Stephen+-+Muritai

I'm Stephen. I am the team leader for the Senior School at Muritai School

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 * Action Research**

The Senior School at Muritai have been focusing on accuracy in writing. To gather baseline data for writing for accuracy students were asked to produce a 5 minute written sample of work. This test was to enable us to assess a child’s fluency and accuracy when writing. Analysis and leveling of these samples, against the English Curriculum benchmarks indicated that a core group of students were working below the expected level for year 7 and 8 students. An extensive accuracy in writing programme has been created. My Action Research will be a component of this programme and provide reflection and professional development. I will use a wide range of ICT experiences within my classroom programme, however I will use Pages as the basis for my research.
 * Background Information**

Students working below expected level have been identified. This will be my core group for action research.
 * Selected Group**


 * Process**
 * 1) ICT based literacy assessment (Using a story starter selected students will produce a short descriptive paragraph)
 * 2) Sample will be typed up on **Pages** (Teacher, so that input is not a barrier)
 * 3) Analysis of these samples will form base information. (Teacher)
 * 4) Self assessment - (**Pages comments**)
 * 5) Peer assessment - (students working at level 5, **Pages comments**,)
 * 6) Students rewrite (edit) Process
 * 7) Process repeated (analysis of samples for reporting and reflection)

Work samples Skitch of sample pages. Power Point tracking progress Attitudes tested / was it helpful. Poss survey monkey.
 * Logging**

http://www.derby.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/D1773474-D915-403D-ACD7-A0C0DD83D3AB/0/STE_ICT1.pdf http://scs.une.edu.au/EDIT312_2_07/Resources/BasicOps/WordProcessor.html http://www.windsor.k12.co.us/tech/CATTAIL/msla6/teacherinstruction.pdf http://www.teachertube.com/search_result.php?page=15&search_type=&search_id=writing&search_key=&sort=adddate We have discussed ICT verse effective teaching (Is it the ICT?) How can the use of the POD and be equitable? Suzie help sheets shared, e-mailed - Criteria for editing
 * On line Research**
 * Notes / Discussion**

**Expo Muritai 08**
The expo was excellent. The speaker were fantastic. I got a lot out of what Mark Treadwell had to say. I believe it was very relevant to our inquiry model and how we integrate ICT. It was reaffirming as well as thought provoking. For the first workshop I worked with the Media team then my second was on flickr with Suzie. I have already linked learning to our unit with motivational posters. Well done organisation team.

**Accuracy Update**
We have been looking at self awareness from students in terms of accuracy in literacy skills. Clash looking for error free work at times and others looking for fluency to expand on ideas. Spelling for accuracy – how can you strive to make that writing better – 40% of year 7 and 60% of year 8 below chronological age of spelling accuracy in writing. From here teaching settled into a timetable based on skills and essentials (fits in to JAllcock theory). Minor focus in narrative this year – this term short stories. Lots of close reading going on as a part of this study.
 * ICT plays** a huge part in creating self awareness. Using track changes encourages students to edit and self- correct as well as feel valued when editing others. I am noticed a huge commitment from students in their awareness of the need to self correct.

The PDF - English department training 2003: Improving writing Improving writing through ICT. supports the process we are using with interesting strategies and guidance. A variety of word processing packages provide tools for improving writing. They allow: • easy manipulation of pupils’ own writing – select all, cut, copy and paste, having two documents on screen at once; • tools for editing and drafting – undo, track changes; • storage and retrieval of writing at various stages of composition – track changes, saving different versions to compare on screen; • opportunities for highlighting, annotation and note taking – insert comment; • composition directly on to screen, promoting reflective writing; • use of spelling, punctuation and spell checkers.
 * Research**

Also the 'features of effective teaching' In the same PDF are very relevant to how we are approaching accuracy in writing with the support of ICT.

====  Robyler et al. (1997,131) States that Generally, word processing seems to improve writing and attitudes toward writing only if it is used in the context of good writing instruction and if students have enough time to learn word processing procedures before the study begins (1997, 131).==== Heaps of interesting reading.
 * Interesting:**

I have been doing further investigation as part of our Literacy focus. We have been discussing the editing process at the moment. I have been looking carefully at what I call 'The editing pathway' my pathway usually looks somethings like.
 * Experimenting** / **Food for thought**

Write - Self edit - conference(teacher/peer) - edit - (often I will proofread and correct here) student development / final publishing. There is often a criteria check included.

I experimented with a child's writing - first at conferencing stage I correced the child's mistakes then they went off to adjust and adapt. Next the same child another piece of writing I corrected the piece of writing on a photocopy and didn't show them, what I found was that they self corrected 80% of the errors themselves. It is important to correct and conference but It needs to be purposefully and at a stage in which they are allowed to self correct. May teacher correct last before final publishing or only to give an accuracy rate.

TBC
 * ICT based literacy assessment Results:**