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Term 2 signifies the launch of the new Subject Sites using the NEW Google Site format.  So essentially, out with the old and in with the new.  My previous Google Site, DigiTech with Ms Anderson, is still searchable on the internet.  However, the NEW Google Site, Digital Technologies with Ms Anderson, is now the main subject site, which is also linked from the main Tamaki College site.

Although the NEW Google Sites have been in place for a little while now, we have been undergoing a transition process from traditional sites to the new site format.  My NEW site still needs some of the work to be embedded.  However, the site is functional and up and running for the students in terms of current projects.




This morning the new rotation of Year 10 students were the first to access learning information via my NEW subject site.  I have set up the NEW site in a similar way to the traditional site, in that the main navigational tab is set up according to year levels.  Students then access learning information from the drop down section of the year level, including navigating to year level calendars, project instructions, workspaces etc.  Other than directing students to the new URL or link (which I've also included on the home page of my old site), navigating to the work was intuitive for the students.  This is reassuring to know and also to see, in that the work flow and information flow is useful and relevant for the learners.

   

   



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I had the privilege of presenting at the EdTech Team Auckland GAFE Summit held at Aorere College.  The focus of my session was VTaL - Tracking Student Progress.    In 2017, I delivered a session entitled VTaL Visible Teaching and Learning in a Secondary School Context.  This year's session was an opportunity to focus in on one of the VTaL tools, Tool 03 : Class Project Task Lists, and provide examples of how I have used the tracking sheets to inform my practice, and accelerate student achievement.

I always find it greatly satisfying having the opportunity to share my experiences, the trials, tribulations and everything in between, with fellow teaching practitioners, if it is going to enable them to learn from both my success moments as well as my mistakes.



Tracking sheets and monitoring systems are certainly not a new concept.  They've been around as far back as assessment has ever existed.  However, tracking sheets, marking sheets, checklists etc are completely pointless if they are not going to be used to Inform Teacher Practice, and, Accelerate Student Achievement.  It doesn't matter how many bells, whistles, colours, links, gifs or emojis can be dropped into tracking sheets.  If the tracking sheet isn't used to Inform Teacher Practice, and Accelerate Student Achievement, then as a tool, the tracking sheet is pointless.

EdTech Akld 2018 : VTaL - Tracking Student Progress



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Of the many people who attended the presentation, the following is a snapshot of feedback from some of the attendees:

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The following is a breakdown of strategies that I've applied during Term 1 to enable Level 2 DigiTech students to achieve NCEA Level 2 as their minimum qualification.

School Goal 3 Transition

That 95% of the Year 13 cohort achieve NCEA Level 2 as their minimum qualification.

DigiTech NCEA Level 2

By navigating to the NCEA Level 2 > Overview and Calendar section in my DigiTech with Ms Anderson website, the first project that the Level 2 students could work on is either 'Create a Webpage', 'Create a Program', or 'Use DCTs'.
I entered all of the students into the 'Create a Webpage Unit Standard 25655 worth 3 Level 2 credits, to build on their website development knowledge from NCEA Level 1.
The following is the credit breakdown for DigiTech NCEA Level 2 at the end of Term 1. The sections that follow the breakdown, are the updates throughout the term, as well as the strategies and interventions that were applied to enable students to achieve.

Term 1 Week 3 Update - NCEA Level 2 Create a Website 25655

Term 1 Week 3 Update - Strategies and Interventions

The Strategies and Interventions that I applied after the Week 3 Update includes:
  • Student 1
    • 22 Feb - Meeting with student. Determined that the student was working on stakeholders in Task 2
  • Student 2
    • 22 Feb - Meeting with student. Workspace has been working since yesterday. Currently working on Task 2 Resources. Wants to create a website about Rugby League.
  • Student 3
    • 22 Feb - Meeting with student. Working on stakeholders in Task 2. Wants his website to be about Rugby League.
  • Student 4
    • 22 Feb - Meeting with student. Submitted Task 2 for marking. Unsure about Task 1 in terms of readiness for submission. Will check Task 1 and start Task 3.
  • Student 5
    • 22 Feb - Meeting with student. Working on stakeholders in Task 2.
  • Student 6
    • 22 Feb - Meeting with student. Needs to finish Task 1 Testing Procedures. Currently also working on Context Brainstorm.
These above mentioned meetings are not the only interactions with the students, so don't include informal Q & A throughout the lessons. These are formal meetings in an informal setting with each student, to establish points of reference; where in the project is the student currently working, and what needs to happen to progress forward.

