Teaching Science and its Capabilities

This term, one of my focuses is teaching Science and its capabilities to the children. As a school goal, we want children to know that they are learning science in their classroom, and I am making this my goal so that the children in my class know that we learn science and that we are all scientists. So every Wednesday afternoon, we do science experiments. This might be related to what we have been learning about volcanoes, and I pick a science experiment out of The Kitchen Science Cookbook. The children have been really enjoying the variety of experiments that we have been doing and I think that their ability to describe what they see has been improving compared to prior to this term. We talk about how scientists look closely and make an observation. 

The other thing that I am incorporating into my practice with science is that we are writing about science experiments. This also has been working well as the children are interested and they can describe what happened whereas sometimes it is hard for children to come up with ideas for writing. 

Here is a science planning documentation (evaluation as well). 

I made a wall display for the science learning that we have been doing as I really wanted this to be visible to the children and to know that we are all scientists and we can find out things by being scientists. 

I think I also need to think about being scientists does not happen within the science learning time and this can happen anytime and this is something I need to explore a little more so that the children will understand that we are scientists everyday and anywhere. For example, we can count the number of full stops while reading a big book. We can have a look at some data in the classroom, or why something is happening in a certain way and what that tells us. 

Listening to Georgia talk about the scientist way of thinking, I also think that I need more questionnaires that I can ask children when we are doing the experiments. This is something I can make as a resource. Overall, I am quite happy with what has been happening in terms of science teaching in my class and I would like to continue doing this and extend children's understanding about science and how scientists think and act. 

 

Altogether Autism PL session

 Altogether Autism 

What is Autism? 

Life long condition, born with Autism, diagnosed at possibly 3, provide strategies does not have cure. Experiencing the world in a different way. 

ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorder 

Disorder: negative 

Takiwātanga: Maori way of explaining 

In my/his/her own time and space, positive maori view about Autism. 

Te Reo Hāpai: book written by Nā keri Opai 

Characteristics (Social communication, interaction, restriction/repetitive thinking, behaviour, Sensory) 

Don't really way high functioning/low functioning, more like on a spectrum 

uses levels 1-3 

We don't call it Aspergers, all under Autism. Depending who is diagnosing and what manual they are using. 

Girls- they mask it and they are diagnosed later than boys. Girls tend to imitate others' play. 

Around the teenage years, they can't mask it later. 

Focus on the strengths 

Executive Functioning 

Help to be organised, plan, remember instructions, understand complex or abstract concepts, deal with change. Working memory 

Calming down activity 

What does Anxiety look like? Avoid new situations, no friendships/relationships, Misunderstood and seen as 'difficult' 

Children indicating how they are feeling, and what colour they are now, and after intervention/calming down 

Meltdown or Tantrum 

Meltdown is a medical event. The person does not have control over the behaviour. They can hurt themselves or others. They wanna hide, don't want to be the centre of the attention. 

Meltdown Stages 

1-Build up: pacing, fidgeting -trying to cope with the stressors and anxiety 

(Intervene early, introduce a break,  safe calm down place, physical activities tearing paper, squeezing the ball, staying calm, don't touch the person) 

Meltdown strategies 

Protect everyone, use a few words, protect the child's mana, exit strategy, no power struggle 

Recovery (either catch it before happening or after) 

Relax, Reconnect, Reflect, Recharge, Re-prepare 

Talking to other children who are autistic about the incidents too so that they will feel connected again. 

Shutdown- a child doesn't  internalise it 

Draw pictures and let the child know the change or what is happening now and next 

Behaviour=Communication 

Form of communication. 

Helping them to be independent. If they can't get their needs met, and can't communicate, the behaviour happens. 

Can't -find out whys. Is there a stressor? Is there a need to meet him? Skill deficit? Does he know how to tidy up? 

