The Power of Inclusiveness Google Site

Click here to view my Google Site filled with tips, tricks and resources to help inclusive practice in the classroom. 

The Power of Instructions or The Power of Inclusiveness?

 

This MIT inquiry journey is fast coming to an end. As I put my final touches on my Google site I have found I am still challenging my own thinking. The outcome of my final product is completely different from my initial idea which Dorothy and Matt said would happen! 

What started as a focus on instructions has merged into a curation based on inclusive practice. My Google Site is a collection of specific tools and strategies. It is a living document of ever evolving resources, tips and tricks to support educators in the classroom. Other educators will have the opportunity to submit readings, resources, or personal tips and tricks through a Google form.

I am looking forward to sharing this with many and hope to gain more information to build a strong resource.

Zooming in on Reading Data

As I zoom in and reflect on the changes I have made with instructions across our curriculum program I have the challenge of locating some diagnostic data. The interviews I have done with students have all been positive and largely in favour of the introduction of new digital instructions sitting alongside the more traditional methods of classroom visuals, dot to jot and teacher modelling. There is need for both and it has made me stronger in my inclusive practice to ensure the right instructional strategies are used for the right tamariki.

There have been significant shifts within some students PM reading levels, which is a huge celebration but I can’t establish that this shift is amplified by the introduction of different instructional strategies as this cannot be quantified in raw diagnostic data. 

I have  however identified a shift in their learning  behaviours, attitudes and students seeing themselves as successful learners resulting in them being empowered to drive their own learning. 

This data shows shifts in PM benchmarks reading curriculum levels of my target groups.

Super proud of this cohort of students, they have worked hard and it has payed off.

Some of the results in this cohort are;

• An ESOL student who came to our team with little English has move from PM level 10 to PM level 26

• A severe dyslexic student who was stagnant at PM level 10 for 2 years has shifted to PM Level 12. Digital tools and the use of a multi modal platform has opened up his learning experiences.

• An ASD student who had shifted from PM level 22 to PM level 24 and has become more confident with joining in group discussion allowing further understanding and development with comprehension.

As a kaiako, many of us are quick to reflect on what didn't go well and improvements needed for next time rather than celebrate what did. I think teachers are the hardest working of many professions. We are driven by the love of what we do and the many beautiful smiling faces that pass our classroom doors. I know I need to celebrate the little successes more often, especially as those aren't reflected in our school wide data.

Google Site

 

LOCKDOWN Mahi...

I got busy adding more information to the creation of my Google Site. I have included four key areas. 

  1. All about me - some information of how and why I have created this Gsite. 

2. A link to my professional blog which follows my inquiry journey. 

3. A curation page - which has a range of links to specific needs and links to resources e.g Autism, Dyslexia.

4. A Google form for educators to share their gems and knowledge.   

          

Each section is slowing filling up with some valuable information. Some specific to learner needs, some general information that I have found valuable,  some apps and tools I have used, some are game changers like MOTE!! Gotta love Mote it has transformed how I give digital instructions, how I  comment on digital mahi and much more. 

As I move through the design process my final product is constantly evolving and changing with each stage. It is nothing like I initially envisaged all those months ago at the first connect hui in Kuaotunu. I am hoping it will be a valuable resource for many but if helps only one that is still awesome! 

Covid 19 Lockdown August 2021

 

With the return of Covid-19 the DELTA VARIANT we were plunged into a sudden level 4 lockdown with hours notice. 

As we have been here before is wasn't so daunting. Lockdown is such a busy time for educators and can be a real juggle managing your own whānau, online preparation and teaching. Our kura focuses more on well being than replicating the daily life in the classroom, which is so important during this time. 

Being part of the senior team our tamariki are familiar with a digital platform so the transition was quite smooth. Our team set up 'Learning from Home buttons' in our Goggle site where we created a variety of  interactive mahi. Reading, writing and our inquiry could carry on as normal and we tweaked maths, science and art. We also developed a choosing board with a range of learning activities that the students could select. 

