Student Voice

In Week 9 Term 2 we held Learning Conferences. In most cases, the senior children led these meetings and shared their goals/learning with their parents/whanau. Using Google slides, children created a presentation and shared it with their parents.
In the example below, Zayd has provided links from his blog, modelling book and blog comments to demonstrate mastery towards his writing goals.
This is a wonderful example of Learn Create Share, rewindable learning and the affordances of digital technology. Zayd is able to rewind his learning and share it with his mum. This process empowers learners and strengthens agency - the power to act! This is my learning and I am in control.
I would like to acknowledge the wonderful work of Ako Ngatahi teachers Kate Mclachlan and Simon Scott, and our Manaiakalani facilitator Mark Maddren who are transforming teaching and learning at Hornby Primary School!

Zayd's blog

SAMR

On Monday, Mark (Outreach facilitator) took us through a SAMR workshop. We worked through a variety of tasks from substitution to redefinition activities. There is nothing wrong with substitution, however, the more opportunities learners have to be engaged in transformational activities (modification & redefinition), the greater likelihood we will develop engaged motivated learners, resulting in positive learning outcomes.

A writing example:
Substitution - using a Googledoc  (new technology replaces old technology).
Augmentation - technology is still a substitute but provides more functionality. Ability to share your doc and save to the cloud and be able to access from anywhere is an increase in functionality.
Modification - technology is used to redesign parts of the task and transform learning. Students are able to collaborate on one doc and use the comments feature for feedback.
Redefinition - design and create new task once unimaginable. The technology enables us to connect to a classroom in another country and use the chat and comments section to discuss their work in real time and greater depth.

Spark Foundation Visit

On Friday 13 April, Lynne Le Gros from the Spark Foundation (GM), Paul Deavoll (Spark South Island Manager), and Bronwyn Hayward (University of Canterbury) visited Hornby Primary School. The Spark Foundation support the Manaiakalani Outreach Programme.
Ruma Toru welcomed our visitors with a mihi from Ricci and then performed a waiata. The children then shared their learning with Lynne, Paul and Bronwyn.
We enjoyed sharing our learning and showing our appreciation to the Spark Foundation and hope they will return again soon.

Manaiakalani Outreach Programme Convenors' Meeting

The Hornby Cluster is one of the 5 clusters working with the Manaiakalani Outreach Programme, the other four are; West Coast, two in Auckland and one in Kaikohe. On Thursday we had our Convenors' meeting at Mandy's wonderful Grey Main School in Greymouth. Russell Burt, principal at Pt England in Auckland, leads the Convenors.

The meetings provide a great platform to discuss a variety of issues; chromebook rollouts, kawa of care, parental education, professional development, technical issues, and other things that may arise. We are very fortunate to have Russell leading us as he has been through all of the trials and tribulations we are currently experiencing. The good news is that most of our issues are solvable!

Our next step at Hornby is to provide parent education opportunities so they have a deeper understanding of how the chromebook supports their child's learning, and how they are able to access and be engaged in the learning.

The troops from left to right; Raina, Brenda, Mandy, Gary, Russell and Lee.

Blogging

Ako Ngatahi (Yr5-6) are connecting with Room 22 from Owairaka District School in Auckland and commenting on their awesome blogs.

"This is a great writing task with a purpose and an authentic audience, " say classroom teachers Kate Mclachlan and Simon Scott.

Children are more motivated and engaged when they can see a purpose for their writing, and especially when they know that others will be looking and commenting on their work.

So what is blogging?
"A blog is a frequently updated online personal journal or diary. It is a place to express yourself to the world. A place to share your thoughts and your passions ... Blog is a short word for the word weblog ..."
http://blogbasics.com/what-is-a-blog/

Two examples:
"Hi Room 22, my name is Sharlisa. I am in Ako Ngatahi at Hornby Primary School. That curry potato looks delicious. What are your favourite foods from the garden? I would like to see more posts. Keep it up!"
Sharlisa

"Nice work Room 22. I really like how you put your pictures into an apple, it is cool how you are using your pictures creatively. We have something a little like that and it is called Book Creator. My questions is, do you take different photos or do you use the same?"
Dakota

Accessible Learning is Rewindable

On Monday afternoon Mark (MOP Facilitator) ran a staff meeting on Rewindable Learning - see Link
Rewindable Learning:

• technology enables teachers to make learning rewindable for all children.
• supports children who learn more slowly, who need more time exploring messages, who are absent or who forget.
• makes the 'smartest' learner the child who knows how to access teaching and learning, not the child who is on the teacher's 'wavelength'.

Examples of rewindable learning might look like

• instructions recorded on an iPad - children can go back and check
• video instructions using 'Show Me' or 'Explain Everything'
• picture of a maths strategy

Today I spoke with Shontelle and Wiremu in Ruma Toru, our senior bilingual class. I asked them how their chromebook supported their learning. Shontelle made a great comment about accessing last year's work - she was talking about rewindable learning. Up until then, I had not considered work from previous years. We then discussed how digital technology made this possible as it would be unlikely children would go back to books from previous years to rewind their learning. Thank you Shontelle for this thought - tumeke!

Manaiakalani Outreach Programme (MOP)

What is Manaiakalani Outreach Programme (MOP)?
"Manaiakalani Outreach is an opportunity for school clusters to partner with Manaiakalani Trust (MET) to embrace the 'Learn Create Share' pedagogy along with its digital infrastructures and affordances. Outreach focuses on New Zealand school children, their families and whanau in challenged, stressed and isolated communities, particularly but not exclusively, in decile 1 and 2 school areas."

On Thursday I attended MOP Convenors' Meeting at Edmund Hillary School in Papakura. I was immediately struck by the manaaki, firstly from Raina, the principal, then the wonderful children and staff at Edmund Hillary. The day started with a welcome in their lovely hall.
There are 5 clusters in the MOP; Ako Hiko, Kaikokohe, Toki Pounamu, Kootuitui ki Papakura and Hornby. It was a full on day with lots of information sharing from
Jenny Oxley - programme manager
Pat Snedden - convenor support
Lynne LeGros - General Manager Spark Foundation
Andrew Gurr - Fusion
Selena Meiklejohn-Whiu - Auckland University
Dorothy Burt - pedagogical programme design
Russell Burt - convenor support

Our Outreach facilitator Mark Maddren is working with 3 of our teachers this year in 1:1 digital classrooms. Mark is supporting teachers with visible teaching and learning using Google Sites. Teachers planning will be visible and accessible and children will be able to access this at anytime or anyplace - ubiquitous.

At this stage approximately 50% of our Year 4-6 families have purchased or financed a chromebook for their child's/children's learning.