Information for Inservice and/or College Credit

CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE IN AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND SCHOOLS TO PARTICIPATE IN A WORLD RECOGNIZED CLASSROOM LITERACY PROGRAM

Naomi Butler, former Specialist, Maryland State Department of Education
At present, Coordinator, Educators Literacy Corps

Description

This trip is for educators who want to see first hand the processes of New Zealand's literacy programs. The Educators Literacy Corps and the Junior Learning Class group in New Zealand offer a wonderful opportunity to do that by traveling to Auckland and to be placed in a school and a homestay.

Applicants will spend one or two weeks participating in all aspects of the classroom program and gain hands-on experience in their world-renowned programs. Under teacher mentors, one will experience opportunities to observe and practice this renowned literacy program including whole group approaches, small group approaches, and independent experiences.

One will learn about the Balanced Reading Program: Reading to the Children, Reading with the Children, and Reading by the Children and the Balanced Writing Program: Writing to the Children, Writing with the Children, and Writing by the Children.

Participants will round out their educational and cultural experiences by staying at the homes of teachers and educators and have the opportunity to visit book publishers and teachers' resource centers in their own time.

Suggested Timeline

Leave Los Angeles - Arrive in Auckland (you lose a day). Orientation to New Zealand homestay hosts and to assigned schools. In-service provided by Junior Class Learning Group. Homestay with that teacher/administrator or another one in the Auckland area.

Placed in classroom(s) with teacher mentor(s.)

Optional by mentors and homestays or on own by participant - Visit to book publisher and book stores or Teacher Education Centers for examination of "text" books like the ones used in the classrooms; professional materials, and New Zealand authored children's books.

Leave for home. Second week for those persons who wish to stay in the schools.

September - Contact Naomi Butler concerning the implementation of experiences into the classroom.

Trip participants may want to present or participate in at least one inservice in their schools or counties/school districts.

Please have your supervisor visit your classroom at least once to observe an example of a New Zealand classroom practice or adaptation thereof.

Performance Outcomes

As a result of the New Zealand classroom experience and in-service activities, trip participants will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the New Zealand approach to a balanced language program.
• Articulate a knowledge of the New Zealand beliefs about literacy, learning, and teaching.
• Organize and manage the evaluation and assessment, including the "Running Records."
• Incorporate elements of the New Zealand program into individual classrooms and/or school settings.
• Participate in presentations about the program to various groups in their schools, local education agencies and at least one state and/or national conference, if possible.

NOTE: Because adaptations of the New Zealand program are already in place statewide, the demonstration of the New Zealand classroom practices could look somewhat different from local education agency to local education agency and from school to school.

Evaluation

The trip participants will demonstrate the achievement of the performance outcomes through the following evidence:

It is the responsibility of the participant who wishes to receive some kind of credit to provide information to their county staff development office for review. Naomi Butler will cooperate with school or system level administrators to determine the evaluation outcome and credit if needed. Please remember to keep your supervisors/principals informed.

Instructional Resources/Bibliography and Assignments

Each trip participant will be provided information about the Auckland schools, the Balanced Language/Reading Recovery Programs, from the Junior Class Learning group and/or from the schools. New Zealanders are generous with their materials, including bibliographies.