Digital Fluency Intensive

WORKFLOW DFI | WEEK 2

Today was our second online session with DFI. We started the day in our large group hangout with an introduction from Dorothy, our Manaiakalani facilitator. We then moved into our small digital bubbles to share our reflections about what has been going well for us and what we need support with moving forward. I really enjoy our small group hangouts, our digital bubbles, as we get the opportunity to talk, share and listen.

This is actually my second time participating in the Workflow session (only), however I've done one session face-to-face and today's session was online. Here is a photo of Dani, Ayla & I working collaboratively at our first face-to-face session, learning how to use Google Meet for the first time.

We returned to our large google meet, which I have been calling google hangouts by mistake, and Dorothy talked us through the Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy.

Learn | Ako

• Recognise
• Amplify
• Turbocharge

What does ako mean to me?

Ako is centered around teaching and learning relationships with both the student and their whanau. I also believe it is important for learning opportunities to enable and encourage a child's critical thinking - learning experiences need to be intentional and purposeful to our learners.

What do I think is important for my learners?
I think positive relationships are the core of any learning. Students need to feel safe, cared for, and valued, when they come to school, to ensure the best possible outcomes for their learning. Again, learning experiences need to be engaging and relevant, that foster collaboration among students and student discourse. I also believe students need a positive classroom culture that encourages perseverance, critical thinking, failure, and growth mindsets.

What does learning look like in my kura?

Our school vision is: 'Whakatupu ana i te huarahi pai mo naianei me apopo | Growing success together, today for tomorrow.' We believe in students, teachers and whanau working together collaboratively, for the benefit of the child. We also encourage collaboration within our classrooms, to encourage students ability to discuss their thinking and learning. We also aspire to create mixed ability groups within our classrooms, in order to give every child the opportunity to learn and succeed at their curriculum level. Student agency is also very important to us at our kura, and that has become more achievable through the use of class sites. 

Google Keep

Dorothy took us through a Deep Dive into Google Keep. I use Google Keep quite often, but I've only used it on my phone before, not on my computer. Dorothy really made me think about "The Power of Collaboration". I can see how this would be very beneficial in my personal life with family and friends, but I also wondered if this would be useful in my classroom somehow? I do like the 'reminders' section on Google Keep, as this isn't something I've used on the app before. 

Gmail & Google Calendar

We also spent some time today exploring Gmail and Calendar. There were many things I already knew, partially because I've used these apps before, but also from my first DFI session. 

One of my new favourite things on Gmail are the labels, filters and archive features. These features have helped me organise my emails and label them in the correct folders. I previously had 4,319 emails sitting in my Inbox, so you can imagine how relieved I am to have them organised into folders or labels, and archive them knowing they aren't deleted. This could be something I teach my students how to manage, once they are digitally fluent and can confidently navigate their devices and online tools. I can see how it would make things easier for them as they work through their inbox of shared items.

I also liked the way events can be colour coded on Google Calendar as this makes it easier for me to see important events and due dates. It also feels more organised as things are categorised by colour/importance. This is something I would use in my professional life predominantly.

Google Meet

In the afternoon, we separated into small groups or pairs to create our own Google Meet. We then shared our screens and talked through a students' blog post, discussing the teaching and learning behind the blog post and learning tasks. This was interesting as we had to multi-task, and I was stepping out of my comfort zone by recording myself talking online. This is definitely a great feature, especially during lock down, as it allows teachers to record their online meets with their groups and upload it afterwards, making the learning rewindable for students.

Here's my experiment: