Still in Lockdown.The new normal. It is amazing all of the little things that you pick up when you have an authentic need for something. Almost everything that is being covered in the Digital Fluency Intensive is immediately useful. If not in the case of something that I am using then in a conversation with someone who may need it, e.g google drawings last week - although I don't need to use it myself, right now, it is the tool that our teachers are using to plan their lessons. Some of the hints that I have picked up at DFI have been put to good use.
I am excited to put some of the 'Data' new learning to good use as I gather and collate information - my immediate need is my Learning Support register spreadsheet. I could see all of the possibilities of better manipulation and presentation of the data, opening up for me as I worked through the day. I have always wondered how formulas work in spreadsheets!Also, I enjoyed the tweaks to my Google forms - I hadn't noticed that little add image here button alongside the actual questions.
Today along with the rest of New Zealand, we reopened our school in an online capacity. I think that by the time it came around to 9:00 this morning, we all just wanted to get on with it!. As I hopped in and out of Google Meets being run by our teachers, I felt very grateful for the technical knowledge that our staff has gained over recent times to enable them to deliver online learning. There has been a massive upskilling for a few, but the recent couple of years of Manaiakalani PD has certainly taken the fear (and substitution - SAMR) out of the digital delivery of the curriculum.
I love the way new knowledge expands my brain!
Hi Maire, I agree that everything we have covered in DFI has been useful. It was exciting to launch our Distance Learning Programmes today and to see what our teachers (some who have completed DFI and some who haven't) had created to share with our students. It has been good to see the speedy acquisition of skills from some of our staff - Is it because now they can truly see a purpose for all we have been learning over the last few years? I am excited to see where this will take us and also to begin the conversation not about how we go back to school - but how we go forward to school after this. Enjoying working alongside you on this.
ReplyDeleteKia ora Maire,
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, this DFI is coming at the right time for you. What a powerful journey to be part off and I'm so glad that you are excited about where it is taking you and your team. I loved reading about how you felt regarding getting started on this learning at home journey. I kinda wish I had a class to journey this with at the moment ... but it is also wonderful to be able to be part of so many school's journeys.
I look forward to reading more as you continue with the DFI.
Ngā mihi,
Sharon Spragg