Digital fluency intensive 9 - Reflections
Digital Fluency Intensive 9 - Recognition & Reflection
Today was the final day of our DFI professional development. I can't believe that 9 weeks have gone by so fast! It has been great seeing all these friendly faces every Thursday. The fact that over 40 teachers from schools around Aotearoa could come together to learn together is a testament to empowering outcomes of utilising digital technologies.
My digital bubble was a really supportive place to learn, create and share. Phil created an environment were we could all be honest about our successes and challenges whilst on this journey. My bubble friends were supported and we sought to help each other which was really satisfying. This program has highlighted to me the commitment all Manaiakalani schools have to up skilling their teachers. When I look back on my blog it is full of wonderful learning opportunities which have been made available to me. I feel very grateful for this. The weekly insight into the Manaiakalani kaupapa was interesting as it helped me to connect the pedagogy I see in my school with my personally held values of equity and empowerment.
Top of mind for me this week was preparing for the Google educator external examination. Whilst doing this prep it struck me that my confidence in using the Google suite has grown exponentially. I found that if I was unsure of the process needed to complete a task I could navigate my way around the tool until I solved the problem. This was not the case before I undertook this program.
My teaching practise has been significantly enriched by my improved understanding of google suite. I can work more efficiently and collaboratively. I am thrilled with my new class site and although it continues to evolve, I feel now I have a successful blueprint for my future classes. Tools such as Mini toby, Google draw, Slides and Screencastify have been added to my teaching tool kit and will boost the engagement of my learners. My deeper knowledge of Forms, Sheets and Doc's will make my planning and assessment more streamlined. So now as I await the outcome of my Google Educator exam I can feel satisfied that the last 9 weeks have been a valuable addition to my teaching skills.
Kia ora Deb. Congratulations on completing DFI and passing the Google exam. I'm glad you can see the many benefits of the tools we covered and that you feel like your teaching toolkit has been boosted. All the best for the rest of the year!
ReplyDeleteMorena Deb - I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed sharing a bubble group with you and I will miss it! Thank you for saying yesterday that you had felt a bit left out of the loop at school until you had done the DFI - I have certainly tried not to feel too inadequate compared to teachers who already integrated a lot of techy stuff into their practice, but I was behind. We were so well supported by the DFI - at the level we were at, with kind and patient support - that it didn't matter and I learned heaps. A great model of choice and differentiated learning I might add. I agree that this course is a great investment in teachers, and that says a lot....Manaiakalani is Learn-Create-Share for everybody. I enjoyed our little google meet early on in the piece - your commitment to equity and empowerment shines through you, what lucky kids to have you there for them. Go well (and happy holidays!) Lisa
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