KPMG Hui #3 Online

 

In this current Covid climate life is back in lockdown which for many work comes to a screaming halt. For many educators life becomes very busy as we adapt back into online preparation and learning.  Learning never stops and each lockdown brings new ideas and collaboration amongst those in our industry.

Today our MIT 2021 cohort were meant to be meeting for our termly hui at KPMG in Auckland. Lockdown didn't stop this team of innovative teachers, we meet for an online hui. We shared our experiences of online teaching and successes and challenges it brings. 

One of our tasks today was to split off into pairs or small groups and retell our inquiry as if we were explaining it to a Beginner Teacher. I worked with Sarah & Manpreet. The buddy I was reporting on was Sarah. 

Sarah's inquiry was based on the gaps she sees in her classroom in Mathematics. 

The Problem - she has identified that this gap in her students number knowledge is preventing them for moving up a level. 

Her Goal  -  to create teacher directed resources to support her learners. She is collaborating with Rebecca who also sees this gap in her students even though they are working at a different level. Sarah and  Rebecca are formulating google sheet worksheets with a range of number strategies and levels within the curriculum. 

Classroom Practice - Sarah has introduced the Google sheet workshops into her daily maths program as a ten minute warm up. The students are required to take a screenshot of the completed sheet and of a photo of their working out to put in a blog post. She has seen an improve me in the students understanding of different number strategies. This is a great way for students to reflect on their learning and also awesome evidenced based practice by tracking their achievement through the students blogs. 

Next steps for my own inquiry is to continue to check my to do list and keep on track. I have a clear understanding of what I been  doing and what outcomes have come from the introduction of tools to support my learners with their understanding of instructions. I now have to practice being more succinct in my preparation for the upcoming wananga in October. 

Huge shout out to Matt and the MIT cohort for our hui today. It was so great to SEE you all and to connect with others outside of my bubble. 

Until next time team. 

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! 

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!