Activity 10 Summarising my PG Learning Journey and Planning for the Future

It's not the end ... it's just the start.

So to be reflecting is really identifying the next step for me.

Reflective practice is the capacity to reflect on action so as to engage in a process of continuous learning. According to one definition it involves "paying critical attention to the practical values and theories which inform everyday actions, by examining practice reflectively and reflexively.

I am going to use Rolfe’s model of reflection as a basis for moving my learning forward(Rolfe, 2011).  A benefit of this is that the so what action is linked to the now what next steps.  I am going to work through these stages as a framework for this final blog entry.

The What

Where was I at before I started the at the Mindlab?

I have been a teacher for 26 years - I am a lifelong learner and have upgraded my qualifications for the duration of my career. Going from a Diploma of Teaching to a Bachelor of Teaching, Grad Cert TESOL, Post Grad Cert Educational Leadership and now this Post Grad (Applied Practice) Digital & Collaborative Learning. 
I was excited about the Applied Practice aspect of the course and was not disappointed. Going back to school and 'doing' some of what we were learning helped with my own learning - as is illustrated in Edgar Dale's Cone of Learning (1969), I remember a lot more when I teach someone else - I have to.

So What?

Criteria 4: Demonstrate commitment to ongoing professional learning and development of professional personal practice.

I have maintained a professional learning blog, will be attending 3 days professional declopment in the  upcoming holidays - Gafe Summit and a Core Education whole day on Innovative Learning Environments. 

I have applied for the Core Education Pasifika Education Scholarship for 2016 so that I can some research around a MakeHERspace with the girls only class I teach - planning well underway. I am routinely collaborating with my colleagues on site , Google +, email and blogs with regards to innovative ways to use them.

Criteria 5: Show leadership that contributes to effective teaching and learning.
I am a tutor teacher for a BT in a Year 1 class. I have helped her to make rewindable learning visible using qr codes in her literacy and numeracy rotations. Strategically placed qr codes have been greeted by the students with much excitement and enthusiasm.
I have updated ALL of the blogs in the school and created new ones where needed. They are all linked to one another. We have participated in Tuhi mai Tuhi atu - which saw 4 schools collaborate with blogging.
I have facilitated a successful Parent evening on Digital Learning at my school.
I have given 1-1 PD to staff on a range of things such as blogging,Google slides, Planning using a digital format = PLANBOOK, greenscreening,chrome extensions to name but a few.
I contribute to the strategic plan for digital learning and attend meetings regarding this. I also attended the ERO Curriculum Planning meeting in my role as Digital Pedagogical Leader.

Criteria 7: Promote a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive learning environment
I make sure I am available to staff at break times as and when needed (frequently needed for all manner of things - setting things up, changing settings - repairs etc.
Do requent walk throughs whenever possible looking at how ipads and gear is or is not being used and being proactive and asking "Are there any problems I can help with?" of teachers and students in our 1-1 device classes. 
Making sure everyone has everything they need for their learning. 
Supporting teachers who are finding DCL a challenge and being VERY patient with them as I show them how to save they are very grateful.

Now What?

Where to from here?  What goals do I have to move this learning forward?

One criteria that I would like to develop further capacity and capability in addressing is 

Criteria 9: Respond effectively to the diverse and cultural experiences and the varied strengths, interests, and needs of individuals and groups of ākonga.

That's why I have applied for the Pasifika Scholarship through Core Education who are looking for an innovative approach that could help promote effective and equitable teach wanting and learning for Pasifika learners.
The CORE Education Pasifika Grant provides professional and financial support to undertake a teacher inquiry/project aimed at bringing about change in early childhood education (ECE) or classroom practice for the benefit of your Pasifika learners
For me at my school that's a MakeHERspace for the Year 7 & 8 Girls only class I teach. 
Starting with a EOTC experience at Mindlab of course.
Also focussing on getting all the class sites up and online by end of Term 2 now that the blogs are sorted.

Activity 9 Evaluations of Cultural Responsive in Practice

Data from the last ERO report at my school, just 1% Maori with the majority 

of students from Samoan families.

