First CoL Meeting of the year.

We met as a CoL for the first time this year and we were lucky enough to have two presentations that will start off our inquiry year in the right direction.

Meta Analysis of Inquiries

Woolf Fisher

“WFRC will analyse data and evidence from teachers’ inquiries to identified Learn Create Share
practices likely to contribute to accelerated progress for students.”

Not everyone can access what is in your head so inquiries are key. It is vital that the inquiries are picked apart and shared so everyone can benefit from them. This year, the CoL inquiries will be analysed to see what works at a deeper level by our research partners, Woolf Fisher.

Language Acquisition & Development as the Inquiry Lens into your subject/level

Dr Jannie van Hees

Language in abundance has no set way of working, it is not a one size fits all, it is a process of finding out. Language needs to be around the students at all times.
Conditions for learning -
How do you get knowledge? - the main way is through words (in various ways) -this grows cognition and knowledge.
We watched a series of videos that were all trying to teach us how to do the same task. They varied in what type f information was given.
No words, just video how to - we were calling on prior knowledge and knowledge of the names of the things used. It would be really hard if there was no prior knowledge of these things,
No transferability as there is no language used.
Spoken instructions over the visuals and written on the screen.
Words give a sense of context - it is obvious what is being made.
Can slow down and replay, so it is rewindable.
What does language offer a person?
Do we look specifically at language that is offered in the resources that are given to the students.

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• What does language in abundance mean for a particular teacher / class? 
• Quantity of talk needs to happen. 
• Responding and elaborating. 
• Setting up a culture of valuing contributions. 
• Actions with talk that goes along with it. 
• Vocab needs to go alongside meaning and putting into context. 
• Participate and interact with the words. 
• Explain is an important skill to be able to do

http://www.nzcer.org.nz/nzcerpress/primary-vocabulary

Anywhere, any time, any text.
Do we read enough to students? Do they read to each other?
Don’t hope that they come across words - make it on purpose. How can they notice the words and know what they mean and how to use them.
Language in abundance by itself is not enough - it needs support.

 

What’s the Big Idea for 2018

“Language in Abundance”, Language Acquisition, development, Transfer
and sustaining across school levels and curriculum domains.

Language in abundance environments ‘drip’ with language availability and attention, where noticing and relevant use of words allow for deeper, wider, more specific and precise, context appropriate language expression…leading to knowing at deeper and broader

levels. Dr. Jannie Van Hees

What’s OUR responsibility as CoL teachers?

• Conduct a mean as inquiry at your level/s in your subject/ 
• Language in Abundance is the lens 
• Share it really well 
• Help each other 
• Visit online/offline, debate, discuss, challenge, suggest