Today was the final session for this DFI course and I am feeling rather sad that this has all come to an end. Each week I have really looked forward to reconnecting with others in this event and working alongside one another to develop an understanding of the Manaiakalani programme as well as gaining confidence in incorporate technology effectively in the classroom programme and using the learn/create/share model as the foundation for teaching and learning.
The main focus of today's session was to reflect on the last 9 weeks of this course. One of the things that I am most proud of is developing my confidence with Google sites and overhauling my class site into something that I am not only proud of but is now something that myself and my students are utilising as part of our classroom programme.
I really appreciated the opportunity to join breakout groups as part of this DFI course where we would opt in to sessions that targetted a specific need of our own. The support of the facilitators with this was fantastic and I feel that I gained so much from these sessions. They provided an opportunity for me to consolidate new learning and extend my confidence in the areas that those sessions focused on. The facilitators modelled incredibly well and their sessions were easy to follow. It was great being able to have the chance to practice what was being modelled as well.
Breaking off into our "digital bubble" groups was another thing about this course that I really appreciated and found very valuable. The groups were so supportive of one another and this created an environment where we felt safe to ask our "silly" questions as well as share and discuss our new learning or seek advice/guidance on something specific we may not fully understand. It was really good to touch base with this group at the start of each session and reflect on the week since the previous session and what we have used or need to work on.
I have gained so much from this course that I am taking back into the classroom with me. Over the past 9 weeks I have already introduced a lot of the concepts to my students and they have really enjoyed the challenge of this. We have used our class site more effectively and the students have gained a lot of confidence with posting onto their blogs and embedding a range of documents on there also. The students now have a better understanding of how to give a positive/thoughtful/helpful comment on another person's blog and it has been great as a teacher to view the comments they are receiving from one another. I have a set time on a Friday afternoon where my students post something onto their blog and make a comment on another student's learning.
My students have gained confidence with using Google drawings, Google slides, Google docs and we have also done several sessions on coding. The students have really enjoyed gaining confidence with these and have also been a valuable support for one another especially as some students are quicker to pick these things up than others. It is great for them to have the opportunity to use their skills and expertise to support others. I have also given the students opportunities to share this new knowledge with younger students through our sessions with our Junior buddy class.
A big part of today was sitting the Level 1 Google Educator exam. This was something that I had been feeling quite nervous and apprehensive about. I was surprised at how much I just automatically new from the last 9 weeks of our sessions and found that I really enjoyed the whole exam experience. I totally agree with what Dorothy said to use before beginning the exam in that it really just felt like an opportunity to practice what we had learned and I also found that I discovered a few new things along the way. I really enjoyed the experience and am feeling so glad that I gave it a go. Fingers crossed now as I wait for the exam results!
