Today’s learning about sharing really reinforced the importance of giving students the space to be proud of their work. It reminded me how valuable it is for them to share their ideas, receive feedback, and also give feedback to others. Celebrating their learning not only boosts confidence but also creates a stronger, more collaborative classroom culture.
Family Engagement
At our school, instead of blogging, each student creates their own Learning Journey Website (Gsite). This acts as a digital portfolio that curates their learning from Years 7 to 10. It is a live and growing document where students regularly reflect on their learning across different modules each semester, with one module selected for a deeper dive.
Through this process, students share both what they enjoyed and what they found challenging. This not only helps them develop meaningful reflection skills, but also gives whānau a window into their learning journey. Building and maintaining a digital portfolio is also excellent preparation for the next stage of their education.
Twice a year, we come together with our whānau community for an Exhibition Afternoon/Evening. This is a special opportunity for students to share not only their Learning Journey Website, but also other artefacts, presentations, performances, and more. These occasions celebrate student learning in many different forms and strengthen the connection between school and whānau.
Reflecting on my time doing the RPI
Some of the ideas I’ve picked up are perfect for sharing with colleagues and whānau. Quick tips for building reading habits, encouraging independent reading, or supporting comprehension at home can make a real difference beyond my own classroom. I love knowing the learning can ripple out further.
As a Learning Mentor, part of my role is to meet with families three times a year. I currently have 89 families in my care from Years 7–10. These meetings are a great opportunity to collaborate, share ideas, and support learning at home. A big focus has been helping whānau engage with our school module websites and showing them how to find the information they need to support their child’s learning journey.
As my RPI journey comes to an end, I’m grateful to Manaiakalani for providing another valuable opportunity to extend my learning and knowledge, this time in literacy. Over the years, I’ve engaged in many of these opportunities and always find them both informative and meaningful. I walk away with new gems to add to my kete, while also being reminded of the treasures that were already there but had slipped to the side in the excitement of exploring the new. It was also a wonderful chance to reconnect with some familiar faces I’ve enjoyed working with, which made the whole experience even richer.
Thanks Team!
Hi Janine,
ReplyDeleteThis is such an inspiring post! I loved reading about all the amazing things you're doing. It's so good to see you putting all these great ideas into practice—it reminds me of your passion for teaching that I remember so well from our time together.
I especially love the idea of the Learning Journey Website. It's so much more than just a portfolio; it's a living document that empowers students to own their learning. The fact that they can share their successes and challenges with whānau creates such a powerful, authentic connection. The Exhibition Afternoon/Evening sounds like the perfect way to bring all of that to life and celebrate student achievements in a really meaningful way.
You've also touched on something so important: the continuous journey of a teacher. The way you talk about gaining "new gems" for your kete while also being reminded of the "treasures that were already there" is a beautiful way to describe professional growth. It shows a fantastic humility and a genuine passion for education.
Thanks for sharing how you're making these principles a reality in your classroom and how you're helping your colleagues and whānau do the same. It's clear your commitment to learning is rippling out in all the best ways!
Michelle