De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats

Amy you have presented us with so many questions relating to the engagement and in turn behaviour of your students. De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats may be something that you would benefit from incorporating into your program. This approach to metacognition has been used worldwide to extend habitual thinking patterns.

De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats represent six different ways of thinking. This method encourages broader thinking and the consideration of a wider range of options, thus enabling the exploration of multiple possibilities and approaches (Brennan, 2007). The hats can also be used to demonstrate metacognition and metacomputation in the classroom.

Each of the hats has a specific colour and characteristics that are unique to it. The White Hat is neutral. While wearing the white hat we examine facts, figures and information we have (Brennan, 2007). We ignore arguments and proposals and identify information we don’t have and how we might get it.

The Red Hat is for feelings and perceptions. This hat allows people to present their feelings without the need for justification or elaboration. The Black Hat is for logical negative thinking (Brennan, 2007). This hat emphasises the need for caution and critical thinking.

The Yellow Hat is for optimism and a positive outlook. This hat focuses on benefits and looks for other possibilities. The Green Hat is for creativity, new ideas and further alternatives (Brennan, 2007). The final hat, the Blue Hat guides the thinking process and suggests the next steps to be taken. This hat calls for conclusions, summaries and decision making.

De Bono’s thinking methodology can be used throughout all of the Key Learning Areas (KLAs). The Six Thinking Hats can also be embedded into all facets of the teaching cycle. It would be particularly valuable to you Amy when attempting to improve student interaction during group work.

Within the contexts of the English KLA de Bono’s Thinking Hats can be used to engage students in higher level thinking tasks to develop comprehension (Gilbert, 2007). Students can be asked to wear a particular coloured hat during the study of a text and as such will participate differently in the task. For example during the analysis of a text students wearing a Green Hat may imagine that they are one of the characters and describe how and why they would change the plot so that it was from their perspective. Students wearing the Yellow and Black Hats would describe the positives and negatives of the characters, the plot and the quality of writing and information that it provides (Gilbert, 2007).

There are a number of ways that de Bono’s Thinking Hats can be embedded into the Mathematics lesson. Paterson (2006) presents one possible approach, to read further go to, http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/fullText;dn=156659;res=AEIPT. In Paterson’s approach the White Hat is procedural or knowledge based, for example, ‘What is the definition of a prime number?’ (2006).

The Blue Hat focuses on what the student learnt, their understanding and reflection, for example, ‘How can we check that 6 x 4 = 24?’. The Yellow Hat looks at the positive aspects of a particular strategy, for example, ‘What are the good points of using the strategy?’. The Red Hat focuses on the emotional, for example, ‘Choose your favourite number’ (Paterson, 2006).

The Green Hat uses flexibility and open questions, for example, ‘If X is the answer, what might the question be?’. Finally the Black Hat focuses on challenges and weaknesses, for example, ‘What problems are there using written algorithms mentally?’.

References

• Brennan, B. (2007). You get what you give, Teacher, no. 179. Available URL, http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/fullText;dn=159892;res=AEIPT, (accessed, 23/5/09).

• Gilbert, D. (2007), Literacy logs for a diversity of children, Practically Primary, vol. 12, no. 1. Available URL, http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/fullText;dn=158218;res=AEIPT, (accessed, 23/5/09).

• Paterson, A. (2006), Dr Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats and numeracy, Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, vol. 11, no. 3. Available URL, http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/fullText;dn=156659;res=AEIPT, (accessed, 23/5/09).

Multiple Intelligences

Amy, an important step for a teacher to help students reach their potential and enjoy their education is to create a positive learning environment by respecting and promoting intellectual diversity. This not only sets an example for students to follow, but it also allows students to share their ideas openly with other students and the teacher. It appears you have a variety of learners in your class that need different sorts of stimulation to excel. As teachers, we can respect and promote intellectual diversity by presenting information in a variety of formats, and to measure aptitude in a variety of contexts. This can be achieved by implementing Gardeners Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory within your curriculum.

Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University, developed the theory of MI in 1983. It suggests that the traditional notion of intelligence, based on I.Q. testing, is far too limited and intelligence is in fact multi-faceted, culturally determined and teachable (Vialle, 2008). MI theory proposes that it is more fruitful to describe an individual’s cognitive ability in terms of several relatively independent but interacting cognitive capacities rather than in terms of a single ‘general’ intelligence (Moran, Sean & Kornhaber, 2007) to account for a broader range of human potential in children and adults.

To become aware of the various intelligences students may bring to the class, one can assess their students using indicators that describe the students’ behaviours within the MI framework. Students who are strong in verbal-linguistic intelligence will demonstrate skilled verbal communication, enjoy reading and writing and achieve high results in English; mathematical-logical inclined students have an ability to think conceptually and abstractly with a capacity to discern logical or numerical patterns; musically intelligent students demonstrate an ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch and timber (perhaps Dale, Thomas, Jose or Jack would fall in this category as they enjoy singing); visual-spatial intelligence involves a capacity to think in images and pictures and to visualize accurately and abstractly; students displaying bodily-kinaesthetic intelligence demonstrate an ability to control one’s body movements and to handle objects skilfully (again, observe the students who prefer hands on activities); interpersonal intelligence involves developing a capacity to detect and respond appropriately to the moods, motivations and desires of others; students with intrapersonal intelligence display a capacity to be self-aware and in tune with inner feelings, values, beliefs and thinking processes; naturalist intelligence involves having the ability to recognise and categorise plants, animals and other objects in nature and; existential sensitivity intelligence involves students demonstrating a capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence, such as the meaning of life, why do we die, and how did we get here (the last two intelligences’ were developed later).

These intelligences are not isolated; they can interact with one another in an individual to yield a variety of outcomes. One intelligence, can interfere with others, compensate for others, or enhance others (Moran, Sean & Kornhaber, 2007), complementing one another as individuals develop skills or solve problems (Killen, 2005). And you will find in your class that majority of students will excel in one, or several of these intelligences. Indeed you need to ensure every student has the opportunity to specialise and excel in at least one area.

The great thing about this Amy is that you can implement MI in the classroom using either a teacher centred approach or student centred approach, the latter I believe you would prefer. Concept to Classroom is an online workshop that provides explanation, demonstration, exploration and implementation of MI in the classroom incorporating a student centred approach and I highly recommend you explore the site, available at
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/mi/index.html.

Because students possess different learning strategies/abilities, teachers should make an extra effort to present class materials in a variety of formats and promote learning across student intelligence profiles by offering students rich experiences – activities in which they can engage with the material personally rather than just absorb it in an abstract, decontextualised way. There are examples of how to provide these experiences in The National Education Magazine’s article Multiple Intelligences – building active learners (2007), which is available at
http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/fullText;dn=333827720275076;res=IELHSS,

I believe Amy that teaching and learning using MI will help solve many of your classroom troubles by optimising the learning experience for students and yourself. You can also observe student performances to find root causes of misunderstandings and to figure out how students can achieve superior understandings (Moran, Sean & Kornhaber, 2007). One final recommendation is to visit the Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology site:
http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/, which not only covers MI with depth and clarity, but also provides information on other learning and cognitive theories such as Bloom’s Taxonomy, social constructivism and many others. It would be in your best interest, and indeed your class’s, to become familiar with these theories and determine which one/s would work best with your students.

References

• Campbell, B. (1991). Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom Of the seven different ways we learn, schools focus on only two. Add the other five, and you increase the chances of success. [Online]. The Learning Revolution Education Innovations for Global Citizens (IC#27). Winter 1991, Page 12. Available URL: http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC27/Campbell.htm (accessed 20 May, 2009)

• Giles, E., Pitre, S., Womack, S. (2003). Multiple intelligences and learning styles. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Available URL: http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/ (accessed 20 May, 2009)

• Killen, R. (2005). Programming and Assessment for Quality Teaching and Learning. Sydney: Thomson Social Science Press.

• Moran, Sean and Kornhaber, M. (2007). Multiple Intelligences: Building Active Learners [online]. Teacher: The National Education Magazine; Issue Feb 2007; 26-30. Available URL: http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/fullText;dn=333827720275076;res=IELHSS (accessed 20 May, 2009).

• Vialle, W. (2008). Lecture notes, 24 April. EDUF311. Education III. Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong. WebCT (accessed 18 May, 2009).

• Thirteen ed. Online (2004). Workshop: Tapping into Multiple Intelligences. Concept to classroom. [Online]. Available URL:
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/mi/index.html (accessed 20 May, 2009)

Reflection

Amy, we have journeyed with you, and just as we have helped you by reflecting upon your work practices, it is important that you understand the role of reflection – both during this time that you might consider difficult, and through all the good times as well! It is important that you understand to have expectations is ok, that is a normal human way of thinking. Your ability to adapt and change though, based on personal reflection, is what will continue to mould you into an extremely well-versed teacher.

