Reset Button Needed

Today I read a blog post by my friend Shannon.

This past week has been difficult. A student passed away. That day was also the two week date since my Gran passed away.

It also was the week I unlocked my six years of teaching achievement :)

About this time of year is when I start remembering the bad stuff that always seems to happen at this time of year. This time of year was also when I first started teaching. I remembered my six week anniversary this time while driving the Kēmu YES business group to their next meeting. They were proud of me too. :)

Back to Shan's post though.

She mentioned the need to fight for your own passion. Mine, like hers (she's beyond inspirational and so incredibly awesome.... there's not enough words to truly ever convey just how much she meant to me as a uni student and now too as I see her resetting her sights on her dreams), is always writing. Writing for a purpose.

It's the thing that comes so naturally for me but in the last year or so there's been a block there. Maybe because I needed to get to this point to truly appreciate how easy it is for me to write and to make my writing actually have real meaning.

I've written a lot over the years. Diaries since I was five, blogs since I was 14 and this particular blog that was started six years ago when I began teaching. Recently I got into bullet journalling. My mind is currently racing behind the typing scenes as I try to figure out what next months spreads will look like.

I'm all about modelling behaviour when it comes to learning new things. Part of my modelling has been lost as my frustration has taken over. My inability to create real, lasting change. Without a management unit or the 'respect' given as a result of those time allowances... it's hard to truly help change things. I've drifted along this year. Just trying to reset things for myself, in my class, in my teaching life, at home and within myself.

With writing though, it's always there. Writing competitions help. So do sitting down or in my case right now, laying down and waiting for the electric blanket to heat up. Sometimes I can just make up pieces of writing as I speak in class. Those times I wish I'd record myself because they're quite cool pieces of writing and always leave my students quiet and in awe haha

Writing used to be my way of sharing my passion of teaching. My real passion though I guess is helping people. To learn, to grow and to achieve in all areas.

My learning recently has been to enjoy the moment. Be there. Aware. And help myself.  So I have been. Trying at least. It is difficult to stay positive always and ensure that my learning continues. Whichever direction I go I will end up wherever I'm meant to be.

I also need to stop comparing my amount of blog posts to previous years. Some years there will just be more to write about! Other times the learning I am doing will take precedence, as it has this year, causing my lack of writing as I process things.

Big passion still... youth centre with ability to uplift our kids and our community.

Also... change the world and build a network of people to work together to ultimately empower and lift positivity of all those on Earth.

Just want to find myself again this year. I lost my way a wee bit back there... and redefining who it is that I want and need to be.

For those interested in reading Shan's piece- click here

The Importantce of Whakawhanaungātanga

Did this really cool thing today in Y11 English. This was the last of my classes to meet... and I was slightly nervous about this particular class. All bar 3 in dark blue senior shirts. Surprising how much of an attitude change in our Heights kids already!! :) Anyway - got them to write 'Whakawhanaungātanga' in the backs of their books.

We broke the phrase down into more manageable parts. Underlined whanau. Circled Ngā. Whanau = family. Whanaungā = relations. Whanaungātanga = the way we do things with relations/whanau, what is acceptable/tika. Whakawhanaungātanga = to build and create relationships.

When I heard bits of muttering I very quietly, but calmly said, "If you feel uncomfortable learning te reo Māori in an English class, just be patient, you'll see why in a minute."

I talked about the importance of whakawhanaungātanga, particularly at y11. Because not only do we have to learn to understand ourselves, but enable ourselves to relate to others, inside the classroom and outside too.

Then students shared some things about themselves with their peers in the groups they were sitting in. I got them all to stand up in a massive circle and share their name and two things about themselves with the whole class. They all did. Some quicker than others. Nearly every kid in that class mentioned their pets. Way cool. I shared some stuff too and then got them all to sit again.

From there, they began the traditional intro letter I'd had all my other English classes do.

Beginning from full whakawhanaungātanga just felt so much more right. Beautiful.

EduSpark Group - Needing to Evolve our Education System

An incredibly awesome and talented colleague of mine just messaged me on FB and added me into a group of like minded people that he's created, called EduSpark.

His video is here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/248311075592957/permalink/248579055566159/

Check it out if you are interested!

After watching Campbell's video it reminded me about one of the main goals I had when I started my teaching blog- the evolution of teaching and my teaching practice. It's in the very name of my blog.

Over the past couple of years my evolution and imagination in teaching has dragged slowly. I haven't been my normal, excited, innovative self. Well, compared to when I first started teaching. But I guess with any evolution there needs to be trial and error. I've had my time for that... now I need to get back on track and refocus on evolving my practice and being a better kaiako for my students.

A good thing too as school starts tomorrow!

All holidays I actually did no schoolwork. If you're an avid fan of this blog, a reader or know about me - you'll know that this is something that is very rare. Because I don't often put myself first. My last blog post shared this frustration, partly because at this point in my life, after the trial and errors of the past two or so years, I've been fortunate to see success. It hasn't always happened with me and my future which is still something I'm working towards, however the search remains a constant and one that many teachers are searching for. That sweet spot where we feel truly passionate, empowered and confident.

After these holidays, I am quite relaxed. I've had time to destress and really focus on me and my own health. I've spent moments of time with my family to varying degrees of success. I've read books in the sun, by the lake, in bed, on the couch! I've watched A LOT of Netflix and movies. I've played with Mia and Zo. I've done a bunch of DIY at home. I've got back into my creative side and remembered what's truly important.

With 12 hours to go before I step foot back in at school, I'm nervous, excited and hopeful. I truly look forward to an incredible year.

With all that comes EduSpark, the regenerative spark to reignite my passion, excitement and hope to help evolve our education system. Together, we stand a chance to make true and lasting, positive change.

Thanks Campbell :)

Encouraging Growth in Year 9 Students

Today I had two very interesting conversations with two groups of Year 9 students.

