701 Assignment 2

Madelaine Gravatt 1177801

EDPROF701 Assignment 2
i. What does this data set tell you about the abilities of your class?
This data shows us that this class is well-below the level expected of them for
reading comprehension. Students in Term 2, Year 10 are expected to be achieving at
Level 5P (Ministry of Education, 2010). This data reveals that on average students
are achieving at 4P, with many students achieving well below this.
100% of students are achieving below the level expected of students entering
Year 10 (are below Level 5B).
50% of students are achieving below the level expected of students entering
Year 9 (are below Level 4P).
17% of students are achieving at Level 3 or under, equivalent to Year 7 or
below.
Although there are exceptions, patterns in achievement can be found according to
ethnicity:
Percentage of ethnicities achieving at different levels
Ethnicity

Level 4P and above

Level 4B and under

Level 3A and under

Mori

28%

71%

28%

Pasifika

53%

46%

15%

Asian

50%

50%

0%

New Zealand European

100%

0%

0%

This shows that nearly a third of Mori students are at Level 3A and under
(equivalent to Year 7 or below) and over 70% of Mori students are at Level 4B or
below. Nearly half of Pasifika students are below Level 4B, and 15% of Pasifika
students are at Level 3A and below. This is compared to NZ European students who
are all at Level 4P and above, and Asian students who are 50% at Level 4P and
above and 50% and Level 4B and under (albeit based on smaller student numbers).
This shows that while Mori and Pasifika are the dominant ethnicity groups in the
class, they are as a whole achieving at levels lower than their NZ European and
Asian peers.
This is supported by looking at average overall scores. Mori girls are have the
lowest average overall score (1419), followed by Mori boys (1455). Pasifika
students on average achieved somewhat higher than Mori: Pasifika boys (1464)
and Pasifika girls (1474). This can be compared to NZ European girls (1511) and
Asian girls (1513).
As a class, the students have lower surface level comprehension (average surface
level score: 1469), compared with deep level understanding (average surface level
score: 1486), however this may be inflated as two lower-achieving students were
unable to be given a grade. Boys have lower average scores for all the reading skills
tested, however interestingly have a higher average reading motivation score. It is
difficult to make assertions on particular skill strengths by ethnicity, due to the large

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range of achievement amongst ethnic groups. For example, the lowest surface level
score for Mori girls is 1341 and the highest is 1494.

ii. Identify an appropriate set of goals to establish and work

towards in your first term with this class.
These students need to learn at an accelerated rate so that they can enter Year 11 as
prepared for NCEA Level 1 as possible. Two asTTle sub-levels per annum is the
expected rate of learning, so to achieve accelerated learning, I will aim for these
students to improve by two asTTel sub-levels by the end of the year (two terms
away).This is an ambitious goal but by investing focused time and effort in class to
achieving this will give these students the best chance at achieving NCEA Level 1 as
possible. Furthermore, without high expectations these goals will never be achieved.
Given that Mori had the lowest levels of achievement amongst the class, Mori
students will be a priority focus over the next two terms.

iii. Given the NZC and your departments scheme, what would be
some valuable skills or learning your learners need to master to
achieve these goals?
Goal 1:Students will have increased subject-specific vocabulary knowledge
The New Zealand Curriculum Social Science Level 5 Achievement Objectives all
involve a large amount of subject specific vocabulary that is vital for students to
comprehend in order to achieve. For example, in order to Understand how systems
of government in New Zealand operate and affect peoples lives, and how they
compare with another system students must have a large amount of vocabulary
knowledge around systems of government and concepts such as democracy,
citizenship, rights and responsibilities (The Ministry of Education, 2007).
Furthermore, understanding of vocabulary is crucial to developing comprehension
and learning proficiency (Penton & Ministry of Education, 2004). Many students have
rich oral vocabularies, yet struggle with the academic vocabulary required to succeed
at school. All students therefore need deliberate opportunities to learn and practice
new subject specific vocabulary in authentic contexts, in order for them to understand
and succeed in the subjects they are studying (Penton & Ministry of Education,
2004).
Goal 2: Students will be able to identify and summarise main ideas from a text
The ability to identify and summarise main ideas in texts is crucial for students in
order to comprehend and process the large amount of texts required by them across
many of their subjects in secondary school. Being able to identify and summarise
main ideas plays a particularly important role in Social Studies, in which students
must synthesise ideas in essays. It is also plays an important role in developing
conceptual understanding, a key element of the Social Science Curriculum
(Chadwick & Ministry of Education, 2009). Furthermore, identifying and summarising
main ideas stimulates deeper levels of thinking, stimulating cognitive growth
(Duchesne, McMaugh, Bochner, & Krause, 2013).

