DFI Core Business--the Journey Begins!

 What did I learn that increased my understanding of Manaiakalani kaupapa and pedagogy?
I was interested to hear about this organisation, since I must admit I had been suspicious of it.  We had very little preparation or training at our school for the initial Chromebooks roll-out, and I   believe I had a lot of misconceptions about the process and the scope of this resource. It was good to hear today that the expectation was not to plunk students in front of a screen and turn them loose.  Earlier meetings that I attended  presented data that appeared inconclusive, and it was good this week to see more of the achievement data unpacked for me in a meaningful way.

What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow as a professional?
The expectation up until now has been that I should spend my own time up-skilling myself on the Google suite of resources. This week I appreciated being able to begin navigating the simple processes of the Google products.  Although I do not find technology challenging as a rule, I am not a native technology speaker as our students are now.  Because I continue
to filter this new learning through my 60 year old brain, it takes a bit longer to find my intuitive sense with each new technological element. I cannot say that my confidence, capability and especially my workflow have improved substantially at this time, but I do see a pathway that will lead me there.  The key for me has always been time: time to try things out, time to integrate new tools into my pedagogy, time to evaluate the outcomes of new strategies in lessons.  This first session was a rare gift of time to explore the elements of this new technology with guidance and time given for free exploration.

What did I learn that could be used with my learners?
I am beginning to see ways to make my website more accessible and more importantly, more useful, to students.  I am excited about the possibilities of the voice to text features, but concerned that this resource is not yet completely integrated into our current NCEA examination practice.  I am looking forward to learning more about the possibilities for students.

What did I learn that could improve my confidence, capability or workflow in my personal life?
I am not altogether sure what is meant by this question.  Are you asking if what was learned today is applicable in my personal life or are you asking if this learning will allow me to have more of a personal life?  Insofar as I am dependent on technology for communication with loved ones here and across the sea, my relationship with technology is adequate for my personal needs.  In terms of this freeing up time for a personal life, I have found thus far that just the opposite has occurred.  After decades of teaching, I find that some ways that I have delivered curriculum in the past is no longer possible and while some of the changes have been for the best, I still need to become a web-designer before I can be a teacher again.  Although the two of them are now related, I now spend just as much or more of my time navigating the latest new format of creating a table or a document to publish as I do writing lesson plans and unit schemes for my students.