Catch up from Digital Fluency Intensive Week 4

What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow as a professional?

Thank you Kerry, Dorothy and Dave for having this session and for recording it. I have used sheets before for collecting data but learned today how to freeze rows and columns, use the function key to analyze, and, to make, share and put charts onto a separate sheet. I will definitely use what I learned today to analyze and sort student achievement data. Creating charts from student data will visually support reports made to the B.o.T on student achievement and progress.

What did I learn that could be used with my learners?

I would like to use forms to gather feedback from whanau instead of paper forms. It will make data analyzing a lot easier and the whole process more manageable.  

What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow in my personal life?

Using forms to collect data and then simply turning it into a sheet will make data collecting and analyzing a much quicker and more enjoyable process especially on a school wide basis. 

Digital Fluency Intensive Week 9

What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy?

Ubiquitous Learning can occur any time, any place, anywhere, from anyone. Learning can happen outside school hours because content is accessible through the class website. Students who are away from school for whatever reason are able to review content and supporting resources [Rewindable Learning].

How has the Manaiakalani kaupapa EMPOWERED me professionally with my teaching practice?

Through the Digital Fluency Intensive I have learned to navigate my way through a variety of Google apps and apply these to organising, planning and collaborating with colleagues. I am able to design a site with linked sub-pages and make it accessible to my students, embed slides, videos, images, google docs and drawings into a site to support student learning. I have blogged for the first time in my life and feel more comfortable about sharing thoughts and ideas publicly. I have made connections with other teachers in the Te Hiku cluster who are also on the Manaiakalani journey and will continue sharing and collaborating with them through Google Groups, email and other professional networks. I am also more equipped to explain the Manaiakalani pedagogy to whanau and the wider school community. I have really appreciated that teachers who have experience working in Manaiakalani schools have shared with us their knowledge, skills and resources.

What did I learn that could be used with my learners?

Because I am more confident using Google apps I will be able to implement these when designing learning projects for the students, making learning visible, rewindable, appealing and accessible on their iPads. I will also be able to teach students how to share and organise their learning on the iPad as a record of their learning journeys.

Staff Meeting Connected Learners Share

This timeline activity that I completed in our Staff Meeting facilitated by Donna Yates from Manaiakalani, presents a clear overview of how social media and digital technologies have dramatically increased the opportunity to be connected worldwide. I think that advancements and opportunities will increase at fast rates with continuing improvements to make access easier.

Digital Fluency Week 8

What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy?

Empowerment gives people control or agency over their own lives.
As teachers we should first identify what disempowers the students and their whanau in our communities. 50% of those living in the Far North represent the 5th most deprived people in NZ. As educators we must consider the impact  of poverty on our students and what we can do to change this.   

Manaiakalani pedagogy aligns with the NZ Curriculum in the firm belief that students must be given opportunities to develop 'capabilities for growing, working and participating in their communities.' Students need to feel comfortable in the digital world because this the future. They can not be empowered unless they have agency/choice in their learning and are able to create their own digital footprint in a digital world - VISIBLITY.  They will not be empowered until they can learn globally, at anytime, anywhere - UBIQUITY. Student learning will not be visible or ubiquitous unless they are CONNECTED and are able to share and collaborate.

Manaiakalani pedagogy aims to empower students, their whanau and teachers through digital technology capability. Digital technology should NOT be understood as just a tool but instead as the means to empower our lives. Class sites and Blogs therefore need to be visible and accessible to whanau which will support families to be more connected to schools and to discuss and understand the learning of their children. 

How has the Manaiakalani kaupapa EMPOWERED you professionally with your teaching practice?

Today in the beautiful setting at the Waitangi Museum we had the opportunity to develop our understanding of  Hangarau Matihiko, the new Digital Technologies Curriculum which has two strands:
1. Computational Thinking for Digital Technologies
2. Designing and Developing Digital Outcomes

Monika and Kerry from the Raranga Matihiko programme gave us the wonderful opportunity to inquire into computational thinking and design by experimenting with a variety of amazing resources. 

I had fun discovering with Esther Dickenson as we created the following video using the 'Green Screen', and adding photos to the background. Our 'bloopers' were not arranging/inserting objects in the right order and that is why the whare, which should have been in the foreground, is imposed on the photo of trees and sky in the background. The outcome is still pretty cool.  What a great activity for using and developing the imagination and creativity. I would love to set up a 'Green Screen' booth or corner in the play room next year.

How has the Manaiakalani kaupapa EMPOWERED  you with new skills to use with your learners?  

