Reflection - Part 1

As we enter the start of a new season (Spring), it brings me a sense of renewal...daffodils are flowering in my front garden, new rose buds are starting to appear, vegetables are ready to harvest and baby lambs are being born on farms around Aotearoa! My reflections this week come after two weeks of online teaching have passed as Auckland resumes being in Level 4 lockdown. It is so wonderful to be able to connect with my class twice a day! To see their smiley, happy faces brings so much shared joy and a continued sense of belonging. The content we have prepared as teachers is less structured on purpose, as to engage the children in their learning from home. We understand that there will be varying degrees of support as some families also juggle parenting and working from home. One parent may be an essential worker, so that leaves the other parent to multitask (parenting, working, feeding hungry mouths and maintaining housework) throughout the day! There are a number of children at home being cared for by their grandparents who are not familiar with computer technology. One advantage of Pasifika families is that there is usually one, two or three older siblings available to help with their learning or IT queries. Some children took a little while to navigate our Google Meets, learning how to mute and unmute their microphones to speak, clicking on the raise your hand button to speak and being sensible in front of the camera is all learned behaviour and the social ettiquite of "Google Manners for Google Meets" is practised daily. We have to remember that these digital natives are only 6 -7 years old, and already this has been engrained in their young lives. It is here that I feel greatful for being in a digital 1:1 school, as the expectations are laid from the junior school about of Kawa of Care. The children have been given their school iPads during this lockdown which has made a significant difference to their participation this time around. We remind the children to take care of their iPads during the day, keep them covered so that the screen is protected, leave them in a safe place and remember to charge them overnight. There is a combination of reading, writing, maths planned for their learning within a week. We have also included Inquiry with a focus on Healthy Mind and Body. Adding in some interactive activities also helps with engagement for the children to participate in some fun practical "learning through play" ideas which combine science and arts together. Creating short video clips is something which I have become well versed with. However, only by learning these skills at the reknowned "DFI" (Digital Fluency Intensive) course from the help of Manaiakalani facilitators and using the pedagogy taught on a regular basis have I become capable and gained confidence. My own class has become more confident in writing a sentence about how they feel and why as part of their daily journal entry throughout lockdown. Although this period of time is a different way of teaching and learning, who is to say that this will be become the norm? At least we are well prepared for these scenarios and have a range of expertise to gather knowlegde and skills from which I am also really thankful for. There is a plethora of teaching colleagues who can support and suggest alternative ways of sharing information and support with technology along the way. In amongst all the uncertainty of living in a worldwide pandemic, I feel truly blessed.