I found an article

Dangerous Discussions: Voice and Power in My Classroom

It made me think about how we manage discussions in my classroom. I have difficulty getting students to engage. Part of which I put down to their unfamiliarity with the content but I still have to develop my discussion management skills to enable the shy and quiet to have their say, and to not have the loud/confident students dominate.

My classes have a different mix of ethnicity to the one in the article. Some have minority groups, as defined by society, are  in the majority in their class. That would give a different air to the discussion. Also the difference in subject matter will have an effect. Science is a difficult subject for many, and they do not often feel as informed as they might in a discussion on social issues that that live, as in the article.

I am inspired to try some of the suggestions in this article with my classes.

Winning Hone Haka

The Science Department won the weekly "Hone Haka" award for being best at incorporating the Te Reo Maori Kupu o te Wiki.

Kapa Haka Seamstress

Whaia Awa asked for anyone who could help with the Kapa Haka performance costumes, I like to sew so I volunteered, as did Hazel. We decided to split the effort by task, so I put together the outfit for Whaiora, the lead female, and Hazel extended the pre-existing junior.

School PD to Waitangi

The school trip to Waitangi was an interesting day. I have been to Waitangi a number of time, but not since the museum opened. I felt that the time in the museum was spoiled by the 'homework' we had been assigned as it prevented me fully immersing myself in the information on offer, but instead driving me down the path that had been set. I had hoped to have the time to look around for things that I could incorporate into my classroom practice, but I didn't have the time to do so.



How do we get kids to see that school is in their long term interest when they are only interested in leaving school now to earn money. They do not think longer term as to how the jobs that seem like big money now don't pay enough for a comfortable life when they have dependent or injuries.
Talking to Vinnie who had left school at 13/14 to work in forestry, and bought houses age 17 and 18, brought that home. Vinnie seems happy with his life, but not everyone will have his success, and Vinnie himself says it was at the cost of not seeing his family grow up.  I don't know how to compete with that when students have come from a background where "earnings now" are valued over learning or even "earnings later".

The new Junior Curriculum - Research

The new junior curriculum is taking shape. The science department have worked on an outline for the year and for the units. We have decided how to structure the changes, and now we are working on a small section of the first unit each.
I am using my experience from teaching Social Studies for a year, specifically research skills, to plan the research component of the unit.

The research component will have basic research skills, and will include a research project. The initial project will be into a scientist. I have compiled a list of scientists they could research, and I have included a wide range of fields and cultures, with a focus on women and Maori. In addition I looked for ethnic minority scientists from Australia, Canada, and the US as these are cultures that some of our Maori students identify as being in a similary position to Maori, as exemplified by the support in the community for the Standing Rock native americans protesting the North Dakota pipeline.The intention is to make the students aware that science is for everyone not just old white men.

To encourage the students to be more introspective and thoughtful about the learning process, the will receive two grades for their piece of research. They will have one for the content of the research, and another for the process of research. What did they look for, what was successful. In addition they will be expected to do a reflection/evaluation of how they performed. I have set this up as a google form in order to make it manageable for staff to implement, but also to differentiate the questions the students are answering

Part of what we are trying to do is develop students into critical thinkers. The students are expected to compile a reference list, but for the higher level thinker I'm implementing a system to encourage them to think about the perspective of the source as an introduction to bias and to be wary of who they are listening to.

Ecology in a New Zealand context

I have been teaching the Ecology unit for Year 9's and the test is approaching. The test is focussed around introduced species and food webs, but the introduced species and food webs in question are based in British ecology.

For next year we should update it to include New Zealand examples. Possums as an introduced species would be relatively straight-forward to substitute I think and be able to keep the questions very similar to keep the task QUALMd

Possum's would also be animals that many of the students have experience with, especially those who are from farming and/or hunting backgrounds.

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