The First Week of the Postgraduate Certificate in Digital and Collaborative Learning!

I was brave and enrolled in the Postgraduate Certificate in Digital and Collaborative Learning! This week I have been involved in two online Zoom meetings where we learnt about the overview of the courses and the tools to engage with course content. I am really excited about participating in this course and learning new theory and skills that I can apply to my practice.

Session 1 - Tuesday 14th April 4,00 - 5.00 pm

This session was primarily about making connections. We started to get to know each other and go through some activities to help us learn how to navigate Zoom. We the discussed the social contract that will be in place for our online sessions to ensure that everyone gets the most from these online interactions. We then had an opportunity to share our expectations of the programme, and learn about the overview of the programme structure and content. During this session we were allocated to a group so that you we could begin to make personal links with other students and meet The Mind Lab facilitators.

Session 2 - Wednesday 15th April 4.00 pm - 5.00 pm

In this session we learnt about the tools that we will be using throughout the programme. The tools are the Portal, Slack and the Google Site of support information for using a range of software.

Digital and Collaborative Learning (DCL) Programme Outcomes

The programme outcomes for DCL graduates are to be able to:

Research, investigate and critique digital pedagogy leadership and influences in contemporary learning environments
Identify, explore and develop a critical approach to research with specific focus on cognitive development and instructional theory.

Musical - Curriculum Integration through The Arts.

This term we have been focussing on a Junior School Musical - One Fly Over the Rubbish Dump. This was an environmentally focussed musical that connects to our school Enviroschools programme. It involved Music, Dance, Drama, and Visual Arts. Students and whanau were involved in all aspects of the musical, with teachers acting as facilitators. This opportunity has inspired some students to want to take advantage of the opportunities that will become available for them in the senior school.

Mihi - Creating a sense of identity.

This term we have been working with whānau and learners to develop an understanding of their whakapapa and identity. Each student had to undertake research with their whānau to establish their places of significance. In class we have scaffolded this further by creating a written mihi and visual mihi template. Each day we are covering different aspects of mihimihi. Through this process, whānau have been actively engaged in the learning of their students. As teachers we have demonstrated a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Tangata Whenuatanga.

Sharing our learning with our whanau

Using blogs as a tool to share our learning with our whanau.

Sharing Learning Sites at Hokitika Hub Community Open Evening

On Tuesday 10th April I was asked to host a sharing session regarding learning sites at the Hokitika Hub Community Open Evening. I shared our learning site with a number of whānau and teachers. In total, I run three 20 minute sessions. There were a number of questions and a range of positive feedback about this sharing session. We have also undertaken to support other junior teachers within the hub to implement 1:1 iPads within their setting.

Using Blogs as a tool for whānau connection with learning

Our class blog is used to support the connection with whānau and learners.

Share - Term 3 Toki Pounamu Staff Meeting

Today we spent time as a staff reflecting on 'Share' within the Learn, Create, Share framework.