Head full of brains, and shoes full of feet: Term 2 Goals

Today, I spent the day at Stonefields Primary with 2 colleagues looking at the way in which we use digital tools to enhance learning. We discussed the The SAMR Ladder and analysed our teaching in light of the 4 ways technology can be used in a classroom.

Learn, Create, Share

The concept of Digital Worksheets really challenged my thinking. Often teachers are doing high quality teaching, either as a whole class or in a group (Learn). However, students are then sent off to independently work on a netbook using a digitized worksheet. This is the substitution level of the SAMR ladder. Essentially there is no functional change to the activity- it is simply a worksheet on a computer.

While this is still enhanced learning, it is not enough and could be more transformational through modification and redefinition of tasks.

Within reading for example, we should be challenging students by encouraging them to take responsibility and extend themselves by locating other richer extended information/ texts. Instead of just using the text during the guided instructional session. While students are creating, they are combining the knowledge they pooled from the original text, and their independent extended text, to create deeper thinking and more worthwhile learning.

Research shows, in fact, that the create share of the cycle is perhaps more beneficial and rich than direct teacher instruction. Students are creating their own DLO and are collaborating and co-constructing their learning. They are doing rich learning just through this phase of the cycle.

We created our own DLO looking at our Term 2 goals as Manaiakalani Digital Teachers. Using the Teaching as Inquiry cycle as a platform, we were asked to critically analyse our pedagogical practice and determine ways to refine in order to achieve our personal and school wide goals.