STEM Portfolio (Mainly Maths)

I was nominated for a Prime Minister's Awards for teaching of STEM!' Since I went to the effort to make a portfolio, I figured I may as well share it here.

It summarises the Castle Project we have worked on and includes a few other things I have done.

Here is the link to the PDF file:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XGlMkkUx6KuMIJOxZDQxBiRkWlwWlGk8/view?usp=sharing

Giving Mana to Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Staff Meeting: Maori 23rd July 2019

As a staff we watched this video from Janelle Riki-Waaka 
Giving Mana to Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Then we reflected on this question:
How would I know I am in a school in Aotearoa at Mount Biggs School? 

We discussed what someone might see, hear and feel in our kura. Recorded below are our ideas. 

Then we looked at this graphic

What are we doing? Not doing? How can we improve?

We also looked at this one:

After that, we talked about ways we can improve as school. How else can we give mana to te tiriti? 

Our staff have goals based on Tātai Ako so we had a look at these and reflected on our progress. We set goals at the start of the year and record our progress on them throughout the year. If we have achieved our original goals. We continue to create new goals.

Here is a blank example of the Tātai ako goal sheet for both registered teachers and leaders. 

If you would like an editable copy, email me rstrawbridge@mountbiggs.school.nz.

It is helpful to give direction for goals and decide what needs to be focused on by individuals. It is a way to reflect on our practice individually and continue to grow our capacity for teaching all students in a way that is best for Māori.

New Maths Project

Challenge: What do I want to do?
I want to teach a Maths unit which combines Measurement, Geometry and Number (specifically multiplication strategies) and I want it to be a collaborative project. Instead of teaching multiplication strategies in isolation, I want these to be used in the context of a measurement/geometry project. E.g. learn the mult strategies in order to find the volume of 3D shapes. They need to put the strategies into practice in a relevant learning context, so that hopefully they will remember them more easily and see the relevance and usefulness fo them in future life.

After the success of my teacher inquiry into Maths last year, it would be a backwards step to go back to teaching Maths the way that I used to. I think there needs to be elements of my old teaching combined with elements of this project based style and with these powers combined, I can have a great engaging maths programme, which still covers the curriculum expectations for Years 6-8 students.

Anyway, I had been thinking for weeks about how to come up with a new idea that was equal to or better than the city project we did last year, and it has been difficult. When you teach the same students for 3 years in a row, you can't simply reuse the same lessons again year after year! Personally I would probably find that quite uninspiring anyway. So what on earth was I going to do?
x

I started with my trusty pal Google who led me to a Pinterest post advertising a product a teacher was selling on TPT. https://www.pinterest.nz/pin/29977153747782960/
Basically she has made cute nets for 3D shapes and that was enough to lead me on a path of inspiration. I do not know how I made this connection but I thought, hey wouldn't it be great to make a castle out of 3D shapes? 

I started blurting my ideas into a Google doc before refining the process further in a proper Maths plan. Below is my blurt...may not make sense...

How will we do it?

Sequence

Collect assessment data to prove progress is made

WARM UP CHALLENGE…

Buy 3d shape  buddies from TPT.

Students do a STEAM challenge in a mixed ability collaborative group. Make a building out of these shapes using the shape buddies. Also write on the shape buddies how many corners, sides etc these shapes have. ALL shapes must be used. Multiples can be used.

Shapes included are

• cube

• rectangular prism/cuboid

• cylinder

• square based pyramid

• cone

• triangular prism

• triangular pyramid

ACTUAL CHALLENGE…

Research castles. Collect photos of your favourites. Create a collage of castles for the wall. Fill an A3 piece of paper.

Explore aspects of design such as symmetry and its impact on aesthetics.

What shapes are made from other shapes put together? For example a common castle shape is a cone on top of a cylinder.

Plan: Draw a castle- front, back and side views using 2D shapes. Basic sketch. Not flash.

Students create the castle they have designed in groups.

Must include all the shapes from previous challenge. Students have to follow criteria. Criteria will ensure students find the volume for all the shapes using multiplication. Criteria will involve measurement as students have to measure the sides etc to calculate the volume of their shapes.

Can include mm and cm in criteria to encourage conversions.

Make link between area and volume.

E.g. find area of 2D shape before finding the volume of the 3D shape.

Students will create nets based on the 3D shape buddies from the warm up lesson..

Need to include perimeter and circumference too in the task.

This unit will be integrated multiplication/ Division/ Geometry/ Measurement

We will spend a few days a week on the mult/div strategies and initially one day a week on the Geometry and measurement project. When students have mastered the strategies, that’s when the project will take over all 4 sessions per week because they will integrate and use their mult div strategies as part of the project.

LEARNING COVERED

Geometry

Identify 3D shapes

Identify features of 3D shapes eg faces, vertices and edges

Create nets for 3D shapes- first using the resource but then creating their own

Put shapes together to create other shapes

Draw a plan of the castle from different views

Symmetry-

Measurement

When creating all nets, sides must be measured in cm and mm.

