Auckland Summit - Day 2

The last two sessions for the day.

Extension Magic - Nick Major

An action packed session with lots of great ideas and features.  This post showcases a few of my favourites or ones that I'd like to explore and use.

Download the Educators guide to Wakelet here

Full notes from the session are here.

Auckland Summit - Playgrounds

A new feature of the Auckland Summit is the Playground session.  This is an hour of short presentations on a range of topics.  This blog post is a summary of them.

Literacy with Google - Toni Westcott

Some inspiring ideas and ways to use literacy in the classroom.  I really enjoyed this 12 minutes - some ideas I need to adapt for my learners:

• Language feature example (with photos)
• Narrative shared writing examples - using Google Slides so students can look back and review
• Pick a path books (or quizzes) 

Amazing Race with Google Earth - Rachel Duckworth

A great way to create an activity which is cross-curricular and engaging for students.  Link to session notes:

Lego - Problem Solving - Aorere College Students

A fun interactive session racing other teachers to make bridges or towers - unfortunately my tower fell down before the photo so this photo doesn't really do it justice.

Hemingway App

Copy text into this great app and have your writing analysed and see what improvements could me made to your writing.

Auckland Summit - Ignite Closing session

As the first day draws to a close, we finished with an Ignite session.

What did you create today?   So far today, I have created 3 blog posts full of notes and inspiring ideas to share with others.

Dreams 

Hopes

Beliefs

Wishes

Suan shared all his grand plans following his badly broken arm eight weeks ago.

Some things take time to recover.  Take time to get better.  Be the best version of you.

How are you creating these four things with your students?

Day 1 @ the Auckland Summit

Session 1:  HyperDocs - Lisa Highfill

Notes from this session available here.  HyperDocs are a way to create engaging lessons with a variety of multimedia.  

Our first task was to explore Google Maps and find our 'happy place'.  These instructions show you how to share a map with your class.    There were some wonderful places noted on our map and this is one way to have students explore their environment, ask questions and make wonderings.

I particularly like the website where teachers are freely sharing their HyperDocs with other teachers.

For my age group, I'm excited to explore the work of Nadine Gilkison who teaches at my age level and be inspired.

Things to Explore Later:
Book Bentos

https://www.hyperdocs.co/index.php/

Session 2:  Screencasts: Learning & Reflection Anytime Anywhere - Anthony Speranza

This session uses Screencastify to create a digital recording of computer screen output in video format.  

Before starting your screencast you need to think about:

• background noise or moving things on your desk - this can be picked up by the microphone
• use a web camera to showcase the classroom
• an app that supports whiteboard style teaching
• manage your background noise as much as possible

Screencasting allows for blended learning, which can be a mix of face to face and online learning - it may be online in the classroom so the teacher is also available - it can maximise the face to face time with the students.

Things to consider with Screencasting:

• Have a purpose in mind
• Plan what you are going to say 
• Be mindful of visual distractions - do you want your audience to listen or watch or both?
• Start by keeping it short and to the point - particularly for your students
• Be mindful of confidential tabs or whatever else you have open on your computer screen
• Think about the lighting around you
• Students will respond better if it is something you have created

These are some tips from Screencastify and from EdTechTeam

Notes from this session

Sketch.io - to draw as you are screencasting

AWW board - a web white board

GAFE Summit Day 1 Keynote - Time to Wonder

Once again I'm at Aorere College for this years Google Summit.   This year I'll be presenting two sessions with a colleague, on Explain Everything and Seesaw.  It is great to networking with old friends and catching up with fellow Googlers from #SYD19.  I'm excited for a day filled with ideas and Googliness :)

Today's opening Keynote is entitled Time to Wonder by Lisa Highfill. 

Time to Wonder

Have you ever been embarrassed by your good ideas?  Or too scared to share them with others?  Fear of putting your ideas out there?  Time to do something with them.

"The value of an idea lies in using it" - Thomas Edison

Lessons should attempt to accomplish this kind of learning.  How do you create an environment for good ideas to grow?

How do you inspire curiosity?  

"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious. - Albert Einstein

Use the internet to inspire learners - find movies or images that are powerful and inspire curiosity.  Multimedia text sets are a way for learners to lead their own learning and explore a range of media resources.   This allows the teacher to move away from being the holder of all knowledge. 

A question is the most powerful force in the world.  How can you inspire your students to ask more questions and wonder more about what they are seeing?

We are the architect to learning experiments in the classroom.  How can we build agency and 'get out of the way of the learning.'  How can we build dynamic lessons that build curiosity?  Hyperdocs are a way to giving students ways to learn in the smart package.  Give your students voice and choice to hand in their project. 

