DFI Reflection - day 5

 8/4/26

For me, even though I knew quite a bit about sites and making learning visible I found Dorothy's chat very interesting. It has helped me to realise the importance of not only having your WALTs and Success Criteria visible, but also making sure your site is made so that both students and whānau can access and understand it. This year my school has made it that you can follow the GOOGLE SEARCH - SCHOOL WEBSITE - CLASS SITE instructions. Things I have already done before to make my learning visible is having WALTs, Success Criteria, Video Support, Audio Recording of instructions etc.

I have really enjoyed learning about the Multimodal and Multi-textual design. It's helping me feel more confident and have a greater understanding of how to support some of my students. It has also showed me that I already do some of these ideas. I think having a multi-text database is a great idea to improve workflow and encourage collaboration.

A lot of what I've learnt today will benefit my learners, just by me being able to make my students learning more engaging to look at by having DLO's or engaging videos for front loading or to help understand text.

To be honest I'm not sure how this will help me personally except that it will, hopefully, reduce workload which in turn will help my personal life.

Here is my site that I made today on ANZAC (still in progress).

DFI - Day 5

17/04/26

DFI - Day 5 (Google Sites)

Connecting with Manaiakalani (visible learning)- Dorothy

Make teaching and learning visible.

Can the learner/whanau/teacher actually see what they're meant to be learning?

If so much of the learning journey is hidden from them and their parents, has this meant children fail.

Is success related to the ability to read the teacher's mind?

Visibly display the intention e.g. WALTs and Success Criteria.

The intentional use of technology to make learning visible has been a game changer.

Have it upfront, visible, and accessible to everyone.

The default is visible.

We don't like surprises - we like to know what's coming.  Surprises don't support learning.

Removing password barriers.  Everything the learner need is present.  Using google sites is great for all of this.

Manaiakalani Class OnAir - every year teachers apply to be a Class OnAir and video themselves teaching.  There is a searchable data base to find over 400 episodes who are teaching in classrooms where every learner has their own device.

Hāpara Hot Tip: sharing for visibility - Stacey

Maybe not weekly but regularly

Deep Dive - Multi Modal: Amie

Multimodal communication

These all work but some are more efficient, some people have a preferred mode.

Consider your audience.

1:1 devices or BYOD was brought in they thought engagement was the biggest thing.

Having a broader bag of tricks to engage students for those times when you can't be on show.

Having something really visual is going to support in more ways than we realise.

Universal design for learning.
There are always varied learners.  UD for L is a framework.  
1. We know we need to provide lots of options on how we present material for students - Text, video, images, audio, movement.

2. The way we express what we know is different.

3. Engagement - each of us is motivated by very different things.  What's in it for me.

We are trying to personalise learning for many different children.  How can we provide these opportunities that is sustainble and visible.

- Use a video or something to front-load them before reading.

- could extend by using multi-textual resources.  Lots of different types of text to extend and deepend learning on a specific learning.

Give access to texts at different levels, and provide audio if the text is in chronological order.

Able to self-scaffold.

How can we utitlise the site for both behavioural and cognitive engagement?\

These are examples of displaying things differently to engage children and sell the learning.

Does it show multiple different text types?

Less text heavy and easily accessible.

Things I like about the multimodal sites i've looked at

• Having a slide of sunshine online books screenshot on to check out.
• You can hide a page from the navigation bar and still have a button to link to it.

Multi-text Database link

Blogging Tip - Understanding what tags are.

When they are made they can appear in quite a few different places.  With that when you click on a tag it sends it to a place where you can find any post that has been labeled with that tag.

You could use tags that match the standards and code.

DFI Reflection - day 4

8/4/26

What, so what, now what

Day 4 Reflection

I have known the importance of sharing; however, I have since learned through a couple of staff meetings, more of John Hattie's work in effect sizes. When this was brought up this morning, it reaffirmed the importance of sharing learning and how it helps with the learning experience.

What I didn't know was how having the moment of finishing is socially important as well as academically important.  I have students who struggle to complete work.  I try to have time in the week for them to finish things off, but with a very full timetable, I'm unsure if this is feasible.  I would love to know how I could help with this.

I also liked Dorothy speaking about how the Learn-Create-Share model is both linear and cyclical. 

What I found helpful was the Google Sheets session. I have been teaching myself and did know quite a few of the tips; however, finding shortcuts to do the same was great, e.g. alternating colours on the Google Sheets. I also really liked how you could turn your sheet into a table. This meant I was able to filter the information to find what I needed quickly.

I will now do a little more research and use what I've learned to streamline what my work and to continue improving my confidence.

I would love to use Google My Maps, but I would have to start very simply. So using it for things like important places to me or where we are all from, etc., would be quite good. I think using Google Forms would be great for me to get a snapshot of their learning for prior learning and as formative assessment at the end of a topic, e.g. for maths. I'd love to know an easy way to make one from what we've been learning, e.g. from Maths No Problem, so I don't have to do too much of the thinking 😄

I love Google Sheets, and I think all the extra information I have around this will help me streamline my planning and assessment recording. Not too sure how I'll use this personally, but the inner nerd in me will find a way, I'm sure.

