DAY 7: DFI - Devices

Kia ora koutou,

Today DFI session was focused on Devices. We were looking at the background of how Manaiakalani have come to use 1:1 devices, and more importantly how to use shared devices. We were reminded that as teachers it's so important to be able to put yourself in a learners shoes and practice using the same tools that they do (as normally teachers are equipped with macbooks or hp laptops, rather than chromebooks). We need to know what functionality their devices have (AND don't have!) in order to set up new learning activities for tamariki.

The other key component of today was looking at the Manaiakalani Cybersmart curriculum.
This needs to be an integral part of our teaching programme. If we're going to be giving learners access to the world with a device, it's crucial that they're given the tools through an intentional cybersmart curriculum to become smart learners, building smart relationships and creating a smart digital footprint. This links with not only Te Whariki NZ ECE Curriculum vision, but also Manaiakalani pedagogy of Learn Create Share being connected confident and empowered lifelong learners. 

Three key areas: 

• Cybersmart is about creating positive language. SMART - rather than SAFE (which implies danger and has negative connotations) 
• Learners need opportunities to develop Cybersmart relationships. This is where blogging and commenting on blogs is useful. 
• Explicit teaching of the Cybersmart curriculum (within contexts) is necessary, and the smart learners, smart footprints, and smart relationships components should be addressed at the beginning of every year. 

Today were asked to create a screencastify of one of the cybersmart areas, I chose smart values. Before yesterday I had never heard of Screencastify, therefore I was totally lost! However, through rewindable learning, once again saved the DAY. So I gave it a go...

Noho ora mai, 

Tracy

Day 6: DFI Enabling Access-Sites

Today we looked more into the why and how of Google Sites. How do we structure our Sites to enable access for different stakeholders; learners, parents, whanau, teachers, the world to access the information that they need in an engaging and user friendly way.

Two to three clicks! 

Colour choice, fonts, embedded multi-modal content. 
Purposeful, thoughtful layouts which make: 

• learning visible and easy to follow for our tamariki, 
• clear and accessible for whanau, and 
• shows planning and next steps for other educators and the world 

After morning tea, we spent time being critical friends to one another, reviewing each others current class sites and then using the feedback to create SMART goals to improve our sites. The rest of the day was spent fulfilling these goals.

Working within the Early Childhood sector, prior to DFI training I had no experience using google sites. The biggest thing I have noticed in google sites is how user friendly it is. With rewindable learning I will feel more confident to create clear simple layouts consistently across pages. I really enjoyed working with sites and look forward to continuing to work on my site and developing my digital skills. Click on My site a work in progress!

Thanks again to our facilitators for your ongoing support.

Mauri ora,

Tracy

Day 5: Collaborate - Sites

Kotahi te kohao - There is but one eye
O te ngira - of the needle
E Kahuna ai - Through which passes
Te miro ma - The white thread
Te Miro pango - The black thread
Te miro Whero - The red thread

Today our online DFI professional learning groups were discussing the visible learning kaupapa of Manaiakalani schools and how to do so with collaborative google sites. To really have empowered learners they should have access to planning, and outcomes. Learners, whānau, and colleagues should also have access to the learning pathways. 

 

We also looked at multimodal learning during the day. We had the chance to review some past sites that teachers had created before creating our own. This was a great opportunity for me to reflect. Looking at sites, and from my new learning having the confidence to critique! I created my own site from scratch and I worked in a smaller group where we created a plan; our groups theme was 'A lucky day for Little Dinosaur' story. I created for developing learners critical thinking, and there were plenty of multi-modal resources. With Marias support I was able to add youtube videos, and images there was text and links. 

Another important thing to note is that multimodal resources and rewindable learning opportunities are no substitute for quality teaching and learning. The two go hand in hand and one really cannot exist without the other. Know thy learner. Hook thy learner. Teach and provide quality multi-modal resources which can be revisited to cement and extend learning. Te Whariki advocates that being "in an empowering environment to create and act on their own ideas, develop knowledge and skills in areas that interest them and, increasingly, to make decisions and judgments on matters that relate to them" (MOE, 2017). 

I enjoyed today's learning opportunities such as creating a google site, further extending my digital learning and understanding. 

Mauri Ora,

Tracy