SOLO+Juniors

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 * 'Junior SOLO Gathering' held 23rd February (Thursday, Week 4, 2012) at held at St Mary's School Rotorua (8.30 - 12.30)**


 * Junior Teachers Present**
 * **Otonga (9)**
 * **Aorangi (2)**
 * **Mamaku (3)**
 * **Kawaha Point (7)**
 * **St Mary's (5)**
 * **Kaharoa (3)**

**HERE IS THE RESOURCE WHICH PAULA USED TO SUPPORT OUR GATHERING (it includes Websites, Documents and Movies)** [] You can also download individual planning further down the page


 * Those attending 'Walked the Walls', adding their thoughts to a range of questions**
 * =**Where do you sit on the continuum?**=

>
 * ="What's going well with the use of SOLO?"=

**We split into groups of three (all from different schools) and celebrated our successes, then one member from each group feedback to the room:**

 * Group 1**
 * Long Term Planning
 * Maps (especially those directly related to 'what we want them to do', e.g. behavioral)
 * Group 2**
 * Maps (For example the Sequence Map after a Shared book)
 * Group 3**
 * Using SOLO to reinforce and set up routines
 * "Kids like the big words"
 * Lots of 'talking about it'
 * Group 4**
 * Early Maps (Classify and Define)
 * Rubrics (especially in Handwriting and Reading)
 * Group 5**
 * Planning (Schoolwide with SOLO infused)
 * Rubrics (Question raised "Are they too wordy" - examples shared and discussed)
 * Group 6**
 * Love Heart with SOLO symbols inside for assessing (Hand drawn by teacher) Discussion generated around 'Stamps' Paula to email Pam re copyright and adding acknowledgement. Group decided on stamp with all SOLO symbols then learners could self assess by circling where they think they are at.
 * Verbal sharing (Especially at News time)
 * Group 7**
 * Maps (Clip Art or Photo's instead of Words)
 * More about the discussion and the "doing", making activities interactive rather than text and writing driven (Encouraging independent thought).



Time was then taken to share

 * Planning (Aorangi shared theirs via the data projector). Several school have shared theirs for others to 'springboard' from, or to inform and add to current planning (You can download the shared planning below)
 * [[file:MamakuJunior_Hauora_July2011-1.doc]]Mamaku Junior Planning
 * [[file:Room 2 (Otonga) Differentiated science plan.doc]]Otonga's Science Planning
 * [[file:Science and Social studies (Aorangi) Unit 2012.pdf]]Aorangi's Social Sciences Planning
 * [[file:Term One detailed plan.pdf]]Kawaha Point's Planning
 * MORE TO COME......


 * Time was then taken to share**
 * Resources (Maps, Rubrics, Photo's etc) Those attending have been asked to email resources to Paula that they are willing to share on this page.
 * Paula Shared the resource created by Ngongotaha School teachers

=**After Morning Tea discussion was focused on our Questions and Challenges**=

(With 6 reading groups or more, WALT's to cover, skills to teach, where is there time?) || Do we or should we be making 'SOLO' fit? || One 'team' created an Oral Language rubric to use at News time - this is in 'DRAFT' form so feel free to add/change. || Should we be focussing on introducing 'thinking', self assessment, just the terms. General agreement felt that using SOLO rubrics for management (e.g. hanging bags up etc) was valuable and a good introduction to the concepts/levels. We all felt the important focus should be 'EXPOSURE' at this age. || She also gets the children to cut out shapes, combining the need to learn the skill of cutting with SOLO and integrating the intended learning (e.g. Cutting out cardboard shapes - then moving in and out of the map to classify) ||
 * We split into groups of three once again, but with different people this time......to discuss**
 * **What Questions/Challenges do we have?** || **Discussion/Answers/Experiences from the Group** ||
 * How do you incorporate your rubrics with your reading?
 * Getting children to assess themselves is a challenge? How do others do this? || Oral Language is used as a tool across the group most frequently (Paula discussed using recording tools and ICT to capture these moments. Use Blogs and E-Portfolio's to celebrate this learning and to reflect on and infuse into the classroom program me)
 * What happens to children that are above extended abstract? || A Junior teacher of a Gifted and Talented Class raised this question and interesting discussion ensued. ||
 * How do we introduce the terms of SOLO when our classes are forever changing? (New Entrant/Reception Class) || Should we even be 'doing' SOLO at this level?
 * Challenge - Time vs Concentration (Some of our littlies just can't sit still long enough!) || One teacher shared how she uses chalk and draws the actual maps on her carpet, the children move objects in and out of these maps (e.g. Plastic animals - classify/group etc)
 * How do we balance "doing" SOLO because its purposeful and 'doing' SOLO because we have to? || Points were raised
 * Who's it for? If it's not supporting our learners then why do it?
 * Where does SOLO best fit (The group as a whole felt: Reading, Writing, Topic) ||

[] (Paula also showed where the SOLO Books could be purchased)
 * Time was spent investigating and navigating Pam Hook's new website**

Paula to upload SOLO cross Cluster Visit Photo slideshows **HERE**