Digitally skilled practitioners are powerful!
Today we have a deeper look into practical ideas behind the Manaiakalani Kaupapa for reading, which reinforces the good practice we use at Ōwairaka, especially around using reading apps in both a visual and purposeful way. One thing that Dorothy mentioned was the importance of directly engaging with these apps, not just for tracking student progress, but also for fostering a sense of responsibility. Dorothy's idea of using a Google Form and Sheet to quickly track student use of these apps will be a great addition to my current reading task board.
Empowering learners through using a diverse selection of texts is a simple yet powerful teaching tool. It's amazing how selecting materials that truly reflect students' experiences and interests can change how a student thinks about reading. When students feel a personal connection to what they're reading, they take ownership of their learning journey and feel empowered to explore texts on their own.
The main focus of our discussions today was the importance of selecting appropriate texts for our reading programs. We talked about the need to have a variety of texts that act as both mirrors and windows for our students. In the words of Rudine Sims Bishop, books should be like "Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors" that reflect the diversity of our world and the experiences of our students. We need to provide books that children can relate to and identify with, but also expose them to new perspectives and cultures. This requires careful planning and the inclusion of engaging activities such as shared reading, poetry, novel studies, and film studies to broaden students' horizons and instil a love for literature.
Key takeaway - This discussion reinforced the importance of selecting texts that resonate with our students' experiences, and having access to reading survey results makes it easier to plan with their individual needs in mind.
Something to think about - When selecting a text, opt for tier 2 words that are not commonly used in everyday conversations. This will help build our student vocabulary and have a direct impact on their writing. A win-win!
Another interesting PLD session that has resulted in new ideas or tweaks to my current reading programme. I particularly found the analogy of the flea in the jar experiment very relatable. It perfectly illustrates the difficulty of stepping out of our comfort zones as educators. Similar to how fleas adjust their jumping abilities based on the height of the jar lid, we too should be willing to adapt our teaching approaches to cater to the varying requirements of our students.
Grouping learner
