Today we had our Google Exam - basically a three hour test covering everything we have learnt so far on the course.  Lots on the drive, slides and sheets - all skills which are 100% transferable and can be used in our classes.

Google sheets - this is definitely an app I need to develop both my understanding of.  Today I had to google how to find averages and sort the data.  Isn't it amazing how quickly we can find information when we have to actually just do it.

I now realise how overwhelming the exams must be for some of our students.  Feeling like you are fighing against time and trying to work out what you are being asked.  I will say the questions in the exam were oddly phrased at times and I wasn't 100% clear about what was being asked.

So, 9 weeks of DFI is over.  Wednesdays have been my down time, my learning time, in a really selfish way I have loved having time to talk to colleagues and friends, develop my tech skills and basically have time to upskill.

DFI

Forms - who know Google forms could have so many pathways?  Today I managed to share a form with all of the answers!  This would be seen as the ideal form in the eyes of my students.

Sheets.  I think when I am learning to use a tool which is completely foreign to me I need time to play with each function.  Today we looked at numerous functions yet I think I would be able to find maybe three of them again.  This was potentially the most challenging new learning undertaken so far on the DFI course. I need to watch a video showing me how to use each function to remind myself of how to access each of the functions.  This makes me reflect on my site and whether my students can do the same thing when they get home and need to revise for their exams.

Incognito - to check my site.  So much easier than flicking between my school and my personal account to check my site and ensure that everyone has access to the learning activities/discussion sheets/info etc.


Candice's Blog Post

Looking at the data shows that Candice steadily blogged for the first two years, had a massive year of blogging in 2018 and has dropped away this year.  This does make me wonder if she is finding new places to share her thoughts, ideas, reflections etc.  When I read her blogs they were detailed, focused and well-written.  I loved looking at her post about 'Financial Literacy'.  I think giving students information from an early age around financial literacy is important as a life skill.  Her description around what 'trustworthy' means is awesome!  I think this would be a great place for my senior students to come and see what an intermediate age student is creating and sharing with the world.

Revision Video

After my DFI session on Wednesday I have been thinking about how I can incorporate technology into my lessons in a purposeful and meaningful manner.  When interacting with different apps etc I find it interesting and fun.  I realise I need to mix things up in my classroom.  I use computers now for research, word processing and sharing of information but know I need to push myself further.  An idea I am working on is having the students create revision videos using screen castify and share them with eachother.  This would mean planning, making, sharing and reflecting.  I love the idea of them having to plan and organise the learning, taking a leading role, not just being a passenger.  I have made videos before but more as a retelling situation, not this type of video.

Obviously I am at the very start of this journey.  This is now officially in the pipeline for Term 4.

Computational Thinking

The idea of 'Computational Thinking' has been thrown into conversations since the start of the year.  Initially when it came up at the start of the year I wondered how it would actually be relevant to my subject area.  Would it be something I could realistically be enthused about?  Was it something I could implement in a classroom without spending a month trying to plan a one hour lesson?  Today I have been challenged and forced to try something completely new and outside of my comfort zone.

Empowerment.  Thinking about social inequality and how money can provide opportunities which empower people.  I guess in a way I think that money won't make you happy but not enough of it will make you unhappy.  Today the discussion has made me think about money and how much power money has over our students.  The slides showing the rubbish on the side of the road has made me question whether we should be asking our families to pay for a chrome book.  If we are having discussions about families struggling to dispose of rubbish due to financial limitations then are we putting pressure on families to pay for chrome books?  Some families may have more than one student who needs it, what if you have four of five kids who need one for school?  I see the value in chrome books but is it putting more stress on people?  Are we inadvertently putting additional financial stress on our families?  However, I do fully think creating a transparent link between school and home is the way forward.  We need to ensure our families are involved in the learning of the students, able to share in what they are doing within the Education sector.  Solutions?  I like to think I am a solutions based person, by this I mean I can identify an area which needs rejigging and come up with a couple of different options which fix or offers a solution to the identified problem.  For this, maybe schools should have the chrome books and the students borrow them?  I know that some schools already do this but does it work?  Currently our year 9, 10 and 11 students have their own...in theory all of them have a chrome book charged and ready for learning.  The reality is that this isn't what happens.  Carting chrome books across the school does not appeal.  I think funding will always be an issue, Education is evolving and one can only hope that the Government acknowledges this and makes funding the digital initiative a priority! 

Words.  How many words does a child hear before they arrive at school?  I went to a Professional Development session with Nathan Wallis where he spoke about the importance of the first 1000 days.  This idea of how important language and interaction was touched on by Dorothy today.  This makes me realise how important it is to ensure our students feel they are empowered and not being controlled by factors outside of their control.  It is kind of amazing to think that when I was at school, I finished 16 years ago, we were still completely digital free.  I remember having a digital technology class where learning how to setup an email account was a  biggie and using BEBO was pretty awesome!  Maybe BEBO was the start of my Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest affair!  When I think about what I am learning and how overwhelming it is I realise how our students probably sometimes feel.

