Smata vs SVA

Designed for teachers, Smata supports the cycle of observing, noticing and responding to learning that is central when embracing a learner centred pedagogy. By capturing and visualising small data, Smata builds a fuller picture of student learning. How does Smata work? Teachers take photos, video or audio of learning moments, and make teacher notes, which they then link to students and learning areas. Teachers decide whether what they have captured is evidence of emerging or rich learning in that area or areas. This captured small data is graphed to show learning strengths, gaps and areas for increased richness. This informs teacher planning. Teachers are able to review past observations to deepen their understanding of student and class learning. The Benefits of Using Smata: Place observation at the centre of your practice. Capture small data in the moment of observing and noticing, which can be reviewed later to inform responsive teacher actions. Make the curriculum, not assessment, the focus of learning. Because Smata enables the capture of small data related to specific learning areas, a picture of curriculum linked learning is built for the class and each student. Easily keep track of learning. Teachers decide the learning areas they want to keep track of. Smata graphs the captured small data to provide a visual representation of the learning teachers are noticing and its degree of richness. Plan for responsive teacher actions. View either whole class or individual student graphs. Instantly see where learning is rich, where it is emerging, or where no learning has been noticed. Review previously captured moments, including teacher notes. Spotlight questions generated by Smata highlight interesting points of reflection unique to the class. Supports a growth focused, learner centred pedagogy. A barrier to the adoption of a learner centred pedagogy is the difficulty teachers experience keeping track of who is doing what. Smata solves that problem. The emerging to rich scale orientates planning on the growth focused question, ‘What can I do to add richness to student learning?’ Simple, intuitive and fast. Smata is designed for ease of use. Observation information is captured in the moment of learning, in a matter of seconds, minimising the need to enter learning data after the fact. The graph makes learning instantly visible and the planning focus clear.

Student Volunteer Army was formed as a charitable trust which has been continually led by a student executive and guided by a board of trustees. Each year students organise over 50 local projects that engage 3000 students at the University of Canterbury. In 2017 following a request by Primary Schools, SVA launched a nationwide ‘SVA Schools’ programme to extend the SVA spirit to primary school classrooms. In classes, each year 32,000 students identify a local project, build a team, develop a plan, operate their project, and report on what they have achieved. The programme teaches cooperation and leadership skills to young kiwis to become lifelong volunteers!