What is the significant moment of learning?

Up until now, my senior students are fully reliant on me to help them through everything. I feel more like I am dictating their learning rather than facilitating it. I haven’t created an environment that encourages student autonomy and learning independence. 

How did I come to this moment of learning?

I have been planning my lessons backwards from the Internal assessments. I took the assessment as learning approach, not the metacognitive process referred to in Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind (2006), but the kind where the assessment is the lesson. I have been scaffolding my ākonga, albeit in a controlled manner, in the hopes that it would fill some gaps and prepare them for NCEA Level 1. However, it is looking very unlikely. The learning and attainment of te reo Māori of my ākonga will not happen through these controlled and ineffective approaches.

Who is speaking into this learning?

I have decided that my primary focus for my ākonga, and something that they are lacking, is to attain student autonomy and learning independence. I need a framework that aligns with my new thinking and goal. I am adopting (adapting) Earl’s (2006) assessment for, as, and of learning approach, which promotes learner independence or mana motuhake. Walqui (2006) presents a framework that resonates with me as a kaiako Māori, as it highlights that success is collective process – ehara taku toa, i te toa takitahi, engari he toa taki tini – that learning a language requires the support and collaboration between teina, and tuakana, between the more capable and the less capable – ano te pai te ahuareka o ngā tuakana me ngā teina i runga i te whakaaro kotahi – and also refers to a learner’s own skills and resources to enable their own success – he kai kei aku ringa.

How will this look in my practice moving forward?

NGĀ TOHUTORO

Earl, L. (2006). Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind: assessment for learning, assessment as learning, assessment of learning. Winnipeg: Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth.

Walqui. A. (2006). Scaffolding Instruction for English Language Learners: a conceptual framework. The International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 9(2), pp.159-180.