Term 1 Week 4 Update - NCEA Level 2 Create a Website 25655

Term 1 Week 4 Update - Strategies and Interventions

At this stage, students were falling well behind the due dates for individual tasks to be completed.
The Strategies and Interventions that I applied after the Week 4 Update includes:
    • Student 1
      • 6 March - Peer Support from Dell to meet deadlines [Tuakana-Teina Collaborative Teaching Strategy].
      • 9 March - Meeting with Level 2 students. Project Update; explain Monday catchup session.
    • Student 2
      • 6 March - Student Absent Q.
      • 9 March - Student Absent Q.
    • Student 3
      • 6 March - Peer Support from Sione to meet deadlines [Tuakana-Teina Collaborative Teaching Strategy].
    • Student 4
      • 6 March - Peer Support from Gus to meet deadlines [Tuakana-Teina Collaborative Teaching Strategy].
    • Student 5
      • 6 March - Peer Support from Tau to meet deadlines [Tuakana-Teina Collaborative Teaching Strategy].
    • Student 6
      • 6 March - Peer Support from Issam to meet deadlines [Tuakana-Teina Collaborative Teaching Strategy].

    Term 1 Week 5 Update - NCEA Level 2 Create a Website 25655

    Term 1 Week 6 Update - NCEA Level 2 Create a Website 25655

    Term 1 Week 6 Update - Strategies and Interventions

    At this stage, students were falling well behind the due dates for individual tasks to be completed.
    The Strategies and Interventions that I applied after the Week 5 Update includes:
      • Student 1
        • 20 March - I rung home and left a message on parent's mobile, explaining that Student 1 is at risk of not completing their assessment that is due on Thursday 22nd March. Student 1 did not attend the lunch time session today, nor did they attend the after school session last Monday. I am available tomorrow at interval and lunchtime for student to complete their work.
        • 21 March - Meeting with Parent and Student about the current assessment, and what needs to happen to achieve.
      • Student 2
        • 20 March - Student Absent Q.
        • 21 March - Student Absent Q.
      • Student 3
        • 20 March - I rung home , explaining that Student 3 is at risk of not completing their assessment that is due on Thursday 22nd March. Student 3 did not attend the lunch time session today, nor did they attend the after school session last Monday. I am available tomorrow at interval and lunchtime for student to complete his work.
      • Student 4
        • 20 March - Student Absent. 
      • Student 5
        • 20 March - Student Absent Q.
        • 21 March - Student Absent Q.
      • Student 6
        • 20 March - Student Absent Q. 
        • 21 March - Student Absent Q.

      Term 1 Week 7 Update - NCEA Level 2 Create a Website 25655


      Term 1 Week 10 Update - NCEA Level 2 Create a Website 25655


      Term 1 Update - NCEA Level 2 Create a Website 25655

      Term 1 Update - Strategies and Interventions

      The Strategies and Interventions that I applied by the end of Term 1 includes:
      • Student 1
        • 5 April - Project Update Survey whereby students submitted feedback on tasks that they had completed, strategies that they could and should apply to complete work, and feedback on specific help required from the teacher.
        • 9 April - Student is awaiting moderation feedback on Project 1.
      • Student 2
        • 5 April - Student Absent.
        • 6 April - Student Absent.
      • Student 3
        • 5 April - Project Update Survey whereby students submitted feedback on tasks that they had completed, strategies that they could and should apply to complete work, and feedback on specific help required from the teacher.
        • 9 April - Student is awaiting moderation feedback on Project 1.
      • Student 4
        • 5 April - Project Update Survey whereby students submitted feedback on tasks that they had completed, strategies that they could and should apply to complete work, and feedback on specific help required from the teacher.
        • 9 April - Student is awaiting moderation feedback on Project 1.
      • Student 5
        • 5 April - Project Update Survey whereby students submitted feedback on tasks that they had completed, strategies that they could and should apply to complete work, and feedback on specific help required from the teacher. Extension negotiated due to an Off-Site 3-day Course in the previous week.
        • 6 April - Lunch time catchup - did not attend.
        • 9 April - Reassessment opportunity to be completed in Student's own time - due 29 April.
      • Student 6
        • 5 April - Project Update Survey whereby students submitted feedback on tasks that they had completed, strategies that they could and should apply to complete work, and feedback on specific help required from the teacher. Extension negotiated due to an Off-Site 3-day Course in the previous week.
        • 6 April - Lunch time catchup - did not attend.
        • 9 April - Submitted Project 1 work for moderation.