The first conversation was out of the blue... mainly because I was so interested with their overall use of digital tools for their learning in that class (I was relieving) and asked a few questions... which turned into a very deep and meaningful provocation where we discussed the concepts around equality vs equity and how we might rethink how we are fearful of stolen property as being our main concern about going BYOD...

The questions really just began around asking if they all used the network, google docs, google classroom... whether they feel comfortable helping their teachers with digital things or their peers in class. Whether they understood the issue around why certain teachers were more unlikely to use digital tools for learning compared to other teachers. Many of these questions were ones I ask of my own colleagues when we discuss around these big issues with future focussed learning.

How cool it was to hear these students articulate their frustrations and how interesting it was to try get them to change their thinking around what it means to be truly equitable compared to equal. How there are just different starting points for most people and why this is a problem.

Without saying anything about white privilege directly - this group of students were arriculating the issues I hear often from parents and staff. Lack of access, issues around security, managing behaviour, monitoring learning and student engagement, identifying next learning steps...

If our year 9 students are significantly aware of these things... how difficult would it be to change the mindsets of their whanau, older siblings... the community.

How our students are the future.

There was one moment today when they said something about how the future generation will have to sort it out... and I said, "The future is now." With a resounding sense of awe in the classroom as if I'd just dropped the mic... I then told them my name which I hadn't done at the beginning of the lesson and then the questions began to fire rapidly from the students.

Another moment when I was describing equity vs equality... and how I used both hands - one index finger on one hand, on the other hand the other index finger, significantly lower and then the pinky finger - naturally lower... holding this formation up - reiterating that picture of the fence and the boxes... difference between the equal and equitable opportunities. I used the analogy of the fence too and being able to see over it. We used it to discuss the issue around access without ever bringing anything up around racism or discrimination... a feat in itself... and these students discussed high level issues quite easily. The kinds of questions I would like my staff at Heights to knuckle into.

The second conversation was more of a just in time korero. I was a little late heading back to class after doing marking in the staffroom and some of my students were waiting by the Y13 area. I asked them all to come over and sit on the Y13 steps. A place they're not allowed to go yet.

We discussed what a privilege it was sitting there and how we might do our work there outside (partly because I didn't have a key for that room and also because it was nice and sunny). We had three seniors with us who were waiting for me to talk with about their happiness at completing their first exam essay for our class this year.

I talked to them (once inside) about why we were ot there. How it's important to make the right decisions to follow ourselves and be the best possible us we can be rather than following others paths... I asked them why I got them out there... how it was important that they realise that they need to change their attitude to ensure they can achieve that privilege in the future. Because every single one of them can. They just need to realise that what they do and say could have an impact on their lives in the future.

Two very different conversations. Both incredibly powerful. I hope I've planted some mind seeds today. :)

In fact... I truly wish I'd recorded today's lessons... for rewindable awesomeness.

Social Studies: Exploration and Big O.E.

After my social studies lesson today I asked two of the boys to stay back to talk about their lack of participation. We had started a new partial unit within our larger one around Exploration.

Today they were asked to become the explorers and plan their O.E. The rest of the class were crazy engaged. Thinking and dreaming big.

At the end... I asked these two boys why I wanted them to participate in this particular project... he said, "Because you want to see us succeed in life."

This. All of this. Now to get him to dream bigger than going further than Taupo and Auckland.

Post-Interview...

I kept it relatively hidden... but I applied for a new job last week. I love my students and the staff I work with at Heights - but it was a new opportunity. Something I'd been waiting for. Something I had seriously wanted as part of my overall development as a kaiako.

Like I did with Hobsonville Point Secondary School at the first #edchatnz conference, I fell in love with Rototuna Junior High School at the recent conference. It's not just the space, or the fact that it's new or that it would be an awesome experience to start afresh without restrictions of history or school culture, access etc ... it's a combination of all this and then the fact that you're collaborating with some incredibly amazing kaiako who want to create opportunities for authentic learning and authentic contexts and relevant learning experiences for students.

When I came out of the interview I naively thought it had gone well. I was all smiles. Buzzing the rest of the day. Surely this should have been the first warning sign. I'd later cringed at how I'd answered the 'What do you do outside of teaching..?' - I have a dog called Mia, a cat called Zo and I read a lot. ... Not the best. There was heaps I didn't say.

It had been a long time since I'd done an interview. I'd been circled before by some interested parties a couple years ago but at the time I was exceedingly happy with where I was during my time at Heights that I allowed those trying to entice me into a new position to ask those questions about change and my ideas for future possibilities without too much weighing on the possibility I might actually want or need to move schools. Because I didn't want to move schools before. I would love to stay at Heights for a long time. To be so embedded that I become a Heights institution. But I know at Heights I feel crazy comfortable and I've actually become quite complacent. I got used to the ebb and flow. There wasn't any BIG change in sight and I was happy doing my own thing in my class, with a captive audience for my terribly punny jokes. I've become part of the school. My students adore my teaching and am always having refugee students seek out my help or asking to come into my classes. It's just that we're taking such a long time to get to where I'd like to see Heights be at. I know we can get there... I just don't want to still be waiting well into my 30s... or 40s and then regret the fact that I didn't try to go somewhere else for new possibilities. I'm an impatient person at best when it comes to change, despite how patient I am with my students and their development and I need to keep pushing myself to be the best teacher I can be.

And so... when I got the call on Monday night after a day of absolute bliss and hope and excitement of a possibility... I was a little gutted. Because it was a lost opportunity. All weekend, even prior to handing in my application, I kept reminding myself to stay close to the ground and not allow myself to be carried away by the dreams and clouds drifting away.... I did... kind of. But that hope - it's infecting. That kind of feeling is something I hadn't felt in such a long time. There are so many amazing things happening in the world of education and I so desperately want to be part of it all. Despite all the cool things we do and learn about in our little space in our classroom, despite my students loving the learning, despite all of this.. I still would like to try my hand at something new. Always a learner... and this unfortunately (mostly fortunately now that I've had time to digest everything..) has been a learning curve. One which I will be thankful for in the future.

