Rewarding, Messy, Fun - the richness of rich tasks

We have been working with a number of schools looking at the NZ maths curriculum, a balanced diet of task types and effective planning processes. One of the biggest take-aways from this mahi is that rich tasks can be fun, rewarding and extremely informative for seeing what a teacher’s best next steps are. 

Rich tasks can be delivered to small groups, given out for individual ākonga or even run as a whole class. Through rich tasks ākonga can explore how different mathematical procedures can be applied to real-life situations, they can discuss what they are doing and can explain complex processes. Meanwhile, just as the learners are exploring, the teacher can be exploring and treat the task as a rich snapshot of learning - scaffolding those who need a helping hand and giving opportunities and prompts for extension. A rich task is a rich opportunity for active and timely differentiation - and the bonus is that they are fun to explore alongside ākonga.

What is a rich task?

A rich task is an unfamiliar task that requires a few different processes or procedures to be able to work out the answer. It is ‘rich’ because there is more than one step to figuring out the solution. It could also be ‘rich’ because there are multiple ways in to the problem. 

How can you use them?

You could use a rich task at the beginning of the week to help to plan content for the rest of the week - or you could use a rich task at the end of the week to help to plan the content for the next week - or you could use a rich task as a playful way to see if your ākonga can apply some of the processes they have learned. It is a rich way to plan for formative assessment. 

What is best practice for a warm-up? 

Ideally, a rich task should not be experienced ‘cold’ even though it should be unfamiliar. As a snapshot of learning, you need to see how ākonga are responding in the moment to the problem in front of them. A good warm-up might be solving a similar problem and justifying the solution to revise a key process - or looking at a similar context with a different (but more simplified) applied exercise. 

What are the best planning tips?

Planning with an empathy hat on is vital. What might ākonga need to understand the task? What manipulatives might they need? How might a ‘resource on stand by’ be used effectively just in case it is needed? Thinking about how ākonga can be enabled and extended before the task is launched is a really important step to ensure success for all. 

Ākonga love rich tasks because they are an opportunity to be agentic. They can choose how they solve the problem, they can choose to draw or to use manipulatives, they can use counters or dice, big paper or whiteboards and they can work alone or in pairs, in groups or in clusters.

Another benefit of a rich task is that it can be ‘low floor and high ceiling’. This means that you can provide some enabling prompts for ākonga who might struggle to start (some helpful diagrams or even a helpful formula) to give them their ‘way in’ to step onto the ‘low floor’. You can also engineer some extension ideas to create a higher ceiling for ākonga who are ready to stretch to a deeper level of understanding. 

Rich tasks might have a ‘right answer’ but they don’t have a right way to find it. The example images inset are from a group of year 4 students who all found a different way to solve a rich task about gardening (found on the nzmaths website). Each group, pair or individual was completely engaged with following their own process to figure it out. There were rich discussions, expressive explaining and multiple ‘aha’ moments for them as they explored the task with felts, paper, whiteboards, grids and counters. 

These images show an incredible amount of thinking, sequencing and clever problem-solving. The steps involved in coming up with their solutions were varied but all of them found success at the level that they were operating at - with room for being enabled and extended according to their needs. 

There is no necessary ‘finished’ presentation either. The wonderfully messy maths of a rich task is hands-on, memorable and fun. It is process over product and it shows ākonga that persistence pays off, procedures can be applied to multiple contexts and that maths can be relevant and rewarding.

What do ākonga say? 

“That was so fun”

“I am proud of how I went above and beyond what I thought I could do”

“I made a mistake in the sequencing part but I see that now”

“I was so excited to work out the pattern!”

“It’s like sneaky maths because it doesn’t feel like maths”

What do the teachers say?

“It is amazing at how much you can ‘see’ in an activity like this.”

“It really helps me to do meaningful and personalised planning”

“I’m surprised that some of my middle band learners were ready for extension”

“I didn’t think they would be able to do this.”

The results of rich tasks are surprising, messy, wonderful and conversation-worthy. Rich tasks are rich.

Check out the rich tasks on the nzmaths website to start your rich and fun messy maths journey.  Rich tasks can be fun, rewarding and extremely informative for seeing what a teacher’s best next steps are - and your first step? Giving it a go. 

If you would like to access some support with numeracy and mathematics learning design, get in touch with one of our team - we make numbers fun.

Strategic Planning - Eyes on the Horizon

Picture the swell, you can see it from where you are standing, the beach is quiet, waves building and challenge speaks to your soul.  Calling to you, enticing you to take your chances… willing you to take the wero laid down… this is the start point of a surfer’s journey… aligning also with that same journey of a school leader.  Why?  Not because of the thrill of the ride - a call from that which lays out beyond the breakers… the horizon.  That which lies beyond what we can see - the future, our future… our students.

The first step is getting your feet wet.  It’s time to jump in.  

