Minecraft in the Classroom for Beginners

 Online toolkit hosted by Manaiakalani.

Very brief presentation on the Minecraft platform for Education.

I think that as far as Minecraft goes most of our students or anyone under the age of 20 are MILES ahead of any educator in creating, or modding in Minecraft. 

One of the takeouts from this is to use shorter or finite build challenges in Minecraft, letting the students loose in a whole world with a range of possibilities is perhaps a way to enter into chaos.

Another takeout would be to make the Minecraft activity a topic specific or curriculum linked activity so that the learning is linked to specific outcomes.

Challenges in specific worlds is a good way to keep students in a specific world and can be a good way to encourage collaboration, there need to be specific rules around online behavior and etiquette.

Research around the benefits to students learning around the Minecraft Platform would be beneficial to fine tune educational opportunities. Another aspect is to encourage whanau to engage with his platform and to have a constructive dialogue about the positive outcomes for students from Minecraft Edu.

Papakura Central School Minercraft Club

Minecraft for Beginners - Louise Fox

Blogger of the week SMART GOAL 11/01/2019

Teaching as Inquiry; Student Agency/Empowering Students

My SMART GOAL developing Student Agency.

Specific; get students to blog at least once per week about their learning in maths.

Measurable; Check and organise after Maths session Thursday morning.

Achievable; Create time and develop cohort enthusiasm.

Relevant; Reward System Blogger of the Week Student Choice (Rubric).

Timely; by next Thursday.

Differentiation and UDL 1

 Working on differentiation and UDL how these would be incorporated into our learning space

Prior understanding;

  

UDL & the Learning Brain

Task Differentation

So a UDL learning framework relies on a variety of ways for students to learn. 

The concept of neuro-variability is important for educators, because it reminds us that learners do not have an isolated learning “style”, but instead rely on many parts of the brain working together to function within a given context. There is no single way a brain will perceive, engage with, or execute a task. Variability is not just an important consideration for thinking about differences between students, but also within students in different contexts.

The Importance of PK

Previous experiences drive our interest and engagement, perception and attention, and goals and actions. The nervous system constantly makes predictions and anticipates how we will fare in a particular environment or towards a particular goal.

The Importance of WALT WILF and SUCCESS CRITERIA

Goals drive the nervous system. Essential to any learning experience is a clear goal. A clear goal enables the nervous system to direct energy purposefully to build relevance, perceive information, and act strategically. Ultimately, educators and learners need to be aware of the intended learning goals so that they can begin to build connections, connect to background knowledge, and practice for expertise. 

AFL (Assessment for Learning)

Link from UDL and the brain,  Frequent, formative feedback and opportunities for active learning create and strengthen the connections within our learning brains. Our brains are not fixed, but grow and change with use.

How to Plan using UDL

Waitangi Manaaikalani TOD 28/01/2021

 Waitangi Manaaikalani TOD 28/01/20211. 

Future Focusing your School

Identify your influencers and blockers that will help or hinder your school focusing on future trends and decisions regarding curriculum and delivery.

Identify trends in school data that need addressing, confront problems, identify strengths with staff and enablers.

Don't focus on data look at their(students) strengths, what are the enablers for them these may be different to yours. Introduce learning that engages, change the pedagogy enable effective teaching with staff.

Think about where are our students going in the future, student profile, what opportunities in community, opportunities beyond the area (ie university), target students for specific opportunities (certification, diploma, degree).

Create time for PD if you are creating different opportunities.

The Stocktake

Developing your curriculum.

Teachers, Curriculum, Resources, Future.

Identify issues that are stopping core business, strengthen home links and whanau inclusive environment.

COL for digital professional development.

Stuff you need to do to see what is happening in your school.

Walk around, Take photos, Ask questions, Google it, Go to town.

What do you want in your school?

2. Physical Computing (Micro-bits)

What are Electronics (programming chipset) class discussions.

Understand how circuits work as a part of curriculum learning.

(Hands on Paper Circuits) upload from Makerspace.

Microbits online site for virtual programming.

https://makecode.microbit.org/

Ground the programming into authentic contexts such as the classroom environment (alarms, lighting, heating. Code micro-bit to perform a function fire alarm is pushed (lights, sound external alert) connect headphones using alligator clips and code in volume control. Temperature control, Noise control. Hinaki alert in a trap.

