Rarotonga August 2021 - Day 2

Day 2 started bright and early. We headed back to Apii Te Uki Ou to pick up Principal Mark Harris who was our tour guide for the day. We were privileged to visit six schools around the Island. Our day started with a stop at the sacred site where in the early 20th century the Māori Great Fleet of seven canoes (the Tākitimu, Tokomaru, Kurahaupō, Aotea, Tainui, Te Arawa and Mataatua canoes) departed for Aotearoa. This was especially special to me as my ancestors we part of this journey upon the Mataatua waka. 

This garden in Rarotonga with its seven stones was constructed to represent the seven canoes.

The schools we visited were Imanuela Akatemia, Arorangi School, Tereora College, St Joseph's School, Avarua School and Takitumu School. Such diversity between schools with passions coming through for the importance of preserving the culture, sustainability for the Island and the importance of creating more connectivity. 

The day ended with our fabulous hosts at Apii Te Uki Ou preparing an Uma Kai. We came together with staff, whānau and community to share the delicious kai. The setting was at the least stunning with the sun setting in the sky creating warm colours tones that was picturess. As if this wasn't enough they had prepared gifts for us, so special. We had prepared gifts also and with this exchange we forged new bonds with our friends at Apii Te Uki Ou.

                

Overall a rich experience that I will treasure. 

Thank you to all the wonderful Cook Island educators, whānau and students that made us feel so welcome. We were truly blessed to have visited your pacific island paradise. 

Kia Orana - until next time!

Rarotonga August 2021 - Day 1

 

Kia Orana from Rarotonga.

The Manaiakalani Innovative Teachers cohort for 2020 and 2021 were fortunate enough to go to Rarotonga to present our challenges and Inquires and work with local educators.

After an early start we exited the plane to be met with a gush of warm air, sunshine and the realisation that our adventure was underway.  I met up with my travelling buddies and we made our way through customs and on the Resort. 

I found the rest of the MIT group soaking in the shallows of the warm ocean having a chat, we joined them and as the sun set on the first day I was filled with warmth and in no hurry to return to Aotearoa's winter weather. We then gathered for an evening hui to discuss the next few days mahi. 

Day 1 was great fun. The welcome we had form Apii Te Uki Ou was simply stunning. The performance by the students was beautiful as they shared an official Cook Island welcome. We enjoyed the morning sharing kai with our hosts, partaking in some cultural activities with the students and exploring the school. We visited different stations where we had a go at Pareu Printing, Coconut Husking and Weaving Plates. The senior students that lead us around were full of confidence and shared their culture and knowledge with such pride.

Another highlight was the opportunity to walk around the school, seeing the teachers in action and the students in their element. What a colourful, warm environment with the sound of the waves crashing in the background. What we see as a unique setting is their everyday norm. They face many challenges, especially with connectivity but have so many other rich experiences. For me this experience was so rich and rewarding with so many highlights! Where do I apply!!! Here are a few photos to sum up our day. 

That night was the night many of us were anxiously waiting for. We had to do our Pecha Kucha presentations. Nervous was an understatement! The turn out from local educators and those involved in many Ministry areas from all over the Island was fantastic, although it made it more daunting it was also heartwarming. No matter how far along you are in your journey it's such a special moment to share ideas and relate to educators that face many similar issues in the classroom. The feedback was fantastic and an immense amount of pride followed not only for the accomplishment of my own presentation but watching my fellow colleagues being successful in their presentation. The commandery after the main event was the highlight, connecting with others and sharing different ideas, exchanging emails and building new friendships. It was an amazing experience. 

  

I wonder what day two will bring? 

Rarotonga Workshop Prep

As part of our preparation for our MIT adventure to Rarotonga we had to prepare a workshop to be held in a local school. The workshop didn't have to link with our project.  In the eyes of the School it was a chance for those "cool techy teachers" to demo a "cool techy thing". It could be fairly casual, and unscripted. We did have some barriers as internet was limited and unreliable on the island but we could download something to our laptop or phone to share. 

Ummm what to do? 

Having a digital component or the use of a digital platform for delivery of our daily curriculum is so ingrained in my classroom practice. What cool techy thing could I share at this workshop that doesn't require a strong digital component that is still techy! I know, very thought provoking...

