Level 3 lockdown in Auckland- 3 days

Unfortunately, It was another level 3 lockdown in Auckland. And as per government instructions Auckland was closed for 3 days. At this stage, teachers will continue online classes via google hangouts, emails or google docs. We can understand sudden announcements of the lockdown by the Prime Minister shocked everyone but we have to face this situation and be strong. So that we can fight with COVID-19.

Children and young people look to adults for guidance on how to react to stressful events. If parents or teachers seem overly worried, children’s and young people’s anxiety may rise. Parents and teachers can reassure children and young people that everyone is working together, from the Prime Minister down, to help people throughout the country stay healthy and to limit the spread of this virus.

As a teacher thinks about how your reactions could impact the learners. Take a quick break if things feel overwhelming, or notice and try some slow breathing, or concentrate on the sounds outside, anything that you know helps. You can express your feelings but base your words on facts and truth, and model how you want children and young people around you to behave. 

Our school is helping children continue their learning, online classes, Mentoring sessions and delivery of food packages. This will support their wellbeing, connection with others and their learning. Contact students via emails, texts, or phone calls are very important to know about how they are going or how they take care of themselves and their loved ones.

Distance Learning WEEK 1

Distance Learning WEEK 1 .      15 April 2020

The COVID19 has caused widespread school closures for an unknown duration. Teachers are scrambling to find ways to support students from afar through distance and online learning. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by this daunting task, you’re certainly not alone.Through teaching students and training educators, I’ve learned a lot about how to effectively create and implement digital instruction and self-paced learning.I’ve also struggled to reach students outside of class. For several years, I taught in communities where students struggled to attend school consistently. 

To help absent students access my courses, I developed a blended, self-paced teaching and learning that empowered all my students to learn, whether they were in my room or not. Today, I run The Modern Classrooms Project, where I help other teachers do the same.I use Hangouts for video conferencing, Google docs for notes and activities, and tracing sheets to share their activities link on it.I love combining several tools for a better impact. 

I made a site where I put up a list of tools that I’m using and sent it to my students and their families.I have been really impressed with the class sites of different schools teachers considering how to make them visually appealing to students while keeping them simple and easy to navigate. First and foremost – whatever tools and activities I choose, keep it simple so everyone can get started easily. 

"Teach in ways that ensure all learners are making sufficient progress, monitor the extent and pace of learning, focusing on equity and excellence for all."

Week 5 Digital Fluency Intensive Program (DFI)

    April 3, 2020                        AGENDA: Collaborate Sites


Today's session starts with a bit of different feel as all teachers and facilitators join via Google Hangouts. It is a perfect example of modern technology, as without leaving home, we met up with other people and share our screens and experience digitally.

Technology is not a barrier today, and it is a footstep for us to create something new and adventurous to make life beautiful. Moreover, it is an excellent practice for us when COVID-19 has affects our ability to meet as a group.

Session starts with Connecting with each other. After ‘Karakia’ we connect with a great group of educators via ‘Gratitude Chain.’ It was awesome. I really enjoyed, and learning about the views and thoughts of other educators.

I really like Dorothy's presentation on Pedagogy and Kaupapa (Visibility in Teaching). How visibility is important in teaching and learning.


Hapara Teacher Dashboard specifically designed for Manaiakalani teaching learning program. The purpose of this learning should be visible to your teachers. It is useful for the teachers to know what their students are doing in learning and how they are going.

Together, we have developed the  'Learn, Create, Share' pedagogy, designed to accelerate the acquisition of core subjects whilst bringing the joy back into learning and teaching. Manaiakalani-Google Class On Air, is one way we have chosen to share our learning with you.




Next session was Deep Dive -  with Kerry She discussed the word ‘Multi Modal’ - what we mean when we use this term. This is an inclusive, differentiated approach to teaching in a digital learning environment. Accelerating progress and outcomes for our young people for many involves firstly engaging them behaviourally- on task - bring in the right place, at the right time , doing the right thing.

We also examined the terms multi-modal and multi textual as part of T shaped literacy and challenged to consider how we can engage our learners so that they begin to take responsibility for their learning.

By personalising education, we are empowering learners to become confident, responsible and competent.

As term 2 approaches we need to consider how we can utilise google sites, Hapara, Google hangouts and different media to engage our learners, particularly as some of them will not have the same adult support usually available to them during this lockdown.

In an effective classroom, students should not only know what they are doing, they should also know why and how.

― Harry Wong

Week 3 Digital Fluency Intensive Program (DFI)

       
            March 20, 2020                   AGENDA: MEDIA

The Last session at the Manaiakalani was Overwhelming because of the amount of
information that worked for us since the last we met.

All the teachers discussed their experience, learnings and shared their response in the session. Today's agenda of the program was 'MEDIA.'

Connecting with each other	Connecting with Manaiakalani	Resources shared
Learn	Create	Share

We started with Google hangouts with the teachers who were not in the meeting, due to some emergencies. It was a bit of different feel because it was my first time to connect with other teachers via digital technology. However, this experience was excellent.😄

After that, We learned about how to make our channel on Youtube and customised it. We showed how to make a playlist that will only play what you have selected so that our students cannot confuse and follow the illogical pathway. 

After that, it was a session of Google drawings. In this session, we practised drawing around an image and filling in the image with our chosen colours. We had the pleasure of viewing some work from students of Panmure Bridge school who had really developed this skill and then used it in animation movies that they had made.

                                                 


I enjoyed Dorothy's presentation on Google slides/Powerpoint for the presentation. She presented very beautifully how to create a slide, make it animated, design and publish it. She emphasises on Design and Publishes of slides by using tools to built into google slides to enable learners' and teachers' to 'CREATE'.

In the end, we practice Google drawings, Google Sites and presentations. When I made my Google presentation on greenhouse effect for year 10, it was terrific. I shared it with my students, and they loved it. It is a considerable achievement and motivation for me.✌

The motive of this Digital program is, during the nine weeks all the participants will be supported to connect with a range of digital tools and apps that are required for effective teaching, planning, assessment and professional learning.

"What we learned with Pleasure, we never forget." -------Alfred Mercier