The morning after - Tuesday... I had made the decision that it would be okay. That I was okay with not getting it. I was still gutted for sure. But like anything, I'd learn from this. I was still trying to figure out what the things were that I needed to work on in order to get a job like that in the future, but I went to school, heavy hearted, knowing full well my students and colleagues would bolster me and reenergise me. Reminding me why I love teaching. Reminding me why I do all this. Why I get so involved and so laden by the stresses and pressure to keep working towards being a better teacher.

I'd given my students (only my Y12 classes..as they had the most to lose with me leaving with their high level and amount of internals etc) the heads up that I was thinking about applying for a new job... I'd told them I had an interview... and now was happy in a way I could assuage them and stop them giving me dirty, upset and accusingly traitorous looks by telling them that I actually didn't get the job. They were beyond happy by the way. Gutted for me. Happy for themselves. I knew all this. And... now we're back to normal. I think now though there is this feeling of slight untrust that I need to nut out because I've made it my mission as a teacher not to be the one that will ever abandon them. Which is why during the interview I brought up the issue around the start date because I was uncomfortable about leaving them before their end of year exams if I'd gotten the job...

Yesterday afternoon I finally got the guts up to ask for some feedback after the interview and particularly around gaining a bit more clarification around what I might need to do in order to develop more experience in what was called 'extended pedagogy'. The term was new to me and I wasn't too sure what they'd meant by it. I get it now though. And I'm still kicking myself. Because I can SO EASILY explain myself when it is in this mode of explanation through writing. Ask me face to face though and I sound ridiculous. If we're talking about something I'm crazy passionate about - there are no stops or starts in what I'm saying. I can talk for hours. I'll talk your head off. No umming - no stuttering. I know I used to be able to articulate myself well. I did. Before. So... I need to build these skills up again. I've been using stronger verbal questioning skills with my students as a way to redevelop those connections in the neurons... and even so... gosh. Maybe I just need to suck it up and ask for clarification whenever I'm unsure rather than reverting to that meek, passive person I used to be while growing up...

The very incredible new Principal of RSHS called me tonight to talk me through some of the feedback around the interview. It was mostly things I'd already told myself off about on the drive home after conference... but the clarification around what I needed to know was that extended pedagogy stuff. It's not really a new term. It's the fact that I didn't really explain myself in the interview. I didn't show how everything was interconnected. I didn't answer the questions well. Maybe in that moment I didn't even really know what the questions were trying to dig at. It's the same rookie mistake that my students make when going into their exams. They completely miss the point. And I think that's what happened to me.

She mentioned about my strengths in cultural responsiveness and relational pedagogy - a section I didn't even need to answer in the interview as I'd obviously covered it in enough depth just by talking about myself and my manaaki for my students.

But why didn't I then use this as a base for all of the other questions? In everything I do... MindLab, Kia Eke Panuku, Restorative Practice, inquiry and goal setting, reflections, planning, teaching and learning processes.... this strength of mine is at the core. Because I connect so INCREDIBLY well with my students. Why did I think it was a good idea to nekeneke without any actual connection to the kaupapa? Gah. Ko hoha au. Hoha with myself. Because I know this stuff. I know it so well. I could spout off so much of Russell Bishop and Mere Berryman's research. I can explain the areas around the Mana Potential and Rock and Water programmes and how I use these as a base for my restorative practice pedagogy and empathy modelling with students. I can easily share areas around moments where I've shown high expectations with my students - they too can easily ariticulate this. Because I never ever give up on them. So much so that when I found out one of my students had left today and it was a massive surprise to me... my students said it was because she didn't want to tell me because she knew I'd be disappointed in her. Disappointed in myself that another student was lost to me. Lost and I had no way of helping them achieve their full potential.

The Principal discussed the answers I gave around how I'd dealt with conflict with a student and how I'd extend students, and how I'd use inquiry to form judgements based on evidence collated by student data. I messed these questions up because I didn't really get the question. I was listening for what I thought they wanted to hear... not for what the question really was. I wasn't showcasing myself at all.

I have no idea why I brought up the conflict that hasn't really been resolved yet with one of my students... It's still weighing on my mind. It's still bugging me that there is that space that won't be filled from her side where she is unwilling to cross and go back to normal. Why didn't I talk about how I don't call students out for silly behaviours rather than that one time I did and it blew up in my face. Why didn't I talk about how I encourage my students to push themselves when they give up. How I contacted the parents of one student when I was just getting nowhere with him at school in my normal humourous joking manner of prodding along... and found out him and his mates were doing stupid stuff to each other and how this helped open a new kettle of fish where I reopened the dialogue I'd created with these parents last year when I'd taught him in a junior class.

Why didn't I talk about the time last year with one of the most loyal students I have now? How she seriously did not like me last year commenting on her work while she was doing her resubmission. How we got on the same page with our frustrations of the requirements set by her teacher around what was acceptable... and how we tried to nekeneke by using digital modes for her assessment... and were both gutted when it didn't work... and she had to revert her VERY awesome assessment to something more basic, more handdrawn... and which although she achieved... she would have gotten an Excellence with her digital version because of how she'd edited it... How she has been an inquiry student for me for a long time because she has issues with accepting praise when she's done something well, or when she thinks she's not good enough... how she was a phenomenal help in our extra-curricular dance competition and raised herself to a leadership position quickly, being her humble and quiet self, and her angry and frustrated self when other students weren't paying attention to what us teachers were trying to say...How this year she has grown astronomically in her confidence levels and is beginning to believe in herself finally.

I know I didn't answer the question properly around how I extend students - I'd thought the question was more around the expectations of the parents.. I should have clarified the question to ensure I was being clear from the get go. I winged that question and that was the question which I could have easily connected with. I talked about how the students need to push themselves to their full potential. At no point did I mention I help scaffold them to get there where they can fly solo. I could have talked about our awesome sticker charts that we have in class that I've developed as an inquiry over the past two years and how these show the progression of student achievement and overall development. How these sticker charts, while back to basics, are a visual reminder of how we're going as a class. How these charts are a constant reminder of the students I need to pull up with the rest of us and the students who need constant pushing forward to reach their crazy awesome potential.

