Poipoia te kakano kia puawai

 Tēnā koutou katoa

With the focus on external recognition this week, we put everything we have learnt over the past 9 weeks into action.

Poipoia te kakano kia puawai 
Nurture the seed and it will blossom

The skills on show are expertise that we will take back to our classrooms, kura, and personal lives to enhance efficiency, visibility, and overall provide an increase in accessibility to all. The certification exam was straightforward and allowed for plenty of time to complete the task, and gave everyone an opportunity for success.

SUCCESS

My biggest takeaway from the Digital Fluency Intensive is to eliminate any barriers that students and whānau may have to accessing learning by insuring it is visible. This has meant that I have redesigned my class website to include our timetable and programme, including learning intentions, and to take any limited access off documents and supplementary resources. I use my website much more as part of our daily routine and this has encouraged students to access it more frequently from home, hopefully in conjunction with their whānau. 

VISIBILITY

Learning all the tips and tricks along the way have made planning and documenting more streamlined, and allowed me to share this knowledge with colleagues. I have also discovered the vast array of resources that are out there to support teachers with the digital curriculum and computational thinking. I have also learnt the importance of SHARE, and how this is a crucial step in education that can be easily overlooked.

SHARE

The learning community that welcomed each and every one of us on this journey to digital fluency was supportive, approachable, and a taonga that we will continue to move forward with as an alumni. We will all leave with knowledge and expertise that will benefit the tamariki in our care, the future of Aotearoa. 

Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou ka ora ai te iwi
With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive 

Ngā mihi nui,

Alicia

Computational Thinking and the New Zealand Curriculum

 We kicked this week off by looking at the role of digital technologies in the New Zealand Curriculum; linking this to effective practise through teaching and learning online and student achievement. We also looked at the support for teachers to acquire digital fluency, therefore providing students with the opportunity to be innovator designers, rather than passive users of technology. When introducing computational thinking, teachers can use a variety of methods, including 'unplugged' activities, such as the one in the video below. 

There were links made to empowering both teachers and students to learn the programming fundamentals, with clear progress outcomes and relevant exemplars. The word empowered is prefered over agency to avoid misconceptions about the meaning of the term when linked with Manaiakalani. Equity was also discussed alongside the disadvantages of those students arriving at school age 5 well behind where they should be. Taking back control of individuals' lives through empowerment is seen as the advancement of rangatiratanga in the 21st century. This is one of the reasons Manaiakalani supports student-owned devices.

The greatest joy comes from empowering students to
believe that they are the designers of their own future.

We discussed algorithms and coding and their role in computational thinking, and followed this up by experimenting with various coding sites and applications. I really enjoyed the Minecraft site above as an entry level introduction to these skills. Scratch and Flappy (see below) were very similar, but extended the skills to include sound and other variables. We moved into groups and made our own games using Gamefroot (below right) - this one was using pepeha. 

I look forward to sharing these coding sites with my students and my own children. I am also keen to get stuck into some 'unplugged' activities to include another level of teaching and learning to this process. It has also helped me to understand more about curriculum expectations and my own personal understanding of computer science principles.

Mā te wā, 

Alicia 

Ubiquitous (adjective): present, appearing, or found everywhere.

 Rangiwhāwhā - or ubiquitous - refers to learning that can take place anytime, anywhere, anyplace, and for anyone. This concept was at the forefront in March 2020 all across Aotearoa, as we went into sudden lockdown. This situation transferred into the opportunity for students to be learning at all times, without constraint to traditional school hours. It allowed for rewindable and visible learning to be accessed by students and their whānau. 

The flow on effects from this urgent need to have learning available digitally have been beneficial to the return to learning in the classroom. This is especially true as my own classroom has needed this access while I have been out of school attending the Digital Fluency Intensive. To continue on with our regular routine with consistency, students and relievers have access to the timetable, requirements, resources, and all other relevant links. 

With the focus on devices, we looked at digital learning from a student's perspective. Working through shortcuts on Chromebooks with a 'Digital Dig', and the Explain Everything app on iPads, we experienced how learners manage themselves in some of the online spaces. We asked the question: is every person strongly set up for online learning if we were to return to sudden lockdown? Should there be a drill for this as there are drills for earthquakes and fires?

                                                        

As you can see from the video, I wasn't super excited with my experience at Explain Everything, but it was only my first go and I am sure with more time I would work it out and find ways to use it. My school does not use iPads, we are 1:1 with Chromebooks, so at this stage I will focus my efforts in that arena. Overall, it was beneficial to learn more about using Chromebooks so I can assist with student queries, as digital fluency starts with the ability to ue the device. 

A common theme throughout, both in personal and professional online usage, was the theme of being cybersmart (as opposed to cybersafe). Keeping positive language is essential to creating connected and confident decision makers online. Cybersmart can be metaphorically seen as the strong/solid roof of Manaiakalani that is embedded throughout the learn/create/share kaupapa. 

Wheoritia te atawhai - make kindness go viral

Moving forward professionally, it is important to acknowledge Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and our commitment to partnership, participation, and protection, particularly in connection to education. By enabling students and whānau to be the owners of devices, it encourages engagement and ownership of the learning taking place. It gives every student the opportunity to be digitally fluent, and makes learning accessible and visible.

