Information Narratives Learning Program

Annotations - Sequencing learning programs

Description

When planning for student learning, I adapted a recommended approach to teaching information narratives found in Wing…’s ‘Write Ways; Modelling Writing’ book (2008) in combination to an approach of Immersion, drafting, editing and revising and publishing that my mentor recommended. Students had already previously learnt about narratives and their structure so I was able to build on their prior knowledge throughout the learning program.

VIT Standard

3.2 Plan, structure and sequence learning programs, plan and implement well-structured learning and teaching programs or lesson sequences that engage students and promote learning.

AusVELS

Various – see lesson planner for details

PoLT

3.1 uses strategies that are flexible and responsive to the values, needs and interests of individual students
3.2 uses a range of strategies that support the different ways of thinking and learning
3.3 builds on students' prior experiences, knowledge and skills
4.1 plans sequences to promote sustained learning that builds over time and emphasises connections between ideas
4.5 uses strategies to develop investigating and problem solving skills

Personal Philosophy

One of the key skills that teachers should have is the ability to design and implement purposeful learning programs that deepens students’ conceptual understanding of the topic.

Other Theory

Lessons and planning should be explicitly matched with to curriculum and learning outcomes (Churchill, 2011) planning comes in many forms and schools often have an approach that they have adopted for teachers to use (Churchill, 2011)

According to Wing, information narratives are used to convey factual information in a narrative structure. They are used to inform as well as amuse and entertain (2008)

Professional Practice

Information narratives learning program

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Information Narratives learning program

Annotations - Goal setting and self-evaluation

Description

As part of every lesson explicit SMART goals in the form of success criteria were set for students. Students used these goals throughout every lesson to check their success in the lesson. The goals set for students are shown throughout the planner for information narratives. At the end of every lesson students would reflect on their learning and self-evaluate against the goals set.

VIT Standard

3.1 Establish challenging learning goals, Set explicit, challenging and achievable learning goals for all students
4.1 Support student participation, Establish and implement inclusive and positive interactions to engage and support all students in classroom activities.

AusVELS

Various – see lesson planner for details

PoLT

1.3 uses strategies that promote students' self-confidence and willingness to take risks with their learning
1.4 ensures each student experiences success through structured support, the valuing of effort, and recognition of their work.
2.1 encourages and supports students to take responsibility for their learning
4.3 emphasises the quality of learning with high expectations of achievement

Personal Philosophy

I place high expectations on my students and create explicit, challenging, and achievable goals for students so that they can evaluate their successes in their learning.

Other Theory

“A very straightforward way to introduce students to self-evaluation is through teaching students to use a provided checklist of assignment expectations. Students use the checklist to determine whether their performance meets the learning expectations” (Chan et al, 2014, p.6)

Annotations - Evaluating learning programs

Description

Within the first week of the unit, through the use of student reflection I discovered that students still quite grasping the concept of what and information narrative was and how it was different from an information text. The adjustment was made to expose the students to more information narratives which resulted in the inclusion of a cross-classification chart activity.

The images show are of student reflections after completing activities based on information narratives.

VIT Standard

3.6 Evaluate and improve teaching programs, Evaluate personal teaching and learning programs using evidence, including feedback from students and student assessment data, to inform planning.

AusVELS

Various – see lesson planner for details

PoLT

3.1 uses strategies that are flexible and responsive to the values, needs and interests of individual students
3.2 uses a range of strategies that support the different ways of thinking and learning
4.4 uses strategies that challenge and support students to question and reflect

Personal Philosophy

I believe one of the most important things a teacher can do in their lessons is check for understanding. If my students don’t understand what they are learning, I evaluate my teaching and planning to improve student learning.

Other Theory

Teachers’ work is complex and requires deep and foundational reflective practices (Hoffman-Kipp et al., 2003). “Teacher self-evaluation is a process in which teachers make judgments about the adequacy and effectiveness of their own knowledge, performance, beliefs, and effects for the purpose of self-improvement”(Stronge, 2006, p.186) It is important for teachers to use multiple data sources when evaluating practice to ensure that they are changing their practice for the betterment of student learning (Stronge, 2006).

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Annotations - Collaborative Learning

Description

One of the activities that students completed as part of the ‘immersion’ part of the sequence was to complete a cross classification chart for a range of information narrative books. The activity was first modelled to the whole class using an information narrative that they had previously looked at. Students divided into groups and collaboratively worked to find the different items on the chart such as facts, verbs, adjectives, orientation, sequence of events and conclusion. Students came back together after the activity to share thier results and add them to the chart.

VIT Standard

3.1 Establish challenging learning goals, Set explicit, challenging and achievable learning goals for all students
4.1 Support student participation, Establish and implement inclusive and positive interactions to engage and support all students in classroom activities.

AusVELS

Various – see lesson planner for details

PoLT

2.2 use strategies that build skills of productive collaboration.
3.2 uses a range of strategies that support the different ways of thinking and learning
4.2 promotes substantive discussion of ideas
4.5 uses strategies to develop investigating and problem solving skills

Personal Philosophy

I believe it is important for teachers to spark their students’ curiosity and encourage them to investigate. I encourage my students to work collaboratively as I believe student learning benefits when student have opportunities to learn from each other.

Other Theory

According to John Dewy (1938) and Lev Vygotsky (1979) learning is socially constructed therefore learning should include many opportunities for whole-class and small-group collaborative learning. “Social cognitive theory views cooperation as the shared belief of group members in their collective power to produce desired results” (Gillies, 2015, p.17)

Annotations - Resource selection

Description

One resource chosen for use during the information narratives learning program was ‘Meet the ANZACS’ by Claire Saxby and Max Berry. Information narrative books are quite hard to find so I was happy when I found this book. The book was at a reading level that my students could understand and it included the necessary items to make it an information narrative including facts that students could pick out from the text. There was also a video version of the book available on YouTube that students could read along with to revisit the book after it had been read as a whole class.

VIT Standard

3.4 Select and use resources select and/or create and use resources including ICT, to engage students in their learning.
4.5 Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically, Incorporate strategies to promote the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching.

AusVELS

Various – see lesson planner for details

PoLT

3.1 uses strategies that are flexible and responsive to the values, needs and interests of individual students
3.2 uses a range of strategies that support the different ways of thinking and learning
3.4 capitalises on students' experience of a technology rich world.
6.3 use technologies in ways that reflect professional and community practices.

Personal Philosophy

When selecting resources for use in the classroom I ask 3 questions to determine if the resources is suitable;

Is it appropriate to the content?

Is it suitable for my students’ current learning levels?

Will it help to build student knowledge, skills and understanding

Other Theory

“Resources can make or break a lesson plan or unit” (Churchill, 2011, p.215). Resources for teaching are readily available, it is important that resources are effectively incorporated into planning so that they are seamlessly embedded into lessons to support students’ learning (Churchill, 2011)

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