DFI Week 6 Computational Thinking@Mindlab, GIsborne.

Computational Thinking  - Mindlab Gisborne

What a day!

Today introduced me to a significant number of new skills and programmes that are available for our students to use. We were lucky to have David Winter from the Manaiakalani trust join us for the day at the Gisborne Mindlab. David spoke to us about the importance of having visible learning and teaching. How that, at times, digital technologies can  actually erect barriers and how import it is to ensure that access is easy for all involved. 

We need to add to this visual our community and whanau. I think engaging with community is one of the unsung components of the learn, create, share pedagogy.   It is exciting to think of how we can engage with our communities through this medium.

I had only once before done any kind of coding -  and it was pretty basic stuff! Today we wrote algorithms and code using pencil and paper, and moved onto the Light Bot app (which was great fun!). Both of these activities I could see being used in the Junior end of the primary school. Sometimes what we are shown doesn't 'fit' with the junior school students' abilities or needs so it was good to experience activities and apps that catered for our younger pupils. We quickly moved into more sophisticated coding and then into virtual reality. 

Playing with the co-space app and doing some basic coding (for the first time ever) was fun. My buddy Sharyn and I managed to input some basic coding into our virtual world. AND I do mean basic however they moved and clapped and cheered and had speech bubbles... it was enough for us!

From here I would like to investigate the scratch app.I haven't seen it in use but have heard that it can be used with the younger learners. So another thing to put onto my 'to-do' list.

I think what I am going to pursue is making some resources in the Explain Everything app for my students to use independently in the class. I am quite keen to make a bank of resources that link to the high frequency word focus and the beginning level spelling lists so that the students are working on learning that is relevant to their needs.

My Week Without DFI

My Week without a DFI...

Well, no DFI last Friday and I certainly have FOMO! And a substantial dread of what I now have to catch-up with in my (haha) spare time! Regardless, it shall be done... somehow!

I spent some time this week playing with my class ipads and the Explain Everything app. I am trying to sort out in my brain (and this is NO MEAN FEAT!) how to better utilise them while at the same time having the learning on them differentiated.

 Differentiated seems to be the buzz word in my staff room right now!

A few of my whanau are asking how they are being utilised within the learning and I am confident in addressing their queries at this stage, however I do need to be more proactive and to be making resources that fit the needs of my learners. 

The other issue I have just now is that it is not one or two clicks for the students to get to their work. Seems to be an entire pathway (slight exaggeration!) before they get to it and saving it in their drive...well that is a whole new blog post! 

DFI DAy 4 Devices

The new learning...well I absolutely love the idea that we come from a position of strength and positivity! We focus on the great stuff and provide our students with not what they shouldn't be doing but what they should. 

That positive mindset sits well with me! 

I loved having the opportunity to work for the first time on a chromebook! Bit challenging when the buttons aren't where you're used to them being.

It would just be a matter of getting used to the keyboard and mouse but I was pleasantly surprised at the ease of the machine.


I also really enjoyed working on the ipads on the Explain Everything app which I already am using with my NE class. I managed to make a simple animation with audio. Unfortunately I can't get it onto this blog! I am going to use this app to make a presentation where each of my students makes a short video about our enviro learning this year to shaare with our Enviro teacher. I'm really looking forward to making it and hopefully I will be able to share it on here later.

The use of the screencastify tool was interesting! I can see how I could use this both in the classroom and maybe with my team...sharing sites and possible discussion/focus questions with colleagues. I made a quick and awkward screencastify about Manaiakalani Smart Values here...


                                                                 

Day Three DFI - Creating and Collaborating

Day 3 DFI - Creating and Collaborating

Creativity empowers the learning and the learners. A key foundational goal of the Manaiakalani initiative is to 'motivate learners to engage with the curriculum' and one powerful way is to ignite their creativity. Creativity is not focused on the end product but on the PROCESS that the students engage in as they work, often collaboratively, on creating a vehicle through which they can share their learning.

                                                                                   

via GIPHY

Igniting the learning through audio, visual and movement (SISOMO) is a dynamic way to help teachers foster student engagement and promote the learning. Allowing students choice through which they create is also important. There are many varied mediums for the students to engage through.

Students learn through DOING (creating) - when you give the students something to do, learning occurs through the doing (creating).

My personal learning today was a series of roller coaster rides... at times I was all up in the air not knowing what I was supposed to be doing  -  hanging on for dear life and waiting for the plummet into confusion and angst! At other times it was smooth going with merciful bends and gentle hills and valleys and I was keeping up and understanding!

 However the best part of the day was when I persevered and managed to create a little something on a google site! Was so impressed with myself as I was feeling very challenged by the pace of the new learning today! I think, for me, I need to find the time (haha) to play with the tasks and see what I can do and what I need to ask for further help with.

The concept of using google sites as a co-operative and collaborative planning tool with the team at school is quite exciting. Having all the resources there at a clink of a link seems to me to be the way forward. I am hoping to use this tool at the end of the term when we have our team planning meeting for term 4's learning. I am sure my colleagues will love having almost everything in the one place. What I would also like to investigate further is using google slide as a tool for engaging our NE  students with the learning...using symbols to help them traverse the links and have simple activities for them to complete.

DFI  - Day Two of New Learning...

The focus on the LEARN component of the Manaiakalani pedagogy.
The aim is to 

Recognise

Amplify

Turbo charge

Effective Practice

The learning is transformed through redefinition and enhanced modification and through augmentation and substitution. 

Perhaps the most important function of the Manaiakalani programme is the aspect of REWINDABLE Learning..students are directing and able to control their learning to a far greater degree and in greater detail than in learning environments that do not have the use of the technologies.

In my professional learning the use of hangouts will be a great tool! Joining professional learning hangouts and knowing the etiquette of this platform is going to aid me both in growing my capabilities and confidence. Using the Google keep is going to streamline my note-taking and ability to share information with my team. Also being able to manage multiple open tabs will be really helpful and time saving. 

The learning from today in terms of being used by my learners is limited. I have a class of 19 N.E who are somewhat limited in terms of their literacy abilities at this stage. 

The new learning will definitely impact my personal life, especially using multiple google calendars to keep track of both professional and personal commitments. 

I am going to spend a bit of time investigating the Toby Mini and see how I can use this extension to share online resources and readings with my team.

As part of our day we did a combined hangout and had to record our sharing of a child's blog post, the learning behind it and how the comments enhanced the learning. Unfortunately Robbie and I had a few technical hitches with first the audio recording...which didn't work and then it failed to record the video on the second attempt! Doing a trial run is imperative so you know that all the correct boxes are ticked. We had to use an apple computer which neither one of us had driven before!
We thought that the hangout could be used to help lessen the number of meetings, to connect with others from the same departments across the country and share learning. The Manaiakalani toolkits are a good example of using the hangouts to increase teacher capability and confidence.