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!