Teachers Matter Magazine issue 17

PROFESSIONALLY & PERSONALLY

TeachersMatter The Magazine of Spectrum Education

The power to be happy: You can make the difference pg. 32

Teaching: A letter-by-letter guide pg. 62

Ice cream in the classroom?: Think variety pg. 66

NZ$15 / AU$15

Leaders in Developing Teachers

ISSUE 17

CONFERENCE REVIEW

Teachers go back to class: Teachers Matter Conference

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Learning never ends.

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he 7th Teachers Matter Conference was held in Rotorua on the 26 and 27 January 2012. Thank you to everyone who attended and took the time to reflect on what they learned. We heard the following from Rakaia School, who attended with their entire team: “The conference was fantastic, and the speakers were inspiring. It was tremendous to have Bena Kallick there as the other author of Habits of the Mind and to hear her ideas about curriculum mapping and using the habits to improve student achievement and goal setting.”

“Karen’s Boyes ‘Anchoring’ breakout session (was a) really inspirational session that gave genuine teaching and learning ideas.

Have already put some into practice in my classroom. Using simple body movement to help make learning fun and stick. How the brains memory works. Karen used the word anchor to help learning set.”

“Adrian’s Habits of the Mind Workshop… gave me lots of practical ideas that we can use in our classrooms. I enjoyed this session.

Adrian was able to show us how the ‘habits of the mind’ are used in his classroom. He has been able to inspire his learners by teaching them learnt habits. I have loads of ideas and teaching points to use and have been putting the 16 Habits of Mind in to action in my classroom.”

to muscle testing and responses by the brain.

I have bought the accompanying book to try some of these relaxing techniques.”

“Tony Ryan keynote speaker: Tony was fantastic to listen to; he has such a wide knowledge base. He spoke about using the word ‘imagine’. Thinking outside the dodecahedron, what if..? We are now in the technology age where there is such a wide variety of technology at out fingertips. The 21st century is about embracing change, not fighting it.”

“Judy Willis: Medical evidence on how emotion impacts on successful learning.”

“Thank you very much! This was the best spectrum conference we have been on.

The quality of the speakers was superb, and the networking was very helpful and appreciated.”

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“ ‘Every little thing we do as teachers makes a difference.’” This is something many of the speakers talked about it and it really had an impact on my thinking. We as teachers are ‘the bees knees’ to most of the children in our class and our actions do make a difference, positive and negative.”

“An inspirational conference, I was blown away by the keynote speakers and I have taken on so much to use in my own teaching.

I firmly believe we have grown as professionals and have a much stronger team bond thanks to the time spent away.”

“Highlights = attending the Marion Miller workshop ‘Mental Fitness for Adults.’ Related

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CONFERENCE REVIEW

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Judy Willis in action Bena Kallick overseeing group work Adrian Rennie sharing practical ideas Karen Boyes and Marion Miller Speakers and participants relaxing after day one.

6. Bena Kallick, Judy Willis & Karen Boyes 7. Adrian Rennie in action 8 & 9. Participants in learning mode 10. Doodle gallery - people’s aha’s 11. Karen Boyes in action 12. Bena Kallick teaching

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CONTENTS

In this issue

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CONFERENCE REVIEW

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Editor’s note

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Kids Matter SASHA MACARTHUR

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Make your future

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TONY RYAN 12

Organisational questioning DR CHERYL DOIG

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Reading, writing and dyslexia: The latest news MAGGIE DENT

Classroom management and visualisation DR MARVIN MARSHALL

KRISTEN DE DEYN KIRK 7

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GINNIE THORNER

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The teacher as design artist

Why are some teachers happier than others?

GLENN CAPELLI

STEVE FRANCIS

The most powerful assessment question

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CHRISTINE KERR

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Emotional intelligence andacademic achievement

Comet Maths ROBYN HARAWIRA

Ignoring obstacles JOHN SHACKLETON

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ALAN COOPER

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The endangered curriculum

Valuing life KATE SOUTHCOMBE

Fast-track classroom engagement

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JOKES

ALLIE MOONEY

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Eight steps to experience the power of focus/flow

Teachers Matter

KAREN TOBICH

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Ditch the sugar – for more reasons than you think WENDY SWEET

TEACHERS RESOURCES AND LESSONS pages 40-42

MAGAZINE CONTACTS

Teachers Matter Magazine Team

Subscribe today

Publisher, Sales and Advertising: Karen Boyes

To receive your own copy of the next issue, send an e-mail to magazine@spectrumeducation.com

Editor: Kristen De Deyn Kirk Graphic Design: Mary Hester / 2nd Floor Design Printer Spectrum Print, Christchurch

Subscriptions Toll free (NZ) 0800 373 377 Toll free (Australia) 1800 249 727 Thanks to the educators, speakers and authors who contributed interviews, articles, photographs and letters.

Teachers Matter magazine is registered with the National Library: ISSN 1178-6825 © Spectrum Education 2012 All rights reserved.

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The light switch to better learning THELMA VAN DER WERFF

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VANESSA LOCKE

Don’t let the “stuff” rule you

Video conferencing – the low down

ROBYN PEARCE

JENNY BARRETT

Healthy Recipies HAMISH MACARTHUR

Literacy word wall

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Learning in a new way STUART KING

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Brain food

Games and learning

KAREN BOYES

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TERRY SHEFFIELD 60

A simple book with a strong message

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BARBARA GRIFFITH & TRICIA KENYON

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A to Z of effective teaching KAREN BOYES

Transitioning from education into work: Who is doing it?

KEVIN MAYALL The two sins of education THE LAST WORD: KAREN BOYES

All Enquiries Street Address: 19 Rondane Place, Lower Hutt, New Zealand Postal Address: PO Box 30818, Lower Hutt, New Zealand Phone: (NZ) +64 4 528 9969 Fax: (NZ) +64 4 528 0969 magazine@spectrumeducation.com www.spectrumeducation.com Lioncrest Education

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Quote NELSON MANDELA

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The opinions expressed in Teachers Matter are those of the contributors and we love them!

Spectrum Education Ltd

SARAH BOAM

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My Ice-cream parlour

Parts of this publication may be reproduced for use within a school environment. To reproduce any part within another publication (or in any other format) permission from the publisher must be obtained.

Postal Address: PO Box 340 Cessnock NSW 2325, Australia

Seeing is believing

Phone: 61 2 4991 2874 or 1800 249 727

TINA JOSHUA-BARGH

info@lioncrest.com.au www.lioncrest.com.au

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EDITOR’S NOTE

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his magazine is dedicated to helping you become a better teacher. If you’ve opened these pages before, you know you can turn to us for new ideas, reinforcement on already-mastered techniques, and motivation on taking care of your health –mentally and physically. We’re lucky to have so many wonderful contributors sharing their knowledge, and we’ll always continue to ask them to offer advice. But you might want to turn to another source for helping you in your career – and your life overall: Your students.

This idea popped into my mind recently when I learned a few things from my kids, ages 10 and 12. My son, the younger one, struggled to wake up every morning. It’s not only that he’s not particularly thrilled with school, I told myself. He’s really just a night owl. I got him to bed at a reasonable time – but he often stalled and didn’t fall asleep until at least an hour later. I would let him sleep until the last possible minute in the morning, determined to avoid unnecessary grouchiness and hoping he’d be in better “shape” for school.

One morning, he wanted to get up an hour early to watch something on TV that he didn’t have time to watch the night before. He asked me to get him up, and I agreed, thinking, “right, buddy; I’m going to try and you’re going to refuse and like usual, I’ll be begging you to get up an hour later when you absolutely must.”

Teachers Matter

Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong: He got up immediately when I woke him the next day; and he got washed up, dressed and ready for school without complaint – and even helped himself to breakfast (a meal he usually said “no” to despite my pleas every day.) I was shocked and so happy: No fighting and he was out the door on time with a smile on his face. That night, he went to bed an hour early on his own. This process has now occurred almost every day since. Never, ever, ever, would I have thought to change his schedule on my own.

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My daughter hasn’t had a change in schedule, but a growth in maturity that I, 32 years her senior!, only recently embraced myself. She told me how her phys ed class had to play a game in which she kicked a ball outside. I say “had to” because she is not a fan of this structured class and being told how and when to exercise, although she likes to dance, run, bike, ride and swim on her own time. So, she wasn’t in the best mood when starting to play this game, and as she ran up to kick the ball, she slipped on the wet grass. And, well, didn’t exactly recover her footing – and found herself bottom down in a pile of swampy grass.

As she told me this stor y the next day, I had a flashback to two incidents when I was in school: During the first one, I ended up in the same position as my daughter, but in a puddle in front of my school, as I was waiting for the school bus. Who knows how it happened, but there I was. I remember quickly getting up, still shocked and slumping over, and scurrying to the bus. It was almost as if I had blacked out: Did people laugh? Try to help? I’m not sure – I just wanted out. The second time, I fell playing basketball at school and collided with another girl. Shamefully, I blamed her! How awful of me – so immature, and I was pretty much an “adult” at the time.

Bravo to my daughter, though. After her fall, she chose to laugh – even though it might have been hard to do because she was a bit hurt and others were pointing and smirking.

“I doubled over in laughter after I got up and didn’t stop until everyone else stopped laughing, too,” she told me, just as I was going to recommend that action.

I’m determined to ask these smart kids for their input more often – and always remember that a lack of age or size doesn’t mean a lack of smartness.

Kristen De Deyn Kirk

My sincere apologies to Lucy King for the typo in her article from TM issue #16, “Learning From My Elders.” I added an “s” to the word Maori. I apologise for any offense this may have caused.

SASHA MACARTHUR

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KIDS MATTER

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attended the recent Kids Matter Conference and had the chance to see and learn so much:

Wa y n e L o g u e c a m e a n d t a u g h t u s “wordtoons.” That’s when you write the word and then turn it into a picture of the word. We drew an elephant, a chicken, a dog, and a cat.

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Adrian Rennie came, and we played a game and we had some riddles. He taught us about “what is the smartest thing I can do right now” and the Habits of Mind, a series of approaches we can all use in life.

1. Denny MacArthur in Rescue uniform 2. Hand eye coordination!

3 & 4. Jess and Rose Porter’s 2 day summary 5. Wayne Logue fairy wordtooning 6. Marion with “Fred” the brain

With Anna Oosterkamp, our Kids Matter leader, we did some acting and we had to see who was “grandpa.” It was lots of fun.

Marion Miller came and we did some activities and learned how to switch our brain on. We also met Fred the brain!

Denny MacArthur, my Dad, came to talk about Christchurch where he went to rescue people after the big earthquake. He also talked about how to stay safe. We all went home to find out how to turn off the power, gas and water in an emergency.

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On day two, we watched a movie called The Lost Thing, and Judy Willis came and talked about the brain. She said the brain is always paying attention – it just may not be to the teacher!

Karen Boyes, my Mum, is the boss of Spectrum Education. She came and talked about the learning styles and the 10 best brain foods. They are: blueberries, nuts, fish, broccoli, bananas, yoghurt, olive oil, wholegrain bread, spinach and tomatoes.

I had a great time and hope I can go back next year.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Adrian Rennie A successful classroom teacher, Adrian is passionate about excellence in teaching.

He combines simple yet effective classroom techniques and Art Costa’s Habits Of Mind to create a culture of thinking.

Alan Cooper Alan Cooper is an educational consultant based in New Zealnd. As a principal, he was known for his leadership role in thinking skills, including Habits of Mind, learning styles and multiple intelligences, information technology, and the development of the school as a learning community.

Allison Mooney Allison is a passionate and endearing speaker who infuses a desire in her audience to significantly increase their performance as educators through identifying the behaviours and traits of others. Author of Pressing the Right Buttons, Allison has been twice awarded “Speaker of the Year” by the Auckland Chapter of NZ National Speakers Association. www.personalityplus.co.nz

Barbara Griffith Barbara has been a primary school teacher for 36 years. She has specialised in the teaching of literacy for more than 20 years and recently retired from a position as a Resource Teacher: Literacy, which she had held for the last 16 years.

Dr Cheryl Doig

Teachers Matter

Dr Cheryl Doig is director of Think Beyond.

As an educator, her aim is to challenge organisations to think for tomorrow. She can be contacted through www.thinkbeyond.com.nz.

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Christine Kerr

Kate Southcombe

Christine has 30 years experience in education, the last decade in school management. She facilitated a structured counselling service for her intermediate school students and is a qualified, professional life coach. Passionate about meeting young people’s needs for ongoing success, Christine created the Mighty Minds programmes. Using 21st-century research and mindset tools, she inspires young people to take leadership in their own lives, culminating in a total package for future reference throughout their lives. Post-programme support is available for participants through a range of media pathways and interactive funshops. Visit www.lifeseeker.co.nz

Kate’s business, EPR Training, combines her passion for horses and her educational background by supplying online products to support people with behaviour management of horses and children. This novel approach is grounded in science and draws on the principles of applied behaviour analysis. Kate is an Early Childhood Education lecturer and private tutor.

Ginnie Thorner Ginnie is a teacher in Christchurch, passionate about helping people to work, think and learn through dance and drama. Her expertise has led to the development of arts-centred inquiry learning models.Ginnie is also a member of the UNESCO funded Teaspoon of Light Theatre Company.

Glenn Capelli An author, songwriter, radio and television presenter and creator of the Dynamic Thinking course for Leadership, Glenn delivers a message of creativity, innovation and thinking smarter. He teaches people how to be a learner and thinker in today’s fastpaced and ever-changing world through the use of creative thinking, humour, enthusiasm and attitude. Glenn’s new book, Thinking Caps, is available from Spectrum. www.glenncapelli.com

Jenny Barrett Jenny is the CEO for Breathe Technology. Her enthusiasm for technology came when thrown in the deep end whilst teaching at a Taiwan high school. Jenny has since undertaken a Master’s of Education (Ed. Technology) and has supported classroom teachers to use educational technology in UK and NZ projects. www.breathetechnology.co.nz

John Shackleton With a sports psychology and sports coaching background, John now shows international business audiences techniques that exercise and improve the biggest, most powerful muscle in the body – the brain. His clients include Coca-Cola, Air New Zealand, IBM, Hewlett Packard, Sony and Renault. www.JohnShack.com

Karen Boyes Karen Boyes is a leading authority on effective learning and teaching in Australasia and is founder and CEO of Spectrum Education. A highly skilled, enthusiastic and dynamic presenter with over 18 years experience in the education profession, she works with teachers, parents, students and corporate clients internationally, unleashing their peak performance. www.spectrumeducation.com

Karen Tobich Karen is a food stylist who is passionate about living off the land and creating and presenting food. She believes that sharing food connects people and fosters quality relationships in so many ways. She shows you how to transform home and locally grown seasonal foods into delicious healthy and inspiring foods to make, to give, and to share.

Kevin Mayall As an internationally renowned speaker and personality profiler, Kevin Mayall specialises in the needs and management of Generation Y both in the education and corporate sector, creating and selling licences for programs designed for national and International curriculums. He founded the GenNext series of programs which help students transition from education into purposeful lives. www.kevinmayall.com

Maggie Dent Maggie Dent is an author, educator, speaker, and parenting and resilience expert with a special interest in the early years and adolescence. She is a passionate advocate for the healthy, commonsense raising of children in order to strengthen families and communities. Maggie has a broad perspective and range of experience that shapes her work, a slightly irreverent sense of humour and a depth of knowledge that she shares passionately in a commonsense way. Her finest achievements are her four adult sons, deep human connectedness and her five books. www.maggiedent.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Dr Marvin Marshall

Steve Francis

Tina Joshua-Bargh

Marvin is an international staff developer and the author of the best-selling book, Discipline Without Stress, Punishments or Rewards: How Teachers and Parents Promote Responsibility & Learning. His approaches demonstrate how using internal motivation and non-coercion is far more effective and significantly less stressful than using threats, punishments, rewards, and other manipulations aimed at obedience. www.marvinmarshall.com

Steve Francis understands the challenges and demands of being a principal. He has led a number of Queensland State Schools from a one-teacher school through to a large metropolitan school and was previously a member of QASSP Management Committee.

After 18 years of successful principalship, Steve ventured with his family to Hong Kong as the principal of an international school for four great years. He returned to Queensland to start a new business venture supporting leaders to reach their potential, write three books, A Gr8 Life…Live it now!, Time Management For Teachers and First Semester Can Make Or Break You, and develop the Gr8 People educational resources and the Happy School articles. He is conducting a one day workshop ‘Establishing a Feedback Culture’ for QASSP members. Further details are on the QASSP website and www.stevefrancis.net.au

Tina Joshua-Bargh is Canadian-trained teacher who came to New Zealand in the late 1990s. She taught Y1 and Y3/4 in South Auckland, then Y3/4 in West Auckland before moving back to Ontario, Canada where she taught grade 1 for seven years. She’s been a Year 5 teacher at Willowbank School in Dannemore since 2008 and has recently developed a passion for helping parents be the best parent they can be for their child.

Robyn Harawira Robyn (for merly Robyn Bell-Muir) is passionate about Leading Learning. She has inspired parents, teachers and children alike throughout her career as principal, teacher of the deaf and in gifted education.

Robyn Pearce Robyn Pearce is known around the world as the Time Queen, helping people discover new angles on time. Check the resources on her website www.gettingagrip.com, including a free report for you: How to Master Time in Only 90 Seconds. She is a CSP, a Certified Speaking Professional. This is the top speaking accreditation in the profession of speaking and held by only about 800 people around the world. www.gettingagrip.com

Sara Boam Sarah Boam worked in London schools for four years. She now works at Kaipara College as an English teacher and a professional development committee member focusing on raising literacy across the curriculum. Her experience teaching phys ed, health and social sciences helps her see how literacy is applicable and vital in all subject areas. She instills her strong belief in the power of reading in her 4-year-old daughter, Grace, by reading with her and making up silly poems and stories starring her most nights. Sarah is also a qualified personal trainer and spinning instructor, teaching four classes each week at the YMCA in Massey.