Working with Māori, working with Pasifika, working with all cultures

Ka Hikitia, Tataiako and the Pasifika Education Plan underpin good teaching practice. It is important teachers understand a student’s history, customs, and world-view and establish good relationships with parents and whānau/families.

Working with Pasifika 

In my school this is a priority over working with Maori as  the majority of students are from Samoa.

The Pasifika Education Plan is a Ministry of Education document to improve education for Pasifika learners. It emphasises that effective education for Pasifika learners should:

• acknowledge that Pasifika students are from a range of Pacific Islands with unique cultural and language identities
• ensure approach is culturally appropriate
• ensure families are included in the processes.

The teacher can contribute to Pasifika education by:

• acknowledging specific Pacific cultural backgrounds of individual students
• communicating effectively and positively with the family, for example, using interpreters and liaison people
• involving and empowering the family.

Programmes and resources reflect Pasifika cultures so they are:

• effective and meaningful for Pasifika students
• responsive to the Pasifika culture of the student
• culturally appropriate.

Working with Māori

At my school Māori students benefit from the wide variety of educational opportunities and the high levels of support and care available to all students at the school. They have many opportunities to gain a sense of pride in their identity as Māori. An understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi and the implications for biculturalism are valued features of the school. Te reo and tikanga Māori are integrated within both Religious Education and the term by term concept-based programmes. 

The Māori Education Strategy: Ka Hikitia is a Ministry of Education document to improve education for Māori learners (also see Tataiako: Cultural competencies for teachers of Māori Learners,    Tataiako.pdf ).\
It emphasises a Māori potential approach by:

• tailoring education to the learner
• embracing culture
• collaborating and co-constructing
• emphasising ako, identity, language, and culture counts
• promoting productive partnerships
• ensuring that interventions should take the Māori potential approach for Māori students.

Partnerships with parents and whānau/families are important. They should feel their knowledge can be shared in a supportive environment.Teachers should work with Māori in ways that ensure:

• shared power
• self-determination
• cultural responsiveness
• reciprocal interactions
• common vision.

Programmes and resources should reflect the Māori world view so they are:

• effective and meaningful for Māori
• responsive to Māori culture
• culturally appropriate
• inclusive of cultural traditions and Māori protocols.

Working with all cultures

New Zealand communities are diverse with many different cultural, religious, ethnic, and socio-economic groups we need to cater for them all.

REFERENCE 

http://rtlb.tki.org.nz/Professional-practice/Culturally-responsive-service

http://www.tlri.org.nz/sites/default/files/projects/9268_cowie-summaryreport.pdf

Activity 8 Legal Contexts and Digital identities

DIGITAL IDENTITIES

The rise in digital citizenship interest reflects the fact that focusing only on cybersafety does not produce a safe environment if there is not a focus on ensuring that other digital citizens use this space ethically, respectfully, and safely.

Secondly, the push for digital citizenship reflects the contemporary value ascribed to e-learning and its various blended and virtual siblings. In scores of countries policies and funding now promote e-learning. The expectation for schools is no longer that young people will simply be entertained by the internet, but will instead occupy it and use it for learning. With this comes the recognition that these learners have rights in this space, as much as they have rights in their classrooms that they sit in. Equally, there is the attendant requirement for learners’ responsibilities to others in this space. Locally, Ultra Fast Broadband in Schools and e-portfolios are examples of the value by which educators and the government place on e-learning. The awareness that safety concerns may limit uptake of these opportunities makes digital citizenship a strong contender for change.

What does this all mean?

Currently the safety issues raised by the the ‘wild-west’ of the internet, and the inability of traditional cybersafety approaches to prevent them, see these issues being brought into the purvue of governments and law makers. Locally we see this manifesting in increasing regulatory pressure for action (e.g., most recently on cyberbullying). We should expect to see more legislative pressure and regulation around digital citizenship concerns.

We need to ensure that we teach young people about using ICT to achieve what they need in a respectful and ethical way that keeps them safe. This means recognising that that teaching people how to be safe is not always going to keep them safe, and nor will relying on internet filters to always do the job. We need to ensure that all digital citizens understand their responsibilities and their rights, and we need to find ways to enforce these rights carefully.