Presentation Link; https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/11QZK1l3yFixajZGKzWxS7IiyIlhf1wzzXfwa7uTCR3g/edit#slide=id.ga47b8730b1_0_0

3. EPro8 Challenge - Engineer, Problem Solve and Innovate

What Tautoro School have been working with the challenges for three years.

Learning develops over time particularly with the engineering and programing. Kaupapa is based around a cycle of Thinking Doing Testing. 

1. Challenges are chosen.

2. Roles assigned Reader Designer Tester Builder.

Student engagement, perseverance, self determination, having choice of your learning, student led, achievement/confidence (Mana), collaboration, 

Challenges can be done with materials from a hardware store and/or using the Epro8 kits.

Challenges

4. Blake Inspire

Different areas from Blake Inspire 

Blake expeditions for Teachers to learn about the environment and how to teach this to students. Education dept funded)

New program Blake VR program utilises experience, understand, action.

experience; the VR environment.

understand; what we are seeing and discuss the implications

action; so what do we need to do and how could this be achieved.

Rahui vs Marine Reserve

33% of land sites are protected

.27% sea based sites are protected

Lots of resources for students Blake Inspire Website, New Zealand Geographic, School VR Roadshow.

www.blakenz.org

www.nzgeo.com/vr/

Cognition Graduate Profile and Planning PD Oruaiti School 04/02/2021

Cognition Education 

Planning  

Rob, Kaiya, Diane, Cindy, Sarah, Kara, Meg, Mark,

Introductions and reflecting on how 2020 was for us and our students and what we see going forward.

Why are we designing a graduate Profile?

• Streamline what we do well
• Internal Review
• Transition 
• Improve local curriculum
• Integrate PD
• Best Students 

Underpin our graduate profile using coherent pathways with beacons that highlight the progress in our school.

Provides a clear pathway for students whanau and community.

School vision, values are the main driving force for our Graduate Profile.

Graduate Profile

What does this look like at different levels and then create a rubric to provide goals and give something for them to aim for.

Inspire (more about personal and interpersonal skills ie how do kids inspire each other.

Create literacy etc expectations were not specific across the curriculum. 

"IDEAS ARE NOTHING UNLESS THEY ARE PUT INTO ACTION IN MEANINGFUL WAYS"

Spring boarding off our graduate profile for our content for 2021.

How can I plan for opportunities to teach the GP?

A good starting place would be using the whare tapa wha model (NZC - expectations, GP- Inspire, Student Wellbeing)

We did a collaborative planning project that looked at a planning scenario

Junior (put your own reflection here)

Explore terms friendships, relationships, feelings tuakana-teina develop projects inside the school and maybe include whanau.

Middle (put your own reflection here)

Look at different games and how they promote friendships, relationships, feelings tuakana-teina. Develop projects that and games that include whanau and community resources.

Senior (put your own reflection here)

Project to organise events at school that promote friendships, relationships, feelings tuakana-teina.. Collect data survey community pilot projects and creating

UDL Katie Novak is a good resource for curriculum design.

 

Sensory Workshop 2021

 What is anxiety distress and self regulation.

Anxiety is your bodies natural response to stress.

Children in dysfunctional environments do not get / learn regulation strategies because parents relationships to for example alcohol is stringer than the relationship to their child.

Distress is usually as a result of an external stimulus.

DSM-V Diagnostic manual defines disorders.

ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorders) are an umbrella for pervasive disorders and Aspergers Syndrome are now put together.

Neuro Science

Typical brain can shift focus and cope with different situations

Generally an atypical brains is not wired to shift focus and change attention.

Important things to remember

Behaviour is Communication; A childs behaviour is what it is:

Ie a child leaving the class may not feel secure yet.

Helping to help with self-regulations.

Find the stressors --- Reduce them

eg distraction from outdoors, move them from the window.

Find unmet needs ------ Meet them

eg is the child hungry ---- feed them

Find Skill Deficits ------ Teach Them.

eg not learned to delay gratification; they have to learn to wait.

Sensory Integration

Sensory stimulus is all the senses being organised if one or more is in overload then the child cannot function and will behave inappropriately.

 Sensory Systems,

External; touch taste smell sight sound

Internal; Vestibular eg balance and eye movement; Proprioception eg location movement muscular awareness space.

Interoception; sensory awareness of your bodies signals ie hungry, toilet training etc. (resource from south australian education dept).

Have to remember that sensory experiences are multimodal.