Stuart King Stuart King studied at Leeds and Exeter Universities and has been a Middle Years literacy teacher at ELTHAM College since 2000. Stuart’s area of expertise is digital literacy, a core component of what ELTHAM calls Knowledge Era Schooling.

Terry Sheffield Currently an RTLB, Greymouth, Terry is a passionate advocate of both student centred learning and teachers who make learning a collaborative strategy. Based on over 40 years teaching experience, influenced by students and colleagues he has worked, it is a combination which he believes encourages the students to start thinking about and taking responsibility for their own learning and which has positive influences on the manner in which they behave.

Thelma van der Werff Thelma van der Werff is a chartered colour therapist who has developed a fascinating new concept called “Colour Coaching. Colour Coaching uses the psychology of colour to determine someone’s talents and stumbling blocks and is a simple tool for practitioners and therapists in assessing and supporting their clients. Thelma has written two books:Why are you wearing those colours? and Dress to Impress. Thelma teaches her Colour Comfort method in New Zealand, Australia, The Netherlands, and Germany.

Tony Ryan Tony is a teacher-in-residence and educational consultant who refuses to take life too seriously. The facilitation of quality thinking has always fascinated him. If you’d like lots more ideas, head off to www. tonyryan.com.au, or to the latest version of Thinkers Keys (available on an Individual and Site licence). Track down Tony at tony@ tonyryan.com.au.

Tricia Kenyon Tricia has been involved in the field of literacy for 17 years, firstly as a Resource Teacher:Reading, then as a Resource Teacher:Literacy. She is passionate about books and reading, and feels privileged to be in a position where she can share that passion with students, their parents, and fellow teachers.

Vanessa Locke Vanessa Locke is a teacher of a year 1/2 multi-age class currently in her tenth year of teaching. She has worked in a variety of school settings from small schools with just the principal and her to larger ones, such as her current Rasmussen State School with 20 teachers, a deputy principal and a principal.

She loves making a difference to a life and a community.

Wendy Sweet Wendy Sweet is a regular contributor to Teachers Matter magazine on health and lifestyle issues. She has a lengthy career in the industry and is best known for having founded personal training in NZ for the Les Mills group. Wendy lectures at the University of Waikato in the sport and leisure studies division in the faculty of education and is currently undertaking her PhD. She is a well respected seminar presenter on work-life balance and has presented at a number of professional development workshops for schools. She can be contacted on wsweet@ xtra.co.nz or wsweet@waikato.ac.nz

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TONY RYAN

Make your future Control what you can—and encourage your students to do the same.

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ypsy fortune-tellers are fascinating.

I saw one hard at work when I was about 8 years old. The theatrics, the swirling clothing, the crystal ball, all created a sense of wonder in me.

I’m just as fascinated today with those who claim they can predict the future. Only this time, some of them are dressed up in a charlatan outfit; they’re plastered all over the social media; and they’re peddling fear and unease about our collective lives ahead.

And why?

To sell some deceitful program that will allay our fears, or require us to trust their fool-proof system for storing our hardearned cash. Or perhaps to encourage us to live in a bomb-proof shelter somewhere in the middle of the Nevada desert.

Here’s a reality check for you. No-one can accurately predict the future. Oh, we can generalise with a series of trends, and we can determine some probable futures by analysing present patterns of behaviour.

We can calculate how many 10-year olds there will be in five years. Just count how many 5-year-olds we have right now.

And what does that mean? Well, it means that you adopt a series of strategies and mindsets that will give you the best possible chance of thriving through whatever happens. Here are some suggestions on future-proofing your life, your family, your work, your school, and your workplace: 1. Focus on what you can control, rather than on what you can’t. If you keep thinking about things that you can’t influence, you’re wasting your energy. Do some in-control things like saving some money, or establishing some consistent everyday patterns (such as exercising), or doing some charity work. Then you’re in control of your world.

2. Fight back on the fear factor.

There are some in the media who consistently resort to doomsday scenarios (note the Dec 21, 2012 end-of-world scenarios being portrayed right now).

Watch how a highly negative news report

3. Do some in-depth study. Having strong knowledge gives you greater confidence about what lies up ahead.

If you want to know what’s going on, then make the effort to study up on the topic. Go and listen to some respected experts in the field. Find some valid online information. Remember that ignorance is rarely bliss.

4. Watch the trends. While they’re not foolproof, trends can give some indications on what lies up ahead.

If you’re in business today, you may be struggling. Yet, there are some obvious trends taking place. Examples: People want to save, not spend. And technology is having a strong impact on how customers purchase goods.

Teachers Matter

“ Adopt a series of strategies and mindsets that will give you the best possible chance of thriving through whatever happens.”

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But can we accurately predict the share market movements through this year, or whether a major accident will occur in three months from now, or whether you will win lots of money in a lottery? No, we can’t.

Naturally, most of us would prefer to have some degree of certainty about our future, which is why we keep hoping that the fortune-tellers will be accurate. But they basically won’t be. So here’s the next best option: Future-proof yourself.

makes you feel. Then read a positive article about what lies up ahead, and again note your response. Become aware of your responses. It’s the first stage in turning your emotions around.

TONY RYAN

5. Let go of certainty. Accept that to live an inspiring life, you may need to embrace uncertainty. Not knowing can end up being a welcome part of your life, rather than something to be avoided. So, be an ongoing adventurer who relishes the opportunity to be challenged by unforeseen circumstances.

And last, if you’re involved with kids in any way, I beg of you to not scare the heck out of them about the future. I’m not sure why some adults do i t .

Maybe it’s a power thing, like: “It’s all gonna be awful, but I’ll save you.”

Oh please. Get over it. If you push too hard with that negative line, they’re hardly going to feel positive about their world. And even worse, they might not even bother to help create a better world.

Look at the last 50 years of world history.

There have been so many pending calamities (world starvation, millennium bugs), and yet somehow we get through them intact.

Inspire kids about the possibilities in their lives, and with the planet in general. And then we’re more likely to see a future that is beneficial for us all, because they’ll help to create it.

ILLUSTRATION: YAEL WEISS

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Teachers Matter

Organisational questioning

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The right questions can propel you in the right direction.

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uch has been written about t he power o f q u e st i o n i n g . It is a crucial part of teacher inquiry models, observational models, and peer coaching models. The power to inquire is fundamental to personal growth, improved student outcomes and organisational change.

At the macro level, there are questions that can help us focus on education’s possibilities and the organisational mindsets that shape us. If the organisation as a whole does not have some powerful questions that drive it, great things will not happen. So what is powerful to ask, in the organisational sense?

ILLUSTRAT ST IO ON: ANATOLY MASLENNIKO OV OV

DR CHERYL DOIG

DR CHERYL DOIG

• What do we need to do to move forward?

“ By remaining focused, we ensure that our actions, our purchases and our plans relate back to our strategic vision and direction.”

• In what ways does your work add value to the school’s vision and direction?

• What is one particular success you are proud of and why?

• What would it take to do more of that?

A powerful question is one that drives the organisation forward. It is focused and requires attention to answer. In paying attention, the organisation’s story unfolds and grows toward its purpose. Take, for example, the question asked by The Studio School, a United Kingdom initiative that seeks to bridge the gap between what skills and knowledge young people need to succeed and what the education system provides. The question asked was: “What kind of school would teenagers fight to get into, not fight to stay out?”

This is a powerful question. It provides a clear focus about what is important. It presumes that the goal is achievable and desirable and involves the stakeholders in its creation. It is ambitious, yet will lead to a better outcome when achieved. As the question is debated, the school’s story unfolds and is reiterated for the staff. It is a reinforcing loop.

Such a question gets developed by identifying a compelling need, usually by looking at data and talking to your stakeholders about powerful connections and disconnections they have with the organisation. Here are some ideas for getting started:

Focus questions These questions focus on the organisation’s vision and direction. It is easy to become distracted by the latest new idea, latest technology or initiative. By remaining focused, we ensure that our actions, our purchases and our plans relate back to our strategic vision and direction. This requires an unrelenting, coherent focus on improved outcomes. Consider these questions: • “What’s the purpose?” Author Andy Hargreaves uses the metaphor of the “parrot of purpose” sitting on your shoulder and asking this question. I would expand on this question with the next question:

• How does this benefit young learners now and in the future?

• Is this moving us closer to our vision?

If not, why not? What do we need to change?

Use questions that move people to a “toward state” and away from an “away state.” A “toward state” focuses on solutions and creates energy. An “away state” focuses on problems and blame.

• If we were to make one small change that would have the greatest effect on learning, what would it be?

Personal reflective questioning

• What could we keep/stop/start doing to help us reach our goals? What will we do?

Personal leadership is the base for developing other leadership. As we grow in understanding ourself, we become better team members and develop into better leaders. Leadership starts with self. These final questions focus on being the best we can be. Take time to regularly reflect on your own behaviour by considering some of these questions:

Possibilities questions These questions explore the power of possibilities, the “what ifs.” Use these to consider options rather than erect barriers.

You may be surprised what comes out of the conversation. Some possibilities might be: • What if...40 percent of our school programs were delivered through elearning?

• What if… parts of our school were open 24 hours a day?

• What if …we collaborated across schools and business to create amazing learning opportunities for all ages?

• What am I doing to contribute?

• How did my behaviour move us closer to our goal? Move us further away?

• How will others have perceived this?

• What assumptions am I making?

• What do I need to consider for the next stages of our change?

• Am I focused on what matters?

• What if we organised school so that young learners could easily learn with others around the globe?

Questions for staff and students These questions explore links to the organisation’s strategy and consider what might be helping or hindering at the macro level. Questions might include: • What things would help you achieve greatness here? In your work/learning?

• What idea would move our vision forward?

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MAGGIE DENT

Reading, writing and dyslexia: The latest news Teachers – and families – can do so much to help.

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recently spent a day with Dr Martha Burns who works in neuroscience exploring the issues literacy, reading and dyslexia. The first important thing to understand is that English is a nontransparent language. This means that words do not sound like they look.

George Bernard Shaw said we could spell fish – phoeti; “f” sound as in phone, “i’ sound as Phoebe, and “sh” sound as in nation.

Teachers Matter

The most transparent language is Italian, but unfortunately moving to Italy is not a helpful solution to low literacy rates in Australia and New Zealand.

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Dr Burns showed us technical slides about the brain. The left side is where we process the ability to do maths, reading, understanding of symbol systems and sequencing. The first three years of life is where children build the essential neuronal highways that process the “traffic” of stimuli and experiences.

Real experiences that involve all the senses are profoundly important like listening, movement, sequencing like nursery rhymes and lullabies, rocking, swinging and face to face interaction. The saturation in language in a calm environment is an important preparation for future capacity to read well.

The neuronal “tracts” or highways take time to mature due to exposure to quantity and quality of real-life experiences, and when the tract is mature, it is then “ready” to learn to read. This maturity is known as readiness, and children who speak English as a second language, boys or those exposed to chronic distress often have delayed readiness. Boys have been shown to develop their right brain before their left brain, whereas girls develop both at the same time, and this partially explains why boys are often up to 18 months behind girls.

It was great to see that neuroscience supports how important “parenteze” or baby talk is to developing the “tracts”

or processing neuro highways that later help children read. When parents make “goo goo, gar gar” noises, it is how babies work out how to speak, how sounds are formed. When combined with the repetition and sequencing the brain needs, it is like creating the fertile soil needed to grow the future seeds of language and words. Dr Burns kept affirming how essential nursery rhymes were in the developing phonological awareness – the building blocks for reading.

It helps build a sense of syllables in a natural fun way. Indeed, Dr Raschle, an expert on dyslexia, believes that a key indicator of a child’s ability to read later, is “can they rhyme at 4 years of age?” Tongue twisters are also excellent for building phonological awareness as well as building children’s working memory. Reading stories to children has always been important; however, reading in a highly animated way with texts that use rhyme, especially in the first three years, is seen as more important than just reading any old story.

Turn of the TV – and move Babies and young children cannot take language from a TV. Nothing can replace human interaction in positive human development, and this is why experts recommend that under 2 year olds should not have any TV. They need to get the key auditory and visual neuro pathways built.

One wonders what will happen to today’s children who have an Ipad by 18 months of age as a toy. There is a well-known study by Hart and Rissley that shows that the amount of language a child hears, the better they will read, and lower socio-economic families speak less than higher socio-economic families. It was estimated that there is a difference of 30 million words over the first five years.

“ Reading stories to children has always been important; however, reading in a highly animated way with texts that use r hyme, especially in the first three years, is seen as more important.”

MAGGIE DENT

Reading is not a natural human activity. It has only been around for 5,000 years, and human brains have evolved for millions of years without reading. So technically, the brain has to recycle its circuitry so that we can read. Humans have been always capable of understanding symbols and their positioning. Visual-spatial organization

is important in processing text. Children under five develop this capacity through movement – and the more movement the better. Body spatial processing develops a child’s sense of body and body space, and this context builds children’s visual-spatial organization. This is an area of significant change in the modern world, where children

are staying inside, spending hours passively watching TV or using screen technology.

There has been a 60 percent drop in outside play in Australia in just one generation, and this coincides with an increase in children struggling to read.

Movement needs to have both gross

PHOTO: NAMI66

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MAGGIE DENT

motor and fine motor skills. It is why our preschool educators spend time building children’s ability to manage scissors, puzzles, marbles and sand. These are important in helping the brain to be ready for reading. Active play, especially unstructured play, is how our children learn visual-spatial organization as well as language. In modern classrooms we have interactive whiteboards, laptops and less movement. Twenty years or more ago children had to do music (fabulous for the visual and auditory processing parts of the developing brain) folk dancing, rote learning, PMP programs outside and still plenty of play equipment in kindy, prep and Year 1 classes. Are we creating environments that inhibit the natural developmental processes of beginning readers by focusing on curriculum that involves picture recognition, work sheets and flash cards?

The next area of concern is the noisy world our children live in and how that can create problems with auditory processing.

Too much noise from TV’s, technology, traffic and noisy toys can overload young children’s nervous system and impair this essential developmental stage. There are four ways to degrade the sensory cortex (aural language and somatosensor y cortex development): 1. Structured noise – the absence of music, speech, rhyming nursery rhymes, songs and storytelling will create problems.

Also fluid in the ears or ear infections can impair development.

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2. Continuous unmodulated noise research shows that continuous “white noise” like a fan or noisy air conditioner creates a muddy map for processing sound later.

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3. Perinatal anoxia – degrades auditory system function and cortical processing speeds.

4. Non-coplanar PCBs – PCB poisoning radically alters cortical map development as it stores in our fat and myelin is a fatty substance in the brain.

Another very interesting part of Dr Burn’s seminar explored the processing of speech.

Speech sounds can vary by as little as 10 milliseconds, and this can make the ability to distinguish speech sounds correctly tricky for some children. So it may not be that you can’t hear a sound, it is more you are unable to process that sound. I had no idea it is such a technical field and that 10 milliseconds can make such a difference.

Dyslexia: What is it?

For a long time it was thought that dyslexia was a visual impairment mainly because of the rotation of letters. If we just work on building visual processing, dyslexic children will always be “tortured readers.” Dr Burns stressed that dyslexia is not an incapacity to learn.

as long as the children are following along in the text at the same time.

If children appear to be not listening in class, have problems comprehending, have difficulty holding attention or are disruptive and restless, the best advice is to get them to a speech therapist or a developmental optometrist. So many of these problems can be picked up early and early intervention can make things improve often quite quickly.

Finally remember that some dyslexic children have grown to be extremely successful because they saw and processed the world differently. There is more help available than ever before and that means there is more hope to overcome a genetic disposition. It does not have to be a self fulfilling prophecy.

More tips for helping reluctant readers

Dyslexia involves three things:

1.

1. Phonological awareness problems – auditory processing difficulty with sounds

Find funny books that have short fun quotes or fun facts

2.

Find books about things they love

3.

Read every day without asking questions after

4.

Let them read comics, magazines

5.

Validate their feelings and encourage lots

6.

Choose technology that encourages reading

2. Less efficient working memory that hinders sentence and story recall 3. Difficulty with rapid auditory naming Some of the research shows that dyslexia children often try to process reading via the right brain rather than the left brain, where it is easier to process. These children can also have more difficulty managing distractions than other children.

In h e l p ing s truggling read ers , it is important to give them books to read that they will be able to read at least 90 competently. If the books are too hard, they will give up. There are high- quality computer programs that can help build auditor y processing skills as well as improving working memory. Normal games and programs will not necessarily improve either of these areas – nor will it help managing distractions. Another tip to help with both reluctant readers and those with dyslexia is that small group work is very beneficial as long as it is not punitive. Audio books can also be helpful

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DR MARVIN MARSHALL

Classroom management and visualisation Paint the picture and help your students.

T

he foundation of effective classroom management is modeling, practicing, and reinforcing procedures. A fundamental mistake too many classroom teachers make is to assume that students know how to do something without the teacher’s modeling and the students’ practising the procedure.

Procedures can also be taught for situations that occur outside of classrooms that can increase learning. Two examples are related here, one having to do with tardiness and the other with homework.

Tardies Many teachers rely on rules to have students arrive to classes on time. Rules are necessary in games. Between people, however, rules result in adversarial relationships because rules place the adult in the position of being an enforcer, a cop—rather than a teacher, coach, educator, mentor, or facilitator of learning.