The paddle… head up, eyes on the horizon… can be hazy but still they know where they are headed.  There are challenges… it takes time to paddle past the ‘chop’ of day to day.  Still getting out past the break is the goal, and so begins the paddle.  

Upon arrival there is the quiet… the space/the pause… stimulus/response… A quiet minute (whether authentic or created).  Take a breath.  The swell rises, the surfer maps their course.  They are aware of those around them, with them, also an awareness of obstacles that might get in the way.  The swell rises and it’s time to stand… take action and take the drop… Drop into challenge.  Navigate whatever accompanies the ride.  As a leader it is essential to stay above the breakers, take the time to pause, carefully consider the ride.  

What does this look like for school leaders?  As leaders we must keep our eyes on the horizon - our students… our future.  With clear focus on their needs, their growth, the potential of those in front of us, and those we lead, we set our vision. 

““Successful Wayfinding Leadership requires that we develop ‘response ability’ and avoid reactivity.””

— Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey, Wayfinding leadership

So then time for ‘Momentum’ - vision needs action/movement to bring it into being.  The surfer makes the drop, rides the wave.  Riding the wave…an authentic need to be agile, staying true to the vision, turning, steering, facing challenges to stay on board, to reach our goals.  Controlling the swell, bracing for a spill, light, flexible, navigating the inevitable challenges of staying on… rising above challenge, standing strong.  

Once again we steer you back to the concept of disciplined freedom - being agile enough to cope with that which comes at you… unforeseen challenges, navigating change while still staying true to core focus areas and ultimately the destination - the vision for your students/kura.  Covid and illnesses are challenges, teaching shortages are a challenge, engaging authentically with all stakeholders can be a challenge.  As a leader it can be hard to navigate.  Especially considering the need to navigate on our feet, agile, light, ready to respond to change, essentially still focused on the horizon.  Good planning supports this whole process, and is a challenge that we are happy to lean into with school leaders.

All around Aotearoa school leaders and their teams are carefully considering what the best path is for their people. The time is now…we can not stay in a state of challenge  ‘just getting by’ - paddling through the foam.   We have to lean into the challenge and keep the course… growth and change… those we lead and our own.  Our tamariki and young people need us to step into our space.  We need to nurture them to grow too - so they can fulfill their destiny, ultimately they are our future.  

““The true gift of the wayfinder’s journey is not arrival at the destination; it is who we become along the way as we fulfill our potential.””

— Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey, Wayfinding leadership

Climbing into the flax bush - starting your Mana Ōrite journey

"Mā te whakātu, ka mohio, mā te mohio ka marama, mā te marama ka matau, mā te matau ka ora." 

"With discussion comes knowledge, with knowledge comes light and understanding, with light and understanding comes wisdom, with wisdom comes wellness."

Have you had a chance to check out the Mana Ōrite webinar series yet? You can explore a  range of videos, podcasts and downloadable worksheets and resources to spark deeper korero and changes in practice at your kura. The more we talk, the more we can learn. The more we learn, the more we know. And the more knowledge we have, the more light comes in - and the more we will grow through knowing.

This quote from Mere Berryman, Dawn Lawrence and Robbie Lamont also points to the importance of dialogue:

“ “Dialogue within responsive pedagogy requires relationships in which risk taking is encouraged, where there is no shame in being a “not knower” and where it is understood that everyone brings with them knowledge, ways of knowing, and experiences of value to share.””

— Cultural relationships for responsive pedagogy: A bicultural mana ōrite perspective.

The key take-away from this quote is that there is no shame in not knowing - and that it is through korero that we can begin to know and acknowledge ways of knowing. 

This blog post is about feeling brave to start the korero, about feeling brave to ‘clear the undergrowth’ and about recognising that we all have to start somewhere - but we have to start somewhere together. 

Tungia te Ururua, kia tupu Whakaritorito te tupu O te harakeke
Clear the undergrowth so that the new shoots of the flax will grow.

But how can we clear the undergrowth? Where can we start? 

What about if we start by seeing the learner as the centre of the flax bush. As a rito and ngākau, ākonga are protected and surrounded by whānau, elders, teachers and others who can help - and we are not on our journey alone. We are part of the flax bush and we are growing together. We are all just one small part of the flax bush - but it is through working together that we can weave a brighter future for the rito. 

Let’s go to the bottom of the flax bush. Yes, at the bottom of the flax bush it is dark. And we might find some things that need to be cleared away - but we can also see the light of the growing rito. We can agree that the learner needs to be at the centre and we can work together to clear the path for more growth and ongoing korero. The more we talk to people, the more we can let the light in and we can grow stronger together with a rich mātauranga Māori foundation and a new shared understanding.   

Mana Ōrite is an opportunity to grow in a direction that is informed by indigenous knowledge. How can we start clearing the way? How can we start growing? 

