We kicked off term four with a BANG! Our library and the neighbouring room, which was the computer suite, have been cleared out. This has created a larger open collaborative teaching space in which we are able to experience a taster of what collaborative teaching can feel like. Here's a link to the blog that documents our syndicates journey into the unknown!
Two of us were first in... and, to be honest, it felt like we were leaping off the cliff into the abyss, hoping like hell we didn't hit a high spot or floating log!
Looking back, we created a huge amount of pressure on ourselves, as we didn't want to be the "crappy first prototype".
We created an environment with minimal furniture, with most of it ensuring it catered to those kids that had specific physical environment needs.
In terms of learning, we placed an emphasis on literacy, with a focus on problem solving... specifically looking at problems that kids their age face.
We used SOLO to brinstorm ideas of problems that kids have, which was then transfered straight to the wall.
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| SOLO hexagons, placed on the floor by the kids. They justified why they were choosing to tessellate them, using a ... because... statement. |
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| The SOLO hexagons were then transferred straight onto the wall, so the kids could refer back to them. This proved great for those kids that happened to be away on the day. |
The kids had to story board a scenario which identified the problem, as well as a possible solution to that problem. They did this in groups of three. They grouped themselves, with the only stipulation being that they must consist of a mix of male/female; Yr 5/6; and classroom. Groups of three were stipulated to try to prevent the inevitable floater that occurs in groups of four.
The end product was left open to them, however they were given examples such as Imovie; puppet show; comic strip; a videoclip of them enacting a play, etc.
We had flips, 2 Ipads, a few digital cameras, and 6 Macs available.
They were provided with a template on A3, however some groups quickly opted for a large sheet of paper.
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| A storyboard to create an IMovie. |
The only limitation that was placed on their storyboards was that they were only allowed to use one colour. This was to ensure that it was purely used as a planning prototype, without investing too much in it, as they would a finished product.
Another SOLO task was to get the kids to identify Cause and Effect based, again, on a problem that kids might have. We asked them to work in a different trio for this, with the same guidelines for grouping themselves. They weren't allowed to use a problem in which any member of their new group had already covered with the story board. In fact, they were encouraged to think of an entirely new problem.
Overall, the level of engagement we received from our kids was amazing! They superseded our expectations. It felt fantastic as teachers, and the student voice we captured of the kids comments cemented the positive vibe they were emanating. We collected the student voice on a google doc reflection, at the end of each day. The common theme running through was then copied and pasted onto out collaborative journey blog.
Now that we're out, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves by creating an intense high level think tank, which was amazing for a week... but long-term, it's probably unsustainable! By the end of the week, we felt that we hadn't really come up for air. The kids commented on feeling really tired too.
I can now see the theory behind the "power of three" model, where two teachers are 'teaching' and one 'roams and activates'.
We're out of there for a week now... giving another pair a crack at it!
Next week, it's a short week (labour day holiday) and a busy week with a choir exchange where an Australian school is visiting. This means three teachers are in "the tank" as I'm finding myself calling it. We'll have all the 'non-choir' kids. This comprises of the equivalent of three classes.
The journey continues...
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