Weaving evidence, inquiry and standards chapter 2

Presents a model that integrates inquiry and knowledge building cycle with three important capabilities (fig 2.1, p.26)

Instructional- What do teachers, leaders, whanau need in pedagogical knowledge  that will most effectively accelerate the progress of the current context of students, on which their inquiry is focussed (p.29)

Organisational-School systems, such as assessment that support and promote teacher learning in their inquiry cycles- building a school structure that supports the building of adaptive expertise

Evaluative- “requires the use of evidence to answer questions-’ where am i going?’, ‘how am i doing?’ and ‘where to next?” (p.31) This capability involves deep pedagogical understanding on the part of teachers and leaders around what progress they should b looking for and then link these into the curriculum

The strands of this model are woven together through relationships that focus on- managed interdependence, trust and challenge

How This Chapter Could/Should Influence Our Practice ?

When using the model in fig 2.1, the starting point is always on student achievement- importantly the aims for achievement need to be focused on those outcomes valued by the school community- How does this look for our community? What are the contextual differences between our community and others?

How do we foster and support adaptive expertise and ensure our organisational capability creates a culture that promotes, not hinders this?

Evaluative capability involves the building of a shared understanding about what we require to build adaptive expertise...what are the conditions that at present are limiting this in our school?

How can we build the relationship aspects that will support change-

Managed interdependence? How do we know when is the time to access external rather than internal experts?

Trust and Challenge?

Where are we on fig 2.2, as a leadership team? as a team?

Setting up a Gifted and Talented programme for MBS

I have finally got the time to be able to focus attention onto our students who are requiring extension. Creating a document which outlines our schools' coverage for G 7 T students has highlighted two things:
How many things we already do for these students- such as:

Opt in lunchtime groups

Specialist classes
After school groups
Classroom acceleration and curriculum compacting...though this one needs some PLD to ensure it is across the school

Classroom programmes

Mathex

Debating

Speech and Poetry competitions

However it has also highlighted some areas to work on such as:

Creating a set of selection criteria, with staff, students and also parent voice

Culturally responsive Gifted programmes built in collaboration with our local Iwi and parents of our Maori students

We also as yet do not accelerate through side along enrollment, which is an area we need to look to build as we often have intermediate students already able to sit NCEA maths and English

however these are all on the to do list

This week I got to start my extension Maths and Literacy classes and we had a ball. It's amazing how much you can miss being with kids, when most of your day is paperwork! 

It was total luxury to get to spend time with these amazing students, who took to the idea of a blog to share work and ideas, like ducks to water!and I am looking forward to the next sessions

MBS gifted blog

some pics of the maths fun making Pi from Pies