Computational Thinking is a task broken down into little parts i.e. coding. Decomposition skills can be taught/practised without devices. This is coding 'unplugged' which I loved the idea of and can see this working really well in the junior classroom to develop computational skills, thinking and the key directional vocabulary in a collaborative and fun way. The coding app/programme 'SCRATCH' developed by Mitchel Resnick provides printable coding tiles to be used in this way. I will certainly take advantage of this. I've also ordered his book 'Lifelong Kindergarten - Cultivating Creativity' to help give some inspiration as I work towards establishing play-based learning at our school. Blending the 'Manaiakalani' and 'Learning through Play' pedagogies will be my focus.

How has the Manaiakalani kaupapa EMPOWERED  you personally?                    

My learning today has given me a clearer perspective of the Manaiakalani kaupapa and the necessity of preparing our students for the future. This pedagogy links to The Digital Technologies Curriculum perfectly.  Both have their roots in creativity and diversity, teaching and using the skills that will be required for productivity and input to better our communities and personal wellbeing and accomplishments.
Computational thinking can be applied to any activity [waiata ringa ringa; poi, rakau, tukutuku panels]. It is about applying rules, patterning and relationships, and can be intergrated into any classroom focus to make the learning authentic. Good pedagogy dictates that we do this anyway. It is the scaffolding that gives structure and embeds the learning.  . 

Digital Fluency Week 7

What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy?

Today's focus was 'Being Connected.' Being connected empowers students. It takes their learning beyond themselves Being connected online means 'being visible' and involves being connected to whanau, to other schools, the local community, the nation and the wider world.

Manaikalani currently has 22,000 learners in it's network who are connected by a shared language and pedagogy. The programme design focuses on a different aspect of the Manaiakalani pedagogy each term. 

Term 1: Learn - setting up systems   Term 2: Create   Term 3: Share   Term 4: Learn, Create, Share 

Programme Design

A school's kaupapa, the year level of students and the teacher may influence this guideline but across the network each school will focus on the same design aspect

What did I learn that will increase my confidence, capability or work flow as a professional?

Being connected empowers teachers. Clarelle Carruthers encouraged us to take opportunities to learn from others i.e. 'Toolbox' sessions where we can discuss ideas, share and learn from each other. This can be done by developing a cluster website, a Twitter feed [students don't twitter], link to Twitter feeds from other Manaiakalani clusters and the Tuhi Mai Tuhi Atu Blog which connects to other classes.

I also came away from today's session feeling a lot more confident that I will be able to have visible, connected learning in my own classroom. I changed and earlier attempt at a class site applying the tips from Clarelle and Kerry about colour schemes and targeting the main users [my students]. I am so much happier with the look now. We also gave feedback via a Goggle Form to others on their website designs. I gathered tips from all of the sites and was so impressed with what my colleagues have designed and implemented.

What did I learn that I could use with my learners?

I have started designing Google Slides and projects using 'Explain Everything' for 'Letter Sounds' and 'Handwriting.' I intend to get this up and running and iron out any wrinkles before attempting another curriculum area. So the letter Zz project looks like this. I have not got everything up and connected yet but am happy that I am out of the starter blocks. The Zebra will connect to the letter z in the Letter Land programme which we have not purchased for the iPads yet. The E button will take students to letter-sound and handwriting activities. In EE I used the recording tool to say the W.A.L.T, the letter-sound, and word associated with pictures. This is a great tool to use for New Entrants that can't read. It was very easy to use.

What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability and workflow in my personal life?

I know that I have the responsibility to introduce the use of Explain Everything to the other Junior Class teachers at my school. I need to be confident in the use of it myself. I've started the journey and have a plan. I have designed a site that will be used by both classes in our syndicate. I am confident that step-by-step, with time, experimenting, calling on help from the experts and having a bank of appropriate learning resources, digital learning will give me more time in my personal life.

Standards for the Teaching Profession STP1 Te Tiriti o Waitangi Partnership STP2 Professional Learning STP3 Professional Relationships STP4 Learning-focused Culture STP5 Design for Learning STP6 Teaching Link to standards

Manaiakalani Teaching as Inquiry labels

Digital Fluency Week 6

What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy?

Being Cybersmart was the initial focus for the day. A Cybersmart Curriculum supports the Manaikalani pedagogy. It needs to be specifically taught and revisited to enable students to be safe on on the internet. 

The categories are: Smart Learners, Smart Footprint and Smart Relationships, which link to the Learn, Create, Share philosophy of Manaiakalani.

Being Cybersmart empowers our learners as connected citizens. When their learning is visible and accessible, anytime, any place, at any pace, our young people learn to make smart decisions and understand that every time  they connect, collaborate and share online it combines to create their digital footprint.

