Maths Lesson Reflection

During the first week of school we had a maths PD facilitated by Marie Hirst. She had some incredible ideas and the one that stuck out the most to me was her take on a statistical investigation. Due to this I chose to incorporate this into my teaching. This week we started the class wide statistical investigation based around getting to know the students better. 

The first step was to split Post-It notes into quarters using a pen. From there four questions could be asked and the answers were recorded by students in the correct box on their paper. This was a very simple yet effective technique to engage my class. They thoroughly enjoyed having a hands-on task to complete.

The students then stuck these on the whiteboard to view everyone's answers. A class discussion brought out very useful and interesting conversations about their observations. The entire class engaged with the task and were participating in these rich conversations. I used a few talk points to keep the discussion flowing and to get more students involved. Although these conversations were student led which was fantastic to see. This was very successful as others would add on to individual's ideas.

This was my most successful lesson so far and the students really enjoyed themselves and have started to enjoy maths more. This will be taught over a few weeks and eventually they will do their own group investigation.

Here is a photo of the way in which they recorded their answers.

Manaiakalani Toolkit - Mote

 The toolkit I chose to participate in was facilitated by Cheryl Torrie. It was based around a Chrome extension called Mote. Mote is an audio tool that allows you to add voice comments to Google Docs, Slides and Sheets, Gmail and Google Classroom. 

Mote is a fantastic tool to use for students who are auditory learners and for those who need extra support with reading. It is easy to use for both teachers and students to add to their work. Leaving verbal instructions and reading over the words provided are just two of many useful ways Mote can be used.

To add a Mote I simply clicked the Mote symbol which is pinned in my extensions toolbar. From there I am able to record my instructions or comment. It is a very simple process that adds a personal touch to any piece of work. 

I plan on teaching the students to use it as a way to present their work verbally. This then caters to the needs of more students and allows for the work to be accessible.

Lockdown Teaching Reflection

In the past week Auckland went into a Level 3 Lockdown. This was a shock as it was only my third week teaching. I was extremely nervous going into it but with the help of my tutor teacher and team leader I was able to continue with online teaching. 

Due to this sudden lockdown, many of my students didn't have their Chromebooks. There were a few students engaging in their online learning and we had multiple accounts of communication through email. I had to use the junior way of online teaching as a result of this. This included setting simple yet effective tasks that they were able to do using materials from around the house. Each morning I uploaded a video to the slides which was both a daily check in and an introduction to the day's work.

Myself and my tutor teacher had daily check ins via Google Hangout. This helped a lot as I was able to help with the setup of student blogs and other daily tasks. The entire senior team was very helpful and supportive during this lockdown and as a result I was able to gain more knowledge and confidence around online teaching.

Lockdown slides

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