Linda+Yeh

= My Profile: = I'm teaching Mandarin in Firbank Grammar Sandy house from Junior Prep to Year 5. My favourite thing in teaching is to get great ideas come true and see children have "unhuh" moments! That's why I am here for.

Email: lyeh@firbank.vic.edu.au = Action Research Project Planner: = ** Which area/s of your practice would you like to improve? ** I want to take a critical look at my classroom and determine what needs to be done to improve student engagement and behaviours: what approaches I am using at the moment, how well they are working and what can be done to improve my management skills.
 * =  Stage 1 ** – ** ANALYSE  =

** What will be your focus for this project in 2011/2012? ** Classroom management/Student engagement ||
 * =  Stage 2 - PLAN  =
 * 1) develop ideas and strategies to engage and motivate students to learn Chinese
 * develop a Wiki to provide a space for students to further pratise their Chinese both inside and outside of the classroom.
 * The Wiki will foster communication between the Chinese program and parents, keeping them up to date with what is happening in their child's Chinese class.
 * To make use of online resources to create interesting activities for students
 * more hands on activities with boys
 * To use varity of learning centres
 * 1) implement new classroom management approaches
 * fornightly awards instead of term awards
 * 10 mintues free time for good behaviour
 * essential agreements (PYP attitudes)
 * essential agreements (PYP attitudes)

** Timeline for 2011 **
 * Term 3 (Sep/Oct meeting with Julie Tee)
 * Classroom management (essential agreements, free time, fornightly awards)
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">start to create online resources
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Term 4
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">continue with classroom management strategies

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">** Budget for Resource Grant ** What did you do? I've developed various behaviour strategies after one year implementation: || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">for inappropriate behaviours <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">(apply across whole school) || * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">1st warning: verbal warming (reminding following consequences) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">different levels/learning styles || * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Pre-assessment of Chinese competence for students who have Chinese background What did you notice? ** Rewards/Consequences ** Once I've established clear and structured award and consequence systems for good and inappropriate behaviours, children have become more settling with their behaviours in Mandarin lessons. Therefore, the classroom can minimise behaviour issues and children can arise their engagement in learning Mandarin.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">reward stickers, stamps (LOTE teaching aids)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">picture story books
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">realia (games, calligraphy brushes, ink)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">DVDs, CDs, software ||
 * ==  Stage 3 – ACT  ==
 * ==  Stage 3 – ACT  ==
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">**Classroom Strategies for all students** || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">**Resources/practices to engage students in learning** ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Essential Agreements || * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Create with class/students (students input)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Students are aware of consequences
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Use of learner profile/attitude (PYP) ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Clear instructions || * <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">List out yearly learning program in Studywiz LOTE learning area
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Brief of lesson: make sure children are aware of lessons structure
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Minimal mat/teacher centred time
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Opportunities for those who don’t understand remain on floor/ask questions ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Immediate rewards for good behaviours || * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Verbal praises
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Accumulated Chinese game time in end of the week
 * <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">House points (Year 5)
 * <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Stamps/stickers
 * <span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">award sheet/concentration card ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Consequences
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">2nd warning: name on board/remove from the group
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">3rd warning: stamp on concentration card /note in diary
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">4th warning: sent to Mr Kenny ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Fluid grouping systems || * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Ability
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Clock partners
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Different grouping strategies ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Differentiation to cater for
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">ILP (Individual learning Plan)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Use the theory of “Multiple Intelligences” for different learning styles activities ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Use of ICT to engage students || * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Use IWB(Interactive White Board) during lessons
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Set up a Wikispace for young children to learn Mandarin at home
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Set up a learning area in school Studywiz for senior students to learn Mandarin at home
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Jungle game (computer game) for practice and assessment on language competence ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Regular reflection || * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Children reflect on like/dislike to help planning and engagement
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Personal reflections on how to improve lessons/what was great
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Graphic organisers for reflection (PMI, KWL, Venn diagram) ||
 * ==  Stage 4 - OBSERVE  ==
 * ==  Stage 4 - OBSERVE  ==

** ICT engagement and reinforcement ** Systematic ICT resources has been created by the school LOTE coordinator and uploaded in Studywiz. Upper year students have engaged in the lessons with IWB activities and benefited from the online resources. For younger children, they can access and enjoy Mandarin learning through a wikispace. Jungle games can be utilised to reinforce the language and also used for assessment purposes.

** Differentiation ** Pre-assessment and ILP (individual learning plans) can help to cater for individual learning needs. For example, children with Chinese background can still extend their Chinese competences. Multiple intelligences ensure students are able to use their preferable learning styles in learning Mandarin.

** Essential Agreements ** PYP learner attitudes and essential agreements have also been implemented in specialist, Chinese lessons. Children have been consistently expected to demonstrate PYP through their learning in the school across different KLAs.

** Collaboration and supports ** Collaborative planning has been happening throughout the whole school more often this year. Specialists have more opportunities to plan collaboratively with classroom teachers in their UOI (Unit of Inquiry). Children can see the links between different subjects and also implement their understanding of the central idea in UOI across various KLAs/perspectives. On the other hand, classroom teachers have more chances to see what Mandarin program has done with children when it’s happening in their own classrooms, they can hence provide more supports for the program. || What would you do the same/differently in the future? ||
 * ==  Stage 5 - REFLECT  ==
 * ==  Stage 5 - REFLECT  ==