Orientation - Class Sites for Visible Teaching & Learning

 Part of our Orientation day is to support teachers to build a class site that will lead learning in their classroom for 2020. 

The Manaiakalani Programme hinges on class sites that provide visible and rewindable learning. MOre about this can be read here. Class sites can be created so that teaching is visible and learning is visible and rewindable. Class sites are the enactment of the Visible, Ubiquitous, Connected and Empowered kaupapa of The Manaiakalani Programme. 

Our programme for this session can be viewed here on our cluster site.

Participants are supported during this PLD session to create a class site that they can build on and develop as the year progresses. Participants view each other's sites and provide feedback. The sheet with site details and feedback are on our cluster site here.

Orientation 2022 - Connecting with Manaiakalani

Orientation 2022 took place on 25th January 2022. The Orientation day is an opportunity for teachers new to our cluster schools to connect with the kaupapa and pedagogy of The Manaiakalani Programme.

Schools are invited to send teachers for this PLD opportunity so they can experience the Learn Create Share pedagogy as they learn about the Manaiakalani Programme. This is a collegial space where they can access support and develop a deeper understanding of The Manaiakalani Programme and what it offers them as a teacher in a school in our Tairāwhiti cluster and especially as a teacher in a 1:1 digital environment.

Details of your Orientation Day can be found on our cluster site here.

The participants will create an online profile which brings together learning about being Cybersmart, learning about digital tools and then sharing their creations. 

Their online profiles are included in this presentation. 2021 profiles from participants are included as well.

Tract App: Peer-to-peer Education

This year the facilitators have introduced teachers to the Tract App.

Tract is a platform where learners can follow their passions and interests, learn more then create and share their understandings and knowledge. 

The vision is to empower "learners to think critically and independently and to solve the world's problems" by providing "On-demand, project-based classes and clubs designed to spark creativity and empower learners to develop the critical thinking skills they need to succeed as successful young adults."

We have some school locally using Tract with students highly engaged in creating and sharing their interests.

Gisborne Intermediate won a global challenge for October and recently were awarded a pizza party to celebrate this achievement. What a fabulous way to start our local use of Tract. 

You can read more about tract on their newsletter here.

Learn Create Share Term 4 Staff Hui

 This term we bring it all together in one hui. Teachers will Learn about Canva. They will Create with Canva and then Share in their school as well as in the presentation below.

Canva is a graphic design platform, used to create social media graphics, presentations, posters, documents and other visual content. The app includes templates for users to use. 

View the creativity of our kaiako in the presentation below. 
Please leave a comment.

Scratch - Coding & Mathematics

 I have been attending webinars with Raranga Matihiko on Coding Across the Curriculum. 

This week's webinar included a section about Scratch and using it in Mathematics. Scratch was used to draw shapes initially and then to add a repeating pattern to make spirograph type patterns. Mathematics knowledge of 2 D shapes and measurement of corners and angles are all used in this coding exercise. 

I worked through drawing shapes such as squares, triangles, rectangles and pentagons. I didn't have much success with the pentagon but I will work on that.

Then I put the code together to create the spirographs in succession.  I also worked out how to make the background change colours randomly to make it a bit more interesting. My next job is to see if I can speed up the circle code! 

DFI / Share with Blogs

This week in DFI we were working in our Digital Bubbles to explore blogs and build an infographic about one student's blog.

The class that Manvi is in blog regularly now that they have been set up last year as new bloggers. An infographic about Manvi's blog is below

So why do we get students to blog? 

Blogging is a great way for student's to share their learning. Blogs can be used to teach, inform and/or reflect. 

Students can develop unique and creative content all the while connecting with others. We always talk about writing and having authentic audiences - well here is a way to provide that audience. 

Students can practice their communication and conversation skills when they comment on others' postings or reply to others' feedback on their blogs. Blogging can also help students be positive, thoughtful and helpful when commenting and provide feedback for others.

I have always liked this image from Langwitches. Silvia Rosenthal-Tolisano is a strong advocate of blogging and writes a lot about blogging and the advantages of blogging.

Google Certified Educator - Level 2 (recert)

So in my inbox was the notification that I needed to re-certify my Google Level 2. That email arrived way back in Term 1. Shades of college days and leaving it to the last moment, I sat it last weekend 2 days before it expired.

The bit I do want to reflect on is about the way Learn can be amplified and how the use of digital technologies supports us as learners.  Quite timely given that this week in Digital Fluency Intensive the focus is on Learn.

The Google Educator communities are worldwide. This Bootcamp was held by the Global Google Educator Group - Global GEG. And it is as part of this community that I hooked into to swat up for Level 2. I follow the Global GEG on Twitter, @GlobalGEG, and on Facebook. It was in July on Twitter that I saw their post about the up coming Bootcamp for Level 2. Perfect timing!

The Bootcamp was based in the USA so the live event was not a good time for New Zealand but they recorded the Meet and posted it on their Bootcamp Google Site. The site is a "one stop shop". It houses all the resources for Level 1 and Level 2. Because the Meet was recorded I was able to watch it later and not in the middle of the night. The ultimate in rewindable learning - another part of our Manaiakalani kaupapa. 

I actually preferred the rewindable aspect because each recording is just over 3 hours long and there is Day 1 and Day 2 recordings. I watched the Bootcamp recordings on YouTube and was able to fast forward using the arrow keys to the bits I knew I needed to brush up on. A set of slides accompanied the session so it was pretty easy to work out what I needed to do.

 

I marvel at two things from having completed the Bootcamp. One is the generosity of educators who take the time to plan and host something like this Bootcamp which amplifies their learning for the benefit of others. The sharing of knowledge is immense. The other is how technology supports learners in any place, at any time and at any pace. 

I know I passed immediately after the exam which was really speedy, and now all I am waiting for is the official certificate. Good for another 3 years!