Week 4 Term 3 - Teacher Practice: Inquiry 2023: Literacy Online Tool - STEPS (August 07 - August 11)

Teacher Inquiry 2023: Improving reading and writing engagement with my Year 9 students through creating mixed ability groups within my Year 9 class 

With my inquiry this term, I have spent time with my focus class (9TKl) reflecting on their learning journey and goals (see Alby's Blog Post Entry - 23/07/23). Since then we have started our Visual Text Study Unit. For this we have watched the short film (Taika Waititi's - Two Cars One Night) and I have introduced the students to the literacy language features for the film. We will start our full film study (Encanto) this week and from here the students will complete the Term 3 Common Assessment Task: Close Viewing. Where they will choose ONE scene from the film, analyze the scene by identifying the key film language techniques and explaining their effect. My goal is to build their literacy skills through written, oral and visual texts. I will blog on this later this term. 

LITERACY ONLINE TOOL: STEPS

In conjunction with the film study, I have also started using an online literacy tool - STEPS (www.stepsweb.com). This coincides with my inquiry as my goal is to help students improve in their reading and writing engagement. This online tool is one that works for both struggling learners and confident learners. The online literacy program is designed so that each student has their own adapted literacy program according to their level. STEPS focuses on the core skills needed for reading and spelling. 

There was a pre-test that the students had to do, the purpose of this pre-test was to tell me where they are currently sitting in terms of reading and spelling. The pre-test also helps to generate and design a reading and spelling program for each learner. The results from the test would give the students the right program according to their level. 

Since the pre-test (end of Term 2) the students have spent two sessions each week on STEPS. It is an easy site to navigate and the students are able to complete the reading and spelling modules at their own pace. Each module is interactive and user friendly. The student's response to this has been positive, a feature on this app is that the students are awarded with either a Bronze, Silver or Gold medal at the end of each module.

Student Profile from my inquiry class 9TKl

The student profile is accessible to both the student and teacher. This is a great feature of the app as it gives the students an overview on what they have achieved and it is strengths focused and mana enhancing - celebrating their strengths in reading and spelling. The STEPS website explains the Student Profile in depth here: 

StepsWeb will tell you everything you need to know about individual users.

For any selected time-period, you will be able to see and print a profile which gives you:

• How many medals the learner has achieved.
• Exactly how they have spent their time!
• Any work which has been done or assigned.
• Detailed logs, including every error made.

You will be informed of your student’s accuracy for:

• Reading and Spelling.
• Comprehension and Language.
• Phonic Knowledge and Skills.

You’ll also be able to see test results and any certificates gained by the student.

Overview of class progress on STEPS

As a teacher, you can see the overall progress for the whole class and you can monitor and track their learning with them (in real time). 

In relation to my inquiry, this online tool is an awesome addition to my inquiry journey. It has been a success in the classroom. I do know that it is only a tool and not the sole answer in helping to engage my learners with reading and writing. It is a journey so I am learning about this app, about my learners as much as they are learning in their literacy journey. I am hopeful that this will influence their engagement with reading and writing. I look forward to recording the journey and to also reflecting on their literacy journey with learning about the language techniques in film.