students follow a sequence of instructions.

2. To give students practice in listening to expressions of quantity.

3. To give students practice in reading a variety of instructions and writing their own instructions

Students were asked if they knew how to tie a tie. They were each given a tie, and asked to try for themselves. In the mean time they were encouraged to talk about the words and verbs that they can think of if they had to tell someone how to tie a tie. They worked in pairs and started to think aloud. I asked them to first visualize a tie properly tied around their neck, and try again. I then showed them a picture of a gentleman with a tie and asked them to try again. Later, they were allowed to read instructions on how to tie a tie. I showed them a few videos on Youtube on how to tie a tie to integrate the use of ICT as a key tool to access knowledge.

The focus while watching the videos was on their listening abilities and also on their understanding the task. They learnt the verbs needed to be able give correct instructions. They could give instructions to each other in pairs and work until everyone gets it right. They wrote the instructions in their exercise books without help, and checked if the instructions are written in proper order using proper verbs.

#GTS 4 #2 & 5 #NZC page 12 #Developing Key competencies