These issues highlight the need to ensure that schools plan for the provision of digital citizenship within their strategic planning. Increasingly this will become a critical way to ensure that the school community gets the most out of e-learning. School communities need to ensure that their educators are confident in supporting learners to become thriving digital citizens.

What can we do?

Don’t let stubborn cybersafety and digital citizenship concerns hold you back – If you are passionate about e-learning and student-centred practice, then:

• Advocate for your school to incorporate a digital citizenship into its strategic plan.
• Use NetSafe’s excellent Learn | Guide | Protect website. The website lists resources and approaches to embed cybersafety and digital citizenship within your practice.
• Speak out for professional development for digital citizenship so your school community can get the most out of e-learning and not be left behind.
• Media permission spreadsheet shared with WHOLE staff

What does digital citizenship ‘mean’?

If digital citizenship is taken to refer to all users of the Internet — including via smartphones — it is clear to see that it is way more than cybersafety.

We need to be aware of the legal and cultural contexts in which we communicate and work. As kaiako we also need to be aware of the opportunities and challenges of communicating…and learning…within an online environment. These, however, cannot be fully understood in isolation from our socially based understanding about learning, education’s changing perspectives on what constitutes effective learning, and attitudes to technology.

In 2004 Ribble, Bailey, and Ross defined digital citizenship as “the norms of behavior with regard to technology use” (p. 7). Ribble later updated their definition to “the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use” [emphasis not in the original] (Ribble, n.d., Para. 1). Ribble’s definition does not, however, overtly refer to the social aspect of interacting online — something that Nancy Groh (NetSafe NZ) highlights when she writes that digital citizenship “is the combination of technical and social skills that enable a person to be successful and safe in the information age” (2010, para. 1).

Focussing more on the social elements of digital citizenship, Mossberger, Tolbert, and McNeal (2008) suggest that it is "the ability to participate in society online" (p. 1), and then go on to explore the nuances of the word ‘citizenship’. Citizenship indicates that members of a community, in return for certain civil, political, and social rights, agree “to live the life of a civilized being according to the standards prevailing in the society’’ (Marshall, 1992, in Mossberger, Tolbert, and McNeal, 2008, p. 1). Their definition includes an assumption that digital citizens use the Internet regularly, as well as including underpinning considerations of ethics, democracy of communication and expression, equality, and behaviour (Mossberger, Tolbert, & McNeal, 2008).

Potential

So, what relevance does digital citizenship have for you — as an individual, as an adult learner, a parent, whānau, tīpuna (grandparents)…and as a member of (many) communities, as well as kaiako (teachers) and leaders in education?

In 2001, Morrison, indicated to the New Zealand Parliament that shifts in the way that business is carried out could offer opportunities for people “to prosper, and a threat if they are slow to adapt….It will also raise equity issues if all New Zealanders are not able to take full advantage of its opportunities” (p. 1). Morrison’s observation “provides a strong case for digital citizenship as a societal concern” (Mossberger, Tolbert, & McNeal, 2008, p. 35).

Some aspects of digital citizenship are guided by policies, others are dictated by rules and laws, while still others are open to discussion and interpretation. If you’re not aware of your rights, responsibilities, and some of the ethics that influence communicating in online spaces, you could be heading for issues. So, you might like to reflect on what your stance is, especially around culture, ethics and values, and take or create opportunities for robust discussion.

Considerations

We’ve looked at what digital citizenship means, and dipped into some of its potential, but what does it ‘look like’? An example could be developing strategies to ensure that the digital world doesn’t totally overwhelm your students. Faced with the vast range of communication tools and options we now have, coupled with the ability to contact each other anytime, anywhere, there can be issues the stress of feeling ‘on call’ 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Feeling on call can be something that affects both children and adults, and developing strategies around this issue is essential. For younger members of your family, it may be a case of talking about how many hours a week you both feel it’s healthy to be online. It’s worth agreeing on guidelines, and being firm about things such as where and when devices are used in the house – and then thinking about whether you are following and modelling what you’ve both agreed on!

