Week 23: Using evidence

Jonathan Gray wrote a very useful piece for The Guardian newspaper on the limits of data. It is well worth a read and is available from:http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/may/31/data-journalism-focused-critical

Gray offers the following pieces of advice about data:

• Data is not a force unto itself. It is what individuals (or groups) do with data that brings meaning and power.

• Data is not a perfect reflection of the world. The choices we make about data, including what we choose to collect, how we collect it, how we analyse it and how we interpret our analysis all influence the findings and conclusions we can make.

• Data does not speak for itself. It requires interpretation and analysis (hopefully by knowledgeable individuals). In education especially, it needs to be understood within its particular context. This might be in relation to a particular class, school, community etc.

• Interpreting data is not easy. Really understanding what the data is telling us can be very tricky.

Despite these cautions about data, the evidence you collect as part of your teaching inquiry can be very useful.

The following blog post provides some good ideas of how different types of evidence can be used by teachers:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/using-student-data-inform-teaching-rebecca-alber

Resources to support you

The TKI website contains some useful resources to support you in using evidence to inform your teaching practice.

For a general overview of the principles of data analysis go to:

http://assessment.tki.org.nz/Using-evidence-for-learning/Gathering-evidence/Topics/Data-analysis

For more specific tools and strategies that you can use, go to:

http://assessment.tki.org.nz/Using-evidence-for-learning/Reading-and-analysing-data

For a good overview of using evidence in schools have a look at the article published by The Digest and uploaded to the platform.

Tasks for this week

1. Read the class notes on interpreting and using evidence.

2. Check out the information available on the TKI website:

http://assessment.tki.org.nz/Using-evidence-for-learning/Gathering-evidence/Topics/Data-analysis

http://assessment.tki.org.nz/Using-evidence-for-learning/Reading-and-analysing-data

3. For more information and detail on using evidence read the article from The Digest uploaded to the portal (also available fromhttp://www.vit.vic.edu.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/PDF/The Digest/1636_The-Digest-Issue-3-08_final.pdf).  

Literature Review

Not an essay or a research paper - just part of the research paper.

 - not state your idea

- not prove your idea

Key Terms:

1. Major works published about your narrow topic - change in context for FM

2. This literature is reviewed - snap shot of the major outcomes or themes

3. Show relationships between those snapshots

Purpose:

Improve understanding of the topic area.

Demonstrate that knowledge.

Reader service - summarise - bring the reader up-to-date on the research.

Ready to start at the current point - where you are sitting your research.

What makes a good Research Question?

1. Choose a general subject area of interest.
2. Check our what research has already been done. What questions arose from these projects?
3. Who is the audience?
4. Ask open ended questions.....What, where, when, how, why and evaluate your responses.

Following this should come your thesis statement. 

Introduction to Research Ethics and ERGO

Cultural differences, how to gain permission from minors. Have you thought about 

Ethics dimension:

Does your research involve human participants?

 - interviews

- surveys

- observations of performance

There are 4 basic forms to fill out.

1. Application form: describe methods - how maintain confidentiality

2. Risk assessment - RAMS physical, emotional, financial - strategies to minimise

3. Participant information sheet - explains what you are doing, how they will be involved and rights. Contact information.

4. Consent form - focus groups, interviewed, questionnaire, observed...

Extra care for under 16 year olds....

Same 4 forms + lots more detail justifying their inclusion. Under 16, we also need consent for m for parents and principal of the school. 

Process:

Electronic proposal to your supervisor.

Reviewed by other staff.

Research governance office - ethics Review Office - 2-3 weeks.

Action in 'The Learning Pit'

James Nottingham

Before I unpack this concept with the class, we need to pull it to pieces here.

This could be about learning a skill or grappling with a confrontational concept where learners are faced with a dilemma.

The Learning Pit and being faced with a dilemma... 
- Promotes deeper thinking
- Develops persistence

- Demands students to get past the 'panic' stage
- Requires the problem to be clearly identified
- Requires the use of different strategies

- Allows learners to help each other
- Lets learning be co-constructed

- Requires the process and learning to be reflected upon

This is what I have already unpacked in my earlier readings.

The Learning Pit:
http://www.jamesnottingham.co.uk/about/learning-pit 

http://www.supplyteachingsolutions.co.uk/#!Instilling-a-growth-mindset/c24tn/1

Make the process of 'The Learning Pit' clear and visible to learners so they know what happens and the skills to use at different points.

Make sure you throw in the challenging questions that causes learners to'struggle' to find the answer. I found it! There is no sense of elation without the struggle.

See 'The Learning Pit' as a collaborative experience where we build on each others ideas and skills.

The 'Learning Pit' sequence:
1.  At the start of the pit - ask a concept question - to push past surface knowledge.