I then created a series of screencastify (videos) to support our whānau and teach them how to navigate our Toroa Google Site so our message to both students and whānau was transparent. Lockdown always creates unique opportunities like connecting with whanau, following teacher social media platforms where so many resources are shared, professional development by attending Manaiakalani Tool kit sessions and of course for me time to continue to work on my MIT inquiry project. On so many levels I find Level 4 lockdown a blessing, a moment in time where we can take a pause, adapt and grow as an educator but also time to yourself to fit in that walk or run, bake and whānau fun. Literally you have time to stop and smell the flowers (totally cliche I know!)

Has lockdown affected your project? 

Not at all. Lockdown has allowed me to catch up on some mahi, adapt and research ways to improve my knowledge for preparation of my Google site, which will be a curation of resources for teachers. My inquiry is based on supporting learners with specific needs to understand and unpack instructions. Being in lockdown is a gift of time. It gave me the opportunity to create instructions audio and/or visual informative videos to support whanau. If anything the shift to Level 3 is going to create more barriers for my Inquiry as 'Bubble Teaching' is very restrictive, you work with a range of students across the school and from whānau bubbles making it more challenging to have time for  connecting online with your own cohort. Finding the balance moving forward with be a challenge as Bubble teaching is more like a holding pattern until the return of a 'normal' school day. 

Next Steps

After our recent adventures in the Cook Islands I'm still on a high. Time to bring myself back reality and reflect on my Inquiry. 

Where am I at? 

Time to; 

• Review recent data and compare to last data collection. 
• Does it show a shift in academic learning with the changes I have made during this Inquiry.
• Re-interview the students to gather student voices? 
• What are the differences? What has helped? 
• What tweaks can I make to support this particular group of learners? 
• What evidence have I gathered to support my findings during this Inquiry so far? 
• Continue to build  a curation of resources on my Google Site 
• Get feedback from colleagues on Google Site, is it easy to navigate?
• Create and insert a Google Form into my Gsite for other educators can add to the collection of resources. 

Still a lot to do... better get busy! 

Enabling Access - Week 6

Connecting ...

Making connections is such a big part of who we are as humans. At this present time creating connections digitally has become the daily norm. When I was watching the news tonight a man said a month a go he thought Zoom was in reference to a car, now he is on Zoom on a daily basis with his staff! For many digitally connecting was just a part of a normal work day, but now it has become a part of everyone's daily routine whether its working from home, online learning, connecting and checking in with family, ordering essential items or just watching Netflix. Digital technology has become a large part of our daily lives. Dorothy's message today's around connectivity being a way of life for our students was perfectly timed  but i'm sure even when she prepared her slide for our DFI course she didn't realise how relevant it would be for us all.  

As we continued the exploration in Google Sites today I enjoyed having the time to learn, create and share. I got lots of great ideas from viewing others sites and it also reinforced I was on the track with my contributions within our team site. Breaking off into our regional groups was great as it allowed the time to explore each others sites, test links, and give feedback to each other.

Our team site is looking fantastic, many hours has been spent to create interactive digital content that is easily accessible for our tamariki during lock down. I am grateful to the few sessions we had with Amie our Manaiakalani facilitator before this unprecedented turn of events happened, reshaping all aspects of our daily lives. This along with our (Michelle & I ) new learning from this DFI course has helped create and support our team in site building. 

I have continued to create multi module Google slides to support my reading program. Making sure for the time being that everything is digitally accessible and limits the links to support online learning at home. I am a very visual person and yes I have spent way to much time on  the creative aspect of these, (as I have plenty of time at moment!) and recreating some activities (which is not necessarily working smarter) but I am very proud of the outcome and see it as an investment into my future planning as I am building a bank of rich resources. 

Check out my reading slides here.

Blog Tips

Kerry's session on Blogger tips moved at a very fast pace today. I feel I  need to rewind and refresh by going over the Google slide and then putting it into practice. It's a lot of new learning to fit into one day and I do miss the face to face discussions. I did try to do the task she set us but it did not work, practice, practice, practice is what I need. 

A busy week ahead and lots to explore!

Next steps for me moving forward are to;

• continue to use Google Hangout to connect with students
• updating and building on our team Google Site
• record my message in Flip grid for students to connect to peers & teachers
• practice so I am prepared for the Google exam