Technology Literacy Resources

The following is School Goal 2 focussing on Literacy and Numeracy



Technology Literacy Resources

The following are literacy resources that were used in a session with Marc Milford to implement literacy strategies in Technology around 'Language Writing Skills' and 'Language Features'.

The PD Tech resource that Marc focussed on for the Technology Department was 91044 Brief Development.  The reason I asked Marc to focus on Brief Development at NCEA Level 1, is because all Technology teachers from Year 7 through to Year 13 teach the Brief Development achievement objective, and three staff deliver the Brief Development NCEA standard to Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3.

AS91044 Exemplar - Low Excellence

Take Outs from our PD Session with Marc

The following are some take outs that I have from the PD Session with Marc:

1. I need time to process the strategies that Marc has supplied us with in the Writing plan 2018 for Techies
2. I would benefit from one on one time to identify specific literacy strategies to help with both my senior students as well as my junior students
3. I'd like some more department time for us to collaborate on, and gain a shared understanding on some useful strategies for literacy issues within Technology

School Goal 3 Transition

DigiTech NCEA Level 2

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

Term 1 Week 3 Update - Strategies and Interventions

• 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.

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

Term 1 Week 4 Update - Strategies and Interventions

• 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

• 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.

Tuakana - Teina Collaborative Teaching Strategy

Developing Student Understanding of Assessment Information

I have used Kahoot! before in my junior classes, as a tool to encourage students to unpack the assessment information and instructions.  I decided to use this approach again.  I explained to students that they had approximately 10 minutes to read through the assessment information, after which, we would complete a Kahoot!

The VTaL Tools and Processes Used

Students who I have taught in previous years eg. current Year 10s previously taught as Year 9s, or Years who I taught as intermediate students, are fully accustomed to how they locate and access learning instructions in my class.  This generally starts by navigating to my DigiTech with Ms Anderson Google Site, then to the Year Level Calendar, and by clicking on the event for today's date to see the specific instructions for that lesson [as shown in the screenshot].

Students would then locate the Year 10 DigiTech Project via the Workspace in the Student Dashboard.  Or, for students who do not have access to the workspace, they could also access the Year 10 DigiTech Project via the Year Level tab in the DigiTech with Ms Anderson Google Site.

How Effective was the Teaching and Learning Strategy

The Scenario

This year the Senior DigiTech class, is again a multi-level Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 class; and  mostly made of students who undertook Senior DigiTech in 2017.  In addition, there are four new Level 3 students who did not take DigiTech in Level 1 or Level 2, as well as two Level 2 students who did not take DigiTech in Level 1.  Students who undertook DigiTech as either a Level 1 or Level 2 student, are familiar with how to access Learning Information, Information about Progress

The Idea!

The idea that I had for students to collectively gain an understanding of the course and assessment information for the year, was for students to collaborate within a Google doc.  This is not a new concept at all.  However, the way in which the collaborative process was implemented, in that the strategy itself was deliberate in terms of integrating principles of Mahi Tahi - Collaboration and Manaakitanga - Support for Others, is what makes the learning strategy purposeful and meaningful to the students.

The idea also aligns well with "Manaiakalani Achievement Challenge 1, and what I am doing to lift the language capabilities of my students", as discussed in a recent Middle Leaders Professional Learning Group.

The VTaL Tools and Processes Used

The following are some of the VTaL Tools used and applied in the Learning Process:

• Subject Google Site - Students located the Project Instructions through my Subject Site
• Subject Google+ Communities - Students located exemplars of work by Tamaki College students, to assist with responses to questions about the assessment information
• Workspace - A Group Evidence Google Doc was used as the collaborative tool

Mahi Tahi me te Ako - The Collaborative Learning Process

Students accessed the assessment information and project instructions via my DigiTech with Ms Anderson Subject Site, and then develop questions about the assessment that they wanted clarity on.

Students then individually logged their questions into a Google doc, which was set up as Group evidence in a Workspace, accessible through the Student Dashboard.



In pairs, students then worked together to identify responses (information, links to Tamaki College exemplars in the DigiTech Google+ Communities, links to external exemplars on NZQA, links to websites etc) that would hopefully address many of the questions.   Any response that was logged, students could also tag their name to the response to demonstrate how they have contributed back into the collaborative learning process.

How Effective was the Teaching and Learning Strategy?

This particular teaching and learning strategy was effective in enabling all learners to collectively contribute into the collaborative learning task.  Students who did not, were soon identified, due to their lack of names tagged against responses to queries.  Students therefore had a vestured interest in the learning process.  Students knew that contributing into the process benefited all, just as they also knew that not contributing into the process demonstrated a lack of manaakitanga, or support for their peers.  There was no consequence to this from a teaching point of view; it was more that students understood and valued the collaborative process, Mahi Tahi, and due to responding in pairs, felt safe about contributing their responses because the richer the document was with responses, the more useful the document became.  Thus, promoting support and care amongst the students, Manaakitanga.

The following links are the Q & A sheets that students collaborated on at each level, and is available for future use and references by all students.

• NCEA Level 3 Project 1 Questions and Answers - 91609 Q & A - 41301DGT12018
• NCEA Level 2 Project 1 Questions and Answers - 25655 Q & A - 41201DGT12018
• NCEA Level 1 Project 1 Questions and Answers - 18739 Q & A - 41101DGT12018

Focus Class for the Goal

Māori students in NCEA Level 1, NCEA Level 2 and NCEA Level 3

Goals and Actions - Student learning and achievement

To improve outcomes for students in my classes by making changes or adjustments to my teacher practice by  tracking the attendance and achievement of Māori students in my NCEA Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 multi-level class, and communicating this information to students on a regular basis.

Goals and Actions - Teacher learning and achievement

• To develop a digital process and system to collect regular data on achievement and attendance.
• To digitally share the data on achievement and attendance with the students.
• To have one to one meetings with students whose attendance or incomplete work leaves the student at risk of not achieving.
• To contact home for students whose attendance or incomplete work leaves the student at risk of not achieving.
• To enter updates into Kamar for issues relating to achievement and attendance.

Goals and Actions - Reflections

The initial template turned out to not be a sustainable resource.  I then developed a different process that integrates achievement data with student attendance.

This aligns with the data summary sheets in Kamar that is used to discuss student achievement with SLT.  The Student Standard Data Update - Templates enable an overview of the formative feedback relating to students with regards standards the students have achieved, standards the students are working on, credits offered to each student, attendance, teaching strategies and interventions, student actions, and any other notes that are not picked up through summative feedback in Kamar.

The sheets also included meeting updates between myself and individual students, which I then shared with the students, so that they had a copy of the feedback to action in terms of the project they were currently working on.  This also enabled me to track the conversations that I'd had with students, as well as the actions that the students either had, or had not, followed up on.

Goals and Actions - Future Focus 2018

I have shared the process with staff in the Technology Department and have developed a template for Technology Staff to use in 2018.  Student Standard Data Update - Template.

This will enable each staff member, as well as myself, to know and understand where each Senior Student who takes a Technology subject, is tracking throughout each term, and from one term to the next.

Practising Teacher Criteria