Sensory Integration dysfunction

Avoidance eg what are they avoiding

Seeking what sensory are they trying get ie hearing

Body position eg how are they sitting 

Over arousal eg high activity

Under arousal eg low activity self absorbed.

Mazlows Hierarchy of Needs is a good example of sensory modulation.

Brain System Model Sensory input.

Coping strategies or systems to develop in students. Targeting the AUTOMATIC nervous system.

The aim is provide (practiced) strategies for the kids to use when they need them most, slow breathing, humming, meditation, music, gratitude, washing face, balanced gut microbe, exercise, massage, laughter, yoga, attachment/connection, animal based therapies, sleep, nature.

Sensory modulation directly targets these systems to alter stress and arousal levels.

Bottoms up sensory systems

Think about it; if a person is distressed they do not have the cognitive ability to process or self regulate, so a cognition, body, movement sequence will not work. A movement, body, cognitive approach is much better.

Building blocks for trauma sensitive schools

Feel safe; place to be safe.

Connecting; develop social skills, belonging, empathy, leadership.

Regulation; stress tolerance, brain knowledge.

Learn; development of skills, problem solving, decision making, growth mindset, perseverance.

Classroom Practices for dealing with traumatized children.

• Understand the child
• Manage your own reaction 
• I see you need help
• Structure consistency
• Tine in not out
• Consequences not punishment
• Support whanau.

Executive Function (how to develop the ability to manage self ie organising your self and stuff)

Can't write in their book.....logical option to sit them next to someone who can.

Always forget to bring pencil to school.....find someone to prompt them and challenge their behaviour.

Sensory modulation through the day. But not useful in extreme situations (that is behaviour).

Sensory Environment in the Classroom

Influenced by a range of purposes or Goals. 

What is the child needing touch hearing tasting?

Smell fragrance infusers to stimulate the class.

Colour swiss balls balance, bean bags touch, mud kitchen, tepees, target walls. 

eg sensory fence

Sensory modulation for grounding.

Power sensations

• touch 
• movement
• proprioception
• and scent

Resistance Deep Pressure

Movement 

Scents

Sensory modulation for alerting

Alerting sensations help us to feel more awake focus.

Movement; clapping, games.

Touch; cold wash, warm shower, hug hand touch.

Smell Taste; fragrance, fruit.

Sight; garden ocean colour

Sounds; music ear plugs white noise

You can do a sensory audit with your students; School Companion, Sensory Profile 2 form Pearson.

Pause Breath Smile a great New Zealand program endorsed by Mental Health NZ

 

TOD 30/04/2021 Motivating Students and Focusing on the Learning Progression Framework for Reading

Motivation in Learning

Reading Reference, DRIVE; The Surprising Truth about what Motivates us. by Daniel Pink

How does this happen? What are the conditions that foster motivation in learning.

THREE MAIN PRE-REQUISITES TO FOSTER MOTIVATION IN STUDENTS

AUTONOMY. Who is in control, does the student have autonomy over any aspect of their learning, what they learn, who they learn with, who decides the next steps?

An interesting thing that cropped up in discussion was the potential level of autonomous learning in the class could be at least 20%. I believe that 20% of autonomous learning has to be just  that learning, students need to be able to articulate their new knowledge, skills or dispositions. I do have some difficulty reconciling the idea that the must do can do system really supports autonomy apart from limited choice.

MASTERY. What are they learning is it at the right level, ie Proximal Zone of Development. Mastery is the desire to improve. If you are motivated by mastery, you'll see your potential as being unlimited, and you'll constantly seek to improve your skills through learning as being unlimited. Someone who seeks mastery needs to attain it for its own sake.

For example, an athlete who is motivated by mastery might want to run as fast as she possibly can. Any medals that she receives are less important than the process of continuous improvement. 

CONNECTION. Why are the students learning this, does it have any connection to their lives, do they see the benefits to their learning.

People may become disengaged and demotivated at work if they don't understand, or can't invest in, the "bigger picture."

But those who believe that they are working toward something larger and more important than themselves are often the most hard-working, productive and engaged. So, encouraging them to find purpose in their work – for instance, by connecting their personal goals to organizational targets using OKRs or OGSMs – can win not only their minds, but also their hearts.

LPF's 

Moderated assessment of videos from student guided reading session. Teachers were asked to evaluate using the vocab aspect of the Learning Progression Framework. 

