Using Spirals of Inquiry to transform practice and raise literacy levels for boys

This article on using Teaching as Inquiry Model Spiral on Inquiry is where I would actually like to go with this inquiry.

To save you clicking here is a copy/paste from the Enabling ELearning: Teaching Site.

http://elearning.tki.org.nz/Teaching/Snapshots-of-Learning/Raising-literacy-levels

Fendalton Open Air School teachers collected and analysed a range of data to enhance their writing programme and engage learners. 

Focusing the inquiry

Teachers, Sue Gordon and Judy Harford from Fendalton Open Air School used Halbert and Kaser’s Spirals of Inquiry (2013) to transform their teacher practices and raise literacy levels for boys in their classrooms, while participating in the Future Focus Inquiry programme.

A fundamental part of this process was:

• improving data collection
• developing student agency
• determining what quality feedback looks like
• collaborating with parents, teachers, and peers as critical friends.

Judy and Sue collected relevant information from the boys and their families, alongside asTTle data and anecdotal evidence, as a part of the scanning and focussing phase of the Spirals of Inquiry framework. This included:

• using learner maps to identify the boys’ strengths, interests, experiences, and knowledge
• having learner consultations to assess the boys’ attitudes and behaviours towards their writing and learning
• using both of the strategies above to explore the impact of whānau engagement in the writing process.

This information was examined to determine the role teachers, parents, and peers could play to support the development of the boys’ writing potential. Judy and Sue realised:

1. Discussion is an important part of the writing process

During the learning consultations, the boys revealed that if given the opportunity to talk about their writing, they could articulate ideas, identify difficulties, and explore their learning needs. For Judy and Sue, this emphasised the importance of processing time and giving feedback in writing. So they established "talk-time" for all students in their writing programme. 

2. Collecting different types of data is crucial

Learner maps and consultations revealed “hidden data” not collected from asTTle or writing samples. They showed, the need for boys to talk about ideas and receive feedback throughout the writing process.

“Gathering writing samples is not enough evidence. Give learners a voice. Ask them about their learning, but be sure to wait and listen to the answer. If you really want to support your learners listen without prompting or filling in the gaps.”

Teacher reflection

3. Including whānau in the writing process is important

The learner consultations highlighted the need to inform and include whānau to support the boys’ with developing their ideas, structure, and language when writing. When asked about the feedback their parents gave them, many boys replied, “spelling” or “how neat my writing is”. Consequently a number of the boys stated these as important personal goals to improve their writing, rather than focusing on the content.

Using digital technologies

Judy and Sue utilised Google Apps for Education due to it’s inbuilt features such as the comments, dictionary, thesaurus, and research capability. They hoped the platform would raise levels of engagement, allow a wider audience for the boys’ writing, and improve the quality of content.

The boys engagement and motivation immediately improved using the Google platform. However, there was no development in the quality of their writing content. Judy and Sue realised they would needed to revisit their inquiry, and their approach, to improve learning outcomes.

By reviewing the comments within the boys’ Google documents, Judy and Sue identified the boys weren’t making the connection between their goals and steps for improvement. Judy and Sue concluded the boys needed more explicit instruction to understand their writing goals.

Together, the boys and teachers explored the Kid-speak writing progressions, which support learners in self-regulating their learning. The boys used the writing progressions to set individualised goals, taking responsibility for their own progress through self-monitoring and self-direction. This strategy gave the boys a deeper understanding of how to improve the quality of their writing. Judy and Sue explored processes for giving and receiving explicit synchronous and asynchronous goal-based feedback. They regularly addressed the boys writing goals and modelled effective feedback on the writing based on each student's goals.

Developing partnerships and relationships to support boys learning

As part of student led conferences the boys were asked to model guidelines for providing quality feedback to their parents. They introduced the Movenote app, which allows students to record a video alongside documents or pictures. The boys used this tool to teach others, including their whānau, about goal setting and giving quality feedback.

Student Movenotes

• Student example 1
• Student example 2

Outcomes

Target learners’ achievement improved in all key skills assessed in thee-asTTle rubric, progressing from less than 2B to ranging from 2A–4B. Improvement was also evidenced by the boys:

• greater levels of focus and concentration
• developing more comprehensive personal writing goals
• self-regulating writing behaviours
• expressing a greater ownership of their learning
• taking risks with vocabulary and ideas
• using spellcheck confidently to identify correct spelling options
• seeking explicit feedback
• being enthusiastic about writing with increased motivation to continue at home
• gaining confidence as leaders and teachers, using Google Docs and Movenote to instruct whānau on the writing process.

Whānau have expressed pride in the progress their children have made and the improved confidence and ability in their boys’ writing. 

Summary

The teachers consistently re-visited the Spirals of Inquiry framework to check, evaluate, and monitor the effectiveness of their approach.

“Teaching inquiry questions change and grow and go off on tangents or circle back on themselves depending on the data and what you do with it. It’s about us as teachers...it’s all about improving your practise.”