I could have talked more about the fact that despite my strengths being with encouraging my students who are struggling, I am also getting VERY good at more in-depth higher order thinking questioning skills with my students to make them think DEEPER and with a stronger focus around building the audience and overall purpose into EVERYTHING they discuss and share. I could have talked about how we've developed entire programmes together as a class based on student interests and how these overwhelmingly have enhanced my teaching as I've developed stronger and more in depth foci around my own teaching style and the needs of my students. How I've become so much more aware of my reverting back into traditional modes of teaching because of the restrictions placed on us and how asserting my knowledge around building 21st century skills in regards to collaboration, participation and overall thinking skills have helped to develop more enhanced learning opportunities for all students.

I also could have explained my use of assessment data to talk about my inquiries and how these relate back to so many different areas where I have strengths... how I created a Google Form for my Year 12 Alternative English class to evaluate my teaching and their learning processes. How the questions were framed in a way to ensure full student evaluation of their learning within my class and how I've used culturally responsive pedagogies in order to ensure better outcomes for all students. How this use of qualitative data outlined certain areas and issues in my practice that I had known but had ignored - particularly how I believe my Y13 students in that class will be fine, how I try to let them figure things out before helping them too quickly. How this actually doesn't make them feel safe or comfortable in the learning just yet. How I try to scaffold them to make them feel more comfortable and ready to fly solo. Using this data and the achievement of certain internal assessments to graph the results and then analyse the data in our professional learning groups showed that I can discuss the intricacies of relational pedagogy and more importantly the critical lens of AKO and Mana Motuhake. Why oh WHY did I not bring these up? Why didn't I elaborate further around this?

The last question I messed up was around integrated learning programmes and particularly how I've been part of enabling these. I talked about the Year 9 Heights programme of induction around English, Social Studies and Science. While this was cool, I could have talked about how I'm currently collaborating with the health and physical education department and particular colleagues to enable our students to succeed in both English and Health to ensure our students are making the most of their learning opportunities and how my fabulous colleague Sam and I have been discussing the need to share our resources (which we have at differing times - start of this year and a couple weeks ago) to help define the skills in which our students are using in our individual classes to try to connect their learning on a level platform - not so much single cell subjects... I could have talked about how I've been discussing the same kind of thing with my colleagues in the Music department about their performance standard and how we could use it for our Visual Verbal standard. More than just doubling up on the credits... or double dipping as others put it... how we want to change the way we're teaching and learning to ensure that our students get the best deal. That they learn that many of the skills we're all teaching in the different learning areas are actually connected - how they're interdisciplinary skills.

All of this annoys me.. because I know this stuff. I know it so well. I talk to anyone who will listen about this stuff. Because I believe in it so much. I absolutely detest deficit theorizing. I refuse to ever believe that a student doesn't want to learn. They just haven't been given the right opportunity yet. Sometimes sure a student lacks the motivation... but again this comes down to encouragement of their efforts rather than their ability. Growth MINDSET! Why didn't I bring this up - the Class Dojo geek that I am. Gah.

I think overall, like she said, it comes down to interviewing skills. I wasn't ready for the interview - usually I do so so much prep before I even apply to a new school. I embed myself so completely within their website, and any and all research I can find, that I know the mission and school charter better than many of the current staff at the school I'm applying at. True story. It had been a while since my last interview. I was nervous. God was I nervous. But I don't think I was hungry enough for it. I am now. Because that opportunity while lost... isn't the last one. There will be more opportunities. It's an expanding school. Next time I will be ready. I will articulate myself clearly. I will be clearly spoken. I will have a range of experience to gather from and nekeneke properly by connecting everything to my overall whakaaro. I will be absolutely sure it's what I want. I will dive headfirst. Because that's what I'm like... all or nothing.

For now though... my students are happy. My Principal is happy. My colleagues are happy too. It didn't quite feel like the right timing this time. It kind of felt like a false start in a race where I tried to outstrip the bullet in the gun before it was even shot out of the barrel. I wasn't quite ready. Eager, always. But ready? Not quite yet.

Ngā mihi nui to all those who helped me with my application. I'm sorry I let you down. I will do better next time. To those who supported me post-interview and post-interview result too - it's not an easy thing putting yourself out there and I'm glad I did it if only for the interview experience. Massive thanks to the leadership team at RSHS for the opportunity and for the chance to share who I am with you. I look forward to seeing where you all go in your planning for the rest of the year and can't wait to hear about the awesome things that will be happening there. Lastly, massive thanks to the RSHS principal who took time out of her day to talk me through the feedback from the interview. Not all Principals would do this and it meant a lot. Ngā mihi nunui ki a koe e whaea.

Collaboration in English - Thematic Y11 Programme

A couple of days ago a colleague from the English department asked if I could give her some ideas for the Y11 film study. We talked about what I do and how it all connects to be able to teach 1.8 properly - by using a thematic study of texts. I teach around the themes of corruption and control and Y11 and it continues to be super effective. (Still need to nail the Y12 programme.... heoi ano..) 

In Y11 we start with creative writing and two short texts: 'Harrison Bergeron' by Kurt Vonnegut and 'Examination Day' by Henry Slesar. This year we looked at the films for these too - very short films - which seemed to capture their understanding in even more depth. By term two, we're doing the novel study - this year they had a few options: 'The Giver' by Lois Lowry, 'The Knife of Never Letting Go' by Patrick Ness and 'Divergent' by Veronica Roth. Last year I had given them 'The Hunger Games' and 'Noughts and Crosses' too - but having so many options was crazy chaotic - although useful in some ways... This year it has been way more manageable and students have been able to identify with different texts more effectively. Having their formal writing assessment (where they wrote an essay about their novel) due right before their first exam was useful as well as it helped them achieve so much more effectively than ever before. Majority of Merits, smaller number of Achieved's and only a handful of Not Achieved's and one Excellence. In preparation for term three, where they do the 1.8 Connections assessment, we will be beginning to study 'V for Vendetta' directed by James McTeigue. In the 1.8 assessment, they have to write a report analysing four texts - three studied in class and one they've chosen on their own. All four texts need to be connected in some way - usually a main theme that is overarching. 