Some implications

The variety of questions in the list below helps illustrate the breadth and complexity of some key considerations of digital citizenship:

• What are my rights and responsibilities in an online environment?
• What are my child’s rights and responsibilities in an online environment?
• What is morally and ethically sound in a particular situation?
• Do I know how to search for, evaluate, and attribute material on the web?
• What is legal to download, use and share?

Being able to answer these, and other, questions for yourself will help shape your understandings and skills in the online environment to help ensure that you, your family, your colleagues, and your students, get the most out of working, learning and collaborating in an online environment.

LEGAL CONTEXTS

The theme of ‘open-ness’ abounds in many aspects of education nowadays — largely as a reaction against the many ‘closed’ characteristics of the current system. Consider things such as enrolment schemes, copyright, student records etc. What were previously regarded as barriers to growth, access, or innovation in our system, are now being challenged or circumvented through the use of systems that are more open and participatory, allowing for greater levels of access and contribution.

The open architecture of the Web2.0 environment has been a key driver of this open-ness. Moving from a predominantly consumer-driven paradigm to one that enables a much greater degree of contribution, participation and collaboration in the learning process. Supporting this have been changes in policy and legal issues, including the alternative to traditional ‘copyright’ that is provided under the ‘creative commons’ licensing approach.

The emerging impact in education can be seen in a number of areas:

Open education resources — There are numerous examples of sites now appearing that provide resources for use in education that are not bound by traditional copyright licenses, and can be used freely for educational purposes. The adoption of the Creative Commons licensing system is an enabler of this, as discussed with Lawrence Lessig last year. Initiatives such as WikiEducator are demonstrating the power of sharing educational resources, with their aim of making lessons in all areas of the curriculum available in any part of the world.

Open source/open software — many schools are now using a variety of open-source applications as an alternative to investing in costly, licensed ones. Examples of this are ‘Open Office’, a free ‘office’ package that will import and export documents to Microsoft Word, “Moodle” which provides an open source alternative to “Blackboard”, and the Androidoperating system (OS) providing an open source alternative to the AppleOS or WindowsOS.

Open teaching - In an experiment that could point to a more open future for e-learning, Stephen Downes and George Siemens ran an open online course in 2011 that attracted about 1,200 noncredit participants (see Online, Bigger Classes May Be Better Classes) Allowing teachers to teach students and classes irrespective of where they are located is likely to increase, and in the future we’re likely to see more ‘itinerant’ teaching take place, teachers sharing their knowledge and skills outside of traditional institutions and structures.

Open courses - The recent announcement by M.I.T. has been described as a game-changer in education. The objective —Free Online Education For All — “MIT will make the MITx openlearning software available free of cost, so that others — whether other universities or different educational institutions, such as K-12 school systems — can leverage the same software for their online education offerings.” And they’re not the only organsiation doing this — a website listing 25 universities offering open courses illustrates just how pervasive this move is becoming.

Open accreditation — the concept of being able to complete classes and courses in a variety of places and through a variety of institutions, then apply to have them recognised and accredited towards a qualification is also a part of this trend. Consider these two posts: On Open Accreditation and Open Accreditation – a model.

My school has an Acceptable Use of the Internet Agreement  
"One of the New Zealand Catholic Education Office’s 2020 Beacon Goals is to achieve equity, quality and excellence in educational outcomes for each student. In order for Christ the King Catholic School to realize this goal staff and students need access to, and support in the use of, internet technology The smooth operation of computer use and internet access relies on the cooperation of users adhering to terms and conditions. These guidelines are set out in this document so that all users are aware of the responsibilities they assume. In general, this requires appropriate ethical and legal utilisation of the technology and associated resources. If a user violates any of these terms and conditions his/her use of technology and access will be significantly curtailed and/or terminated."

Activity 7 Social Media in Teaching and Professional Development

Why do I use Social Media?

