6. How do I promote a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive learning environment that embraces e-learning and engages learners?

The use of PCs, iPads and other ICTs daily has proven to promote

collaboration - when students work together to create Pic Collages, or take photos of one another during a language experience.  Students collaborate with one another when working on Reading Eggs as they talk about and encourage each other to get to the next level. 

inclusion - All students are encouraged to use the ICTs that are available in our room.  I must work towards sharing more of our learning to a wider audience.  I must find an easy way to share that does not result in increased time being added to my already busy day!!

Supportive Learning Environment - when learning a new creation tool (book creator, pic collage, my story etc) students are always supported in a guided session with myself.  I scaffold and teach students how to use each application safely and provide a set success criteria that we are aiming to achieve. 

This excerpt is copied from http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/The-New-Zealand-Curriculum/Effective-pedagogy  shares information about how elearning may support teaching and learning.

E-learning and pedagogy

Information and communication technology (ICT) has a major impact on the world in which young people live. Similarly, e-learning (that is, learning supported by or facilitated by ICT) has considerable potential to support the teaching approaches outlined in the above section.

For instance, e-learning may:

• assist the making of connections by enabling students to enter and explore new learning environments, overcoming barriers of distance and time
• facilitate shared learning by enabling students to join or create communities of learners that extend well beyond the classroom
• assist in the creation of supportive learning environments by offering resources that take account of individual, cultural, or developmental differences
• enhance opportunities to learn by offering students virtual experiences and tools that save them time, allowing them to take their learning further.

Schools should explore not only how ICT can supplement traditional ways of teaching but also how it can open up new and different ways of learning.

 5. Do I understand the effective pedagogy section in the NZ Curriculum?

Copied from NZC Website:

While there is no formula that will guarantee learning for every student in every context, there is extensive, well-documented evidence about the kinds of teaching approaches that consistently have a positive impact on student learning. This evidence tells us that students learn best when teachers:

• create a supportive learning environment - I believe I do try to create a supportive learning environment - of course no-one is perfect and sometimes I may not be as supportive as I could (I think I find it difficult to support some parent issues at times?)
• encourage reflective thought and action - Reflective thought among students is an area to develop - student voice would be good to develop further here?  However with the increased focus on personalising learning for students I think learners in my class are becoming more reflective as they reflect on their persona learning goals (specifically in writing)
• enhance the relevance of new learning - this is one area that I could work on more - making learning relevant and meaningful can  be a challenge.  It is difficult to cater for ALL needs of the students in my care and to make ALL their learning relevant to ALL of them?  However when I consider Simon Sinek's Golden Circles - my students are becoming more articulate in knowing they WHY, HOW and WHAT about their learning (specifically in writing).
• facilitate shared learning -  again another area to work towards - shared learning is a tricky concept and one that means handing over the learning to the learners and sharing the learning to a wider audience.  A work in progress for sure!!!  However I wholeheartedly acknowledge that I am still very much a learner in my class and by no means claim to be an expert in anything!!!
• make connections to prior learning and experience -  this we do try to achieve by linking literacy to lived experiences, also try to link readers to students interests and begin some sessions with finding out their prior knowledge. Ongoing area to develop
• provide sufficient opportunities to learn - definitely sufficient opportunities to learn in literacy - need to continue working on refining maths programme.  Must continue to work on providing varied opportunities to practise new skills and develop ways (maybe via eLearning) for children to transfer their new learning.
• inquire into the teaching–learning relationship. - I will continue to research this with readings, and reflection into my current teaching practice.  

This link provides a good resource to read about points mentioned in the above question.

4. Does my classroom layout promote student learning and engagement?

With the development this term of our MLE set up, I believe that the layout of the classroom is increasingly becoming more students centred.  I think children are more engaged in their learning now as they choose where they want to learn.  These choices are giving students more ownership over how and where their learning happens.  Of course there are sometimes exceptions to the rule as not all learning can happen on the couch type chairs (painting and drawing etc.).  

