Seesaw Ambassador Mandatory Refresh 2021

Fab timing; this is just what I felt like doing at almost 39 weeks pregnant! 😂 But I know how valuable this information is and I'm very much Team Seesaw when it comes to ease of use and wonderful learning opportunities in the classroom with tamariki teina. So, I know it's going to be important.

But, because I also know my baby-brain will be mush for at least another year, I have decided the best way to ensure I don't forget everything is to make a list of all the important things I'll need to remember when I'm back in the classroom. 

1.  Seesaw Messages - You can now message groups (whānau and tamariki) rather than the whole class. You can also message all your classes at once. Not helpful for me, but perhaps someone like Christine.   
2. Voice buttons - Audio recordings can be attached to shapes, pictures etc... 
3. Lock function - You can lock size and/or location of items
4. Ambassador Benefits - used to be the same as Seesaw Plus. NOT FROM AUGUST 2022!!  They want our money now... so you'll only be able to access multipage posts, create 500 activities, and contribute to the Library. You'll no longer be able to add 5 kaiako to your page,  or have 25 active classrooms (not really relevant anyway). Not being able to add kaiako will be a pain; you'll only be allowed two. if we wanted to upgrade to Seesaw for Schools, we will receive 20% discount if we sign up before September 2021. Hornby only needs Seesaw plus @ $120 per year. 
5. THIS link is really helpful for teachers starting out with the free version of Seesaw. It also includes steps to get whānau onboard.
   
6. Anything else I might need will be HERE. Including training, trouble-shooting, updates etc...
7. Extra courses available from July 26th - Aug 13th if you want to brush up on activities and curriculum areas. Check out web.
8. If you change schools - make sure you change the school you're connected to at the bottom of your dashboard. If you don't you'll loose Ambassador status!

Done!

More Digital Fluency gold with Emma Planika

Todays session offered a brief refresh on the changes to the Technology curriculum, along with some fresh ideas for the classroom.

Computational Thinking

We started off with a focus on unplugged learning and how that could look in the classroom.

1. Select a number of blocks/lego/shapes...
2. Create something! 
3. Partner up with someone. Shield your creation. Give verbal instructions for you buddy to re-create what you made. This is a great opportunity to explore vocabulary and develop oral language. 
4. Digital aspect - Use Book Creator to show steps. 

Input vs Output - The input might be something simple like taking a picture. The output could be making it talk in Chatterpix, or posting it to Seesaw. This is making links, and using the language. So important! 

Debug - Ok, so you made an incorrect step somewhere, lets go back and 'debug' - fix it! Use the language.

Algorithm - a set of instructions that need to be followed in order to reach a specific outcome.

Another activity

1. Use shapes with body movements to show each shape. Eg. a tapatoru could be a dab, a porowhita could be a full body turn.
2. Now tamariki put together their algorithm for friends to follow! Note: make sure algorithms are linear (easy to follow, left to right, like the writing process). 

Developing Digital Outcomes

Progress Outcome 1 spans 3 Levels of the NZ Curriculum. 

Cool ideas

Visual digital kete on the wall - have a selection of digital apps so that tamariki can discuss (with visuals in mind) which app will best suit their task. Less is better! Add apps as the year progresses.

We played around with a short poem, used Draw and Tell to illustrate, then Clips to bring it together as a movie. Next steps would be to add audio, but I ran out of time. So easy, with opportunities for app smashing. When using Draw and Tell - once you've finished your pictures, you can drag them together so they automatically save in order as a video - Great idea if you're using Clips. However, if you want to use something like Chatterpix, they need to be saved as individual pictures.  This would be great to use in pānui, or toi kupu. 

Another great session with Emma, very useful! I look forward to implementing this once I'm back in the game. 