Today I have had the opportunity to make a short video using software which I am unfamiliar with.  I have titled this short clip "Jurassic - Unplugged".  I do believe I will be needing time off work to go an collect my Oscar!

Sites

Google Sites!

What is it about a site that makes it scream 'LOOK AT ME'?  


Colour, photos, links, videos 

I think I look at the learning sites as being a functional place, not a place to show what we are doing.  I think I need to move away from focusing on the functional side and include more of what the students are actually doing, examples of their work 

Inspiration!  I loved the organisation and visual appeal of this site!

Tautoro Year 7 & 8 site - Super functional and loved seeing the learning timetable published on the site.  Incentive based learning by using a points system, I think this is a really cool way of motivating students to challenge themselves.  I like that the students will be moving towards being self-monitoring and self-regulating.  I think when we give the students all of the tools to have a go, we are in a way taking away restriction and letting them experience learning on their own terms.  I understand that sometimes there will be hiccups and they may not be successful in terms of the specific task, but they will be successful in attempting a new task and taking responsibility for their own learning.  I think sometimes our students want to get in and have a go, not wait for someone to do it with them.  I like to think we are helping our students to become responsible people who see value in the learning and as a result are keen to engage in the learning tasks.  As I have senior students who are undertaking extra curricular activities and are often not in the classroom, I try to ensure my site has lots of resources to support their learning when away from the class.  I try and keep it relevant and updated - which can be a somewhat major undertaking when you are still learning how to use a computer competently.  I think one of the biggest challenges I face as a Teacher is being time poor.
 Looking forward to the future I plan on setting up my site in the holidays to ensure all of the resources, activities etc are on there.  I can organise it by date and title so it is in chronological order and the students can see a clear pathway of learning leading up to any assessment activities.

What have I been learning?
Adding images and creating a carousel 
Organizing my page so that the sub pages are in logical order.

Adding student work - making the site a shared site, not just my space.

I need to be publishing the classes work on the site, I think this make the page feel more like their space and less impersonal.  I was thinking about this as I was thinking about my classes and found a word map that we created last term in my photo gallery.  I think it would be cool to tell the students at the time and get them to take and choose the photo to use on the site. This activity was informative, fun and gave the students a chance to share ideas in a visual way. 

The above image shows the links the students made between the key idea in the text and the factors that they believed were influencing the actions of the characters. 

Screencastify

Today I have been thinking about how much I have learnt over the last two months.  Most of the learning has come from putting myself out there and challenging myself.  There have been moments when I have questioned my sanity.  I think as an adult we can become complacent when it comes to challenging ourselves.  Sometimes we find ourselves settling for what we find comfortable.  This course (DFI) has made me reevaluate how I am using technology in my classes. 

Today I have been learning how to use Screencastify.  It was awesome to just have 30 minutes to play with the settings and making my first video.  Issues?  I need to focus on the content of the video and the impact of the learning, not whether my voice sounds funny. Focus?  Voice, speed and tone.

Sites!

What did I learn today?  Firstly, before I even arrived I had about 10kms from Kawakawa to Paihia to reflect on my poor decision today to not stop at Towai to get gas.  The 10km drive with the fuel light on meant I started my DFI course slightly on-edge!

Sites.  Today I found my way around my Google site.  Adding buttons, linking sites, snipping and adding links to website.  Navigating around the maze trying to avoid deleting anything accidentally.

I have learnt how to create and use buttons - these are amazing!  They make the site look organised, tidy and functional.  I think these make it a more user-friendly zone.  What a mission.  Isn't it amazing how fixated we become on certain things.  I never realised how important buttons would be to me!    I think having time to spend on my site has made me feel more confident and willing to embrace the tool.

I added a comment box for my blog!  I am now not only letting the outside world in, but letting them comment!  Although, I did restrict what they can say.  Gag order?

I made a page for my Form Class - it needs work but I think it will be awesome when it is finished.  If you want to see what the site looks like just click on the image!

https://sites.google.com/boic.school.nz/r112019/home

What do I need to do this week?  Homework?!
Read and comment on someone else's blog.

Youtube

Today I have learnt how to create a Youtube channel and add videos to it.  I have also had a play with Google slides, I made a slideshow to illustrate my journey to Taipa.  I found linking the slides challenging and think in the future I would map the entire story out prior to starting on the slides.

I think I could have the students create slides within the class as part of their reading responses.  Instead of a written report I could look into having a more creative outlet for their responses.  They could add texts, symbols, images and videos.  In theory I could have them add videos of themselves talking about the text and finding images to represent the key ideas, ie symbols.

