Week 7 Term 4 - What is the purpose? Literacy Plan 2022 (November 29 - December 3)

PURPOSE: the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.

Last week, I had a bit of a moment where I had to stop and really think 'what is the purpose of the literacy plan?' The way literacy is currently structured into our school culture is quite messy and with all the discussions going on with the self-review and planning for the new Literacy program, I became slightly overwhelmed with all of it. I had to stop and understand why we are doing this and who this for, then map it out from there. For me, I need to know and understand the 'why' before I can figure the 'what', 'who', 'how' and 'when'. 

The focus for this literacy program is: 

Prepare students for the new literacy requirements. Support students to achieve the new literacy standards. Support teachers to understand and integrate effective literacy strategies into their teaching. Improve literacy provision across the school.

Focus group: 2022 Year 9 Cohort (possibly Year 10 cohort)

With the new changes coming through for NCEA scheduled for 2023, I have learnt very quickly that managing change is important. Especially when you are rolling out a new initiative, the buy-in and approval from your key stakeholders is important. Managing the change is important in order for this literacy plan to be effective and to have an impact. Ultimately we want literacy to be embedded into the school culture, it should be a natural part of our school learning system and not a 'tick the box' thing that we have to do. 

Understanding and knowing what the purpose is, from the get-go will help drive this change. So where to from here? Well the plan is still in the final draft stages and I have spent this talking to Mrs Pamaka and Julie Luxton, asking for their feedback on what has been planned so far. I taken the big ideas from our earlier group discussions (around the self-review) and I have tried to condense it into a goal that all departments can adapt and integrate into their learning area planning. 

Revised Literacy Plan (draft) Week 7 Term 4

I am reminding myself that this is a work in progress and that we do not have to have all the answers now. It is a journey and one that I am keen to get started with the English Department. I am excited to get feedback from the Literacy Project Team to see what their thoughts are on this. Hopefully we can finalize the plan in Week 8 and present it in early 2022. 

Week 6 Term 4 - Refining the 'Next Steps' + working on a plan: Literacy Plan 2022 (November 22 - 26)

 Literacy is an important part of a student's learning journey. As teachers, our job is becoming increasingly complex and demanding with having to transform our teaching strategies for online learning, helping students deal and heal mentally and emotionally. These complexities and demands are present in the area of literacy. Over the last four weeks the Literacy Project Group have met to reflect on our current literacy practice and structure and discuss what our next steps are. It has been a deep dive into self-review which has been confronting but also exciting. The next phase that we are in is centered around refining what the next steps are that we have outlined and then how do we put this into an action plan. 

REFINE: make minor changes so as to improve or clarify (a theory or method).

In the previous post, I shared the feedback from our self-review. This post will take a look at how the team have refined some of those action points. 

Refining Data Management + Use Next Steps

• Starting point for teachers across learning areas is to do the 1000 HFV + Nations 1st 2K Testing/Assessments
• Suggestion: Dr Jannie van Hees will work with teachers and will learn pre test + post topic for the vocabulary assessment to build confidence in teachers. The teacher can learn and understand what it is, why we are doing it and how we are going to do it - then they can share their experience with the staff and within their own department.
• Teacher to support Marc with data crunching to understand the numbers and then share it within their own department.
• Classrooms should be more conversational and group focused - formative assessment is a powerful tool for teachers and students.
• Is the literacy priority for Tamaki College 2022? The literacy and numeracy at TC has always been a priority, now it is about being deliberate about it. We want to build a literacy culture that is embedded in teacher practice/daily delivery.
• If the teacher is doing all the work, who is learning? Instead of helping the learner to unpack the print (the skills to be literate are held by the teacher)
• Suggestion: revamp junior programs and prioritize literacy focused programs into the program.
• Literacy Project Team to meet in week 8 to design a plan of action for the teachers to take and to use.