By their very nature, rules imply a consequence, such as FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE RULES WILL RESULT IN:

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1st 2nd 3rd 4th

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Warning: Essay Detention Referral to office

Rules are left-hemisphere oriented. They work for people who like structure and order.

But what about right hemisphere-oriented students who tend to act spontaneously and process randomly?

These folks need structure, and establishing procedures for them may be the best approach to help students help themselves.

Mary was consistently late to my second period class. Assigning her detention had little positive affect on having her change

her behaviour. So I had a conversation with Mary and asked what she customarily did before coming to my class. She told me that she would go to her locker to get her book for her second period class. I asked, “Mary, can you see yourself getting your books for both periods before period one?” She responded that she could. I then asked if she did anything else before coming to my class. She told me that since Jane, her best friend, was also in my class and that since Jane’s class was on the way to mine, that she would wait for Jane to walk to my class so they could arrive together. I said, “Mary, can you see yourself walking right past Jane’s classroom and directly to my class?” Notice what I had done: I established a visual procedure to help Mary help herself. The result was that the number of times Mary came to my class late were significantly reduced.

For students like Mary, establishing a visual procedure to help them help themselves can reduce a problem.

Homework A second area where I used visual procedures had to do with home assignments.

I have a short discussion before the assignment, for which I always offer at least two options for the simple fact that students are more empowered if they have a choice. The discussion is a set of questions.

Examples follow: What time will you start the assignment? 5 o’clock? If you are shooting basketballs or are involved in some other interesting activity, what procedure will you use to remind yourself? Where will you do your home assignment? On your bed?

At the kitchen table? Will you be watching television and switch tasking from the TV to your assignment? What materials will you need?

Notice that I am having my students establish a visual procedure so that when they do their home learning, they will already have a procedure in their heads.

We know that this visualising is effective.

Perhaps the most famous story of visualizing procedures is the saga of James Nesmeth, an average golfer who shot in the 90s. For seven years, he completely left the game; he did not touch a golf club nor set foot on a fairway. Major Nesmeth spent those seven years imprisoned in a small cell as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam.

During almost the entire time he was imprisoned, he was isolated. He believed that he could keep himself sane in his tiny cell under hideous conditions by occupying his mind. He decided to practice his golf game. He was in no hurry. He had no place to go. He imagined that he was at his favorite golf course playing a full round of golf. Every day he experienced each detail.

He saw himself dressed in his golf clothes.

He smelled the fragrance of the trees and the freshly trimmed grass. In his mind’s eye, he experienced different weather conditions—windy spring days, overcast winter days, and sunny summer mornings.

He visualized every single step, from how he positioned himself before each swing to the follow-through afterwards. Starting at the first tee, he looked down and saw the little ball. He visualised addressing it, the feel of the grip of the club, and the position of his stance. He instructed himself as he practised smoothing out his downswing and the follow-through on his shot. Then he watched the ball arc down the exact center of the fairway, bounce a couple of times and roll to the precise spot he had selected.

Not once did he ever miss a shot, never took a hook or a slice, never missed a putt.

Day after day he played a full 18 holes of golf. When he was liberated, one of the first

DR MARVIN MARSHALL

things he did was to go to the golf course and play a round of golf. The ďŹ rst time out, without touching a golf club in seven years, he shot a 74, knocking 20 strokes off his game. That is the power of visualisation!

Since procedures are partly at a nonconscious level, they often need assistance to be changed. Teachers can assist by the mental pictures of procedure they help young people create in their minds.

PHOTO: PHO TO: LOUTO UTOCKY CK KY

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GLENN CAPELLI

The teacher as design artist

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first principal when I went out teaching, the late and great Glynn Watkins, taught me the first principle of good teaching: Design.

My

for workshops. Often I am planning the design of a full-day training (four, 90-minute sessions); sometimes I am planning a threeor four-day conference.

These days I am designing a presentation every week; some of these presentations are for keynotes at conferences, others are

As a first-year teacher, the lessons I prepared all ran for 100 minutes. When you teach two to three 100-minute lessons a day, you

really have to think them through. Simply having students read for the whole lesson, or fill out multiple choice papers, was not going to do it. Each lesson demands engagement, sharing, involvement, variety and re-looped learning.

PHOTO: KONSTANTIN LI

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The more you plan, the more they’ll learn.

GLENN CAPELLI

I am not sure that my degree really trained me for 100-minute teaching zones.

The closest we got was How To Do A Lesson Plan 101: • Stipulate general objective of lesson • Specify sub objectives of lesson • Provide lesson steps • Evaluate the lesson Teaching and designing at Wanneroo, my first school, taught me that fully-involved lessons were far more than that. To design a true learning experience required a flow of methodology. Such flow included: • Individual learning time • Paired learning time

• Use of paper, pen, journals, port folios • Use of hands and bodies • Use of music as a learning tool • Amount of movement • Use of space (within the class and external) When you design for 100-minute lessons, you really had to plan well. But, of course, design capability goes beyond planning a lesson. Design is a skill; you can take with you to everything in life. Your health program, your creativity program, how to keep a relationship zippy and loving, how to design a house, or a room – the list goes on. If you are a teacher who designs great lessons, never underestimate the power of your design ability as a transferable skill. Revel in it.

play. We think from the audience point of view in terms of variety and diversity of methods to enable engagement. As Woodsey and I write each song, we think of what happens with the song in terms of visuals and choreography. We also think from the audience’s point of view.

In short, we write, re-write, work and rework. This “Lesson Plan” then becomes a plan in print and abstract drawings, which then becomes an action plan for the cast and assistants involved. Lights, sounds, actions...

All aiming at ensuring the specific and general objectives are met.

Who would have known that the 100-minute lessons planned at Wanneroo were laying the foundations for speeches, presentations, conferences and musicals?

• Groups of four learning time • Whole class time

Beyond the classroom

• One-to-one teaching and learning time

A few years back, I was in charge of putting together a three-day conference for several hundred professional educators and presenters. My tasks included selecting the keynote speakers, selecting workshop presenters and topics, selecting the theme and the timetable, putting together the opening and closing sessions, and coordinating a Cabaret night. As the designer, I had to have the full on balcony view of the Big Picture and the attention to detail of the Dance Floor.

• Teacher -centred time • Student-Centred time • Some thought-out, healthy and appropriate competition • Some reflective solo time • More c-operative pair and group learning • For each 100-minute zone, we teachers thought through: Novel ways of how to start a lesson (engagement) • Creative and thorough ways of how to end a lesson (clarifying)

Lesson designs are the same. They are a constant dance between your vision for the students and lesson and your attention to detail in creating an environment, a plan and a timetable to make the vision happen.

• How to weave a theme throughout each lesson so it was impossible for students not to learn the key messages

At the moment I am writing a musical with my song-writing partner Steven “Woodsey” Woods. Woodsey is in charge of writing the music and scores; I am writing the storyboard and lyrics. It is another Lesson Plan writ large.

• Use of the chalkboard (yes, these days, use of Keynote Slides or Power Point, use of iPad can be woven into the mix)

In designing this musical, we keep in mind the play’s general objective. We have specific objectives for certain parts (chunks) within the

• How to chunk materials and methods in between

Teachers are design artists • Design with imagination and thorough possibilities • Design lessons in layers • Design from a learner’s point of view and a professional’s point of detail • Design as if the speech, lesson or musical is happening now • Design with the vast array of methodologies • Consider all angles and contingencies Then, when you breathe life into the lesson, let it live: • Design tight. Present light.

• Design tight. Present (seemingly) loose.

• Design tight. Deliver nice.

You are a design artist.

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CHRISTINE KERR

The most powerful assessment question

A

fter several weeks assessing students, many educators sigh with relief.

We have let each student know where they are on the percentile scale and encourage them to do better next time.

In our regular student feedback, verbal and written, we acknowledge their achievements so far, as compared with the curriculum requirements or learning intentions, and suggest learning steps.

One powerful question encourages students to think more independently, when making learning and life choices.

In addition to this, self-assessment can be utilised. While we have been professionally recording and making conclusions about where children are, we can also learn much from individual students if we ask them: “How do you think you are doing?”

PHO P HOTO H TO: T O: AN O ANDRE DR Y KISE KISE I LEV L

The answer can be revealing, indicating where a student’s learning pathway is heading. That is why it could be the most important and powerful assessment question we ask. Whatever a student replies, the teacher will receive immediate evidence demonstrating the student’s self-perception. Young children can be surprisingly articulate.

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“While we have been professionally r e c o r d i n g and making conclusions about where children are, we can also learn much from individual students if we ask them: “How do you think you are doing?”

CHRISTINE KERR

How to guide a student’s Self-assessment in less than five minutes: Try this simple conversation to check it out.

Remember not to tell them what you think of their responses. Without judging their responses, there is a golden opportunity to really understand a student’s thought p r oc e s se s , a nd wha t t h e y be l i e ve f o r themselves as learners.

How do you think you are doing? Note the word “think” not “feel,” because we are training them to practise thinking.

Why do you think that? Or what makes you think that? You are asking for evidence; responses will give insights into their own justification for question one.

Where would you really like to be with this subject? This question encourages them to consider their vision, where they would gain the most satisfaction. It is also an opportunity to set a goal. You will be able to “stretch” their ideals here, so they can sense your confidence in their abilities.

If you really focused on this goal, when do you think you could accomplish it by? No accomplished goal was ever set without a clear targeted timeframe.

If you could reach this level with my help, how keen are you to put some effort into making it happen, on a scale from 1 to 10? This question indicates to us their level of emotional ambition and is powerful.

for themselves. They are practising more thinking. Setting up an action plan today will excite students. A sense of achievement will be realised tomorrow.

Delivered in a personal, non-judgmental way, one-to-one, this whole exercise will build a desire, a hunger in the student to succeed. Genuinely offering yourself as a key encourager will undoubtedly inspire them even further and you may be surprised with the winning attitude the student adopts, once she has begun to believe she can achieve.

Plan to overcome misguided self-belief Have you ever taught a child who was bright but she didn’t actually believe it?

This situation has come about as a result of her own self-perception; how she views herself in relation to others. Formal assessments may show that she is in the top percentile of the class, but unless she believes they are doing well, she will not have this fact hardwired into her brain. Therefore she will have incorrect self-beliefs. And this can happen very early in a child’s schooling.

when a child begins school, she may feel confident because family and teachers are telling her she is clever at reading, or doing well at school. But sometimes, that eagerness wanes, and we often wonder why that is. She doesn’t seem so keen and begins to shy away from taking risks with her learning adventures in the classroom; for example, putting her hand up to answer a question. She may be sitting there in class, watching another student read and think to themselves, “He reads better than me,” or “I didn’t know the answer to that question”.

This leads on to beliefs of inability and a lack of brainpower.

The child’s thoughts are her own selfperception. Others in the room may perceive the student’s reading ability in a different way.

This is why positive self-assessment procedures in every classroom could signal a rise in reading achievement, for a start. If a child does not believe she is achieving, then it is important that the teacher knows this.

A student’s self-belief is a critical factor in her success. That is why it is vital that we are aware of students’ thoughts and understand them.

James Chapman from Massey University successfully researched 5-year-old children’s reading abilities, and what they believed for themselves. From his work, Chapman concluded that many children believe they do not have the brainpower to learn to read, so find themselves requiring reading recovery strategies before their 6th birthdays.

Who else can help you get there? This leads them to consider their most precious resources, people they know who will encourage them and who believe in them.

How does this come about? A possible answer could be observed through the following scenario.

What are some of the things you can do right now to ensure you start making progress toward this goal? Students will have answers

Often children are adept at making comparisons between themselves and others around them. (Adults too!) For example,

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ALAN COOPER

Emotional intelligence and academic achievement A teacher addresses the cause of a problem

It

is all too easy with the bustle and pressure that teachers face for them to treat symptoms as causes, and perpetuate a problem rather than curing it. But looking beneath the surface can turn around bad behavior and even enhance all students’ self-worth. Here’s how one teacher did so:

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Two year 7 male students (11 year olds) had made life difficult for themselves, their teacher, and all of the students. They were uncooperative, even disruptive, and their academic work was poor.

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As the new school year approached, we decided to split the two into different classes, with the one we believed to be the ring leader (let us call him Charles) going to a teacher most likely to control his behaviour. Doing this, we came very close to treating only the symptom – the bad behaviour – and not the emotional turmoil beneath the surface that was the real cause.

Instead teacher Christine Jones realized that she could apply Daniel Goleman’s work regarding emotional intelligence.

Change is seldom comfortable, but Christine was what Art Costa, the creator of “Habits of Mind,” calls a responsible

risk-taker. She was prepared to do things that were different, but which she believed would work. She looked beyond the symptom of Charles’ behaviour to his low self-esteem.

Emotional intelligence Christine followed Goleman’s emphasis on self-awareness and decided that each student needed to understand his or her emotions and then increase tolerance, develop anger management, experience positive feelings about self, school, and family, and feel less social anxiety. She also wanted each student to reduce impulsive behaviour (another Habit of Mind), increase self-control, focus on the task at hand and improve educational achievement.

She focused on Goleman’s advice about managing relationships, too. Students could lear n to see another person’s perspective, listen to others with empathy (another Habit of Mind), and provide conflict resolution by being considerate, concerned and diplomatic.

Unfortunately, 11 year olds are self-conscious, hesitant to openly discuss personal matters, and have limited vocabulary for emotions.

The Likert line There was no outside plan to follow. Christine was on her own and had to rely on her innovation and imagination (another of the Habits of Mind) to succeed. As a starting point, she chose an adaptation of the simple nonthreatening Likert line. She asked her students to arrange themselves along an imaginary line according to how they felt, with the top end indicating glad, the mid-section sad, and the bottom end mad. There was an absence of confusing detail. The students were publicly acknowledging how they felt. It was so simple that there were no negative emotions or any consequence associated with it.

As the days went on, students began developing vocabulary through “teachable moments.”

Christine added the new words at the appropriate points on the Likert line, and the students started understanding themselves and the emotional side of their personality. Several times during the day, they would find their place on the line, and see that circumstances affected their emotions.

Christine also asked some students to draw simple sketches of their feelings throughout the day, which also strengthened their willing to make their feelings public and move beyond the simple terms of “glad, sad or mad.”

Only when these simple procedures were firmly established and accepted as a part of the classroom culture was Christine prepared to move on. It took many weeks.

PHOTO: PAVEL LOSEVSKY PHO

ALAN COOPER

Stage two: Role play Christine used role play to move onto G o l e m a n ’s s e c o n d s e t o f e m o t i o n a l intelligence skills – a person’s ability to manage relationships with others. Her goal was simplicity and an absence of moral heaviness. The activities needed to be relevant to the classroom, so Christine chose concerns related to school problems. The first role play was between two students after juice was spilled on a project. Similar simple subjects followed.

When the students were comfortable, they moved onto more complicated relationship issues. An example: “Your best friend has been selected for a sport/cultural trip, and you are dropped/left out.” They then discussed group dynamics and how the other person felt, how a bystander felt, and other alternatives. Students had the vocabulary to discuss the emotions that were felt.

Christine also introduced alternatives, such as playing charades, drawing pictures and using magazine images, to reveal and work through emotions.

Metaphor and elaborating the language The students were developing their vocabulary with the line and the roleplaying, but Christine wanted to help them further.

She decided to introduce metaphor and used McDonald’s to do so. A student who was down and ranking themselves as one out of 10 would equate to feeling like “a cold chip that has been dropped on the floor;” a small packet

of fries would equate to “I’m feeling fine,” or three out of 10; and someone who was feeling really good in the “10 out of 10” range would equate to a large combo Big Mac meal. Other metaphors were potatoes prepared in different ways, clothes and animals.

Students were motivated to elaborate on their feelings and vocabulary as others ranked themselves and explained why.

Students found common ground – even if it was as simple as feeling like a particular type of burger together at the same time.

Often as a result of their revelations, students would wish to modify their feelings - usually upwards on the scales. Listening skills (another Habit of Mind) certainly developed, as did patience, tolerance and fondness for other students. They noted similarities and found humour through the discussions.

Openness is crucial and possible with talks like these. A student eating alone may like to do so, or just not want to express his or her loneliness at first. Openness will allow the expression of loneliness, and the chance for other students to make overtures to include the lonely.

Practice Fields Christine then introduced random acts of kindness, sometimes called Secret Squirrel, as a “practice field,” a way to put new skills into play in a “safe” way.

was required to empathise with their secret friend and do random acts of kindness for them. At the end of the practice session, all was revealed. The secret friend was asked to identify the mentor. Often where the mentor had been particularly discrete they could not do so. What was most interesting was how the mentors picked up the clues to be considerate and helpful. The move from abstract theory to practical application was completed in these practice sessions.

Confirmation of success Most students benefitted from Christine’s approach: “Less loneliness and more positive feelings about self and family,” wrote one; “I don’t get angry as much as I used to with Mum,” and “I didn’t really like telling everyone how I felt at the beginning of the year but I am calmer and more relaxed and don’t get so uptight now,” wrote two others.

And Charles was turned round; there was no doubt of that. His own comment shows how crucial the emotional intelligence approach was for him: “I have more positive feelings about self, school and family. I never before thought I was any good at school work, but I have now changed my mind.” Charles went on to be in the accelerated class at his secondary school, where he continues to be at the top, a complete turnaround from the at-risk, bottomof-the-class student he once was.

Each pupil was secretly assigned a fellow class member. The recipient was not to know the identity of their mentor, and the mentor

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ALLIE MOONEY

Fast-track classroom engagement Know your type and your students.