Sensory-friendly environment 

Sensory sensitivity- can't focus on one sense 

Check the physical part first 

Vestibular: Sense of balance 

Proprioception: knowing where the body parts are in the space (Spatial Awareness) Body GPS 

Hypo- need more of that 

Hyper- too sensitive, need less of it 

Interoception: internal senses, something that is happening inside your body 

knowing how the body is feeling 

Becoming anxious- they don't make the link between feeling anxious and why it is happening/ what is making them feel like that 

Creating a sensory profile 

Stimming: repetitive body movements, movements of objects

To calm us down and soothe us 

Stigmatisation- does this matter? 

Need to give the same feeling 

Stimming -appropriate at any age 

Communication

Strategies for communication 

You have the person's attention

Avoid complicated instructions

Keep your language clear, polite

Allow them time to process 

Visual cues 

Have important conversations in a quiet area 

Profile books to communicate with other colleagues about the child 

Visuals

First and then visuals 

First(Less motivated) and then (Motivated activity)

Social Stories 

Transitions, individualized, simples sentences 

Going on a trip, new situations 

Video Self-modelling 

Around routines, transitions, new situations, learn a new skill, break it down to the step  

Writing through play 2

Since I have attended the webinar for writing through play, there has been a great change in children's attitudes towards writing. I feel that children see themselves more as capable learners in terms of writing and that writing is a part of our lives.

I have been doing shared writing as I see children's interests emerge in our classrooms, and incorporating their interests in shared writing. For example, writing signs for doctor's office that children were creating in family corner, writing letters to fairies, and writing a list.

I also feel that by involving in children's play, I actually see where children are at in terms of writing more than when I was just writing at the jellybean table.  I agree with Stacy as she talked about some children feeling really nervous about coming to write at the table and feeling fearful about writing.

I have been recording where children are at and what they are interested in writing every week in Term 2 and I can definitely see that children are progressing even though the steps can be very small. I like that I see them as individuals and that I am supporting their individual needs in writing.

Also recognising and talking about what writing looks like in the classroom really helped in the early on. Like little scribbles and inventive symbols are a part of writing and this really enhanced children's understanding about what writing can look like.

One of the main practice I did was involving children in writing for a fairy.  Many children were really interested in writing to the fairies and had questions for them. One of the children made a mailbox for the fairies and that was a way to communicate our ideas to the fairies. I would write the replies back to the children and they were so excited to hear from the fairy Rose. I loved it as there was a purpose for writing and it was really meaningful for the children. I think this was hugely important for the children to understand that there was a reason for writing and there was an audience.

For all of the children in my target group, writing through play was a fantastic practice as I took notice of their interests and wrote together alongside them. 2 boys were very interested in dinosaurs, and they were interested in drawing pictures of dinosaurs and writing stories about them. 1 girl was very interested in writing letters to the fairies and this was a great way for her to know the purpose for writing as she was a very reluctant writer before and often was afraid to make mistakes.

PL with Cathy

Pre reading stage 0-6
whole language model- not explicit- phonological awareness stage- words can be taken apart and put together- auditory
This isnt taught but learnt in the environment (traffic noise, animal sounds)
Rhyming words- nursery rhyme
phonemic awareness- hearing one sound

Language rich: language that they are hearing and books that they are exposed

Language poor

Speaking and listening skills through play based environment

Science: Looking, noticing change, when you read, you must look
Subtle difference  p, d, b

Decoding stage Stage 1 6-7 years
Direct and explicit teaching
They need to have the sounds, know the symbols and sounds

Decoding teaches rules
Good readers decode, process prints
Poor readers guess

Visual perception going, getting children to point to words
Create spelling lists on the wall

Reading age 10, Burt 7, Sch 7
Skilled readers can read words in isolation,
Burt is a decoding exercise

Stage 2 Fluency
Good reader is a fluent reader, expressive reader
Decoding is a stage

Passed the decoding brain to a fluency brain
Practice- reading

Create a fluency box (known texts)
Perfect practice makes perfect
Hearing himself/herself

Stage 3 REading to learn
8-14
Read to gain information
Developing vocab

Writing in Play

After the webinar and as the school started back, I have my writing time quite different from before. Listening to Stacey about how we can incorporate writing daily in our children's play really encouraged to change my writing practice.