2. At the bottom of the pit - add thinking strategies and collaborative opportunities. Focus on the Growth Mindset, never giving up but celebrating the struggle.

3. Outside the pit you have your deep answer or 'Eureka' experience.

4. Post pit - ask metacognitive questions - how did you feel, what strategies did you use, what will you use again?

8. Meaningful Reflection:
http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/12/03/what-meaningful-reflection-on-student-work-can-do-for-learning/ 

Focus on self improvement rather than achieving grades.
Reflection gives next steps for learning - formative.
Reflection is documented to allow for tracking of progress and thought process.
Reflection is shared to provide collective support.

CLASS ACTION:

1. Introduce the pit in relation to our weaving endeavours as we all found these challenging. Focus on a physical skill. 

2. Begin to develop our own visual to represent this concept.

3. Introduce a conceptual dilemma to them and see ow we respond. See if they can relate it to the Learning Pit.

Improved Quality of Reflections

The initial student reflections on their learning were about being happy they had coloured something in neatly. After I introduced the iReflect sheet with starter sentences, this added more detail in their reflections and helped them focus on sharing evidence and next steps.

Links to reflections



One particular reflection that shows thinking along a Positive Mindset is with Ella teaching another student how to weave. She was quite hesitant in this task but used lots of strategies to manage the challenge, resulting in a big gain in confidence.

Next Steps:
We need to keep developing visual posters, unpack a Positive Mindset for our weekly targets and reflect on the evidence our daily learning. The positive phrases need to be what is heard every day so it sinks in and becomes second nature.

I need to give them some big challenges and let them see how they respond.

Unpacking a Positive Mindset

We sorted lots of statements into a GROWTH or FIXED MINDSET. This formed our class display, which is referred to throughout every day. The kids use this language in commenting about people they want to recommend in our end of day class oral reflection.

Action Research - Learning PIT - classroom steps.

Initial classroom action steps:

Develop, complete and analyse a student voice survey on their levels of positive mindset.

Get the class to unpack 'have a positive mindset' as a target, with possible success criteria.



Unpack and constantly refer to positive mindset posters and tools:

 1. Effort train

2. Change your words mindset display

3. Daily mindset chants

4. Use my iReflect planning sheet

Research Summary - What to focus on!

Obvious themes from the research to apply to our classroom:

Establish a class culture that values thinking and the 'struggle of learning'.
 - posters, chants and class ethos of 'hard work brings success'.
- unpack the process of 'The Learning Pit' with feelings and strategies at each step.
- add 'what did you struggle with' to our end of day reflection time.
- throw students into the pit  - give them challenges that will require struggle

Model the strategies of thinking and routines explicitly, using the language of learning daily.
 - focus on 'See, think, wonder', What makes you say that?, What are you puzzling over?'
- explicitly establish a series of thinking routines - Think, Pair, Share...
- unpack and use the language of thinking: resilient, evidence, hypothesis, making connections...

Set time aside to think.
 - teacher model and 'self talk' or verbalise thinking.
- self determined targets with self, peer and teacher feedback and next steps.
- iRefect time, find evidence of application, sharing reflections on blogs, tracking progress.

Visible Thinking Research - unpacking the gems!

Research links:


1.  http://edtalks.org/video/thinking-and-learning-together

Helen Lewis: Welsh teacher educator

Age 3 - 7 students

Encouraging young children to become aware of and talk about their thinking.

Visible thinking routines:

• mind maps & visual organisers
• explicit use of the language

Video as a source of dialogue:

• evidence of other children doing 'good thinking'.
• opportunity for further discussion
• explicitly name and celebrate 'thinking skills'

2.  Visible thinking website:
Teach mini strategies to help develop and extend thinking.
Resulting in:

• Greater motivation for learning
• Development of learners' thinking and learning abilities
• Development of learners' attitudes toward thinking and alertness for thinking opportunities
• A shift in classroom culture toward a community of enthusiastically engaged thinkers and learner

Mini strategies:
Routines - repeatedly used, cross-curriculum, few steps, easy to teach, group or  individual.

• What makes you say that? (evidence based reasoning) Begin with think, pair, share.
• 3, 2, 1 bridge - 3 ideas, 2 questions, 1 analogy / simile - connections between prior knowledge & new ideas over time.
• Colour, symbol, image to represent a concept e.g. red. Share ideas and adjust according to other opinion.

3.  "Making Thinking Visible" 
Ron Ritchhart and David Perkins. "Making Thinking Visible," Educational Leadership 65, no. 5 (February 2008): 57-61.