I ran into a few issues today with accessibility to the workspace feature in Hapara. After watching my bubble coach talk through step by step instructions, we found that it was not on my Hapara page and we spent time trying to figure out why. As I was left with minimal time, I defaulted to creating a Screencastify recording focusing on Digital Footprints, specifically within profiles. I would cater this to my students by asking them to refer to their current profiles and see what tweaks and changes they would make after our discussions. I will follow up the workspace issue with my Manaiakalani in class support person.  

Haere rā

Alicia

The Stars are Rising

 

As we celebrate the onset of Matariki, we move forward in our Digital Fluency Intensive focusing on our class sites. We discussed the power of digital connectivity, extending from school, to community, to nation, to the world. This shared language holds and ties us together, supporting a united kaupapa and pedagogy. 

Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa - Let us keep close together, not wide apart

Moving on to focus specifically on Google Sites, we discussed the purpose of our classroom sites, and the importance of visual appeal and user experience. The key ideas were that sites are a one-stop site for learning, accessible, rewindable, visible, and a source of information, weekly overviews, and timetables. After exploring a variety of sites, this one stood out to me for its ease of use and clear layout. 

Looking at my own site, I made goals based on functionality and visual layout. For my learners to use it with ease, there needs to be minimal clicks and consistency. To avoid overwhelming myself, I set goals based on font, colour, and layout. This will all make life easier for myself to maintain and update as required. Before (left) and after (right) screenshots:

I was excited to learn that a moving image could be used as the background on my site. I chose a slow moving gif so it was calming and didn't detract from the information on the site. I feel that it is now easier to follow and looks more streamlined. 

I'm looking forward to continuing to develop my site and make planning and learning more visible, as well as include more multimodal content. Watch this space!

Mā te wā,

Alicia

 

Taking the Blindfold Off

 Visibility was the key word today, with a focus on teaching and learning. Young people need to have barrier free access to their learning, and our commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi through partnership requires whānau to have open access to the education of their tamariki. Visibility also includes that of colleagues within and across communities, not only for accountability, but to share knowledge and ideas. Rather than asking the question of what should be made visible, we should be asking ourselves, what needs to be private? 

Engaging the 'hook' through multimodal modes made me revisit my class website and ask myself does it look interesting? What could I streamline? As well as assess if it is catering for the range of abilities and learning styles in my hub. Making these changes and how I present information will enable my learners to have a better experience with their day to day tasks, and with their overall access to resources.

Streamlining information sharing and visibility will help my workflow as a professional as it enables easier accessibility and makes planning clearer and rewindable. Seeing what is available to tap into, and how I can contribute to these resource banks is exciting and motivating. Would be great if more teachers were on board! 

Demonstration ANZAC site created today:

 

All of these initiatives will have a direct influence on my personal life as it would mean less time trying to create, find, and design, and provide more time to unwind and be ready and enthusiastic when back in the classroom. 

Mā te wā

Alicia

Data galore! Forms and Sheets... with a map thrown in.

Woah, what a massive day of learning!

We began with a focus on SHARE/tohatoha and being connected. People have been sharing since time began, but after a surge in 2005, with the rise of FaceBook, YouTube, Bebo, and Twitter, sharing was taken to a new level. Although sharing was already part of human culture, it was constrained by time, place, and people. Technology has taken those barriers away and allowed for audiences to be authentic all across the globe. By posting online, learners are able to see tasks to completion and understand the importance of finishing. 

The formatting of Google Sheets and the use of Google Forms will enable me to collect and store data effectively in my role as a teacher and colleague. 

Google Form demo 

It allows for seamless analysis of a variety of data. This will enable me to be more efficient and thorough. An example can be seen here with analysis of student data. 

My learners will benefit from this streamlining as using Google Forms to collect data is user-friendly and 'fun', compared to traditional ways of testing. I can also use my new knowledge of Google My Maps to link to learning in the classroom (see below). Students can also use these skills to display and create their own maps related to inquiry topics.

My Maps: a Journey through the Philippines

 

 I was excited to use Google My Maps as I could recreate an overseas trip I went on with friends to recall all the places we visited. I am also excited to use it personally to plan a trip to the South Island with my family in the next school holidays. The possibilities with all these applications are endless. 

Media - week 3

 

Media

Week 3 rolled around quickly and with it a new topic of learning. Media was discussed this week using a variety of tools and applications.

Our Manaiakalani focus today was around the word CREATE and its role in education in Aotearoa over time. We examined how crucial creating is to the development of cognitive function and the place that it has through early childhood, primary, and secondary education. There were some valuable quotes shared from various sources around the importance of creating, giving students the opportunity to use their hands to trigger their minds, assisting with problem solving, developing communication skills, and giving learners something to DO. 

Professionally, there were hints and tips around the use of Slides for presenting that will enhance the quality of future presentations. The grouping and prioritising of students on Hapara will also be useful in monitoring the computer use of learners. Learning how to create a pick-a-path presentation using Google Slides will be something to continue exploring as there are so many uses for this tool.

Learning to use YouTube to create a channel and playlists will be hugely beneficial to my students. Today I created a maths playlist containing the 'go-to' videos that I often use, and added the link to my class website so students can access these easily. It is a much safer way to direct students to YouTube videos. We also explored Google Drawings and this will also be something that I can use for the class website, or to allow students to spend time using the application. The image below was made using Google Drawings and replaced my previous profile image. 

Overall, today's learning has built my confidence to use these media related applications to streamline the way that I organise and do things. Knowing how to create playlists on YouTube will make life much easier when trying to remember where that perfect tutorial or informative video is when I need to find it in a hurry! I also look forward to continuing to explore creating pick-a-path presentations.