Seasaw

This year I am going to be experiment with the student to share their learning using seasaw. I have set up my class and I will update on how it is going.

The Learning Pit.

With a new year starting I have been looking into using the idea of the learning pit this year.

I have been looking at this website for The Learning Pit.

I have found it quite interesting. I had assumed from what I have heard from colleagues that it is about understand that learning is a process and often we have to persevere when we are learning.

What I have discovered is quite different. yes my previous thoughts are true but it is about more than that. It is about students learning through thinking.

in order for the learning pit to work there are stages

1). Concept - a topic that is open to interpretation - his example is what is a tourist or what is a capital city. (not based on facts).

2). Conflict - find ideas that oppose each other.

Through a process of questioning and cooperative discussion students make their way out of the learning pit. This happens at different times for different students. They are often able to build on the ideas of others.

3) Construct - Eureka moment

The sense of eureka encourages positivity towards learning. if students enjoy that sense of understanding they will want to experience it again.

4). Asking metacognitive questions to reflect on the learning and how they got out of the pit.

- As students come out of the pit pair them up with children are who are still in the pit. Use the pit as a metaphor for the learning. Use the terms with the students. Students in the pit can try to challenge the students in the pit to try and drag them back in to develop even deeper thinking.

Can a student succeed  and gain a true understanding of they don't first struggle with the concept?

Being in the pit and finding ways out helps use to get into a growth mindset. It helps to build resilience and strategies for learning.

I am looking forward to seeing how this works with my students.

Other resources

http://cornbank.mgfl.net/files/2016/05/learning_pit_spotlight-1d0tqab.pdf

Sharp Reading - Term 2 2016

Last term I completed a day long sharp reading course presented by Hilton Ayrey focusing on improving outcomes for struggling readers. During the course I had one student in mind who I thought may benefit from this. Over the last 8 school weeks I have used this programme with P a year 4 student in my class and found:

• when we began the program P was reading at level 19, he was making many self corrections and was repeating sentences numerous times even when there were no errors. It is important to note that his comprehension level was higher than his decoding. His post program running record at level 22 came out as him being independent at that level. He made a lot fewer self-corrections and did not need to repeat as often. His decoding level matched his comprehension level.
• His confidence and enjoyment of reading has grown. 
• He has told me he uses the strategy at home when reading with his parents or independently.
• Based on where he is now I would predict that he will be reading at age by the end of the year.
• His parents were happy as they had been worried about his reading.

To ensure he is able to maintain the strategy I am going to show the TA how to do the strategy and have her read with him every now and again and practicing the strategy when they come to more challenging words.