The need for any educator to reflect is based on the notion that “…teaching involves continual learning…each person having the potential to take control of his or her practice and learning…” (Groundwater-Smith et al, 2007, p161). We do not attain a degree, walk out of the educational institution and stop learning. Learning takes place from the moment our eyes open for the first time until the day they close for the final time. Reflectivity is the idea of looking back over what has happened as a tool of discovery by which growth can take place. When we reflect we choose to make a critical recount of what has occurred in a given situation.

Reflection can take place on many fronts, for teachers hopefully none more so than in relation to the occurrences that take place in the classroom. Reflection is about constantly asking the question ‘why am I doing what I am doing’. It is interesting to note that it is only when one is forced to reflect that one’s eyes are opened to how incredibly valuable reflection is and can be!

Reflective teaching practice “…involves looking at teaching experiences and interactions; considering those experiences and interactions in light of your own personal beliefs, past experiences, current reading or professional development; and, then taking action to improve the experiences and interactions…” (Whitton et al, 2004, p220). We need to be able to admit fault and change based on this reflection experience, while at the same time we also need to be able to give ourselves a pat on the back for a job well done when reflection has produced results that can be affirmed.

One name that you would do well to look further into is Donald Schön. He looked at two very much related processes – reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action. With reflection-in-action, “…the practitioner allows himself to experience surprise, puzzlement, or confusion in a situation which he finds uncertain or unique. He reflects on the phenomenon before him, and on the prior understandings which have been implicit in his behaviour. He carries out an experiment which serves to generate both a new understanding of the phenomenon and a change in the situation…” (Schön, 1983, p68).

The idea of reflection-on-action is about the exploration of why we did what we did. In 1987, Schön presented his thoughts to the American Educational Research Association. He said “…the capacity to respond to surprise through improvisation on the spot is what I mean by reflection-in-action…when a teacher turns her attention to giving kids reason to listening what they say, then teaching itself becomes a form of reflection-in-action…it involves getting in touch with what kids are actually saying and doing…” (Queen’s University Faculty of Education, 2008). We are hearing the words of a man, spoken more than 20yrs ago, that are still incredibly relevant today!

Lana Danielson tells is that there has been “…an emphasis placed on fostering reflection as an active behaviour in contemplating past, present and future decisions…” (Danielson, 2008, p130).

The active nature of reflection could be none truer than examining one of the core documents by which teachers today are looking to gain competence against – The Framework of Professional teaching Standards. The ability to reflect is clearly outlined in Element 6, where we read a Graduate teacher must “…demonstrate a capacity to reflect critically on and improve teaching practice…” while Professional Competence rests with the ability to “…reflect critically on teaching and learning practice to enhance student learning outcomes…” (NSW DET, 2009). However, every element of the document could be looked at more closely in relation to reflective practices, and the realisation would become clear that all of the elements and gaining competence are linked directly to reflection that takes place. Danielson concludes her article – “…those involved in teacher training and staff development can provide more purposeful support by moving beyond mere awareness of reflective thinking to a genuine conceptualisation of it…” (Danielson, 2008, p137). This is true for what we see through the Professional Standards documentation.

At the end of the day, reflection needs to be a part of every member of the teaching profession. Reflection needs to take place during the event and after the event. Reflection needs to be a collaborative experience, but also a personal one. How do we know whether our shoes are shiny, or our hair is neat, or our face is clean shaven without looking in the mirror? So to, we need to look in the mirror that reflects our actions, the mirror that reflects who we are, what we believe and the things that drive us. “…whatever approach is taken to reflection, the ultimate aim…is to produce what Schön refers to as the ‘reflective practitioner’ – one who can think about teaching while teaching and respond appropriately to the unique situations that arise…” (Killeen, 2007, p92).

References

• Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R., Le Cornu, R., (2007). Teaching Challenges & Dilemmas, Nelson Australia Pty Ltd, Victoria

• Killeen, R. (2007). Effective teaching strategies – Lessons from research and practice, Nelson Australia Pty Ltd, Victoria

• NSW DET. (2009), Professional Teaching Standards, viewed online at https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/proflearn/areas/qt/qtpts.htm

• Queen’s University Faculty of Education. (2008). Donald Schon’s Presentation ‘Educating the Reflective Practitioner’ to the 1987 meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Washington DC, viewed online, available URL: http://educ.queensu.ca/~ar/schon87.htm

• Schön, D. (1983). The Reflective Practitioner – How professionals think in action, Temple Smith, London

• Whitton, D., Sinclair, C., Barker, K., Nanlohy, P., Nosworthy, M. (2004). Learning for Teaching, Teaching for Learning, Nelson Australia Pty Ltd, Victoria

Bill Rogers- Decisive Discipline

Amy, Bill Rogers has many effective techniques and approaches to classroom management, from prevention and positive correction to consequences. He does not advocate being a strict, disciplinarian, authoritarian teacher, but gives strategies to help teachers work with students to control their own behaviour. The first part of Rogers’ plan gives techniques used to prevent discipline problems. He distinguishes rights from responsibilities and says that they need to be balanced. As he discusses rights of the students, he talks about how they have the right to feel safe, be treated with dignity and respect and have the right to learn (Colin Haysman, unknown)

There is also the idea that you have to be consistent with your rules that you really want to establish. You must make sure which rules you want your kids to obey and you must be absolutely consistent in letting them know what is appropriate or not. Establishing attention is also a preventative technique. Rogers insists that you should not talk over noise (Colin Haysman, unknown)

Another element of Rogers’ model is that you ignore secondary behaviour. Instead of escalating an argument with a student’s secondary behaviour, Rogers suggests stepping back and addressing just the primary behaviour. Don’t give in to the secondary behaviour, such as back talking or body language. He suggests using a technique of partial agreement that also focuses on the primary behaviour. For example if a student maintains they were simply helping their partner, your response could be “I understand you may have been helping ….. but I need you to listen and face the front thanks.”

Rogers suggests that indecisive teachers hope for compliance but, in the real world, rarely receive it; they have unclear rules and expectations and thus are regularly tested. Decisive teachers “recognise that they cannot make students do anything. Instead their verbal language and body language convey and expectation that their reasonable requests will be followed. Their language is brief, clear and directed, rule focused, calm and businesslike, and assertive when the situation demands it.” (Tauber, 2005) Giving directions and walking away is a sign of a decisive teacher. (TeacherMatters, 2009)

Consequences need to be related to the behaviour in that the punishment does not exceed the crime. If the consequences are reasonable, students are more likely to be agreeable. It is also an idea to develop consequences together with the students.

The following is a list of steps you could implement as a response to inappropriate behaviours from least intrusive to most intrusive:
1. Tactical ignoring of behaviour
2. Non-verbal messages and proximity
3. Casual refocus
4. Simple directive
5. Rule restatements, rule reminders
6. Question and feedback
7. Distractions and Diversions
8. Diffusions
9. Deflection
10. Giving a simple choice
11. High key command
12. ‘I’ messages
13. Blocking
14. Isolation within room
15. Take child aside
16. Basic contracting/conferencing
17. Exit procedure (Wishart, 2008)

A summary of the Key Concepts from Bill Rogers’ Model are

- Classroom Management should exist within a framework of reciprocal rights and responsibilities of teacher and students;
- Jointly develop rules with students;
- Develop a clear classroom management plan (hierarchical) and work from least to most intrusive;
- Intentionally minimise embarrassment and discipline respectfully;
- Use positive language as much as possible, e.g., “Working thanks”, rather than “stop talking”;
- Provide appropriate choices e.g. either you do “X” or “Consequence”;
- Plan classroom management as carefully as the curriculum;
- Avoid responding to secondary behaviour (the arguing, pouting or sulking that follows a redirection to task);
- Schools have a responsibility to develop system wide approaches for the very difficult students. (Konza, Grainger & Bradshaw, 2001)
Bill Rogers’ model is well known in the teaching profession and draws on various theories. Through implementation of some of his ideas, you may find improvements in your class and feel more confident yourself.

References

• Colin Haysman (unknown). Classroom Management [Online]. Available URL: http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~afeldman/beingnewteacher/sampleplan.html (accessed 14 May 2009)

• Konza, D. Grainger, J. & Bradshaw, K. (2001). Classroom Management a Survival Guide. Thomson Social Science Press; Melbourne, Victoria.

• Tauber, R.T. (1995). Classroom Management: Theory and Practice (2nd Ed.), Orlando, FL: Holt, Reinhart & Winston.