iv. Identify the Learning Outcomes and Success Criteria

appropriate to achieve these goals
L.O. 1: Students will learn strategies to solve new vocabulary and to discover and
reinforce the meanings of terms used in Social Studies.

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Success Criteria: By the end of the unit, students will correctly use subject specific
language in their summative assessments (essay, inquiry and end of unit test).
L.O. 2: Students will be able to identify and summarise main ideas in a range of texts.
Success Criteria: Students will be able to summarise the main ideas of their sources
in their end of year inquiries and summarise main ideas in their end of unit essays.

v: Elaborate, with reference to relevant literature, at least two ways

in which you can motivate and engage your students in order that
they might experience success with these Learning Outcomes.
In order to engage students, teachers must know what interests them and how they
learn most effectively. Teachers must then use this knowledge to plan teaching and
learning that is interesting and challenging. When designing lessons, teachers should
consciously choose content that is relevant to the lives of their students and their
cultural backgrounds (Alton-Lee, 2003). As highlighted in Ka Hikitia: Students do
better in education when what and how they learn reflects and positively reinforces
where they come from, what they value and what they already know (Ministry of
Education, 2013). It is also reflected in the aim of the Pasifika Education Plan 2013
2017, to achieve optimum learning by promoting closer alignment and compatibility
between the learners educational environment and their home and/or cultural
environment (Ministry of Education, 2012). Teachers should also utilise students
lived experiences as a bridge between new content and prior knowledge. Teachers
therefore need to develop a knowledge base about the different cultures in their
classrooms and create a rich repertoire of content examples from those cultures.
Engaging students through culturally responsive teaching also involves using
teaching methods compatible to different cultures and understanding the social and
cultural contexts that shape students prior learning. This can include their values,
traditions, communications, learning styles and relational patterns. For example, it
can be important to understand the role of family, community, church and service for
many Pasifika students. Likewise, many Mori students are part of a whnau and iwi
with important cultural values and knowledge that teachers need to understand in
order to create engagement and facilitate the learning process. This philosophy is
encapsulated in the Samoan saying: The culture of the child cannot enter the
classroom until it has first entered the consciousness of the teacher (Allen, Taleni, &
Robertson, 2009, p. 49). However it is important not to make generalisations and
recognise that each student is an individual with their own understanding of what it
means to be Mori or Pasifika (Dreaver, Chiaroni, & Ministry of Education, 2009). To
achieve this teachers must practice ako, whereby they are in a reciprocal learning
relationship with their students. With ako, teachers learn from the students about how
best to teach them in a way that is deliberative and reflective (Ministry of Education,
2013). This encompasses the importance of teacher-student relationships for
creating engagement and achievement for all students.
Another valuable strategy for increasing student engagement and motivation is giving
students power to make decisions about their own learning. This means deliberately
giving students the power to make decisions about learning processes and content
(Aitken, Sinnema, & Ministry of Education., 2008). This makes the students feel they
have a say in their learning and a sense of ownership of their learning, increasing
their participation and motivation. Sharing power does not mean relinquishing all

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authority and responsibility, but is about developing reciprocal power-sharing

relationships to develop learning (Hill & Sewell, 2010). A valuable means of
achieving this is through group-learning contexts where students must work together,
rely on each other and practice joint problem-solving (Killen, 2007).

