Year 4 Maths PAT data - repeated measures - TAI #22

Yesterday, I administered a Year 4 Maths PAT. We started by talking about integrity when doing the test online. The cameras were on all the time with no creative backgrounds and no other people around them. We also had a conversation about how teachers use the test information in their planning. Practice makes perfect - that was our purpose for this test. I used filters to compare the results of the students who participated in Term 1 and Term 4 tests (comparing 'apples to apples'). 

I'm very proud of my students who have shown resilience, great engagement and love of learning during these lockdown times and kept improving their knowledge and skills despite the circumstances!

TAI during Lockdown - Supporting other Teachers - #18

I was impressed with how our teachers took on board the latest PLDs and conversations about Maths in our classes and continued to improve their practice during the lockdown.

To support other teachers, I compiled and shared a number of digital resources. I keep getting positive feedback about this collection as it's easy to use for online learning at all levels. I hope you might find it useful too. 

Below is a number of great resources and online tools for teaching Maths in-class and especially online. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need support.

Steve Wyborney's Blog - Numerous pptx like Splat, Subitising, Estimations, Cube conversations, Hundred Board etc

Learning at Home - weekly plans 

Place Value 3 digit number representation - interactive

Problem Solving - all levels and strands

Problems and solutions for students

Picture books with mathematical content - all NZC levels with activities. Most of the picture books can be found on youtube.

My TAI during Lockdown - #17

Do any of your intervention plans work via distance learning?

The work that has been done before lockdown proved to be successful and effective. The teachers got a better understanding of the importance of explicitly teaching maths with a big focus on number knowledge, place value and use of materials to illustrate the abstract maths concepts. 

I observed some of the video lessons that our teachers recorded during the lockdown and was pleased to see that the teachers took on board our maths PLDs and conversations and they are using physical and virtual materials to support their students' learning. 

I was thrilled to report such success to the management and the whole school staff. I truly believe that our pre-lockdown work empowered our teachers to be effective during distance learning. Well done team!

Self-evaluation for Improvement - Taking Actions - TAI#16

How do I prioritise taking action?  Now that I am clear on what problem or issue I am trying to solve, what do I need to do and why?

As explained earlier, my inquiry was extended to the whole school. I initiated a number of conversations with the school leaders and I'm pleased that I was heard. We collectively recognised that we have a problem and we decided to address it at the school level.

What has been done:

- set up the expectations about teaching maths using the right resources 

- organised a PD about using manipulatives and visuals to teach place value at different levels

- did an audit of the class resources, re-distributed them according to the levels and needs. I'm placing an order to top up our materials.

- modelled number talk using ten frames to a BT.

- published Class OnAir episodes about number talk and choral counting

How big is the change that I've initiated? 

I believe this is a big change and it will help improve not only my teaching practice but help other GTS teachers to make a difference in their students' outcomes in maths.

Collaborative Sense Making #15

In considering the collected data, both quantitative and qualitative and the conversations that I had with the school management,  I became confident that I had enough information to support other teachers in my school with their maths programmes.

Reflected on the data and our needs, we decided that Maths requires our urgent attention.  I was really excited to see the openness of my colleagues to learn, try new things and improve practice.

Now it's time to act!

Repeated measures - Beginning and Mid-year Data #12

My focus was on unpacking and front-loading math vocab and the use of material/ visuals to improve my students’ mathematical thinking and deeper understanding of effective strategies.

We've been working on implementing and improving our class mathematical conversations and understanding of basic mathematical terminology.  Number talk and choral counting have been powerful practical tools that supported my students' mathematical reasoning along with the importance of being able to listen to others, understand the language and vocabulary, and be able to participate in a meaningful conversation about math. 

My second focus was the importance of using materials to support children’s mathematical thinking, reasoning and problem-solving. I tried to carefully select appropriate tools and representations to provide support and develop their number fluency and a deeper understanding of strategies.

The following group of students had historical data falling behind their expected levels and performing at well-below levels. With the focus on mathematical discourse and using manipulatives, they have shown great progress during this short period!

The repeated measures: GLOSS/ JAM/ Basic facts and class observations.

Learning from Literature on Discourse - #10

One of the leading resources for discourse is Classroom Discussions: Using Math Talk to Help Students Learn (Chapin, O’Connor, and Anderson 2009).  

This resource and others highlight five teaching practices associated with improving the quality of discourse in the classroom.

Five Teaching Practices for Improving the Quality of Discourse in Mathematics Classrooms

1) Talk moves that engage students in discourse,

2) The art of questioning,

3) Using student thinking to propel discussions,

4) Setting up a supportive environment, and

5) Orchestrating the discourse. 

The research shows that problem-solving, reasoning and proof, communication, connections, and representation–can be seen in action in a discourse-rich mathematics community as students interact, question one another and convey their understanding. 

Many educators and researchers think that classroom talk has the power to improve both students’ learning and ability to reason. Another benefit to 

When the talk is used intensively in classes, students may get a richer sense of what words and phrases mean and of when to use them. Their control of complex grammar also improves, in speaking and in reading. 

Over time, talk improves students’ social skills and ability to be patient and cooperative with others.