After explaining the 1.8 assessment a little bit with my colleague, we discussed possible options for films going from the themes in the short story 'Ka Kite Bro' by Willie Davis that they had previously studied this year. The themes of racism, culture, acceptance and self-identity run through it. I grabbed a few options from the dvd cupboard in class, and gave her Boy, The Blindside and The Boy in Striped Pyjamas. We then started talking about the themes in other forms of possible media, like poetry and articles she'd done in class. I told her about the unit I used to do with the bi-lingual kids at Massey High and how we incorporated spoken word poetry and traditional poetry as well as short stories to create a thematic unit around overcoming racism and breaking stereotypes. I gave her a few post its with the stories I'd used and emailed a few of the ones I could find on Google Drive while she was still there. We talked a bit more and decided on Whale Rider for her film study, which I had a copy of at home.

Yesterday I created a shared folder with ALL of the texts that could possibly help and also created a Google Slide deck with spoken word poetry, traditional poetry and also the blogpost where I talked more about it a couple years ago. This slide deck will be incredibly useful when I need to use it again - possibly with the Y10 English class in a couple weeks time. 

This morning she told me how effective one of the poems was - a spoken word poem by Joshua Iosefo called 'Brown Brother'. I only heard about it myself because one of the bi-lingual students had brought it up in class one day - and from then on I've been hooked. The poem discusses institutionalised racism and the inherent stereotypes faced by people of colour. Particularly from his perspective as a Samoan teenager looking towards his future prospects. 

This kind of teaching is what I love the most - working with people to solve problems, identify shared issues and try to overcome them through resiliency and problem solving.

And... now on to more marking :D

MindLab Assessments: DCL 1

A bit of a catch up needed...

I'm all about visible learning - however have been slack in putting these finished documents and videos up. I think I'm better at essays than videos. I say um too much but I do want to get better at doing the, as it's something I need to work on - speaking clearly and getting my point across. Perhaps all that is needed is a script that I've worked on that I read out. When I read poems or Shakespeare I'm awesome and I don't stumble... so... we'll see how that goes. My next assessment NEEDS to be a video as it will make it extremely easier to implement and show an educational contextual topic as a result...

For the Digital and Collaborative Learning Assessment I had to create a video discussing an area that I wanted to focus on and implement a change initiative.

To create this video I used Screencastify and an embedded video that I created through Wideo.co which you can check out individually here: 

The slides can be found here:

MindLab - Assessment 1 - Researching

Today I found quite a few really cool articles and videos. I've used Google Scholar and the library at Unitec to find bits and pieces. Am relying on my inquiry process in finding relevant information to be able to create the most effective info needed.

A suggestion by Jill on my latest blog post where I wrote about my thoughts for this assessment directed me to the most stunningly fabulous man Simon Sinek.

Transcript for the video here. 

I'm now in awe of the Golden Circle. I love that this is so specific towards the PURPOSE. WHY it is important and how it helps us to move forward to using the what. LOVE IT.















Simon Sinek: "People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. If you talk about what you believe, you will attract those who believe what you believe.

10:58But why is it important to attract those who believe what you believe? Something called the law of diffusion of innovation, if you don't know the law, you know the terminology. The first 2.5% of our population are our innovators. The next 13.5% of our population are our early adopters. The next 34% are your early majority, your late majority and your laggards. The only reason these people buy touch-tone phones is because you can't buy rotary phones anymore."

The chasm is incredibly useful too. It was discussed briefly at MindLab this week but think that there is a lot we could have discussed more on. The drawing he did of this with the term innovator at the start, leading the early adopters, the early majority, followed by the late majority and finally the  laggards is what reminded me.

"Pragmatists in pain are the people that move first." - Geoffrey Moore, 

Strata 2014: Geoffrey Moore, "Crossing the Chasm: What's New, What's Not" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwh8ThUqeC8

fds

Googley Googley Stuff - PLD Session at Mokoia Intermediate

Had the most fabulous session last night at Mokoia Intermediate. Massive thanks to Annemarie Hyde (@mrs_hyde) for hosting it and sharing about it to me - so that I could share it with our staff at Heights. Equally massive thanks to the SIX kaiako that came from Heights as well. Felt honestly so so supported and I really hope each one of them got something out of it.

Was totally inspired by both Greg Reynolds and Saunil Hagler from Cyclone. Greg gave us a huge run down without missing anyone out in his scope. That is a true skill and I want to learn how he did that. He catered for everyone's understanding - truly differentiated discussion points. Saunil had some really cool new tidbits to share - I love geeky things - particularly the different add-ons and extensions. I loved that he pushed Blogger as a portfolio tool, Classroom as the learning space and Sites as a collaborative tool that could also be used for PL Communities.

My notes are below: (will be embedded if you're seeing this before it's been embedded...lol)

Key takeaways:

Overwhelmingly stoked that so many of our Heights whanau came. Two of our teacher aides were buzzing afterwards. My awesome colleague I wrote about the other day talked about just how critical Twitter is - so so cool seeing this massive transformation in her and so much more confidence. :) A few other colleagues who are part of our eLearning team too. Was just so cool to have them there sharing this learning with me. Usually it's just me at those things and I try to soak all the learning up by myself and hopefully find the right time and place to then regurgitate the info and share it when necessary. To have others there was equally cool because maybe now we'll have some more people on the uptake with it and keep moving forward.

Thanks to the Linewize guy - sorry didn't catch your name - who shared with us his programme and how truly cleverly designed it is. Putting the focus on digital citizenship, ensuring teachers still have an element of control with safety settings online and making sure that students are safe. Really enjoyed talking to your mum too! :)

There are literally endless possibilities. We just need to figure out what works best for us. What works best for our students. What works best for our learning and our purpose.