Refining Kaiako Pedagogy Next Steps

• English Department new vision for 2022: Doing things differently and getting the students to experience literacy beyond the desk. Doing things like public speaking, drama, spoken word, school magazine, blogging, visual arts
• Build confidence for teachers to use Maori + Pacific contexts into their practice - how do we address this? How do we expand our lens?
• Math's Department + Cook Island Group (tie dye activity)

Refining Akonga Action Plan Next Steps

• Have robust conversations within departments to see what we are doing with the akonga action plan and what we can do better.

Refining Whanau/Iwi/Community Engagement Next Steps

• We were not able to refine the next steps for this area - however it is very clear that our Tereora Academy run by DJ would be the suitable group to help us engage our whanau and community with our literacy plan.

PLAN: a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something.

An effective literacy plan or program is firstly one that is embedded into the school system and culture. It should not be something that belongs to the English Department. Although the English curriculum is solely centered around literacy, it is something that is offered in all learning areas. Sheena Hervey states that "Literacy teaching can only be described as truly effective when it positively impacts student learning. Successful teachers are able to skillfully integrate a range of instructional approaches and resources to meet the diverse learning needs of their students.

We can now say, with certitude, that effective teachers of literacy:

• Know the literacy processes and pedagogy that determines how their students learn
• Know what their students need to understand and be able to do to meet the Standards
• Know their students as learners
• Have high expectations for their students and encourage risk taking
• Flexibly use a range of instructional practices
• Engage students in challenging learning experiences"

This phase is about planning and mapping out a plan that will be presented to our school in 2022. The hope is that all the learning areas will 'journey' with us and integrate this plan into their departmental, individual planning and prioritize this in their teaching and classrooms. 

The first part of the plan is to really specify what our purpose and goal is. What is our why?

The plan will be focused on the four rubric areas that we have been using in our self-review. Attached to each area is a 'refined next step' that we have discussed and some information on what we can do to help achieve this goals. This is the first draft of the plan and over the next week and half I hope to really flesh this out and make it user friendly. 

First draft of the Literacy Plan 2022

It is a little daunting trying to create an action plan for all learning areas, so my goal is to make this not only user friendly but something that is adaptable for each department. I want departments to be able to see themselves in this and to really take ownership of it. I look forward to recording the last part of the draft stages of the action plan. 

Week 5 Term 4 - Literacy Self-Review (November 15 - 19)

The first session on the self-review for Literacy for the Literacy Project Group was a great way to get the conversation started. Literacy is an important part of any child's learning. Literacy enables children, young adults and adults the ability to discover the world, new ideas and to express their own thoughts and opinions. The Albany Business Review supports this by saying that "Literacy is essential to developing a strong sense of well-being and citizenship. Children who have developed strong reading skills perform better in school and have a healthier self-image. They become lifelong learners and sought-after employees." The initial discussion around the self-review highlighted where we think we are at in terms of how we prioritize literacy in our curriculum and what our current structure is for literacy programs. Our most recent meeting this week was focused on taking the self-review further and exploring where we are at and where we hope to be. This discussion was an opportunity for the team to think about what is the good practice that we have in literacy? How can we make it better? What are the gaps and areas for opportunity that we should advantage of? What are our next steps or action plan for the new changes to literacy? I am going to review the self-review and what my overall takeaway was from the experience. 

SECOND PHASE

means the period from the end of the Transition Phase to the end of three

For this second phase of the self-review we looked at four key areas of the self-review rubric. These areas are: 

• Data Management + Use
• Kaiako Pedagogy
• Akonga Focus Action Plan
• Whanau/Iwi/Community Engagement

We wanted to explore (in depth) what we are currently doing for each area and then start the dreaming and hoping - what are our next steps for our action plan. 

Where are we at?

Self-Review - Where are we at?