vi. What approaches, strategies and deliberate acts of teaching

might you design to support the learning of students achieving at
each of the three levels of achievement within the class
(lower/middle/higher).
LO 1: Students will learn strategies to solve new vocabulary and to discover
and reinforce the meanings of the terms used in Social Studies/specific unit
For all students, teachers must first gauge their level of vocabulary knowledge, which
can be done by a simple test using keywords from the subject. Students use of new
words should also be monitored throughout the unit to track their progress and plan
future vocabulary teaching. Teachers should also create an environment that is rich
in subject-specific words (Penton & Ministry of Education, 2004, p.26), to raise
students consciousness of different words.
Level

Approach/strategy/act of teaching

Lower

Word maps
Students brainstorm words that relate to the focus word chosen by the
teacher. The focus word is written in a circle on the board with various
branches such as words with similar meanings, different meanings of the
focus word, words that relate to the focus word in this topic, and/or words
from the same family. These branches are first explained to the students
and then the students brainstorm words that relate to the focus word
which are recorded on the word map. The words on each branch are
discusses, identifying new words, familiar words used in new ways and
relationships between words (Penton & Ministry of Education, 2004).
This is an effective method of introducing new vocabulary as this shows
teachers what relevant words the students already know and shows
students connections between the new word and the words they already
know, connecting it with their prior knowledge. It can also clarify subjectspecific meanings for words with a variety of meanings. This is especially
important in Social Studies in which we deal with abstract concepts that
can be interpreted in many different ways (e.g. rights, freedom).
This activity could also be adapted for small-groups or individuals. Also, if
English is not a students first language, it may be best to offer definitions
to new words in their first language.

Middl
e

Clustering
In small groups, students organise different keywords into groups. This
gets them thinking about and discussing the meanings of the words and
the relationships between them. Students are given about twenty cards,
each with a key word or term related to the subject content and work

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together to decide on how to group the words. If necessary, students can

have a Dont know pile to discourage random guessing. Once they have
decided on their clusters, they write headings that describe each cluster.
As a class, groups then explain how and why they grouped their words
(Penton & Ministry of Education, 2004).
This activity is an effective way of reinforcing new vocabulary students
have been introduced to and to get students practicing using the words
themselves. It also can be used as a review activity to assess the
students understanding of the words they have learnt.
Highe
r

Structured Overview
The teacher selects words that relate to one main idea and organise them
into a structured overview. Students are then given a blank version of the
overview and a list of the words that go into it. The teacher explains that
the most general terms are at the top and details and examples at the
bottom. Students then arrange the words onto the overview, discussing
their meanings and their relationships to other words. To extend students
further, students can develop their own overview (Penton & Ministry of
Education, 2004).
This will be especially useful when teaching case studies of concepts, as
keywords can be hierarchically ordered from abstract to specific. It also
provides a useful tool to help students structure their essays and research
inquiries, make sure they cover all key terms.

L.O. 2: Students will be able to identify and summarise main ideas in a range of
texts.
In order for students to develop this skill, teachers must first provide opportunities to
read texts for extended periods of time. Research shows that teachers rarely set
reading tasks that take more than a minute to complete (Penton & Ministry of
Education, 2004). Without extended periods of reading, students are not able to
practice discussing, reflecting and formulating ideas about texts and thus develop
deeper levels of thinking and learning.
Level

Approach/strategy/act of teaching

Lower

Reciprocal Teaching
Reciprocal Teaching is a highly effective strategy and can be implemented
across any level to learn comprehension strategies (Alton-Lee, Westera,
Pilegatoa-Diggins, & Ministry of Education, 2012; Hattie, 2009). The four
comprehension skills of predicting, asking questions, clarifying and
summarising are used to unpack small chunks of a text. The strategy is
first modelled for students until they are then able to lead small groups
themselves. As well as improving reading comprehension, it also improves
students skills of metacognition, social participation and selfmanagement. This strategy will be especially effective as a scaffold for
lower achieving students to summarise main ideas in extended texts.

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e

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Identifying Main ideas

In pairs or small groups, students match up paragraphs with a set of
summary statements provided by the teacher, justifying their answers.
This helps students understand the difference between main ideas and
supporting detail. This also models for the students how to summarise a
paragraph into a key sentence, a crucial skill required in their essays
(Penton & Ministry of Education, 2004).
It is important that texts chosen are well-structured and at the appropriate
level. It is also important that paragraphs are sequenced with clear links
so students can see how to develop ideas cohesively. This models for
students how to write effective paragraphs.