Maybe it’s the opposite for you. Maybe the group this year has generated better flow than last year.

As teachers we have a certain propensity, which some children gravitate to, or conversely, react to. If we could for a moment give thought to that it may help in getting some traction going in classroom engagement.

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Hippocrates’ work gives us insight; he claimed we come with a predisposition (prepackaged, in our genes) with a particular frame of reference. My intention is not to

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categorise people, but to help us understand, relate and respect those who see the world differently, and give you an understanding of how to move toward someone who prioritises in their mind differently:

How to identify each type Playful

Precise Strengths

Weakness

Talented

Self-conscious

High standards

Too sensitive

Conscientious

Moody

Peaceful

Strengths

Weakness

Strengths

Weakness

Enthusiastic

Disorganised

Little trouble

Indecisive

Fun-loving

Talks too much

Dependable

Uninvolved

Imaginative

Forgetful

Good listener

Selfish

Powerful Strengths

Weakness

Daring and eager

Testing

Competitive

Demanding

Hard worker

Knows everything

PHOTO: ANDREY KISELEV

O

ne of the questions I ask teachers is, “Have you ever started a new year doing exactly what they did last year and found that the dynamics in the classroom are so different?” What seemed a breeze for them last year is just not working as well this year, and the settling in takes so much longer.

ALLIE MOONEY

“ My intention is not to categorise people, but to help us understand, relate and respect those who see the world differently.”

Whatt each Wh h ttype avoids id Playfuls Dull tasks, criticisms, details, lofty goals.

Powerfuls Rest, boredom, games that they can’t win.

Precise Being cheered up, noise, trivial pursuits Peaceful Conflict,extra work,responsibility, tensions This is only part of the puzzle. Identifying is good, but what is best is to understand, “What does each type need?” When we help meet our students’ emotional needs, they have a greater propensity to learn.

Gathering information to profile your students will bring insight as to how you can best connect with them. Sometimes as teachers, we need to adapt to who students are in order that we get their buy-in.

Wh t d What does each h ttype need?

This is what we call “filling their tanks.”

Playfuls Attention, approval, affection, acceptance, presence of people and activity.

Precise want: Structure. To use cause/ effect reasoning. Clear directions. Smaller assignments. Time for reflection and processing. To communicate by writing. To have plans and timeframes.

Peacefuls want: Time to think and work.

Allow them to exercise curiosity. Give them individual assignments. Praise them always for being so adaptable. On-going feedback and harmonious classroom.

Give yourself and your students this understanding at the beginning of the year to help relieve unnecessary tensions that can occur when placed in a new environment. You will also notice these types in your teams, when relating to parents and in the community.

Powerfuls Appreciation for all their achievements, opportunity for leadership. Credit.

Precise Sensitivity to deep desires, satisfaction from quality achievement, time alone Peaceful Peace and relaxation, attention, praise, loving motivation.

What does that look like in the classroom?

Each personality will react and respond differently.

Playfuls want: Fun activities.

Choice, choice and more choice. Shared assignments. Reward with opportunity to speak. Let them verbalise their learning.

Opportunity to work with others Powerfuls want: To know the big picture.

To be hands on. Give them leadership opportunities .Create an environment where they can solve problems. Stimulating, fast-paced program

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GINNIE THORNER

PHOTO:: SHMEL

The endangered curriculum

Teachers Matter

Act now and save dance and drama.

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T

eachers, working incredibly hard to meet the increasing administration requirements in addition to being a great classroom teacher, have little time to notice the endangered curriculum. Attention has barely been given to the endangered arts disciplines of dance and drama.

Factors that can lead to species extinction include erosion of habitat, pollution, competition with other exotics, even neglect.

The same is true of dance and drama in the

New Zealand primary classroom. The lone voice of the arts advocate in a school is lost in the hum of the “crowded” curriculum, a strong focus on literacy and numeracy, and national standards. Some teachers occasionally make a casual donation to the cause, but many, in the busy-ness of school life, simply hurry past and ignore these important learning areas.

Why save the endangered curriculum?

Dance and drama are unique, with significant cultural, historical and social contexts; they form part of the expression of ourselves and our stories as humans. The New Zealand curriculum states: • Through the arts, students create and challenge ideas … that reflect,

GINNIE THORNER

communicate, and change views of the world.

• Drama examines and challenges established ideas and prejudices. It encourages critical and creative thinking and innovation.

• Dance celebrates the learner as they share the stories of their wh nau, their past, their traditions, and beliefs.

Well-prepared arts learning programmes embody the Key Competencies that are central to the NZC. Within dance and drama, students apply thinking and communication tools, use language and symbol, manage themselves and relate to others and actively participate in learning. Rich opportunities are created as students have the chance to explore their stories and others’, stories that connect abstract information with real people and real events. Students can synthesise and re-imagine learning as something aesthetically interesting, able to be interpreted or understood by others.

What can be done?

There are lots of small things that can help continue dance and drama in the classroom. Consider some of the following suggestions: TIME and SPACE (The erosion of Habitat)

“spare” classes and even on the netball court. For drama, nearly any space will work that doesn’t echo too much. Push the desks back.

2. Adapt the work to the available space. If you don’t have a hall to dance in, move furniture back in your classroom and don’t use range and pathways as the key dance language of your unit. Perhaps body shape and body base would be better.

3. Be Aware. The curriculum is about making and sharing dance and drama work so formal spaces for performance are rarely needed.

TIME 1. Plan smarter. Create an inquiry drama that will help students improve drama literacy and also dig much deeper into the issues that surround their inquiry. When learners make the connection to imagined people in imagined places they enrich their understanding of the issues.

2. Learning in Performance. Create a dance work as part of the synthesis of new learning; this can be shared as part of the learning sharing toward the end of an inquiry. (Have a look at Dance vs.

PowerPoint @ TED.)

4. Snaffle extra time. Students develop language while engaged in arts. They will be discussing, negotiating, questioning, evaluating, so shave five minutes each day from literacy or “oral language” and use the 25 minutes for dance or drama focus.

WATERING DOWN- The Pollution Dance and drama are discrete disciplines with knowledge, language, skills and values that need to be explored. However, over time various factors have added to the lessening of their perceived value. For example, some schools have let Jump Jam become their dance curriculum or the production become their drama work. While these are valuable activities they cannot meet the requirements and the diverse range of learning opportunities of the curriculum. These limited activities don’t provide students with multiple opportunities to “develop ideas’ and “communicate and interpret” the arts. Relying on specialists, CRT-arts, or on visiting experts has disconnected great classroom teachers from feeling confident to do this work.

1. Examine beliefs Teacher beliefs about learners, not subjects, need to be considered and compared to class programmes. If teacher beliefs include concepts such as the whole child, learning styles, multiple intelligences, respect for all learners, key competencies, connecting to sstudents’ interests, llife-long learners, global citizens, dance and drama have a place. If you truly value the learners you are working with, why would a teacher deny them the chance to work with anything that might inspire them – including areas that may not totally inspire the teacher?

“ There are lots of small things that can help continue dance and drama in the classroom”

Teachers often note that there is not enough time to get everything done. As a result Dance and Drama are left out.

School wide administration systems need to support student participation in the arts. Once dance and drama are regular, habitual features of your programme, they are easier to develop and maintain.

SPACE 1. Make it work. Make use of what you have. Some teachers take regular dance and drama sessions in libraries, junk-filled

3. Stop the dripping tap. Time leaks out all through the day. If it takes a teacher five minutes to get back from morning tea each day – that adds up to 25 minutes a week, nearly a dance session. Add to that the 10 minutes wasted having students line up, remove shoes and line up again while visiting the library, or waiting 15 minutes for everyone to arrive at assembly, that’s a 35 to 40-minute window that could be better used.

2. Teacher swaps. If a teacher really can’t bear to work in the arts, use the strengths of those who are skilled. One takes drama, one takes PE swap classes, repeat.

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GINNIE THORNER

3. Watch. If the school uses a specialist, encourage teachers to go along with their class and see children working in another learning area. They may be surprised by what they observe, and by what they can connect to later in the week.

4 . Va l u e a r t s . Make time (not only Friday afternoon) for dance and drama to happen. Teacher enthusiasm for the children participating in these disciplines demonstrates the value.

TRAINING – Competing with other exotics Every year schools start with a grand plan for development - perhaps a new idea, a theory or method, something to develop across the school. ICT often gets a boost, or inquiry learning, or literacy. Why not the arts?

1. Evaluate your programme against the intentions of the curriculum. Check that students are developing arts literacy in all four strands: UC, DPK, DI and CI .

2. Get upskilled. Invite in experts, use national associations and other groups who offer professional development. Make this school or syndicate-wide development and share progress.

Teachers Matter

3. Smarter resources. Drama doesn’t require a theatre, costume and props. Being in role is the key. A pile of fabric remnants can be adapted for various roles; 1 metre of blue fabric can be a scarf, a throne, the river, the whale washed ashore. One great music CD for creative dance can be used all year – choose one without words.

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NEGLECT A teacher recently said to me, “My class doesn’t really do dance and drama …it’s not really my thing.” The teacher who made the comment had a lovely class culture and students who were enthusiastic and curious about learning. It is likely that the teacher is doing a fine job with other curriculum areas.

But is this attitude to dance and drama in the curriculum good enough?

Would we accept this comment for, say, Maths? “I don’t really do maths; it’s not my thing.” Or, “we do PE once a term and everyone gets a go on athletics day.” Would that be good enough? Most likely colleagues would hold the teacher accountable if

Maths were lacking in their programme. A principal may intervene and parents would certainly have something to say. Yet dance and drama are routinely neglected and excuses for doing so accepted.

Question the teaching, the programme • Are teachers doing all they can to engage students in dance and drama?

• Are teachers ignoring or avoiding the students’ right to dance and drama?

With some simple evaluation and support, most classrooms could get back to placing dance and drama in a healthy position, a position that will make a difference to the young lives who come to school each day hoping to share their voice, their stories and others’.

• Is there support that is required for programmes?

PHOTO: LANA LANGLOIS

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ǁǁǁ͘ƐŝƚĞĐŚ͘ĐŽ͘Ŷnj 31

STEVE FRANCIS

Why are some teachers happier than others?

You have the power to be one of the happy ones.

H

ave you noticed that within your school there are people who walk around as if they were constantly under a dark cloud and yet there are others who always seem to have a spring in their step? Some teachers are frazzled by the end of term and others appear to be unaffected.

The visual image of a swan comes to mind: Whilst they might be paddling like crazy under the water, on the surface they seem calm and totally in control. I have often wondered whether this trait is part of their disposition or an ability they have developed.

Neuroplasticity has added science to the age-old debate of nature or nurture. For centuries we have debated whether our personalities are “pre-wired” or are the result of the environment and experiences we are exposed to.

Neuroplasticity is the science that explains how our brains develop. Research in the last 20 years explains how new pathways are developed in our brain. This science rebukes the belief that our potential is biologically fixed. Neuroplasticity dispels the belief that once our brain reaches maturity, it is pointless trying to change it.

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No longer can people hide behind “You can’t teach an old dog!’ or “I’m just not wired to be positive!” Studies have confirmed there are numerous ways we can permanently raise our happiness levels and adopt a more positive mindset.

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Harvard lecturer Shawn Anchor’s brilliant book, The Happiness Advantage, emphasises the importance of our happiness on the outcomes we achieve:

“Data abounds showing that happy workers have higher levels of productivity, produce higher sales, perform better in leadership positions and receive higher performance ratings and higher pay. They also enjoy more job security and are less likely to take sick days, to quit, or to become burned out.

Happy CEOs are more likely to lead teams of employees who are both happy and healthy and who find their work climate conducive to high performance. The list of the benefits of happiness in the workplace goes on and on.” ( p. 41) Whilst Anchor’s book focuses on the impact on business, staff morale in schools is an important issue. The cost to schools of unhappy staff is enormous. Research shows that unhappy employees take more sick days, staying at home an average of 1.25 more days per month, or 15 extra sick days per year.

Apart from all the data supporting outcomes, happy people are simply easier to work with. Cynical people drain us of energy. Their negativity is contagious and counter-productive. I’m certain that you know the type – they light up the room… when they leave!

Teaching is a demanding profession. Much is expected of us; change is a constant and the results of our efforts are not always immediately apparent. However, surrounding ourselves constantly with n e g at iv e peo ple w ho d o no thing b ut whinge and complain is counter-productive.

Negativity breeds further negativity and discontent.

Scientists once believed that our happiness was almost entirely hereditar y. Many teachers still believe it is hereditary, but not in the usual manner of being passed on through genes. Many teachers feel their students pass it on to them. They connect their happiness to their class:

Good class = happy teacher Tough class = frazzled teacher The students in a teacher’s class do have an impact on the tone in the classroom and can add to your stress level. However directly relating responsibility for our own happiness to the students we teach disempowers us.

It is vital that we realise that we choose our attitude and how much we allow circumstances to affect us.

“ No longer can people hide b e h i n d “ Yo u can’t teach an old dog!’ or “I’m just not wired to be positive!”

Studies have confirmed there are numerous ways we can permanently raise our happiness levels and adopt a more positive mindset. ”

STEVE FRANCIS

Through his Harvard research, Anchor states there are a number of proven ways we can improve our moods and raise our levels of happiness throughout the day: • Meditate • Find something to look forward to • Commit conscious acts of kindness • Infuse positivity into your surroundings • Exercise • Spend money on experiences (not stuff) • Exercise a signature strength

Even if you can’t find the five minutes of quiet time, implementing the other strategies will result in you not only feeling better, but also noticing that your increased positivity makes you more efficient, motivated and productive.

Planning a holiday and counting down the days is sometimes almost as good as the break itself and is a good example of “finding something to look forward to.”

The break doesn’t have to be extravagant.

Simply identifying the activities that you plan to do in the next school holiday break is beneficial.

Maintaining a program of exercise when we get busy is vital for teachers. Often during particularly busy periods such as report writing time or parent-teacher interviews one of the first things we give up is exercise.

Yet it is these particularly busy times that we need to continue to exercise. Both our mind and our body benefit from the break.

Maintaining exercise needs to be a priority.

Whatever your position within the school, do what you can to increase your happiness -- and soon you’ll see the positive outcome

Research also says that spending money on experiences rather than things is likely to bring us more sustained happiness. A new car doesn’t stay “new” for very long, however, our memories of a great concert or adventure stay with us forever.

PHOTO: CHESTERF

Now before you dismiss me as a “new age, tree-hugging hippy!,” Anchor is not advocating that schools need to set up meditation rooms where teachers escape the challenges of their day by meditating, bare footed, in the lotus position, in celibate silence. He suggests finding five minutes of quiet time each day to watch your breath go in and out. Anchor reports that regular meditation can rewire the brain to raise levels of happiness, lower stress and even improve immune functioning.

From my line of thinking, finding a quiet place at school for five minutes during lunch time to slow your mind would be far more productive that five minutes whinging to colleagues. Don’t agree? Try it!

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RESOURCES

Comet Maths Setting the foundation for strong skills

In

my first weeks as a resource teacher of learning and behavior, a Year 4 student was struggling with maths, numeracy in particular. I could source a variety of software for individual use within the numeracy strand of the curriculum, however, hands-on programmes were scarce. So I enlisted the expertise of a lead teacher of numeracy, an experienced teacher at the chalk face, who could also trial a kit I created and ensure it was practical and suitable tool for use in schools.

We surveyed experienced teachers to find out if we they could identify the most common areas of need in numeracy, the areas which over the years always showed up. Three areas stood out where if the students did not have a good foundation, they would struggle. These became the focus for three kits: 1. Basic facts to ten --having a strong basic knowledge and understanding of these numbers and the family of facts.

2. Numbers 10-20 – the English language causes the most problems here, with eleven and twelve words having no numerical connotation. Unlike Maori where ‘tekau ma tahi & tekau ma rua’ etc directly correspond to their numerical meaning. This kit explores these and the teen numbers and ensures students have a sound knowledge and understanding in this area.

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3. Place value for numbers 20-99 – This introduced the place value houses.

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After an 18-month trial period and a few tweaks to the programme, we ended up with a practical comprehensive kit. With lessons, templates for games and cards, worksheets and tracking sheet that can be photocopied, the Comet Maths kits included all materials that would be needed (right down to scissors, pens, scrapbooks, rubberbands) by the teacher aide. These

were designed so teacher’s aides could easily pick up the kit, and following clear simple instructions ,teach each of these areas.

Teacher aides told us they felt empowered by the knowledge and understanding they gained administering the programme, and teachers were delighted to have a resource they could hand over to teacher aides and know that the children were being taught appropriately.

It was envisaged they would be used most often with individual students, but allowed for small groups if they were of like need and able to work cooperatively in a group situation.

Some of the key teaching and learning strategies that are used in the kits are: • Adapting the pace of learning - For so many of the students the pace of learning in the regular classroom is too fast. T he comet maths programme allows for adequate wait time, and repetition so that the learner can learn at their own pace.

• Setting up for success – The lessons are set out so that the learner experiences success before going on to the next action.

• Be positive- As the learner is likely to be achieving success, it is easier to find positive things to share with them.

• K n o w y o ur lear nerTeacher aides’ working with this intensity and keeping track of each

RESOURCES

ILLUSTRATION: HAYWIREMEDIA

session get to know the learner very well. The kits provide the flexibility to repeat or miss out activities as the learner needs.

• It’s not a test - The answer to any task or activity is there for the student to refer to. Too much of the classroom time can seem to be in a test-like situation – a question is asked and then answers are given (or not) until the one that is in the teacher’s head is given. Most often the same students answer each time. In the kit situation the questions are more of a diagnostic tool, with the student able to achieve the correct answer by looking at what they have in front of them. They are reassured and quite frequently became more confident at trying out answers.

