Higher Order Thinking in Reading

Using SOLO taxonomy to break down types of reading questions, we can see how it could hold students back. Texts might be more challenging but, what skills are students learning to help them become lifelong learners? If the types of questions asked aren't challenging, we are only reinforcing the skills students know.

Even in Mathematics, we are using reading skills. Students need to be able to find the clues to be able to solve word problems. Lots of math problems are in written form in High School. This forces students to use deeper order thinking before they can solve them.

We briefly looked at the 3 Level Guide (by Lucy Literacy) and how it starts off with surface-level questions and then moves into the more in-depth questions.

To maintain student involvement they need to see themselves in what they are reading, this is often referred to as a Mirror Text. 

This image was recreated from the Good Teacher Magazine T3 2007, article by Lucy Literacy.

We need to give a brief outline for students, when doing a shared text but, we need to focus on the deeper thinking. Using prompts such as, When you read this think about your own experiences. We don't always  need to look at surface then deeper features.

Verbs to help with deeper thinking task include: create, argue, evaluate, justify, recommend, analyze, compare, discuss. Foundation Verbs would include: classify, calculate, explain, describe, and remember.

Literacy Planet

Our students here at Wesley Intermediate have the privilege of using Literacy Planet to help support and develop spelling, comprehension, vocabulary, grammar and many other literacy skills. 

I have been trying to get my head around this learning application for a while. However, finding the time has been a huge factor, especially when there is so much to pick and learn when entering a new school. 

Literacy Planet

You can set up your own class by downloading a class list, be careful your administrator will probably do this before you start. I was joining the class part through a year they were set with passwords and logins. I made the error of adding them again instead of using the class already set up. Student levels can be their class level or more personalised by increasing or decreasing the level. This will make the activities more relevant and achievable.

Crash Course on Literacy Planet

Reporting on Student Learning

Reports on Students show what they have complete and how well they did. You can check individuals and the class to see what is happening and how they are achieving/ their proficiency. They are looking into adding a percentage with the proficiency rate.

You can see if they have improved within set tasks/missions. You can change dates to view this showing the month or term.

I am looking forward to using this with more proficiency and direction. 

What is a Whakatauki? A Proverb

After looking at how to make our writing more interesting using idioms we started to look at other sayings that are based on experience and truth. Wise words people like to share and live by. So I create a couple of activities to help students understand what they are and their meanings. Followed by how they can be used which is often in speech as that is how people share them.

Here is an example of what is included in the slides. Then as we were online learning due to the pandemic I was encouraged to make an early bird activity that involved a scavenger hunt. Next came Te Wiki o te Reo Maori (Maori Language Week) and I enjoy learning different Whakatauki (Maori Proverbs), and we are now scavenging for the meaning of Maori Proverbs.

Ako Hiko Demo Slam

Professional Development

Completing Professional Development at home will always be interesting. Are there going to be any interruptions (who's going to need 'Mum' first)?

Starting with a Demo Slam, a quick 30-second demo or a brief from teachers on a tool they find helpful. I like this idea.

There were 10 different ideas. Some were informative, as the Twitter feed from student's blog posts.

Five I want to try:

Mote - is an extension to create recordings for slides. However, my version has a trial period.

Talk and Comment - recordings for anywhere, another extension and possibly a better one without a limit.

Natural Reader - this is a way for students who are ESL/NESB to listen to a text. It is an extension that can be pushed out onto Chromebooks.

We were reminded to look inside Hapara at documents shared and unshared. As students may be working from home and their work may not appear in the learning log or on their blogs.

My favourite, as I am always taking screenshots a way to take them and have them on the clipboard (not on the desktop) for a quick paste into whatever I am creating. See the image for the buttons.

We then took a quick look at the observation results for Ako Hiko around T shaped Literacy. I feel I am behind with this as I have struggled to access this information previously. I am thankful for the Literacy Exemplars that are available from various Manaiakalani Outreach Schools and teachers. I am also grateful for the Multi-text Database available to use to help build T Shaped Literacy. 

What is T- Shaped Literacy? It is the opportunity to read a breadth of texts, articles on a similar topic and compare through discussion and deeper questioning to build understanding. 

Today we were breaking into discussion groups to share how we as teachers do that part. There were four discussions:

1. How do we create/design opportunities for students to create?
2. How do we create/design opportunities for students to share their learning?
3. How do we encourage students to led discussions?
4. How do we encourage students to think critically?

I was part of the first group, after completing the Manaiakalani Innovative Teacher Course last year, I felt I could offer students and teachers a variety of opportunities for a range of learning. E.g. through google cardboard, virtual trips through zoos, museums that we can't access due to lockdown...

We are not just providing learning opportunities for students, we are giving students the chance to record their learning in a way that is relevant to them. E.g. At University, we all took notes differently. 

Students all learn in different ways. Some retell the meaning through action or dance, others' would prefer to write about it or just talk about it. As teachers' we have to allow for these differences.