The above diagram summaries the key features that benefit myself and my students as I become more connected with other professionals from across disciplines, when accessing and using social networks. Blogging was the first time I had to explain to a wide audience of professionals how I approached solving pedagogical problems and found the blog to be a great place to reflect and organise my thoughts.
The Google + community groups have enabled me to ask questions, comment and discuss ways to lead change in e-learning and develop a vision, policies and strategies to integrate ICT into learning for my school. For example exploring students bringing their own device to support learning.

The Challenges of using social media.

Along with using social media with students comes the social responsibility of ensuring the digital safety of the disabled students I work with. Not only do I teach them to be digitally responsible citizens (cybersmart) but I actively encourage other strategies such as their parents being friends with them on Facebook. For some of the students the only contact they have with friends when they leave school is on Facebook. Although Youtube has given me the opportunity to expand my students' worlds from local to global and get them closer to their heroes it is an on-going task to educate them about using such tools in a safe way and why.

Opening My Classroom to the Parents / Whanau

Having a class blog meant that the students were able to share the work they do in class with their families. For me, the idea of parents having the ability to see what my students are doing and communicate about it, was a bit scary at first but now, it's the goal. The students love the feedback and it encourages them to write without my direction. This becomes a digital record of their time at school and will always be there for them to access after they leave school and continue sharing with family and friends. I have added share buttons to encourage just that 'sharing' and intend to qr code the students blog and make a eportfolio ish kind of record of their learning - namely their blogs.

Why do I continue to blog?

Initially, it was about doing it because it was expected part of being a member of an online community and part of the Manaikalani Outreach vision - visible learning and teaching.Now, it's about learning - rewindable learning. It's about my journey and the feedback. Blogging, for me, has become more than working through a thought process. It has opened my ideas to a responsive audience. Sometimes a post allows my learning network to point me in a direction I haven't thought of. It could be a thought or a resource that I would have never learned about if people didn't read my posts and share their thoughts. 

Professional Development

Of course, it can be a challenge to incorporate social media into lessons. There are many gray areas for teachers to navigate, like setting guidelines, accessibility at school, and student safety. But to help teachers navigate this ever-changing landscape of social media tools, here are some of the best guides on the web for four popular networks, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

• The Teacher’s Guide to Twitter via Edudemic: This is a great guide from Edudemic for all teachers -- both the experienced tweeters and those new to the platform. You’ll find everything you need to know about using Twitter in the classroom, including a list of useful education hashtags, search strategies, and ideas for the classroom. Also check out these resources:
  • "Dipping Into Social Media in the Classroom," via EdSurge
  • "Guide to Using Twitter in Your Teaching Practice," via KQED
  • "Twitter For Teachers," via Scholastic Instructor
  • "One-Stop-All-You-Need-to-Know Guide to Twitter," via David Truss' blog
  • "50 Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom," via TeachHUB
     
• Facebook for Educators and Community Leaders Guide: Published in September 2013 by Facebook, this guide is the perfect resource for teachers interested in using the world's largest social network with students. Three main subject areas are covered, including digital citizenship, mobile safety, and guidelines for social media at school. The guidelines were co-produced by Edutopia: "How to Create Social Media Guidelines for Your School." Also check out these resources:
  • "A How-To Guide for Teachers Using Facebook in the Classroom," via Education Week
  • "Does Facebook Really Have a Place in the Classroom?" via The Telegraph
  • "7 Ways Teachers Use Social Media in the Classroom," via Mashable
  • "The Facebook Guide for Teachers," via eLearning Industry
     
• Using Instagram in an Educational Context: The EmergingEdTech blog is a wonderful source for tips, strategies, and ideas for using social media and other new technologies in the classroom. This guide is a great primer for understanding what Instagram is and how it can be used to teach and reach students. "5 Ways Teachers Can Use Instagram in the Classroom" is another great blog post from the site. Also check out these resources:
  • "10 Ways to Use Instagram in the Classroom," via We Are Teachers
  • "The Educator’s Guide to Instagram and Other Photo Sharing Apps ," via The Edublogger
  • Free Parents’ Guides for Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook from ConnectSafely, via ConnectSafely.org
  • "Using Instagram in the Classroom: Five Activities," via Education World
     