• Move from concrete to abstract- The students get to handle, make, fell numbers, then go on to using cards with pictures of the number, then on to words and symbols for that number. The kits carefully scaffold this process.

• Make it authentic – We know that learning is best made when linked to real-life authentic situations. The number line in each kit is the tape measure; I used a regular carpenter’s tape measure with a senior student and there was this “Ahah” moment when he realised that he would be using this knowledge in life. I could almost hear a clang as the link was made.

• Keeping track – At the back of each of the books is a tracking sheet for the administrator that can be photocopied.

This provides valuable evidence of progress, timing and next steps. Most often the kits were used three times a week for 20 minutes at a time.

Depending on the student of course, it generally took one to two terms to move from one kit to the next. At an IEP (Individual education plan) meeting, the teacher aides were able to give accurate evidence-based feedback to where the student’s current needs were and how far they had progressed.

We found that one set of kits per school was a good start, and most often one teacher aide became the key personnel for each kit. To make the kit it would take seven hours which we considered would be better used with the children, hence the complete kit including all materials and cards laminated ready for use.

The kits are only available through Papakura Education Ser vices www. papakuraeducation.co.nz. Teacher Aide training is also available to support their use. Contact Marion Devere-Ellery www.teachereducation.co.nz or robyn@ inspireducation.co.nz – by Robyn Harawira

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JOHN SHACKLETON

Ignoring obstacles See the reward instead of the challenge.

birth Rick Hoyt was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth and the lack of oxygen left him brain damaged, without any control over his limbs. His father, Dick, and his mother, Judy, were advised to put him in an institution but refused.

They had noticed that his eyes followed them round the room, and that if they told him a joke he laughed. His body may not have been functioning but his brain was certainly working. They managed to get him a computer that he could control using his head to push upon a switch and this allowed him to type out messages and communicate.

One day Rick asked his dad if they could take part in a charity run. Dick agreed and pushed his son on a fivemile course. Afterwards he was sore all over, but Rick typed out that the run had made him feel as though he wasn’t disabled, and at that point their lives changed. Dick began to train so that he could make Rick feel that way more often and in 1983 they completed the Boston Marathon – officially that is, for the previous four years they had just joined the field and run the course as the officials wouldn’t count them as either an individual runner or a wheelchair competitor.

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At

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That challenge completed, Dick decided to up the ante, and he entered an Ironman triathlon – a swim of 4km, a bike ride of 180km, followed by a full marathon – 42km. During

the swim, Dick pulled Rick behind him in a dinghy; they had a specially adapted bike with a seat for the cycle sector; and for the run, Dick is behind t h e w h e e l c h a i r. T h e y h a v e n o w completed over 1000 events together, including six Ironman competitions.

Dick’s best marathon time is 2 hours and 40 minutes – an excellent time for a solo runner, and awesome for one pushing a wheelchair at the same time. No doubt he could go even faster if Rick wasn’t there, but his reward, he says, is the look on his son’s face when they finish a race. Rick himself would like the opportunity to be the one doing the pushing through an event and let his dad have the ride. The benefits that they both reap outweigh all the pain of the race: Dick is one of the fittest 70 something’s out there, and Rick has a fulfilling life despite his disability.

We all have hardships in our life and sometimes it is hard to see a way through, but we can learn a great deal from the Hoyts: Every opportunity can be seized; there is always a way to make the best of adversity; and whatever life throws at you, there is always something that can be achieved that will make your future brighter. I would like to finish by challenging you to make a decision to regard obstacles in your path as opportunities and to use them to grow and develop into a stronger and more fulfilled individual.

JOHN SHACKLETON

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KATE SOUTHCOMBE

Valuing life Make the bond natural and meaningful with pets.

S o how do we a cti ve l y h e l p c h i l d r e n appreciate and value life? What if they have never interacted with an animal or only ever seen animals as food or pests, to be hunted or destroyed?

How do we foster an appreciation for life and empower children to value the right to life without appearing fuzzy and soft? Recently I visited two centres that had employed unique and interesting strategies designed to help children gain an understanding of the concept of respect and value for life.

Both centres attempted to address the issue that many children face – lack of contact with either animals or older people. The idea that we as centres can provide the right environment for all experiences is unrealistic, and yet these two centres had managed to encompass not only their own center philosophy but also the wider issue of an appreciation for life, quite simply by keeping guinea pigs and visiting older people.

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The first centre was a small rural one situated some distance from town. Two young children, apparently unsupervised, were taking the lid off the guinea pig hutch.

The two boys scooped up the occupants of the hutch and settled down in the sun. With the guinea pigs ensconced in their laps, the boys chatted away oblivious to the noise and business around them, stroking their respective animals and apparently enjoying every moment. I spoke to my student at the centre afterwards to find out more and she informed me that the guinea pigs had become part of centre life and were shared around by the children and taken home for holidays by different families.

The second centre’s initiative became apparent during the triadic with the student and centre manager who was mentoring the student. The manager informed me that the children at the centre have a regular visit to a rest home in the community. She went on to explain how the children have adopted grandparents there and what a resounding success the experience has been for both children, residents and staff and families.

Both these centres had worked hard to develop a focus on valuing life by putting it in a context the children could relate to and enjoy. The centre staff had captured the children’s interests by involving them directly in the process, making it part of center life, not a one off visit or a token gesture outing. The guinea pigs were part of the daily routine at the centre, nothing special or dramatic, the expectation was that this is how it is, these animals are here for us to care for and enjoy. The visit to the rest home was part of the children’s weekly routine; an expectation was fostered.

So how can schools foster the concept of value for life? Some possible strategies might be: • Have a class pet (consider this carefully and consider the implications – a consultation with the SPCA may help) • Have online pets • Adopt a class pet through the SPCA • Liaise with local rest homes; consider regular visits • Displays of artwork could be done at the rest home.

• Cards or letters could be written and sent to the residents, certain groups could be identified to produce work on a rotational basis.

• Recording of music or readings or songs could be sent to the rest home.

• Games could be played at the rest home such as scrabble or other simple board games.

PHOTO: SHMEL

In

education the concept of valuing life and developing a caring attitude toward the life of others is supposedly taught through topic studies and community projects, according to Ministry of Education, 1996. However, it is difficult to teach the value of something if the students have never really experienced it or if it doesn’t relate to them in some tangible way.

Even as adults, we struggle with the idea of valuing something that doesn’t directly impact on us in some way. The Te Anau Wildlife Centre and National Wildlife Centre (Mt Bruce) have deliberately kept native birds in captivity to allow us, the public, to view and interact with these birds and feel connected to them so we appreciate the need to protect them and through doing so come to value them as a species. The Takehe Recovery Plans states this helps “to promote public awareness of the takehe and work being done to protect the species.”

KATE SOUTHCOMBE

â&#x20AC;&#x153; The guinea pigs were part of the daily routine at the centre, nothing special or dramatic, the expectation was that this is how it is, these animals are here for us to care for and enjoy.â&#x20AC;?

39

Teachers Resources & Lessons

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KAREN TOBICH

Eight steps to experience the power of focus/flow Follow your path of least resistance.

1.Rediscover your passion and your natural talents This is your natural energy field and it puts you into your flow.

The challenge is that you need to discover where your flow is and then learn to operate in it.

Teachers Matter

Ask yourself: “What do I like doing best?” If you concentrated 80 percent of efforts on your natural talents and gifts and delegated your time to the things that come naturally to you, it will make a real difference in your life. Striving, hard work and willpower will become a thing of the past. To get there, it means that you need to follow your heart more than you follow your head. It’s not about “thinking” (head) but about “feeling” (heart).

Life is not to be figured out; you’ve got to feel it out. Go with the flow!

Follow your path of least resistance.

44

2. Discover who you are

3. Discover your purpose

• Intuitive What? Head in the clouds, thought process from own ideas, energized, dynamic, creative, big picture, great at starting things, lousy at finishing, creates perspective

Develop the courage to become who you are meant to be (not who your parents, teachers, husband/wife, work, society meant you to be). You are here for life and you do have a purpose. The reason you are here is not for you, but for everybody else. It is not about “take” but about “give.” Your purpose is your promise, your commitment to deliver (and it starts with your dream). What is your promise? And once you made your promise, don’t only keep it, share it! You are only as big as your promise.

• Sensory When/Where? Feet on the ground, thought process from reaction to events, compassionate, great team player, reliable at getting things done with a team, will often seek direction from others, add perception • I n t r o v e r t How? A c t s o n o w n initiative, orderly, systematic, good eye for detail, strong at completing, analytical, calculating, not good to get things started, adds depth, needs facts and certainty • Extrovert Who? Likely to act through others, passionate, outgoing, great at networking and meeting new people, great at collaboration, easily distracted from task at hand, adds colour, need variety

4. Get connected Build your team and increase your “Circle of Influence.” Life (fulfilling your promise) is not meant to be a solo journey. Build your team around you so they complement your weaknesses and your can utilize your strengths (talents). Get out of your boat! Learn to delegate and use other people’s resources. Our culture moulds us to become a “Jack of all trades” and to strengthen our weaknesses. Most people are afraid to admit that they do not understand something or cannot do a certain task as well as someone else. Always have a list of people whom you can immediately delegate tasks, problems and ideas to.

KAREN TOBICH

5. Acquire knowledge

6. Prepare and protect

Personal and professional development is not about you but about fulfilling your purpose. Your focus needs to be on the journey (flow) not the destination (goal).

Read books, listen to audios, attend seminars, spend time with those who are where you want to be.

• Use a time management system or self-reliance system. It is hard to make changes and implement new systems, if they are not backed up with a structure.

• Organise your workspace. This will help you maximise your space and your time and give you easy access to what you need to perform.

• Streamline your processes (watch out for time wasters). Implement Systems. Reinvent ways to handle an increasing flow of all the good things to come.

• Collaborate. Have a clear understanding about what is important to the other members of your team (and family) so everyone can do what needs to be done to be in their flow and fulfill the promise (get the job done).

7. Tank up on proactive energy Fuel up with proactive energy, otherwise you will stop the flow.

The amount of leisure time you take is directly proportioned to your long-term success.

8. Focus days are for focus only Develop a clear idea of what tasks are important so that you can focus on them. Then it’s about creating momentum. Plan your focus days, and on those days do nothing but focus and don’t try to squeeze in target or vital activities into a clearing day.

• Leave your personal life and your problems behind.

45

WENDY SWEET

Ditch the sugar – for more reasons than you think Gather the facts, and you won’t think it’s so sweet.

T

he recent release of Otago University’s list of “foods that make you fat” is a timely reminder that we are what we eat.

Whilst teachers aren’t expected to be expert nutritionists, they are important role models, nutrition and healthy lifestyles included.

Not only will students feel more energetic with healthy food and proper hydration, they will have healthier skin, maintain healthy weight, and more important, tackle school work more efficiently.

The Otago University study listed foods as either high in fat, high in both natural and artificial sugars, and low in nutrients. Although researchers stress that the list of 49 “needn’t” foods is a guide to help obese people, it can help everyone differentiate between nutritious and not-so-nutritious foods.

P PHO TO: O MA MAKSU KSU UD

Sugar intake is one of the main culprits of high-calorie intake.

Sugars in food can mean some people consume up to 16 teaspoons daily.

Many of us have searched the supermarket for the Heart Foundation’s healthy “tick” indicating low-fat, lowsalt foods, but we

46

haven’t usually placed the same emphasis on “low-sugar” foods.

But managing sugar intake is just as important as physical activity in reducing obesity. And it’s not just sugar added to food or drinks, it’s also most fruit (berries are better) and honey. They are healthy, and they contain lots of great antioxidants, but if you or your students struggle with being overweight, it’s important to understand this fact: High-sugar foods spike insulin levels, and high insulin levels make you fat. No matter what the source, the quick absorption of any sugar into your bloodstream causes an excess of insulin, a hormone that increases the production of glycogen (the storage form of glucose/ sugar) in the liver and moves it into body cells. If you aren’t doing much exercise, y o u r fat

WENDY SWEET

cells receive this sugar. Those cells are located mainly in the reproductive areas in females (hips, breasts, thighs) and the abdominal region in males. The only hope: Vigorous exercise. It transports the excess sugar to working muscles, where it is broken down to supply energy for the muscles.

What should you do?

FOOD FACTS

Encourage students to ditch high-sugar foods. The best way to do this:

A 400ml bottle of Just Juice has about 8 teaspoons of sugar.

• Select food that contains less than 5 grams of sugar.

Read food labels. The sugar content is listed under “carbohydrates.” If you see “high fructose corn syrup,” put it back on the shelf. It is linked to some cancers as well as obesity. Also look at the “total energy.” If the product is small in size (e.g. a muesli bar), and the total number of “kJ” is high, then it is stacked with sugar, usually in the form of honey.

This is not good, even if the product has the Heart Foundation “tick” because it is low fat.

A 600 ml bottle of Coke has about 13 teaspoons of sugar.

• Add whole grains. These foods lower insulin release.

• Encourage all students to drink water, not juices, not flavoured milk drinks, not carbonated drinks and not sports-drinks (unless they are teenagers doing a lot of intense sports) and do the same yourself.

Try to drink six to eight glasses of water daily. This amount should mean that your urine is clear.

• Add high-quality protein. Add 15 to 20 grams of good-quality protein and high-fibre vegetables.

These foods also lower insulin release.

I n N e w Z e a l a n d , o n e t h i r d o f children are over-weight or obese, including 60 percent of Pacific Island kids; 40 percent of Maori kids and 24 percent of Pakeha kids.

Only one third met the guideline for total vegetable and fruit intake (5 or more servings per day).

Consumption of foods high in fat, sugar and salt tend to increase with age.

Breakfast consumption (on five or more days a week) declines with age from 94 percent of 5 to 9 year olds to 61 percent of 20 o 24 year-olds.

47

THELMA VAN DER WERFF

The light switch to better learning Light, as well as colour, can help your students.

I

think it is every teacher’s dream to have a classroom filled with students who are motivated to learn, behave, improve their creativity and increase their reading speed. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if teachers could influence the atmosphere in the classroom, so that they could create the right mood and ambience to suit not only the time of day but also the subject or lesson?

Let me tell you how you can make this happen: Several schools in Europe are experimenting with the influence different light patterns can have on the students’ learning abilities. Philips SchoolVision is one of the new classroom lighting solutions that use different coloured lights to help improve learning conditions.

How does this work?

The rhythm of activity in the classroom is supported by changing patterns of warm light and day light. Some lights relax and calm and others engage and stimulate.

There are four lighting scenarios that teachers can choose from to change the light setting and with the use of a touchpad, they can select one of four dedicated classroom scenes. Each lighting scene offers visual comfort, with no shadows or glare.

Teachers Matter

The four lighting scenarios are: Normal, Energy, Focus, or Calm

48

Normal: In this scenario, standard light levels helps pupils to pay attention and listen to the teacher making it suitable for regular classroom activities.

Energy: This scenario is suitable when pupils need to be more active in the early morning or after lunch. Cool fresh light helps to invigorate the students.

Focus: For more challenging tasks, tests or exams, the teacher can switch to fresh, bright light to aid concentration.

Calm: Warm light provides a relaxing ambience to individual work or quiet time.

The benefits are obvious: By bringing the dynamics of daylight indoors, SchoolVision creates an outstanding learning environment that gives pupils the very best start in school.

Philips SchoolVision The pioneering SchoolVision solution was independently tested by the Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf as part of a year-long scientific experiment in schools across Hamburg, Germany.

A total of 166 schoolchildren aged between 8 and 16 took part, along with 18 teachers. The study covered a range of classes in different types of schools.

Prior to the study, the existing lighting in each classroom was replaced with the innovative SchoolVision solution.

The scientists were astonished with the results. Attention span, concentration and pupils’ behaviour all improved significantly when the dynamics of daylight were brought into the classroom. Not only did their performance improve, they read faster and made fewer mistakes. Reading speed increased by almost 35 percent in the SchoolVision experiment. The pupils also read an average of 1,051 words in a set period, compared with 780 in the baseline measurement. And the results of the concentration test were even clearer. Here, the frequency of errors dropped by almost 45 percent from an average of 17.45 errors to an average of just 9.

SchoolVision and hyperactivity The study also examined the effects of dynamic SchoolVision light on aggression and hyperactivity. Although the perceived reduction in aggression was not found to be within significant limits, video evidence showed a distinct change in levels of hyperactivity. In fact, observed hyperactivity dropped by up to 76 percent when pupils

were given a mathematical problem to solve under the “calm” lighting conditions, a figure that the baseline measurement and control group did not even come close to.

Making the classroom more comfortable for each activity has a positive benefit for both teachers and pupils.

The effect of colour on our mood and behaviour has been recognized by others, like Rudolf Steiner. The spiritual nature of colour was of great importance to Steiner.

Building on the achievements of Goethe in his Theory of Colour, Steiner shows how colour affects us in many areas of life, including our health, our sense of well-being, and our feelings. His Waldorf education systems uses colour in classrooms to enhance different development stages.

You can use coloured light to enhance different projects in your classroom; however, if you want to apply a simple method to use colour in your classroom you can try and let your students use : • Yellow paper for concentration • Green paper for relaxation • Blue paper for calm Find out which colour your students can read more easily with by putting a different coloured sheet of cellophane over the page in their book. This might be particularly helpful if your student experiences reading difficulties. If reading using a specific colour cellophane proofs to be easier, wearing coloured glasses for reading might be beneficial (for more information on this subject, go to www.Irlen.com).

