Day 9 - DFI

THURSDAY 20 SEPTEMBER

 Manaiakalani Digital Fluency Intensive - Week 9

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

Ubiquitous Learning 

Ubiquitous learning takes place outside of the traditional classroom in the digital era.  Anyone can connect with experts anywhere in the world, regardless of location or academic background.  It enables students accessibility that they wouldn't otherwise have without devices.  Connection can happen at any pace allowing the students to choose how fast or slow they receive or send information and also allows for rewind learning or skipping information.

Rewind Learning

Rewind learning enables children to have access to the learning when they have missed a day in the classroom for various reasons. Rewind learning removes the traditional teaching/learning from 9-3pm.  It also allows the teaching to be shared with whanau and to show them what learning looks like today in the classroom.

                                                                         Ubiquitous Learning in Room 6

My weekly planning have are now being presented in the form of digital modelling/planning books which have video clips injected into the google slide pages.  The videos and digital modelling books allow the children to rewind learning anytime and at any pace.  The videos have been collected from a number of sources to support the teaching/learning process.  The digital books also allow the whanau to view the teaching/learning occurring in the classroom and opportunities to offer support in their child's learning.

Looking back over last week or last term

What are the kinds of reasons children have not being present for the teaching or learning moments in the classroom?

Room 6 have had a number of children regularly absent  because of sickness that spreads quickly through the class especially at this time of the year.  There has seldom been a time when the whole class has been present so I am able to update the class picture on the Room 6 website.

What is the most frustrating part of a planned teaching/ learning sequence for a child to miss?
The most frustrating part for a child to miss is the beginning of the week on a Monday when the children look over the weeks programme in the digital books.  Reviewing the week ahead allows them to have a sense of the work load, learning intentions, view the different components of the digital modelling books and expectations ahead.  When they miss the first day there is a huge appreciation for rewind learning and ubiquitous learning to occur outside of the classroom.

Are there children who need support for a wide variety of reasons?
It is very difficult for a number of children to learn and retain new concepts quickly or on the first introduction.  The opportunity to rewind the learning or take advantage of ubiquitous learning is priceless.  The processing of information and differences in learning styles is supported through the use of digital technology.

How do you address the challenge of managing multiple groups while having effective teaching moments with the group in front of you?
Well, two weeks ago I would have answered this question using the word 'rotation' which I use in my reading and maths planning.  HOWEVER, since using the digital modelling books I cannot believe the on task, engagement, time management, completion of work, learning new concepts and more teaching time in the classroom due to the digital modelling books.   I have never in all my years of teaching seen a maths lesson work so well.

What digital tools could you make more use of?
More use of the google suite and google apps that enhance the classroom programme.

Summer Learning Journey 

The results from a summer learning journey programme, by children blogging over the summer period, suggested that significant, positive gains were made by the students.

How to continue professional learning in Manaiakalani opportunities 

Manaiakalani Innovative Teacher Programme

"Over the first four years of Spark-MIT we have had teachers who have taken this opportunity to investigate ways to accelerate learning outcomes for our young people via the Manaiakalani pedagogy. The most successful inquiries have subsequently become the foundation of classroom implementation for their colleagues within Manaiakalani and around New Zealand. Spark Foundation and the Manaiakalani Education Trust are keen to support teachers who are challenging their own teaching practice through inquiring into innovative ways to meet our cluster goals and provide inspiration to their colleagues. " Manaiakalani Programme 

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

A number of us that attended the DFI course got to sit the Google Education in the classroom Level 1 certificate.  It was a 3 hour exam in which I had 39 seconds left before time was up.  Very intense and so worth it.  Learnt how to navigate a number of google suite areas and can't wait to sit Level 2 which I will be using the holidays to complete.  Looking forward to the challenge.  

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

Ubiquitous learning and rewind learning is a must in the teaching and learning in the classroom.  It now has to be a part of my planning because I have seen the benefits of this learning in the classroom and the many positive spin offs there are to offering it to the children.  

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

In the labour weekend our whanau and hapu are holding an unveiling for my mother and great, great grandmother.  Because a lot of our kuia and koroua have passed on we have been left with the huge task of organising the unveiling.  And, I can tell you now, that because I know how to use google slides, share google docs, collaborative on a google doc, invite people to hangouts and conference call by telephone that this task has been made 10 times easier when keeping everyone informed.  Thank you Manaiakalani team for extending the learn, create, share pedagogy to us so we are able to learn, create and share with our whanau, hapu and iwi.  I am so excited about teaching creating and sharing this knowledge with our hapu in order to bring a closer to organise such a big event, anywhere, any place and at any pace.