Find perimeter of 2D shapes

Find area of 2D shapes

Find volume of 3D shapes

Find circumference of a circle

Multiplication

Use a range of multiplication strategies to multiply numbers. E.g. calculating volume.

Multiplying decimals will be necessary when using pi to calculate the volume/circumference of some shapes.

Addition and subtraction

This was taught in term one but many strategies will come in handy.

E.g. when using most mult strategies, there is an addition or subtraction component to the strategy. E.g. Place value, area mult, algorithm all use addition. Rounding and compensation involves subtraction.

Will also come into play when calculating perimeter.

Division

This isn't a key feature of this project but I am sure division will be part of this somehow.

If it isn't, I will integrate my teaching of division into my teaching of statistics next term. You must be able to use division to calculate the mean/average.

My next step is to create the instructions and criteria for the project for the students to use. I think this time I will create a checklist so that students can tick things off as they go. I will also add into my criteria some compulsory aspects so that each student in the group has to contribute some things to the project independently. Otherwise, some people in the group will not learn the above things and will let more confident peers do all the work for them.

I also think it's important for students to see WHAT they are learning to do, so I will provide them with the curriculum objectives. Then they will make a connection to the project actually covering things they should be learning at their age rather than just being for fun.

27/4/19
I have now finished all the instructions and criteria. Here are the instructions for the kids.

Here is the criteria for the students to include in their project in order to meet the curriculum objectives.

This is where the students will record their calculations that go with the above criteria.

This is an example of how the students can record who is doing what within the group in Phase 3 of the project.

Reflection: Distributed Leadership Reading Pg 77-88

As part or my aspiring leaders course, here is my reflection on the latest reading.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cR_sbyKy0noXZU5pFRRRCY0nEGR9w_a9-WKpOYqxs2M/edit?usp=sharing

Enhancing Our School Values

Last night at our staff meeting, we settled on our school values, so I am just going to record my thinking here.

I think we need to display what each value means with either bullet points or an explanation (or both), in order to help students to understand them better and connect them to their everyday experiences at school.

Current Values AreCare, Respect, Strive and Cooperate.

We have altered these slightly:

Care - manaaki Kaitiakitanga

Connected themes: Ako, Whanaungatanga, Kaitiakitanga

Cooperate - mahi tahi

Connected themes: Ako, Whanaungatanga

Strive - takakawe

Connected themes: Wairua,

Kindness - atawhai Aroha

Connected themes: Ako, Whanaungatanga, atawhai

Manaakitanga kind of means both care and respect together so we have added in Kaitiakitanga to represent care instead. Kaitiakitanga is guardianship. It involves taking care of both the people and environment. I feel this word better represents what we would like to achieve at our school. It links nicely to our environmental focus whilst also connecting strongly to Maori values, in particular the connection to whenua.

The word guardianship means protect, defend, watch over.

Links to Kaitiakitanga from https://teara.govt.nz/en/kaitiakitanga-guardianship-and-conservation

Mana means spiritual power. If a forest has mana, it will have plenty of flowers, fruit and birds.

Tapu can mean spiritual restriction. Sometimes rāhui (restrictions) are needed to help the mana of the forest. A rāhui might stop people taking birds, fish or fruit from a certain area, or at a certain time.

Mauri means life force. This must be protected in forests, rivers, gardens, lakes and the sea. Special mauri stones, which tohunga (priests) said prayers over, were used to preserve this force.

We have also added in aroha to introduce the kindness aspect. Aroha also involves the caring for each other aspect too.

I was inspired by this model at Ngaruawahia School to create something for our school.

http://www.ngaruawahia.school.nz/our-school-values/

I think each value needs a symbol to represent it. James says Russell Street has done that too. They got someone to draw the symbols for them.

https://www.russellst.school.nz/values/

Potentially I could come up with some designs for the symbols or ask someone. I have plenty of artist friends that might be able to help.

Also I would like to take into account our local area when creating these symbols/pictures and our school colours.

Here is a Google Slide to share my ideas so far on each value. This is just me organising my thoughts and thinking about what the values mean to me and what they might look like in action. If we were creating something for our school. Everyone would need to contribute to this, not just me.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VAHLu_mx_85FxveoRZRLu7n2bj2u86AjGK3IRfCSe00/edit?usp=sharing

Te Ara Reo Māori Level 4 Assessment Task- Script for a play

Here is the script I wrote for my latest Te Ara Reo assessment. This is my first draft and I have highlighted all the things I am unsure of in yellow for my tutor to check. Once she has checked it, I will present it to my wananga class. I am going to make a video with my class at Mount Biggs and get my students to act it out. We have masks from our performance at The Regent that we can use to conceal their identity. Then I will share the movie with my wananga class while I narrate the script (live in person) for them to tell the story.

Kōnae Ako: WTMPR 402 Whakarite

Renee Strawbridge

Script

Ranginui and Papatūānuku have many children.