6 key principles:

• Learning is a consequence of thinking - build on others' ideas - team endeavour.
• Thinking requires skills and dispositions - Open-mindedness, curiosity, attention to evidence, skepticism, and imaginativeness...
• The development of thinking is a social endeavour - a supportive social environment.
• Fostering thinking requires making thinking visible.
• Classroom culture sets the tone:

1. thinking routines established
2. the language of thinking is used
3. time is allocated for thinking about thinking
4. thinking is modelled
5. the physical space allows for thinking
6. relationships and patterns of interaction focus on thinking
7. relevant opportunities provided for thinking

• Schools must value and allow time for teachers to be thinkers

What does it sound like in class?
Listen to student ideas - spring from there.
Scaffold and draw out with appropriate visual organisers. Think-puzzle-explore routine
What do you 'think you know'? This allows for freedom to share - possibilities rather than absolutes.
'What makes you say that?' prompting the need for evidence.
Finally: 'What are you puzzling over?' opens them up to engaging in the struggle.




4. http://www.academia.edu/4841813/Making_Thinking_Visible_Through_Action_Research 
Draw students into metacognition using picture books: Oh the Thinks You Can Think: Seuss

What do you think, see, wonder? This is an awesome tool to encourage deeper thinking.
Dewey: 1910 The origin of thinking resides in perplexity, confusion or doubt.
Teachers verbalise the thinking goals behind a learning task.
What do you see?What do you think?What do you wonder?

The focus of this research was:
1. To make thinking visible in the classroom so students can recognise their own thinking.
2. To allow students to share their thinking so it can be guided.



5. https://edorigami.wikispaces.com/file/view/AERA06ThinkingRoutines.pdf

Start by building a classroom culture that values and nurtures thinking.
 - explicitly model thinking strategies
 - systems or routines that incorporate 'thinking' language and give time for 'thinking'

Possible thinking routines:
Think, pair, share, KWL
Spend time establishing these at the start of the year, indicating the importance of thinking.
Here are a range of Thinking Routines explained: (Click on the image for a larger view) 

What is the point of these routines:

6. The Growth Mindset: http://www.mindsetworks.com/webnav/whatismindset.aspx
http://akoallana.blogspot.co.nz/2015/03/carol-dweck-conference-18th-march.html

Encourage students to value the struggle.
We can get better at learning and thinking.
Knowing the process and who to ask if we get stuck.
Have a class culture that values mistakes or failure and learns from them.

'I want to do this because it is so hard!'
'Go slow, dig deep.'


7. The Learning Pit:
http://www.jamesnottingham.co.uk/about/learning-pit 

http://www.supplyteachingsolutions.co.uk/#!Instilling-a-growth-mindset/c24tn/1

Make the process of 'The Learning Pit' clear and visible to learners so they know what happens and the skills to use at different points.

Make sure you throw in the challenging questions that causes learners to 'struggle' to find the answer. I found it! There is no sense of elation without the struggle.

See 'The Learning Pit' as a collaborative experience where we build on each others ideas and skills.

The 'Learning Pit' sequence:
1.  At the start of the pit - ask a concept question - to push past surface knowledge.

2. At the bottom of the pit - add thinking strategies and collaborative opportunities. Focus on the Growth Mindset, never giving up but celebrating the struggle.

3. Outside the pit you have your deep answer or 'Eureka' experience.

4. Post pit - ask metacognitive questions - how did you feel, what strategies did you use, what will you use again?



8. Meaningful Reflection:
http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/12/03/what-meaningful-reflection-on-student-work-can-do-for-learning/ 

Focus on self improvement rather than achieving grades.
Reflection gives next steps for learning - formative.
Reflection is documented to allow for tracking of progress and thought process.
Reflection is shared to provide collective support.

Learning Pit: Visible thinking and student reflection

Now is the time to clarify all the ideas that are buzzing around my mind. What to focus on for my Action Research or Learning Pit for 2015?

My initial thoughts stem from the PD that I have been involved in so far this year:
1. Reading 'The Positive Mindset' by Carol Dweck
2. Listening to Carol Dweck in person in Christchurch during Term 1
3. Hearing Holly Clark at the GAFE Summit Christchurch discuss reflection in student portfolios
4. The Learning Pit - constantly being tweeted about

It was also clearly illustrated in an image that was shared with me this last week:

My focus research question is:

How can making thinking visible help students see the connections that allow them to effectively reflect on their learning both academically and in developing a postivie mindset?


The key words are visible thinking, effective student reflection and positive mindset.

This is supported by the principles of modern learning that require student agency - to be empowered by a sense of ownership over their own self directed learning.

It also supports the Springston School beliefs that learning should be:

Challenging: We will …

• provide opportunity for students to be in charge of their learning

Relevant, Clear and Purposeful: We will …

• co-construct success criteria to unpack learning outcomes

Supported with Modelling, Exemplars and Assessments: We will …

• provide learners with the tools they need to set goals and plan for their own learning
• reinforce reflection as part of the learning process
• provide time for self-reflection and assessment
• teach tools that lead to deeper reflection and self-assessment
• give meaningful feedback/forward - allowing time to act upon advice

First steps in Independent Learning!

