DFI Day 9: Reflecting and Certification Day (aka Google Exam)

 

 

 

Celebrate Good Times!

A young teacher I knew years ago would play this song as students entered her classes for any type of assessment - it was her audio cue to destress and signal assessment.  She singlehandedly tried to turn testing into a positive moment to celebrate showing what you have learned.  I always loved that and enjoy sharing it with you.  (Might need to find a new updated song though). 

Reflecting:  

Today was a lovely day to reflect and share with colleagues and the facilitators with how far we have come as individuals and as a group regarding our own comfort, confidence and risk-taking within our varied pedagogical and educational roles.  For me it was also a great opportunity to meet with other teachers in the Horowhenua area who teach in so many different roles - some primary, working within a teen mom program, learning support and ORS students (aka Bases, or low incidence), as deputy principals, wider roles within a region supporting Māori Language learners, and even connected to the Ministry.  This did surprise me at first as I thought the DFI programme may not be as tailored to our unique needs and roles.  However, I now think that it is a strength of the programme - not only does it enable educators of varied backgrounds and experiences to share, but also to learn and problem-solve with other educational professionals.  As the most recent NZ educator, except for the rookie NZ superstar, this also helped me to understand more of how the New Zealand Education system works.  

One thing I think Manaiakalani should consider adding to our repertoire for senior students, teachers and perhaps whanau / community education, would be a cybersmart social media course.  Too many of our young people and young adults, older adults too, are using social media platforms as consumers and creators.  Often we are not fully aware of how these work, mine our data and can be both a tool to connect, share, market, but also spread dis- / mis-information, scam and harm individuals, organizations, reputations and even our systems.  While we can't solve the world's problems with social media / online abuses and misuses - we could start small and start local with common tools, like facebook, twitter and Instagram. Cyber smart curriculum could also have a branch for the online dating and use of professional networking tools or sites like Linked In. 

THE TEST - Level 1 Google Certified Educator

Whew!  Done, done and dusted! Happy that is over.  I was surprised how stressful parts of the exam seemed even though I was fairly confident going in - it was open book (read Google) too and had lots of time to complete.  However, a few questions had wordings that were out of date with the tools they  referenced, which was frustrating and challenging.  Several questions had some very confusing wording that made it difficult to feel confident.  In the end, I got there.  Yay for me and my colleagues - Level 1 done.  I have also signed up for Level 2 - I just need a break before I tackle that one too. 

DFI Day 8: Computational Thinking

 Manaiakalani Kaupapa (Pedagaogy):

I know I have writing a fair bit about the pedagogical, or teacher talk, aspects (the hows and whys) of becoming more openly visible with our learning in class moving beyond the walls of the classroom, or "flattening the walls of the classroom" to use an early 2000s term. It has helped me to relay my thinking, my questions, concerns and observations.  I hope I model that for students too - to learn well is to grapple with it all. Thank you for including this in the DFI days.

This week's kaupapa has focused on the EMPOWERED aspect of our new and improved "Ubiquitous Hybrid Learning" model.  Now in 2022, we forget perhaps how much our devices, our TOOL actually enables us to do more, better, faster, and sometimes opens doors and creative critical thinking beyond our expectations.  That is not to devalue all our other learning, at home, in nature, social and otherwise, but is to say in our modern day world we need to remember these devices do offer opportunity to connect globally, create and share widely, enable access for so many, empower individuals and communities.  This includes teachers.  Sure... you've got my "buy-in."

In every school staffroom, there are the "luddites" timid or slower to learn and /or adapt to the many devices and tools we are asked to become familiar with, there are the teachers who hesitate, because maybe they did not sign up to teach online - just teach kids, or the "tech savvy" or "early adopters" who may be intimidating without even knowing it.  We need to help each other let go of such "old school" terms, to enable each other to become empowered in their own way, on their own timetable and with support.  Just as we do with students - DFI helps us do that.  DFI Starts where we may have experience already, email, drive, etc,... 

.....and then.....

Ends with COMPUTATIONAL THINKING!  

Ok... this was my 1970's wish for today!  This year, George Jetson is being born....Crazy!

And this is where we are today...

I am not going to lie, today's deep dive made me feel extra old and amazed too at the power and creativity of people everywhere.  