• TeacherMatters. (2009). The William Rogers Model [Online] Available URL: http://www.teachermatters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11:william-rogers&catid=4:models-of-discipline&Itemid=4 (accessed 4 May 2009)

• Wishart, K. (2008). Lecture/Tutorial 8th August. EDUE320. Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong.

What are the elements of a good program?

Amy, there are several factors that you need to consider when programming. These include the focus for student activities, outcomes, designing, selecting and sequencing activities, resources, assessment and evaluation. Below are some suggestions focusing on what you should have in your program and what you should consider to make your teaching and learning meaningful and engaging for your students.

A critical component of our role as teachers is planning and programming. This is emphasised by the NSW Institute of Teachers (2006) who argue that quality teachers develop effective teaching and learning programs and assessment and reporting opportunities. But why do teachers need to program? In short, programming allows teachers to clarify what they want their students to learn and how they will facilitate learning as well as providing guidance for teacher’s day-to-day decision making (Killen, 2005).

There is a general agreement that a program describes plans for a defined period of teaching and learning and includes information about the outcomes students are expected to achieve, the teaching and learning strategies that will be used, the content students will explore, the ways in which students will be assessed and the resources that will be used (Killen, 2005). The common disagreements surrounding programming centre on the period that should be covered by the program and the amount of detail that needs to be included (as you have experienced Amy). When programming it is important to consider what level of programming is required of you as these can range from planning for a semester or year to planning for a day or a week (Nicoll, 1996).

There is no one way to write a program and the steps involved are not linear. Killen (2005) suggests that each program should include five components. These include, a rationale or purpose statement to explain why the program exists, outcome statements to indicate what students are to learn, content statements to indicate what concepts, themes and issues students will explore, teaching strategy statements to indicate how the learning activities will be structured, organised and integrated and assessment guidelines to indicate when and how student learning will be assessed and reported. When programming it is also important to take into account school and government policies to ensure that you are planning in the spirit of these documents e.g. the Aboriginal Education and Training Policy (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2008).

Coupled with these components is the need to plan experiences from each Key Learning Area (KLA). It is important to remember that English and Mathematics should be focused on for approximately 50% of the school week (at least 12 hours/week) because of their importance in the primary years (Nicoll, 1996 and NSW Government, 2008). An important path to ensuring that all KLA requirements are met is integration. When an integrated approach is used in programming the content and strategies are drawn in a purposeful way from several different key learning areas to focus on a particular issue, topic, problem or theme (Groundwater-Smith, Ewing, Le Cornu, 2007). Finding meaningful ways to integrate is important if students are going to see the relevance of their learning and the real world connections to what they are doing in the classroom.

References

• Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R., Le Cornu, R., (2007). Teaching Challenges and Dilemmas, Thomson, South Melbourne, Victoria.

• Killen, R. (2005). Programming and Assessment for Quality Teaching and Learning, Thomson Social Science Press, Southbank, Victoria.

• Nicoll, V. (1996). May I See Your Program Please?, Primary English Teaching Association, Newtown, NSW, p11.

• NSW Department of Education and Training. (2008). Aboriginal Education and Training Policy: An Introductory Guide, NSW DET, NSW.

• NSW Government. (2008). Parent’s Guide to the NSW Primary Syllabuses, [Internet], NSW Government, Available from, http://k6.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/go/parents/parents-guide-to-the-nsw-primary-syllabuses#time, [11/5/09].

• NSW Institute of Teachers. (2006). Professional teaching standards, NSW Institute of Teachers, Sydney, NSW.

Teaching Strategies for ESL

Amy, the language process is complex and multifaceted. The NSW English Syllabus states ‘…Language is central to students intellectual, social and emotional development’ (Board of Studies NSW, pg.6, 1998). As teachers, we must provide strategies and learning experiences through which students can learn to use and learn about the skills embedded in language learning and literacy. You are having trouble with Jose, who is happy to speak in his first language (L1) – which refers to the first language a child learns (Gass & Selinker, 2008) – even though he is equipped to speak in English, his second language (L2). How do you go about ensuring he English is progressing and how do you go about communicating with him?

My first suggestion is to read through the NSW DET’s English as a Second Language. Guidelines for Schools (2004),
https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/student_serv/equity/comm_rela/d04_23_ESL_Guidelines.pdf, which will help you understand the implications of teaching an English as a second language (ESL) student and how they should be progressing in class. Now Jose also comes from a Non English Speaking Background (NESB). Code switching and code mixing are important aspects of communicating with NESB students as bilingual interaction may be common in the home environment. Children learn from a very early age how this is done in their discourse communities (Goodz, 1994, Paradis & Nicoladis, 2007 in Nicholas & Lightbrown, 2008). NESB learners must learn when it is appropriate to use words or phrases from various languages in the same sentence or conversation. It is important that as teachers, we respond to these contributions of code switching in a manner that encourages students to develop a system of language that systematically distinguishes between contexts in which code switching is appropriate and the other contexts in which a monolingual norm needs to be used (Nicholas & Lightbrown, 2008, p.43). I believe this is where you are having trouble with Jose; he needs to use English more frequently in the classroom.

To encourage his motivation, you must incorporate activates in the classroom to make Jose want to participate in English. Reduce monotonous syntactic practice and devise techniques and exercises to help L2 students like Jose perceive, internalize and use language patterns to express their own meanings (Frith, 1975). One tool to combat this is ‘play’, a technique that builds on a combination of social and linguistic information. Jose should be encouraged to ‘play’ with language as Nicholas & Lightbrown (2008) explain; this play provides a safe environment to uncover the more difficult aspects of the language, for example, the use of tongue twisters to explore punctuation or the use of poetry or song to rehearse grammatical patterns.

Beckett, Gonzalez & Schwartz (2004) suggest using a content-based language instruction curriculum model to promote language as a meaning making resource for people to construct meaning out of their daily activities. For a young student this translates to activities in which they frequently participate, such as outside games and sport. Is there a particular sport or game Jose enjoys? In such a setting participation naturally leads to understanding and learning – learning by doing, naturally involving oneself in the activities of the new language. A content-based curriculum should also include an emphasis on body language, authentic expression and suggestion to help connect emotions and directions with words.

Your other concern is with your translator relaying information to Jose’s non-English speaking parents. Not being able to communicate one on one with a parent is one of the most frustrating parts of teaching ELL students. What do you know about Jose’s culture? To begin to communicating better with non-English speaking parents an idea would be to find out more about their culture which inturn will lead to a better understanding between you and the family. The article Reaching Out to Non-English Speaking Parents, found at
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3749733 has some tips and ideas you could implement to help with communicating and translating that may help as does the Parents Involvement Matters.org:
http://www.parentinvolvementmatters.org/stories/Odyssey-Elementary.html. Although this is an American site, has a lot of information, ideas, recourses and programs you can use and adjust to meet your needs.

For young learners, language acquisition involves cognitive, social and physical engagement over long periods (Nicholas & Lightbrown, 2008). Do not be distressed if Jose does not participate fully immediately. Effective language instruction is developmental. It builds on the skills, knowledge and experiences that young children acquire prior to coming to school and those acquired whilst at school. Planning and providing instruction on the basis of children’s existing or prior knowledge and familiar experiences provides a solid foundation for extending children’s skills and knowledge in new directions throughout their school years.

References

• Beckett, G., Gonzalez, V. & Schwartz, H. (2004). Content-Based ESL Writing Curriculum: A Language Socialization Model. [Online]. Available URL:
njrp.tamu.edu/2004/PDFs/Beckett%20.pdf (accessed 3 May, 2009)

• Board of Studies NSW. (1998). English K-6 Syllabus. NSW: Board of Studies NSW

• Frith, M, B. (1975). A Comparison of First and Second Language Learning. McGill Journal of Education, v.10, no.2. p.131-140. ERIC

• Gass, S. & Selinker, L. (2008). Second language Acquisition: An Introductory Course. NY: Routledge

• Lindeman, B. (2009). Reaching Out to Non-English Speaking Parents. Scholastic. [Online]. Available URL: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3749733 (accessed 20 May, 2009)

• Nicholas, H. & Lightbrown, P. (2008). Defining child second language acquisition, defining roles for L2 instruction. In J. Philp, R. Oliver & A. Mackey (eds), Second Language Acquisition and the Younger Learner. Philadelphia: John Benjamins

• New South Wales Department of Education and Training. (2004). English as a Second Language. Guidelines for Schools. [online]. Available URL:
https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/student_serv/equity/comm_rela/d04_23_ESL_Guidelines.pdf (accessed 18 May)

• National ParentNet Association (2007). Parent Involvement Matters.ogr [Online]. Available URL:
http://www.parentinvolvementmatters.org/stories/Odyssey-Elementary.html (accessed 20 May, 2009).