My Examples

Google Form: All About You

Google My Maps:   Oh the places you'll go!

Google Sheets - Analysing Data - Graphs: 

DFI - day 4

8/4/26 - Dealing with Data

💡Top Tips
Command+shift+T - if it was the most recently closed (by accident)
Google Calendar for the class and embedding it on the site
Cathoven - http://cathoven.com/
Diffit - https://web.diffit.me/

🤔 Remember
Table of contents on docs and Headings.

Connecting with Manaiakalani - Dorothy

Sharing has a profound effect on academic shift.

Harnessing digitial technologies has a big effect on this as well. Create adds academic value and sharing adds to this again.

Make it intentional, not an add-on

Sharing is not a new concept it has been happening since time began. Recording our connections is key. Don't just share our wins but our failures.

Social media started in 2005. YouTube April 2005. The way we share has changed a lot since then. How do we harness technology to enable people to connect...appropriately?

Post-2005, the speed and amplification were immense.

Don't forget more traditional types of sharing - going to share with the principal, displays, yearbooks, fiafias, film festivals, performances, etc.

An authentic audience are the people who choose to listen to you.  You can be a compulsory audience or an authentic audience.

Cybersmart supports digital citizenship.  How to be positive, thoughtful, and helpful online.

Pitomata is a pilot "programme" to replace blogs.  Next year, this will be used.

It is important to share learning.  Experiencing that moment of finishing is socially important as well as academically important.

Learn-Create-Share is linear and cyclical.

You can share at the start to check prior-knowledge.  Capture this so you can refer to it at the end of hte learning.

John Hatties work on effect sizes.  Feedback and feedforward is empowered on this scale.

Children love feedback from outside their bubble, from a stranger.

Chalk n Talk - Stacey (google forms)

You can do forms or a quiz - You can then link to sheets and see your students answers as a sheet or graph.

Chalk n Talk - Hinewa (google my maps)

Google my maps is different to google maps.  

Great for classroom or personally.

When teaching this in class.  Discuss being a smart learner.  Why we don't share our address online etc.  You can do it if it is just you and your class but not if it's to go wider e.g. on your blog.

Deep Dive - Vicki (google sheets)

- Column size change. Highlight all your column and then click onto the line between two columns and change the size of a column.  This will change them all at once.
- Total all the rows. If I want to do the total for all the rows you can hover over the little circle at the bottom of a cell and scroll down and it will total all the rows.  You can also double click on the circle and it's going to put the total for all rows if you have lots.
- Make an average - double click in the cell and press = key type average and select cells.  To do the other columns select the blue circle like above.
- Decrease decimal places until i'm happy with how many decimal places are showing.
- Separate the names - click on the column header, right click and insert column to the right.  Select student data and go to data and split to columns.
- Change birthdates with words to just numbers.  Select columns, select 123 and scroll down to custom date and time.  Select what you'd like. Click apply.
- Filter function - looks like a funnel on the toolbar.  Everything goes to a green tinge.  Then you can select the lines in the headings (that look like a tornado).  I can then untick what I don't want to view e.g. 7 year olds.  I can filter by gender at the same time and you can then see maybe 8 year old females.  You can also go by ethnicity, classes etc.  This is temporary and can turn off the filters.
If you create a filter view using the calculator symbol by the tornado.  You can then save with a new title.  You can exit this view then go back into it when wanted.
- Autofill.  If I want to do say the days of the week, I could type Monday and then click the circle on the corner again and it will auto fill the other columns.  You can fill anything with an easily recognisable pattern.  If I just put a 1 and pull it down then it wont recognise but if you do 1 then 2 it will do the pattern.  If you want to skip count you do the same thing.
- Google translate words into other languages.
- Conditional Formating - Create a rule: e.g. format cells if the text is less than 1490 and it will highlight all the cells that are less than 1490 and I can choose a colour.  This is great for heat mapping.
- A spark line. in a blank cell hit the =key and start writing sparkline and select the data I want to be included in this cell.  It will create a line showing the progress (graph).

DFI - Reflection 3

 27/1/25

When looking at the Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy today I learnt that it is super important to plan it otherwise you wont do it.  I also loved the quote -  If the hands are involved, the head really gets going. 

For me it is just practice and using the slides (rewindable learning) to keep having a go.  I'm someone who needs to look back at instructions or videos in order to understand well.  The tools we've been told about or taught today are awesome.  I can't wait to work out how to incorporate them into my planning.

I already record my voice on slides using mote in order to create rewindable learning, however I think incorporating the animation, having the kids record their learning even just showing them holding their maths work and explaining it would be awesome.  I am nervous as I have some children with high needs.