He maha ngā tamariki a Ranginui rāua ko papa.

He aroha raua.

They are in love.

Here are some of their children.

Anei etahi rātou ngā tamariki

Ko Whiro, ko Tāne Mahuta, ko Tāwhirimātea, ko Tūmatauenga, ko Haumia-Tiketike, ko Ruaumoko rātou ko Tangaroa.

Ranginui and Papatūānuku were embracing.

I awhiawhi a Ranginui rāua ko Papatūānuku.

Their children wanted to separate them.

I hiahia a rātou tamariki ki wehea ia.

Whiro is the son of Ranginui and Papatūānuku.

Ko Whiro te tama o Ranginui and Papatuanuku

He is very evil!

He tino kino a Whiro.

He wanted to separate his parents.

I hiahia ia ki wehea nga mātua.

Tāne Mahuta separated their parents.

I wehea a Tāne Mahuta rātou ngā matou.

He is very strong.

He tino kaha ia.

Tāwhirimātea is extremely angry.

He tino pukuriri rawa atu a Tawhirimatea.

He did not want to separate his parents.

Kaore ia i hiahia wehea ōna mātua.

Ranginui and Papatūānuku are very sad.

He pouri rawa a Ranginui rāua ko Papatūānuku.

Their children were all fighting!

I whawhai rātou tamariki.

It’s very crazy!

He tino porangi!

Haumia-Tiketike is very disappointed/disturbed because he is the God of peace.

I  matangurunguru rawa a Haumia-Tiketike no te mea ko iea te Atua o Rangimarie.

Tangaroa is the God of the sea.

Ko Tangaroa te Atua o te Moana.

Tangaroa was attacked by Tāwhirimātea; therefore, he was forced to live in the sea.

I whakaeke a Tangaroa e Tāwhirimātea; no reira, i kaha ia ki te noho i te moana.

Tāwhirimātea has strong power over Tangaroa or Tāwhirimātea is more powerful than Tangaroa.

He kaha rawa atu a Tāwhirimātea ki a Tangaroa.

He tino utu a Tāwhirimātea.

Tāwhirimātea is very vengeful.

Tūmatauenga is stronger than Tāwhirimātea.

He marohi ake a Tūmatauenga i a Tāwhirimātea.

Ruaumoko is extremely angry.

He tino pukuriri rawa atu a Ruaumoko.

Tāwhirimātea is angrier than Ruaumoko, but Raumoko is very little. He’s the baby.

He pukuriri ake a Tāwhirimātea i a Ruaumoko, engari he iti rawa a Ruaumoko. Ko ia te pēpē.

In the end, the parents were separated. They remain separated.

I te mutunga, I wehea ngā mātua. E noho wehea ana rātou.

As a result or this,  the children became the Atua they are now known.

Ko te hua o tenei, kua riro ngā tamariki hei Atua e mohiotia ana inaianei.

Weekly Writing Mysteries Term One

I cannot believe I forgot to post this at the end of Term One. I wrote a reflection for James about Writing in a Google form that I probably should've posted on here too. It's floating around somewhere...

The weekly writing mysteries were an initiative that I came up with to improve engagement and achievement in writing. I collaborated with staff to organise weekly mysteries in the school for the students to experience and write about it. Here is a summary of them!

DINOSAURS

Dinosaur activities....

-        Footprints on the tennis courts over a course of a few days. Add more each day.

-        Eggs in the sandpit

-        Use an app to take a photo of dinosaur in school grounds

-        Eggs hatch. Baby dinosaurs inside.

METEORS

Meteor activities...

-        Meteors land on school grounds somewhere for students to discover

-        Collect swabs/samples and put in test tubes to be sent away for testing.

-        Forge a letter from Massey University with test results. 

-        Fire Snake experiment. We pretended to test the ‘ash’ for this experiment. 

-        https://food-hacks.wonderhowto.com/how-to/make-fire-snake-from-sugar-baking-soda-0164401/

-        If you can get a real scientist/geologist in to talk to the kids that would be great. The guy we got was amazing.

ALIEN ABDUCTION

Alien abduction activities......

-        Teacher abducted with clues left to imply it was aliens. Clues might include slime or silly string trail, a ransom note, things the teacher left behind.

-        Police Interview- Get a police officer to interview students. I made contact through our Police Education officer who does the DARE and Kia Kaha programmes etc..

-        Get someone to dress up in an alien suit and take photos of the alien doing things all around the school. Eg. Eating toast in the staff room, playing on the playground, climbing trees, reading a book in the library etc. I would suggest using a polaroid camera and leaving the photos lying around for kids to find.

ALIEN SPACESHIP LANDING

Alien landing activities......

-        Use an app to take a photo of a flying saucer above the school.

-        Fake news article of UFO sightings. There was an online newspaper creation app that I used.

-        Crop circles- they are actually surprisingly easy to do if it’s not during a thunderstorm.