Collaborative Learning

At the initial staff meeting for the year, Amy you were encouraged to work collaboratively. We have already discussed with you what collaborative teaching is and the advantages of working with your peers, both in and outside of the classroom as you look to be the best teacher possible! However, there is another side of the coin that we need to look at, and that is collaborative learning. It is quite obvious that you have an understanding of the importance of collaborative learning because you are attempting to have the children work in small groups. We’d like to further your understanding of this concept.

The University of Adelaide have a great publication designed for their staff called Leap into…Collaborative Learning. To quote that work, “…Collaborative learning is learning that occurs as a result of interaction between peers engaged in the completion of a common task. Students are not just ‘in’ groups, they ‘work’ together in groups, playing a significant role in each other’s learning. The collaborative learning process creates understanding of a topic and/or process within a group which members of the groups could not achieve alone…” (Ingleton et al, 2000). Let’s break that down and see how we can apply the concept of collaborative learning to your classroom.

You are on the right path because you are attempting to have the students in your classroom work in groups. However, the research done in the University of Adelaide document by Ann Noble tells us that collaborative learning is not just having the students split into groups. It is about making sure they are actually ‘working’ in groups. How can we do this? The first recommendation would be to create a supportive learning environment where students feel comfortable to participate. Through class based games and activities, students can build trust and learn to respect each other. Establishing these virtues within your students will enhance the collaborative learning aims.

Secondly, don’t try and make every activity or every situation in the classroom a group-work based collaborative learning experience. Not all learning tasks lend themselves to collaboration, so don’t try and make group-work out of everything. It may take time to learn when group-work is the appropriate method to use, and hopefully with a successful collaborative ‘teaching’ environment in place, your peers can assist you as you learn this.

One thing to keep in mind is that “…collaborative learning shifts the authority and power of learning from the teacher to the students…” (Latham et al, 2006, p207). Collaborative learning isn’t ~just~ concerned with group-work. It is also concerned with how you allow students to steer discussion and the sort of risks that you take in this process. Rather than being a teacher who has the mindset of being ‘in control’ of your classroom, be the teacher that ensures students are ‘on task’. You can still be in control while a debate takes place between groups of students discussing a concept in the classroom, if this is where you want the lesson to go. Teach students that when they share their thoughts, they are assisting in the learning of their peers. Even go one step further, acknowledge with students that you don’t always have the answer for everything, and encourage student participation at all times.

Collaborative learning requires a restructure in our minds as educators that we are always the ones who need to deliver information, and that students are simply sponges that sit in desks and soak up information. Yes they can be seen as sponge-like, however don’t get caught up with thinking you simply give and they only receive. Don’t think that the way you can deliver subject-knowledge is the best way for them to learn. Be open to change and meeting students where they need to be met!

References

 Ingleton. C. Doube. L. & Rogers. T. (2000). Leap into…Collaborative Learning, viewed online. Available URL: www.adelaide.edu.au/clpd/resources/leap/, viewed 1 May 2009

 Latham. G. Blaise. M. Dole. S. Faulkner. J. Lang. J. & Malone. K. (2006). Learning to teach – New times, new practices, Oxford University Press, Victoria

Group Work

Amy, you seem adamant in using group work in your classroom, so the following is some information which you may find useful.

Group work is the process of students working together without direct intervention by the teacher. You have to structure the learning environment so that the students can interact productively under your indirect guidance as they work toward achieving particular learning outcomes.

The principle reason for using group work is that, for some desired outcomes, it offers greater opportunities for students to learn than would be possible in whole-class teaching. It is however a mistake to try to engage students in group work when they could just as easily achieve the outcomes working individually.

The success of group work depends on many factors. These include:

 A clear focus on student learning;
 Preparation of (and by) the students;
 A clear set of guidelines for students;
 Careful management of the learning environment;
 Direction, but not intrusion, by the teacher;
 Willing participation by all students;
 Monitoring and feedback by the teacher;
 Careful time management by the teacher and the students;
 A logical conclusion. (Killen, 2007)
 Communication;
 Respect for each other and knowledge- Students need to develop respect for each other and the teacher for group work to be successful. Respect for the content and thinking skills being undertaken is imperative. If only one student shows disregard for the work being undertaken that student may deter a whole group from focusing on the activity and completing the work;
 Standard of behaviour-teach students what you expect of them during group work, prior to undertaking the task;
 Leadership- within any group, leaders will emerge. For whatever reason the student is a leader it should be noted and ensure the student does not ‘take over’ learning situations (Whitton, Sinclair, Barker, Nanholy & Nosworthy, 2004).

The way you teach and the way your students interact are different in group work from what they are in direct instruction, and you need to allow for this in your planning. The following steps are necessary if you want to use small-group instruction effectively, and if you want your students to regard it as a positive learning experience.
 Plan well ahead,
 Prepare your students for group work. If they are not accustomed to group work, introduce them to it gradually. Have students work in pairs before you expect them to work in larger groups, and keep the group activities short until you are confident that learners can take on more substantial group tasks (Killen, 2007). There are certain skills that your students will need to participate well in group work. These include; knowing and understanding the needs of others, ability to take turns, confidently responding, asking questions and clearly articulating reasons or arguments (Whitton et al. 2004)
 Decide on what basis you will form the group. The options are to let the students decide what group they will join or to direct the students into groups according to some predetermined criterion. In most cases you will want to direct students into groups because this gives you more control over how the students will interact. Some students may be disappointed if they cannot choose the members of their group, so a compromise is to allow the students to select one friend to work with for part of the exercise-later you can combine the pairs of students into larger groups.
 Prepare or gather the resource materials,
 Develop detailed guidelines for students so they know why they are doing the group work, what outcomes they are supposed to achieve, what they have to do, what decisions they have to make, hat product they have to produce, and how they will be assessed.
 Introduce the issue or problem that students will be investigating and explain why it is important, in the lesson prior to the group work.
 Establish the groups, select the leaders, and establish the ‘rules’ in the lesson before group work is used. (Killen, 2007).
Whilst it may seem that there are many challenges to overcome before group work will be effective in your classroom, there are seen to be positives. Working in a group assists in the development of three distinct areas:
 Interpersonal skills which involve working with and communicating with others are strengthened;
 A wide range of thinking skills are utilised because students are required to explain, negotiate meanings and solve problems with each other; and
 Emotional development as they work together and are spurred on by the enthusiasm of the group and the support for their ideas and work.
(Whitton et al. 2004)

You may like to try some different strategies when you implement group work. Something you could try is allocating each member of the group a role that you have predetermined. For example, in a group of three you have a manager who is in charge of obtaining the needed resources, a scribe who records any necessary information and a reporter who shares the results and information found with the rest of the groups. Obviously this strategy will not work in every instance; however it will give you the chance to dictate the roles and to give students a chance to participate in different roles.

You could also make your own roles so that you are less likely to get students taking over or not participating. If students know their role is important and they have to contribute to the rest of the class, they are more likely to participate.

Another strategy which has proven to be successful is the jigsaw technique. The way it works is that you divide the class into several smaller groups. Once these groups have been formed, each individual in the group receives a different task related to the topic. For example, say you decided to use group work to investigate the solar system. Each member of the group could receive a different planet they have to research. Each member will complete their work and then have to share with the rest of the group.

With this strategy, each individual has to participate and cooperate in order to gain the essential knowledge they will need to understand the topic (Aronson, 2000-2009). It may be beneficial for you to have some form of assessment or follow up individual work so that students know they will need to participate. For more information on the jigsaw strategy, you can visit this website: http://www.jigsaw.org/overview.htm
There are many positive reasons for implementing group work in your classroom Amy, but you must keep in mind that it is not always a suitable strategy.

References
• Aronson, E. (2000-2009). Jigsaw Classroom [Online]. Available URL, http://www.jigsaw.org/overview.htm (accessed 2 May 2009)
• Killen, R. (2007). Effective Teaching Strategies; Lessons from Research and Practice. Thomson Social Science Press; Victoria, Australia.
• Whitton, D., Sinclair, C., Barker, K., Nanholy, P. & Nosworthy, M. (2004). Learning for Teaching Teaching for Learning. Thomson Social Science Press; Victoria.

Assessment

Amy, it appears that the teachers at JPS have provided you with their opinions of your class and the students in it. However, it is important that you get to know your students. Where are your students at in terms of their knowledge and understanding? What areas require further development? What are your students’ strengths and weaknesses? Assessment is the key to answering these questions. Initial assessment should focus on the students’ abilities in English and Mathematics as these are integral to all of the Key Learning Areas (KLAs).

