Welcome to my blog! I'm Karen Belt, a Deputy Principal, working at Lynmore Primary School in Rotorua, New Zealand. In the past I have taught Years 0 - 4 and used 1:1 iPads to engage and motivate learners and improve student achievement. This blog documents my teaching and leadership journey and my learning processes with iPads in the classroom. I am a Google Certified Educator #SYD17 and I'm proud of having been a member of the inaugural Manaiakalani Digital Teaching Academy(MDTA) program and a Spark Manaiakalani Innovative Teacher (MIT) and an inaugural Manaiakalani Google Class OnAir teacher.

Monday, 16 April 2018

GAFE Summit - Day 1 sessions

Session 1: Choose Your Own Adventure Stories - Michael Davidson


I was super impressed to have the learners take this session - very inspiring!


  • Colour code your plan - red is death; blue is a good step and green for beginning and end
  • Use multiple choices to give your reader the choices
  • Add images or videos to make your story more interesting - upload a video to You Tube to add it to your story
  • Include a 'try again' option when you die :)


Session 2: Classroom Management in a Personalized Learning Environment - Patrick Green

At the heart of all personalized learning is the wants, needs, hopes, dreams of the students.  There are three main components:

Competency based progressions - each students progress towards clearly defined goals.
Customised pathways - a path that adapts based on their learner profile, strengths, needs, interests and goals.
Flexible Learning environments - student needs drive the design - dynamic and responding to the needs of the learner.

What questions do you have about classroom management for personalised learning?

Why does Personalised Learning matter?
  • Not every student is ready for the same piece of learning at the same time - meet your students needs when they are ready for it.
  • Know your role - coach; guide; re-direct; question - your knowledge on how people learn
  • Provide scaffolding - activators; extensions; last 5 minutes; learning process
How to get students to take more ownership of their learning
  • By making expectations, processes and procedures extremely clear
  • Visual ad campaign - visuals for what you expect students to do
  • By giving them access to data and access to resources
  • Online space - 27/7 access
  • Digital marking book - process rather than marks - available for the students to see
  • Mini lessons - learners can work through these on their own
  • Empower students with choice - be intentional about when you allow students to choose a product or tool
Other Ideas:
  • Arrange the room to maximise the learning



Session 4:  Google Sites for Visible Teaching and Learning - Fiona Grant



What is the reason and purpose for using technology in your classroom?  Have a purpose in mind - fit your technology to the purpose!  Is your learning designed to be easily shared?

To make learning visible:
  • Rewindable learning supported
  • Accessible anywhere, anytime, at any pace
  • Personalised via multiple opportunities to access content
  • Hub of information about events


Other:  Great ideas and tips from these sessions and the #Edtechteam twitter feed


Ask a question feature on Google Slides - thanks to Patrick for reminding me of this great feature.

5Y Protocol - five times WHY questions ... regardless of the answers .. to dig deeper into your thinking!



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