RPI Day Three: Text Selection

TEXT SELECTION: 

Today was another busy and full-on cognitive day encouraging us to think about the texts we select and their intended purpose. 

The facilitators made us think about whether we are meeting the needs of our students. Are our students being represented in the texts that they are reading? Are we giving them opportunities to look out the window and at the wider world? Are we opening up that opportunity? Sometimes without realising it we give them our own bias and look at things that we like. How can we do better? 

I really like the idea of using the coverage sheet in our teacher workbook as this allows me to see what I am covering and if I am using a variety of different texts, genres etc. For next term, that is something that I will be really focusing on and seeing how can I allow my students to feel as though they are being represented. I also want to look at the coverage of styles of texts. I use videos, digital articles and school journals regularly but want to try and ensure I am using audiobooks or podcasts or different types. 

Another moment from today was the use of levelled groups and mixed ability grouping and taking away the stigma of those reading groups where students automatically assume the worst. Next term, I will be looking at grouping students by goals that they need to achieve and see if that works. This will also allow for extended discussions with my lower readers as they will be exposed to this. 

This won't be an everyday whole-term thing but I would like to give this a go as I can see how it would benefit my learners. 

RPI: Day Two - Knowing Your Learners

 

Today was a very content-heavy day and gave us ideas on how we can keep track of our learners using a range of tools and sources. 

We were introduced to something called the Teacher Workbook - A one-stop place for all our assessments, notes and observations on our students as well as our planning for our groups. This was done in the form of a spreadsheet - something that I actually feel comfortable using - however, I know that won't be the same for everyone else. I loved the idea of having all the planning in one place, with the AO, Learning Progression, LI and SC all in the same view. In the past, I have had to go scrolling and that was something that actually took time.

Today's session gave me a better understanding of the Pillars of Teaching and how this shapes our teaching and our student's learning. The assessment 101 tasks and exploring how the PATs can be used to inform teaching is something that I will take back to my team and I will show them how I am using the Workbook to plan. 

Today's session has given me lots to think about and I look forward to trialling some more of these new ideas with my class over the next couple of weeks. 

Readers Response Survey

I got the students to fill out the survey and was interested in what they said. It was a very mixed response. It was an even spread over those who enjoy reading for fun and those who do not enjoy it. Anime, graphic novels and fantasy novels. 

I found it interesting that students don't go to the library to get books out especially as we are so close to a public library. 

Their response to the My Teacher Thinks I am a Good Reader was interesting as it was quite even over the board.

It did make me wonder, what do they interpret this as? 

What would that sound like or look like for them to be considered a good reader by a teacher? 

Their understanding of what makes a good reader is something that I will need to address as they had a very mixed understanding of this. 

My next step will be exploring the books that the students enjoy and finding a way to engage those who don't enjoy reading for fun (will this be using audio books, magazines on topics of interest etc). 

I would like to try a taste-testing activity or a book recommendation activity.