It is good to talk about where we are at. It can be difficult to see and acknowledge the truth but it helps one understand the full picture and in hope, give a sense of purpose or drive for whatever the new direction is. Much like our first conversation, we used this opportunity to really unpack where we are at with the four areas. Personally I believe that that there is good practice and good intentions in all four areas from all subject learning groups school wide. I think that going forward, what we can do better is to prioritize not just the new changes to literacy but literacy as a whole in our teaching practice. Literacy is not just an English department focus, it is something that students are doing across the board. I believe that all teachers want to use data effectively, they want to really understand the new changes to the curriculum, they want to have personalized learning plans for their students, they want to engage with community and whanau on the level that has a positive impact on their student's learning. They want all of it. The last two years have been disruptive to say the least and the time constraints around NCEA do not help. Yes this does sound like an excuse, it is, but it is the reality. For me, this is where I am at with the four areas. 

What are our next steps?

Self-Review - What are our next steps?

This is where the conversation takes a different direction. We start talking about what we CAN do and what we hope to achieve. I like this part, I am a bit of a dreamer and it is always fun to talk about the possibilities. 

For Data Management + Use we understand that whilst we do collect and collate data, not all teachers are using it effectively. One possible next step that I found particularly exciting was the idea of getting a representative from each department to work with our literacy strategist (Mr. Milford) in being part of the process - crunching and understanding the data and then sharing this back to their respective learning areas. It is good PLD and it will really put on the ownership and responsibility of literacy to all teachers in all departments. 

Kaiako pedagogy was an interesting area to talk about because there variances across the school on where teacher's stand with literacy however one of the steps I suggested was taking our school goal number 3: 

Goal 3 Literacy and Numeracy

By the end of Year 10, 80% of students will be reading at or above the expected level

By the end of Year 10, 70% of students are writing at or above the expected Curriculum Level.

By the end of Year 10, 70% of students are achieving in Mathematics at or above the expected Curriculum Level.

That 90% of Year 11 students will achieve NCEA Literacy.

That 90% of Year 11 students will achieve NCEA Numeracy.

Taking this goal and give departments manageable chunks on what they can do to reach this goal. Better yet, what literacy strategies they can integrate and who they can work with to achieve these literacy goals. The hope is that this will give staff the confidence that they can drive great literacy practice in their classroom. I believe that confidence ( or lack thereof) is a barrier with how staff teach and foster literacy. Having a good understanding on what the goal and HOW they can achieve and WHAT they can do to get there will hopefully give them that extra boost. 

Akonga Focus Action Plan is all about student centered teaching and leadership. Again like the areas mentioned earlier, there is good practice happening in the school. The area for opportunity that I think should be prioritized is to give all learning areas sufficient time to really plan well and to look at who their students are and what they can to support them effectively. Time is precious, but I think that if we can buy some it can really help teachers understand who their learner is and tailor the program to their students. Giving teachers some great direction, guiding questions and tools can help shape great practice. 

Whanau/Iwi/Community Engagement is such an important of student's learning journey. Students can really flourish and thrive if they feel supported and understood not just from their teachers but also from their families. Dr Jannie suggested that a way to achieve this is to connect with whanau and see how we can help them support their students with reading and writing. Families want to help, they want to support their child and for some, they do not know how to. So making a deliberate effort to prioritize this is recommended move on our part. We do have some opportunities that we have taken advantage of already to start this process through the various parent initiative groups, mentor conferences and project based learning classes that work with communities and whanau. We would also like to use this as leverage. 

At this stage, the self-review is collection of the ideas from all team members. This has been shared with Julie Luxton who will collate the ideas and help form an action plan with us. 

Week 4 Term 4 - Continuing the Literacy conversation (November 8 - 12)

 During the second week of the Term 3 holidays Mrs Pamaka invited the English Department, Literacy Strategy team, Learning Support team and the Tereora Academy to a hui focused on Literacy and the proposed changes to the curriculum (re: literacy and numeracy) for 2023. From this (as mentioned in my previous post) we formed a Literacy group that would help drive and support staff with the changes in the curriculum. We are currently working with Julie Luxton, an education consultant from Evaluation Associates. 