Regarding the question "what did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow in my personal life?" I think using things like playlists on YouTube etc will be a great way to simplify things that I show or let my children listen to at home e.g. audiostories, cartoons etc.

Below is my animation that I made on slides.

Below is my image for my blog.  Not sure if I like it yet...so a work in progress.  I've also attached one that i'll put on our class blog.

DFI - day 3

 27/1/26 - Media

Love the waiata for the karakia today.  Need to check this out.

- Need to look at reminders on calendar.
- Look at Google Keep

Connecting with Manaiakalani (Hanga/Create) - Dorothy

Children love the chance to create.
Creating also helps to accelerate learning.
It is about deeper learning.
It helps students to be better problem solvers, communicators and collaborators.

Being able to access video footage of others being creative is a great way to encourage others.

Learn and Create go together.

Another way we can get acceleration is by ensuring the create is a part fo the learning progress.

Check out the slide about Create/Primary Schools Class OnAir episodes.

Elwin Richardson - investigated the process of creativity

We plan, but don't often do the hands-on practical implementation for creative thinking/mindsets.

<If the hands are involved, the head really gets going>

If it's not in your plan and timetabled, it's not going to happen.

You can't make a movie if the students have been given the foundational skills to go off and do it.

At the end of their learning time the teacher leaves them with 10 minutes to record and share their learning of what they did that day using one example.

Chalk 'n Talk - YouTube

- Resources

- Content

- Subscribe

- Organise

Public (can be found by anyone)
Private
Unlisted (anyone with the link - can't find it by searching for it on YouTube) recommended

Students do not put their videos on YouTube but on their blogs.

If you have videos in your Google Drive a transcript is created.  You can then search in the transcript.

Creating Playlists

Refer to manaiakalani DFI notes

Hapara Hot Tips #2 - Hinewa

- You can click and drag student tiles to reorder.

Deep Dive - Media with Amie Williams

Sisomo - referring to the combination of sight, sound, and motion on digital screens.

YouTube launched in 2005

- film in landscape 

- chromebook apps 

Topline: screencast for chromebooks app/google vids /adobe/canva

Give students restricted rules e.g. one shot video

Can be used for Assessment.

Green Screen (a.k.a. Chroma Key) using a green screen.  Camera and tripod set up so we don't get shadows cast on us.  Be close to the green screen.  You need to also think about the floor.

remove.bg
canva and more

Live Streaming - is not schools want to get on board with.  Some teachers are engaged in this.  

Film Festivals - there are resources to help support this.  There is a Manaiakalani Film Festival.

Podcasting - uses the diverse needs and skills of a variety of kids.

Garage band is recommended.  You can also use Adobe Podcasts.  Soundtrap is also great for Podcasts and making music.

It's not about how much it costs...it's all about what you do with it.

Chalk 'n Talk - Google Drawings with Michelle Tate

Hold down shift to get a perfect shape e.g. circle.

Heaps of things you can do with Google Drawings. It would be great for portraits.

Chalk 'n Talk - Google Slides with Stacey Salton

Presentation Tool to a larger audience (Hall, Whanau evening etc)

What's your story-what do you want to do and summarise your speech in a tweet length (250words).

Plan, Plan, Plan.  Sumarise a slide on a post it note until you are telling your story in the best possible order.

Cull your slides.

Ditch the defaults.  Embrace blank slides.

Pictures really are worth 1,000 words.

Consistent formatting.  2 fonts max.

If you are on a stage you need large font, colour, bold.

If you need to read your slides you've lost it.  Go back and edit.  They are visual cues. Press /s/ and speaker notes come up on the side.

Enabling access for Learning

Easily shared and embedded into your class site.

Embed and link to learning content, texts and tasks within your slides.

Use clear and consistent formatting.

Most current week slides at the top.

Slides to Create

Can animate.

Publish and design to create.

Cybersmart Snippets

Smart Media.  Look in speaker notes.

Creating with slides

Blog Settings

DFI Reflection 2

 23/1/26

Regarding the Maniakalani kaupapa and pedagogy, i've always been concerned about technology taking over the teacher.  I always think you need a happy medium.  I really like the rewindable learning aspect, as it's been great for my neurodiverse learners.  I have slides on my site which I update weekly with what they are learning as well as recording myself reading them so the students can go back and not have to ask me over and over. 

Today I enjoyed learning the tools that were knew to me e.g Google Keep.  I had looked at it once before and thought don't know if that would work for me.  After seeing what it can actually do I feel like it would be a very useful tool (also in my home life).  The colouring and decorating also relates to my creative side and urge to make things pretty.  I also really liked finding out about the gmail and google calendar shortcuts so I can flick between what I need quickly.

For my learners I think that by having a go at using reading mode I may be able to simplify documents/websites to remove the unnecessary fluff. 

I think the one think that has helped my confidence today was practicing using meet as I find it so different to what i've used before and having the practice of setting it up and using it before needing to was great.

I have attached my video that I recorded.