 

DMIC Math PD with Jon and Monique

Our session began with a 30 minute run down on developing knowledge skills. Even though we are moving away from the rigid nature of the Numeracy Project, Monique stated that knowledge still needs to be taught. We know these foundation skills pave the way for strategy thinking. I think a number of staff were relieved to hear this as we had been under the impression that learning basic facts was no longer en-vogue. 

Here's an example of what this could look like in your daily math session (Thankyou Abby Frost for creating and sharing this mahi with us) - 

1. Choral counting using a hundreds board.
2. Choral counting in 2's, 5's, 10, odd numbers, etc...
3. Number of the Day - before and after, how to represent with materials (tens frames, tally charts, find it on a hundreds board...)

Then, choose something...

1. Subitizing dots (ability to instantly recognise how many). Dice, Numicon shapes, arrays...Youtube has lots of videos! 
2. Odd one out. 2 X 2 grid with random numbers. Tamariki has to turn and talk then justify which one os the odd one out.  Can use shapes too (eg. misconceptions of triangles).
3. Number strings. If 3 + 2 = 5, then 13 + 2 = ? 23 + 2 = ? 73 + 2 = ? Why? Use ratio tables, look for relationships. Look at what we know to find out what we don't know. 
4. I have ...., what do you need? I have 10. You have 2, what do you need?
5. True/False questions. Placement of the = sign. Eg 10 = 7 + 3, rather than 7 + 3 = 10. Misconceptions of = sign.
6. Decide, decode, defend - see picture below. This activity looked fabulous for older tamariki.

Key ideas we revisited today -

• Low floor/high ceiling = everyone can get started and everyone can get stuck! 
• Look for ways to raise the status of all students! Eg, look for opportunities/interests/anecdotes from children who might not always have a voice in maths.
• Students should not be grappling with both the difficult numbers and unfamiliar contexts
• Anticipating possible solution strategies is so important.
• Groupings/pairs - strategically engineer who will be with who. Quick responders can be paired together to see how many ways they can answer specific questions. Change pairs frequently.

Today was a more valuable DMIC session and I feel a renewed energy towards beginning a fresh math programme with my cherubs this term.

  

Numicon with Margi Leech

Today we sat down with Margi Leech from EduShop to find out more about Numicon.

Where did it come from?

Maria Monstessori - A constructivist or "discovery" model, in which students learn concepts from working with materials rather than by direct instruction. Looking at patterns and relationships. 

Catherine Stern - a German psychologist and educator. Developed mathematical manipulatives similar to cuisenaire rods.

Maths is a multi-sensory approach!

Maths can become too abstract too quickly for tamariki. They might give up trying to understand the  concepts, and rely on trying to learn rules instead.

Important People/Sites

John Hattie - Visible Journey in Maths. Seeing learning through the eyes of the learner. Check him out!

Oxford Owl for planning sequences

Numicon Site

Addition and Subtraction & Number Knowledge

Even and odd numbers ~ Skip counting ~ add/sub (placing shapes on top of each other).

Multiplication & Division

Fractions/Percentages/Percentages

Mahi-ā-ringa for the classroom

Addition - arms crossed to make a 'plus' Tapiri - add together

Subtraction - arms out wide in a line. Don't use 'minus'. Tangohia - take away

Multiplication - arms to make an 'x'

Division - 2 fists on top of one another.

Good ideas

• Display photos showing definitions of words and tamariki 'doing' the word.
• Use for basic facts questions when tamariki are working on their own. Some could use independently, some could work with teacher.
• Use whole class - Teacher Resource Book - Pattern and Algebra - introducing the = symbol. Balancing. 
• Numicon shapes are wonderful. A huge range of free resources are available on the Numicon site.

Questions I am left with

• Spiral approach - revisiting strands more frequently. A fabulous idea but how would this look in school wide planning?
• How could this look in conjunction with DMIC?
• How is it so different from Numeracy? (both follow concrete to abstract approach)
• Is this just a giant sales pitch? 
• Why is this not Ministry funded if it's so amazing?