Y12 - Party in the Car Assessment

Last night we received some pretty horrendous news. One of our ex-students passed away. We don't have full details yet but the ones that we do have so far made it difficult to teach today's lesson around driving and changing our behaviour in and around cars.

Last week was messy - we had students away on PE camp up in the Kauaeranga Valley - two trips meaning some were here when we looked at videos, some were here when we looked at techniques, some were here when we played the Film Technique game on Quizlet Live. Despite students coming and going, I felt truly positive about the direction we were all going in.

Until this morning. When I had the full class back. Today was messy. But... it worked. Somehow.

I started them all off with the Introduction I'd written on Google Classroom last night, got those who weren't here to play a couple games to learn Film Techniques on Quizlet Live, and the remainder who were here to continue with developing their brainstorms, filling in their introductions and thinking about the techniques and how they were used to 'effectively change the behaviour of (target audience) in and around cars'.

Homework today was simply to finish their brainstorms so that we could get started writing paragraphs on Wednesday. Hopefully they will do so and not write anything further so that we can use their reports for their writing portfolio assessment too.

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My Y12 EngA (Yellow) class started this assessment last term but only just finishing up their reports now. They've also had the gamification aspect of Quizlet. They actually chose for the Pink class which one worked better for them out of Quizlet and Kahoot.

It's interesting that juniors seem to love Kahoot and seniors like Quizlet better.

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Today I felt like I was doing blended learning right. Students were accessing their devices for the benefit of their learning and gaining knowledge on a just in time basis whereas previous to this the devices were used in a more structured way where I told them where to go and what to do. Seeing the students accessing the information needed, when they needed it was VERY VERY cool.

What did I actually do to make this work??

* I set up Quizlet a LOT faster than previously by telling students to get onto quizlet.live while I was opening Quizlet myself - students were waiting and asking for the passcode before I had it up on the projector.
* I had the introduction example on Classroom up on the projector in another tab.
* The game went faster than previous times as there were a smaller number of participants. They were able to play a couple of games and then got into what everyone else was doing
* I had the NZTA playlist from my channel as a link on Google Classroom which students were accessing as needed or using YouTube from their phones/devices
* I'd added the digital version of the film techniques on Classroom as well in a Resources post- which students were accessing as needed too
* Constant monitoring, helping, guiding, supporting and suggesting possible techniques for their chosen ads
* Printed copies of the report scaffold available for students

What might have helped to make this lesson smoother?

* Students checking Google Classroom prior to coming to class
* More teaching around using Google Classroom as a tool to find information
* Printed copies of all resources available for students
* Re-work the screenshots resource I made for the Yellow class?
* Re-work the Party in the Car resource booklet with clearer steps?

Overall thoughts -

This is one of my most favourite assessments in the Y12 programme and easily the best section of learning we do in the year. Because we discuss prior knowledge, learn together and from each other, collaborate and learn from shared experiences and discuss how target audiences are manipulated by Public Service Announcements like driving ads by the NZTA to change behaviours.

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Moe mai ra e tama. Fly high. Rest easy e tama. We all miss you. Watch over the rest of us.

Mindlab Assessment: LDC1 (Class Dojo and PB4L)

For this assessment I had to critique a change initiative that I had been involved in. I went well over the word limit and still don't think I said everything I needed to. I should have discussed and critiqued the leadership theories in more depth and the leadership of the change initiative itself.

Importance of Tautoko and Awhi in eLearning

Over the last couple of years while my focus has been on upskilling myself and others in the area of eLearning, I've noticed just how important it is to stay true to the kaupapa of tautoko and awhi.

While mentoring and helping those begin or renew their journeys in eLearning, it is important to focus not only on the skills that need developing but the relationships you build while doing this.

One important relationship I've been cultivating is one of trust and support. I try my hardest to listen, to focus on the issue at hand and also to support the  colleagues and students who have sat down with me to talk about their own learning and the issues they've had.

By doing this, slowly slowly, I've been building trust. More and more people have asked me different things and are beginning to come and ask me for help or just an ear to discuss the process they went through to get some advice.

I've been overwhelmingly impressed and completely stoked by the way that one of these colleagues has emerged as a change agent herself. She's become quite supportive of others in our Google Plus MindLab community and has helped others on their own eLearning journeys. She has reembarked on her blogging and reflective journey as well. I've seen her confidence grow in this eLearning area throughout the year and am just incredibly proud of the shift she's made in so short a time period.

The importance of awhi is as important as tautoko. Because if you haven't fully surrounded and supported that person by giving wrap around support then sometimes they may feel uncomfortable in their new learning - though some may feel claustrophobic. So it's important to know the person through your relationship and develop a stronger sense of understanding as to what kind of support they may need, what help they may ask for.

Because at some point, that caterpillar hunger you've been feeding will eventually embrace them all on their own and they'll emerge as a beautiful confident butterfly, capable of extending their own wings to fly to the highest point possible. They'll visit other butterflies, other flowers on their search for knowledge and eventually come across their own wee caterpillars to feed and support too.

Who knows, maybe you've been feeding caterpillars without even knowing it? :)

Awhi and tautoko your colleagues because becoming a change agent is powerful. Because it helps to show just where you were and where you hope to go. Making that change is as important as breathing. Because without a beginning there is no future. And I think... that's enough metaphors for today. :)