Assessment is integral to the educational process and all parts of the teaching and learning cycle (Harris, McKenzie, Fitzsimmons and Turbill, 2003). To assess effectively teachers must; make assessment an integral part of teaching, use a variety of techniques in a variety of contexts from a variety of perspectives, collect information continually and use assessment to make programming decisions. The purpose of assessment is to monitor students learning, to locate areas that need further development or extension and to provide students with the knowledge and understanding of how to do this by modifying the class program (Harris et al, 2003).

When planning for assessment it is important for the purpose to link inextricably to the form of assessment. For example, when attempting to calculate a student’s instructional reading level (IBL) a simple method of assessment would be a running record. Running records are an invaluable tool and would benefit you Amy, as it would provide you with important information regarding the students’ code breaking skills and strategic reading principles. Running records would also allow you to organise your students into achievement based reading groups, ascertain the appropriate level of text for a student, document progress, identify struggling students and direct future reading instruction (Harris, Turbill, Fitzsimmons, McKenzie, 2006 and Blaiklock, 2003). To read more about how to conduct a running record go to, http://www1.rcas.org/literacy/pdfs/assessmenthandout.pdf (Clay, 2000).

When attempting to assess your students’ writing one effective assessment technique is the use of portfolios. According to Harris et al (2003) portfolios are “A systematic collection of student work that is analysed to show progress over a period of time with regard to specific instructional goals” (p175). Work samples are collected at various stages of writing so they include drafts and work in progress as well as completed work. For each item selected for the portfolio the teacher must write a context statement as well as an annotation so that the audience knows how the work came about and why it is important. A useful reading on this form of assessment can be retrieved from, http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/fullText;dn=93475;res=AEIPT, (Wilson, 1999).

According to the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (2008) excellent teachers of Mathematics regularly assess and report student-learning outcomes, with respect to skills, content, processes, and attitudes. There are many assessment strategies that can be used to assess your students in terms of Mathematics. Using a combination of strategies helps maximise the opportunities for your student’s to show what they know and can do. Some of these strategies include written reports and group presentations, teacher observation, discussion with students, questioning, portfolios and the analysis of work samples (AAMT, 2008). To read more about assessing Mathematics go to, http://www.aamt.edu.au/Documentation/Statements/Position-Paper-on-the-Practice-of-Assessing-Mathematics-Learning-for-single-sided-bw (AAMT, 2008).

References:

• Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers. (2008). Position paper on the practice of assessing mathematics learning, Policy statements, Available from, http://www.aamt.edu.au/Documentation/Statements/Position-Paper-on-the-Practice-of-Assessing-Mathematics-Learning-for-single-sided-bw, 6/4/09.

• Blaiklock, K. (2003). A critique of running records, In ‘Educational research, risks and dilemmas: NZARE/AARE Conference 2003, Auckland: New Zealand, Retrieved from, http://www.aare.edu.au.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/03pap/bla03738.pdf, 7/4/09.

• Clay, M. (2000). Running Record Assessment Handout, Retrieved from, http://www1.rcas.org/literacy/pdfs/assessmenthandout.pdf, 7/4/09.

• Harris, P., Turbill, J., Fitzsimmons, P., McKenzie, B., (2006). Reading in the Primary School Years, Thomson Social Science Press, South Melbourne, Victoria.

• Harris, P., McKenzie, B., Fitzsimmons, P., Turbill, J., (2003). Writing in the Primary School Years, Thomson Social Science Press, South Melbourne, Victoria, p175.

• Wilson, J. (1999). Portfolios: valuing the whole of children’s learning, Practically Primary, vol. 4, no. 1. Available from, http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/fullText;dn=93475;res=AEIPT, retrieved 11 Mar 2009

DOCS & the effects of family separation

Amy, one of the most important concerns of any teacher is the health, safety and well being of their students. It is your duty of care to ensure your students feel safe in your classroom and you do your best to accommodate the various issues that may be affecting your students.

When a child has been removed from his family settings, it is important to know where you can access information regarding their best interests. It is necessary to familiarise yourself with services that are likewise concerned with protecting children and young people from abuse and neglect. The Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 mandates DOCS with the responsibility for the care and protection of children and young people in NSW where there are concerns about their safety, welfare and wellbeing. Their website http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/, provides a through understanding of issues such as child abuse and neglect, which can happen to any child or young person in any family and can have lasting, damaging effects. Reasons Dale has been removed from his mother may not be known to you but it is important you realise he may be affected emotionally, which inturn may effect his social skills, behaviour in the classroom and his academic progress.

Within the DOCS web site you are able to access ‘Research to Practice Notes’. These research findings are aimed at promoting and informing evidence-based policy and practice in community services. Mental Health of Children in Out of Home Care in NSW, Australia is one such research paper and may help you identify with your student, Dale, who has indeed been removed from home and is living in care of his grandma. It is noted that for many children in care, disturbances in self-concept and relationship capacity are intertwined with their experience of anxiety and depression, and aggressive and defiant behaviour (NSW DOCS, 2007). The paper provides key findings for practice issues and implications and concludes that children, living in alternate care, be it with family or foster parents, are disadvantaged in regard to their prior exposure to adversity, subsequent development and mental health problems (NSW DOCS, 2007). This will indeed affect the way you communicate with Dale.

Sam is also a cause for concern with his parents’ separation and a court order granting full custody to his mother. Divorce or separation is an intensely stressful experience for all children. At Sam’s age he may be experiencing anger and a feeling of powerlessness (Eleoff, 2003). He may also be experiencing a grief reaction to the loss of his previously intact family. It is important that you keep an eye out for Sam incase he expresses any signs of distress. This may be difficult, as Sam has also been diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome, however we have hopefully supplied you with information to help you communicate with him on this front. The Helpguide.org available at http://www.helpguide.org/mental/children_divorce.htm is a resource that both you and Sam’s parents should become familiar with and use some of their suggestions to help Sam communicate his thoughts and emotions.

Maintaining a relationship with both parents is important for both you and Sam. Although Sam’s mother has been granted full custody, a father’s involvement with his child’s upbringing can have a significant impact on his or her academic achievements and behavior (Penn State, 2007). Can a relationship with the father be developed and maintained? Or are there reasons to keep Sam away from his father? These questions need to be explored and the best way to do that is be able to communicate with Sam’s mother frequently on a one-to-one basis. Perhaps you could encourage counseling sessions for either Sam or the whole family. This can be arranged either through the school with the appointed school counselor, outsourcing to a local counselor, allowing Sam to explore a counseling website such as Kids’ Health, available at http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=287&id=2255 – and I recommend that you also explore this site – or providing Sam (and Dale for that matter) with the number for the Kids Help Line (1800 55 1800). Having access to someone that will simply listen is often a very powerful tool that could help your students deal with the complex issues in their lives.

References:
• Eleoff, S. (2003). An Exploration of the Ramifications of Divorce on Children and Adolescents. The child Advocate. [Online]. Available URL: http://www.childadvocate.net/divorce_effects_on_children.htm (accessed 20 May, 2009)

• Helpguide.org. (2008). Children and Divorce. Helpguide.org. [Online]. Available URL: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/children_divorce.htm (accessed 20 May, 2009)

• Government of South Australia. (2008). Counseling – when you need to talk about. Kids Health. [Online]. Available URL: http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=287&id=2255 (accessed 20 May, 2009)
• NSW Department of Community Services. (2009) Website. Available URL: http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/ (accessed 1 April, 2009)

• NSW Department of Community Services. (2007). Mental Health of Children in Out of Home Care in NSW, Australia. Research to Practice Notes. NSW: NSW DOCS

• Penn State (2007). Fathers Have Great Impact On Their Children’s Lives, Even When Not At Home. ScienceDaily. [Online]. Available URL:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070612143301.htm (accessed 20 May, 2009)

Aboriginal Education

Amy, you have been presented with an incredible opportunity to both establish and display how inclusive education can take place in your classroom. The days are well behind us where we see children with behavior issues or learning difficulties removed from the mainstream classroom. Yes they may receive extra attention; you may have a support teacher to help you on one or more days of the week. But children from all walks of life now exist in every classroom! Don’t see this as a difficulty that needs to be overcome, rather a challenge that you can learn from and become a better teacher because of. Other teachers have already brought to your attention some issues, such as Sam with Aspergers and Jack who runs away from school. Don’t be concerned, just be prepared. And then there is Dale, the young Aboriginal boy living with his grandparents. Let’s focus on Dale, and how you can successfully implement an inclusive environment in your classroom that looks to adhere to standards developed through the Aboriginal Education Policy.

