DFI

DFI Day Eight: Computational Thinking 

Explore Coding

I had a great time this morning looking at the different ways we can use coding programmes in class. I had a go at creating my own version of the flappy bird game which I loved, I even got this cute little certificate at the end. I also spent some time watching some of the Manaiakalani onair videos. These were create because I have been and am guilty of leaving the digital technolgies Curriculum up to the techers in our tech team, particually to our digi tech teacher. But actually once we went over it today I relaised that actually we do cover alot of it in class already and so with a few extra tasks and activities I am able to completly embed it into the general classroom. The video by Danni Stone where she used scratch as a task to show students learning of transformations really got me thinking about the oppertunities to intergrate it into my classes. 

 

Create 

I really enjoyed being able to exploring scratch this afternoon. I have only ever used it once beofre and I was not successful, so it was great to have some time dig into it today. I can already see so many uses for it in the classroom, as I mentioned above. 

DFI

 DFI Day Seven: Devices 

Ubiquitous

I really enjoyed today's session on the joists of the Manaiakalani  kaupapa, an the idea of anytime, anywhere, any place, any one. In that, not only does it make the teaching and learning rewindable for students, but it also allows a good space for our students to use our materials to become the teachers, whether that be for other students in the class, but also within their home and community. I was amazed when listening to tumuaki of Bay of Islands College, to hear that last year during covid restrictions they had the higest number of NCEA levels and UE they had had for years - that 100% shows the benefits and strengths of the entire kaupapa, but particually the idea of ubiquitous. 

Reflecting back on my readiness and as a result the readiness of my students for our first Covid lockdown, we were in no way shape or form ready for online learning in the slightest. When I think about it, I think what I am most proud of, is also what I regret. While we used some online tools and devices prior of online learning, it was minimal, and I had become use to the limited time we had access to devices across our teaching team. I was sharing 10 ipads with another class which used them more often, had begun really limiting the activities and tasks planned that required students to have a device and be online so that my students programme was not being interputed if we couldn't use them, to be honest we really only used them to research at the beginning of a new topic. Consequently, I had nothing set up online for students when we move to the online platform during lockdown and so together we had to learn on the fly - for me and many of my students we had never used google classroom beofre and suddenly that was how we were expected to do all our work. So while I am proud of how we managed that situation and the work quality and quantity of work that was completed, I also have big regrets about the fact that I hadn't already had this set up, having students know how to use it. I spent the forst week of our online learning time just helping my students and families connect to our online classroom, time that was just lost doing something that would have taken maybe an hour in class. In terms of what I have taken forward into this new 'era' of schooling, at the very beginning of this year I made sure my entire class was connected to google classroom (as we were still using this at this point), and that they knew how to use it. I was uploading class work onto it, and making sure that the devices we did have were evenly shared among the 2 classrooms so both class' had equal oppertunities to use them. 

Hapara Workspaces 

I had a go at creating a Hapara workspace this afternoon. I really like the different columns and the way that learning tasks, resources, and assessments could be colour coded. I didn't really complete a workspace as I was spent tp much time playing around with what could be added to the different sections and that kind of thing. While I really like the idea behind the workspaces and that students can access their work in their drive straight through this, I am currently trying to work out in my mind how to use this in conjunction with google sites and not double up on stuff, I think this will take some time and it will all make sense next year when I am in a 1-1 environment and I have had some time to see what works best with my learners. 

Digital Dig and Explain Everything 

Having had a few chromebooks in my class this year, I have taken the time to have students show me alot of their functions (they are pros at using them, and I was a complete novice). I enjoyed having the students show me all the shortcuts, allowing them to be the teacher. I did learn some handy tips while completing the digital dig though, one useful one that I will use is the sortcut to select all the infromation in the address box. It was also nice having time designated to just having a tutu around, seeing and using what our studnts use. I was not the biggest fan on Explain Everything, I was using the online version, as our ipads at school do not have this app, which may have contributed to it, but I just didn't find it any better than something like google docs, slides, or draw. However, I apperciate that on an Ipad, where those google platforms can be harder to operate, and with younger children , Explain Everything would be great. I don't think it is something I will explore anymore mind you as I don't think it would benefit our intermedaite students work in any way. Here is the little introduction and video I made on it. 

