Where to next - The Journey After EasTtle

Where to next - The Journey ...

Above - results from the beginning of my Inquiry

September 2018  - (easTtle - recount post)

SE1 - 1A

KA2 - 1A

HA3- 2A

NO4 - N/A

DR5 - 2P

KA7 - 2A

EA8 - 3B

Interesting looking at these results. This was a challenging recount and I don't think it showed their best writing. Trying to accelerate these students through a range of different activities was a great way to excite the students. Students made improvements through incidental and writing sessions throughout class time but when it came to a 'test' and a given topic students became stuck and were unable to write. 

Most of these students spent the first 10 mins looking around the room trying to work out what other students were doing. Ideas didn't flow and the topic challenged them. 'Write on a special time that you spent with family or friends.' If they would given free choice - would this have better results? As Murray Gadd states, "students wrote because they had something to say (which they had decided on) and the text type to be utilized emerged from the topic rather than the other way around.."

Effective Writing

Effective Teaching and Effective Writing

Throughout my writing inquiry changing things to suit the students has been something I have feel I have continued to develop this year. I have had many interruptions but when I have worked with these students, we had had lots of fun, students have been engaged and keen to learn.

I have reflected and changed my learning expectations and 'learning goals.' After listening to a teacher present her inquiry to the staff, it made us as a staff think about WALT's and what they do to students. How do these words change students opinions about learning? If we change these to 'I wonder ... 'what would happen?

Scaffolding and front loading students learning has made them become the expert. I noticed that students are surrounded by students that always attempting and then there are students that sit on the rim wanting to have a go but aren't quite sure. Having high expectations for these students were very important for them to succeed. In the past maybe students haven't had the chance to hold and communicate with the teacher/ have topics that interest them and develop learning goals that challenge them. Writing has to excite and writing needs a purpose. As Murray Gadd states 'effective teachers select writing topics carefully and strategically so as to engage, motivate and challenge students...."

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LOElVmPV6hTY_O08U06alw6jIZv7d_LDgDTkOXhG9J4/edit