The first thing we’d like to encourage you with is the relationship you develop with the Aboriginal Community. Let’s paint a reality picture for a moment – “…including people from the local Aboriginal community allows the curriculum to be explored at a local level, making studies more relevant to students…and to take into account the necessary sensitivities and feelings of local Aboriginal communities…” (BOS, 2008, p11). If you were going to teach students about Australian Art, you would look at Art Museums, speak to Australian artists. If you had a PE lesson on cricket, you might look to the NSW Blues to see if they had any school programs they operate with their players. In the same way, don’t ever assume you can do justice to Aboriginal awareness or Aboriginal education if you are not of that background yourself. You can research the Aboriginal culture and history, however speaking to people from the Aboriginal community should always be the ultimate goal.

Secondly, just as there are procedures and protocols for things such as child protection, there are similar protocols with Aboriginal education. “…for example, when discussing the Dreaming and Creation it is appropriate that educators consult with Aboriginal communities and invite them to be part of programming and lesson development…Dreaming and Creation stories belong to Aboriginal communities and it is important that their custodianship be acknowledged…” (BOS, 2008, p12). It would be easy to be turned off by the formal nature of the necessary protocols when looking at Aboriginal education. However, having young Dale in your classroom means that by making his culture a focus, he will feel a much more important person to you as his teacher, and to his peers. These two points are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the considerations you need to make when looking at Aboriginal Education. I would strongly encourage you, if you have not done so already, to complete an Aboriginal Studies course through TAFE, University or your local community so that you have a greater understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal people.

Having an inclusive classroom will mean that you have a knowledge and understanding of the Aboriginal Education and Training Policy. Available from the DET website, this document should be one of the first you consider obtaining and reading so that you can appreciate what it is the NSW Department of Education is trying to achieve within the realms of Aboriginal Education. Some of the key considerations you need to make include: * the aim that ‘…by 2012, Aboriginal student outcomes will match or better outcomes of the broader student population…” (DET, 2008, p3) * increasing knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal Australia for all staff and students * Strengthening collaborative decision making with Aboriginal people and communities (DET, 2008, p5) We are people that are quick to make judgments, quick to make assumptions, not only about Aboriginal people, but about anyone that we see as different to us. It may need to start with you, but staff need to change the way they think and set their expectations for Aboriginal students as high as those for any other student. It’s not about necessarily having a major focus on Aboriginal Education either. You need to simply ensure that Dale feels a part of the classroom and everything that occurs in the confines of the school. Somehow, you need to make Dale feel that you, his classmates, the school, the activities you do, both respect him as an individual but also include and involve him just the same as anyone else.

References

• BOS. (2008). Working with Aboriginal communities: A guide to community consultation and protocols, viewed online at: http://ab-ed.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/go/aboriginal-community-consultation-and-protocols

•DET. (2008). Aboriginal Education and Training Policy, viewed online at https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/students/access_equity/aborig_edu/implementation_2_PD20080385.shtml

Aspergers Syndrome

As you may or may not know Amy, Aspergers Syndrome is a disorder that is on the Autistic Spectrum. It is important to understand the disorder in order to understand Sam’s characteristics and to better relate with him. People with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have a common set of characteristics related to their ability to communicate. Individuals with ASD are affected by their ability to:
- Understand and use non-verbal and verbal communication
- Interpret social behaviour, which in turn affects their ability to interact with other children and adults
- Think and behave flexibly (i.e. to know how to adapt their behaviour to suit specific situations.)

It would be helpful for you to work with Sam on his social skills. Whilst activities you may do with him could be helpful, it would be most effective if Sam’s parents were involved in the process, so these can be carried on at home. The book, Playing it Right, by Rachael Bareket, has some activities and work sheets you might like to try. It is designed specifically for parents and teachers of young children with ASDs and includes activities on how to listen, understanding different relationships, appropriate behaviours in certain situations and so on. Another useful book is Autistic Spectrum Disorders; Practical Strategies for Teachers and Other Professionals (Northumberland County Council Communication Support Service, 2004). It has strategies for specific situations that occur at school and suggested ways of how to deal with those. Whilst this book is designed to address behaviours of children with ASDs, you might find that the strategies in this book are useful for other students as well. Although it may be to a different degree, you will find that most students will share at least some of the characteristics of ASDs and the strategies you implement should benefit the whole class.

As one of the characteristics of Aspergers Syndrome is a difficulty to cope with changes in routines, you may find that Sam is resistant to changes in timetable or new things happening in the school/classroom or different people coming into the school/classroom, and may even be quite distressed. There are a number of strategies you could implement in order to avoid these situations occurring. Visual aids are an excellent idea to assist you in the classroom and can prompt and guide Sam in specific situations. Visual aids are not only effective for children with ASDs, but can assist all children as they participate in the same situations. (Christofides, 2008)

Creating a visual timetable and going through it at the beginning of each session will allow Sam to prepare himself for what is going to happen. A visual timetable is simply a series of pictures that indicate what is going to happen. If possible you should use photographs with yourself and students in the class to make it more meaningful. Simple activities such as silent reading and lunch and recess, are each examples of pictures to include on a visual timetable. Once the activity is finished you move the picture to an area that is recognised as finished.

You may also have visual aids for appropriate behaviours. For example group time rules; sit on the floor, listen to the teacher, look at the teacher, no touching others, hand up to ask a question, wait for my turn. Having a picture and the words helps different types of learners associate with the rules. Visuals such as these displayed in the classroom will remind all children what is expected of them, much the same as when classroom rules are displayed. (Stylis, 2008) There may be certain situations in which Sam will need his own personal visual aids. You can use similar techniques as those above and create Sam his own book or key ring he can carry with him.

There are a variety of programs, websites and books you can look at to further help you with these things. Board maker is a computer program that has a wide variety of pictures that are in contexts that are useful for making visual aids. It is designed specifically for making visual aids for people with ASDs. However the program is quite costly so I would suggest the following website, which has a host of pictures in meaningful contexts, they have even designed a ‘pack’ which includes all the pictures relating to the school setting. I strongly recommend you look at this site: http://www.visualaidsforlearning.com/products/index.htm (Visual Aids for learning, 2009).

There is a host of information now on ASDs, as more and more people are being diagnosed. There is a plethora of resources available including books and websites, and I strongly suggest you have a look at some of the resources mentioned so that you can understand Sam’s situation and be better prepared to help him.

References:
• Bareket, R. (2004). Playing it Right. Social Skills Activities for Parents and Teachers of Young Children with Aspergers, Autism and PDD. Book in hand; Queensland.
• Bowen, M. & Plimley, L. (2008). The Autism Inclusion Toolkit. SAGE Publications Ltd; London.
• Christofides, R. (2008). Lecture, 11 December. Certificate in Special Education, Autism Spectrum Disorders. Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong .
• Northcumberland County Council Communication Support Service. (2004). Autistic Spectrum Disorders; Practical Strategies for Teachers and Other Professionals. David Fulton Publishers Ltd; London.
• OpenLearn. Unknown. Triad of Impairments. Google Images [Online]. Available URL: http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/file.php/3569/DSE232_1_001i.jpg (accessed 12 December 2008)
• Stylis, A. (2008). Lecture, 11 December. Certificate in Special Education, Autism Spectrum Disorders. Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong.
• Visual Aids for learning. (2009). Visual Aids for learning [Online]. Available URL: http://www.visualaidsforlearning.com/products/index.htm (accessed 2 May 2009)

Using Games in the Classroom

Amy as your class has not been finalised it is difficult to determine what should be taught. Using a variety of games during this time as well as throughout the year will assist you in not only ensuring that quality teaching can occur but that challenging student behaviour will to some extent alleviate. Current research surrounding the use of games in the classroom argues that they assist in the teaching and learning of essential life skills, Mathematics and English and include benefits such as improvements in self-esteem, self-worth, motivation and engagement.

An essential aim of teaching is to have students become independent workers and thinkers with the ability to reason, plan and problem solve. Cordover (2008) argues that this aim can be achieved through the implementation of games in the classroom. Games allow the educator to prepare students with skills for life, not facts that are to be regurgitated and become obsolete after school. There are four types of games including, card games, board games, role-play and computer games (Leigh, 2006).

One successful example of the use of games in schools and the classroom is chess. Chess appeals to children of all ages, backgrounds, languages and abilities. Chess increases student self esteem, is all-inclusive, provides competition in a non-threatening way, is non-gender specific, and most importantly is an important way of strengthening the mind (Cordover, 2008). To read more about the benefits of chess in the classroom go to, http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/fullText;dn=167356;res=AEIPT (Cordover, 2008).