The GAFE suite as a creativity suite rather than productivity suite.

I'm rethinking my position and thoughts around Chromebooks. I always fall for salespitches. I need to think it through a bit more because there are definite pluses to Chromebooks. There's also the possibility of upgrading old comps to Chromium OS which I'd never heard of before. I think we just need to think about the purpose of the task and how tech will enhance the learning. Or redefine it perhaps...

The Chasm. The Laggards. Need to find and read that book.

The fact that info about Connected Rotorua is still needing to be spread more widely to ensure everyone knows and comes along to these kinds of things. Because it empowers them to develop and keep learning and pushes them forward in a safe and empowering way because we've all started somewhere.

That maybe I'm an innovater and not just an early adopter. I'm constantly chomping at the bit and even though I'm trying to be patient - I'm constantly frustrated but my mind is racing with possibilities and ideas and thinking forward - 3, 5, 10, 25 years down the track. Because I'm a goal setter from way back. And I have to be positive and aspirational so that I can look forward and know that one day - we will be where I'd like us to be.

Also - massive thanks to Cyclone for the 2.0 Google Cardboard. Can't wait to start playing with it tomorrow :)

Ngā mihi koutou :)

Have decided my words for next year. Inspiration and Aspiration.

NPeW: ELearning Meeting 2.0

Today was really cool. I always enjoy seeing our staff collaborate and share and do so in an openly supportive environment.

The point of this meeting today was to gather some ideas as to how the school was coping/doing/succeeding in certain areas: technology, engagement, learning and measurement.

I really wanted to be in on all of the sessions... maybe not so much the measurement one....  but alas I still haven't figured out how to clone myself to be in many different places at once. So I put down that I'd go to the Learning session when we had our last meeting.

I was actually quite surprised mainly because there is such a range of where people feel we're at but also lots of honesty and positive feedback. I wish though that we would have been able to be a bit more constructive to improve the situation rather than side step major mines as we continued the discussion with Sue. I was super happy with how Sue facilitated the session. Always admire how she portrays herself in her role, her quiet but also methodical way of encouraging and supporting us to probe deeper and further than our previous surface answers. I loved that she notices the body language too and can identify areas where people are feeling left out and develops key focal points on them as she goes around the group to involve them in the discussion and think more clearly about the issue at hand.

Key facilitator tips right there!!

Both Sue and Donella give me the encouragement needed to move forward, to keep pushing and more importantly to believe in myself. Am glad that I've found these two mana wahine that inspire me ao often.

Anyway!

Throughout each session there were key points I noted down:

- need more engagement with whanau and the community in moving towards BYOD and to keep our community involved, engaged and interested just as much if not more than our staff at the moment.
- need to identify where key areas in school are that are desperately needing access points. Maybe doing a heatmap might help? Particularly with our big Nelson blocks...
- need to ensure our staff have adaptive confidence. Love this phrase!!
- need to build digital competencies in both staff and students
- need to upskill staff and offer upskilling sessions to students too
- need to identify our baselines and get our student interviews begun to see how we move forward and our own process
- need to remind ourselves that we're all at different stages and we all need to collaborate and awhi each other.

Many more ideas to come but that are mine for now until we continue the discussion tomorrow :)

Huge thankyou to the Auckland researchers that came down  -including Helen Timperley!!  :) So cool!!

Always a huge thankyou to NPeW for supporting us in moving forward.

MindLab - Exciting!!

So excited about beginning MindLab :) Not only is it a chance to push myself and my thinking - I'll be collaborating with some amazing teachers throughout Rotorua and throughout the country. I joined up to the Google Plus community last night for our November intake and it's so cool to see so many of the Twitter colleagues on our MindLab journey too.

I hope that once we're on the way forward I'll be learning some really cool new tools to share with my students and our staff at school. I hope that our four delegates from WHHS will share with each other and share with our departments too. I wish more Heights staff had signed up but maybe next cohort.

I'm really looking forward to challenging my thinking and pushing my thoughts outside of the box. Building on the learning I'll be doing, my teaching will hopefully change for the better. My students will benefit with what I'm learning too so will develop their skills and their own thinking too.

I'm most looking forward to building on my knowledge of augmented reality.

Any new tool they teach me I'm just going to be stoked. I've made a pinky promise with Nicky to do the Masters programme too. Always with the promises. :)

Inspiration and Refinding Passion

I say I'm a learning sponge. I soak up bits and pieces that interest me. Let other bits seep out and away... I enjoy learning and sharing. Develo0ing ideas together with others and challenging myself to understand other people's points of view.

Living with the dog and the cat, phone calls home mostly to talk about the weather differences and any raruraru going on - kind of leaves me bored.

I search and search for inspiration. Hold it tight to me when I find it and then when it goes away... I'm forced to find the next thing. Because it's not enough anymore. I'm not inspired by what I do. I used to be. I can be. But at the moment... it's routine.

Checking in on assessments, marking assessments and inputting assessment data for students to gather credits. The juniors I can still be innovative with but even they have lost motivation.

After the holiday break where I spent a considerable amount of time learning... I came home absolutely buzzing. Because I'd had such an awesome experience. Because I'd met so many fabulous people. Because I'd learnt and remembered that I can elicit change and inspire others.

I'm frustrated and apathetic.

I try to do bits and pieces where I can.

I feel like I'm lacking in inner inspiration and jeez - it's only Thursday night - week 1 - Term 4. And yes - sure it's Term 4 but - I don't know. I just need something more. Craving that something that I'm not currently getting and wondering how I can hold onto that feeling that I can actually inspire and be inspired.

Perhaps I'm just tired.

Even if being tired is just the problem - I think there remains the underlying issue that my inspiration battery isn't recharging automatically anymore. It's draining quicker than before and I hope that my next big learning with the MindLab will kickstart that inspiration truly and totally. Because we need it. I need it.

Things are still moving too slowly. I'm still too impatient. There are just so many cool experiences and opportunities out there. For my students and for me. And I need to figure out how to capitalise on all of them to ensure the best output and learning for everyone.

