Reflection on: Creativity Toolkit

This afternoon I attended an online toolkit with Amie Williams who is obviously passionate about the Learn, Create, Share pedagogy that exists within the Manaiakalani pedgagogy. She explained how teachers can "turbo charge" students engagement and interest in making their learning creative using a range of digital tools within the classroom. I particularly enjoyed learning about the MAPIC (Mulitmodal, Ampification, Personalisation, Interaction, Coherence) acronymn to include a range of ideas that can be trialled and used amongst children which helps to boost their confidence and introduce innovative ways of sharing their learning creatively. Children experiment with a combination of audio, visuals, blogposts, collaboration, sharing ideas, respecting cultural diversity and learning about each other which enhances their holistic development to support their own understanding and prior knowledge of a topic.

New Blogger Interface

I attended an online toolkit this afternoon to explain Blogger's recent updates and how to find and access new icon and tools found on a blogpage. It was helpful and informative. Basically the change in the new format is for people (including parents/ whanau) to be able to access a blogpost on their mobile phone more easily. It is now much easier to scroll down and look at an icon at a glance or read a new post with it being vertical, rather than horizontal. Thanks to Cam Cameron for sharing these useful tips and tricks. I will be sharing these ideas with my teaching colleagues when we return to school next week...

Letter to your teacher!

One of my Year 2 students wrote this letter to me. Although I haven't seen her on our Hangouts, she has been doing online learning at home with support from her family during this second lockdown. Hi Mrs Carter i miss you very much I hope we Come back to school. I‘m learning how to roller skate the first day I fell over but I tried again the next day. I had a good birthday I have a lot of presents And I had a chocolate cake.

Maths PD

My reflection on Amplifying basic facts: I attended an online toolkit with Donna Yates to learn more about teaching basic facts to my Year 2 learners. I learnt that research has proved that a "rote learning approach" of basic facts and times tables on its own does not work effectively without the use of materials. Follow the teaching method of: Strategies - Practice - Memory. Practising strategies also helps a child to reinforce the learning and understand the concept through memorising what has been taught. Remember that "fast recall" - eg.4 seconds, should only come after the child has an understanding of the operation and uses some strategies for performing it.

Update on my website!

ENGAGE support!

I was so thrilled to hear that our support staff at school are also being trained to use the ENGAGE program with the children they are allocated to support with their learning and behaviour in the classroom! Our Deputy Principal showed them my ENGAGE videos that I made during the lockdown and this helped them to visualise how to use the games with children and also to use the consistent language as well. I am in the process of updating my website as I have new videos and information to add to it now. Watch this space...

Letters in lockdown from one of my students!

 Dear Mrs Carter Hi how are you and family. Hope you are okay. Me and our family are all fine. May God protect us from corona virus.

Making Cannelloni with Mrs Carter!

Making sock face masks in lockdown!

 Ms Gaston and her daughter Aliana made their own face masks using recycled socks which is such a clever idea! I think that Aliana did really well using a big pair of scissors so carefully. If you make one at your house can you please share it with one of your teachers? Thank you from Mrs Carter.