Many students that excel at chess and games in general are not usually performing the best in Mathematics. This is because there is an element of chance in most games. As such all students have a reasonable chance of winning. By including games in your teaching program students who are normally less proficient in Mathematics are able to play against more proficient students (Griffiths, 2003). By having success with these students their actual perceptions of school change, increasing their confidence, aptitude in English and their strategies when it comes to tackling tricky Mathematics problems (Cordover, 2008).

Many games teach life skills that can normally be difficult to teach in the classroom environment. In chess for example many life skills are required for success including, problem solving, abstract analysis, spatial aptitude, originality, concentration, memory, organisational skills and responsibility (Cordover, 2008).
As such incorporating chess into the class at least once a week should be a high priority.

Games are of fundamental value to educators as a teaching and learning tool because students find them motivating. Often students are motivated to learn material e.g. Mathematics when it is required for successful game play, however that same material may otherwise be considered boring to them (Whitton, 2007). In most cases a natural benefit to this engagement is an improvement or alleviation of behavioural issues.

Griffiths (2003) notes that in many classrooms games are relegated to “wet Friday afternoons when sport is cancelled” (p1). This should not be the case as games involve students making choices so they have to think ahead, predicting, testing different strategies and refining these strategies. At the lowest level students apply maths skills such as addition and multiplication when playing games (Griffiths, 2003). At a higher level games can assist students in developing concepts such as place value, multiplication and division and elements of chance.

For students to enjoy the maximum benefits from the games they play it is important to ensure they have adequate time for reflection. At various times during game play place students in small groups to discuss and explain the strategies and skills involved (Griffith, 2003). Then have these groups share their findings with the whole class. This sharing of information emphasises to the whole group why some strategies are advantageous. These processes provide opportunities for students to develop their metacognitive skills and to think deeply about mathematics and how it works. To read more about this reflective process go to, http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/fullText;dn=127076;res=AEIPT, (Griffith, 2003).

Critical to the implementation of games in the classroom is choosing which to use. Whitton (2007) argues that the rationale for using games to teach must be to create experiential, immersive and engaging, problem-based learning experiences that link intrinsically to the curriculum. Thus when choosing which games students should play careful consideration of the benefits and essential aims must occur.

References:

• Cordover, D. (2008). Chess: making a move in schools, Teacher, no. 190. Availabile from, http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/fullText;dn=167356;res=AEIPT, Retrieved 29 Mar 09.

• Griffiths, R. (2003). Maths games, Classroom, vol. 23, no. 3. Available from, http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/fullText;dn=127076;res=AEIPT, Retrieved 29 Mar 09, p1.

• Leigh, E. (2006). How does a ‘learning game’ actually work?, Training and Development in Australia, vol. 33, no. 6. Available from, http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/fullText;dn=162905;res=AEIPT, Retrieved 29 Mar 09.

• Whitton, N. (2007). Motivation and computer game based learning, In ‘ICT : providing choices for learners and learning’ edited by R Atkinson, C McBeath, A Soong Swee Kit and C Cheers, pages 1063-1067. Singapore : ASCILITE. Available from, http://www.ascilite.org.au.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/conferences/singapore07/procs/whitton.pdf , Retrieved 29 Mar 09.

School Culture and Ethos
Amy, an examination of school culture is important, as Goodlad’s study (1984 in Boyd, 1992) points out, “alike as schools may be in many ways, each school has an ambience (or culture) of its own” A school’s culture or ethos is made up of the unique characteristics of a school community, it reflects the local culture in many ways (Rossman, Corbett, & Firestone, 1988; Welch, 1989 in Boyd, 1992) and is influenced by a range of factors including the economic, social and historical context; the nature of the local community; the parents, teachers and students who attend the school; and the interrelationships between these different factors (Boyd, 1992). To become part of your school culture, it is important to understand it, observe it objectively and ask questions such as what are the barriers to change or bridges to improved learning and community relationships. An excellent site to help you understand the community you find your self in is the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) http://www.sedl.org/change/school/welcome.html, which includes literature reviews on school culture and facilitating change within this culture.

Whilst Jacaranda PS has an involved parent community and is well resourced, I believe you are having some trouble within the teaching culture. The staff has become set in their ways and may not be so open to new ideas or change. Trying to change or influence a schools established rules, routines and relationships it a difficult thing to attempt. Teachers who have worked in the same building for a long time have arrived at certain emotional compromises with their colleagues and students; it will feel risky to re-negotiate them (Brown, 2004). New teachers like your self may feel too vulnerable to be as honest as they need to be. This website may help you understand how to deal with this and provide ways to communicate and initiate change with the staff.

Boyd’ s paper School Context: Bridge or Barrier, summarise the general knowledge base regarding school culture suggesting that, at times, culture can be counterproductive and an obstacle to educational success and that culture can also be oppressive and discriminatory for various subgroups within the school (Patterson, Purkey, and Parker, 1986 in Boyd 1992). He also states that lasting fundamental change (e.g. changes in teaching practices or the decision making structure) requires understanding and often altering the school’s culture is a slow process.

There are several ways to deal with these barriers such as developing collaborative work cultures, which can reduce the professional isolation of teachers, allow the sharing of successful practices and provides support. Another important factor is the relationship your Principal has with yourself and other teachers. According to Hollander (1993 in Barnett & McCormick, 2004), perceptions of leadership and leaders are essential to leader-follower interactions. Are staff members on side with the Principal? Do they accept his leadership and his view of what the school community should be like? These are questions you must ask and decipher. If, Amy, you are interested in change you must be aware that peer group consensus will be the major influence on acceptance or willingness to change. People will change more readily as a result of a desire to have personal ties with others (Boyd, 1992), which is why Boyd suggests developing collegial relationships. Another writer, Mendez-Morse, whose paper Leadership Characteristics that facilitate School Change is reviewed on the SEDL website states that one must be proactive in the battle for change and become a leader in the process; “Change must be initiated by leaders who are willing to risk their reputations for the future benefit.” (Joiner, 1987 p. 4 in Mendez-Morse, 1992) and also provides suggestions on how to initiate this.

References:

• Barnett, K & McCormick, J. (2004). Leadership and Individual Principal-Teacher Relationships in Schools. Educational Administration Quarterly. 40; 406. ProQuest

• Boyd. (1992). School Context: Bridge or Barrier. [Online]. Available URL: http://www.sedl.org/change/school/ (accessed 31 March, 2009).

• Brown, R. (2004). School Culture and Organization: Lessons from Research and Experience A Background Paper for The Denver Commission on Secondary School Reform [Online] Available URL: http://www.dpsk12.org/pdf/culture_organization.pdf (accessed 1 April, 2009).

• Mendez-Morse. (1992). Leadership Characteristics that facilitate School Change [Online]. Available URL: http://www.sedl.org/change/leadership/ (accessed 31 March, 2009)

• Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (2009). [Online]. Available URL: http://www.sedl.org/change/school/welcome.html (accessed 31 March, 2009)

Communication with Parents
Amy, even though there are no visible signs that point towards issues with communication, having a plan on how you will communicate with the parents of your children will be extremely important. Being a new teacher at a school, all eyes will be on you – don’t let this concern you, but be aware that levels of expectation will be high! Communication is the heart and essence of any relationship. When we look at the relationship between Teachers and Parents, effective communication is an integral part of not only keeping parents happy, but it also goes a long way toward ensuring ‘success’ in the classroom.

Parents are already requesting homework, and this is not easy given classes are not being finalised for a few weeks yet. However, don’t let that be an excuse to not give the children homework. That said; let’s get to the basics of communication with parents. There is a lot written, both from the point of view of parents and what they ‘expect’ from teachers, and from the viewpoint of the teacher, and the relationship they hope to develop with parents. The DET website has some fantastic information about communicating with parents. It can often be one of the ‘scariest’ parts about teaching, and starting in a new teaching position you will have a whole lot of information fired at you including information from parents, the role they play in the lives of their children, the level of support they have for you as their teacher and so on.

It makes perfect sense that “…schools function most effectively in the education of students when there is a strong partnership between the school and the home…” (https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/employment/recruit/casualteachers/communpar.htm). If we desire to teach in an environment that aims to meet the needs of each and every student, then we really need to be aware of the background of our children and the starting point should be the parents. We also need to be aware of and acknowledge the very special role parents can play in the classroom.

Successful and respectful levels of communication could strengthen the bonds between home and school, and lead to the enhancement of parent participation. “…without doubt, parents possess a variety of skills, talents and interests that can enrich the curriculum in so many ways beyond the capabilities of any one classroom teacher, no matter how talented he or she happens to be…” (Marsh, 2004, p259).

