Papatuanuku and Ranginui. The creation Story.

What:
As an adjunct to a Te Reo/Tikanga unit on the Atua and The Creation story the children and I decided to illustrate the story as an enormous poster and add written prompts to help them develop their oral language and story telling skills around this fundamental Maori legend. We worked together to paint the back ground for the poster then after watching the story in You Tube several times each child chose a part that they would like to illustrate and add to the poster. The poster came together to be a visual story which covered many aspects of the creation legend.

So What:
This collaborative art work really paid homage to the Maori tradition of oral histories as it stimulated so much discussion. Firstly the informal chatter among the students about what aspect they had chosen to illustrate and why. This was a wonderful way to start the children talking about the story without any pressure to know the whole thing or present it in a formal setting. Working with the children to record the important points of the story to add to the picture as reminders of the crux of the legend meant they took ownership of the story and began to retell it as a group supporting each other with ideas and links. Finally over a number of weeks the children got together in pairs and small groups to retell the story using the poster as a prompt where necessary. Having worked on the production of the story the whole way through and revisiting it over and over gave the children real ownership of it and eventually a degree of familiarity which meant that they were confident and keen to retell it.

Now What:
Continue to recognise and utilise collaborative opportunities where the children can guide the learning and participate in all steps from planning to creating and presenting it. Use oral language as a way of enabling children to share their knowledge and understanding of a topic without the pressure to record it in written form. For many of the learners in this group this seemed to be a way to allow them to shine and written work can often make a barrier when used to present their knowledge.

Show case the rich culture that Maori language and Tikanga Maori are as often as possible in the classrooms that I work in.


Tamsin

027 8691848

Swimming PD January 2018

Notes from Swimming PD. Wendy

Staff refer to Achievement form from Water Skills for Life.

Getting into the pool safely - i.e. steps, sitting on edge-turning around and entering backwards.
Monkeying - hands on wall - walking
Streamline position - both hands up behind ears/palms together - sit on edge - dive.
Diving from edge of pool or diving platform.
Everyone in a circle - Ring a ring a Rosie - we all blow bubbles, we all bob down, etc
Wheels on the Bus - swish, swish, swish - up/down
Sit on the bottom - blow air out.
Go along bottom of pool - blowing out.
Float on top - duck dive - go along bottom. (crawl/breaststroke)
Star fish - head up - feet down onto floor.
Skulling on back - hands by side.
Skulling on front - hands in front.
Ball float - curled up - mushroom float
Jellyfish float - hands/legs like jellyfish tentacles
X Y I float
X Y I float - over to front - blow bubbles - rotate
Skulling - figure 8 by side - survival technique - no kicking; time one end to other.
Skulling feet first
Treading water: 3 mins - anyway you want - hands/feet/egg beater
Life jackets - place back down onto water. Facing away from life jacket, slip arms into arm holes.

What:
A day spent working towards understanding the theory and practical steps we take as teachers to teach swimming in a whole class setting. This provided lots of ideas on how to manage large groups of children and still ensure each learner was progressing in their learning of swimming skills and swim to survive knowledge.

So What:
This course provided me with some vital learning as I am not an entirely confident swimmer myself and know very little about the progressions that need to be worked through to teach swimming. The range of ideas and hints for teaching and managing a swimming pool area with a class group was outstanding, as noted above there are many different techniques available to engage learners in the pool to help them progress to being confindent and competent in the water.

Now what?
Put these skills into practise! In my role working across different classes I often need to take swimming as a part of the days program. Becoming familiar with the planned teaching sequences by pre reading them, observing experienced teachers teaching swimming and reading manuals to help me understand the techniques and progressions that need to be taught will be a good starting point to up skilling in this area.

For myself personally, swim more as increased interest and ability in the pool is sure to reflect positively in my swim teaching.


