Digital Fluency Intensive 2020 Week Nine - Revision

 Revision

It was great to consolidate all the digital learning and put our new knowledge to precise with the Level One Google exam. This really was an exam to get into it but also an insight into what exams can like in America for many learners. It was also an important reminder to what children feel like when they are put under pressure from our education system as we sometimes forget the purpose of learning. I enjoyed the exam and learnt about Google Classrooms and some other areas of Google. :) 

I would like to learn some more about Google and hopefully sit Level Two in the future. 

Today feels like the end of an era in a way with D.F.I. finishing. We have learnt so much over the last nine weeks that is feels like this has been going all year. I am looking forward to putting things into action next term in the classroom. We are looking at getting a class set of up to date i-pads which will help with progammes working for the students. I am also looking forward to working with the Year Three students on the Chromebooks and giving them a head start for next year. 

Digital Fluency Intensive 2020 Week Eight - Computational Thinking

 Computational Thinking

I always enjoy the talk about Manaiakalani and how is came about. It is always a good reminder. Today was about empowerment, a good reminder that the Chromebook is a pencil. I really like this analogy as it changes your viewpoint. Going through the statistics is always interesting to me. It is great to see where our data is going and interesting to see that children are arriving at school with the development of a 3 year old.

In low decile schools children are coming in knowing less words. They also have 1/3 turn over of students due to housing e.t.c.. This shows the importance of conversation with all of our children regardless of their developmental age. We can support our children to have 5 + interactions. 

Computational thinking - the new digital curriculum

This is an area where I am still gaining knowledge. I am beginning to under computational thinking and understand they we can still use the technology curriculum to follow a design process.

Future of Tech

Sophia the robot (very interesting, slightly scary!)

Skin Vision app - I will download this!

I enjoyed playing around with Scratch! My children will enjoy this in class.

- Here is the game I have created.

Digital Fluency Intensive 2020 Week Seven - Devices

 Devices

Being Cyber Smart

Children are responsible for being cyber-smart and start to see they are part of the picture. The Kawa of Care is great and used for teaching children to care for their device and be responsible on-line.

Teaching children to give ... Positive, Thoughtful, & Helpful comments on their blog is part of being cyber smart. This translates throughout the curriculum and the school programme.

It is important to ask 'Is our site visible?'. This also helps model a positive digital foot. The children are continually developing their digital footprint through continual blogging throughout their schooling.

Focus on positive - What is happening every day in our schools. This becomes the norm and empowers our learners so their isn't a need to focus on the negative. 

Hapara

It was great to go over Hapara in depth. I did not realise I had access to other classes in the school. 

I now know how to send out group information, freeze screens and looking at how different docs e.t.c. are shared. :) 

Manaikalani Programme

Equity with learning with children all having the same device. The same tool for their learning which becomes their pencil for all their workbooks!

BYOD - doesn't work the same with all children having different devices with different learning needs. 

Explain Everything

I had a play around with explain everything. I found it a wee bit frustrating at the start which is probably how children feel all the time when working on new tasks on their devices.

Here is my creation ...

https://expl.ai/GUPYHZP

Creating time

I have explored the Manaiakalani Cybersmart website with links to different lessons. I did not know this site existed. There are some great ideas to get creative and teach. 

I had a fabulous day of learning with lots of ideas that  I can bring into the classroom as well as my  personal life. It was great to get a better understanding around Hapara. I feel confident to be able use this now if needed. I would like to do the digital with my year 3 students in preparation of going onto Chromebooks next year.