Rethinking the programme

The formative for the Redox assessment has come back showing the students are not ready for the summative. I think I will need to reteach aspects, and give a lot more practice before many of the students are ready.
Coupled with the need for a number of them to repeat the other internals I am doubting if I will be able to get through the high number of credits that were initially planned. I have already removed a number of students from the final external assessment but now I am wondering if there will be enough time for the students who have been planning to do that assessment to complete it.

Dangerous Student

Yesterday I had a recalcitrant student who arrived with an attitude. There are obviously some other issues happening in his life that are interfering in his school.
He was removed from class but was reluctant. I don't think I can make much progress with him until these other things are dealt with. I left him in the corridor with the LSA. He was swearing and thumping the walls and was eventually convinced to go to the deans. I could not have him in the classroom as he was damaging the learning environment of others and had the potential to get physical with me, his peers, or the classroom environment.

The PTC's for reference

PTC’s

1. … establish and maintain effective professional relationships focused on the learning and well-being of all akonga

2. … demonstrate commitment to promoting the well-being of all akonga

3. … demonstrate commitment to bicultural partnership in Aotearoa New Zealand

4. … demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional learning and development of personal professional practice

5. … show leadership that contributes to effective teaching and learning

6. … conceptualise, plan and implement an appropriate learning programme

7. … promote a collaborative, inclusive and supportive learning environment

8. … demonstrate in practice their knowledge and understanding of how akonga learn

9. … respond effectively to the diverse language and cultural experiences, and the varied strengths, interests and needs of individuals and groups of akonga

10. … work effectively within the bicultural context of Aotearoa New Zealand

11. … analyse and appropriately use assessment information, which has been gathered formally and informally

12. … use critical inquiry and problem solving effectively in their professional practice

The Rock Cycle with 10NR

10NR have been more engaged in this Earth Science unit than for most this year. I believe it is a combination of a growing maturity and improved literacy skills, certain students having been relocated to another class and the change of teaching plans. I have been actively seeking more demonstative and interactive learning experiences and Earth Science is a unit where this is easier to do than in others.

Two girls went to the SSC immediately at the start of the lesson as one of them had red raised knuckles and the seond went for moral support.

Today was the rock cycle which was the perfect time to do a hands on activity. The crayon rock cycle. an oldie but a goody. I have done it a few times before, but I have yet to perfect the execution.
10NR were as predicted very enthusiastic about the smashing of crayons with a hammer, the jumping on crayon bits, and the melting of crayon bits. I'm never sure how much I am getting through to them as to why we are doing the activity and getting them to link the smashing and jumping with the weathering and pressure that they represent.

The theory work that came afterwards was resisted, but after Friday the girls were insistent on music so the deal was as long as the work was being done, they could have music.

Oddly calm

Last Period on a Friday is usually a tricky lesson particularly with 10NR who are resistant to learning at the best of times. On Friday they were unusally docile.

The lesson started with a YouTube clip of the Tangiwai train crash from the docudrama on TV a while ago, then I explained Volcanoes, and set them to work. It was colouring and cutting and pasting, but they had to label stuff as they went. I also had clips of volcanic activity on the screen for them to watch. Perhaps it was the two pronged approach. As they gave up on one activity they were caught by the screen, and when they were bored of the volcanic clips they went back to the cutting and pasting. It probably isn't helping to develop a long attention span, but it did seem to keep them on topic in the classroom.

New and Improved Rock Cycle

After doing the crayon rock cycle with limited success I had to try a new way of doing things. In a quirk of timing just after  teaching it to my Year 10's I had the opportunity to do it as a demonstration lesson on a interview. This time I tried with playdough of different colours and textures. The playdough is less solid and rock like, but it has the advantage of sticking together when the rocks are sedimentary,and it is easy to break pieces off for weathering. The metamorphic rocks are less pronounced, but by working the playdough until all colours merge a satisfactory igneous rock develops. I think I shall work with the playdough version in the future.

Different assessment

Since there is no department wide assessment used for the Earth Science I have decided to to use as assessment a research project. They can research a natural disaster of their choosing, then present information about it in their own way be that a song or rap, an animation, a poster or a presentation.
Assessment

Edible Geology

10NR are a difficult class that is hard to engage in learning. For Earth Science I tried using their stomachs. At home I made mini muffins with choco-caramel lollies pushed into the middle, then at school we made jelly and sat them in the middle of sugar crusted patty tins. the intent was to make a model of the earth with the sugar as the crust, the jelly as the mantle, the mini-muffin as the Outer core and the lolly as the inner core.

The lollies needed to be pushed further in when they are put into the mini-muffin mix before baking, the jelly needed to be more concentrated, and the sugar needed to be put on after the jelly had set pretty solidly. The actual Edible earths did not turn out very well.
The main aim of engaging the class worked more successfully. Most of them completed the written portion of the class as I intimated I was going to hold their Earths hostage.

Maui and the Sun

I struggle to appropriately incorporate Maori culture in many Science lessons without it being a tokenistic inclusion, rather than a valuable learning tool.

In order to try and get the students to think about how myths were explanations of physical phenomenon I set homework to compare the myth of how Maui slowed the sun with the Scientific explanation.
I was looking for the idea of how the day gets shorter and shorter, but then longer again, could be linked with Maui's reaching of the sun and then slowing it down. So the story would repeat each year.
Google classroom assignment

Science as a junior option/ Science Fair Prep

I had a brainwave while talking to students about their options subject in the midst of an experiment into starch and photosynthesis.
Students enjoy practical work. Not enough have the resources to do their own experiments. We struggle to find the time to properly do Science Fair. Some students can't get enough of Science.
Solution: Add a Science Extension Option to the Options list that students can do for a semester which will include time to do Science Fair work.

Term 1 for Year10's -
Start with a grounding in planning experiments and data processing. Writing methods, drawing graphs, using proper language in writing reports.
Then support the students in independent research and experiments to prepare for Science Fair.

Test Post

In order to reflect on my teaching and my students learning I'm trialling blogger as a method to keep my ideas. Hopefully it will allow me to make little reflections frequently on what I am doing to better enable me to comply with the paperwork requirement.