Highe
r

Reconstructing Paragraphs
In pairs or small groups, students are given a set of sentences that make
a paragraph that they have to order to put the paragraph back together.
Students can also be asked to highlight all the connective words in the
paragraph. Groups then join and discuss the paragraphs they have
constructed (Penton & Ministry of Education, 2004).
As a variation, students could be given sentences of supporting detail that
they need to write a main idea sentence for. Alternatively, students are
given summary sentences and they have to find and write the supporting
details. This is an effective way of scaffolding students into writing
paragraphs as it models how paragraphs are constructed.

vii. Use what you know about the principles of assessment to fully
explain how you will assess progress in relation to the goals
Formative assessment will play a crucial role in tracking students progress in
achieving the goals set. However, to be effective formative assessments must be
achieve three things: establishing where the learners are at in their learning,
establishing where they are going, and establishing what needs to be done to get
them there (Black & Wiliam, 2006). These three questions must then be
communicated to the student through feedback (Hattie & Timperley, 2007). Students
can then use this information to progress towards their goals and reset new goals
when needed.
Before any assessment, students must have a clear understanding of the success
criteria, so they clearly know what they will be assessed against. Peer and selfassessment are great ways for having students actively engage with success criteria
and identify their next steps (Absolum, 2006). Involving students in the creation of
success criteria is a great way to improve student achievement and engagement with
assessment (Brown, Irving, & Keegan, 2008). Peer-assessment also provides a
valuable opportunity for students to have things explained to them in student talk
from their peers (Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall, & Wiliam, 2004). I also will get
students to self-assess their progress using a traffic light system for them to indicate
their progress, whereby green is they are confident in this, orange is sort of, and red

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is not at all. This will give me valuable information for planning personalised learning
to meet their needs (Black et al., 2004).
Importantly, the purpose for assessments, formative and summative, must be
explicitly explained to students prior to assessment. It is important to encourage the
view of assessment, not as a negative assessment to judge students, but as an
important part of the learning process (Absolum, 2006).
Summative assessment will involve end of year e-asTTel testing, focusing on the
same skills to give a direct comparison for how the students have progressed. This
data will be valuable in assessing the effectiveness of the teaching strategies
implemented and in planning next steps forward. Another valuable summative
assessment will be their end of year unit tests, essays and inquiries. This will be able
to be compared with their previous terms results and their year 9 results to judge
improvement. Although this will be judging their writing, reading comprehension and
writing are inextricably dependent on each other (Penton & Ministry of Education,
2004).

viii. Identify and justify your selection of one strategy you might
employ if students do not achieve desired outcomes
If these efforts did not produce the desired outcomes, the next strategy I might
employ is reaching out to parents and whnau to create greater alignment between
school and home. This has been shown to improve success at school for students, in
particular for our Maori and Pasifika students. For this reason the importance of
creating strong relationships between school and whnau is embedded in The New
Zealand Curriculum (The Ministry of Education, 2007), Ka Hikitia Accelerating
Success 2013-2017 (Ministry of Education, 2013), and Pasifika Education Plan
2013-2017 (Ministry of Education, 2012).
To creating reciprocal learning-based relationships, teachers, whnau and students
all need to work together to create a shared understanding of the students interests,
strengths and aspirations. Together we would then be able to create authentic goals
and plans to address the students underachievement. There then would be jointownership of these goals between the teacher, student and whnau. Furthermore the
teacher can then utilise this greater knowledge of who the student is holistically to
create more authentic and relevant learning experiences at school.
Part of this strategy could be working together reciprocally with parents and students
to develop learning strategies and activities for students to do at-home that aligned
with at-school learning. Creating greater alignment between home and school would
increase the potential worthwhile learning opportunities experienced, helping achieve
accelerated learning (Education Review Office, 2015). Another benefit of this strategy
is increasing parents understanding of what is going on at school for their child and
therefore giving them greater confidence in asking their child about their school work
and knowing how to support their learning (Education Review Office, 2015).

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