'Sketchquoting' - a way to making note of all the things that resonate from a piece of text - a great way to analyse a piece of text and remember the important parts.

The ultimate goal of any classroom is to have engaged, inspired, thinking, creating, empowered, connected learners.

An inspiring keynote to start the day - resources discussed during the session are available here:

bit.ly/nztimetowonder

Digital Ideas and Books to explore

Answer Garden
Teachersgiveteachers.net
Canva
Thinglink
Book:  Make Just One Change - Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions
-  Dan Rothstein & Luz Santana 

Auckland GAFE Summit 2018 Ignite Session

To Auckland GAFE Summit finishes with four Ignite sessions, each 5 minutes each.


Dorothy Burt - Creativity Empowers Learning
A few things have been assigned to the bin - so its now an exciting time! Once again we are exploring equity and students having access to all they need to learn.  How have we lost the ideas that worked 60 years ago?  Create and be creative - it might look different with robots and coding but the messages are still the same.  We can't go from our planning to the child's mind .... for the most part, the rewrites need to address those learners that need slightly longer - by applying and creating.  It can get noisy and messy - but its empowering!  Think and plan outside of our comfort zone.  Engage, then empower using creativity.   Plan for opportunities to be creative - free up time and empower students to create more - hook through active participation!

Anthony Speranza - Hope about what is possible
Change is hard but necessary in our job.  What makes a good learner?  We are experts as teachers and we understand how learning occurs but is it happening?  Is the teacher the one in control in the classroom? How can you change it?  Why do children want to 'check out' of school?  We should be encouraging learning and engage learners in school.  What is the 'seduction' of technology?  Unpacking the why could help us engage and motivate those learners. 

Learners need:

• content
• motivation
• skills

This requires us as teachers to take risks and be vulnerable!  If learners need to take risks then good teachers and leaders should also take risks.  We need to create an environment where they are comfortable to take risks.  Leaders need to grow a culture where teachers feel they can take risks.

When will the extraordinary become ordinary?

Dorothy Apelu - Supporting students to become better writers using blogs
Blogs enable a history of a child's learning for future teachers.  Three focus areas;

• engaging contexts - that matter!
• writing strategies - from other teachers and schools that had success
• blog posts 

Blog posts enable learners to share their learning but the value of face to face is also important - sharing across schools or classes.  Authentic audiences can be other students in the class or old teachers - getting more feedback!  Posts were shared with a local MP, who responded! This also showed that students could see they could have an impact.

Stuart Kelly - In the Classroom I am ......

• aptitude
• attitude
• altitude
• storyteller
• explorer
• collaborator
• advocate
• performer

I am .... teacher ... learner .... you!  WE!

What a great couple of days, connecting, networking, learning and exploring.  Thanks to the #EdTechTeam for the opportunity!

GAFE Day 2 Sessions

Session 8:  My Space: Within and beyond the classroom walls - James Hopkins

Where do you store your positive feedback to review when things are tough?

How are learners currently accessing learning in my classroom?

Consider ..... how do you learn best?  Often hard to put yourself in the role of the learner but here are mine ...

• Hands on activities - doing not listening
• Coffee!
• Good lighting
• Time to think about things
• Colleagues to work with
• Research or opportunities to unpack research
• Not too hot

Collaborative Placement - as a group, find the commonalities of our group by looking to see what is in the middle.  If its a bigger group ... three to four in common would be a commonality.  The things that come from the centre are the main ideas important to most in the classroom.

Online learning spaces are becoming more frequent - many options are available to create these including Google Sites. Google Classroom, Weebly, Slides and Hapara Teacher Dashboard.  Make sure it fits the needs of the learners.  Many online spaces are available to look at and use as a base for creating yours.  

GAFE 2018 Day 2 sessions

Session Five:  Data Visualization and Infographics - Patrick Green

A great way to display data in a way that makes it much easier understand a concept.

Elements of Design:

• Colour
• Font
• Shape

Principals of Design:

• Contrast
• Alignment
• Repetition
• Proximity

Tips and Tricks for Google Draw:

• Zoom into a specific area of your Google Draw by clicking on the Zoom button and drawing a square around where you'd like to zoom
• Put notes/ideas outside the parameters of your Draw so they won't display but are available if you need them - e.g. colour swatches; fonts; images

Session Six:  GEG NZ - Fiona Grant & Justine Driver

It was great to support Fiona and Justine introduce GEG NZ.   If you haven't joined the GEG NZ Google+ group, you can do so here.