Making a start with these small changes could not only enhance your pupil’s learning abilities, but also make your job more rewarding and effective.

THELMA VAN DER WERFF

PHOTO: ARSEL

“Some lights relax and calm and o t h e r s engage and stimulate.”

49

ROBYN PEARCE

Don’t let the “stuff” rule you Take charge – and take control of time.

ave you noticed how overloaded you feel when you try to absorb and retain too much information, too many items, too much email?

H

e-zine lists and newsgroups). Discard material that in your heart-of-hearts you know you’re not going to need again or won’t have time to get back to.

Learn to be selective about what you expose yourself to – and what you keep. A typical clutter-hugger thinks she or he has to keep up with every new advance in their field, keep up with every relevant magazine, attend every conference, hold onto every article (in the often-mistaken belief that they’ll go back to it at a later date). Wrong!

With the speed of change and technology, almost anything we need to know will be online; much of what we’ve meticulously saved for years is probably obsolete.

Keep your office free of overstayers Ever done a big clean up in your office, stepped back and thought, ‘Well, I’ve finished. Now I don’t need to think about that for a while’? And then, a few weeks later the pristine condition is nothing but a rapidly fading memory.

If you are a hoarder, can you find everything when you need it? And if you can, how much time goes into managing all that information?

Work on a need-to-know basis Try reading only what you need right now.

Don’t even look at things you’ve got no current use for. Get ruthless about pushing back on everything else.

Remove yourself from unnecessary subscriptions; ask to be taken off mailing lists you don’t now get value from (including

50 50

The big temptation for folk, once they’ve got their environment cleaned out, is to think the job is done, and relax. In fact, we never can. In one of my early “Win the Paper War” courses, a principal, after listening to the tales of woe of the other participants, suddenly announced with satisfaction, “Now I know why I have to work such long hours, Robyn. If I turn my back on the stuff it breeds.” A roll of laughter swept around the room; they all understood exactly what he was talking about.

Most of us have to work at it Ask anyone with an organised office if it comes naturally. Most will assure you that it’s a conscious decision to stay that way, coupled with good old self-discipline.

ROBYN PEARCE

Don’t major in minor things There is one qualifying comment on the previous example. I’m not suggesting that we spend our lives puddling around in piles of low-level paper. Instead, take charge of when you do certain tasks. If you really don’t have time (or choose not) to make decisions and or action a pile of material, try putting everything together in one pile and place it behind or to the side. You don’t want it to dominate your actions whilst you’re engaged on something of a higher priority; nor do you want to forget it. The key is to attend to short-term matters at the next natural break, rather than constantly breaking concentration. As soon as you finish the priority task you’re working on,

take a few minutes to check the pile and make the relevant decisions.

Example: As I write these words, it is 6:30 a.m. on a beautiful salmon-pink morning. I love to write first thing in the morning, and then can happily get on with the rest of my day’s work. This morning as I walked into my office there was a small pile of information from a network function I’d attended last night.

This morning I could have acted on the pile immediately but chances are, these words would not have been written today. That little pile would have distracted me. My day’s wordsmithing would have at best been reduced or at worst, deferred. In another couple of hours the phones will start to ring, the rest of life will flood gladly in, and the comfortable deadline for this article would have become a stressor.

So I made a choice and placed the little pile behind me. As I sit here, although I know there is something waiting, it is not a distraction because I can’t see it. When I start my regular day’s work, I’ll get to that heap.

What is your highest priority? Do that first, and don’t let your most productive time of day be side-tracked by less important matters.

PHOTO: IOFOTO

After one of my speeches, a man came up to chat: “I run an extremely busy office, with many demands on my time. The key that has kept me with a reputation for being a good time manager is a simple one. Wherever possible I act immediately. Most people say, ‘I’ll do something about it later’ or ‘leave it with me,’ and of course all the ‘laters’ pile up around them, weigh them down, and make them feel less effective (and they are!).

No matter how much I feel like deferring a decision or an action, wherever possible I push myself to handle it on the spot.”

51

HAMISH MACARTHUR

I

’m Karen Boyes’ son, and I often hear people ask my mum how she has such high energy levels. She is amazing and nearly always has a smile on her face (except when I am in trouble!) and just keeps going and going. I asked Mum why is she like this and she said it is the food, thoughts and exercise that all play an important part in having high energy levels. I compiled this cookbook to raise money for my school trip to the West Coast.

What does it take to be successful?

This book is a summary of great (and yummy) recipes from my mum and her personal trainer, Rachel Marks from Fitness Trans4mations. It also has ideas for healthy eating, quotes to help stay focused and positive as well as exercise ideas to stay healthy. I hope as you use these ideas, so you can live with the health, energy and vitality you deserve.

Kumara, Coriander and Lemongrass Soup

Teachers Matter

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1 large floury potato, peeled and cut into chunks 700g (about 2) golden kumara, peeled and cut into chunks 2 fat cloves of garlic 1 heaped teaspoon grated fresh ginger 1 heaped teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon curry powder 1 ½ tablespoons lemongrass, finely chopped 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups trim milk

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Method: Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and garlic and cook until soft.

Mix in the spices and lemongrass then add the prepared kumara and potato.

Cover with the stock and simmer vigorously, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender Using a processor or stick blender, puree the cooked vegetables wit the liquid until thick, velvety and lump free.

Return to the saucepan and add the salt and milk.

Mix well, heat gently and adjust the seasoning to taste

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY www.spectrumeducation.com $20

Quinoa and Roast Vegetable Salad Ingredients: (Serves 2) ½ red capsicum ½ yellow capsicum (or green) ½ courgette ½ small red onion 30g quinoa grains 1 tbsp pine nuts 50g fresh rocket (or other salad leaves) sprinkle thyme sprinkle rosemary Method: Preheat oven to 200c Chop up peppers, onion and courgette into thin slices Place peppers and courgette on baking tray. Scatter onion rings over the top and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 15 min.

Add quinoa to medium sized pan of boiling water and sprinkle thyme and rosemary over the top and cook for 10 min. Drain.

Scatter pine nuts over the vegetables and return to oven for 10 mins.

Remove tray from oven and mix with quinoa.

Scatter with salad leaves and serve.

HAMISH MACARTHUR

Chocolate Mousse A super easy dessert to make that’s packed with healthy fats Ingredients: 2 ripe avocados ½ cup honey ½ cup cocoa Method: Blend it all together and refrigerate.

A lovely dessert for this summer! Try it out and impress your friends!

Vegetarian No-Pasta Lasagna Ingredients: (Serves 6) 2 large eggplants 1 cup low fat ricotta cheese 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella 2 cans diced tomatoes 1 large egg ½ cup fresh -grated Parmesan cheese ¼ cup fresh basil, shredded 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped fine 2 tablespoons onion, chopped fine 2 tablespoons dried oregano 2 tablespoons dried thyme 2 cups (4 whole) roasted peppers 1 6 ounce cans tomato paste 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups spinach (optional) Salt and ground black pepper to taste Method: Preheat oven to 220°C. Heat oil in large fry pan and cook garlic and onion until they become aromatic and begin to brown.

Add tomatoes and 1 tablespoon dried oregano.

Once tomatoes begin to bubble, stir in tomato paste.

Reduce heat to low, add salt and pepper to taste, cover and let simmer lightly while you continue.

Slice eggplant lengthwise in 1/4-inch slices.

Spread out eggplant on a rimmed cookie sheets sprayed lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

Salt the slices generously on both sides, sprinkle with thyme, and brush (fingers are fine) with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil per slice.

Roast eggplant in oven until tender and slightly browned.

If using yellow squash, also roast briefly until soft and pliable.

Remove and let cool enough to handle.

Reduce oven to 180°C. Meanwhile, stir together ricotta cheese, egg, remaining oregano, and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.

In a large baking dish spread 1/4 cup of tomato sauce.

Cover with 3 or 4 eggplant slices, then half of the roasted peppers, and then a third of the ricotta cheese mixture, followed by a third of the mozzarella.

Sprinkle half the basil over cheeses, and then spinach and yellow squash (if using). Cover with more tomato sauce, eggplant, peppers, ricotta, mozzarella and basil. Top with remaining eggplant, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and any remaining Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for about 15 minutes.

Remove foil and bake for about 15 minutes more or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Remove and let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Note: Freeze meal portions so you have a ready-made meal when home late at night.

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SARAH BOAM

Literacy word wall

Teachers Matter

Learning from the “writing on the wall”

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H

a v i n g t h e m e r i t s o f a “ Wo r d Wall” reiterated during January’s Teacher’s Matter Conference in Rotorua inspired me to start collaborating all the specialist terms I use in my brand new English classroom at my school, Kaipara College, Helensville. So over the course of a couple of weeks, with the help of our amazing Reprographics Officer “Nan,” I have quickly and easily managed to come up with a pretty comprehensive list of laminated and carefully sized words (thanks Nan!) which are now proudly displayed for all to see. I have immediately

found this wall an invaluable part of my teaching. It’s a great way to add some instant fun, especially last period on Friday with my Year 12s, and quite often just before lunch with all year groups, when blood sugar and patience levels are equally low.

Below are my top ten ideas for activities I have used so far, which, brilliantly, require no extra planning or equipment.

Just make sure the words are held on with Velcro or drawing pins so they can be removed when needed.

So, in no particular order: 1. Students study the words for one minute and then have to look down and write down as many terms as they remember.

2. One student stands up, facing away from the wall, and holds up a word high so they can’t see it. Students give examples of that term and the student has to guess the term based on the examples given.

3. Remove 10 and encourage students to think of how they can order them in such a way that they are all eventually linked.

SARAH BOAM

“ It’s a great way to add some instant fun, especially last period on Friday.”

(Think dominoes, and the explanation they give has to link the conjoining terms.)

4. As a quick plenary, students identify the ones used in that lesson.

5. Similar to 1, students stare at the wall for one minute then I take away 10 while they look away. Students need to then work out which ones are missing and write them down 6. Choose 10 - or more- and get students to put them in alphabetical order- works well as a little competition for who can do it the fastest

7. Use as a basis for a spelling test.

8. Choose 10 and ask students to think of how they can classify them into groups; the groups of course are chosen by the students.

9. Students choose five of the terms that they are experts on and choose two that they are not confident with. Students then share their knowledge around the room and help other students improve on the terms they need help with. This can be done with a simple “right hand up means expert, left hand up means not sure yet.”

isn’t. Their partner then must identify the odd one out and explain why.

It’s important to understand that, even if students don’t yet know some of the terms, exposure to them is still beneficial. The beauty of this word wall is that it can always be updated and added to. Plus the students like the challenge of thinking of the ones I have not yet included. Finally, and very importantly, adding a Word Wall to your classroom is possible in EVERY subject. Every subject has its own specialist terms, and so this is a great visual way to improve literacy across the curriculum.

10. Work in pairs. Each student chooses five, four of which are related and one which

55

TERRY SHEFFIELD

Games and learning A social responsibility game that hits students in the pocket.

T

he Perk$ Social Responsibility Game promotes classroom management.

It starts with students talking with teachers and negotiating a contract. Students then take personal responsibility for their behaviour, self-management and improving work habits. It is best suited to starting off the year or term when teachers are setting behavioural and on-task expectations. It is important that the end date is identified.

Doing so helps students develop the bigger picture of what is involved, how they can make a positive contribution, and when they will be finished. Language used in the contracts is deliberately formalised to give the appearance of a “legal” or “serious” contract.

Feedback to Students: Individual feedback to students is essential and an integral part of a successful Perk$ intervention. Feedback should be positive, specific and contingent i.e. delivered at the time of observation to increase relevance and the likelihood of subsequent similar behaviour. Your sense of humour is a central part of this process.

Avoid sarcasm, the children may laugh, but many also tend to make judgement deep down inside.

Teachers Matter

Praise: Specific and contingent praise should be for effort and outcome, not for cleverness or smartness.

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How Perk$ Social Responsibility Game Works: For students, the target of Perk$ Social Responsibility Game is to be the first student to save $500, or alternatively, to save the highest amount in the given time. Students are ‘paid’ a theoretical wage each week of the programme (say $50) for coming and working at school. They can earn, a consequence of their choices, Perk$ bonus payments or incur fines. A simple current account balance sheet is maintained by the student for recording ”wages,” Perk$ bonuses and fines. A second balance sheet is for savings. Credits to savings can be deposited on Fridays as explained in number five below.

1. The “paid wage, $50” for coming to school is entered in the credit column and then again on the same line to read as the opening balance in a “CURRENT ACCOUNT” worksheet.

2. In return for being paid, the students’ job is schoolwork.

subtracted from the last available balance to make a new (and smaller) current account balance.

N . B . For students with insufficient funds, the teacher can have additional ‘discretionary powers’ which could be written into the schedule of fines as the following from the sample (below - last column 2nd para) suggests.

Students unable to pay fines through having insufficient available funds shall be given an alternative physical deterrent.

(Teacher will give you a ‘nasty’ job) Students who argue, filibuster and/ or attempt to have fines reduced or cancelled through guile and/or coercion, including involving others in the crime, shall be liable to an additional penalty not exceeding $20.00.

(Try telling a judge (s)he’s wrong, you get fined for ‘contempt’)

3. When Perk$ bonuses, discussed and signed off in a “class contract bonus” form, are earned as per Perk$ bonus schedule it is entered as a credit and added to the last available balance to make a new (and bigger) current account balance.

5. Money still held in the current account on Friday at 2.00 p.m. is then deposited into the savings account. The first student to reach $500 in their savings account or the highest saved amount in the given time wins. (There may be several students with the same amount)

N.B. The teacher can award extra discretionary bonuses, e.g. to the whole class as extra time, or a game. These are given after a positive experience/ event in the classroom or school as noted by the teacher, not predetermined by negotiation.

Calculator use is encouraged to teach simple addition and subtraction strategies in a “real to students” environment.

4. If fines, discussed and signed off as part of the ”class contract fines” form, are incurred as per Perk$ fines schedule they are entered in the debit column and then

Consequences There is no other negotiation, once categories are established simply award a Perk$ bonus or impose a Perk$ fine.

I like to think that “You get more flies with honey than with vinegar.” Therefore, more

TERRY SHEFFIELD

positive than negative consequences is the way to go. Even the reluctant student can eventually be brought around to the programme, especially if they are near the top of the high fliers (savers).

Positive

class, a reminder that you are looking out for Perk$.

You might need abbreviations (a code).

On Friday, students can then check any Perk$ bonuses they may have missed during the week to enter as a ‘transaction’ on their balance sheet.)

This part of the Perk$ programme is where student self-management and responsible behaviour is rewarded. It is where teacher intention, delivery of positive expectations plus specific and contingent feedback has its highest impact. An appropriate sense of humour is a pre-requisite.

d. Students may qualify on a daily basis for more than one Perk$ bonus.

It is a good idea to discuss with students the categories of behaviour for which a Perk$ bonus will be paid. Construct a list of “Perk$ bonuses” which can be displayed for reference, as a charter contract, or as some other form of poster.

f. Students calculate their final monetary balance on Friday. After 2 p.m. on Friday, any subsequent Perk$ bonuses awarded or fines incurred become a part of next week and so are entered on Monday (dated retrospectively).

a. Choose categories carefully to reflect current class/school foci. Limit Perk$ bonus strategies to no more than 6 categories, as suggested over. More than six seems to make it unwieldy and unmanageable. In particular, it seems to detract from the two or three behaviours you might have identified as important and necessary.

For all category examples including, but not limited to: -neatness, promptness to start work (or come to class), quality completed work relevant to the student, evidence of thinking, consistent use of good manners and accuracy (or other identified positive strategy/behaviour such as a random act of kindness) a teacher may also award: a special teacher additional reward (STAR Perk$ bonus) of up to $5 each time. A ”STAR” entry on the balance sheet results each time.

b. O n l y t h e t e a c h e r a l l o c a t e s P e r k $ bonuses. c. Teachers may wish to keep a record of “the Perk$ list” as things happen through the week for a Friday discussion/announcement at 2 p.m. (If appropriate, this is an opportunity for the teacher to give additional, specific and contingent praise to individuals and the class for behaviours previously acknowledged in the week just gone.)

(A class list either on a clipboard or in a suitable position on the board/wall is handy for this process. A note in a workbook may suffice for some as a way of keeping track. For a visual strategy, one that works may be: • students enter their names on a white board which allows them to have instant feedback as they enter their Perk$. It is also: • a kinetic trigger for individuals, and • a public prompt for the whole

e. Students should be encouraged to balance their current account daily.

Student entries on their current account balance sheet are dated by day of entry (Monday through Friday).

The use of the ‘STAR’ acronym is intentional.

When awarding a discretionary STAR Perk$ bonus, the teacher must give verbal or written feedback that can be in a private or public form depending upon the student and/or the class situation at the time. As previously acknowledged, a STAR Perk$ bonus can be awarded “class-wide” if appropriate. Using the whiteboard can be a positive feedback strategy.

Negative Failure to do schoolwork to a satisfactory standard ( e.g. lack of any of the following - neatness, promptness, quality completed work, consistent use of good manners and accuracy) and the exhibition of other anti-social behaviour, as determined by consensus, shall be fined according to an agreed schedule.

a. Fines are only issued by the teacher or, when the teacher is absent, a predesignated officer (adult or trusted student). b. Fines are entered in the debit column and the fine amount is taken off the preceding balance. Subsequent fines are taken off remaining balances. c. Student errors in bookkeeping/adding may incur additional fines of up to $2.

(Hint: Use a calculator, and also allow for students to be on a learning journey.