Today made me realise how much I have seen in my shorter time and how much I really need to embrace teaching and learning the bigger skills or competencies - some call soft skills (communication, critical and creative thinking, literacy, numeracy, collaboration, ...).  I loved exploring our Deep Dive Presentation today - thank you! here it is for you to enjoy and revisit: Deep Dive - the Future of Tech 

I also do struggle with ethical dilemmas that technology proposes at times.  This simulation provides some interesting practice to consider moral quandries.  Check out the Moral Machine.

On an aside - reflecting...

This past week - the Queen has also passed.  After 70 years of service, 96 years of age, she has seen and done a lot. I reflect on how far she and women have come in leadership.  I also struggle to reconcile that with how some are still fighting for equitable treatment across the globe. Education is empowering - gives people voice and choice.  Devices are an important part of continuing to bring that equity, access and empowerment across gender, race, culture, socioeconomic situation or geography. 

Create Time:  

I enjoyed learning to play with Minecaft, and making little animals dance to music.  I enjoyed making my poem come alive with some animation (I can't find it at the moment but will look that up again. Maybe someone can remind me where that is?)  The Exploring Coding and Computational Thinking was fun and frustrating at the same time.  I am definitely of the generation that needs more time to play.  

My biggest frustration came with this simple dot coding game - the English teacher in me is still disagreeing with some of the coding language.  I need to work on this more. Give it a go - click on the image or if that does not work try here See if you agree with me!

Thank you very much for the opportunities to share, learn, struggle alongside a wonderful group of educators and with a very patient, helpful team of facilitators.  Kind, encouraging and optimistic even when we challenged you.  I am glad you challenged me too! I don't want to miss anyone on the Manaiakalani team as I know there are so many of you working behind the scenes, infront of us online and in person, in our schools and beyond.  Such a great program - happy I could take part.  

Update:  21/9/2022

Found a screenshot of my animating my poem - not as ideal as being able to run it, but still evidence of playing and coding.  Baby steps are still steps :)

DFI Day 7: Devices

Today was a day to put ourselves in our learners' seats using the devices the students use most - Chromebooks and ipads.  Before we continue down that path, we return to unpacking the "why" or the Manaiakalani Kaupapa (pedagogy) further.

Today's Manaiakalani Kaupapa:

Today we focus on devices being "more than just a TOOL"  enabling and empowering learning to be UBIQUITOUS (great word says the English teacher in me!). Clicking the image should give you access to the slides that accompanied today's Manaiakalani kaupapa chat:

I like coming back to this image because I am now understanding it better and better. Reminder -  the lowest level is the foundation (infrastructure necessary to hold up the rest), the top layer is the floorboards that students, whanau (families), community should be able to see as visible (Learn,Create, Share), and the middle layer (Connected, ubiquitous, visible, empowered) are the joists.  Joists are important to connect the solid foundational knowledge, skills, tools of all involved (research-based data, community resources and educator/expertise) to the Learners in the whare (house). 

Ubiquitous Learning - is it the newer Hybrid Learning Model?

Today's image really speaks to the nature of what teaching and learning has become more and more in the last few years as we were forces through crises problem solving living and teaching through a global pandemic, to try and ensure learning continued.  This shifts the 2022 hybrid model of teaching and learning to moving far beyond the initial pre - 2020 "flipped classroom" models.  Flipped classrooms tried to engage students to do the readings or film viewing at home and use class time for the important collaborative and communication rich learning experiences.  Focus in class could focus on the skills, the lessons and the practice whilst the things students could do without as much support, like reading and watching (secondary level) could be completed at home.  Whether you agree or like this model at all, it did propose different ways to approach learning beyond "homework" tasks being completed at home without help. 

Is it working?

The current model A4 (can't figure out the superscript yet) = Anywhere, Anytime, Anyone, and Any Pace is absolutely where educators and the our new Covid prompted "hybrid" learning should be. In an ideal world - embracing ubiquitous A4 learning with our lessons and learning visible, rewindable, accessible anywhere, any time and at any pace, should enable and empower students and families to not only achieve their academic goals, but perhaps surpass our outdated class-only based learning. As a school supported by Manaiakalani with all the infrastructure and devices, this could be happening.  

How do we engage our learners, their whanau (family), and our educational communities to work better together for our akonga (students)? 