Think this has been weighing on me for a while now. Just had a massive breath let out and feel a lot less heavy on the shoulders and in the mind.

How to recharge and keep my battery charged?

I wonder whether Aristotle or Grant Lichtman have any whakatauki for me...

Inquiries for 2015

I was thinking about what my inquiry would be this year to put into Interlead.

Then I realised there was more than just one. And.... that I wanted to achieve them all.

So I wrote them all out on Google Docs, shared it in the Heights PLD folder I created and am now posting it up here too...

Alex Le Long - Inquiries for 2015

• Develop stronger understanding and use of literature circles
• Read articles, blogs and ask questions from those who do it effectively
• Develop stronger awareness and use of Google Drive with students
• Teach workshops and take PLD sessions to further develop my own knowledge
• Find courses that will help to develop these skills
• Ask for help from Google Educators and Trainers
• Invite others from our community to teach our staff
• Create breakout sessions to develop ability to individualise own learning
• Implement a strong reading programme for students
• Adapt the reading programmes used last year and allocate point system from Reading Fitness programme (Text Rating) and ensure students are bringing logs in to be checked
• Implement a strong PB4L focus in all classes
• Use ClassDojo app and in browser to continue pushing the PB4L in class and enable students to do their best work possible
• Print out ClassDojo parent slips
• Continue developing Growth Mindset programme for classes
• Go to Carol Dweck’s conference!!!!! (SAVE SAVE SAVE!!)
• Blog
• Share students successes last year. Invite past students in to talk with current classes
• Develop a strong social studies programme
• Learn how to break things down! Don’t need to teach EVERY aspect.
• Remember how to write a social sciences essay!
• Get the SocSci brain back
• Develop the ability to say NO to things that are outside of these inquiry choices
• Don’t say yes to everything.
• Be aware of opportunities that come your way and be open to them and also assess risk (to myself, to students, to school) in terms of overcommitment
• Build a stronger PLD focus for myself that is personalised around my inquiry choices
• Maintain #educamp, #ConnectedRotorua, conferences, edchats and other PLD sessions to build network and maintain connections.
• Upskill and share own knowledge with edu peers
• Be ambitious - but remember the power of the shoulder tap!!!
• Be consistent.
• Do what works and try new things too.
• Enable students to succeed and enable myself to feel successful also.
• BLOG
• My successes and also my failures. Learn from both.
• Read and comment on other peoples’ blogs
• Update and use Google Site for students
• Create a permalink for the Site for students and families to access
• Develop classroom environment so that it is a welcoming and inviting place, and also to enable students to learn effectively
• Keep class and resources tidy
• Organise class configuration according to lesson aims
• Attempt to fix and solve any classroom issues myself and ask Wini and the caretakers to help
• Ask for help for more important issues - curtains and projector (and bracket)
• Improve #EngChatNZ
• Build a team of helpers and supporters
• Promote the chat
• Build on last year’s efforts and successes!

ULearn14 Breakouts - Booked!!

This post is dedicated to all of the incredibly amazing people who helped me get to this point where I can blog about the breakouts for ULearn14 that I have finally booked. You guys are amazing.

It's still a full week out from the craziness that I'm sure will ensue with the Twitter Dinner, Connected Educator Month and ULearn itself - however I figured it was timely to post up the breakouts that I've picked.

Reasonings for choosing these breakouts are at the very end :)

- Copied from the Core Education site :)

Alex Le Long's Breakouts

Registered for the following breakouts

Breakout One :: Raising Writing Performance in the 21st century classroom: tools, tips, and opportunities
Type: Presentation
Time: 08 Oct 2014 - 11:15 to 12:30
Delegates: 68 / 100
Lead Presenter: Dr Ian Hunter /Write that Essay
Venue: not yet assigned
As the demands of literacy spread across curriculum areas it is important that all teachers improve their ability to guide students in academic writing.

In this interactive presentation, best-selling author and educator Dr Ian Hunter will discuss the key barriers to student writing success and offer tools and techniques to overcome them.  He will demonstrate how digital writing tools can help students become better writers, and offer practical teaching strategies to assist reluctant writers; creative techniques for planning and idea generation; show how to fix overwriting and underwriting; how to demonstrate analysis and use evidence effectively, and strategies to raise school-wide writing performance in external examinations.

Breakout Two :: The BYOD Journey
Type: Workshop
Time: 08 Oct 2014 - 13:45 to 15:00
Delegates: 27 / 40
Lead Presenter: Kate Olliff /Wairakei School
Venue: not yet assigned
BYOD is among the favoured education topics of the year. Wairakei School has successfully embarked on an exciting BYOD 1to1 iPad journey through 2014.  Hear how the iPad programme was initiated, the trials and tribulations throughout the Journey and the integration with the flipped learning approach. 

See how the classroom teacher manages the devices and programme on a daily basis. Hapara Dashboard, Google Apps for Education and more… Discuss how parts of the programme could be incorporated into your own class or school, what are the learning benefits?

Work with other delegates on a plan fit for your needs.  How have the children and parents embraced the move into digital learning? How has it changed teacher planning and assessment? Delegates will require an internet capable device (laptop or tablet, windows or mac) for this workshop.

Breakout Three :: Turning the vision into reality
Type: Presentation
Time: 09 Oct 2014 - 11:15 to 12:30
Delegates: 4 / 18
Lead Presenter: Philippa Nicoll /Samuel Marsden Collegiate School
Extra Presenters:
Jacqui Brown /Samuel Marsden Collegiate School
Venue: not yet assigned
That it is necessary to shift our pedagogy in order to better meet the needs of our students as they move into a world of hyperchange, and that we can integrate technology into our teaching as one method of doing this, is not in question.

Increasingly, and rightly, the acknowledgement of the ‘why’ of technology is expressed in school’s vision documents. What sometimes seems to be missing from the discussion is the ‘how’.
How can a school, rooted in tradition, inspire change and take measurable, concrete steps to upskill staff in both pedagogy and technology tools?

