Moving on up!

It has been a great 9 weeks of learning.  I started this journey in Lockdown with a keenness to learn new and exciting things about Google and Learn Create Share:  A bit like, "you don't know what you don't know" - with the attitude of not professing to know everything, I embarked with an open mind!

Here is a reflection of the past 12+ weeks with Lockdown, PLD and in particular, my DFI Journey.

The experience of learning is never lost on me.  Whether I am a 'girlie swat' or a 'lifelong learner' - we are and should be on the look for opportunities to learn, extend, reinforce and just to know!

Thanks to Manaiakalani Trust for this opportunity and to the support from my facilitator Gerhard.

More Power to ya!

There has been plenty of opportunities to learn over the past eight weeks.  For me, it has been digging deeper into the Learn Create Share kaupapa and checking my understanding whilst exploring some features of Google Suite and other tools/apps that support teaching and learning (and life for that matter).

Our sessions were divided into different types of learning:

• Deep Dive: the possibilities are endless
• Chalk n Talk: gaining knowledge
• Explore: hands-on or play
• Levelling up: extending my knowledge and skills even further

Top right: Deep Dive; Top Left: Chalk n Talk; Bottom Left: Explore; Bottom Right: Levelling Up

Each week we have unpacked each of the following areas:

This week we talked through EMPOWERED.

I think this was relevant to my current reflections around our Outreach Programme - Kootuitui ki Papakura and the use of the devices.  I have been an advocate for partnering with Manaiakalani since its inception in our cluster.  I saw it as an opportunity for our families to have access to technology and a strong pedagogy around the use of devices to engage ALL our learners no matter their academic achievements or background.   

I can see each area is link together - Learn Create Share - students gaining and sharing knowledge. I can also see the links to our Formative Assessment (that's another post another time) within our school.  It's the key aspects on the outside of the visual above - visible for all, connected beyond the classroom, ubiquitous access anywhere and anyplace (next weeks learning) but to come away knowing we are here to empower our learners, teachers... and our families.

Often, at a parent hui who are new to devices, we are often confronted with why their children are being exposed to technology like a Chromebooks so early in their education...they are too young, too much responsibility, how much time will they spend online.  I am now armed with some key quotes, ideas and thinking and as another reflection....no longer will I be saying "It's just a tool!"

We are empowering our next generation.  Technology is changing fast...real fast.  Our students can be more tech-savvy than adults, then the teachers.  This generation seems to be grasping concept more readily and students are hungry to learn more and be gamified, engaged, play, learn, share, be the centre, be better...

I want to reimagine the set of slides we use with the families - I know more, understand more and can talk more about why we learn and focus on this kaupapa...why their children will benefit and what the future will hold for them under this umbrella.

I know we don't profess to have one of these...

but, if what we see around us with technological changes is anything to go by, the skills and knowledge our students need to learn and develop now will hold them in good stead for the future...they will be future-focused.

Creating in a new way!

There are many resources and things you can do using media and editing tools for creating and sharing ideas, thinking and learning. Its a matter of introducing students to a variety of ways they can create.

Two ways to create videos were explored today:  Explain Everything and Screencastify.

Explain Everything App

Explain Everything is an iPad app that has many possibilities for students to create and share their learning.  See here:

Screencastify used to make this video

Screencastify and Cyber Smart

Our next unit of work is called: Moola.  Our students are creating products to sell online and raise money for school camp.  Here are some resources that can support them to be smarter online with buying and selling: Smart Money.  The resources are focused around developing our students as CyberSmart.  Knowing how to interact and be digital citizens.

Masters of Design Navigation

The last two weeks have been an opportunity to explore the concept of design and navigation.  Through Google Sites, we create our own websites for showcasing our knowledge, learning and creativity.

We have spent some time critiquing various Google Sites from the cluster.  I know that this can be personal preference and some people like navigation across the page, down the page, left or right of the page and lots of buttons and visuals.  However, we need to keep our audience in mind when designing an effective website...

This infographic puts together some of the ideas and learning over the past 6 weeks in regard to design, engagement, visibility and connectedness:  (yes I am making another infographic!)

Some things I have learnt about design and set up to use for myself:

• use a mix of visuals and texts - photo, clipart, video, infographics...
• stick to a colour scheme - I have created my own colours
• think about my audience
• pages with too many links deter the audience: '3 clicks' rule
• simple is sometimes better
• a busy background deters the audience
• rule of thumb: sight, sound and motion

Now, to remember them and use them!!

Check out our school website - I have been working on Design Navigation to refine the presentation and made it clear and concise

What is the food of the Leader?

Today brings to mind my role as a leader in a school.  In the session today we learnt about making what we do visible to others and for our teachers, visible for students and their whanau. 

My learning journey through digital technology has been just that.  It seemed easy to share knowledge and ideas with my cohort - my staff - in a Professional Learning Meeting, but to put it out in the open, on blogs and sites was different and difficult - more people could see it.  I spent "Pinterest" time exploring how to make a good blog and blog post...I must admit I wanted to be perfect!

The pedagogy of Learn Create Share is making our learning visible to others.  We are expecting our students to put up work (which doesn't have to be fully edited and perfect), then what am I worried about!

Aside from Blogger, the use of Google Sites allows us to create a website for others.  How special, having my own website - simple and creative - allowing the use of all my new learning to go into one spot to be shared with others: YouTube Channel, Google Drawing, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides...  What you can create, seems achievable.  Put my creative spin could be great too!

Today's new learning around exploring multi-modal, multi-textual and T Shaped Literacy is going to cumulate into a Google Site with purpose and application.  I am putting my 2020 Inquiry on "Learning Support" into an easy to access a site with links to a variety of texts/resources that will capture teachers, provide learning for them and through critical thinking, have an opportunity to create their own resources to support their learners in the classroom.

So what is my checklist for inclusion in my new Google Site!

Here is the beginning of my new Google Site: Learning Support

Finally, the Whakatauki that began my thinking in this post:

Acquire knowledge and share with the people!