GEG NZ support educators in a number of ways:

• Spotlights
• Smackdowns
• Student Learner summits
• Sparkshop
• Socialising
• Study Groups

Session Seven:  Driving change and agendas of innovation forward in your school

Link to resources

Biggest challenges and obstacles towards improved change expressed by leaders at Auckland #edtechteam Summit - change is complex, messy, and variable. pic.twitter.com/ToN6FarpAY

— Anthony Speranza (@anthsperanza) April 17, 2018

Ensure parents understand the time and effort we spend keeping them informed - important they understand they are vital to the process

Upskill yourself first using the Google Certifications

Does what you do give the right picture - are you seen as 'so out there' that people won't want to follow?  Approach the early adopters first and have them share back.   Swing the motivation in your favour.  Start from the early adopters - you will need to give the laggers individual attention, but leave these till last.

Start with ideas such as:

• Techie breakies
• Consider how to use staff meetings, PLTs and professional development
• Build expertise in students to be able to assist both students and teachers

Innovation consistently links back to the SAMR model - in order to build staff capacity ensure you forge new habits and embed and guide thinking through:

• have an 'open door'
• be present at key moments
• guide thinking
• influence decisions - 
• scaffold the process

Ensure you understand the WHY before the unpack the HOW.

This will provide:

• immediate purpose
• which will drive motivation
• which will lead to passion
• which will foster ownership

Think about three priorities rather than a multitude of ideas and visions - do three things well rather than dabble in just a few things.

GAFE Summit - Day 2 Keynote

Our job as teachers is not to validate the 3 or 4 students who always know the answers; it's to inspire the rest of the class who don't know the answer @rushtonh #EdTechTeam

— Suan (@suaneu) April 15, 2018

The second day once again kicks off with a Keynote.

Once Upon Our Time - Lindsay Wesner

What things do we not question in education?

What does being brave look like for you?  From failure, great innovations can appear.   Not everything will fail, many things will work, but sometimes the greatest learning can come from failing.

At the intersection of education, technology and passion, is the sweet spot - the impossible is now possible.

If we stand at the point of conflict and we don't change and innovate we miss out.  Its important we think about the battles we are fighting - what do we struggle with, what do we need to change to make innovation more possible?  Imagine what is possible if we navigate the conflict - what does the climax look like?  Our story cannot be separated from the story of our students. 

Questioning the status quo in education with @ladywesner at #EdTechTeam summit #auckland pic.twitter.com/ntOVwb2BWN

— Patrick Green (@pgreensoup) April 16, 2018

What if we engage our students in saving real problems?  What if we engage them in experiences that are engaging and challenging?  What if we gave our students a context and platform in which to share?  What if we gave them a voice for their stories?

Things happen in your classroom everyday that need to be told.  Teachers shape the narrative of education in this country and in the world.  #shareyourstory #lovelearning #whyiteach

With change in education we get some great buzz words - personalised learning; makerspace; computational thinking; flip the classroom; coding.

There are always "enemies" to innovation - 

• time - are we doing things our students should/could be doing?  If you invest time, you can get some back.  How are we spending our time?  Don't regret the time spent investing in a moment/innovation.
• curriculum - the need to cover every area of the curriculum.  Did your students "engage" with your teaching?  We must be obsessed with the learning - not the coverage of the curriculum.  Did learning happen?  Why or why not?  Our core business is learning.
• fear - fear of what colleagues/students will say; consequences; reactions - very real fears.  Remember to be brave - even if you're not, pretend to be!

@LadyWesner The curriculum is not the enemy, it is a springboard for innovation #edtechteam #Aklsummit2018

— Megan Clune (@MeganC_007) April 16, 2018

Our Weapons in the fight -

• vision - for the kind of education that we want to see - when we challenge the status quo
• community - people willing to invest in and fight for the education that they believe in
• stories  - powerful and currency that can add value - what can we leave for future generations?  What stories will be transferred?  

In the tapestry of education, we all have a thread - but to realise the full potential we need to combine them together to form something amazing.

What is the climax to your story? 

GAFE Auckland 2018 Demo Slam

What is a Demo Slam? 

This is a quick-paced, high-energy session where presenters have three minutes each to demonstrate something Googly in front of the crowd, who will vote for a winner at the end.

Today's Demo Slam highlights

Livestreaming using the camera button - goes straight to YouTube - use a link to share with parents.

