Spark MIT Update - May 2016

ABCs of Writing:  Authentic Audience, Blogging and Commenting

As discussed in my first blog post for my Spark Manaiakalani Innovative Teacher inquiry, my inquiry question is:

"How can I use an authentic audience to enhance the motivation and writing mileage for learners in my classroom."

During the first term of this year I've begun my inquiry in a number of ways including:

• bookmarks home to parents with a blog link and QR code
• leaving verbal comments on learners blogs 
• discussing learner blogs with parents during our "meet the teacher" conversations early in the year
• deep analysis of my learners' needs in writing

Today we discussed the SAMR model and how our inquiry fits into this framework.  Ideally our inquiry's are aimed at the transformation level of the framework, using technology to impact on the learning.

My Spark MIT inquiry compliments my Pt England Inquiry as this investigates ways to accelerate writing in the classroom through my deliberate acts of teaching.  


Where to now?

It is extremely helpful to get the ideas from others in the Spark MIT group, which helped me to formulate my plan for future development.  While its been great to receive parent comments on the learners' blogs, my next step is to provide some scaffolding around these comments to make them even more powerful.  My initial thoughts were to redesign my bookmark with suggestions on how to comment, and translate this into different languages for my whanau (eg Samoan, Tongan, Te Reo).  However, after discussion today I agree that a bookmark may not be big enough to encompass the ideas I need to share.  Several ideas today included a postcard, calendar or piece of art that could be created by the learners.  I'm particularly taken with the art idea as this fits nicely with our school wide topic 'As i see it".

Additionally, there is potential to create a site using these scaffolds, as a reference for not only my whanau this year, but that could be shared to a wider audience.  Such a site could include screencasts of how to comment which could be used by both learners and whanau.  I envisage the site to be in multiple languages to assist whanau who are more comfortable in their native language.  It would be exciting to explore this with a small group of my learners who could assist with the creation of the screencasts.


SAMR Picture credit:  Ed Tech Today

Unpacking the SAMR model of learning

Today our Digital Enhancement paper unpacked a few different models of learning.  While I'm very aware of the SAMR model it was a great refresher today and I particularly like this image which links to Blooms taxonomy.

So often when models of learning are introduced, we don't have an opportunity to see it in action or think about how we can apply it to our own teaching practice.  One of the practical activities we had an opportunity to explore today involved revamping a suggested lesson to incorporate a digital transformation - definitely a case of many teachers heads can come up with some amazing ideas!

At times I think I struggle to achieve at the transformation level with my five year olds - I often think that the same activity could be completed with paper and pens, although would definitely not be as engaging.  I was reminded today however, that adding the video and audio components allows for the learning to be visible, even after it has occurred - and this can't be achieved with simple pens and paper.  I'm re-energised about extending my planning and aiming for more transformational learning in 2015!

As we pass the halfway point of our week of lectures, I'm impressed by the content and the purposeful activities which we undertake to help us cement the learning.  We have had some amazing discussions and its great to get an insight into others thinking, planning and teaching pedagogy!