Students particularly love the leaner tables and the high tables.   

3. How do I manage learning setting behaviour?

Not sure I understand this question?

• Behaviour management is not an issue in our MLE?
• Children know expectations - at the beginning of each year I usually do a Friendship Fruit salad - this works well and talks about kind, caring, sharing, helpful kids that use their manners.  We talk about not being rotten bananas and the kids love the idea of not being a rotten banana.
• We also spent considerable time unpacking the PRIDE values - the weekly rotations between Rm 1, 2, 13 and 11 worked really well at instilling an idea of each value through doing learning.
• If there is a behaviour issue - we follow the TK behaviour plan - warning x 2, name on board, time out, time out in another class etc.  
• We very rarely have any need to remove children from our MLE.  Children are listened to and valued and often any escalations are nipped in the bud quickly. 
• Learning behaviours are modelled and practiced at the start of the year.  Children learn our expectations - eg. don't interrupt when where teaching with a group, T sign for toilet, only 1 person to the toilet at a time. Book bags inside in the morning, change fluency books, get homework books etc. are all routines that are practiced and revisited as needed throughout the year?

2.  Does my teaching style meet the needs of the different learning styles of students?

This is always a challenge and is an area of planning and preparation that requires continuous review to ensure I am providing a range of learning experiences that will cater to all students learning needs regularly. 

One aspect of our Daily Five programme - Word Work - provides a range of activities that could cater for different learning styles/needs.

Our Word Work centre includes materials for practicing some aspect of spelling using a variety of media

• coloured felts and paper
• macaroni shells
• glass gems
• pipe cleaners
• whiteboards and whiteboard markers
• play-dough
• colourful fabric pom poms
• ping pong balls to throw and catch with sight words written on them

During guided writing students have opportunities to write both traditionally (in their books) and on an iPad (using an iBook application)

However it is sometimes very easy to maintain the status quo, and as mentioned above this is an area that requires continuous refinement and change.

My personal belief surrounding learning styles has changed a little this year due to some research I have done.

Whilst some children may have a preferred learning style it is important that school provides a range for them ... as it is important that they learn in different ways to become a successful learner.

Another key learning is that nobody has one learning style. '

 
This reading 'The Myth of Learning Styles' written by Peter DeWitt dispels the myths surrounding the notion of learning styles and is referenced by educational gurus such as Dr Howard Gardner and John Hattie and Gregory Yates. A must read!!!

1. How does my teaching practice promote an environment where learners feel safe to explore ideas and respond respectfully to others in the group?

• I encourage every child to participate in classroom discussions.   I ensure I 'tune in', and 'hear' from everyone regularly and value each child's contributions through positive reinforcement or gentle re-direction (if needed).  It is important to me that I endeavour to 'talk' to every child every day - this gets a little hard with  45 students!!  It was much easier with my 20 students!!
• We use a range of strategies to ensure children respond respectfully to each other and ourselves.  (Think, Pair, Share; knee to knee sharing; finding talking buddies; group activities)
• Through the Daily Five programme students have an element of choice in their day.  Daily Five promotes the development of many qualities amongst students.  They need to become resilient as I push them to learn more and take risks during guided (differentiated) teaching sessions, they learn to communicate when they practice reading to someone else, they learn to think and work independently  when they read to themselves or write independently.   Students are having to collaborate with their peers and manage themselves (both their physical belongings and their behaviours while learning)  throughout the school day as they move around the classroom, in a range of situations - guided sessions, independently finding a space to work, negotiating spaces to complete tasks, sharing devices etc.  
• I am confident learners feel safe  in our MLE as they all come to me, or Nicki, or Mandi when they need help, assistance, or a cuddle if they're sad. 
• We, as a MLE team, are approachable, firm but fair - all having similar behaviour expectations when working together.  
• We provide a varied daily programme that caters for children to explore literacy and numeracy in a range of ways.