Whitton et al talk about the contact that parents might have with you as the teacher of their child, as on the surface there appears more opportunity for teacher-parent interaction. However, they stress the importance of having boundaries in place that ensure not only your role is respected and that your classroom does not become an all hours drop-in centre, but also so that routine remains intact, both for the children and the parents. They finish with something important to remember; “…parents are allies, not enemies…you share an interest in their child’s development…” (Whitton et al, 2004, p202).

Finally, it is important to consider this. Don’t make the only communication you have with parents the communication that is linked with misbehaviour or the need for some sort of disciplinary action. Yes there will be times when you need to discuss disciplinary/behavioural issues with parents. But why wait for these moments? You have started a new job at a new school with new children.

Why not start the year by sending a questionnaire home, to find out more about the children, about their homes and their lives outside of the classroom? This step alone will show the parents you are more than just concerned about the pay cheque that comes each fortnight.

References

• Department of Education and Training (DET). (2008). Communication with Parents and Caregivers, viewed online. Available URL: https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/employment/recruit/casualteachers/communpar.htm
• Marsh. C. (2004). Becoming a Teacher – Knowledge, skills and issues – Third Edition, Pearson Education Australia, NSW
• Whitton. D. Sinclair. C. Barker. K. Nanlohy. P. Nosworthy. M. (2004). Learning for Teaching / Teaching for Learning, Thomson Social Science Press, Victoria

Collaborative Teaching

Collaboration “…can strengthen the connection between school and home, create a shared commitment to learning, support student learning and build support for inclusive classrooms…” (Salend, 2008, p152)

Amy, it has been made quite clear that you face being the new teacher at the school in more ways than one! At your first Professional Development day with your new peers, you found yourself being asked to move from a certain chair because it was not yours. You are dealing with a situation where classes are not finalised until week 3. And even though you have an assigned supervisor, it seems you have had little contact, if any, with this person! The first thing we need to do is find a way that will allow you to work collaboratively with your peers, so that the teaching environment is effective as possible!

Research has proven than not only is collaborative learning an essential part of the classroom, allowing the learning and teaching experiences to move from the teacher to the student, but collaborative teaching is equally as important. Where collaborative learning “…is an instructional technique in which students work together in small groups to help one another achieve a common learning goal…” (Killen 2007), collaborative teaching has been shown to be an effective teaching technique. “…This approach to education can improve instruction as educators pool their talents and has become a fundamental factor in education…” (Tannock, 2009, p173).

More and more we are hearing the term ‘inclusive’ when we talk about the classroom and the delivery of information to students, and Amy you need to do what you can to make your classroom inclusive. What we have found is that for both general students and those with special education needs, “…inclusive classrooms eliminate the isolation of students from one another and support social understanding within the context of peer groupings…” (Tannock, 2009, p173). In so many ways, we want to control what happens in our classrooms, which is a very normal way to feel. However, what can sometimes happen as a result of this way of thinking is that we are not open to suggestions on changing the way we are doing things. What you need to understand Amy, as Tannock continues to tell us, is that your decision and capacity to work with your peers is going to impact upon both the way students learn and the climate created in your work environment.

Amy, whether or not you want to change the way you do things, whether you think your way is the best or not. The simple fact is that you need to be open to the ideas of others, especially those who have been there before you. It isn’t always easy to listen to the viewpoint of your peers, especially those that may appear ‘old school’ in the way they do things. But the fact is this – you need to have planning time with your fellow teachers. It is vital because this cooperative method of planning will allow you to “…discuss the progress of individual children, share goals and plan lessons for the classroom…” (Tannock, 2009, p174).

Finally, I’d like to leave you with a few steps that I think will enable you to work in a collaborative teaching environment. You might feel that you are the only person displaying these qualities, however in doing so you will become an attractive person to work with, and hopefully these ideals will impact upon others.
• Listen and hear the ideas of each participant
• Hold a common vision of the classroom experience
• Have a mutual respect for the abilities of each participant, and
• Be committed to nurturing the relationship between participants
(Tannock, 2009, p176).

References

• Killen. R. (2007). Effective Teaching Strategies – Lessons from research and practice, Thomson Social Science Press, Victoria

• Salend. S. (2008). Creating inclusive classrooms: Effective and reflective practives, Prentice Hall, USA

• Tannock. M. (2009). ‘Tangible and intangible elements of collaborative teaching’, Intervention in School and Clinic, vol. 44, no. 3, pp173-178

Classroom Management

Amy, I understand the principal of Jacaranda Public School has placed an emphasis on classroom management and discipline, and you have had some problems in your first days with the class.

Although this is not officially your class, you need to be sure to assert your authority from the beginning. In doing this, the students will know what to expect from you as well as what you expect of them, whether they are in your class or not.
It is important that you plan your classroom management carefully. A way to start is to think about your personal philosophy; your beliefs about behaviour and education. You then need to consider preventative strategies. This requires thought about rules and routines, effective teaching strategies, and positive learning environment. (Wishart, 2008)

Make the classroom yours, so that as soon as ANY student steps into your classroom they know what they are and are not going to get away with. Create a positive learning environment by thinking about the physical and emotional setting of the classroom; how do you want it to look and feel? The setting needs to reflect the way you want students to learn and behave in your classroom. Thoughtful arrangement of the indoor and outdoor environments will support your learning goals for students. A great website to help you with the physical setting of your classroom is Classroom Architect, http://classroom.4teachers.org/ (ALTEC at the University of Kansas, 2000), it allows you to enter the dimensions of your classroom and move different pieces of furniture around so that you can plan a layout without having to move heavy furniture around.

The emotional climate of the classroom is equally as important and involves you creating and promoting positive relationships between yourself and the students and between each and every student. There are many strategies you can employ to achieve and foster the emotional climate you desire. I suggest you look at the book, Classroom Management A Survival Guide, Konza, Grainger & Bradshaw, Social Science Press Australia, 2004.

It is also essential to have responsive techniques to implement in the case that the preventative strategies are ineffective. Least intrusive to most intrusive steps address behaviours from a small scale, progressively getting more intrusive which assists in eliminating confronting situations. For example, if you see a student behaving inappropriately, you acknowledge a student who is behaving appropriately to demonstrate the desired behaviour. This is a less intrusive step then for example speaking directly to the student who is behaving inappropriately (Gordon, 1996). I strongly recommend you look at the book Managing Challenging Children (Gordon, 1996); it has a variety of strategies and ideas on behaviour management that could be useful for you.

Having rewards and incentives for appropriate behaviour and consequences for unacceptable behaviour, reinforces the behaviours you want in the classroom. It is crucial that you carry through with promised consequences and reward all students when you see them doing the right thing. It is a good idea to develop rules, rewards and consequences with the students so that they feel involved in the process and feel a sense of ownership in what you decide. It is also a good idea to display the rules you decide on prominently in the classroom so they serve as a constant reminder.
There are many models and theorists you can draw from to help you in planning your classroom management; some of which include Bill Rogers, Canter and Canter, Glasser, Skinner, Dreikurs, Frederick Jones, Assertive Discipline, Behaviourism (Wishart, 2008) to name a few. Again, Classroom Management a Survival Guide, is a good reference and will provide you with practical information to implement these. Keep in mind your personal philosophy when looking at these, as it will help guide your direction.

You can also look at the NSW Department of Education and Training website, https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/proflearn/areas/nt/resources/bm01.htm, (2006) it contains some practical strategies and resources that could be helpful for you. You should also be mindful of your schools policy on classroom management. Another useful website is the Behaviour Management Help Centre, http://www.behaviour.com.au/hcentre.htm (Behaviour Management in Education 1999-2008), which has a list of behaviour issues you may come across and strategies you can use to deal with them.
References:
• ALTEC at the University of Kansas. (2000). Classroom Architect [Online]. Available URL: http://classroom.4teachers.org/ (accessed 30 April 2009)

• Behaviour Management in Education. (1999-2008). Behaviour Management Help Centre [Online]. Available URL: http://www.behaviour.com.au/hcentre.htm (accessed 28 April 2009).

• Gordon, G. (1996). Managing Challenging Children. Prim Ed Publishing; Australia.

• Konza, D. Grainger, J. & Bradshaw, K. (2001). Classroom Management a Survival Guide. Thomson Social Science Press; Melbourne, Victoria.

• NSW Department of Education and Training. (2006). Professional Learning and Leadership Development [Online]. Available URL: https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/proflearn/areas/nt/resources/bm01.htm, (acessed 28 April 2009).

• Wishart, K. (2008). Lecture/Tutorial 8th August. EDUE320. Faculty of Education, University of Wollongong.