Cybersmart clarity: Each component in the table above is broken down into key indicators. 

What did I learn that will increase my confidence, capability or work flow as a professional?

The focus today on Explain Everything for iPads was presented by Khismara Lal from Pt England school. Her extensive knowledge at using this app for 'Learn, Create, Share' for Yrs1-3 was obvious and I now have a clearer picture of how EE is used by the teacher and students. Her slide presentation is a helpful  introduction to using ipads in a junior class.


I will be referring back to this during the next months. Students access the class site on their ipads, click on the visible learning area buttons to access  their learning for the day. Further buttons lead the students to learning activities for the day/week. They use the different features of  EE to complete these activities. Here is the link to Khasmira's Class Site. Actually visiting the site and following the links helped me to see how my class site could function. I think once it is set up and streamlined to fit each group/individual, EE will make preparing for learning and teaching less time consuming and more manageable. Learning will be visible to students and activity instructions clearly explained within each project. EE has an easy voice recording system which can be used when setting up projects [perfect for New Entrants], and by the students to complete activities. There are lots of resources that other Manaiakalani teachers have created and shared. I will look at these once I can access them through an ipad as 'Explain Everything Reader is only available on Mac devices. Next step: to get New Era to make my google account accessible on one of the new ipads which I will keep for myself. I will also ask for a mac laptop from Tela next time I am eligible for a replacement. This should make the whole planing/creating/filing and sharing process more maneagable. 
My goals are: 

1. create my class site
2. learn how to create learning projects in EE
3. learn what parts of a project is created in google slides and what is created in EE
4. set up all iPads  the same - icons in the same folders, lock screen
5. set up indivdual students' Google Accounts
6. sign all iPads into individual learners’ Google Accounts (Google Drive, Chrome & Explain Everything)
7. label iPads on the outside with learners’ name [will have to be inventive because adhesive stickers/tape etc won't stick]
8. label individual Styluses with learner's names [styluses have been ordered]

Explain Everything downloads link

What did I learn that I could use with my learners?

I will need to continue using a structured approach to the 'Kawa of Care' of the ipad and using the various features of Explain Everything. This will involve the use of a stylus which we don't yet posses and also accessing the class website which is still in the design process.

What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability and workflow in my personal life?

Knowing that I can access already completed resources rather than starting from scratch is a bonus that will be such a time saver. Working collaboratively and sharing resources within our school, Ka hui ako and wider afield will help strengthen networking and our profession. Working collaboratively within our local area will mean growing a bank of resources that are the authentic to our students. Having accessibility to a range of existing resources will also give me ideas for creating my own.

Digital Fluency Intensive Week 5

What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy?

Today's focus on Visible Learning hooked me in from the start. Visible teaching is empowering to students. When they can visibly see what their learning looks like for the week and where the learning is heading it provides them with support and gives them some ownership. The whole of the process should be visible - PLANNING which is embedded into your class site; PROCESS which are the learning tasks accessed and explained on the class site;  OUTCOMES - what students have learned/created/shared during the learning and how they went about this [method/collaboration];  ASSESSMENT using evidence of what students have done. 
There are no surprises for students and parents also have access to their child's personal learning blog and the class blog through a parent portal. 
Visible Teaching needs to be 'Accessible' - teachers are to make sure their sharing permissions are sorted so that it is 'Available' to their students. Visible Teaching has to be prepared in 'Advance.' 

Danni Stone from Pt England School shared insights into the benefits of 'Multi- Modal' learning. This is used as a hook to get students interested and keep them engaged both cognitively and behaviorally.
It is very important how teachers use the technology and how the learning is presented. Students need to be quickly engaged  [behavioural], then quickly move into the learning and then deeper learning. For example you can give students increasingly more complex text.The following video explains the effect of visible learning. Achievement data from Manaiakalani schools is collected by Woolf Fisher Researchers and analysed. 

Multi-Modal teaching/learning can be applied in blogs. This was compared to 'window dressing' in blogs and sites which has the aim of hooking viewers in to explore/inquire further. It can be used in the same way as a hook for teachers, parents and whanau.

Danni stressed that technology itself can be a hook when students first get to use devices. This wears off and it is the learning tasks themselves using a Multi-modal approach to engage, which strengthen learning and deepen understanding. 

What did I learn that will increase my confidence, capability or work flow as a professional?

I have not created a class site as yet, however we had the opportunity today to create a multi-modal gardening site for children. Click on the picture link to it. 

I know that I will be able to add to this and use it in the future. The new Google Sites app is certainly more user friendly than the old Classic sites that I have used before and I am now more confident to attempt a class site as a portal to student learning.