DFI

 DFI Day Six: Enabling Access

Connect 

I have never heard of Tuhi Mai Tuhi Atu before, but this is but this is definitely something I would like to look at for next year. I am always looking for different ways for students to connect with others and share their work in authentic contexts, and I feel this is a really great way to achieve that. 

Google Sites

This is something completely new to me, but I am very excited to be moving towards this. I spent the day today setting up a google site ready for next year, it feels nice to get a little head start on this. It was very helpful to be have some time to explore other class sites, get a feel for efficent layouts, what I liked or didn't like as much. As a school we have decided to keep some consistency around the general way each of our class sites look and work, so that students can move between classes and not have to relearn a whole new layout; I was pleasantly surprised to find that even though the general layout and some visual features were prescribed, there are still a number of ways it can be individualised and related to our own classrooms, the same yet different. 

Today while setting up my class site I was able to create a page for each of our subjects, and create buttons for each subject on the homepage. The buttons match the design of our labels for our daily timetable in class; I liked the idea of keeping that consistent. I plan on doing the same thing with the buttons and in class labels for each group/workshop, when I get to it. As the site is for next year and it just has it’s bare bones at the moment I haven’t published it, so here is a screenshot of it’s homepage. 

Here were my goals for today, most of which I achieved. I just need to create the buttons for the last 3 subjects and link them up with their pages. I am really enjoying using Google Draw with the replace image button, it has saved me so much time

DFI

DFI Day Four: Dealing with Data

Share

Today we discussed the third floorboard of the Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy, share. I really enjoyed this section today as it is a part of my own teaching practice that I am trying to be more intentional with, and have been making a more conscious effort to switch up the way we share work, but also making sure when we do share that it is authentic and relevant. For example earlier in the year we had a google meet with a class in Hawkes Bay in which we had been pen pals with, and together we shared our terms learning. It was an awesome experience for both classes as we had been keeping up to date with what we had been learning. When sharing our work/project we also got to teach the other class as we were sharing some of the history from our respective regions. It made this graphic we looked at this morning very relevant - as we were sharing to finish our learning but also were given the opportunity to learn from sharing (both about some of Hawke's Bay’s history, but also learning some oral language and presenting skills). 

I had also never considered the idea of a compulsory audience vs a chosen audience. I think this is something I will now keep in mind when thinking about the different audiences that students are sharing with. 

I am very much looking forward to next year and having more devices and the opportunity for students to be blogging their learning in real time. 

Some of the other ways we are sharing currently at Devon Intermediate.

Google Forms

Google forms is a platform that I am reasonably confident using. I utilised the different features of this a lot during Level 4 and 3 when students were learning online. I enjoyed having the time to make a form that I will be able to use in class … hopefully. I have linked it here, if you would like to check it out. I have not, however, made different sections within a google form, and while I couldn’t quickly think of a topic to create a form that had sections in it today, I am looking forward to playing around with this feature and figuring it out. I feel it could be very useful in terms of giving students that need it some extra revision, while students that have mastered the concept can skip past. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdLmsctQcXUMc7axk6-fnboxf7INJD53gDgtp2xmmg8QGpNNw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Google My Maps

An awesome platform I was not aware existed until today. I am currently doing a math project with my class where they are planning a trip around New Zealand visiting different sites of conflict. They have to plan the places they are going to visit in addition to accommodation, transport, and other costs including food and spending money. I have given them a map of New Zealand on an A3 piece of paper and they are currently marking their route and adding in all their extra information and expenses around the side. It would have been amazing to do this section on ‘my maps’; they would have been able to add their exact route, mark the places of conflict, the exact location of their accommodation, and add expenses and extra information to the description part. Here is a map I had a go at creating today which has pins for our DFI groups favourite holiday destinations, I love that in addition to adding points you are able to import data.  

Google Sheets 

I love using data sheets, so it was nice to be able to explore google sheets more today - as I am coming from a windows background where I was taught using excel. I have a pretty good understanding of manipulating data but today I learn some tricks that are going to be so helpful moving forward and help save so much time, here are some of them: freezing rows and columns, the paintbrush tool so I no longer have to manually format each cell, row, or column, automatically being able to alternate colours in a table, protecting cells (will be amazing to use when sending out school wide documents that only need some information added), sparkline is just the best thing ever, automatic fill to follow patterns, and validating data. Here is the table and charts I made during the create section this afternoon on blog posts.

