DFI - Week 9

External Recognition

Today I had the opportunity to sit my Level 1 Google Educators exam and I PASSED! 

A highlight for me from taking part in the DFI has been having all of the Google Tools explained to me step by step. I’ve been problem solving my way through them for years and I’ve found it very helpful to have had all the bits of puzzle I’d been missing filled in. I also found it helpful to hear the “why” that sits behind everything we do.

I’ve enjoyed taking what I’ve learnt back to school to sharing it with my student teacher and with my co-teachers. We are all using our class site and slowly building it up to become a visible reflection of what is happening in our busy, fun new entrants space!

Nothing on this course hasn’t worked for me, but it take time for me to put what I have learnt into my practice. 

It has pushed me to do better, because now I know better.

Going forward, I aim to keep using the skills I have learnt and to continue learning! 

I'd love to be able to share with other teachers the "structured literacy" journey that I have been on this year.  It has be incredible to see my children experience success as readers and writers, and really enjoy and look forward to our literacy time. I'd love to see this learning reflected in the online space and taken to the next level with some digital tools. 

Nga Mihi! 

DFI - Week 8

Computational Thinking 

The focus of our DFI session today was "computational thinking".  

We took part in some digital and non-digital computational thinking experiences. 

We worked as a team to put together a set of instructions  and one of our team members had to follow the instructions to make it safely across the room. 

  

Here is just a bit of fun using the website "code.org" to make a dance. How much fun would this be in the classroom! The children could bring their own dances to life with a dance party after they had made their dances online! So cool! 

Term Three Inquiry Planning

This has sparked an idea for our topic planning for term 3. 

Time is so precious in the classroom so making cross curricular links is always winner! I think the oral language aspect of computation thinking is would be very beneficial to my learners - especially the directional language as this is something I have observed that they are yet to grasp!  I've added in some computational thinking experiences for my learning within the Inquiry topic for next term. 

Here is what I have planned so far! More to be added over time and I need to make the links the relevant curriculum areas. 

Moko-ika-hiku-waru Topic Planning

Moko-ika-hiku-waru Slides 

On a side note - I was so amazing to come across a child's blog from Ruapotaka school sharing about this local story. I was able to leave him comment and thank him for sharing his learning. 

But the highlight of the day has to be hearing the children from Point England School share their learning!

It was amazing experience junior school teacher to see where my learners, as five year olds are heading in their journey at school. 

Nga Mihi!