My Space and My Place

Why?

• Escalator Challenge
• Role Play: King of the Mountain

Who?

• Who does this Moonshot project involve?
• Who am I collaborating with on this project?
• Who are my team?
• Who has a voice in this project?
• Learners - exactly who
• Colleagues: co-designers, collaborators, sounding boards etc
• Experts: who is being invited to add expert opinion

Design Thinking - Discovery and Interpretation

1. Reduce the disparity of the inconsistencies through the development of the VTaL framework
2. Expand the opportunities of access to VTaL on a global level through the development of a VTaL Mobile App

The Crazy 8's

Reflection Time

Connecting with Learners with the use of Emojis

Deadlines in Workspace

One of the major issues that I have had with my Senior DigiTech class, was for students to meet deadlines.  In order to flip this around, I decided to start using Workspace and the Activity Status (Started, Submitted, Assessed) functions.

I had trialled the use of Workspace with my JumpStart class at the end of 2017, and could see the potential to use the Workspace to monitor task completion.

Workspace Grade Sheets - VTaL Task Lists

The VTaL Tools and Processes Used

The following are the VTaL Tools that have been used in this process:

• Google Sites - Workspace [published] embedded into the Subject Google Site, enables stakeholders (other than students) to view the learning information within the Workspace.  Students access the learning within the Workspace through the Student Dashboard.
• Google Sites - Class Project Task Lists can be embedded into Google Sites to reflect progress throughout a project.  Care needs to be considered so that individual students are not identified.  I have used ID Numbers in the past.
• SOLO Learning Activities - these can be linked into the Resources section of the Workspace, to help guide student learning.  I also have the links to the learning activities embedded in other sections of my Google Site, outside of Workspace, for those students who are either new to the school, or do not have access to a particular Workspace for a range of different reasons
• Class Project Task Lists - once generated from students submitted work, I will link this into the Rubrics section of a Workspace.  As shown in the example above, I will also embed the Task List directly into the Google Site (outside of Workspace).
• Student Project Checklists - these can be linked into the the Evidence section of the Workspace.  Once students have had their assessed tasks returned, they can link their evidence to their Project Checklist, which helps the students to track the big picture of where they are at in terms of satisfying all of the criteria within a project or assessment.  In addition, the Checklists with evidence linked, may also be used for moderation purposes.
• Workspace [published] - The Workspace needs to be published and embedded into a Google Site in order to be 'Visible'
• Subject Google+ Communities - these can be linked into the Resources section of the Workspace, to enable students to access exemplars relevant to the project

Embedding Workspaces into Google Sites

Workspaces can be embedded into traditional Google Sites, as well as the NEW Google Sites.  Click on the following two images to navigate to examples in both versions of the Google Sites.

NEW Google Site - Workspace Embedded

Traditional Google Site - Workspace Embedded

Streamlining NCEA Data Updates to reflect Formative Feedback from VTaL Task Lists

The following blog post VTaL : Aligning Assessment Deadlines with NCEA Data Updates, demonstrates how the VTaL Task Lists have been linked and integrated into NCEA Data Updates.

Streamlining NCEA Data Updates to reflect Formative Feedback from VTaL Task Lists

• Monitoring of progress within a topic, unit of work or project - Formative Feedback
• A snapshot of student progress within units of work - Formative Feedback leading to feedback and feedback for students
• A snapshot of student progress within units of work - Identification of effective interventions or strategies that are working, or, an opportunity to try different strategies if required
• A snapshot of the credit value for individual standards
• An overview of cumulative credits gained throughout the year

Developing Student Understanding of Assessment Information

I have used Kahoot! before in my junior classes, as a tool to encourage students to unpack the assessment information and instructions.  I decided to use this approach again.  I explained to students that they had approximately 10 minutes to read through the assessment information, after which, we would complete a Kahoot!

The VTaL Tools and Processes Used

Students who I have taught in previous years eg. current Year 10s previously taught as Year 9s, or Years who I taught as intermediate students, are fully accustomed to how they locate and access learning instructions in my class.  This generally starts by navigating to my DigiTech with Ms Anderson Google Site, then to the Year Level Calendar, and by clicking on the event for today's date to see the specific instructions for that lesson [as shown in the screenshot].

Students would then locate the Year 10 DigiTech Project via the Workspace in the Student Dashboard.  Or, for students who do not have access to the workspace, they could also access the Year 10 DigiTech Project via the Year Level tab in the DigiTech with Ms Anderson Google Site.

