Final Session Before the Exam!

If only I could get my brain into gear today.  

Firstly I would like to thank all the presenters that have shared their knowledge with us over the course of the programme.  It has been great to learn new skills and extend on the skills we already have.  You are truly all talented, skilled, patient and giving people.

Empowered

Agency is Ministry speak, but Manaiakalani uses Empowered instead of the word agency. Agency can have negative connotations with people that have had negative dealings with different agencies.  Empowered is still about agency and Rangatiratanga.

Pg 36 of The NZ Curriculum mentions exploring new learning environments, overcoming barriers of distance and time - Technology does this.

There is a documentary Series by Nigel Latta - looking into the things that are barriers that prevent people from feeling empowered.

Some other factors that stop people feeling empowered in the Manaiakalani cluster is that $19000 pa is the mean income, this takes away choice and opportunity.  Therefore people are not empowered.

The working poor - working only pays for the basics for many earners.  The stress and pressure of finances take a toll on relationships and learners.

There are many other factors working against communities and not making them empowered.  eg lack of insulations, lack of chances to remove rubbish, rip off artists in the community.

School entry testing shows that kids entering school in the Manaiakalani cluster have mean academic age of a 3 year old, they are generally a transient community, this means people are missing out, with up to 1/3 of children moving during the rear.

Manaiakalani is believes in Empowering people through access - to devices, to internet etc.

The Future of Technology

There are so many things in development now that were inconceivable not that long ago (or only in the realm of SciFi or cartoons like The Jetsons).  Examples of this are flying cars in development, self flying drones, self actualised robots.   Here are some of the biggest advances in recent years.

Over the years there has been a change in the focus of technological advances to making life/world better rather than just making you live longer

Introduction to Computation Thinking

Digital fluency vs digital technologies

Fluency is when you can use and choose when to use digital technologies. You are capable to create with digital technology.

We need to provide opportunities for students to be innovative designers and creators of digital solutions.  The NZ curriculum mentions about students being creators not just consumers.

Both teachers and students need to be fluent

In the traditional Technology Curriculum there are 3 strands - practice, knowledge and nature of

digital curriculum these areas weave into Digital Technology Curriculum.  In this new curriculum there are 8 learning outcomes relating to computational thinking and 6 learning outcomes relating to developing digital outcomes.

Computation thinking is about learning to think like a computer scientist not to think like a computer.  A good matrix for the Digital Technology Curriculum is the Raranga Matihiko kids speak levels that are decoded for learners . 

code.org is another tool for coding.  I will explore this further as I have only really had experience with Scratch.

Google certified exam arrgh this is scary

arrrggghhh this is scary.  

I have registered for this and will need to do a lot of revision before next Wednesday.  I have also learnt not to allow auto fill to fill in your forms, or if you do at least double check it.  I now have the registration name of Hornby Primary Hornby.  I've emailed the help desk to see how to change it with no response yet!

Create time 

I found the create time frustrating today.  I am one of those people who like to have time to explore and try things.  It was great learning for me to be in the place of a pupil who was struggling.  I know I need to allow more time and not talk over people while they are trying to create new things.  I found if I ignored the background chatter I missed important information and if I flicked between tabs to see the demonstrations I lost my flow.

Anyway after a lot of playing around I have created an animation of my name that uses different movements, changes in colours, changes in effects, changes in size etc.  It's not that flash but in the limited time it was all I had time for.

To activate it you need to type each letter that you want to see move.