I wanted to do something that could be easily used but bring a different perspective to a multiple of curricular areas. I decided to do a Science session that could also cross over into literacy and/or photography. A while ago I found these little gems at Kmart. They are a smartphone microscope converter (only $5 each, gotta love Kmart!) and are fantastic to use in the classroom. Simply attach to any iPad or cell phone to view the surrounding world from a different perspective. 

I ordered some to take over to Rarotonga and put together a kete with other resources like journals, a Science Learning Hub lesson plan, a House of Science lesson plan and a print out of my presentation. Below is the outline of my presentation, it is a few simple ideas I have used in the classroom, I didn't wanted my audience to be listening for to long, I wanted to allow maximum time for hands on discovery. 

 

With the last of my preparation done, I am starting to get excited. It seems so bizarre to be travelling overseas in this unpredictable world of Covid-19 and was something I did not expect to be happening this year. I am so grateful to be part of this MIT 2021 journey and the opportunities it is providing.

 Now it's time to pack and countdown for the day of departure...

We got this team, we are ready! 

         

Pechu Kucha

Pecha Kucha??? when I first heard this word I thought what on earth is this... I had never heard of it before and was unsure even where to begin.  The thought of 20 slides in 20 seconds to deliver a presentation seemed crazy. I can't believe that you could deliver the key information of an inquiry in this time frame. This was going to be interesting learning for me... best place to start was by researching what a Pecha Kucha was and where the idea came from. 

What is discovered ... Pecha Kucha (Japanese for “chit chat”) is the world’s fastest-growing storytelling platform, used by millions around the globe. Pecha Kucha is what “Show and Tell” always dreamed of becoming.

20 slides. 20 seconds of commentary per slide. That’s it. Simple. Engaging. Spurring authentic connections. Pecha Kucha is the ideal tool to share passions and drop some knowledge. Global innovators like to use the Pecha Kucha platform to create powerful, visually-compelling stories that move audiences in less than 7 minutes.

Ok, that sounds easy... I found this task a little daunting and procrastinated about it for days. I guess it's the fear of the unknown which is a great reminder of how our learners may feel when faced with a new task.  

I broke my inquiry to small chunks and added 20 secs of explanation to each slide. It was great to have Matt (MK) to share it with to get feedback. After a few tweaks I felt it was ready. I just need to practice, practice, practice in the lead up to Rarotonga. 

Super exciting... wish me luck! 

KPMG Hui #2

 

It is always enjoyable to reconnect with the 2021 MIT team at KPMG. 

Time to reflect & challenge our thinking as we continue with the design process, not to mention how spoilt we always are by Justine and the KPMG team. 

It had been awhile since I last spoke with the MIT team as I was unable to attend the last Google Meet. 

Like always we started our day with the WWW reflecting on our projects.

• What's working?
• What's not? - barriers / road bumps
• What's next?
• Challenging Statement & Title of Inquiry
• What Data have we collected?

Just when you think you are getting your head around your inquiry someone gives you feedback that challenges your thinking. Of course this all part of the Inquiry process and it is so valuable to help you go deeper into your inquiry, as it is always evolving and in some instances slightly changing your path. Today for me was reaffirming I am currently on that path but also highlighted that I have A LOT of mahi to do. As my inquiry is slightly out of the box I am always second guessing and rechecking with myself so that I stay on the path...

In a sense to 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road'... well at least I hope that's what I do and not fall down a rabbit hole like Alice! (not sure why I am quoting The Wizard of Oz or the Alice in Wonderland Movies!!)

The afternoon then took a turn with the announcement from Jenny that out trip to Rarotonga in July was a GO! Quickly the discussions turned to the organisation and expectations of our visit (albeit with COVID still on people's minds) Once the excitement settled we set out a timeline of tasks to do to get prepared. Exciting times ahead and more mahi to do. Time management is going to be my biggest challenge moving forward especially that it is a data collection term at school. Do little but often and it will fall into place! (hopefully) Not to mention the mighty reward for all our hard mahi of the upcoming trip to Rarotonga. The old saying goes "you have to do the mahi to get the treats!"

Thanks MET team for providing these opportunities that will not only add to our kete of knowledge but also enrich our lives with these experiences.