This presentation shares one school’s experiences as they embark on precisely this journey; turning the vision into reality.

Breakout Four A :: Before collaboration teachers need to make connections
Type: Taster
Time: 09 Oct 2014 - 13:45 to 14:15
Delegates: 38 / 80
Lead Presenter: Sonya Van Schaijik /Newmarket School
Extra Presenters:
Wendy Kofoed /Newmarket School
Venue: not yet assigned
Hattie states that it is teachers who account for about 30% of the variance in student achievement. An aspect of this variance is likely to include what teachers know, do, and care about, as these are powerful aspects of the learning equation.

Before teachers and their classes can collaborate and share their learning, teachers need to connect with the students that they teach, connect with their student’s families and connect with each other. The following questions will be addressed in the session:

How do teachers make connections with their students and families? How do teachers share learning? How do teachers work collaboratively? How do teachers know that they are making a difference to learning?

At Newmarket School teachers make connections, share learning, collaborate in a variety of ways. In class and across the school teachers use Google Docs and Sites to collaborate with each other. Some teachers are involved with the Mutukaroa project to build learning partnerships with families. Some teachers use KidBlog to share their children’s learning. Some teachers share their learning at conferences or via a reflective blog. Some teachers use twitter as a professional learning tool to build their professional learning network. Some teachers use the Virtual Learning Network to collaborate across schools and POND to curate resources. Some teachers have knowledge and skills to create digital products with their students using a variety of multimodal tools. Some teachers support children in their leadership inquiries while other teachers mentor and coach other teachers in the school and in other schools. Some teachers work closely with the local community on a variety of school projects.

However,  at Newmarket school all teachers undertake inquiry into their own practice. Inquiry is a powerful strategy that has been shown to have an effect in accelerating achievement or in supporting students learning progress.  Teachers identify problems of practice, develop action plans for researching the problem and work with a coach or colleagues to trial strategies that makes a difference to their students learning.

These learning practices are changing the way Newmarket School operates. Learning has been re-configured as teachers share their changing practices in visible ways. Because of the transparency involved in the inquiry into teaching, much is learnt from each other, with each other, and with the children that they teach.

Breakout Four B :: Enhance learning - Chrome apps and extensions
Type: Taster
Time: 09 Oct 2014 - 14:30 to 15:00
Delegates: 43 / 50
Lead Presenter: Angela Lee /Rowandale School
Venue: not yet assigned
Have a go at making your internet browser work for you.  In this workshop delegates will discover the wonderful world of Chrome extensions.  A quick whistle stop tour of some great extensions that will do things you never thought possible with your browser.

Some of the extension we will look at are:
Pinterest, Drive, Diigo, Chromecast, Sreencastify, Evernote, Hootsuite, Adblock, Google dictionary, Google Plus, Snagit.

Some of the Chrome apps we will look at are: Pixlr, Wevideo, movnote, Powtoon.

Delegates will receive access to notes that include links and how to information for each extension. Where possible these notes will also include classroom applications for the extension. Delegates will be invited to add to these notes to create a shared presentation resource for all to use.

Breakout Five :: Engagement: The key to learning success
Type: Presentation
Time: 10 Oct 2014 - 09:00 to 10:15
Delegates: 111 / 120
Lead Presenter: Mike Scaddon /Brain Stems Ltd
Venue: not yet assigned
Teachers spend a large amount of time planning and then actively trying to motivate students to learn. However, direct motivation is not our job. It actually increases the gap between the student and their learning. Rather, our job is to create an engaging state where student want to motivate themselves.

This requires teachers helping students to understand their strengths and gaps and providing opportunities for this to happen.

This practical and absorbing workshop looks at the role of the emotional brain, how we can use this to advantage in the classroom, why risk is crucial to learning, the significance of interruptions and more. Not to be missed.

Breakout Six :: Coaching conversations for educational leaders
Type: Presentation
Time: 10 Oct 2014 - 11:15 to 12:30
Delegates: 50 / 50
Lead Presenter: Mary-Anne Murphy /CORE Education
Venue: not yet assigned
Are you in a position of leadership within your school and want to refine your ability to coach people towards realising their full potential? Are you dealing with resistance and want a way of working forward in co-operative relationships? Are you wanting to take your skills to a deeper level? YES? Well this session is for you!

Reasoning behind choosing each Breakout:

1. A look into how literacy is within every subject and how digital tools can effectively improve student outcomes with literacy and their overall success as a result. Am interested in seeing some different apps that can be used effectively with my students to improve their literacy - particularly with my lower and higher ability students.

2. A BYOD journey towards 1:1. Looking forward to hearing the struggles and many successes for advice in helping our Rotorua schools move forward towards 1:1 in the coming years. Particularly interested in seeing how Hapara is being used at their kura.

3. Incredibly looking forward to Philippa's breakout on integrating technology into a traditional school - particularly how to go about phrasing school vision documents to ensure that the why and the how is covered.

4 a. Building on collaboration and networking skills. Interested in seeing how Newmarket school effectively implements the inquiry process because I want to get better at defining my own inquiries and developing them as I go. Great chance to see Sonya and Wendy in action presenting like this! :) Looking forward to meeting with other like minded teachers who also want to connect and share their ideas.

4 b. A good chance to brush up on my Chrome skills - in an interactive workshop having a tutu. Who wouldn't want to do this one? Am looking forward to seeing how different apps are implemented into classroom teaching and how effective they can be given the right purpose.

5. I really enjoy learning about the brain and how it works - this breakout looked incredibly interesting and was the first one I chose. Hopefully I'll learn some new strategies to motivate my students - including my Y13 students.

6. Chose this because I want to learn how to have effective conversations and learn how to teach and help my colleagues more effectively - particularly in integrating technology into their classrooms.

I am very much looking forward to ULEARN14 and am so incredibly thankful to you all. Nga mihi nunui ki a koutou katoa. He arohanui ki a koutou katoa. So looking forward to seeing you all again in person. You'll be getting a massive hug that's for sure. :)