Ako

The Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy recognises effective practice in any learning environment AND the digital learning environment.  Why is this important?

The last two years have highlighted how critical this has been for learning and effective practice in any context.

We know for learning to accelerate, our learners need to be able to access learning beyond a physical location and time (McNaughton 2018). This means new tools for learning and a new pedagogy to support learning outside of school.

In Term 1 this year we were challenged again with schools open and learners either onsite or learning from home.  Listening to a podcast earlier this year, and the following from Derek Wenmoth resonated for me...

"All schools are now being challenged to consider -  “What happens when we need to think about learners/teachers and the learning/teaching independent of the location/place? How do we make participation in learning accessible when not determined by physical location”  

For our schools the Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy (Learn, Create Share) is how this happens. 

For teaching and learning beyond the physical classroom and traditional school day, including harnessing tools for ubiquitous learning e.g.  Sites, Hāpara Workspace, Blogs, Being Cybersmart.

We have over many years harnessed our kaupapa to understand and explore how to harness the affordances of technology.  Our Learn pedagogy prioritises recognising effective practice in any learning environment PLUS the digital learning environment to amplify and turbo charge learning.

Our Learn pedagogy prioritises recognising effective practice 

Existing practices enabled us to move to distance learning and during this time our focus on Limit the Links - Kia iti ngā kuputoro has served us well. 

 

Decision making and actions were guided by our existing practices as a learning community. This includes, pedagogy, workflow and our understanding of how we design learning that is visible and accessible.

If you can search for your school website … one link to rule them all!

Our kaupapa and pedagogy continues to provide a common understanding for learning design. There is value in thinking about this strategically -  as a school and a learning community. This enables coherence and consistency for learners and whānau to navigate and access learning.  For teachers it offers opportunities to transform the way our young people learn.

I valued the opportunity to share with Jemma today in our online DFI. We used Google Meet to create a screen recording of our conversation about a learner blog post and how the technology has been harnessed to both amplify and turbo charge learning. 

Set Up for Success

The Team

I am participating in the Digital Fluency Intensive online this term.  Superb organisation and support from Vicki and the DFI facilitation team, with 40+ educators joining online from around the regions.

Today's session title "Core Business" is all about building our knowledge and understanding of how to confidently utilise some of the  foundational Google Workspace tools both in the classroom and in our professional day-to-day lives.  

Today evidenced how important empowering our teachers to harness their device is. Harnessing the affordances of technology enables us to do more, faster. It also follows that teachers are better positioned to empower their learners. 

When a teacher is issued their school laptop (or is new to your school) how are they set up for success? 

Created in Google Docs

Summer Learning Journey Top Ten

Warm up this winter! Try the Summer Learning Journey Top Ten from Summer 2021-2022

 

It's Cool to be Kind 

Discover who is blogging in your school and other schools. Leave them a comment.

Remember quality comments are Positive, Thoughtful and Helpful

See who is blogging

Hanga - Creativity Empowers Learning

Opportunities for kanohi ki te kanohi as a community of learning have been challenged during the past couple of years. We valued this opportunity to harness the collective creativity of our teachers this afternoon to connect with Create as a vital element of The Manaiakalani Programme. 

"The idea that creativity fosters wellbeing - and as a result improves learning - is backed by a large body of evidence" see recommended reading

Over the past three years our community of learning Create staff meetings have focused on reminding ourselves that creativity can be an opportunity to hook young people, to engage and awaken interest and curiosity. It need not be a Peter Jackson Production 😉

Plus we know opportunities to behaviourally engage our young people can be enhanced with digital technologies the ability to create with our heart, body and mind is not new.  

Thanks to teachers who have shared workshop resources online 

The Manaiakalani Kawa of Care

The Manaiakalani  Kawa of Care has been co-constructed between schools and whānau. This agreement covers the responsibilities of students, parents and schools. It ensures that students will get the best use of their device during their time on the programme, and that schools and families understand how they can best care for the devices.  

Being Cybersmart provides an authentic context for our young people to connect with  the elements of the Kawa of Care as a lived experience.  