Currently we are in the beginning phase of our journey where we are solely focusing on self-review and next steps. Specifically the self-review process is centered around reviewing where we are at in terms of our literacy program and teaching, where do we want to go and what do we need. The next steps phase is all about the co-construction of an action plan for the literacy changes (2023) that is tailored to our needs. To date we have had our first meeting to start the self-review, the review itself is guided through the Ministry of Education's 'Core conditions for Success' rubric. Julie Luxton recorded our meeting and summarized our conversation in writing. Here is my take on our self-review. 

SELF-REVIEW:

systematically observe, analyze and value your own professional action and its results in order to stabilize or improve it.

What is our understanding of the changes to NCEA (2023?)

There is a general understanding of the changes happening to NCEA in 2023. The recent TOD that happened in August (pre-lockdown) was very informative and it was a great opportunity for all departments to unpack the changes and it how it impacts their subject learning area. For the English Department, we enjoyed reviewing the new program and the overall consensus is that we are happy with the changes. There is still some unclarity as to what assessments we may have to merge together, but I believe that as we continue to talk and collaborate, our understanding of the new changes will improve. With the nature of Term 3 and Term 4 in lockdown, we have not had time to regroup and go further with the discussion, our time has been focused on online learning and our senior students. Personally I like that the new changes to NCEA encourages teachers to focus on skill-based learning and deters away from assessment driven programs (which is what we are currently doing with our students). My understanding of the changes is that the shift is highlighting a teaching to learning rather teaching to assessment. 

Click on the image to read about the changes to NCEA 2023

What is the attitude towards literacy from staff?

Mrs Pamaka shared that the 'mind shift' is needed within the academic teaching staff, in that we are all responsible for literacy and it is not just an English Department issue. We currently have some staff who specialize in literacy strategies and work across the curriculum with different departments. Whilst this is 

What is our current practice with data use and management?

Mrs Pamaka explained that the current structure of literacy delivery at Tamaki College is as follows:

• Learning Support Department (Cheryl, Mary-Anne and 7-8 teacher aides)
• Literacy Facilitator (Marc)
• Jannie – Foundation class, science program etc.

In terms of data use and management, we do a number of practices that help us engage with data for literacy. Our junior school program prioritize PAT reading and E Asttle writing for both Year 9 and Year 10 students. The data from both tests highlight the students who are well above the national mean, students who meet the national mean and those who are well below the national average score. What is concerning for us is that there is an increase in students who are below the national mean and the demand to support them is high. Dr Jannie Van Hees and the learning support team have done a great job in assisting these students but again, the demand can be overwhelming. 

Kaiako pedagogy - what is it?

There is a need for all teachers to prioritize literacy in their pedagogy, in their actual practice. The gaps in our student achievement and learning is largely a result of the high literacy needs that they bring to college in Year 9. There is a sense of a real desire to want to push better literacy focused learning and strategies and it is something that we are aware of, the question is how do we prioritize this in a system that limits the depth in which we can go with literacy? Again, the new changes are encouraging but the need to make a positive impact with literacy is now. 

Where to from here?

We were not able to explore options or land on a definite action plan. There was talk of creating a literacy department (solely focused on literacy) and creating space in the timetable where all teachers (school wide) and Year 9 students have a space in their timetable dedicated to literacy related topics and texts. Similar to the work that Dr Jannie and I did with 9KLe with the Words Association program from Term 3 (see my previous posts from early Term 3). 

Our next step is to meet as a group to discuss the rubric, where we think we stand on it and what our next steps should be. This first meeting scratched the surface, so the purpose of the second meeting is to meet in person, unpack it more and then collaborate on some next steps we want to take. This will coincide with our 2nd meeting with Julie Luxton. I look forward to reflecting on the next step of the process. 

Week 3 Term 4 - Literacy Changes - Starting the conversation (November 1 - 5)

CHANGE 

Change is something that we either embrace or something that we are reluctant to. The temperature in education has shifted since the beginning of the pandemic where online learning and has become a permanent fixture (at least for Aucklanders) since March 25 2020. Change is a good thing, if you understand it and apply it in a way that is meaningful to you. In 2023 there will be significant changes to how literacy and numeracy is structured in the curriculum, in particular the NCEA structure. In Term 3 (August 21) we looked at the changes that will be happening in NCEA Level 1, 2 and 3 English Literature and as a department we discussed what this means to us. 

