Kia ora! Today was Day Two of the Digital Fluency Intensive for cohort one. Our focus today was 'workflow'. We looked at a range of useful tools, websites and extensions that I can use to work more efficiently and connect/simplify platforms that I am already using.
We started our session today by joining a Google Hangout with Lenva Shearing who was up in Auckland. We talked about the 'Learn' part of the LCS pedagogy. A key message I took out of this Google Hangout was that TMP was built on two parallel lines. These are digital tools/infrastructure and the way we are doing things in the classroom (teaching and learning). It is essential that time is given to building the digital capabilities of staff so that they have the confidence to create and deliver authentic learning experiences.
There are a number of things from today that I can see myself trialing with my students. Within the next week, I would like to introduce my Year 7-9 wānanga group to Google Hangouts. I will run an introductory Google Hangouts session and as a class, we will have some sandpit time. I have created this slideshow which I will share with my wānanga group.
Kathleen (Gilerthorpe Primary), Jayne (Hornby High School) and I had a go at recording our Google Hangouts session. Our aim was to discuss Lydia's blog (a student at Tamaki Primary School). We had a few technical difficulties the first time around. The recording below shows our second successful attempt. We knew we were successful the second time around because we had successfully recorded the audio with the visual.
I will definitely be making use of Google Keep. I can see myself using this tool alongside Google Calendar. Currently, I am using Sticky Notes on my desktop but would like to convert to Google Keep. What I like about Google Keep is the huge range of features it has compared to Sticky Notes - you are able to set time/date reminders, photos can be added, 'grab image text' converts text within an image into text in a Keep note and you can add collaborators to Keep notes. There are so many useful features in Google Keep!
Today I learned some useful Google Calendar hacks as well. These are going to enable me to work more efficiently (in both my professional and personal life). Keyboard shortcuts shown below are going to be particularly useful.
I will also modified my email signature to include my class site and professional blog link.
Ngā mihi, Katie.