• The Educator's Guide to the Use of Pinterest in the Classroom: EducatorsTechnology.com published this useful guide for teachers interesting in using Pinterest with students. Here, you'll find everything you need to get started, including tips for building boards, pinning basics, and ideas for using Pinterest in the classroom. Also check out these resources:
• "The Teacher’s Guide To Pinterest," via Edudemic
• "Infographic: The Role of Pinterest Inside & Outside The Classroom," via Getting Smart
• "37 Ways Teachers Can Use Pinterest in the Classroom," via TeachThought
• Reference" http://www.edutopia.org/blog/social-media-resources-educators-matt-davis

The Social Media Myth

The myth about social media in the classroom is that if you use it, kids will be Tweeting, Facebooking and Snapchatting while you're trying to teach. We still have to focus on the task at hand. Don't mistake social media forsocializing. They're different -- just as kids talking as they work in groups or talking while hanging out are different.

You don't even have to bring the most popular social media sites into your classroom. You can use Fakebook or FakeTweet as students work on this form of conversation. Edublogs, Kidblog, Edmodo, and more will let you use social media competencies and writing techniques. Some teachers are even doing "tweets" on post-it notes as exit tickets. You can use mainstream social media, too.

12 Ways Teachers are Using Social Media in the Classroom Right Now

1. Tweet or post status updates as a class. 
2. Write blog posts about what students are learning. 
3. Let your students write for the world. 
4. Connect to other classrooms through social media. 
5. Use Facebook to get feedback for your students' online science fair projects. 
6. Use YouTube for your students to host a show or a podcast.
7. Create Twitter accounts for a special interest projects.
8. Ask questions to engage your students in authentic learning.
9. Communicate with other classrooms. The Global Read Aloud, Global Classroom Project and Physics of the Future are three examples of how teachers use social media to connect their students as they collaborate and communicate.
10. Create projects with other teachers.
11. Share your learning with the world. 
12. Further a cause that you care about.

It's in the Standards

If you're going to ignore social media in the classroom, then stop pretending that you're 21st century. Stop pretending that you're helping low-income children overcome the digital divide if you aren't going to teach them how to communicate online.

Social media is here. It's just another resource and doesn't have to be a distraction from learning objectives. Social media is another tool that you can use to make your classroom more engaging, relevant and culturally diverse.

Reference : http://www.edutopia.org/blog/guidebook-social-media-in-classroom-vicki-davis

Activity 6 - Contemporary Issues or Trends in NZ or Internationally

Two contemporary issues or trends influencing New Zealand Education:

1: Digital Fluency

Digital fluency

Broadly speaking, digital fluency is a combination of these three concepts:

• digital, or technical, proficiency:
• able to understand, make judgements about, select and use appropriate technologies and technological systems for different purposes; this might include knowing how to use technologies to protect one’s data, digital identity, and device security.  
• digital literacy:
• in digital spaces, being able to read, create, critique and make judgements about the accuracy and worth of information being accessed;
• being fluent in critical thinking and problem-solving online;
• Use digital tools to collaborate and construct information across all relevant and significant contexts
• social competence, or dispositional knowledge:
• the ability to be able to relate to others and communicate with them effectively;
• able to manage one’s identity, information, relationships in ways that are appropriate, responsible, safe and sustainable.
• 
  