I think the slides can be personalised using colour, font etc which will make the experience more enjoyable for them.  By giving them the tools to use the slide easily I can imagine the engagement will lift.  Maybe this is something I need to try and include next year in the Junior English programme.

Confidence?  I think using digital tools to create experiences for my students is something I will take baby steps towards.  So far I feel confident using some of the tools, but I am fully aware that I am barely scratching the surface.  Although, I got stuck today and found an amazing video on Youtube which helped me create my 'pick a path' story on Google slides.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXmy5Ng8rpQ

I think looking at my seniors I would like to see them using my Youtube channel to help them filter down options for the responses and connections assessment.  Guiding them might reduce stress for them trying to think of what text to use, instead if I have a Youtube channel of songs, poems, short stories, documentaries etc it will give them a solid foundation of texts to select from.

Workflow - emails are labeled and sorted.  No more spam!  No more shopping emails cluttering up my inbox.

Overall, it's a work in progress!

Conquering Google Hangouts

Google Hangouts!

Today I managed to create an event, send an invitation and join my event!  I envision how this could be used to run study groups - 10 minute short, sharp discussions with students.  I can see them using it to share ideas and create events to present their speeches etc.  What a tool!

12. 6.19

DFI 12.6.19

Thoughts, ideas and my reflections

Today I learnt how to use Google Hangouts.  Learning a new skill is hard and frustrating, but when it all clicks into place you feel so proud of yourself.  I managed to click on every available button before I worked out how to create a new 'Hangout' space.  Once I figured out how to create the meeting spot I invited colleagues to participate.  Next time I will take on a different role to ensure I learn lots of new skills and challenge myself.  

What do I feel confident using?

1.  Hangouts - create a group, join a group, send invites, present and share my screen.  Notes - do not try and do this in a room with lots of people, it is way too noisy.  Speak normally.

2.  Filters - organise my emails into groups.  Set filters so I don't have to wade through thousands of emails.  

3.  Using hangouts to create an online study group - we could share ideas and present information without having to physically be in the same place.  This could be used to have pre-exam revision discussions etc.  Below is  the videos hangout session I had today...it was a learning experience. 

4.  Blogging - after reading the student blogs I realise how we could use this for the reading responses in Level 1 and 2.   Students could upload videos of themselves discussing the texts, or use voice to type to write their blog.  I am confident that I could make this a really fun and exciting learning activity.  I think the students would enjoy having their own space to write, reflect and think about their learning.  

• What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy?
• What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow as a professional?
• What did I learn that could be used with my learners?  
• What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow in my personal life?

Professional Development - DFI

What did I learn? 

Reflections, thoughts and queries.

I feel that today I know how my students feel when they start a new subject or a new topic.  Uncertain?  Unsure?  Overwhelmed?  Putting yourself out there and signing up for PD around utilising technology is scary. I don't think I am the only one feels they sometimes just don't get it.  Technology is not something I have ever been super excited about.   However, one day in and I am so pleased that I signed up.  I think today has been some of the best PD I have been to since I started teaching.  Practical and user friendly. 


Google docs - creating folders and looking at the sharing settings.
Using the headings settings - adding a table of contents - This will be perfect for my senior classes when it comes to research.  It will help them organise and structure their reports. 
Adding links, adding images, editing images!

Using Google docs - this was really useful and has motivated me to spend more time exploring the settings and tools that docs has.

Add comments - assign questions to individual students and send an email to notify the person.
This session has reminded me of the 'speak to type' feature.  I trialed this with a number of students and encouraged them to use it.  Potentially I need to challenge them to all trial it.  I am confident this will assist them with their writing.  I currently use the read aloud app offered on docs.  I found they liked this and were keen to use it.  I encourage the students to investigate audio books via youtube, Kobo and now Wheelers. 

Using a table - making the border the same colour as the background.  It seems so logical but it is something I haven't really thought about...This was a really good thing to stop and actually think about.  Sometimes I think when it comes to technology we are so focused on the big things that the little things slip under the radar!

Using the explore tool on the Google doc - perfect for using with a class on a guided tour.  I think this needs to be something I run a little 'How To' with my senior classes.  I think the students would benefit from not having to leave the doc to find information - stop them from becoming distracted by other sites or go off on a tangent. 

Remove BG
How to remove the background on a photo - incredible app which can be used for both evil and good!  Thinking Christmas cards edited to make it look like a herd of animals?   This could be an invaluable tool with Level 1 Static Image.  Keeping the images crisp and clean.

Omnibox - is not the search bar thingy.  It is funny how we have

Something I am thankful for?  Being forced to learn how to touch type at high school!  I think with all of the apps available that encouraging students to bring their device and engage with the learning opportunities using their device is so important!  By developing my knowledge of docs today I feel I will be able to create learning opportunities which will be more engaging. 

Create?  PNG - no white background!