However, surprisingly, or maybe not so surprising, I have so far found this model to be a struggle for students and families to "buy in" fully.  In class teachers continuously struggle to maintain student attention or focus on ask / learning, partly due to the device access/use, and perhaps also due to the nature of learning being a social experience for most.  Perhaps our youths struggled during past lockdowns so much with the lack of connection with peers, so it has become an even greater challenge to regain their focus in school when peer relationships and fun are more appealing.  Out of school, despite our efforts to make the learning ubiquitous (A4) family commitments, home life, and living conditions may prevent the "buy-in," or perhaps there is a complete difference of opinion on what ubiquitous hybrid learning means.  My observations are not intended to lay blame, but perhaps push myself and others to work more with our communities to figure out (perhaps gain more data) where the "disconnect" is occurring for A4 learning to be valued by all.  My feeling is we need to have more open korero together.  How do we connect and engage our communities further with this conversation?  

Possible solutions for some of our students:

• Did you know there was a summer program using our blogs as a base for some summer creative learning?
• Did you know if you are travelling or out in the "wop wops" (aka Canadian translation - boondocks, woods, middle of no where) you can now get the "internet in a box" -about the size of a suitcase!

Moving on to being a learner on student devices:

Hmmm.. so this is where, of course I consider myself fairly educated and would have /should have known, learning on a Chromebook is very different from my PC or MacBook. But from hotkeys to navigating Hapara and other sites, I have learned it can be a lot different. So, like anything, I will need practice and may consider using them more often to be better able to help students.

Ipads -   It had been ages since I have used an iPad so I did not get enough time to explore that tool.  However, I was ok with that as we don't have them at my school as far as I know.  

My favourite activity - was the simple but very necessary "Digital Dig" - I do plan to use this and I think it could be great to set up a page or site for parent help or "Chromebook Hot Tips" like the "Hapara Hot Tips"  we have enjoyed here. Perhaps some of the community "buy-in" I discussed above, is partly due to a lack of confidence on devices themselves. 

I think the Chromebook simulator could also help.  Thanks for sharing that too!

Finally - Cybersmart Learning

I loved the shift in language from digital awareness, digital safety and digital citizenship - to me they are all varying levels of becoming digitally literate - smart online consumers and creators.  I am looking forward to exploring and including some of the Cybersmart lessons to my classes.  I also liked the idea of shifting the language to more positive terms like being smart learners, building smart relationships, understanding what it is to create a smart footprint.  Words do shift thinking when we use the same language.  

Cybersmart lessons are here to stay and we can't forget that as digitally fluent our students appear to be, they need to be taught to be cybersmart.  Some need to gain confidence as a cybersmart student to feel confident and able to engage online.  My only concern I have had has been around -where does this fit in the curriculum?  So far as I can tell, it is meant to be embedded, or ubiquitous, in all curricular areas.  But if everyone assumes students are being taught x,y, and z elsewhere, chances are it is not and students will be missing pieces.  Sometimes it is assumed to be the responsibility of either digital /computer technologies or part of the "home" - parental responsibilities.  In an ideal world, this would be great - but we also know that some of our families are not comfortable online.  I think it is important for schools to decide how to share the load so as not to repeat too often, but also to reinforce and support each other in making being cybersmart as important as being literate.  I am not sure where this conversation needs to start.  Suggestions welcome.

How do I know this is just as important as other curriculum?  I learned with my students, modeled with them too.

When I first began blogging years ago in Canada, we learned together with a few devices at a time in class.  We spent a fair bit of time learning to be digitally fluent by trial and error, exploring (hmmmm... part of the Manaiakalani DFI day structure), discussing and problem solving together with my students.  Sometimes this meant revisiting our "why" and purpose behind our blogging to remind each other that the blogs were for our specific learning goals.  (to start - as I was cautiously timid too - we set 1 focus at a time. Eg. writing responses, mystery skype, building our class collaboration and community).

When students tried to challenge that the blogging was the problem - we listed all the issues they said were the fault of the technology, wifi, devices or blogging platform,.... and discovered, most of their "problems" were more learner based (work habits) not device, online or blogger based.  This was a big AHA moment for that year 10 class who tried to lay blame elsewhere.  

Then... full buy-in and their writing and engagement really improved.  Growing pains with devices as well as learning to be cybersmart after being told how many scammers, cyberbullies and other "bad" people were online.  Students were more open to keeping our focus, learning to respond if there was an inappropriate comment, using settings, and connecting globally.  

I apologise for not sharing a "create" task today - I was as guilty as my students.  I blame the Manaiakalani crew  for  luring me into my own "rabbit hole" exploring the "Wonderland" of the Cybersmart resources.