• The aim, then, of becoming digitally fluent is for people to be able to act as successful citizens in whatever contexts they choose for themselves. Our role as educators is to deliberately design pathways from early childhood through to tertiary and beyond that support these developing fluencies in ways that make sense to the learners. The recent report - Students, Computers and Learning: Making the Connection (OECD, 2015) - highlights the importance of bridging the digital divide, not leaving the development of digital fluency to chance.
• The skills, understandings and competencies that comprise digital fluency are best considered as underpinning supports that weave throughout curricula. In many ways, here in New Zealand,  the Key Competencies in the New Zealand Curriculum offer a helpful way to think about a framework for fostering digital fluency as part of learning. Similarly, the four strands of Te Whariki can be considered through a digital fluency lens while the Te Marautanga o Aotearoa encourages communities to frame a graduate profile that might include digital fluency as an over-arching goal for ākonga.
• We know that ‘adding on’ modules or skill-based ticklist to work though do not effectively offer ways to foster digital fluency. We also know learning how to effectively and safely manage technologies cannot be achieved solely through technical means (e.g. filtering) or prohibition (e.g. denying people access to technologies). Instead, a proactive approach to designing learning pathways, that balances preventative approaches with application of skills and understandings in meaningful contexts, is the preferable approach.
• NetSafe and the Ministry of Education remind us that we need to offer “opportunities for students to be involved in decisions about the management of digital technology at the school [and develop] a pro-social culture of digital technology use” in school, alongside our communities
• Where to begin?
• One helpful framework for thinking about planning approaches to digital fluency development through learning can be found in the description of how key competencies integrate into effective curriculum design > http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Key-competencies/About.
• Broadly, this reminds us that digital fluency approaches should:
• align to the principles of the New Zealand Curriculum, TMOA and Te Wharaki
• draw on a range of values that are inclusive and enable young people to become confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners
• be embedded in learning in each of the learning areas
• be supported by effective pedagogy.
• 
  
• Questions to consider

o   What might digital fluency look like in the context of your learners’ curriculum experiences now? What do you and your community want all learners to aspire to be able to do when they leave?

o   How are digital fluency learning opportunities aligned to your values and principles?

o   How might you deliberately teach the skills and competencies to navigate online spaces successfully in the context of student-led learning?

o   To what extent are learning areas explored in ways that invite higher-order engagement, problem-solving and authentic use of technologies? Are students doing more than searching for information? Are they applying it in ways that are real and connected to the world around us?

• Links

o   3 things you should know about digital literacies - Steve Wheeler

o   What kind of global citizens are teachers creating? - Guardian

• Articles
• Towards Digital Fluency (NZ Govt) PDF
• The digital environment has the power to transform teaching and learning in our schools. We’re committed to taking full advantage of the opportunity to become a world leading education system through changes to our infrastructure, practices and pedagogy. The range of initiatives for Digital Technologies in Education will ensure all New Zealand schools are equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure, teachers get the support and resources they need to be digitally fluent, and every student benefits from the advantages of digital technologies for learning.
• EDtalk 2014:  http://www.edtalks.org/video/what-does-digital-literacy-look
• In this EDtalk recorded at ULearn14, e-learning facilitator Esther Casey describes the things that educators could be doing to support learners to become digitally literate. Esther talks about the need to foster critical thinking, collaborative and creative learning, and ways that students can use other people’s knowledge in respectful ways as they create their own new knowledge.
• Reference - Core Education

2: Gamification of Education

Explanation:

Gamification is the name given to the process of developing motivation and engagement by rewarding people with things that they want, and it often takes the form of points, acknowledgement of achievement, badges, prizes, and so on.

 Frequent flyer programmes or customer loyalty schemes are some of the earliest examples of gamification outside actual games. You probably know how they work: You complete certain milestones and you are rewarded with something you want, something that is meaningful and engaging to you. The rise of computer gaming culture has meant that more and more research has gone into finding out what features make these things so addictive for some people. And crucially for us, how we can take some of those features to make other things, such as learning, or school, more engaging and, hopefully, addictive. 

The trend of gamification is really about how to reward, motivate, and engage people in learning.  ie  Class Dojo

Impact:

Elements of gamification have been with education ever since teachers started giving out grades or stickers. But these are a very crude form of gamification, and we’re seeing a trend towards more widespread use; a growing awareness of how effective and sophisticated gamification can be.  Access to mobile devices in the classroom also allows us to harness  the power of computers to do two things:

1. ·        support us in the tracking and recording of progress
2. ·        support us in the ways we enable learners to control more of the process themselves.

We’re getting more and more research on motivation in learning, and it’s really important for us as educators to know what leads to motivation. We talk about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation — whether we’re motivated to learn by something inside us, or external to us. An over-reliance on extrinsic motivation ultimately limits learning, so, while stickers or badges might work in the short term, intrinsic motivation, or the desire to do something for yourself is the best way to ensure long-term learning.  The real power of gamification comes through using it to help learners move from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation. One of the things that drives intrinsic motivation is mastery, or the ability to do something well, and gamification can help learners build mastery through rewarding specific actions.