The new learning matrix that aligns with the literacy changes consist of three ideas. 

• Big Idea 1: Engaging with text is a source of enjoyment and enrichment
• Big Idea 2: Language and identity are inextricable
• Big Idea 3: Making and creating meaning are processes that occur when we interpret and when we produce text

The initial discussion focused on our understanding of the changes and what opportunities we see in the new shift in particular for Maori and Pacific learners. 

LEARNING DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

What pressures are you currently under that takes away your ability to really engage students in rich learning?

• Phones
• Learning barriers and/or behavioral issues
• Dramatics
• Being so assessment driven for me personally
• Time poor/ constraints
• Attendance, including trades courses, trips, work...etc
• Systematic changes
• Lack of student motivation, student driven learning
• Focus being on quantifying learning - which is a reality of our job - in lieu of rich learning
• Meeting deadlines as educators, just as our students must

If achievement standards didn’t exist, what would your program consist of? Use the big ideas and significant learning in your subject’s Learning Matrix to support this discussion.

• Formal writing
• Spoken word
• Create a book
• Poetry
• Autobiography
• Drama
• Monologues
• Script writing
• Storyboarding
• Pick a path
• Public speaking
• Debating
• Cross curricular learning
• Inquiry based - integrated learning
• Teaching life skills through interactive games: Christine’s stealing money idea

Where do you see mana ōrite mō te mātauranga Māori in this learning matrix?

• Incorporating Maori stories and history in our unfamiliar texts
• Localized history to our area

Where can you see opportunities for Pacific Peoples’ knowledge to be integrated into your teaching and learning?

• Using language and identity in speeches
• Incorporating stories/ history
• Talanoa and wananga self-reflection time (use to improve our practice)

How do you include mana ōrite mō te mātauranga Māori and Pacific People’s knowledge in your teaching and programs now?

• Text selection
• Incorporating language and identity in assessments.
• Tautua - service in school - totally different from our reward-driven
• Fostering a tuakana/ teina approach
• High expectations

What do you need to learn more about?

• Knowing that I’m doing the right thing by peoples’ cultures and tikanga

We then dug a little deeper and assessed ourselves as a department and we want to achieve from the changes to literacy. 

GOING FURTHER

Who are we as a Department?

• Student achievement
• Student wellbeing
• Amuse the masses
• We are a family
• A sense of togetherness
• Sharing
• Supportive
• Organised
• Versatile
• Driven

Focus on the English Matrix is LANGUAGE:

• Learning is a priority - Learning 4 Learning
• Structure
• Strategy
• Identity
• Enjoyment
• Comprehension
• Cultural capital
• Making meaning
• Communication
• Connecting
• Accuracy
• Conveying by speech

English Learning Matrix (What stands out for us?)

• Maori voices are important
• Big Idea No. 1 is exciting - “Engaging with text is a source of enjoyment and enrichment”
• Text avoidance and reluctant readers
• Strengthening of identities: identify themselves
• A lot of students are disengaged in learning because they can’t see themselves within it - windows and mirrors
• Content words from the matrix stood out: Interpreting and Analyzing
• Synthesizing ...etc
• Consolidation
• Localized curriculum: more meaning links to NZ
• Appreciating other indigenous voices in light of
• Really connection to our akonga

Priorities as a Department:

• Personal student voices will empower students - there’s a natural progression that will enable them to
• Making sure that we are all on the same page with the changes

WHERE TO FROM HERE?

This initial conversation was put at a halt due to the recent lockdowns. However a literacy project group has been formed. The purpose of this group is to review and improve current literacy practice and to understand and implement the new literacy changes that will take place in 2023. I look forward to writing a reflection on this, as a way to document the journey.