At the moment I have a group of children who have good understanding about letter sounds and can write a sentence. Others are still in the process of developing these or who do not have letter sounds yet. I think it is so important to understand where children are in terms of their development and provide developmentally appropriate practice accordingly.

What I have been doing with the children are providing writing opportunities during their play. I go into their play and talk about what we can write about while they are playing. We have made signs for their shops/house, name tag, writing a story about their play, and also talking about how our writing looks like. Mark making is a part of writing and since I started talking about this, the more children are doing mark making and are not afraid to do so.

Here are some examples of their writing

I have been taking photos of writing and documenting in my writing recording doc so that I can see a progress when they move onto the next developmental stage.

Wibinar on Wellbeing

Melinda Webber, Stuart McNaughton, Raiha Johnson, Maya Edmunds, Jason Swann

Developing self-regulation
Social skills opportunity to develop social skills through online learning
Building on strengths

Re establishing routines

Stresses are caused at home - depressions, family violence

Collective resilience: community of whaanau
Preserving tikanga while protecting health

Whakamana
What did you learn about yourself? What is one thing that you did to look after each other in your family?

Culture, Identity

Opportunity to speak te reo, cook, bake

Leading up to Matariki

Time to reflect, celebrate and come together

Ease back into things
Listen more than we speak

Feeling safe, cared for and loved
Classroom environment: hands on activity, have fun, positive and active
Connection and relationships
Ready to adapt to change

Perspective of being Patient and Gentle
Listening carefully to the children
Reconnecting

Diverse needs of everyone
Pacifica family 
Strength based and solution focused

What we have gained from the lockdown
Whare tapa wha, Taha tinana
Taha wairua: to appreciate the small things, to be grateful and show gratitude
Hinegaro: slowing down
Whaanau: to be with the family and to reconnect

How we can take this learning and time to school: looking at the value that was gained at home
More breaks and kai time
Look at what we did online together

Shared experience- conversation starter
Keep building and maintaining

Listen to the children
Children can co-construct their day
We had a routine before the lock down, but what can it look like? what are we going to change?
Use Seeawa as a way to communicate to their families

At the heart of Te Rito toi

Facilitators: Peter O'Connor, Carol Mutch

Te Rito Toi

Disaster outreach, role of school and disaster recovery

Not just about doing on the first day, before going back

Thinking about the needs of the team
1 How are we going to support each other
   What was good and what was bad?

2 what we need to do before students come back?
   They need to see things that are familiar
   Have a sense that they can connect to
 
Focus is not about catching up with lost work
Primary focus is the children's well-being

They need to feel safe, cared for and love.
"School is a safe place."

Not about the academic but building relationships, strengthening them

Classrooms have to be fun!

Pedagogy of love and care  article

Learning happens in a range of ways, talking to each other, getting to know each other, developing a sense of belonging,

Talk about what they did during online learning, what is the learning here?

Be very gentle about children who show anxiety

Through the arts to express their feelings

Singing together, to dance, to have fun
When they are busy with hands, questions are going to be raised

Lower the expectations of yourself

Carol's Bear books
Book 1 
Book 2
Book 3

To get to the learning in the most effective way

Engage with the community, finding a way to reengage with others

Physical difficulties as we wont be able to give hugs etc..

Other parts of the curriculum that are important
We don't have to bounce back but leap forward

Wellbeing
The Arts
Ways of being

Future that we embrace

Nga toi Maori Arts

Staff wellbeing
-Noticing
-Change of behaviour
- Safe place to talk
-Don't judge others as we dont know what goes on in their lives

School days do not have to run exactly to the routines, more flexibilities would be great

Connecting to the families and how can we do this?
Multilingual communities