DFI

DFI Day Three: Media 

Create 

Creativity empowers learners - it is all about the hook. We watched a short clip, "The heART of the matter" which was about a school were creativty was embraced, encourged, and ultimately flourished. This is the aim I have in my classroom, one where students are able to be their creative selfs and learn in the process. We also explored youtube and the protcools that need to be in place to keep pur learners safe on this platform, as well as looking at ways to enhance video making in class. I really liked that the focus of this was it is what you do with your resources opposed to how many resources you have - I shared some of these ideas with our Performing Arts teacher as she does some film making as part of her programme. 

Google Draw

I learnt alot during the google draw section of the day. I was unaware how much you were able to do on it. I made the image on the side bar, I couldn't find a phtot at the time so my bitmoji was a good substitute, however, I will aim to update it once I can find/take a photo that will work. I really liked the mask and replace image functions, and I can see how handy these will be when creating things for the classroom, and online, so that the formating is kept the same. I also like that you can use it to create mindmaps and charts - I will defiently be using google draw for this. 

I would also love to use google draw next year and have the students make self portraits, by taking a photo of themselves and then drawing over it. 

Here is an example of some resources about different conflicts in New Zealand that I am going to use for the display in my classroom. 

Digital Pepeha 

I also learnt today how to create voice bites and insert them into a google slide. It could be such a great tool for having students voice over their work, or to add in teacher instrctions into slides for our more auditory learners. Here is the digital pepeha I created, with voice bites using 'mote'. 

DFI

 DFI Day Two: Workflow

What does LEARN look like at my school? 

Today during the DFI course we had a korero around the fundamental kaupapa of Manaiakalani in particular the ideas and pedogogy behine LEARN. A strong message from this was that using devices is more than just a tool, but that they don't and won't replace effective teaching practice, and that while we share a common understanding LEARN looks different in each school. We got to explore this question during a staff meeting back in Term 2, where all our teachers sat down and looked at what does the idea of LEARN looking like at Devon Intermediate. Here are just some of the ideas that we came up with. 

Todays Learning 

Google Keep 

I was first introduced to google keep through staff at work who had done the DFI course earlier in the year. Today was a great chance to go into the further and look at more of the functions that will help singificantly with my workflow. The text grab function wis awseome, as well as being able to have one space to keep all my notes, deadlines, etc. 

Gmail

Before today I hadn’t set up an email signature as I didn’t want one attached to every email that I sent to a student (particularly during level 4), as well as just quick emails or email replies to staff. So today I set one up, but left the default as don’t use signature, however, I have found that there is a quick shortcut to insert or change signatures at the bottom toolbar within gmail, so I can insert it quickly at the end if I want it. 

Embedding a Video 

I had used many of the functions on Google Meet beofre, but I was unaware that you were able to record a meeting. Here is a video of a google meet that I recorded. Because I was so aware that the meet was being recorded I forgot to share by screen when talking about the Blog Post at first and had to go back and do it again. 

DFI

DFI Day One: Core Business 

What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy? 
It was nice to go over the background of Manaiakalani and where the kaupapa and pedagogy came from, while I had heard it when I attened the Taranaki Manaiakalani Launch, it wasn't as relevent to me back then. 

What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow as a professional?
I had never heard of or used google groups before. I often send out school wide emails, for things like Kapa Haka and MANA reward days, and each time have to manually type in everyones email addresses, creating and using a group for this would streamline this, and have a postive impact on workflow by allowing me to cut down on time spent on orgainsational tasks; like indivially tuing in everyones email address's everytime I send out an email. 
I often revert back to using Microsoft word when creating posters or resources, even though I know that google docs has the same functions and is just as useful. It was nice to spend some time exploring this, and being able to create posters and 'pretty' matieral that is also functional by being able to add in links, and sharing directly to others. 

What did I learn that could be used with my learners?
See above for comment around creating resources on docs that can then be shared directly. So, the doc/poster I made has a range of photos of different New Zealand conflicts and protests, with infomatrion websites linked in. I will use this sort of resocure with my learners. The webiste remove.bg would also be very useful to use. The talk to text function will also come in hugely helpful, I have had many students in the past that woukd have greatly benefited from accessing this tool, although I do wonder how well it would work with the background noise in a classroom. 

What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow in my personal life?
Same as the above comment with groups, it will have the same impact on workflow in my personal life.