DFI Journey - Day 5

 

What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy?

It was interesting to hear Dorothy talk about how we can make our teaching and learning visible. Is it visible to our learners, whānau, and colleagues? Back in the day teachers were able to show whānau hard copies of tamariki work but now in our digital world how can we be held accountable. 

By using Google Sites it makes learning visible to the child and Hapara makes learning visible to the teacher. Google Sites are also a way for whānau to see what their tamariki are learning especially if they don't have the opportunity to speak to kaiako.

Dorothy's statement about 'every password we make makes it a barrier for learners', was certainly thought-provoking. I have never thought of this before and I fully agree with this statement. I know how much trouble I have trying to remember passwords etc let alone for learners. This is a very valid point and we have to remember when setting up our systems/sites etc 'are we actually using digital technology as a barrier or accessible to all?'  

What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow as a professional?

When I was starting to design my own Google Site I had an idea of how I could try and create a button in my Reading tab that could show all the different 44 poems that my readers will eventually have in their poem folders. I could also create a calendar for whānau to look at to see what poem their child will be reading that day or during the week. 

I'm not sure if this will actually help my workflow as a professional as it might take a bit of work to set up but it would certainly help improve my confidence and allow for our learning to be visible.

What did I learn that could be used with my learners?

As mentioned above my reading tab could display all the poems on a Google Site and I could use this and project it on the screen for the tamariki that forget their reading folders (I do usually have spares with me every day). 

I also did start making a Multi Modal (T-shaped Literacy Google Site). I really did struggle with this part of the day as I know how hard this lesson is at the moment with some of my learners and I just couldn't get past it. With the help of Emily (thank you) I was able to rethink how I could use the Learn, Create, Share pedagogy and find a way that might actually work. 

I certainly feel a lot happier with what I have started to create rather than going down the path of what 'my group' had been discussing and were planning for. I feel that I have managed to find a way to explore 'one size doesn't fit all' as discussed by Chrissy Butler. 

I still have some more work to finish off this part of today's learning but having the four hooks that I've started with might be just enough to start to turn 'the corner' in some children's learning. The Share part of the pedagogy could be us taking photos of our work/play to share on Seesaw. 

Here is my work so far: T- Shaped Literacy - Autumn 

What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow in my personal life?

As I seem to be an emotional mess at the moment regarding the stress that I am feeling at work I'm hoping that if I was allowed to adapt my reading programme to something that might 'hook' tamariki into learning might help me in the long run. I would love to discuss this more with my team leader and see if this could be an option in some capacity. 

What did I enjoy the most?

I really enjoyed sitting and listening to other kaiako experiences and their ideas for the T Shaped Literacy Sites. It's nice to make connections with other kaiako from other schools. Having the confidence to sit with other people is always the hardest part :). 


Comments

  1. Sharon SpraggJune 7, 2021 at 1:50 PM

    Kia ora Michelle,

    It is really powerful to have the understanding of why we want to make things visible and I can see you making real life application for this understanding. We know that the reality of the classroom isn't always what we want but I love that you are seeing ways you can apply this learning to your context.

    Thank you for your honesty around how you are feeling about work and the stress of all of that.
    Ngā mihi,
    Sharon

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