Fiddling with Google Doc URLs .. using /copy ... /preview .... /template/preview ....  /export?format=pdf ..... /copy?copyComments

Bitsbox .... free coding via the hour of code website .... check out the sheep @ bit.ly/mykiwiapp

Sheets to Map .... Insert, Chart, Map

Digital Assessment .... Checkmark extension integrating with Google Keep

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!

Presenting at GAFE Auckland 2018

Once again I have presented at the GAFE Auckland summit.  My session showcased how I use Google, Seesaw and Explain Everything in my classroom.

GAFE Summit 2018 Opening Keynote

I'm excited to be attending the GAFE Summit in Auckland again this year.  Once again its being held at the wonderful Aorere College, in South Auckland. 

Opening Keynote - The Relevant Teacher - Patrick Green

Taking risks can affect more than just you - what you're doing in your classroom affects all your students.  Patrick works at Singapore American School, where they recently sent teachers around the school to visit innovative schools - those that are changing to meet the needs of their students.  During his trip, Patrick visited California - Da Vinci Innovation Labs (students go to school two days a week and learn from home three days a week) and Sequoyah (mixed aged classrooms, where students are held back twice before the age of 12 in order to facilitate leadership skills). 

Change is difficult

Interactions everyday start to shape students - relevant teachers matter.

What are relevant teachers doing?

• Flipping their classroom and taking on the role of the learner
• Look at what they teach with a whole new lens - is this transferrable beyond my classroom?
• Realises when they are wasting students time
• Not afraid of access to information - students can speak it out to find information
• Allow students to use devices on their exams
• Are not making students do what adults don't do
• Recognise that one size fits nobody - personalised learning is meaningful
• Meeting students where they are at
• Helping students to craft a digital footprint - portfolios have a purpose
• Incorporate autonomy, mastery and purpose into the classroom
• Teaches students to become independent learners and to find the answers to their questions
• Throwing exemplars into the trash as they will not develop innovators and encourage creativity - intentionally leave the exemplars blank!
• Value students not following instructions - independent thinking
• Doing it the way "someone else" says is not a 21st century skill
• Play Minecraft for the 'language acquisition' - play with your students to understand 'their' world
• Give students some side quests - it can look messy but they explore their own passions and interests
• Refuse to accept junk from their students - they expect greater levels of creativity
• They have a super power - they can take anything and use it for learning
• Insert play and inspiring ideas into their classrooms
• Embracing the interruptions as opportunities for imagination and curiosity

How do you stay relevant ........  Be a Learner!
Grow ... and change!

Questions to Consider:

What are you doing in your classroom that you could remove to give your students more exploring and passion time - student agency?

Books to Consider Reading:

The End of Average - by Todd Rose (one size fits nobody)

A Whole New Mind / Drive - Daniel Pink

Websites and Links to Visit and Explore

99U.com

CMDigitalAge.com

iTime - @aliwh_white @shaunyk  (individualising the learning)

Institute of Play

Values of the Institute of Play

GAFE - Closing Ignite sessions

The GAFE Summit experience today finished with a Ignite session. Ignite is a series of speedy presentations. Presenters get 20 slides, which can automatically advance every 15 seconds. The result is a fast and fun presentation which lasts just 5 minutes.

Beginner Code - Switching - Jim Sill

Past performance is no guarantee of future results!
Sucking is the first step to being sorta good at something - Alexis (founder of Reddit)
You need to switch your code to try something new.
To adapt you have to change your attitude, language and thinking.

Hardwiring Happiness - Rick Hanson Ph.D
Do a beginners mind - challenge yourself outside of your comfort zone.

Reaching the Summit (and surviving) - Stuart Kelly

What does it take?  Citizenship; Culture; Connectivity; Celebration; Cash; Communication; Community;
Infrastructure is everything  -  the backbone of success!
Recognise the talent within your own school.
Remember:  students, students, students!  Think, move, grow in teams!

My Digital Journey - Angelnella Tupua-Wilson

Angelnella is a student at Aorere College and shared her digital journey.  When she was 8 or 9 she could not imagine having her own Chromebook or device.  She finds having digital devices in classes great for communicating and sharing ideas even outside the classroom.  Its a move away from the traditional classroom.  Last year she took robotics as it was something she knew very little about and wanted to prove that anything is possible.  She hopes her future will revolve around technology.

More than a coincidence? - Chris Betcher

When you mix with the right people, your success exceeds the chance of statistics.
Chance favours the connected mind. - Steven Johnson

GAFE Day 2 - Afternoon sessions

This blog reflects the afternoon sessions I attended on Day 2 at GAFE.