STP2:3

Play based Learning in our COL

Notes from Play based learning session

What ?
Attending a play based learning work shop set up by our COL to see how play is being used in classrooms as a way of engaging learners, providing them with greater agency and strengthening the links from their ECE setting to their NE classroom at school. This afternoon of sharing also sparked ideas and discussions about other ways of making play accessible and authentic for students across the whole school rather than solely focusing on the junior age group.

So What?
This hui was a good chance to connect with other teachers of similar aged children and hear their viewpoints about play as a main medium for learning. It was clear that while its been embraced and is working well for some schools/teachers others find it more difficult to ensure all children are having their educational needs met, are safe and happy in the learning environment and as teachers themselves that they are able to let go of traditional classroom practices to embrace this style of learning.

I was pleased to be able to revisit my learning from the ECE to NE course I attended last year and reflect on that all important idea that one day a child is four and the next they're five and that often this change in age brings with it a complete change in educational environment. When they are four they are ensconced in an ECE setting where play is their work and tool for learning and the next day they're in a NE classroom where they are often expected to sit for long periods on the mat and at tables with child led and child centered play reserved for break times and fun day Friday's.

Now What?

• Remember where our children have come from, their background in an ECE setting as little people who view play as their work and that this play is the basis for their learning.
• Value and look for the key competencies when reflecting on learning in a play based setting as these important indicators of social growth and development are often where we can see the job that play based learning is doing working.
• Keep talking to teachers about what play based learning looks like in their setting. Use others ideas to refine play based learning in my classroom most specifically with my Tamahere Tupu.
• Play with the children, get down there and let them lead me into their imaginary world despite my discomfort as a player!!!!!
• Don't let school bells and prefabricated time frames rob children of play opportunities. If the learners are ensconced in their own learning through play don't pack it all up because the bell rang and told you to, embrace the moment and carry on till a natural break occurs.

STP 2.3 & 4.4

Are our Transistion to School Visits increasing the confidence of our NE when they start school?

Scanning: What's going on for our learners?

After a year and a half of having implemented a transition to school program we need to know what effect is it having on the learners when they start school?

Are they more confident when they start school after having participated in a longer transition program that is focused solely on them?

How can we gauge this increase in confidence and therefore the effectiveness of the program?

My pedagogical focus is.... What makes a strong and rigorous transition to school program and how can we gauge the success of our own Tamahere Tupu program?

I am focusing on this because I need to ensure that our school starters are coming to school prepared as  best they can be for starting.

Developing a hunch/ My learning/ Taking action.

Look at other schools within the COL and visit their transition to school programs. Engage in dialogue with colleagues from Tamahere and beyond to ascertain their ideas and beliefs on what makes a strong program.

• Visit to Silverdale Normal School with syndicate leader to observe Jump Start program. This provided the basis on which our program was developed with ideas about content, connections to be made, length of visits and points of interest when starting our own program. I also visited Silverdale with my own children's kindy and formed ideas about what made their NE environment welcoming and a place where children beginning school could connect and feel secure as they continue on their education journey.
• Attend a COL education session on play based learning in the NE setting. Notes from play based ed session

Professional development related to transition.

See below reflection on 2017 course related to this.

. Building connetions and making links between ECE and NE setting

My learning....A large part of my learning will come from a lit review of articles about what builds strong transition programs. A collection of research essays from the students in the course  'Transition to School' 

Collegial dialogue will play a big part in my learning about what makes for a strong and successful program for our NE visitors. Frequent discussions about what they feel their NE's need prior to starting school will guide me in designing the program.

Taking action......

Sliding scale poster for parents and children to complete from both their perspectives about how ready the child is for school. This is to be completed in week one and in week 8 to track changes in their perception of how they feel about school before and after visits have been completed. (term 2) 

Talking to our tamariki and their parents about what they believe will help them to feel comfortable at TMCS when they start. What will make it feel like its 'their place'? Posters that they complete/ add to over the weeks with their whanau about what they are enjoying during visits and what else they would like to do so the program can be more specifically tailored to their needs. Parents to add their own suggestions here too.(term three)

Tamsin

027 8691848