Teacher reflection

Sue and Judy realised the value of getting support for their inquiry. They sought and found further evidence, knowledge, and expertise from a range of sources, including:

• Effective Literacy Practice in Years 1 to 4 and Effective Literacy Practice in Years 5 to 8 Ministry of Education handbook for effective feedback.
• Blended e-learning literacy group in the Virtual Learning Network provides discussions and resources to support raising student achievement in literacy using e-learning tools.
• Te Toi Tupu Future Focus Inquiries describing facilitators projects, and resources.
• Virtual Professional Development connecting with other experienced teachers within this online space.
• Tapping into existing knowledge throughout the school and in the community.

By engaging in a genuine inquiry process, Sue and Judy were able to analyse and deconstruct their teaching practice in a meaningful way. They gathered student voice and incorporated whānau involvement. They were innovative in their approach to addressing their learners’ needs and used digital technologies to support this. It was not the digital technology alone that improved the boys’ writing, but the way it was used to develop partnerships to support their learning. Utilising the Spirals of Inquiry framework, valuing student voice, and agency, supported by the use of e-learning tools, was key to creating authentic and positive change in this approach.

Boys' Writing- Reclaiming Their Voice

Annemarie Hyde has been doing some research around boys writing. She shared this in a recent blog post.

Boy Writers- Reclaiming Their Voices- by Ralph Fletcher I would like to get hold of the book as it sounds like a good read.

In a series of short chapters, ideal for after planning quick reads, Fletcher outlines his findings, anecdotes and reflections, ending each with a list of "What Can I Do in My Classroom?"

Ideas he covers include:

• giving boys choice
• accepting their humour
• understanding their unique voice
• the place of conversation
• handwriting and fine motor skills
• why violence has a place
• relationships
• why fun is important

He leaves us with four main points to better nurture and support struggling boy writers.

1. Just let them write

2. Take the long view - you want them to want to be writers.

3. Consider pleasure.  Is it fun?

4. Think relationships. "We're not teaching writing - we're teaching writers."

This article follows an interview with the author

http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2014/11/14/boy-writers-ralph-fletcher/

Inquiring into my Teaching Practice

If improving outcomes for students is not the purpose of professional learning,... teachers are likely to default to the position that gathering information about students is about students and not about teaching or themselves as professionals.

Evidence about students' engagement, learning and well being needs to be:

• High quality
• Fit for purpose
• Valid
• Reliable

In relation to this boy's writing inquiry- what is engagement?

• That the boys want to come to the workshop?
• That they want to write more?
• Do they want to write on a device?
• Are they writing more compound sentence?
• Is their handwriting neater?

Best when done in collaboration with others so that...

• There is someone to challenge my assumptions.
• There are others to feed in their opinions.
• I can get/share resources with others.

I have to think of not only the students learning but also my learning.

Teaching developing learning goals- questions

• What knowledge, skills and attitudes do I, as teachers need to meet the needs of our students?
• How I have contributed to existing outcomes?
• In what areas and with whom am I effective and why?
• In what areas and with whom am I less effective and why?
• What do we already know that I can use to promote valued outcomes?
• What do I need to know about to promote these outcomes and waht are my learning goals?
• What sources/knowledge can I use?

So am I asking enough powerful questions of myself as a teacher?

Realizing the Power of Professional Learning - Extending Educational Horizons

Timperley pg 26

The Writing Book

I came across The Writing Book  by Sheena Cameron and Louise Dempsey, via a blog post from Juliet Revell.

I have been to a course with Sheena on reading a while back and found it to be immensely useful. I think I will have to see if I can track down a copy.

They have a Facebook page as well which I have 'liked'.

I have stored these writing ideas as prompts for later on when the boys get stuck.

Deliberate Acts of Teaching

I wonder how the focus might be around how e-learning can enable and amplify the deliberate acts of literacy teaching that have been shown to be effective? 

Years 1–4

• 
  Effective Literacy Practice Years 1 to 4: Deliberate acts of teaching: this text provides a description of seven deliberate acts of teaching to promote literacy learning, with some exemplification of what this might look like in years 1–4.
  • Modelling
  • Prompting
  • Questioning
  • Giving feedback
  • Telling
  • Explaining
  • Directing

