Digital Intensive Week 5: Creating a Multi Modal Site

Today I was successful at creating a simple site. We chose a text for the junior class - The Lion and the Mouse. After going through the text we got in small groups and used Padlet to plan how we can implement multi modal/ multi text approach to make our teaching and learners understanding easier. This was so that we can plan, share ideas or resources. 

We used the multi-text (Complementary Text, Scaffolding Text and Challenging Text) approach to meet the diverse literacy needs to meet learners learning style, interest and readiness. From there we created our own sites individually. 

Some of the multi modal modes we looked at were -

• Explain Everything - create or questions to answer
• Writing/ Books.
• Videos
• Photos/ images
• News articles
• Blogs
• Audio
• Podcasts
• Animations
• Gifs
• Physical experiences
• Recordings or
• Poems
• Other school blogs ...

The option given was either to focus on New Zealand Curriculum or Themes/ values such as:

• Being Helpful
• Size Doesn't Matter
• Everyone has different skills
• A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed
• One Good Turn Deserves Another

Below is snapshot of the site I created considering Year 2/3 level.

Click on the link and see creative I was - The Lion and the Mouse.

Digital Intensive Week 5: Padlet

When we got in our groups where we had to plan using the multi modal approach for The Lion and the Mouse, padlet became really handy. This is because I was able to quickly create the account and then just add others e-mail to start sharing. By doing this we all were able to access the plan at the same time and add on different ways we can teach the story. 

Below is an example of our group padlet which, we created. 

   

Digital Intensive Week 5: Share to Learn

In today's session, we learnt that its vital for the learning to be shared to be successful. This will allow greater audience who will not only assist but will enable all the learners and teachers to grow together. 

Below is a slideshow prepared by Manaiakalani - Dorothy Burt which quite clearly shows the power of sharing and various ways we can share. 



This link will show some of the ways learners have been sharing their learning with others.

Blogging: Connecting with an Audience

It was great learning that as professionals we need to constantly blog and on top of that we need to raise traffic for our blog so that people can come and utilise our blog the best possible way and then leave "Positive, Thoughtful and Helpful" comments. Keeping the threaded conversations going is one of the ways to connect with the wider audience as well.

Below is a slide show which gives more ideas how to can share and connect with other audience. 

Digital Intensive Week 4: What does a quality Blog post look like?

Another great session made it clear that we are learning to create a positive digital footprint.

When we share on our blog we are trying to connect with our audience in a kind, positive and helpful way. 

Creating a quality blog post requires us to consider each of the components and what we need to include to connect with our audience e.g. attract the interest of our audience, encourage return visits and commenting, readers share and recommend blog posts.

Digital Intensive Week 4: How to make and post a video using Explain Everything

Our task was to share our learning using an Explain Everything (EE) Activity by

• Selecting an Explain Everything (EE) Project and downloading it on our iPad.

(Our learners download EE files from their class site using hyperlinked buttons. We have added a button on the Digital Fluency Website.)

• As we worked through the EE slides we were to use the voice recording tool to explain how to use the EE tools and activities to support the learning.
• Save our edited copy of the EE project and include our name in the title
• Upload to our shared Google Drive folder as a video
• Open the video file on our laptop and copy the embed code
• Share our video on our blog.

How might we utilise an iPad and a recording App to rewind learning?

To view EE projects on your laptop you will need the EE player.

Below is an Explain Everything, which I did.

Digital Intensive Week 4: Digital Dig - Chrome Book

Today we spent some time familiarising ourselves about how to go about using Chrome Book. We were also to experience how the learners feel while using their Chrome Books. It has got a whole lot of different key functions which, is different from our laptops. Below is a Digital Dig slide show which, will show what we were expected to finish as an activity just to increase our understanding.

These are my answers to the given questions:
 

Digital Intensive Week 4: Chrome Book Academy and Ninja Course

While going through the resources I found Chromebook Academy - where a USA teacher has created a site to share resources with kids about using their Chromebooks. It has got very useful information which, we can use in our classroom to make teaching more easier and fun at the same time.

Link

Ninja Doc training is for teachers to upskill themselves by sitting the short exam. It is a Refresher on Docs and Spreadsheets? Try this Google Apps Ninja course

Link 

Digital Intensive Week 4: Cybersmart

In Manaiakalani takes cyber smart very seriously. Every teacher and learner is being taught how to be safe while using devices. Manaiakalani has come up with whole lot subtopics under Cyber smart.

Click on the link and surf to learn more about Cyber safety.

Digital Intensive Week 4: Using Screen Castify on a Chrome Book

After learning about leaving “positive, thoughtful, helpful” comments on blogs our task was to use Screencastify on a Chromebook.

Building Smart Relationships is one of our Cybersmart categories so our task was to leave feedback on ONE blog post for a screen castify commentary.

We had to:

• Choose a post and write our comment using the “positive, thoughtful, helpful” guide we all use in Manaiakalani Schools.

• Have this section of the Cybersmart site open on another tab

• Create an instructional video explaining to teachers how we have looked at the Cybersmart lesson (above) and used it as support to leave a comment. Explain how we have connected with the post in a positive, thoughtful (made a connection with the content of the post) and helpful (feedback or feedforward - ask a question if this is challenging!)

• Share this on our own blog

NB: we could choose a child’s post from here OR a colleague’s post from here.

Click on the link to see My Screen Castify

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Digital Intensive Week 4: Harnessing our iPad to support Learn, Create and Share

Harnessing our iPad to support Learn Create Share

Learning from and across digital texts If you have access to a mobile device (iPad, Smartphone) these can be powerful tools to support Learn Create Share. To enable access it is essential that you a confident with the processes (workflow) for efficiently curating and sharing digital content.

