To help join the dots within my Spark-MIT inquiry 2016, I have created a ThingLink to share my inquiry so far in one Digital Learning Object (DLO). Using ThingLink for the first time to create this DLO reminds me of the learners in Room 10 when they are faced with new learning - they challenge themselves and ultimately persevere to make sense and meaning!
On Tuesday there was an opportunity to share my hui and uLearn presentation at a Ruapotaka staff meeting to update my colleagues about my Spark-MIT inquiry: what have I discovered while involving and engaging whānau in their children's learning while trying to cause accelerated gains in their children's reading?
This week has seen the final Spark-MIT meeting for the year at Spark HQ - a time of sharing and reflection for our cohort of 11 teachers from within Manaiakalani and its outreach clusters. An updated video of my uLearn presentation shares my reflections.
So what have I achieved through my inquiry since August? Two more families have enjoyed whānau training with Manaiakalani's Whānau Learning Kaiarahi, Yayleen Hubbard. Whānau have begun to engage with blog commenting in response to student-created support resources and homework tasks! Year-end reading data has been collected and analyzed.
So what have I learnt from this data? 57% of the control group (currently 14) has made accelerated gains of 1.5 years in reading achievement since February 2016. Significantly, Alex’s new-found positive attitude to learning combined with whānau engagement and digital affordance caused a 1.5 year shift in reading. This model of engaging whānau with their child’s learning while striving to meet individual student needs will remain the central theme of my teaching practice.
And what next for my inquiry? Learners are excited about blogging through the summer holidays with the launch of the 2017 Summer Learning Journey. Further reading assessment in February 2017 will tell the final chapter of this inquiry’s story.
