Chapter Chat - Increasing engagement in Literacy

This term I have branched out to include Chapter chat in my class (https://www.facebook.com/ChapterChatNZ/) This is a nation wide programme that students participate in. It involves have a class novel, and students completing activities around the novel. On the Friday at 10am all students participate via twitter and share all there work, as well as answering questions and interacting with other students, and the work other students have shared. The novel we are reading is called Refugee by Alan Gratz. It is based on 3 refugee children from different eras. Josef is a Jewish boy from 1939, Isabel is a Cuban girl from 1994 and Mahmond is a Syrian boy from 2015.

This is the first time that I have read a class novel to the whole class and had everyone so quiet when I have been reading it. When ever I got to the end of the chapter they would beg for more. I book is very well written.

Using twitter in the class is certainly a first for me and I was very nervous about how it would go. I did some prior teaching about our digital footprint and how that everything they put on our class twitter page needed to be able to be put on the front fence of the school. This seems to have worked for the students, and so far I have been impressed with their "tweets"

It has been encouraging for me as a teacher hear the conversations around the class about the book, and how they have been happy to share their thinking and activities.

Part of chapter chat involves the students all going on to twitter at 10am on a Friday and sharing their work with other students from around New Zealand, as well as answering questions that are provided by the organiser. Our first "Chapter Chat" I wasn't sure exactly how it was going to go, having never done or seen it. I used a few of the guidelines given and got all the students to answer the questions the day before, I also downloaded 'Tweet Deck" in order to be able to have on projector so students could follow it. The students worked in pairs or 3's and shared a laptop. I showed everyone how to access twitter on the laptop, and gave everyone our user name. However, I have not given the password as I wasn't sure that was such a good idea. This meant I had to physically put the password in for each group.

The chat itself was very fast but the students really enjoyed sharing and looking at other students work. They were lots of comments like "Man that is cool" "I really like that" and even "I could do better then that".

Students using Twitter to engage with other students from around New Zealand

TweetDeck is on the big screen to enable students to follow what is happening

In regards to increasing student engagement in Literacy I think that Chapter Chat at this stage is working well in my class. Students are certainly enjoying the collaboration of twitter and being able to share with other students from around New Zealand. They are often asking if they can do Chapter Chat, which is awesome to hear and see. I do wonder if if is the collaboration they are enjoying, or the story itself.

Critical Friend

This afternoon after school I meet with my critical friend. My critical friend is Ngami Prattley. We went over how to set up our blog, and got these up and going. Carol and Simon also joined us, as they too were unsure of how to see it up.

I was fortunate enough to have had a little experience with Blogger so felt confident enough to lead our wee group. We went over setting up labels, and ensuring that we have the six teaching standards set up correctly. Once Carol and Simon felt set up enough to continue on, they left Ngami and I alone to continue to work on our blogs.

I was able to show Ngami what I have been working on, and how I was showing that I was meeting the standards.

We also discussed what I could do with Jack C. as she had taught him last year.

I can see this relationship between Ngami and I working well as she is a wealth of experience, and I am sure to learn lots of her this year.

Classroom environment and set up

This was the first time I had set up a class room for this year level, and to be honest I was a little nervous about it. I have set areas for displays for the students work, and have tried to limit as much teacher stuff around the room as I could. I wanted to create an environment that the students could share and feel a part of by having their own work displayed.

View from back corner, from teaching table. As you can see on the back wall there is lots of space for the students work

View from teaching table toward the front of the class. The 2018 art work is goals the students have set for this year

Students reflection from 2017 and goals for 2018

Inquiry Wall - Our inquiry this year is around sustainability

Notices for the students, and Job chart. Each student has an assigned role in the class for the week

Twitter Wall - Each student has a card, and writes "tweet" each week about how their week is going, and what they are learning about. As a teacher this is proving valuable as I can see what the students are enjoying and am quickly able to touch base with them.

 I am a firm believer that in order for students to have success in their education they need to feel safe, and valued. I have been working on creating a classroom that encourages this by doing lots of collaborative learning activities, and sharing. One way of mixing up the students and encouraging them to work with others was using popsicle sticks with their names on them. I pull out two popsicle sticks if they are working in pairs and those students work together. It has been interesting seeing barriers break down as students are peer with others they don't normally work with.

I encourage all the students of 10 Mohua to respect and value each other. I am impressed that by the end of week two I have seen a real culture of comradeship in the classroom, and students are really starting to look out for each other.

Introducing Myself

Hi

I am a second year PRT who is a year 8 teacher at Longford Intermediate in Gore. I graduated in 2014 from the University of Canterbury with a degree in Teaching and Learning (Primary). This is my first permanent position, and I excited about different things I can try in the classroom. I will be applying for full registration at the end of term 2.

This year, as well as being a classroom teacher, I am also in charge of Health and P.E. and EOTC and year 8 Camps.

I feel very excited and nervous about the year, and the challenges the roles I have will bring. This blog will cover what I have been doing this year, my inquiries, and my successes and failures, and what changes I make, and the growth I will take as a teacher.