What did I learn that I could use with my learners?

I saw how a class site can be used as the access to learning for students. At a click of a button they will be able to see what they have to do and how to do complete the task. I look forward to being able to manage my planning,  student/group activities,  formative assessment and collaborating with other teachers in my syndicate in this way. I am also looking forward to next weeks DFI when I'll learn how a class site links to Explain Everything on the iPad.

What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability and workflow in my personal life?

Hopefully after the initial creation of my class site, learning how to use it effectively and teaching the students to use it in tandem with the ipads, my workflow will be improve. Having visible teaching and learning accessible to all stakeholders in one place is my goal.

Digital Fluency Intensive Week 4

Due to the NZEI nation wide strike on the 15th August I did not attend this weeks DFI session. I found the whole strike-action experience positive in the Kaitaia area. The support from the community was wonderful. Parents and families joined us on our hikoi from Kaitaia Intermediate School,  car horns honked, people waved, students yelled out "we love teachers,"  business owners stood at their entrance ways with cheers and friendly affirmation and there was an overwhelming sense of unity among the teachers as they gathered together from different schools. The seriousness of the matter was not lost as we waved the placards and stood firm together declaring, "Kua te wa! It's time!"

And it is time for a change as teachers and principals struggle with a never ending succession of demands to meet student needs and M.o.E. requirements with inadequate resourcing.
We are currently stretched to our physical and mental limits. It is just too much!.

I for one love working with my students and work hard to provide the very best for them . . . and, every teacher I know has exactly the same attitude. What teachers want is for the profession to be respected, which includes an increase in salary that reflects the qualification and the workload/hours that are involved. Good teachers are leaving! Less teachers are training! If nothing happens soon, students will be in overcrowded classrooms with an increasing number of children who have a range of severe learning and behavioural issues for whom there is little or no support.



Before the Paparore School team joined forces with the other teachers at KIS, they picketed at Awanui. We had the same support as mentioned above. I must also mention that the local Bakerman Cafe served us delicious date scones, free of charge. The lovely gesture was accompanied with a, "thank you . . . we support you!"

Some of the Team joining forces with the teachers across New Zealand -  Thanks Donna Brydon [also part of the team] for the fantastic photo.  The rest of the team, Principal John Windleborn, Angela Windleborn and Venessa Davan, were supporting the cause on the opposite corner. Please note the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow 😉.

Although I was absent from this session I did work with Google sheets. If you would like an editable copy of the following Google Sheet email me.
Whole School Progress and Achievement Data

Digital Fluency Intensive Week 3

What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy?

Creativity Empowers Learning: Teachers are creative when they design experiences that hook students into learning and also provide a opportunities for students to be creative in a variety of ways. The following graphic depicts the brain as being the center of thinking but most of us, and especially our students, need to use our bodies in creative ways to help our brains make sense of the world around us, ideas, concepts and new learning. Using our hands, feet, mouths, the whole body to sing, dance, create visual arts, construct, build, cook, act and speak makes us happy and empowers learning. Such activities provide opportunity for children to learn about themselves, what they like to do, where they come from and connect with the world around them. Digital technology empowers creativity but is only a small part of the whole. In fact devices may just be used to capture and share the other avenues of creativity.

What did I learn that will increase my confidence, capability or work flow as a professional?

1. I learned to make a button! A skill which I know will be used many times in the future for my class site and also in changing our School Curriculum site from Classic Sites to the New Google Sites.

2. I learned to change the settings in my You Tube account to make them private, and to stop embedded videos on class sites continuing on to suggested videos. I will now save my videos in You Tube rather than book marking them. This is a much better way to organise them.


3. I learned lots about the features of Google Slides as I created an animated story. I did actually get a bit carried away when completing it at home. Short animations could be used as motivation fro creative writing, or a fun way of explaining a strategy or concept in maths, science etc.

What did I learn that I could use with my learners?

1. I could definitely use animated Google Slides as mentioned above. 

2. Embedding rewindable videos into my class site when I have created one.

3.Creating labelled playlists in You Tube will help with collecting and organising video resources for future and repeated use in learning activities.

4. The use of buttons in Google sites and also on the iPads using 'Explain Everything' will provide access to student learning in the different curriculum areas. 

What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability and workflow in my personal life?

1. Adjusting privacy settings with You Tube videos. This is especially applicable where grandchildren are concerned. 

2. I have never added a video of my family or class to You Tube and now thinking about the effects of negative comments on young people I am relieved I haven't. 