Exploring Google Expeditions with Cardboard - Jim Sill

WOW!  First time really playing with cardboard and was great to get a free one - thanks Jim!
You will need to download the Expeditions app to your phone or iPad.  Virtual Reality is a chance to scale experimental learning.  This allows the teacher to bring the lesson to the learner.

The expeditions have some leading information and guiding questions (and answers) to assist the teacher in leading your journey.  The teacher can pause the journey.

You need to build a kit - you need devices (e.g. iPads, phones).  Ask for donations of old phones. You need a teacher device (e.g. iPad) and the device will push the image out to the learners.  You need to use a router (not connected to the internet) to share the images to your learners (as most schools block peer to peer sharing on their wi-fi networks).  Expeditions doesn't require the internet to work when we are running Expeditions.  Teacher is able to press and hold and direct learners to any part of the image.

Expeditions are able to be searched or you can browse different Expeditions on the first screen.

The teacher is able to use the experiences from the Expedition in the classroom to encourage rich discussions, great writing, extensive oral language and opportunities for further questions and explanations.

During the session we explored El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, USA; Observing the Gorilla in the Congo; 

Where to next? Google Teacher Certification - Kimberley Hall

Link to the Google for Education hub is here.

When doing the exams register for them using your personal gmail account as you are less likely to change your name than your school.

A few helpful hints for the Level 1 and 2 exams:

The exams are 3 hours long so you need to plan your time as once you start you can't pause.

The exam can take 24 hours to be sent to you after purchase to plan carefully.

Once you have purchased the exam, you have 7 days in which to complete it.

Recommendation:  Check out the review questions and exam sample questions first - it does help.

Presenting at GAFE - Day 2

Our second session that Clarelle and I presented today was our learning looks in the classroom.  Our full presentation is available here:

GAFE Day 2 - Opening Keynote

An amazing performance by Fa Man, Aorere's premier Barbershop quartet kicked off Day 2 of the GAFE summit.  It certainly put everyone in the mood for a great Day 2.

Let Learning T.R.U.M.P. Teaching and Tech - Richard Wells

"I hate it when he just keeps talking"

"They just keep throwing random stuff at us"

"I wish I could just work on the thing I need to"

Quotes from teachers on PD

Strategies help learners when they are stuck.  e.g. when you get stuck on a word .... and allow learners to find their own answers.

Learners like playing games because they know the rules, how to play and what to expect from others that are playing the game.  They have the strategies they need and know what they are doing.

We need to worry about the strategies we are giving kids so we can see the Key Competencies happen.  This will help them make their message clear - they can "play on the pitch without the coach!"  

What tools have we given our students to manage their time and their learning?  Are you managing your tools and your time effectively?  How are you giving feedback and at what speed?  It is hard to give a rapid feedback loop in the classroom.  In a computer game the feedback loop is so fast and it is why they are popular.  To speed up the feedback loop, use your other students.  As part of the Keynote, Richard used a Google Form to collect many ideas from his audience of tools that can be used.  

How can we integrate Google into our classroom?  Richard would suggest;

• Google Keep - gather data but ensure your students understand how and what they need to collect?
• Google Slides - present your data but ensure you have a tool on how to collate and use the information you are presenting.  Use a template so that people are able to read the information that is provided.  
• Google Sites - put it out there and make something of the connections you are making to extend your understanding.  But unless you have a tool on how to extend the thinking, the Sites won't have an impact.

What tools are we providing to Relate to Others?

• Google Docs - work on your own or use the share feature to work together.  The ability to make comments and have a discussion doesn't mean you are 'good' at working together.  What tools have we provided to help with this?
• Google Hangouts - a great tool to get outside the classroom but how do we make the most of the moment?  How are we best going to carry this out?
• Google Cardboard - put your students in the shoes of another.  They explain to you what its like to live in your world.

What tools are we providing to Manage Self?

• Google Countdown Timer - great for teaching boys.  If you want something done, get it to countdown on the TV and boys will be more productive.
• Google Calendar - colour your week and manage your time.
• Google + Communities - allow for the management of work for learners (13+) as well as your own professional development and conversations.

What tools are we providing for Participating?

• Google Forms - putting your hand up and answering questions - an effective way to encourage participation in your classroom.
• Google + - contribute as a team, particularly applicable for secondary school learners.
• YouTube - change the world using videos

Before you are able to effectively to use any of the Google tools it is important to teach the "How to?" How to behave as an individual, group and with others?  Then you are able to add the Google Tool as they are equipped to use the tool properly.  How to talk?  How to critique?  How to best present images?