Week 2 Lockdown design for learning
Under level 4 lockdown learning how to design online learning and how to navigate the school drives, google classroom as well as the science department folders was a high priority. I was only designing lessons for the year 12 Marine biology class. This allowed me to see what my AT was setting for the other classes. I was also able to look at the unit plans and the worksheets that had already been developed for the classes I was going to take over.
For the year 12 marine biology they were starting a new internal standard. Ensuring they knew what the standard was and making sure the key points of the standard were highlighted to make sure it was clear to them. Making a document from NZQA that I was able to edit for them so see what was required for achieved, merit and excellence. Providing links they could use with the work I was loading onto the google classroom. These links were to help them to access the material they needed to answer the questions. Letting them know that I was a point of contact for them if they had any questions. This was important and also more difficult as they had only seen me twice in the classroom and didnt have a connection with me yet. I needed to make myself available through the google classroom and email means.
When work was submitted ensuring that I responded to the work within a day of it being submitted and giving constructive feedback. It is hard to judge how long each task will take, so asking the ākonga for feedback if there is enough work or too much work so I could adjust.
Week 3 Lockdown design for learning
This week I set work for a junior class (crimebusters year 9 and 10 class) as well as the marine biology class. Looking for interactive lessons so the ākonga are not doing the same routine was important for me. Looking for a hook and to try to engage the ākonga with the message that went out with the assignment work. For the year 12 marine bio class I made a powerpoint presentation from a friend who is a local plumber and was able to work in Antarctica for 6 months. How he adjusted to the extreme environment, and images that he took from his trip. This was to try to link/spark an interest in sharing the experience of someone who lived in the Hutt and had the opportunity to travel to Antarctica. For the junior class I was able to find a great resource on Science Hub where the ākonga were able to solve a crime and answer questions related to DNA and the evidence. I ensured that I gave them background information about DNA and the terms they would need to complete the activity. The questions that were on the slides I placed into a document so it was easier for them to submit for me to give them feedback/feedforward. I was able to ask them questions to develop their thinking more, asking why would you think this or what does that evidence mean.
I tried to run a google meet with the marine biology class where I discovered how private the ākonga are. It was a very short meeting and it is something that I would like to work on to engage the ākonga further. During some feedback to a year 12 ākonga I noticed they were not responding so I reached out to see if I had confused her and she was and I was able to clarify it further and organise a google meet with her. This showed me the importance of touching base/ reaching out to ākonga if you are in doubt with their confidence with the material.
Week 4 Lockdown design for learning
This week I had three classes. I added on zootopia another year 9 and 10 combined junior science class. Using material from the internet and the science department folder and adjusting it to suit the purpose of what I wanted to achieve with the ākonga became easier for me as I had a flow of work going now. I had found the amount of work that was suitable for the classes so that they were challenged but not overwhelmed. Regularly checking for submitted work and questions so I was able to respond in a timely manner.
For the google meet I used a couple of kahoots to break the ice and do something different. This worked well for the ākonga and the session had a better flow, even with my own children coming in and out of the call.
The school allowed for a teacher only day on Thursday so we could prepare for the Friday lessons. I was grateful for this chance to connect with the staff and figure out where everything was before my first class on Friday.
Week 5 Transition out of lockdown
This was a hard transition for me personally. I went straight into teaching 4 classes (I had added on a year 11 health and sports science class) and preparing for the 12 hours of teaching for the week. The ākonga were all at different stages depending on what they had done during lockdown. Making sure I covered the work they needed to know moving forward without repeating too much for the ākonga who did the work was a hard challenge. I was also not familiar with the classrooms and the booking systems. I had to quickly learn the ins and outs for booking etc so I was able to get lessons organised and practicals organised. I quickly became very aware of the diversity of the year 9 and 10 combined classes so I needed to work on designing lessons that had extra sheets or work for the ākonga who were fast and needed the challenge as well as the tasks for the ākonga who found the material harder to grasp. The ākonga were not sure of who I was and for some ākonga were reluctant to break the ice and communicate with me about their learning.
Designing lessons that were 1 hour long was also a challenge to start off with as I was used to teaching 50 minute classes at my last practicum. Once I found the amount of work that each class was able to undertake I was able to adjust and find the rhythm to set the correct amount of work most of the time. I still need to develop the quick on the spot tasks to lengthen out the class if I had miscalculated, and when to stop a class so there is enough time to do the end of lesson routine, especially with a practical where pack up and a summary needs to be written in their books while it is still fresh in their minds.
Week 6
This week I have the names of most of the ākonga sorted in the 4 classes and I am learning more about their strengths and challenges they face for learning. Connections are starting to be formed across all the 4 classes. My design for learning is leaning more towards the ākonga who are struggling with the content and making sure I have extra for the ākonga who need to have an extra challenge. I am making progress with a balance between worksheets, activities, videos and chalk and talk.
The seniors were not motivated this week and I had to push them to get work done. They have exams next week so have started to switch off from the internal class work. Finding ways to help keep engagement during this time is something that I will need to work on as I had this in my last practicum when internals are due for other disciplines.
For zootopia I had a fish dissection which went well and it held the engagement of the ākonga for the majority of the spell. I need to make sure I write on the board what to look for and notes they could make after the dissection. This was a year 9 and 10 class and they all listened and worked with me once I made the ground rules clear.
I designed a research activity for the zootopia for them to look into native fish and gave them a choice out of four topics to see what they were most interested in. This activity engaged all of the class and the ākonga who were not engaging in previous lessons were interested in the pest fish and they can relate to the impact they have on the native fish.
Week 7 (summary of the practicum)
This practicum has been full of challenges and has pushed me into designing learning for online teaching as well as teaching 2 senior and 2 junior classes with no ease into the topics like on practicum 1. It has shown me that I am able to pick up the content quickly and use the resources on the internet as well as the school resources to develop my own lessons quickly. I have the ability to learn material that I have no expertise in (for example fish and reptiles) and to find ways to teach the ākonga in an engaging way. This practicum has shown me how much I enjoy having a diverse class in both behaviour and learning methods.
With lockdown the importance of introducing myself and starting on connections as soon as possible so you can adapt the learning to their learning styles. Trusting your instincts and touching base with ākonga if you are unsure how they are coping. Even though I had introduced myself during lockdown I also did a quick introduction when back in class. Learning names quickly is important to form connections. Being constant with the expectations of the class, same rules for everyone. Praising the ākonga when they are working with me and having consistent and fair consequences when they are not listening to me and distracting others in the class or being on their phones. Moving around the classroom was a lot better this practicum. I was able to get to the ākonga when they needed help rather than getting stuck to one area of the classroom. My AT left me to it which was a fantastic experience for me to work around 28 ākonga in practicals and manage the materials. Learning to get the ākonga to get the equipment and tidy up rather than me doing it for them.