dddddddd....Devices

• What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy?

We want to empower our learners to be positive, connected and confident. ( though when I scrawled that last word down I thought I had written non violent...likely that is a good aspiration to have as well!) Globally there has been more of a focus on being positive. As teachers we want to elevate positive, thoughtful and helpful comments when we engage online. Counter the negative in the media. Being cybersmart also means being able to harness technology even when not at school. Learning is visible and ubiquitous.

• What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow as a professional?

I had not delved into chromebooks or Hapara as a junior class teacher. I know that my learners will at some stage be utilising Explain everything. The importance of using the correct vocabulary was stressed, consistency in tool naming. Exploring the tool I succeeded in writing my name and taking a picture of myself but came unstuck when it came to using the shapes and colours to make the phone. Then tried recording myself, wanted to delete it but ended up deleting everything. So! Some practice needed there, no doubt Room 7 can teach me when the time comes.

• What did I learn that could be used with my learners? 
I know that my learners will at some stage be utilising Explain everything. The importance of using the correct vocabulary was stressed, consistency in tool naming. Exploring the tool I succeeded in writing my name and taking a picture of myself but came unstuck when it came to using the shapes and colours to make the phone. Then tried recording myself, wanted to delete it but ended up deleting everything. So! Some practice needed there, no doubt Room 7 can teach me when the time comes.

• What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow in my personal life?

Screencastify definitely will help with my class site ( which is part of my personal life, it gets updated in my bedroom presently...can't get more personal than that!) I know that I can make a video, not highly professional perhaps but fine to deliver to a class of 6 year olds. See below...

https://meet.google.com/linkredirect?authuser=0&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fdrive.google.com%2Fopen%3Fid%3D1c8djsS9nkx-y8zgKIRONndcjiWPU2LjJ

Then this is me attempting to screencastify for the second time..My first time attempting to cast my screen was to show a Mum of an ESOL student how to find and navigate our class site. Which was successful!
I can see the value of being able to cast my screen and make a recording . I believe I will appear in a wee square in the corner also?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ARvN79zODUKHiWj1GP3K5dTE6NYSqkre/view?usp=sharing

I

The lockdown low down

The lockdown low down

The world has changed much globally and for me professionally since our last DFI session. Jettisoned from level 3 into level 4, then ' holidays, then online learning. I left school in the last week of term with a class site that had been made for me by our deputy principal. Aside from my dablings at DFI I had little knowledge or know how of what and how to manage a site. Thanks to help from my family, tutors, sharing online and the simple need to 'just do it' I know a whole lot more now. I have gained in confidence and skill, but still learning. I also have more skills and confidence to manage meeting up with my class at our daily 9.45 Hangout. It has been a rewarding and precious time to connect with them all through the site and the Hangout...or is it a meet..I am still not really sure what you call it!

• What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy?

One of the four principles that Manaiakalani hangs it's goals on is to be connected. Face to face connection is very important nonetheless. Hence photos on sites get an instant hit.
What resonated with me was the example given of going to a BBQ and attempting to make small talk and getting little response back. The importance of sharing, you have to share of yourself to make a connection. Which in turn means making yourself vulnerable. To go on from this Dorothy spoke of schools that did not want to join the programme as they felt it would expose low attainment/poor spelling etc. Part of being able to connect is being able to share.

• What did I learn that could be used with my learners?  

It was more that I reflected on my site. How functional and appealing was it? How much did my site provide opportunities to be creative? I felt reasonably confident that my class site is appealing and functional but there is always room for improvement. I took note of Gerhards point regarding having the teacher visible as some families may not have the opportunity to come into school and personally meet up. I pondered how to archive old content...I was wondering what to do with yesterday's photos, yesterday's prayer. 

• What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow in my professional/personal life?

Having the time to practice and have a facilitator available was great. Right in time learning? Now that I know a bit more I know what to ask! How to do and add an audio and video...and what I can do with 'old stuff'.

At the end of a day distance learning the firewood has arrived...

Site Excitement!

Site excitement!

According to Dorothy we are halfway. It has certainly been good to be embarking on this online delivery in the term break. Today's session felt not so overwhelming so that's positive. It was a particularly relevant and timely topic of building a site. So...

• What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy?

The 4 elements of Manaiakalani are to be visible, ubiquitous, connected and empowered. It was the visibility that was talked to today. In the past the learning journey could be hidden, learner's success often depending on the cultural capital of a parent. WALT's and SC opened up learning. However it is not just the learning but the planning, process, outcomes and assessment that can be visible.

A few examples - don't want to be emailing work to children, limit the links. Don't make the learning invisible, unnecessary passwords. Feedback to be timely and appropriate.

Kerry spoke to the topic of multimodal learning ( engaging the hook) Aiming for behavioural and cognitive engagement. The content is king! As teachers we are competing with the likes of You Tube. We need to be asking What suits my learners? what differentiation is there? What opportunities to deepen and extend their thinking? Multi modal meaning writing, video, song, graph, animation...additionally we want our children to be exposed to multi textual reading, a piece they can read independently, then a scaffolding, complementary and challenging text.

• What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow as a professional?

How to build a multi modal site, which I will need to practice with and add to this week. It was suggested that we create a new site each year for our own professional learning. I was pleasantly surprised that I managed to keep up with the instructions the first time round for building a site. However along the way I did get lost navigating between 2 hangouts and 2 screens and thinking I was in the wrong email account. With Cheryl talking me through I managed to add a link to our group slides and then publish the site. Need to revisit though.

• What did I learn that could be used with my learners?  

I already have a class site that was set up by our DP before school finished last term. I could insert a page for each week to begin with perhaps or insert pages for my reading groups. I do need to be sure it is something I can sustain, is worthwhile and of course multi modal!

• What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow in my personal life?

I think until I repeat the learning and do it for myself I can't really say I have learnt it!

• What did I take out of today that would help me connect with my learners?

A question that Dorothy posed at the conclusion. Reflecting on having this week posted a video of myself leading school prayer and the feedback I received. I am thinking it is important that I send a video to connect with my Room 7 children next term. If I can put that on my site as part of a weekly 'reaching out' it would be a good thing to do.