Three Way Learning Conversations Information Session Friday 7th 2.30pm in School Hall Please join us for a coffee and informal presentation

What we will cover today: What are Three Way Learning Conversations? What is the rationale for change? What does the research say? Roles and responsibilities of the teacher, students and parents Managing known glitches

What are Three Way Learning Conversations and what do they look like? Three Way Learning Conversations are a conversation between the student, their parents and their teacher. The student has an opportunity to share with their parents, with the support of their teacher, their growth as a learner. All three parties - student, parents and the teacher - sit together and talk about the student’s learning by looking at and discussing a range of the student’s work samples. Each conference will last for fifteen minutes with times selected through our on-line booking system.

What is the rationale for change? This reporting procedure, in which the student is very actively involved in the learning and reporting process, is a fundamental shift away from the one-way transference of information from teacher to parents, and is consistent with the characteristics of effective pedagogy and assessment in the NZ Curriculum. The New Zealand Curriculum has as its Vision... Confident Connected Actively involved Life long learners

The Learning Conversations align to the vision and the key competencies of... managing self relating to others participating and contributing thinking and using languages, symbols and texts.

Children must be given the skills to learn how to learn Learning is something that they do; it is not something done to them Strategies like 3WLC lead students towards becoming self directed, independent, lifelong learners

What does the research say? Professor John Hattie (formerly University of Auckland) identifies student self-reporting as the most significant indicator linked to raised student achievement. Black & Wiliam: “the process of students reflecting on their learning, through effective questioning that promotes the articulation of student thinking, is integral to classroom assessment practices that enhance student learning.”

What does the research say? ‘If the focus is to be kept on learning, and the ownership of the learning with the child, then the best person to talk about the learning is the learner’... ‘Not only is the student the best person to tell their parents what they have learnt, but if we believe that students build their knowledge by communicating what they know, then providing an opportunity for the students to tell their family what they know can significantly assist with that learning.' Absolum, (2006)

Roles and Responsibilities

Teacher Before: Provide information for parents via newsletters, school’s website and an information session Make learning explicit for the students: share formal achievement information, collect work samples that include learning intentions, feedback and feed forward assessments, Discuss Three Way Learning Conversations with the students Practise using opportunities for students to role-play Three Way Learning Conversations with one another

Teacher During: Teacher will facilitate the conversation between student and parents on their child’s learning Teacher will contribute their professional knowledge and expertise to the discussion Help clarify student work samples if necessary Encourage reflections and feedback from students, parents and self Record any actions to be taken as a result of discussions

Teacher After: Follow up on agreed actions from discussions Support students with their next step learning goals Take debriefing sessions with the students to discuss process and give feedback Debrief and evaluate the process with colleagues making agreed modifications, if necessary, for the next conversations.

Students Before: Collect work samples Practise the reflection process Rehearse 3WLCs through role playing During: Do necessary introductions Share their learning Discuss strengths and challenges Set next learning goals, and state how they intend to work toward the learning Discuss ways to be supported with learning at home and at school After: Thank parents/caregivers for participating in the conversation Undertake new activities related to new learning intentions

Parents Before: Read information from school Make online booking for appointment Be positively supportive and give time to talk to your child about what they are learning at school, rather than what they are doing. During: Focus on the learning, celebrating successes Listen carefully and ask clarifying questions Support the goal setting and next learning steps After: On going support Communicate with teacher if you have any concerns as a result of the 3WLC.

Managing known glitches Lack of rigour. The teacher must work to ensure that valid, rigorous data is shared supported by the students work samples. There should be no surprises: If there are concerns, they should have been shared. Parents being open to a shift away from the traditional one-way transference of information, where the teacher talks about someone who is not present.