Day 5 Collaborative Sites

 Day 5 Collaborative Sites

Our WWW discussion was a valuable start to the day, leaving me with a question to reflect on with my learners in mind - Do I offer enough time to process? 

Visible

Today's focus was the Visibility of the learning and teaching journey. This is integral to the Manaiakalani structure.

Visible - Can we see it? 

'It' being teaching and learning, Is 'it' visible to:

Learners

Whanau

The teacher

Colleagues

So what needs to be visible to all parties? Planning (TEACHER FUNCTIONS), process (HOW WE LEARN), outcomes (WALTS), assessment (FORMATIVE,SUMMATIVE).

For too long success in learning was only accessible to learners that were able to ‘read the teachers mind’ - making the learning fully visible allows this success for all learners.

Visible = no surprises!

The digital space allows for learning to be:

Accessible - no barriers - no need for photocopies!

Available - learning is present/there/ready to go/real time!

Advance - before it is needed - collated and accessible at the learners pace.

While the learning site provides visibility for learners and Hapara provides visibility for teachers,

Blogger provides visibility for many!

From the learners' perspective the MKA platforms allow and encourage valuable, authentic feedback in real-time.

I have already mentioned that I must look at the Class on Air website! I must make time to view a truly visible learning and teaching experience.

The digital space has an array of Multi modal tools to engage, but can also erect barriers - ie passwords, complex content, ill-designed contexts.

Multi modal site design:

Priority goals

Engagement

Personalised learning

Accelerated achievement

Empowerment

I liked the analogy that your class site home page is your ‘shop window’ - does it engage? Is it exciting? While I like our page this has reminded me to ask for my learners voice - does it work for them? Do they find it engaging?

Considerations I need to consider:

Learners variability - How well do I know my learners, what do they need?

UDL principles, are these truly embedded in my practice? 

Representation - How is learning content presented?

Action or Expression - How well do I offer agency in the SHARE component?         

T Shaped Literacy

Learning through complex texts

Different perspectives and points of view

Discern levels of credibility and reliability

Multi texts through multiple modes (different ‘types’ of texts ie written, audio, visual, symbolic etc)

Encourages critical thinking 

While I have included T Shaped Literacy learning opportunities in my class programme I am very much a beginner facilitating this learning. I have used the Text database in the past, and also gleaned other resources from some training material a colleague shared.

The discussion and information on the differing texts you offer, (Complementary, scaffolding, learner selected) and their purpose was very useful!

This is an area I would love more PD in, and need to offer more in my classroom. I am attracted to the deeper thinking, and opportunities for learner discussion, it offers, as well at the agency it encourages.

My T shaped Literacy Website (Still under design!)