There are some limitations and it is not a "magic wand' that can solve all the problems; however, it is definitely a great tool that should be utilized in our classrooms.

Professional Reading to form a Hypothesis - #9

Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All 

by National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, February 1, 2024 

Eight High-Leverage Instructional Practices

• Establish mathematics goals to focus learning

• Implement tasks that promote reasoning and problem solving

• Use and connect mathematical representations

• Facilitate meaningful mathematical discourse

• Pose purposeful questions

• Build procedural fluency from conceptual understanding

• Support productive struggle in learning mathematics

• Elicit and use evidence of student thinking

This read was unpacking specific teaching practices, that are essential for high-quality mathematics education for all students.

Reflecting on my teaching practice and learning from the article, I confirmed that implementing Talk Moves, Number Talk and Problem solving are powerful tools of an effective maths programme. Another example of the HLP is a balance of group and mixed ability teaching in various learning situations.

This read resonated with my belief in the importance to explicitly focus on developing a Growth mindset and changing students' negative beliefs about 'being bad in maths' and developing critical thinking and achievement across the curriculum.

Hands Up if You Think that You Are a Good Mathematician... - #5

In my first Class OnAir episode, I asked my students to raise their hands up if they think that they are good mathematicians... only 3 hands went up. It showed me that the students didn't have a positive attitude towards maths and didn't believe in themselves.

I also collected student voice - disposition data and discovered that all of my underachieving students had rather negative beliefs about themselves as mathematicians. It was a strong signal to start building up their confidence by talking about Growth Mindset and implementing Talk Moves to support the positive norms in maths class.

I believe that the positive learning classroom culture goes beyond the ‘classroom treaty’ created in the first week of school. The positive norms in maths class needed to be constructed together so that students know what is expected of them and for them to have the tools to respond to and meet those expectations.

I want my students to work collaboratively and engage in mathematical discussions by sharing and explaining their thinking and reflecting on the thinking of others. To achieve this we have ongoing discussions around how we work together and what is important to become better mathematicians.

I believe that my students have now started to value productive struggle and they are now keen to participate in our Number Talks as they aren't afraid to take risks and make mistakes.

What, Why and How of my TAI 2021 - #4

WHAT aspect of my professional practice do I want to grow my capability in?

• Balance of DATs, 
• Talk Moves and Positive Norms for learning  - Class Treaty that is used throughout the year, not just a beginning of the year activity), 
• Integrated curriculum - LCS projects as multiple opportunities to develop students' critical thinking skills and boost cognitive engagement.

WHY is this important to me and my School or Centre?

• Targets set up in our School Charter
• A strong need to accelerate our learners and improve student achievements
• Student engagement to foster their love of learning

WHAT do I want to achieve for my learners? 

Create a learning environment where all learners are engaged in purposeful learning,  use their critical thinking skills, achieve well in all curriculum areas with a big focus on Maths and enjoy learning

How will I achieve my goals? 

• Implement Talk Moves, Number Talk and Problem solving
• Explicitly focus on developing a Growth mindset and changing their negative beliefs about 'being bad in maths'
• Participate in COL and ALIM networks to improve our student engagement, critical thinking and achievement across the curriculum.
• Continue to differentiate and plan for learning/ teaching using school Matrixes, WALTs and the NZC
• Collaborate with my colleagues by presenting during the TOD and publishing my Class OnAir episodes to share and reflect on my practice and to seek feedback to improve it.

Reflecting on my 2020 Inquiry

Looking back at my TAI 2020, I must admit that it was a bumpy year for my teaching and learning. In this post, I'd like to reflect on my professional learning through my last year inquiry cycle.

The challenges that the pandemic and lockdowns forced educators through revealed the strong need for a drastic pedagogical shift. Like many other teachers, I had to act fast and extend my repertoire of pedagogical strategies and tools in order to meet my teaching intentions for children’s learning. 

The inquiry process that I followed was well pre-planned and led by the Manaiakalani leaders and the Woolf Fisher Research Centre (WFRC).  However, I felt the strong urge to act faster, especially during some of the inquiry stages, e.g. collecting initial data, profiling my students and making a hypothesis. 

I found our COL meetings, especially Talanoa group times, quite useful. Such conversations helped me get connected with my COL colleagues and learn about their inquiries, challenges and successes. Professional reading was also a great part of my TAI as it supported me to make informed decisions when designing and trialling my intervention. 

What worked really well and is supported by evidence:

- introducing blogging to my young Y2-3 learners and actively using their and class blogs to share our learning, learn from others and express their opinions or give feedback.

- actively listening to student voice and appreciating their learner identities when planning activities and topics.

-  the gradual release of responsibility

- purpose behind each and every learning task!

Please refer to this blog post for more details.

I believe that all of the changes that I had to make during my TAI 2020 led to my students' successes and great progress.  I would rate the changes for my learners as highly positive, evident and measurable. The evidence for my rating is supported by the EOY data both in reading and writing along with huge improvements in their key competencies, growth mindset and achievements. 

I believe in the spiral nature of TAI and I'm ready to take my last year's professional learning to my new TAI 2021 journey.