Embedding a youtube playlist

DAY 8 - DFI

THURSDAY 13 SEPTEMBER

 Manaiakalani Digital Fluency Intensive - Week 8

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

LeeAnn Lindsey, a member of the ISTE Standards Core Leadership Team says . “When taught in a positive light, digital citizenship introduces students to the wealth of opportunities afforded to them via technology, and helps them navigate effectively through the digital world resulting in healthy interactions, a positive digital presence and increased learning opportunities.”

In the classroom Vicki has created blogs for the students to use. They have started posting items onto their blogs to share with others. Part of this process is understanding what information is appropriate to share with people other than family and friends. The class has had a few lessons on what is suitable to share, and personal information like addresses and last names is not suitable. Another part of being able to interact with others and leave a positive digital footprint is the type of comments that are suitable to leave on blog sites. This has been a good learning curve for both the students and myself. The poster showing the types of blog comments to use has been really helpful. Blogging and the classroom website has absolutely supported students to "learn, create and share. To empower students to become connected citizens and make their learning is visible and accessible, anytime, any place, at any pace. Which in turn enables our young people learn to make smart decisions and understand that every time they connect, collaborate and share online"
Manaiakalani Cybersmart by Manaiaklani based on a work at https://sites.google.com/a/manaiakalani.org/cybersmart. 

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

I have discovered that using videos, google slides, google forms, spreadsheets that produce graphs and google documents in my planning and delivery of lessons is producing more engagement because some of the learning barriers have been taken away.  For example the inability to spell words that tends to stall the creative thinking in writing.  Children producing a published piece of work that they only need to use drop down menus, search in explore and clicking a mouse.  The results are always fantastic.  Children seem to understand that the limitations are only in their minds not in their ability to spell.  I have also experienced the children's ability to learn new maths concepts and improve in their basic facts which has come from using the different google programmes.  From observations the children learn at their own pace, are able to rewind the learning, be included in the classroom where everyone is using the same tool to learn, even though the content is different. 

My goal next week is to interview children and allow them to voice how they feel about the use of devices in the classroom and what barriers do they see blocking their learning, or what barriers have been removed to help their learning by using devices.

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

The class did a digital dig at the beginning of the year and it was a great way to list all the keyboard shortcuts.  The children were totally engaged with this activity because it was almost like a treasure hunt trying to find shortcuts and work out how to do certain skills on their chromebooks.  This activity also lends itself to goal setting or next steps in terms of digital fluency.

Digital Fluency starts with the ability to use the device.  The Digital Dig should be included at the beginning of EVERY year at EVERY level.

DAY 7 - DFI

THURSDAY, 6 SEPTEMBER 2018

Manaiakalani Digital Fluency Intensive - Week 7

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

Connecting communities between schools, between classes within schools, between school and whanau and the wider community is all an integral part of the Manaiakalani pedagogy.  Strenthening these links allows students to write with a purpose, to write for an authentic audience.

"Share the vision to lead future focused learning in connected communities. Our young people are actively involved, lifelong and literate learners who are confident and connected; ready for employment in tomorrow’s market and contributing positively to their community. Learners who are at home in the digital world"

Connected communities










That share a common language



Blogging is a way of building powerful connections across the clusters. 

              Great idea for blogging

Great platform for blogging between schools









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

Digital Technologies | Hangarau Matihiko - This was the first time I had been introduced to the Code.org website and experienced computer science coding in such a fun way. This is a must to include into my weekly classroom programme and keen to schedule the activities in for next term. 

Code.org pedagogy: Increases diversity in computer science by reaching students of all backgrounds where they are — at their skill-level, in their schools, and in ways that inspire them to keep learning. Code.org® is a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities. Our vision is that every student in every school has the opportunity to learn computer science. screenshot maze game.

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

 "Students use scratch to code their own interactive stories, animations and games. In the process, they learn to think creatively, reason systematically and work collaboratively. 
Essential skills for children in today's society"

Let's teach kids to code

A delightful way to teach kids about computers

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

One of my goals from last week was to complete the digital modelling books for reading, writing and maths in order to use my planning time more efficiently to give me more time for other things. Spent the whole weekend completing the digital modelling books with planning embedded, and it was worth every minute. Not only do the digital modelling books develop life long skills in the children, like time management, independence, making choices, prioritising and timetabling, it has freed up a lot of next weeks planning time because there is a least 2 weeks worth in the books. The classroom website has also been developed over the weekend and I have linked the modelling books to the website. Spoke to a parent to let them know that they are now able to see what their child is doing in class and support in their child's learning would be welcome. The link between school and home has absolutely been strengthened through the website and the children having access to their google drive from home. Wow! An exciting time to be teaching.