Click on the link for further information.

Digital Intensive Week 4: Smart Relationships: Writing a quality blog comment?

Apart from being Cyber Smart, we can also build Smart Relationships with other users by leaving quality feedback and keeping the thread going. Below is a slideshow to guide us how we can write and leave positive, thoughtful and helpful comments.

 

See below for Writing a Quality Comment: Manaiakalani - ideas for the class to use.

Digital Intensive Week 4: Leaving a Quality Blog Comments

After going through a blog it's always nice to appreciate what the blogger has brought into our attention by investing their valuable time and sharing their piece of work.

Below are few of the things we as professionals need to keep in mind while appreciating others work.

The key is to be:

• Positive
• Thoughtful 
• Helpful

Blogging: Connecting with an Audience

It feels quite satisfying if there are an audience that connects with you and the blog posts. However, there are ways we can utilise to attract audiences so that they can read, follow and leave valuable (positive, thoughtful, helpful) comments. 

We as individuals we need to make first move!

YOU comment on other people’s blogs.

“Positive, thoughtful, helpful” goes a long way!

Threaded Conversations - Tick the “Notify me” box when you leave a comment to continue the conversation.

Respond to Comments - Reply to comments on YOUR blog.

Truck over to their blog and interact there.

Digital Footprint - spread your link around. Leave a link back to YOUR blog when you comment.

Staff Meeting: Holiday Destinations

This afternoon I was able to learn and refresh my learning about how I can mark destinations on Google maps. I was successful enough to choose 5-holiday destinations, mark and then add a text. Then post it online for the viewers to see. 

Click on the map to view my 5-holiday destinations.

Staff Meeting: Mindfulness

Mindfulness session taken by Ara was helpful as it teaches different ways how we can tackle the fast moving busy life. 

No matter what individual circumstances are it totally depend on us individual how to lead our life.

Video: 

The Science of Character - Altered for Presentation Purposes Only

Staff Meeting: The Brain Architecture

On the 8th of August Jo from Resource Teacher Learning and Behaviour took our Professional Development. She focused of The Brain Architecture.

There are some great stuff on Developing Child Harvard University.

Watch a video: 
Experiences Build Brain Architecture

Another video was:

The Science of Early Childhood & The Brain Architecture Game

We also had the joy of playing The Brain Architecture Game

Watch the last video

InBrief: Executive Function: Skills for Life and Learning

Digital Intensive Week 3: Create

Today our focus was on CREATE.

Creativity is all about engagement. Getting kids engaged so learning can happen.

Some of the ways we can be creative using Digital is: 

- by using animations application.

- making a movie (related to the learning).

Creativity combines sight, sound and motion. Making a movie all the time is not being creative.

Digital Intensive Week 3: Create: Making Meaning of Content (Google Quicktime Handout)

Today in our Manaiakalani Digital Intensive learning I learnt how to:

Create: Making meaning of content

• Create a video recording of a Google Hangout between groups of three.
• Use Quicktime screen recorder - each group will need a Mac user to create the recording. Trim ends on QT to remove ‘fluffing around’ at beginning and end of recording. Send it to a Google Drive folder (make visible) at the end so you can embed in blogs.
• In groups of three, host and record a hangout.

We choose a child from the posts here,  read what they have posted and base your discussion on this one post -*Tip* make it easy - scan through and pick one that has a creative looking post to discuss!!

Questions to guide our conversation on slide 20

1. What learner empowerment is demonstrated?  Do you detect signs of learner agency in this post? Did they have any room to make choices?
2. What supports / scaffolds might the teacher have set up to get this creative activity to occur? Eg scaffolds, rubrics, templates etc etc.
3. Explain/reflect/demonstrate learning, through creation - How has creation given more opportunities for deep learning and cognitive engagement?
4. 
   

For the above we 3 sat separately wearing our ear pieces and got engaged in our conversation. There was bit of noise as we were sharing the room with colleagues.

Below is a Quicktime Recording done with Jay and Sandhya.

Digital Intensive Week 3: Gmail

Gmail Calendar Hangouts

This morning we learnt about Gmail and some of the important steps we can take to fix the Gmail account. We focused on:

1. Settings

Display Density - How compact your emails sit in your inbox

Inbox Type - See unread or important emails first etc

Theme - Custom themes and colours.

2. Organise - Organise your Gmail

Settings

Archive - Hide/ Mute emails from your inbox

Labels - Use to organise your mail (works like a folder)

Filter - Automate your emails to save time

Starring - Star emails as important to come back to later

3. Attach - Attach images, and Google Drive

Attach

File - .pdf etc

Drive - any file in your google drive

Image - Google photos, upload, or web address

Hyperlink - hyperlink text with a URL

Emoji - Insert an emoticon

4. Translate - Google Translate inside Gmail

Sending

Google Translate - Copy and paste into Google Translate into any language

Receiving

More - Translate this message

5. Labs - Experimental Gadgets and addons

Settings - Labs

Mark as Read - Mark email as read button

Unread message icon - Number of unread emails in tab

Google Calendar - Gadget to have a mini calendar inside Google+more

6. App - Gmail App

App

Different Layout - the Gmail app layout is slightly different

Notifications - Receive emails on the go, reply, star or archive

Canned responses - Tailored to the content of the email

*Tip

On personal device use native app for personal emails, and gmail app for work.

7. Useful tools -  in settings

Pop/ Forwarding

Forwarding - receive emails sent to another account

Pop - Set up email client i.e. outlook, apple mail etc

Undo Send

Undo send - 10, 20, 30 seconds can press undo

Search Mail

Search - Use the power of Google Search to find your emails.