Cybersmart learning is designed to engage our young people in online behaviour and thinking that elevates positive actions and the use of positive language, digital media and texts. 

How are you empowering your learners to connect with elements of the Kawa of Care and responsible use agreement? 

We recommend teachers take time to familiarise themselves with the Kawa of Care and identify how best they can empower their learners to make connections with  being Cybersmart.  

• Take time to familiarise yourself with the elements of the Kawa of Care of your school or cluster.

e.g Manaiakalani Kawa of Care

• Be cognisant of the vocabulary you are using to describe being a cybersmart learner e.g.

I will respect my chromebook by always looking after it and keeping it safe.

I will always be in the right place, at the right time when I am online. If in doubt I will ask my teacher or parent.

Tū Atamai i te Ipurangi

• Be consistent when using cybersmart vocabulary and empower your learners to do the same.
• Focus on elevating the positive i.e. korero that describes/highlights what we would see and hear from cybersmart learners.

Smart Parents

Summer Learning Journey Prizes

View outstanding blog posts and prize winners from the 2021-22 Summer Learning Journey 

Well done to everyone who contributed and participated this year.

The Summer Learning Journey activities remain accessible on the blog and can be shared with learners who have not yet tried. Great for holiday blogging and for learners to actively pursue topics of interest.

 

Bursts in Bubbles

Each year our Kāhui Ako Teachers model an exemplary Teaching as Inquiry cycle and share their progress publicly on their blog, at regular intervals throughout the year. 

In November we come together for our annual Bursts and Bubbles where their Inquiry is shared as Impact Bursts in a panel setting.  

As we were unable to meet kanohi ki te kanohi this year. Our teachers recorded their impact bursts which was broadcast at the scheduled time.

We recognise both the challenges and the efforts of all our teachers. Their impact bursts represent a three minute summary with more detail shared on their blogs. 

Blog Links Teachers' Inquiry 2021 

This slide deck which accompanies the streamed presentation includes links to teachers'  professional blogs where you are able to explore their Teaching as Inquiry in more detail and connect directly if you have questions or feedback. 

Manaiakalani Cybersmart Challenges

Check out the Manaiakalani Cybersmart Challenges.

Cybersmart challenges to help you Learn, Create, and Share on your device in smart and clever ways.

New challenges posted each week

Create to Learn

Manaiakalani Class OnAir connects audiences with the Manaiakalani pedagogy, Learn-Create-Share by offering an authentic window into the classroom. From learning design and lessons on demand, plus teacher reflections and learners' blogs, the Manaiakalani Class OnAir site provides a unique perspective beyond that of a classroom visit.

Listening to Manaiakalani Class OnAir teachers, Charlotte Gaston and Clarelle Carruthers yesterday, I was reminded of John Dewey's quote from our Create to Learn Staff meeting last year.

Additionally the opportunities to collaborate and share, and how this is planned for and practiced, have been generously shared during this Tuhi Mai Tuhi Atu Meet and via the Class OnAir Site.

Each episode includes an extended plan, lesson video, learning content, teacher reflection and learner generated content.

Thanks to Charlotte, Clarelle and all the teachers who have contributed to the site. Highly recommend taking some time out to explore using the new navigation links that have been added to the home page.... Thanks to Anne Sinclair and Matt Goodwin for curating.

All On Air Teachers' pages include links to their learners' blogs and I encourage everyone who visits to take some time to comment.

Yesterday's recording is available on demand including links to the Manaiakalani Class OnAir site.

Look out for further Meets later this term including Secondary and Te Reo Māori.

Tuhi Mai Tuhi Atu Teacher Meet May 13th 2020

Side by Side Images in Blogger

Small images can be placed side by side in a blog post (see above). However when the image size is increased it can help to use an invisible table to position your images side by side (see below).

The following html adds an invisible table in your blog post to position two images side by side.

<br>

<table><tbody>

<tr><td>photoa

</td><td>photo b

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<br>

Check out this episode Getting Geeky with Blogger for more tips