Thinking and planning to move into an Innovative Learning Environment

Different Learning spaces and their meanings - TKI website

3 types of terms for the learning spaces and their purpose:

one to self learning environment - they can go and work by themselves - "the cave"
campfire - one to many (guru/teacher) talking(guided groups)
watering hole - everyone to everyone(combining all together) - bounce ideas off each other/problem solving/move around and find solutions

It can function as an intellectual space as well as an emotional space

Develop a collaborative learning environment - TKI website

Kids need to have a voice in the environment - create their space they want to work in. They talk about the spaces that they like to learn best in. Spaces that are up high, down low, individual, collaborative spaces, or our whole class learning space. It involves moving towards self-directed learning meaning that the children use the tools around them and the spaces around them to achieve their own goals in their learning.

Innovative learning in Year 0 - 2- TKI website

A very important factor to include in a Junior classroom is to explain and understand the importance of encouraging students to be self-directed learners. Crucial to have central space and then the students have some choices of areas that break out from that central area. As junior teachers we need to see where everyone is all the time. I think the children in the collaborative environment have much more choice with where they’re going to learn, how they’re going to learn.

Adapting single cell classrooms to create an innovative learning environment - TKI website

As a team we will look at some ideas and talk to SL how we can keep going and not loose momentum we have working towards a ILE team and syndicate:

Ideas so far:

Utilise the 4 learning spaces we have and make them into learning spaces only and not classrooms assigned to teachers. Teachers will move around with a group of children each day into different learning spaces.
Spaces will be used as a specific space e.g. Ipad and Chromebook room, Construction Room, Games room, Provocation(theme related) Free choice room
Teachers will have a responsibility to plan for a space(classroom) and the following week plan for a different one
The groups will rotate into each space every week
Each Room will have Literacy and Numeracy according to the Room type e.g. Games room will provide the students when not working with the teacher to play maths or literacy games with their friends(planned by a teacher) as well as follow up activities created after the guided session.

Our syndicate is excited about our journey.

Comments

The Syntax Project - NZ version that aligns with our curriculum

I found this on Facebook this morning. I am so excited to share this amazing resource with teachers This was the message by Sarah Peck on the Primary teachers page: Kia ora koutou, not sure how many of you use the Syntax Project for a sentence-level writing resource but here is the scope and sequence with NZ Year level equivalents added. All of the slideshow resources that support the scope and sequence can be found at https://ochre.org.au/ac/the-grammar-project/. You will need to register for (free) access. The materials are designed for NZ Year 0 (NE) to Year 7, however I think if you have older struggling learners that still need sentence level writing teaching, learning, review and practice then you'd potentially still get a lot out of what's on offer. The Syntax Project work has been developed by Australian teachers, for teachers, and is underpinned by work from The Writing Revolution, and the Morphology Project references William Van Cleave's work. Here is the link: ...

Impressive Writing Growth with The Syntax Project

I’ve seen remarkable progress in my students’ writing skills since introducing The Syntax Project . This free, accessible platform, grounded in the concept of colourful semantics, has been a game-changer for our young learners. What is Colourful Semantics? Colourful semantics is a method that breaks sentences down into parts, each represented by a different colour. For instance, the "Who" (subject) could be one colour, while "What doing" (the verb) is another. This visual approach makes sentence building more straightforward and fun for children, helping them better understand sentence structure. It’s especially useful for younger students as they get to grips with the basics of grammar and sentence creation. My Approach to Using the Syntax Project I began using the Syntax Project by focusing on oral exercises. Students first talk through sentences, identifying key parts like who is doing what, and where it’s happening. This has laid a strong foundation for understa...

Helping Our Tamariki with b/d Confusion: Strategies That Work

As part of my ongoing teaching inquiry into how we support early literacy—especially for those tamariki who need a bit more time—I came across this really helpful article from All About Learning Press that offers clear, simple strategies to help children who confuse b and d. Let’s be honest—this is super common and very normal for our 5- and 6-year-olds. But for some, it sticks around longer and can start to impact confidence, writing fluency, and reading accuracy. What’s in the Article? The blog post outlines: Why letter reversals are a developmental stage, not a sign of dyslexia on their own. Fun, hands-on strategies to help children lock in correct b/d formation. Practical tools that both ECE and NE teachers can easily integrate into their day. One of my favourites from the list is the “bed” trick—using both hands to form the shape of a bed (with thumbs up) to remind kids that b comes before d. It's kinaesthetic, memorable, and easy to teach. Another great one is using visual m...

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