UPDATE Blog post structure

Over the past couple of months we have noticed that student's blog structures have improved. More capable students are drafting blog posts that clearly use the correct structure for the text type. Less capable students are drafting blog posts that demonstrate at least a rudimentary understanding that there is a certain order for each kind of text.

The aspect we haven't observed yet is an increase in the use of appropriate language features. That is our next step for teaching blog post writing...or rather writing the text types recount, information report, and explanation.

To aid this process, I have updated the Blog Guide poster to include the language features and examples of those features.

Blog post structure

Recounts, information reports, explanations. How do we write them? In spite of having taught these text types in detail consistently for several years, we are still giving feedback on the same aspects of these text types. To scaffold students into self managing their usage of these text types, I (Greg) have developed a diagram/ flow chart showing the structure, and an example of recounts, information reports, and explanations in one place.

Students will be referred to this diagram for feedback on these text types for their blog posts.

Increasing learning conversation and literacy through blogging and commenting | Teacher Inquiry 2020

Accelerated learning, the holy grail being sought by schools in the Manaiakalani cluster. At Panmure Bridge School, our data has shown acceleration particularly in Writing. This acceleration has been aided in recent years thanks to a flattening of the 'Summer Slide', related to implementation of the Summer Learning Journey (SLJ). Grant Oglivie and Greg Wong's joint teacher inquiry for 2020 is to increase students' other forms of literacy, i.e. reading and oral, by leveraging learning conversations through blogging and commenting as used in the SLJ. The first step in this process is to codify and teach a system for blogging, then do the same for commenting.

The system for blog posting has been decided as using the recount, information report, and explanation text types taught in the Writing curriculum. There are several reasons for using these text types rather than developing another structure. Using these text types will compound on Writing lessons, providing students and teachers with more opportunity to refine students' writing techniques and find areas needing improvement. Working on these text types so frequently frees up Writing lessons to be dedicated to the grammar, style development, and the remaining text types (narrative, persuasion, and procedural). Finally, areas to be commented on are made available when students have written their posts in a well structured and thought out manner.

Evidence from students' drafting process will be used to inform the exact teaching points needed and when to continue to each phase. This process is likely to take a whole school year and possibly reach into 2021 to establish good routines in this year's year 5 students. Small scale improvements are likely to be seen by mid 2020, with long term improvements appearing as students reach Years 7 & 8.

Boosting literacy through oral language

In an effort to boost not only reading comprehension, but also the confidence to present an answer, we are increasing the amount of oral work students are doing.

We are attempting this in multiple ways including performing plays and regular oral presentations for IRL (in real life), and screen casting and FlipGrids for the online component.

Using FlipGrid and screen casting allows students to actively consolidate their thoughts and understanding through preparation to provide a well scripted exposition.

Off the cuff oral presentations and performing in front of their peers improves the confidence to communicate ideas. At the very least, presenting and performing will help desensitise students to being in front of a crowd, which in itself can be a crushing fear.

Phonics, decoding, and spelling

One issue we have across the board (but especially for our target learners) in LS1 is the ability to decode and pronounce new words along with spelling already known words. In an effort to alleviate this we have instigated a phonics programme.

The phonics programme is based on Yolanda Soryl's phonics professional development course Grant and I both attended. While we have both taught phonics previously Soryl's programme consolidates many of the phonics practises and concepts into a coherent course based in New Zealand accents.

After an inconsistent start, we have found a place for a phonics lesson within our unconventional schedule. Perhaps one of the most powerful practises, though, is continual exposure and practise through the days and weeks. A particularly good strategy is bringing up phonics at random points throughout the day.

Populating labels

This post is for populating labels only.