How Effective was the Teaching and Learning Strategy

The Scenario

This year the Senior DigiTech class, is again a multi-level Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 class; and  mostly made of students who undertook Senior DigiTech in 2017.  In addition, there are four new Level 3 students who did not take DigiTech in Level 1 or Level 2, as well as two Level 2 students who did not take DigiTech in Level 1.  Students who undertook DigiTech as either a Level 1 or Level 2 student, are familiar with how to access Learning Information, Information about Progress

The Idea!

The idea that I had for students to collectively gain an understanding of the course and assessment information for the year, was for students to collaborate within a Google doc.  This is not a new concept at all.  However, the way in which the collaborative process was implemented, in that the strategy itself was deliberate in terms of integrating principles of Mahi Tahi - Collaboration and Manaakitanga - Support for Others, is what makes the learning strategy purposeful and meaningful to the students.

The idea also aligns well with "Manaiakalani Achievement Challenge 1, and what I am doing to lift the language capabilities of my students", as discussed in a recent Middle Leaders Professional Learning Group.

The VTaL Tools and Processes Used

The following are some of the VTaL Tools used and applied in the Learning Process:

• Subject Google Site - Students located the Project Instructions through my Subject Site
• Subject Google+ Communities - Students located exemplars of work by Tamaki College students, to assist with responses to questions about the assessment information
• Workspace - A Group Evidence Google Doc was used as the collaborative tool

Mahi Tahi me te Ako - The Collaborative Learning Process

Students accessed the assessment information and project instructions via my DigiTech with Ms Anderson Subject Site, and then develop questions about the assessment that they wanted clarity on.

Students then individually logged their questions into a Google doc, which was set up as Group evidence in a Workspace, accessible through the Student Dashboard.



In pairs, students then worked together to identify responses (information, links to Tamaki College exemplars in the DigiTech Google+ Communities, links to external exemplars on NZQA, links to websites etc) that would hopefully address many of the questions.   Any response that was logged, students could also tag their name to the response to demonstrate how they have contributed back into the collaborative learning process.

How Effective was the Teaching and Learning Strategy?

This particular teaching and learning strategy was effective in enabling all learners to collectively contribute into the collaborative learning task.  Students who did not, were soon identified, due to their lack of names tagged against responses to queries.  Students therefore had a vestured interest in the learning process.  Students knew that contributing into the process benefited all, just as they also knew that not contributing into the process demonstrated a lack of manaakitanga, or support for their peers.  There was no consequence to this from a teaching point of view; it was more that students understood and valued the collaborative process, Mahi Tahi, and due to responding in pairs, felt safe about contributing their responses because the richer the document was with responses, the more useful the document became.  Thus, promoting support and care amongst the students, Manaakitanga.

The following links are the Q & A sheets that students collaborated on at each level, and is available for future use and references by all students.

• NCEA Level 3 Project 1 Questions and Answers - 91609 Q & A - 41301DGT12018
• NCEA Level 2 Project 1 Questions and Answers - 25655 Q & A - 41201DGT12018
• NCEA Level 1 Project 1 Questions and Answers - 18739 Q & A - 41101DGT12018

StartUp

I started off the beginning of our first Senior DigiTech lesson with Whanaungatanga.  The students sat around the front table, and discussed their holidays as well as their interest in DigiTech, with fruit and biscuits.  This enabled the students to reconnect with each after the long break.  It also enabled students who are new to the course, to be brought into the mix.  This worked well and students appeared to enjoy the introductory whanaungatanga session.

Deconstructing the Year Ahead

From here, I decided to get the students to deconstruct what the year ahead would look like.  This entailed students locating information about the NCEA Standard Entries 2018, located in my DigiTech with Anderson subject site.  The students then identified information about the standards, and unpacked the explanatory notes that would enable the students to gain Achieved, Merit and Excellence for each standard.  In addition to this, students also located NZQA Exemplars, and explained how the various grades were achieved.  This process enabled the students to develop a resource for themselves, to better understand the standards within the DigiTech course, and the requirements of meeting the criteria for each of the standards.  Some of the students shared their DigiTech presentations into the DigiTech Year Level Google+ Community.  The following links are three of these examples.

Dell - Level 3 DigiTech Information

Gustavo - Level 3 DigiTech Information

Issam - Level 3 DigiTech Information

Applying strategies such as these enable the students to become more empowered, more informed, and better equipped in terms of their understanding of the course content and course requirements for the year.