DFI SESSION 2

 Today we focussed on Google Meet which I am well familiar as we started this at the start of  Covid. I was also introduced to Google Keep and  I installed the app on my phone and started a shopping list. Therefore google keep can be used for my personal uses. In the classroom Google Keep is good for learners to keep all information in one place. It is handy for note taking, taking photos and a good place to collate all your 'stuff'.  One can put a bank of comments together example report comments. I found it very interesting that one can use Google Keep and add location and you will receive a notification to your mobile when you are passing that location, example shopping. No excuse to avoid getting the shopping done. It is important to note that Google Keep does not work from room to room across the school.

Taming your tabs 

We learnt ways to effectively  manage and keep track of your tabs. I noted that

having too many tabs open  will slower your device. So don't have too many tabs open close them if not using.

Sync is 3 dots at the top On Chrome Make sure that sync is turned on as if you close that tab and sync is off, you will lose all that information. 

Bookmarks

I found the using bookmarks very useful for any info used daily like attendance, blogs, class site and drive.

  

Workona

Workspaces (smart browser windows) is one of the best ways to organise your work.

We had a google meet with Dorothy who revisited the four DFI goals and focussed on Learn.

I learnt how to do a google meet recording and add it to my blog.

DFI SESSION 1

 At our first session today  I got a deeper understanding of the Manaiakalani journey since 2006. It was very interesting to hear about how the Manaiakalani trust was started and the huge efforts and work that went into establishing this wonderful organisation. It was great  to hear how the Learn, Create, Share came into being. 

I gained some insight  about Google chrome and its function as a software application browser.. Also  why  it is best to use Google chrome as a browser, as students have this on their chrome books. I learnt how to set up a profile picture and how to set up bookmarks. It was very helpful to learn how to organise my drive.  

I learnt how to use voice typing and I will teach my learners how to use it. This will be fun and assist their reading skills.

Being able to confidently organise my work in folders will definitely save me time,  as I will be able to access information easier.

DIGITAL FLUENCY INTENSIVE (DFI)

In term two I will be participating in the Digital Fluency Intensive Programme / DFI. This will be a nine week course, which is designed to provide  purposeful professional learning for educators in our wider community of learning.  as well as to build confidence and  digital fluency in educators within the Manaiakalani Programme. The course will be run by Stef Parker, Dorothy Burt and the DFI team. 

MANAIAKALANI TEACHER ONLY DAY

Manaiakalani

What a privilege it was having  Dr. Rae Si‘ilata (Ngāti Raukawa/Tūhourangi/Fiji) the Director of Va‘atele Education Consulting and Senior Lecturer in the School of Indigenous Graduate Studies at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi as our key note speaker today. Her work focuses on effective bilingual/biliteracy practice for Pasifika learners in schooling and on facilitation of teacher professional learning and development in linguistically and culturally sustaining pedagogies. Dr Rae leads professional learning and development for school leaders, teachers and teacher aides/bilingual tutors leading to transformational system change.

The three workshops which I chose to do are Enhancing reading with Explain Everything,  Effective reading practice and T shaped literacy for juniors.

HPE

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• This year we started our compulsory 45 minute PE sessions. We are also required to do at least 2 ten minute fitness

• sessions per week. In room 3 we do fitness daily. We do Go Noodle fitness songs daily. This lasts about 10 to 15 minutes. Each day 3 songs are chosen. Term 1 we choses Footloose, I like to move it and Banana Banana Meatball songs from Go Noodle. Learners have really enjoyed doing these dance/ movement exercises daily. It has been a fun way for them to learn and follow sequences as well as exercise.

• I am very pleased at the learners enthusiasm to being active and participating in daily and weekly PE sessions.

• For PE , Term one, we focussed on co-operative games. This has been especially necessary as learners are getting to know members of their class. I used balls, hula hoops, skipping ropes and had learners work together using these equipment. As learners needed to use skills related to throwing and catching for example when playing with the ball. Lots of teacher modelling was needed in order for learners to learn the skill and understand what was required of them when completing a task. I also set up stations once learners had some experience using the equipment. Learners took a while to understand how the stations work, but once it was repeated they showed more confidence and understanding.

THE EARLY LITERACY PROJECT

This week the junior team were asked to read through The Early Literacy Project and share 3 things that resonated with us and 1 new thing to try/ implement or interesting.

I read and following stood out to me.

.Teaching of reading is better when explicit, structured and systematic

.Phonological awareness plays a big role.

.Text must support the learning not be the learning. 

Structure and everything is provided for explicit instruction. 

After we shared what resonated with us we we noted that we cannot discard valuable teaching as prescribed in Effective Literacy Practice (Years 1 -4)

INCREDIBLE YEARS PROGRAMME

Term one  I started the Incredible Years Classroom Management Programme course,  a six weeks course run by Lil Reynecke and Emily Maruai.  A  programme which promotes positive, pro- active and pro-social strategies which encourage best practice in classroom management. With the purpose being to reduce, challenging behaviours in learners and to increase their social and self-control skills.

At the first session we were asked to think of possible goals for ourselves around the Incredible Years Programme (IYP) . As well as a possible target learner that we would focus on during this programme.

My goal is to be able to successfully implement a variety of  strategies required to assist learners

displaying unacceptable social behaviour in and outside of the classroom.

Looking at the learners in my current class I could not identify anyone who displayed any unsatisfactory social behaviour. I will however revisit this early in  term two as I will be having 10 learners join my room and I will have a straight year one class then.

During session two we looked at proactive teacher strategies and developing a behaviour plan for relationship building. For example a negative display of behaviour from a learner could be poking and touching others on the mat, in order to gain attention. The class rules should be displayed and used to promote positive responses from learners. Therefore refer to the class rules and discuss the importance of keeping hands and feet to oneself and respecting personal space. Some ways of building relationships in this regard can be to use puppets to engage learners to display positive behaviour in relation to poking and touching others. Also using the Show me 5.approach. Walking feet, Hands to self, Eyes on teacher, Inside voice, Listening ears.

Some ways that I can be pro active include looking  at my  time table, structure, plan and allow for transitions, look at the positioning and set up of classroom and make changes accordingly. Use positive verbal as well as non- verbal signals. As well as having active breaks for learners. This could involve doing an action rhyme or song, exercise or walk outside. 

How do I do transitions in my room? Currently learners are accustomed to tidying up between lessons. Therefore the tidy op song is played and learners tidy up areas of the room and then proceed to the carpet. Before I start a new lesson I either have an introduction song eg Prior to starting writing we play and sing along with the Tricky word song.  I find this valuable as it settles learners as well as having them look and sing high frequency words which they will later use in either writing or reading.  It is also a great way to reinforce remembering hfw. 

We also discussed the importance of displaying a visual chart or  list of  jobs for learners to do in the class. This could range from putting out pencils, to opening and closing windows. This promotes learners feeling empowered and developing self confidence. Homework for the next session Read chapters 1, 2, 3 & 14. Bring your schools discipline / behaviour plan.  

Session three I was away with the flu. Therefore I will need to have a catch up session with either Lily or Emily at my school. The date is yet to be finalised.