      Overview of Term 1 Tracking and Teaching Interventions for School Goal 3

      In addition to the various VTaL tools (Tool 01 - Google Sites, Tool 02 - SOLO Learning Activities, Tool 03 - Class Project Class Lists, Tool 06 - Workspaces and Tool 09 - Subject Google+), that were applied to the delivery of the Create a Website NCEA Level 3 Project, the range of teaching strategies and interventions also included:
      1. Formal Meetings with Students
      2. Tuakana-Teina Collaborative Teaching Strategy
      3. Student Reflection through the use of Project Update Surveys using Google Forms
      4. Interval, Lunch time and After School Catch Up Sessions
      5. Contact with Home
      6. Parent Meeting
      The Class Task Lists - Tracking Sheets, enabled regular feedback to be submitted back to students to identify where they were within the project. This also helped to inform my practice in terms of the strategies and interventions that were required to enable the students to achieve.

      The key motivators for students to achieve could be separated into two different categories; intrinsic motivation whereby the student was motivated enough to apply the tools and teaching strategies to achieve, as well as extrinsic motivation whereby students responded to outside influences such as parent contact, to motivate them to complete tasks. In addition to this, students were who involved in Off-Site courses struggled to keep up with in-class course work and keep to the deadlines. This is not always the case, but it was the case for this particular project.

      Teaching is exhausting! However, with appropriate tools in place, eg. the use of VTaL, ongoing pedagogical practices can be identified, applied, and adapted, to enable student achievement to be tracked and monitored during the assessment, as opposed to discovering at the conclusion of the assessment that students were not able to meet the criteria.


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      Department Goal 1 for 2018 is that 'Share' to be undertaken using the following:

      • Year 7-9 Blogs
      • Year 10 Google+
      • Seniors



      ‘Share’ Opportunities in DigiTech

      The following are examples of various ‘Share’ Opportunities in Term 1 for students taking DigiTech:

      Year 7-9

      Year 7 students have been blogging about Technology when they come on Fridays.  I have not successfully and consistently prompted the Year 9 class to blog this term.

      Year 10

      Year 10 students have blogged about different DigiTech experiences in Term 1.  In addition to this, Year 10 students have been sharing and contributing into the Year 10 DigiTech Google+ Community for Brief Development.

      Year 11 NCEA Level 1

      Year 11 students have been sharing and contributing into the Level 1 DigiTech at Tamaki College Google+ Community for their first project this year, Create a Game.

      Year 12 NCEA Level 2

      Year 12 students have been sharing and contributing into the Level 2 DigiTech at Tamaki College Google+ Community for their first project this year, Create a Website.

      Year 13 NCEA Level 3

      Year 13 students have been sharing and contributing into the Level 3 DigiTech at Tamaki College Google+ Community for their first and second projects this year, Project Management, and Conceptual Design.

      Impact of ‘Share’ Opportunities in DigiTech for Students


      I have not effectively enabled 'share' to occur in a constructive and consistent manner with my early junior classes.  I have to reflect on lesson structure and integrating time to blog within the teaching and learning time within the week.

      Year 10 blogging and sharing into the Google+ community has also been sporadic and inconsistent.  However, when blogging and sharing into G+ has occurred, the sharing component has been extensive in terms of the stakeholders (Accenture Staff) who have interacted with the students.

      The Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 sharing into Google+ communities has been far more consistent, and constructive for student learning so far in Term 1.  Students understand the value of sharing their work into the community, as they can see how they themselves, as well as their peers, learn from the work that is shared.  Students only share work that has been assessed and returned to them.  Students also don't require prompting to upload work into the communities, as they tend to do this on most occasions themselves.



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      About Me

      Kia ora! I am the Head of Technology at Tāmaki College and also teach Digital Technologies.


      My target group of learners for my Inquiry 2021 will be my Year 12 NCEA Level 2 class. This group of learners were my target group from my 2020 Inquiry. I would like to inquire into whether Academic Writing exemplars specific to Digital Technologies, in conjunction with the 'Explanation Writing' classroom display resources for Digital Technologies, based on SOLO taxonomy, could accelerate achievement in literacy in my subject.


      My target group of learners for my Inquiry 2020 were my Year 11 NCEA Level 1 class. I inquired into the process of using the LearnCoach online programs (content) and VTaL Visible Teaching and Learning (workflow) to accelerate student achievement for Tamaki College students undertaking courses in Digital Technologies NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3.


      In 2019, my inquiry is to maximise pedagogical practices (relating to integrated education, and collaborative teaching and learning), to effectively shift student achievement, supported by digital platforms connected to visible teaching and learning.


      My Inquiry in 2018, was to develop a VTaL Purpose-Built Innovative Tool, to enable all elements of the VTaL Framework to be accessible to teachers, in order to accelerate student achievement.


      In 2017, my inquiry was based on raising student achievement and shifting teacher practice around effective pedagogical practices including Learn, Create and Share. This will be achieved through the development, implementation and monitoring of the Visible Teaching and Learning Framework.

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