We just need to start. 

Here are some pātai to start the discussion:

How are we inviting the ‘tanga whānau’ into our practice? (whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, kotahitanga and kaitiakitanga)

How can we start our learning design from a mātauranga māori seed?

How can we honour the learner and their whakapapa at/as the centre?

How can we learn and play together? (ira tākaro, ako)

How can we grow quietly and humbly beside each other with shared roles in learning? (whakaaro nui, whakamana, whakaiti)

The first step is working together. We may need to clear some things away before the new shoots will thrive. But we have to start. Together. 

"Mā te whakātu, ka mohio, mā te mohio ka marama, mā te marama ka matau, mā te matau ka ora."

References:

www.manaorite.ac.nz

Cultural relationships for responsive pedagogy: A bicultural mana ōrite perspective MERE BERRYMAN, DAWN LAWRENCE, AND ROBBIE LAMONT

Strategic Planning: Treasure Maps and Ensuring Future Success

We have been working with school leaders and their teams to support strategic planning and mapping of ‘steps for success’ for the next three years.  Strategic planning is a bit like designing a treasure map alongside the captain and crew of a big ship - with kotahitanga and manaakitanga. The sheer level of responsibility that rangatira feel for shaping the journey and direction for their tamariki and school community is high.  The commitment to having a clear vision and ‘getting it right’ is central to this mahi.  

What does that look like? In consultation with the key stakeholders, we review, refine and develop new strategic documents with great care and acute awareness of the need to design a map that will work.  We work with school leaders to map a journey that has their tamariki at the heart and forefront of all decisions.  This work is not for the faint-hearted. As ‘Captain of the Ship’, school leaders have the responsibility for determining the ‘X’ (Vision - or treasure!), and plot the map to get there (Strategic Plan) as well as recognise the need to navigate all that goes in between.

“‘Strategy is a style of thinking, a conscious and deliberate process, an intensive implementation system, the science of ensuring future success’”

— Pete Johnson

It is a privilege to work alongside passionate leaders to create their strategic plans. The captain, with map in hand, can ensure the crew has the freedom to make progress creatively while still tracking towards the ‘X’. The passion and commitment leaders have for their vision, values and strategic goals is inspirational.  The strategic plan will guide decisions, and resourcing and can be a filter for effective decision-making for the next three years.  

As captains of the ship - school leaders have their eye on what is coming and they know that they are not alone. They can navigate unpredictable seas, and oversee the many nuances of the plan in action.  School leaders can mark the spot, map and track the course, negotiate turbulence, and empower and support the crew. A shared vision is so important. Having the crew on board and steering in the same direction is crucial to the success of any plan. The strategic plan needs to be a treasure map ‘to pull the island to you’  that the whole crew can buy into. It is a shared vision for a team adventure. “True success is when the navigator is no longer needed” - Wayfinding leadership.

The power of our work with strategic planning starts with the ability to listen and unite - kotahitanga. We can help formulate the plan and we can personalise the process. We can support you from the bow, the stern, beside the waka or wherever you need us. In essence, we can be your support crew on your treasure hunt.  We want you to have a successful adventure!  We will help you to write your strategic plan, draw your treasure map and ensure your future success.

““Perhaps the most profound lesson we have both learned from the navigators is their ability to maintain a fierce unwavering vision for the island, to harness their mana, and call a new reality into being. To an untrained eye, it would appear that the mariners are sailing to an island. Yet, to a master navigator, the island is held within him or her, and they are drawing that island to them.””

— Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey, Wayfinding leadership

Growth Mindset - How will you change your mind?

As New Zealand educators we are going through some significant changes. Change is scary sometimes - we all know that.  We also know of the idiom ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’ - the truth is that any area of significant change can feel like a big challenge.  Change challenges us at our core and can leave us feeling vulnerable. So how can we adapt? 

We expect our students to be immersed in change and often our students are far more equipped for change than we are.  We could learn a thing or two about adaptability and embracing challenges from our students.  What is the best way to encourage growth and adaptability? With a growth mindset. And we need to model it ourselves too.  

In a masterclass with Carol Dweck, American Psychologist and professor at Stanford University, one quote really resonated: 

““Mindsets are just beliefs. They’re powerful beliefs, but they’re just something in your mind, and you can change your mind.””

— Carol S. Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

This is an empowering thought.  Changes are challenging - however we get to change our minds about how we respond to change.  Change is necessary and, when addressing the fact that our education system has not served all of our students, it is actually urgent.  With a growth mindset we can support the kids - because they are the heartbeat in our schools.

Let’s make a conscious choice to change our minds. Let us, as Brene Brown would say ‘embrace the suck’ and move forwards together. We can walk through vulnerability to get to courage. We can face our challenges - with a growth mindset.  It might not be easy (or comfortable) but we must do it in order to best serve the heartbeats of our schools - our students.