LPF,s

The LPFs provide a big-picture illustration of the typical pathways students take as they make progress in reading, writing, and mathematics.
There are three frameworks: reading, writing, and mathematics. Each framework comprises seven or eight progressions which describe the different aspects of reading, writing, and mathematics that should be considered to get a comprehensive view of students’ progress. Each progression includes the significant signposts that all students are expected to move past as they develop their knowledge and skills and apply them with increasing expertise from school entry to the end of year 10.

The LPFs are the frameworks used in PaCT.
Teachers locate students on the frameworks as they make judgments in PaCT. PaCT guides teachers to make best-fit decisions about their students achievement in each of the aspects of the reading, writing, and mathematics frameworks.

 

How can the Learning Progression Frameworks help me?

The LPFs give you a big-picture view of progress in reading, writing, and mathematics through the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC).
The signposts in each progression represent the conceptually distinct bundles of knowledge and skills that students are expected to develop and apply with increasing expertise from school entry to the end of year 10. This big-picture view of progress puts you in a stronger position to support students' growth, and gives you the knowledge you need to talk confidently to parents and whānau about how their child is progressing.

The LPFs support a shared understanding of progress in reading, writing, and mathematics.
The level of student expertise at each signpost is clearly described using sets of illustrations. The illustrations are student work that has been annotated to highlight how a student has used their knowledge and skills to respond to a specific task or problem. The illustrations were designed in this way to support a deeper understanding of what students' developing expertise looks like at significant signposts in reading, writing, and mathematics. These illustrations also support a shared understanding of reading, writing, and mathematics that enables effective and efficient communication within and between schools.

The LPFs help you understand the breadth and complexity of students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes in reading, writing, and mathematics.
The signposts and illustrations of the frameworks provide rich insights into the comprehensive sets of knowledge and skills that students need in reading, writing, and mathematics. They clearly show what students need to know and be able to do if their learning is to be successful. These sets of knowledge and skills are described in documents that should be familiar to New Zealand teachers, in particular the Literacy Learning Progressions and the achievement objectives for mathematics in the NZC.

Understanding the breadth and complexity of the frameworks helps you to ensure that your local curriculum is sufficiently comprehensive and challenging, so that students have the opportunity to develop and apply the knowledge and skills they need in reading, writing, and mathematics.

The LPFs highlight rich teaching and learning activities in everyday classroom programmes.
The illustrations show students using their reading and writing knowledge and skills in authentic, purposeful learning tasks across the curriculum. In the mathematics framework, the focus is on students using their knowledge and skills to solve mathematical problems. In reading and writing, the focus is on how students use their reading and writing to learn in all learning areas and key competencies.

The illustrations of rich learning tasks support you to select and develop appropriate and engaging tasks for your own students. The annotations in each illustration provide useful prompts about what to notice as you work with students.

The LPFs inform you, so you can support your students to learn what they need for success in senior secondary schooling, work, and life.
Reading, writing, and mathematics are important because they are the foundation for learning at and beyond school. An OECD international study in 2015 found that about half of New Zealand's adults don't have the literacy or numeracy skills they need to fully participate in today's information- and technology-rich society. Most of these adults have been through our education system. The upper signposts of the frameworks clarify the foundational knowledge, skills, and attitudes that all students need to draw on for success in senior secondary schooling and as adults.

Jamming with Jamboard

 This was an interesting online toolkit with Manaiakalani recommend doing Jamming with Jamboard looks like it could be a good way to integrate our Google setup with our whiteboards certainly easier to manage modeling whiteboard files and has a pretty simply interface. Presentation was just a basic overview but a good intro to functionality. Jamming with Jamboard

Different Ways to Collect Student Data PD

 Different ways to collect student data professional development with Manaiakalani.

First part of the Slideshow focused on NCEA data spreadsheet collect and ways to verify evidence of student work and simplify collection. This did seem interesting in the sense of the scope and how student work is built on unit assessment. What I did find interesting was the only real use of any new systems was in using Google Forms as a means to distribute and collect student affidavits. 

Perhaps we need to look at the many other excellent online platforms such as Education Perfect and Te Kura to provide content and evidence of learning as well as seamless ways to collect assessment data. These types of sites often have some pretty smart analytics built in.

The second part of the slideshow was how student work is distributed, accessed and processed by Hapara Workspace. The collection and collation of marking data as well as formative feedback is easily processed by Google Sheets and automatically placed in folders into the teachers Google Drive.

Collect Student Data