We used the last couple of weeks as an experiment to see who could cope with making Independent Learning choices, what further support would need to be set in place and which students were ready to continue having earned their Independent Learner's Licence. All evaluations and learning conversations centred around these success criteria and our next steps in achieving them.

The initial Independent Learning Plan had titles of Writing and Daily5 Reading in the traditional places, while Independent Learners had choice of activitiy during these times.  They also earned the right to select where they work and who they work with.

During the first week we had 10 Independent Learners, while in the second week we expect to have 13. All of the initial students managed to maintain their independence and licence but as the numbers get bigger, I would expect some students to lose their licence by making the wrong choices.

Observations of our first week with Independent Learners:

• Students I was not 100% sure could manage stepped up to the challenge, showing outstanding independence.
• Independent Learners encouraged and supported peers to make the right choices.
• The class was a calm and productive learning space. 
• Most of the remainder of the class aspire to earn their licence and can identify their focus success criteria.
• A couple of students showed aspects of anger or frustration as they thought they would never earn their licence.

Scaffolding steps to set up for Term 3:

• Continue with the class tracking sheet or trial the one from the neighbourng room. (Alice K)
• Set up clear guidelines about numbers and expected behaviour in the library, cloakbay or outside.
• Incorporate aspects of the Independent Learner Licence in the student Daily Planner.
• Purchase more lanyards and make 5-10 more licences. 
• Begin to incorporate more SOLO visual organisers.
• Develop more 'How to' sheets for ICT based activities.

Research summary

I have spent a the whole of Term One searching blogs, research papers and twitter links regarding improving student writing by using an authentic blog audience.  I am still gathering information and will continue to add my findings as the year progresses.

There were some over-riding key points that emerge:

Teachers have to get connected:
Blogs are not an authentic audience if writing is only getting comments from the class teacher.  It was found that students put more effort into writing and commenting if they know there is an authentic audience from which they receive comments/replies to comments.  As a result, the teacher must get connected by building their own PLN so they can promote student writing to a wider audience for relevant and authentic responses.
Action:

• Teacher must connect student writing to a wider audience using tools like twitter, facebook...
• Join #comments4kids to access a wider audience
• Teacher and students constructively comment on other blogs, leaving our URL for return visits
• Join Quadblogging to make connections with three other classes from around the world
• Join activities like the 100 Word Challenge that posts student writing for an enormous audience and comparisons to other student writing can be made
• Training workshops for parents and wider whanau on constructive commenting and the value of family engagement
• Tracking the number of comments and audience source over each month to assess audience

Langwitches Blog - Quadblogging reflection
EDUTOPIA - 10 Tips of becoming connected
Inquire Within - effect of Quadblogging on writing
Declairingit Blog - effect of Quadblogging on writing
Teaching with Tech - Authentic Audience Research Paper


Comments must be constructive rather than social:
Many of the comments received on writing posts are social rather than constructive and have no value to the editing of writing, only to the motivation of having an audience.  Constructive commenting must be modelled and scaffolded.

Action:

• Include a link to the success criteria of that writing type so that comments can be precisie, directed and constructive.  This will be a learning point for some readers, a referral point for our writers and help improve the value of comments received
• Run training sessions for students, parents and wider family on constructive comments
• Provide a 'page' on the blog with instructions on effective commenting
• Samples of student comments compared over the year 
• Tracking the type of comment to assess how many are constructive

Medbury School - Success criteria posted with writing
Langwitches Blog - Blog comment rubric
Teaching with Tech - Authentic audience research paper

Donald Graves says that writing is a public act, meant to be shared with multiple audiences.

Howard Brown shows that the mechanics of writing improve when it is for publication.

(Cited in Teaching with Tech - Authentic audience research paper)

We are aiming for children who are:  
1.  Aware of their audience
2.  Taking an active role in the blogging community
3.  Show personal responsibility in the writing process

Blogs:

http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/

http://inquiryblog.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/quad-blogging-an-inquiry-into-teaching-writing/

http://langwitches.org/blog/

Blogging rubric

http://manaiakalani.blogspot.co.nz/

Blogging with students

Authentic audience

Engaging parents

http://teachdigital.pbworks.com/w/page/19791016/blogging

http://www.maggiehosmcgrane.com/2012/06/quad-blogging-lessons-learned.html

Articles:

http://www.educationnews.org/technology/teacher-experiments-with-blogging-to-improve-student-writing/

http://suite101.com/article/5-benefits-for-creating-a-classroom-environment-for-student-blogs-a285167

http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/tojde49/articles/article_13.htm

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/quad-blogging-technology-classroom-suzie-boss

Tools:

http://kevinhoneycutt.essdack.org/kevinhoneycutt.org/Tools.html