Thank you Dorothy, Kerry and Michael for all of the very helpful tips, information and hands-on, creative learning time you gave us. 

Digital Fluency Intensive Week 2

What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy?

Dorothy shone some more light on the Manaiakalani kaupapa. I was interested and pleased to hear that Manaiakalani do not dictate what LEARN looks like. Each school is unique and has it's own character, vision, values and learning process etc. I asked myself what LEARN currently looks like in my classroom/at our school and what it will look like as digital technology is blended more effectively into teaching and learning. I know it has to be excellent pedagogy that steers the ship, providing opportunity for all students to have the digital technology skills they will require to move forward and be successful in the 21st Century. I must be up to the play having and imparting the knowledge, skills and strategies to my students which will enable them to improve in their learning, be creative, inquiring and able communicators on the world-wide web. Dorothy's example of giving a car to a child was the perfect analogy for a digital learning environment. Give a child a device without the teaching and learning support and it will be of little benefit and a waste of time. In fact it could be disastrous. In a nutshell - LEARN is effective pedagogy in a digital environment.

What did I learn that will increase my confidence, capability or work flow as a professional?

The day's learning was all about being organised through using Google Applications and extensions effectively.

1. To use Onetab to organize tabs.
2. Organize my Gmail Inbox into folders; priority emails; colour code; add labels
3. Organize Bookmarks into Folders
4. Use Google Hangouts and invite others to a Hangout using Calendar [love this!]
5. We attempted a hangout session in groups, recording this on Quicktime player. My group's recording was not a success, however we did have fun in the process and know that it can be done.

What did I learn that I could use with my learners?

The learning today was more about my organisation rather than for my New Entrants. I now have 1-1 ipads that have been set up Manaikalani style with 'Explain Everything' and am waiting to learn how to use this effectively and apply some of what I am learning.

What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability and workflow in my personal life?

All of the learning today I can apply to my personal life. I think good organisation helps with time management which is a priority for me. I was already using Google Calendar and now applying Hangouts is a bonus.

Digital Fluency Intensive Week 1

Professional Learning [Our Code Our Standards p20] Professional Relationships [Our Code Our Standards p20] Learning Focused Culture [Our Code Our Standards p22] Design for Learning [Our Code Our Standards p22]
Oh my goodness! I've been working in Google Docs for more than two years now and there are still so many features I am unaware of and don't know how to use. Today's session with Dorothy Burt and Kerry Boyde-Preece was both informative and practical. Thank you Dorothy for the feedback regarding the Scavenger Hunt document.

What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy?

The distinct message that came across in today's session is that Digital Technologies provide an expansive platform for learning. Manaiakalani pedagogy is about exploring the different ways that students can be engaged to further their learning through the 'Learn, Create, Share' philosophy. Great teacher pedagogy is still the key and digital technology the tool to extend learning and raise achievement outcomes, provide means for creativity, connection to others and  authentic audiences including whanau. Dorothy shared statistical evidence of the Summer Writing Programme which raised student achievement in Literacy through blogging during the holidays. The results for those students who participated are in stark contrast to those who didn't.

What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow in my personal life, my professional life and in the classroom with my learners?

Being more capable at using the many Google Tools, Apps and their features will increase my confidence to create and teach using a variety of digital technologies. I am especially looking forward to applying and adapting some of the new learning to Explain Everything which the students in my class will use on their ipads to Learn, Create, and Share. Better organisation of files for ease of access, will help improve workflow, planning and classroom management. 

The table below indicates some of my learning acquired in DFI Week 1. 
The first attempt to add a Google Doc to my blog by screen shot succeeded, however, because the original table was rather large this process required a total of four screen shots and I didn't like the final look!

I then made several attempts to embed the Doc changing the HTML code until I got the following result. I'm still not completely happy about the width of the middle column so there is still further learning to do in this area.

Term 2 Manaiakalani Staff Meeting

The emphasis was on CREATIVITY in the classroom. What creative experiences had we provided for our students this year? What had we as teachers created? Had we used technology to create? Creativity gives a real purpose for learning.

The image above reveals the different ways students are able to be creative: using vocals (singing, speaking etc), the whole body (dance, etc), hands, spiritual/wairua, feet, and with technology - which empowers the learning.

Creativity may be the process of learning, the hook into learning, and/or the end product.

I can see wonderful opportunities as I continue my digital learning journey through the Digital Fluency Intensive and for creating and sharing student learning using 'Explain Everything' with New Entrants during the next two terms. My personal journey into a blended digital classroom begins!  

"Creativity is now as important in education as literacy, and we need to treat it with the same status"

Source: Sir Ken Robinson TED talk 2006