It may be possible to enter all credit and debit values onto the balance sheet and calculate the balance totals at the end of the week. Then teach the class how to use a calculator to maintain a running balance for a complete week. Once shown, it can then be entered on a daily basis if desired in subsequent weeks.).

Class Profile/Record Keeping As part of the programme, teachers may wish to – 1. Keep a class graph of the Friday Perk$ bonus list to compare from week to week, or 2. K e e p a c l a s s g r a p h o f t h e f i n e s categories’ at the end of each week to share and compare with students the change from previous week or predict the outcome for subsequent weeks. (this is an ideal opportunity for praise and for encouraging student ownership and engagement with the process), or 3. Develop a ‘stem and Leaf’ graph with Perk$ bonuses on one side and Perk$ fines issued on the other side, or 4. Have students keep track of personal Perk$ weekly balances on a specially designed graph/form kept in their book, or 5. Use any combination of 1, 2, 3, 4 above.

Some supplementary Ideas 1. On a weekly basis, the leading student(s) may receive an additional STAR Perk$ bonus (e.g lucky dip prize, principal’s

57

TERRY SHEFFIELD

award, choose the next stor y for reading, free time on computer, etc.)

2. S u b s e q u e n t a p p l i c a t i o n s o f t h e programme, say next term/semester, may involve some – a. New Perk$ bonuses for things such as - picking up litter, straightening up the classroom, handing out books, peer tutoring a classmate, walking inside all buildings, playing appropriately, sharing resources, taking responsibility for . . .

completing work, throwing equipment to people, not saying ‘thank you’, defying a ‘censor’s ban’ – e.g. offensive viewing of a graphic nature (eating with your mouth open) . . .

out the fine’ when it is given can be an additional kinetic stimulus/nonincentive. The act of counting out when giving/receiving of change can only be seen as beneficial.

3. S o me teac hers may lik e to hav e a $ note design competition and then photocopy relevant $5, $10, $20 notes and physically ‘pay’ the students each week.

b. This ‘real money’ version could use a ‘BANKER’ who would receive deposits on a Friday, who might be/would be computer literate and perhaps operate a spreadsheet. In this situation students would still maintain their individual balance sheets for current and savings accounts.

a. Physically receiving ‘actual bonus money’ can be construed as a positive factor. Conversely, having to ‘count

b. New Perk$ fines for things such as - not listening, pushing/poking, not

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Schedule of Perk$ Fines >>

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59

BARBARA GRIFFITH & TRICIA KENYON

A simple book with a strong message Learning important lessons with words and pictures.

L

onely Litterbug Doug lives on a hill of trash in his rubbish dump house with hundreds of rats and two fat tabby cats. He thoughtlessly throws his litter around, polluting the countryside.

Michael Recycle, on the other hand, keeps the town clean and encourages the people of the town to recycle. However, when Litterbug Doug meets Michael Recycle, he begins to think differently and becomes more aware of the environment he lives in, which causes a change of heart. His name changes to Doug the Litter Police by the end of the book.

Visual Language â&#x20AC;˘ What style are the illustrations and do you think it is an effective style for the storyline? What do you like best about the style? â&#x20AC;˘ In what ways is the layout of this book unusual, in terms of: Portrait/landscape Bold lettering Font and font size Text placement

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Vocabulary Locate examples of alliteration from the text.

Eg â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;thoughtlessly threwâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; List words that you may not know the meaning of and initially use the surrounding text and illustrations to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;guessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; a meaning for the word in that context; then check other resources to conďŹ rm your â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;guessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

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0HDQLQJ

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BARBARA GRIFFITH & TRICIA KENYON

Litterbug Doug Author Ellie Bethel Illustrator Alexandra Colombo 3XEOLVKHG E\ 0HDGRZVLGH &KLOGUHQÂśV %RRNV ,6%1

Readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Theatre / Choral Reading Teacher Suggestion The text in this book lends itself to adaptation, either Readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Theatre or Choral Reading, as it is a fun text with rhyme, rhythm and dynamic vocabulary. â&#x20AC;˘ Use one person or a small group to play Doug and Michael and the rest of the class to read the remainder in unison.

Characters â&#x20AC;˘ Create a semantic web of either character to show all you know about the character from text and illustrations.

ORQHO\

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/LWWHUEXJ 'RXJ

Theme: Litter and recycling

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â&#x20AC;˘ What kind of recycling do you do at home, at school or in your community?

List and discuss with classmates. â&#x20AC;˘ If you had to explain recycling, would this book be a good resource to use?

Discuss this. â&#x20AC;˘ Draw or create a new uniform for the Litter Police, based on materials you would ďŹ nd in a normal recycling area.

â&#x20AC;˘ Make an acrostic poem from â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Litterbug Dougâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

EG lonely with only the rats as his friends independent thoughtlessly throws rubbish tough cookie eats rubbish

L I T T E R etc

â&#x20AC;˘ Create and A-Z list of words that relate to or describe Litterbug Doug.

A B C D E F G etc

angry bad colourful dirty

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMN KAREN BOYES

A to Z of effective teaching A by-the-letter guide – with one letter in each issue.

Acknowledgements

Teachers Matter

It is one of the six human needs to be acknowledged and recognised for our efforts. In the classroom, give credit for efforts no matter how small. Parents do this when a child is learning to walk; they do not wait until their child is walking fully before praising; parents applaud, smile and get excited about every l i t t l e a t t e m p t a l o n g t h e w a y.

Reward every effort with a small acknowledgement, such as a pat on the back, smile, a simple “thank you” or a thumb’s up. In spelling, tick all the correct letters rather than marking it wrong: Yesterday they may have used four correct letters and today five when spelling a word. This is a small progress worthy of acknowledgement. Also when acknowledging people, it is more effective to use their name and give the specifics of what they have done correctly.

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A

Analogy Agreements The brain needs to make It is important for connections to help process new students to work ideas and learning. An analogy is together in a classroom connecting a similarity between under an established set like features of two things, on which a comparison may be of agreements. At the based. Analogy plays a significant beginning of the year, role in problem solving, decision talk to students about the making, perception, memor y, creativity, emotion, explanation “rules of the classroom.” and communication. For example: Some teachers create a Persisting when you are stuck is a puppy with a new toy; it treaty, while others create like won’t let go. rules and agreements.

These are most effective Auditory when the students feel Learning by listening and speaking is auditory learning. Much of what they have ownership of learned and recalled is processed the ideas. You might add isthrough the auditory channel in students’ photos, hand the brain. Saying key information out loud can help with recall prints or names to the up to 90 percent. Have you ever chart. wanted to remember to do a task

Aa

and you ask someone to remind you? Most times when we verbalise the request, it affirms it in your brain and you do not need to be reminded. One of the best ways to learn a language is to speak it, even if it is your native language.

Have students sing, repeat out loud, discuss and listen to information.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN

NOPQRSTUVWXYZ KAREN BOYES

A Applying past knowledge

Applying past knowledge is about transferring knowledge from one context to another, being able to use what you know. It is going back into your knowledge to recall when you have solved a similar problem or been in a similar situation and then using this information to move you forward.

It helps make connections for the learner, rather than the student feeling that all new learning is separate or unique. Encourage your students to go back into their memories and link what they are learning to what they know.

Association True learning happens when you link what you are learning to what you already know. Creating real life examples and teaching in an authentic context help with the process of association.

Using analogies and metaphors are also useful tools for creating links for learning.

Assessment The purpose of assessment is not only to find out what students know but also to create new learning.

Many students view their grade or mark against whether they have passed or not. However, the most important part of any assessment is the learning opportunity of the questions that were incorrect. Treat all assessments as an opportunity for learning.

Approachable

Being approachable is essential a s a t e a c h e r. E n s u r e y o u u s e an approachable voice in your communication with students. An approachable voice has a varying degree of variance on tone, not a monotone or authoritative tone.

Avoid using sarcasm – as even if the person you are being sarcastic to knows it’s a joke, others in your class will not. Also avoid yelling and arguing, as these diminish your approachability. Always make time for your students and use positive, open body language.

“ When acknowledging people, it is more effective to use their name and give the specifics of what they have done correctly.”

NOPQRSTUVWXYZ

63

TINA JOSHUA-BARGH

Do they even want to be my friend?

What if I make a fool of myself?

Will they make fun of me?

I’m afraid I don’t like being alone.

I need confidence

What if they don’t like me?

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PHOTO: IS2

Teachers Matter

What if ??

TINA JOSHUA-BARGH

Seeing is believing Help children gain confidence with visualisation.

V

isualisation is sometimes called guided imagery or mental rehearsal.

It is a rehearsal of what you want to happen. Athletes use mental rehearsal as part of their training to enhance their mental awareness and to create a sense of competition. This technique can enable athletes to practice the skill they want to hone without physically doing it.

In a similar way, children can use mental rehearsal to imagine themselves being successful in a situation that has been stressful and problematic in the past or that they are feeling anxious about.

As with an athlete, children who are mentored in mental rehearsal are encouraged to “step into” the situations.

While imagining these scenarios, the child should be lead to imagine details and the feeling of their desired outcome.

Visualisation can improve physical and psychological reactions in certain situations. Repeated imagery can build a child’s confidence in his ability to perform certain skills under pressure, or to behave in a desired way. The most effective mental rehearsal techniques result in a vivid experience in which a child has complete control over his own behaviour, a belief in his new “self” and a sense of “I can do this; it is possible.”

This technique can be particularly useful with children who are anxious in social situations. Once the adult is aware of what is causing the anxiety, it can be helpful to create the rehearsal for the child so he can experience the situation in a positive way. An easy way to do this is to tell a story with the child as the main character.

For example, “At such and such school on a rainy day lunch time, Johnny was in the cloak bay getting his lunch box. Johnny was feeling a little nervous because on other rainy day lunch times he has sat by himself

and felt a bit lonely. Today he didn’t want to sit alone, so he decided to be brave and try something new, even though he felt scared.

After he got his lunch box, he walked slowly into the class and stood quietly by the door.

He looked around to see where people were sitting. He saw a group of kids sitting by the door but they were kids he didn’t normally talk to. He saw two boys sitting at tables and a group of children sitting on the mat. He thought about it and, feeling nervous but brave, he walked over and sat down at the table where the two boys were. He smiled at them and started to get out his lunch.

The boys began talking to him and he felt included.”

This type of story labels a child’s feelings and shows him how he can feel those feelings and still have a positive outcome in a tricky situation.

Another way to rehearse a situation is to ask him what he imagines is going to happen.

After he says what he thinks, (or refuses to answer, grunt or says “I don’t know!”) the adult can then say something along the lines of, “Well this is how I imagine it’s going to go today. At morning tea time, you’ll get out the delicious muffin you’ve put in your lunch box, wander outside to sit beside so and so. (If possible, choose someone you know is approachable or someone your child has mentioned playing with before.) Once the two of you are finished eating you will probably ask him if he’d like to go and play soccer on the field. You guys will go off with your ball from the sports shed and begin to play. You’ll do some really good kicks that he has fun kicking back to you. After a few minutes, a few other kids will come and join in. After you all have played for a while the bell will go and it will be time to go back to class. You guys will all race each other and get back to class on time and out of breath.”

These kinds of rehearsals enable a child to see that there is an alternative way to behave than what he’s been doing and that there is a way to make this stressful situation turn out in a way that he will enjoy. These realizations can increase a child’s sense of well-being and confidence.

After a few times, the child may interrupt and say something along the lines of “Today

“Children can use mental rehearsal to imagine themselves being successful in a situation that has been stressful.”

we’re going to play cricket, not soccer.” This is encouraging as it shows that the child is taking ownership of this process and is beginning to imagine himself behaving in the desired way.

Try using this in a fun light-hearted manner in a casual conversation and see what happens.

65

VANESSA LOCKE

My Ice-cream parlour More variety can mean more learning.

M

y classroom philosophy is, “I want my classroom to be like a Baskin and Robins Ice-Cream Parlour, full of fun and variety with 31 different colours and flavours.”

Teachers Matter

Students all have the ability to learn, yet all learn in different ways. It is a teacher’s role to support individuality and diversity; it is not insisting on uniformity.

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As educators we can “go over” topics to our students in hopes they grasp the concepts taught. Or we can promote investigation, problem solving, independence and collaboration of ideas to grow and develop concepts. These are skills and strategies needed for life-long learning. I believe that explicit teaching is still essential, but we also need to provide opportunities for our students to explore.

At the beginning of each year, I ask each family to complete a survey. This gives me information about family dynamics, interests, and hobbies, as well as my students’ likes and dislikes. By valuing the world in which my students come from, I can provide genuine learning experiences.

This knowledge also helps me include real life in the classroom by asking parents to be guest speakers talking about hobbies or occupations.

Communication between home and school is essential when providing a supportive learning environment. Children will feel valued and see that their learning is respected. This builds their self-esteem and their willingness to engage in learning, and students are also more willing to risk take.

It is through trust, respect and support that students grow and thrive. It is through differentiation that students find the esteem to engage with the curriculum. By having the curriculum accessible to the students in a variety of ways, students will develop a positive attitude toward learning. I have noticed that most of the bad behaviours within a classroom are related to students finding the curriculum hard to access; students develop low self- esteem and then have a lack of motivation.

Engaging students with an array of learning media, such as digital technologies, supports a variety of learning styles. Students are able to interact with the technology in a 2D mode and create it a 3D world. Such work supports the visual, kinesthetic and auditory learners.

C o m p u t e r s a n d o t h e r I C Ts p r o v i d e immediate feedback in a positive nonthreatening manner. Students feel safe when receiving this feedback as it is from a machine and they do not view it personally, creating an emotionally safe learning environment. Students are more willing to take risks, investigate and explore concepts. These reactions are powerful when developing concepts and strengthening areas of personal weakness.

A sense of team The classroom is a social hub with many personalities contributing to its dynamics.

I believe that for learning to take place, students need to feel emotionally safe and cared for. To encourage the sense of team, we engage in a circle time each week. This builds emotional intelligence and opportunities to build strategies to engage with fellow classmates given many situations. It is also a time that students become aware of their own and others strengths and weaknesses.

It is through developing this emotional literacy that students in my class change the “it’s not fair” attitude and begin to understand that each student has different needs and therefore accept when different

students do different things. Some of my students have a sticker book because they need the visual cue of positive behaviour.

Some have prize box tokens and some value other privileges. It is because they are aware of the strengths and needs of others that they accept these differences and work as a team.

I also find it essential that I educate parents about valuing progress made. I value data and use it to plan and develop learning opportunities for students. It also ensures that students are making progress. We are legally obliged to rate our students on a five-point scale. I prefer to value progress made and have parent-teacher interviews to provide feedback on progress, not just standardised ratings. This helps parents value their child’s learning and the child develops a positive attitude toward their learning, as they feel that their efforts have been appreciated.

As an early childhood teacher, I am sometimes overwhelmed by the impact I have on my students’ developing attitude toward learning and risk-taking. It is my priority to provide a classroom where students feel respected and thrive as individuals. They have a sense of self and feel valued as an individual.

VANESSA LOCKE

“Students all have the ability to learn, yet all learn in different ways.

It is a teacher ’s role to support individuality and diversity.”

67

JENNY BARRETT

Video conferencing – the low down When it makes sense to make an investment.

W

hat is video conferencing?

At its simplest, it is a phone call with pictures. A videoconference is a live connection between people in separate locations for the purpose of communication, usually involving audio and often text as well as video. At its simplest, videoconferencing provides transmission of static images and text between two locations. At its most sophisticated, it provides transmission of full-motion video images and high-quality audio between multiple locations.

Why not Skype?

My answer would be that if Skype meets your classroom needs, then go ahead and use it, but there are reasons to use a videoconferencing (VC) system instead of Skype. Below we compare H.323 compliant VC units with Skype or other free desktop meeting applications.

Video quality – during and after The picture quality on Skype varies widely depending on the cameras used at both ends and the bandwidth of the two sites participating in the conference. Camera quality is significantly better with a video conferencing kit – full HD in fact. Plus with newer models you can quickly capture a HD recording of your conversation onto a USB flash drive and playback in HD from any PC. Alternatively you can play it back on video conferencing equipment, edit it and convert it to quick time files for easy distribution and upload.

Multi-point calls Although now a possibility on Skype for $10/month again quality is poor. With Skype there is no central processor or server handling the calls pulling all the data into a single call. Instead with Skype all the audio and video streams travel separately to each user’s PC. This results in poor quality and lag where lips no longer sync or in the worst case scenario calls break up.

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Interoperability Video conferencing systems allow for different manufacturer’s video conferencing equipment to be interoperable with each other. With Skype, however, users are limited to only connecting with other Skype users.

Access to content There is content for both Skype users and VC users. However, museums, zoos, aquariums and other similar organisations all require H.323 video conferencing because they need the video quality to make the best use of all their beautiful visuals and most online learning requires the better quality of service provided by a VC Unit over Skype.

Peripherals With Skype you can only share your desktop with another site. With a VC kit you have inputs for DVD, your visualiser, computer, and other components. Multiple types of visuals can be shared with the other site. In fact with some models you can even share snapshots from your smart phone, iPad or Android tablet.

Network and security Skype can create firewall and network issues for IT departments. However, a VC unit will support remote API management and flexible connection options ease the strain on integrators and IT Support. Plus, you cannot make secure calls on Skype and student or class accounts may also be compromised.

There is much less concern about security with H.323 video conferencing.

Camera Usually with Skype you are using a webcam.

With a VC Unit the camera has great ability to pan, tilt, and zoom. You can set a preset on any spot in the room or you can set presets on additional inputs so you can easily switch between a visualiser and students, for example.

