DFI Session 4 - Multimodalling & Google Sites on the menu!!

Collaborate - Sites: Awesome day of learning today in the DFI world - session 4 done and dusted 👍 Today's fun learning was exploring google 'new sites' and creating our own site and some of the functions to enhance your site.  One of the fascinating functions for me on google sites was the 'insert buttons' 😆 It makes things more tidier and there is not adjusting or cropping required - INSTANT BUTTON!!
Another highlight was exploring Multi text Database and creating a multimodal site - although this is work in progress but I am excited to start this new journey in finding ways of making the learning for my students more engaging and meaningful - here is a glimpse of what I started with my Multimodal site: Multimodal Site (please note: Links are yet to be added - watch this space) I can definitely see the value in creating learning through multimodal. It was cool also to google hangout with the whanau from Gizzy who have just completed their DFI exam - we were able to ask questions about what to expect with the course exam and what we can do now to prepare for it - thank you Ubby and Josie for the tips.

PB4L Cluster Meeting

PB4L Cluster Meeting - Wednesday 11th September 2019:

Really cool attending our PB4L Cluster talanoa session at Rosebank Primary School as it had been sometime since I had attended one.  Great to re-connect again with my previous PB4L Coach from Wesley Intermediate Lou Reddy and teachers from Blockhouse Bay Int & Kowhai Int.  Although there were not many of us but some interesting and enlightening conversations were shared.  Listening to Burt Iosia BHBInt (newly appointed DP for Rosebank Primary) share his schools continuing journey with PB4L and Nick Epsom from Kowhai Int share his schools journey within the PB4L system is was clear that we were all facing similar highs and lows. 

Lou was fortunate out of our group to attend the PB4L Conference recently - which has the founding father of PB4L George Sugai as a keynote speaker WOW! Something that I took away from what Lou said George had shared 'we need to shine the light on those people who have a specific skillset'. 

All 4 of us had an opportunity to share 1 rose/1thorn - some of the roses shared: Removing 'detentions' from their system and changing it to a more reflective practise and staff buy in was improving.

1 thorn from each member shared were: Promoting of PB4L fell on one persons shoulders, and effort in bringing systems to the forefront were sometimes being ignored (this impacted on the 'Why').  Another thorn was school wide consistency with PB4L systems/practises and how sometimes the data does not reflect teacher comments, lack of data recording and data inconsistencies.  It was good to reflect on my own schools practises and systems and how we can improve on these.  After our discussion/sharing time we went on a tour of Rosebank Primary to look at signage. Ka pai! 👍Rosebank your signage was 'on point'.  My highlight was their wall of flags from every culture within their school!!!

I will be adding this to my wish list for Wesley 😅 Their staffroom was something else also - enormous signs of motivational quotes, school values, Pacific/Maori representations on the walls, it was AMAZING!! Added this to my wish list also *wink, wink*.  Overall great morning of reflecting and sharing - bring on the next one...hosted by the one and only Wesley Intermediate 😂😁😀😎

Google Earth - Seeing the world without having to travel!

DFI Session 3 - Google Earth/Youtubing: Did some exploring of Google earth and had the virtual opportunity to travel to the Pacific Islands and Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya.  It was great to see aerial shots of different areas and for the students to see where their parents are from.  Students were able to explore around their chosen country finding out interesting facts - With the Rugby World Cup coming up I will definitely be using Google earth to do mini inquiries about playing countries and interesting facts.  Next on the agenda for my homework is creating my own youtube chanel 😄 this will be fun!!

Day 2: Workflow

Another day of DFI done and dusted 👌 Pocketed a few takeaways that I will trial with my class first ie: Google hangouts 👀 Arrived much earlier this time (7.29am early), so yay did not have to sit in the front of the class!! Increased learning today navigating different google extensions: One Tab/Toby Mini.  Highlight for me would be using Google hangout - used it before but this media can be be used so much more effectively especially for a group hangout meeting 😉.  

I liked the google app 'Google Keep' which is a note keeping tool - I was able to download this to my phone and add a few notes from today's session into my DFI label.  It allowed me to create a range of labels (this helps keep all our notes organised) so I created a few personal labels ie: Weekly shopping list & Pacific Language Weeks.  I was able to add notes to each one which I can quickly access for dates or those FYI moments 😌 By pocket of gold was a statement shared from one of the Google slide presentations:

Reflecting on and applying this to my own teaching practises, I would definitely be finding ways to promote and encourage 'rewindable learning' with my students and myself. Watch this space for the session #3.