Game designers use things called reward schedules to keep people engaged, and these are linked to evolution. Through evolution we’ve developed a way to reward the solving of problems and it’s the same chemical associated with eating chocolate, which might explain something about our motivation. As humans evolved over tens of thousands of years, the solving of problems, and the completion of challenges proved to be a really useful trait: climb the tree — eat the fruit. Research shows that the kinds of rewards that are commonly associated with ramification — unlocking the next level, gathering points, getting the answer correct — also release dopamine. This is one of the things that makes computer games so addictive.

One of the three guiding principles of universal design for learning (UDL) is providing multiple means of engagement. There is a strong body of research that shows that people are motivated to learn for a variety of reasons. For some it’s the intrinsic motivation of the learning; for others it’s the desire to get the certificate to hang on the wall; for others it’ll be the social element of collaboration, or the ability to make a contribution to the greater good.

There are a number of features of gamification that we can use in learning:

·        Every action should be rewarded, particularly effort: If we’re interested in encouraging the journey as well as the finished product we should find ways to reward effort.

·        Feedback is vital: There’s research around the role that digital technology can play in increasing the rate of feedback for learners. Think of the old way of testing short answers or closed questions: Set a 10-question quiz, collect from the students, mark it and hand it back out the next day. There’s a minimum of a 24-hour delay on that feedback. Connect kids up to an adaptive learning platform that allows them to complete the task and receive frequent, specific feedback. Let the machine do that low-level stuff so you can focus on higher-level, qualitative feedback. 

      Sites like Quizlet, Khanacademy, Mathletics or Sumdog fit neatly into this category.

·        In the design of learning there should be multiple long and short-term goals: While the big goal might be to pass a particular assessment, gamification suggests we should be providing a range of short term goals to scaffold our learners towards those goals. The wider the variety linked to that overall goal, the more interesting it will be: collaborate with 10 different people, complete online tasks for 4 days in a row, get 100% in a short answer quiz, help out 4 other people, and so on. Maintaining engagement over the course of any sustained lesson or project can be difficult for many learners. Research shows the importance of incorporating periodic or persistent “reminders” of both the goal and its value in order to support students in sustaining effort and concentration in the face of distractions.

·     An awareness of the lifecycle a player goes through in a game: There’s another big opportunity for us as educators here. There are generally three stages:

• o   the newbie — players new to the game who need some hand holding
• o   the regular – after players get to know the game, it needs to become a habit for them. The next few levels need to provide satisfaction as per the player type.
• o   the enthusiast – these players have pretty much mastered the game and need new twists and challenges to continue playing.

Thinking about each of these roles within learning, and also, about how you can make use of

     and support each of these roles.

     How are you stretching the enthusiasts? 

     How are you supporting the regulars?

     How can you make use of the challenges newbies face to tap into the expertise of the enthusiasts? Think peer tutoring, collaborative learning, or tuakana teina.

Implications:

As you are offering multiple means of motivation and engagement, think about aligning learning to the principles of gamification:

• What’s your reward schedule?
• How long should a learner go without being rewarded?
• How can you allow learners to be challenged at a level that is right for them or to find what they are looking for in the material you’re exploring?
• How do you reward every action, even if it is an unsuccessful attempt, because, after all, it’s the fostering of a growth mindset — one that can cope with and learn from failure — that we’re aiming for.

And, if it’s good enough for our learners, think also about teacher learning:

• How do we allow teachers to find their own rewards in professional learning?
• How do we reward every action?
• How do we convene teams of newbies, regulars, and enthusiasts to make powerful learning.

In gaming, there is often a thing called an epic win — an outcome that is so extraordinarily positive that you almost don’t believe you can achieve it. 

If we can build on this trend of ramification, we might get to the educational version of an epic win: Learning that’s so engaging and addictive that we can’t stop learners from doing it.

Reference -Core Education blog