Modelling
Modelling how good readers and writers work (and are also using strategies such as questioning, prompting, and giving feedback).
Prompting
Prompting means encouraging the learner to use what they already know and can do. A prompt often takes the form of a question and involves allowing “wait time” to give students the opportunity to develop and express their own ideas.
Questioning
Questioning is perhaps the instructional tool used most commonly by teachers. Strategic and purposeful questioning is crucial to students’ literacy learning. Questioning may unlock the understanding of a student who is struggling with an aspect of their reading or writing by giving them clear guidance towards what they need to do.
Giving feedback
Feedback is most effective when it relates to specific learning goals and to the ultimate goal of enabling students to monitor and regulate their own learning.
Feedback may be verbal or non-verbal, spoken or written. The quality of the teacher’s written feedback on a student’s writing is especially important, both for providing further guidance and for the student’s confidence.
An important message for teachers to convey to students is that using effective strategies in their reading and writing is what caused their success; this is crucial to building students’ metacognition. It’s especially useful to encourage students themselves to suggest what they could do. This is a great way to build their awareness of how they can take control of their learning.
Telling
Telling can mean providing information about when to use a particular literacy strategy in a given task – making explicit the fact that the students can apply their existing knowledge at this point and so building their awareness of when to apply that knowledge in future situations. Telling students when to apply their expertise is particularly useful for students who are experiencing difficulties in reading or writing.
Explaining
Explaining can be thought of as an extension of telling. Teachers may explain the task itself, or they may explain the content of a text or learning activity. 
Directing
Directing is simply giving a specific instruction. Like all these instructional strategies, it is used deliberately, for a purpose.

Strategies for Engaging Boy Writers

This was a useful list of things to think about with boys writing

http://motivatingboywriters.blogspot.co.nz/2010/01/23-top-tips-for-boys-writing-research.html

1. Boys who were allowed to choose writing topics showed increased motivation and engagement. 

2. Boys are helped by experiencing examples of different text forms. This helped boys in non-fiction writing.

3. A "guys-only" writing workshop was initiated for a small number of boys. They came away very motivated to write as a result.

4. Boys planned their writing using graphic organizers both individually and in pairs. 

5. When boys were given assignments with step-by-step instructions, clear expectations and a formula to follow, assignments were completed. 

6. Boys were introduced to the "APE" (answer, prove, extend) strategy to help them to write at a higher level.

7. Boys saw the importance of an authentic audience and a real purpose when they produced a "Boys Writing for Boys!" newsletter. 

8. Talk is an important scaffold for boys writing activities. Talk builds social interaction, and deepens understanding and is a precursor to writing. 

9. Allow boys to share their thinking through talk prior to a written assignment. It will improve their ability to communicate. 

10. Boys use of the debate to discuss authentic and relevant issues transferred into their non-fiction persuasive writing. 

11. Boys welcome having male role models as writers.

12. Boys choice of topics for writing allows for ownership. 

13. Schools can tap into the real-life connection by creating blogs for the students to use for class writing.

14. Boys prefer to write about real-life and hands-on experiences.

15. Boys' writing improved during activities that were highly motivating and grounded in the real world, coupled with direct instruction about the writing form and supported with the use of visuals such as anchor charts, word walls, and graphic organisers. 

16. Boys like to write about exaggerations, humour, silly writing, rap songs, procedural writing, short scenes.

17. ICT in the form of computers, blogs, wikis and digital voice recorders have been used with boys to reinforce writing skills. 

18. Boys with special needs thrive when given the opportunity to work with assistive technologies: graphic organisers, dictation software. Write and edit in-class compositions electronically allowed them to receive immediate feedback.

19. Teachers observed that when the number of paper and pencil tasks was decreased, students were more engaged during the writing activities.

20. Boys who design and play video games develop sophisticated operational, cultural and critical literacy skills. 

21. Boys requested boy friendly topics, a clear outline of what is expected, a shorter writing process and fewer things to fix when they are finished. 

22. An emphasis on non-fiction writing 

23. Boys' teachers placed a heavier emphasis on oral assessment and performance-based assessment, such as drama activities rather than traditional assessments based on writing. 

First Thoughts

This article by Margaret Wente suggests what she thinks that boys want.....

http://motivatingboywriters.blogspot.co.nz/2012/11/what-boys-need.html

1.  Boys need to have a good relationship with the teacher.
2.  Boys will only stay engaged as long as the work interests them.
3.  Boys need purpose, to make a difference, to know they measure up.
4.  Boys need challenge, above all, a need for a meaningful vocation.
5.  Boys need purposeful work.
6.  Boys want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
7.  Boys love rituals, trophies and tradition.

HERE IS WHAT I AM THINKING...

1. I will spend the first sessions trying to get to know the boys and for them to know me. Sharing the things that I am interested in, particularly around writing- books I have written- the journey to creation, the feeling about that work being done. Finding out the sorts of things the boys want to talk about, to write about? 
2. Leading from #1 finding out what the boys are interested in as a starter for writing. Things like.... sports, cars, farting, being grubby, family....
3. Needing a purpose- share what we are being out together to achieve, how we are learning together with eLearning tools. Finding out about them, base line data.
4. Challenge- find the goals that are achievable, not aspirational.
5. Purposeful, authentic work- the commitment to publish and get feedback through blogging/ quadblogging
6. I'd love to see a collaborative book published in iTunes written by the boys- updated each term- with photos.
7. Structure each of the writing sessions, the golden pen award for the best sentence/ piece of writing of the day.