Student Agency in the Makerspace

I have been inquiring into and reflecting on the effectiveness of Student Agency within a Makerspace environment.
In 2019 I started running a Makerspace at Kaikohe West School. The space is called the Innovation Station ~ Wāhi Auaha. 
Students from each class come to me on their teachers release day and they get to learn, create, share, make, explore and collaborate in a S.T.E.A.M based environment. STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking (Enabling E-Learning, TKI). The tamariki partake in hands on learning, which helps their critical thinking skills and can enhance their self-confidence and resilience. It's ok to try, and it's ok to fail, that's how we learn. Student Agency is a major component within the Innovation Station. Student Agency is "learning through activities that are meaningful and relevant to learners, driven by their interests, and often self-initiated with appropriate guidance from teachers"(KEN: Student Agency Slide).

Observing a modelled Te Reo lesson

Lisa Watson (facilitator of Te Reo Māori) came into my class to support myself and my students with our learning of te reo by modelling a lesson. I was able to observe her lesson about te huarere (the weather). 
We have learned how we can say what the weather is like where we are, and what the weather is like in different locations throughout New Zealand. 

"Tena koutou katoa.

Ānei ngā tohu huarere mō apōpō.

Ki Kaikohe, ka pupuhi te hau". 

I wanted the students to make the most of the lesson, so I reflected and decided to extend on to the lesson by integrating it with digital technology. Students will create a Green-screen production of a weather forecast. This will make a relevant follow-up activity for the students to help them engage in te reo in real life situations, and to allow them to easily remember and recall what they have learned. 
Standard 6: Provide opportunities and support for learners to engage with, practice and apply learning to different contexts and make connections with prior learning.

LEARN CREATE SHARE: Manaiakalani workshop Term 4 week 1.

I completed Challenge 3, Visible Teaching and Learning workflow, in the Kaikohekohe Teachers LCS workshop. I reflected on my own Visible Teaching and Learning Workflow to complete this activity.
It has made me realise where the gaps are in my own practice, and made me think about how I can get it out to my students' families for more whanau involvement.

Call back day #8 October 2nd, 2018.

What is the why behind everything you do?

4 values that are most important to me.

• Uniqueness
• Supportive
• Inspirational
• Determination

10 values of who you are.

• humourous
• inclusive
• challenging
• creative
• honest
• ethical
• encouraging
• reliable
• efficient
• respectful

My goal for term 4 is to work smarter not harder.

Ways I can achieve this are by utilising support systems within my classroom, school, and home-life.

The Miriam Centre
Presentation by Hillary Nobilo & Duncan Anderson

Click on picture link to website

Information was presented by Nobilo and Anderson on current understanding on brain development in the early years specific to vulnerable children.

What I have found interesting is the different stages of emotions that children experience, and the different parts of the brain and the jobs they have. 

Signs a child may be triggered

Anxiety, fear, and worry about safety of self and others (more clingy with a teacher or parent).

• Worry about recurrence of violence.
• Increased distress (unusually whiny, irritable, moody).
• Changes in behaviour.
• Increase in activity level.
• Decreased attention and/or concentration.
• Withdrawal from others or activities.
• Absenteeism.
• Increased somatic complaints (eg: headaches, stomach-aches, over reaction to minor bumps and bruises).

Call back day #7: October 1st, 2018.

MAC Maori Achievement Collaborative

What is your confidence to provide a 'Culturally responsive' learning environment?

Te Tiriti o Waitangi = Professional standards.

KEN Toolkit: Running a work shop

For KEN toolkit #3 I was asked to run a stop Motion Animation workshop for teachers from our KEN network.
This was a last minute request, however I feel it went well. The teachers who attended seemed to enjoy the session, and took away with them some new skills to pass on to their students.
I thought I would be really nervous, but this was not the case at all. All in all I think it was a successful session.
What went well was my communicating the knowledge of the skills I was teaching. 
What I found challenging was the fact I really didn't have any time to plan anything. 
What I would do differently next time is think of potential questions or scenarios I might be asked about, and have answers/solutions for those.

Creating - Above the line SAMR

"'Above the line' task design drives a transformation of teaching practices and classroom roles. These types of 'modified' and 'redefined' tasks are motivating for learners because they are increasingly authentic and engage students in higher-order thinking." 

(https://sites.google.com/core-ed.ac.nz/connected-learners-share/creating). 

Learning provocations:

• Consider how modification and redefinition tasks are different from substitution and augmentation tasks. What is it the difference?

Substitution and Augmentation have little or no creative or adaptive function.

Modification and Redefinition tasks allow for more ownership and creativity by the student.

• Think about a 'practice' activity that you do in class, to reinforce student learning - how could you redesign this task so that is a Learn-Create-Share activity that operates 'above the line' in the SAMR model?