Mic Usually with Skype you are using a computer mic that will struggle to pick up speakers who are not close to the mic. You may also get an echo where the other class can hear what they are saying. With a VC Unit you get two directional mics that will pick up speakers at a distance from the mic and without interference.

Remote Usually with Skype you can only control the video conference from the computer. A VC Unit includes a remote and with the recent models you can even transform your phone into a remote.

Cost Skype is free whereas VC Units until recently have cost over the $10,000 mark. However, there are new models available now for around half this price.

Who would use Skype?

Skype is free so many schools have taken advantage of this and use it regularly, particularly where it is a single user communicating with another single user.

However, the moment you are looking for better quality and reliability or need to talk to content providers that have business grade videoconferencing, Skype will no longer fit your needs. Also, Skype is really made for a single person, not larger groups so having a conference call with 20 or 30 people in a classroom trying to communicate is not what it was designed for.

Activities Video conferencing provides students with the opportunity to learn by participating in two, three or even four-way communication.

They can receive instruction and information on any topic, and they can present information, even live demonstrations and ask questions of the other participating sites. Video conferencing provides a channel for communication all over New Zealand

JENNY BARRETT

classrooms video conference. Students compare and contrast their geographies, school programmes, cultures and experiences to broaden their view of the world they live in.

• Deliver live demonstrations such as one physics class doing an experiment for a class at another school. Or perform plays or musical productions for other audiences.

PHOTO:TATYANA GLADSKIH

• Doing earthquakes? Video conference with students in Christchurch or Japan and learn the reality of earthquakes.

“ With Skype there is no central processor or server handling the calls pulling all the data into a single call.”

an d t h e glob e . The b e n e f i t s o f vi d e o conferencing include stronger speaking, listening, and presentation skills for our students. Following is a list of uses for video conferencing in the classroom: • Connect with a person of interest or an expert. The New Zealand Book Council and DOC have access to video conferencing equipment and will arrange conversations with authors or conservationists respectively. Or go overseas and video conference with NASA! • Hook up with a museum such as Te Papa.

You could be learning about the colossal squid and simultaneously have your visualiser, your own squids and some dissection tools at your fingertips.

• Virtual Field Trips: use LearnNZ http:// www.learnz.org.nz/index.php or organise your own – try visiting the CEO of a company in their work environment or see a doctor performing a medical procedure.

• Connect your juniors to juniors in another country. Your students learn about their community and compare it to others around the world. They compare their everyday lives by showing each other their toys, telling what food they like or what pets they have. They discuss their homes, schools, family customs, etc. You could even do a global “show and tell”.

• Organise dialogue between foreign language students to aid students in developing correct pronunciation and increases conversational skills.

• Online learning programmes: whole programmes are delivered via distance across New Zealand, facilitated by the Virtual Learning Network, so if a course is not offered by your school or you cannot access a Chinese speaking teacher, join the VLN. For a list of all the current courses visit: http://pol.vln.school.nz/ search/all • Finally it also opens up financially viable professional development for your staff.

Useful links Virtual Learning Network http://www.vln. school.nz/ Content Providers Database for the USA, Canada, UK and Australia http://www. vccontentproviders.org/searchprogram.php Collaborations Around the Planet (CAPspace) is a social networking tool for educational videoconferencing. Login to find colleagues and schools interested in collaborative videoconference (H.323 and H.320) projects. Create and advertise your own collaborative videoconference projects to educators around the world.

CAPspace also provides registration for collaborative events and projects such as TWICE’s Read Around the Planet. There are currently 11095 educators from 40 countries registered with CAPspace. http://projects. twice.cc/

• Older students can organise a project where geographically dispersed

69

STUART KING

Learning in a new way Roleplaying “online” takes students to new heights.

A

s a literacy teacher at Eltham College, I worked with colleagues Megan Shiels and Penny Van Gelderen to develop an innovative and fun approach to learning called ZOMG. It is aimed at a group of 31 Grade 5 students. Its name derives from the gamer-slang “zOMG.” The “z” is a mistake gamers often make while attempting to hit the shift key and type “OMG” in the rush of excitement.

In this design, the staff aren’t “teachers,” they are “quest-givers.”

Kids don’t pass tests or get grades; they complete quests and earn experience points. The school’s rigged with riddles, challenges and tasks. The nine-week game is designed so that individuals need to interact and cooperate to achieve success. It has become something quite different to usual school: a phenomenon.

This is what some of them had to say about it so far: “ZOMG!!! That’s how excited we get when we jump out of bed on a Tuesday and a Thursday!!!” -Lily Ossa-Bordes “Now we’re learning what each other’s strengths are and we will use them in other school activities.” -Olivia Rizzo “We are sitting on the edge of our seats to learn what to do.” -Jett Bond “In ZOMG we are doing little favours for the community every day that are making our community much better.”Kayla Bell As students complete their quests, they “level up,” unlocking real rewards around the school, such as movie tickets, special privileges like getting straight to the front of the lunch queue, right up to the chance to design their own perfect day at school.

Teachers Matter

A typical sentence we are hearing around the school might be, ‘OMG,

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ZOMG! That’s how excited we get when we jump out of bed on a Tuesday and a Thursday!!!

Bella’s a level 5 Journalist already, because she found the Harry Potter power-up the same day the quest was given and got her litter-bagger experience point before recess!!!’

As opposed to, “Bella got 82 in the test; she’s pretty good at spelling.”

Learn more at http://prezi.com/elr1hvot6s-i/ zomg-explained/

KAREN BOYES

Brain food Feed yourself the right food.

S

ometimes takeaway food looks quick and easy and even tastes good. On February 27, 2002, I purchased a McDonald’s cheeseburger. I left it on a plate in my office. To this day, over 10 years later, this burger looks the same as the day I purchased it. The bread, cheese and meat haven’t gone mouldy. It does not smell. You could eat it is you wanted to. I often share with students that mould is not even stupid enough to live on this food.

I like to share better choices: One of the best foods for your brain is protein. The best sources of protein are unsalted nuts, chicken and fish. Fish, for many years, has been called brain food. Fish contains essential oils and amino acids that your brain uses directly. I’m not talking about the processed “fish and chips” fish, or takeaway chicken, but fresh fish and chicken.

Another food group that is good for your brain is fruit and vegetables. Essentially, what your brain needs from fruit and vegetables is vitamin B and vitamin C. If you’re not getting enough vitamins B or C, you may find it a little harder to remember things. In fact, research shows that when elderly people supplemented their diets with vitamins B and C, their memory recall went up 100 percent.

are made up of water and over 80 percent of our brains consist of water. Not enough water can lead to dehydration, which causes headaches, lack of concentration and focus, and tiredness. Proper water intake is important for health and success. At any time of stress, the body dehydrates. Have you ever stood up in front of a group to speak and your mouth suddenly goes dry?

According to Dr Batmanghelidj, the “dry mouth” signal is the last outward sign of extreme dehydration. Dr Carla Hannaford suggests that under any stress, the body needs two to three times the normal daily amount of water.

Keep a water bottle beside you when you study and take water into the exam with you if you are allowed. Drink between classes.

You do not need to be sucking on a drink bottle continuously in class. Just ensure you rehydrate between classes.

you need to sit down and study. Avoiding sugar at study and exam time is important.

Caffeine is found in tea, coffee, coke and other soft drinks, cigarettes and chocolate.

Smart drinks also contain caffeine. Caffeine is a diuretic, and this means each cup or glass of a drink containing caffeine dehydrates your body of up to three glasses of water.

You may have a cup of coffee and then feel quite thirsty. You have another cup of coffee, become even more thirsty and have another cup of coffee. Dr Batmanghelidj, in his book Your Body’s Many Cries For Water, states: “It’s an elementary but catastrophic mistake to think caffeine drinks are a substitute for water.” He continues: “It’s true they contain water, but they also contain dehydration agents and use the water they are dissolved in as well as the reserves from the body.”

Around exam and study time, avoid caffeine as much as possible.

There is one other food that is absolutely fantastic for the brain, and you can eat as much of this as you like: Popcorn. It is a complex carbohydrate giving you lots of energy without the sugar rush. It is best eaten plain and unsalted.

What should I avoid?

Sugar creates an addiction cycle in your body that makes your brain work overtime.

When you eat something sweet, your body starts to pump adrenaline, and you feel good.

According to Dr Eric Jensen, the 10 top brain foods are: blueberries, nuts, fish, broccoli, banana, yoghurt, olive oil, wholegrain bread, spinach and tomatoes. How many of these do you eat each day?

Artificial sweeteners in diet drinks, diet products and chewing gum are a leading cause of mental fatigue as well as MS, Parkinson disease and diabetes, In many countries, the sweetener 951 (aspartame) is a banned substance. You are better to have the sugar and exercise it off.

However, while your body is using the sugar, your pancreas produces insulin to bring your body back into balance. This makes you feel worse than you did before eating the sugar.

Then you think you need something else sweet to eat, and suddenly you’ve set up an addiction cycle. It’s particularly detrimental for you around exam time and when you’re studying because your brain focuses on the need for more sugar rather than the fact that

MSG is a flavour enhancer in food (labelled as flavour enhancer 621 on food packaging).

It’s also a leading cause of mental fatigue.

MSG has also been linked to very poor brain development in children. It speeds up your brain, making it work far too fast for learning. Avoid it, if possible, particularly when you’re studying.

Drink up Drink at least six to eight glasses of water a day. Approximately 70 percent of our bodies

71

KEVIN MAYALL

Transitioning from education into work: Who is doing it?

Teach the steps to employement.

Dale Williams, mayor of Otorohanga, a small rural town, has used his leadership skills to stop youth unemployment. Leaders in Otorohanga get to know everything about each student, help them with a plan, and make it happen. It really is that simple, and you would think this would be replicated elsewhere.

Teachers Matter

Why does a school of 2,000 students have two career teachers? Why is it acceptable to have often unqualified people teaching the Gateway kids? How is it acceptable to have kids who have no idea what “aspiration” even means? I often see and hear heads

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The teaching system is now completely caught up in “credit crunching.” Students must get credits. And when teacher pay performance comes with school league tables, it will exacerbate the problem.

from a different living arrangement and carries his own unique thoughts and beliefs.

Most important, we need to recognise every student has his own talent and something important to add to this world. We must find what those dreams are, and believe and foster those dreams.

Students then need to be linked with tertiary providers and businesses to provide upto-date information on job trends and

So here are some answers: • Make careers a compulsory subject with professionally trained specialists.

• By year 12, every student must have a career plan to either go into further education or go to work.

• Track student career planning and transition. No one falls through the cracks.

• Students gain credits from passing career benchmarks.

• Career teachers have the same resources/ timetable as other academic studies.

The common key for successfully transitioning from education into life is engagement. Otorohanga Mayor Dale Williams knows this and has put resources in place for every student. Every student has a career plan specific to them. There are clear expectations each student m u s t meet. Each student has access to a career mentor, someone who knows him and his circumstances.

For successful career transition, a student needs a clear pathway onto further education or work. That pathway is accessible and achievable. We need to recognise every student comes from a different background. Every student comes

KERZ

I continue to hear “but there are no jobs,” “the government is doing nothing,” and “kids these days don’t want to work.” There is one shining star whose results say otherwise.

of departments turn away career planning because it takes “their” students away from class time and is seen as an inconvenience.

Often, career teaching doesn’t have a regular time slot, let alone the same funding as academic subjects.

ILLUSTRATION: RED ROC

O

ne of our highest priorities must be providing every student with the knowledge and skills to get a job. I find it ironic that society tolerates some nearly non-existent career transition programs. Youth unemployment remains unacceptably high. Instead of mining our natural resources, we should be mining the talent and dreams within our students’ heads. This is where we will get sustainable and lasting economic development.

workplace requirements. Schools can go one step further by providing subject choices relevant to industry requirements. Make each subject relevant.

There isn’t much more un-motivating than being in a classroom that has no relevance to the student.

From year 11 to 13, students need the opportunity to get workplace experience.

Students can work for free in areas where they want to make a career and gain credits.

The bonus of a successful careers program: Students have a powerful reason to pass their subjects, which are key to their dream career. It’s a win-win for the teacher and student. Name me one teacher who wouldn’t want a class of engaged teens.

THE LAST WORD: KAREN BOYES

The two sins of education What they are – and how you can stop committing them.

A

ccording to Jay McTighe there are two sins of education – the sin of activities and the sin of coverage.

The sin of activities is often referred to as the primary or elementary school sin while coverage tends to be the secondary school sin.

So what are these sins?

The sin of activities Many teachers re-use the same activity year after year with little educational gain, while the students have changed and have differing needs, experiences and understandings. If as educators we truly know that learning comes from the experience, as well as the reflection from an experience, then as teachers we need to be aware of whether the activity is “busy” work or has deep educational value.

For example: A classroom task to research what the soldiers in WW1 and WW2 received in the “care packages” from the Red Cross is an interesting task when learning about conflict in war. However the activity to “make one” is simply busy work. Sure the students might have fun making a replica, however what is the educational value, in line with learning about conflict? Perhaps a more authentic and meaningful task might be to write to soldiers in war zones, or family left behind for insight into what they miss from home or their country, what they do not have access to and need, and then actually make and send a care package to these soldiers.

While many teachers in the last five years have changed their language of learning, there has often been little change in their actual practice. For example, the word “inquiry” gets used by many teachers, however students are still just sticking worksheets into their books with cut and paste answers from Google or Wikipedia.

“We need to be aware of whether the activity is “busy” work or has deep educational value.”

The sin Th i off coverage The sin of Coverage is the pressure in many secondary school environments, especially those with national exams at the end of the year, to cover the curriculum. However just because the teacher has covered it, does not mean students have learned it. There is a huge gap between the art of teaching and the science of learning. Coverage of the content is often at the expense of learning and understanding.

The interesting paradox is that to “Accelerate Learning,” the buzz words of the late 1990s and early 2000s, you must slow down. Teachers are required to teach and check for understanding. But how do we know students have understood?

Evidence of understanding includes, can your students: • explain the learning accurately?

• give their interpretation?

• take another person’s perspective?

• emphasise?

• ask further questions?

• apply the information elsewhere?

Another favourite quote from Jay McTighe is “Your students should be presumed innocent of understanding until proven guilty by preponderance of evidence.” They should not just show their understanding in one way, but in many ways.

To teach for deep understanding, students require a bigger purpose to learn the information, a link into their world or as

Lane Cl Clark a ““so what?”

Dr D David L k tteaches, h h t?” D id Sousa explains that to have students truly recalling information, the new learning must firstly make sense in the students’ world and secondly have meaning in their world.

He continues to state that the more authentic the task, the deeper the learning and understanding. When planning, start with the end in mind: Ask yourself some key questions including: Why is it important to teach this content? In which careers is this knowledge used? How can this learning be applied in the world? Share this information with the students.

Sometimes your students’ learning has little relationship to the actual content you are teaching. For example, an art teacher, while teaching the skills and processes needed to create great works of art, may also be teaching time management skills to those who have art portfolios due on a deadline. A Maths teacher may be teaching the functions of mathematics; however they may also be encouraging students to be responsible risk takers, as students attempt to solve problems they are not totally confident about. Sometimes the deep learning and understandings come from outside our curriculum.

Please consider these questions: What are the big, deep understandings you would like your students to learn? How might you give them meaningful experiences to learn these?

What are some of the life lessons, outside of your curriculum, are your students learning?

Have fun as you create deep understandings for your students.

73

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Introducing the

Online Habits of Mind Course with Art Costa & Bena Kallick This is an online Introduction to Habits of Mind with Art Costa and Bena Kallick.

Over 8 weeks join a group of other like minded educators while Art Costa and Bena Kallick share their experiences and insights about the Habits of Mind. Your learning journey is supported and guided by both Graham Watts and Karen Boyes with many years of school based experience working with the Habits of Mind to ensure you get the most out of the course.

This course is self-paced and can be completed in your own time. Graham and Karen will guide you for the 8 weeks in which time you should easily be able to complete the modules.

What does this online course cover: • • • • • •

Introduction to Habits of Mind Get to know the 16 Habits Why the Habits of Mind are Important Interview with the Experts Creating a shared Vision Plus lots more...

The Teachers’ Learning Centre is Home to Spectrums Online Courses The Teachers’ Learning Centre brings together like minded teachers and educators from around the world who share a passion in successful, lifelong learning. Our mission is to offer high quality professional development that blends social interaction with new technologies. Additionally, our learning programmes mark the start of anongoing professional dialogue for teachers within your school, connecting teachers in other countries. Our online learning platform allows teachers anywhere in the world to discuss and co-construct their learning with leading international experts in various fields.

All of our courses can be offered in your school, led by experts for those that want to go further than the courses offered online.

The Teachers’ Learning Centre is ideal for: • One person or for the whole staff training • New staff training and induction • Anytime, any place learning • Learning with teachers within and across nations • Keeping teachers in the classroom, not out on courses • Learning at your own pace • Focused, applied learning • Working alongside the experts

Your Hosts Graham Watts and Karen Boyes are dedicated to making a difference in education through teacher development. Based in the UK, Graham’s experience leading Thinking Skills and Habits of Mind programmes in a diverse range of schools around the world, gives his workshops a rich breadth and depth. From a league table topping school in New Zealand to one of the UK’s most improved secondary schools, Graham has developed highly successful students’ thinking and learning programmes. Karen is often described as Australasia’s “Mrs Education.” An expert in effective teaching, learning and living, Karen turns research into practical and simple to use techniques that create success. As the Founder of Spectrum Education, an author, publisher of the Teachers Matter magazine and the Affiliate Director of the Institute for the Habits of Mind, Karen is an expert in teaching and learning throughout the world.

To learn more about this Course and the session times, contact Spectrum Education.

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