Blog Post Analysis

This week I have been working with students completing Robyn Anderson from Panmure Bridge,
her wonderfull lesson on statistical analysis on blog posts.  I role modeled my graph with the students and we unpacked my graphs. I am working in January but not in schools so I have lots of time to catch up on readings, research and investigating other great ideas and work. So I have the time to post to my blog. December is my busiest month so didn't have the time to share to my blog.
My goal for this year is to increase my posts from about 2 a month up to at least 6 a month. This means I need to take the time to share and it can be a mixture of things. This is a good challenge for me and I know I can do it.

Ako Staff Meeting 2020

It was great to get the first staff meeting of the year completed early in the term while teachers are still fresh and motivated from the holidays. After the very long hot days, we are having here in Northland it was very nice to have the airconditioned library at Kaitaia Intermediate school. Not many of the staff were familiar with the SAMR model so it was great to give the teachers time to learn about it and try to link it to their current work. Having to sit with teachers of the same age level it was great to see lots of sharing of ideas, resources, and emails. I also had an attempt of including a mana potential assessment into the workshop. I feel we are still talking too much and need more teacher conversations, sharing, and activities and less of our facilitator's voice.

Mana Potential

On Friday 7 Feb. I was invited to attend some professional development that the Te Hiku Kahui Ako has decided to implement across the cluster. As the school I normally work on that day was there I attended the day.

Mana Potential- 

Mana potential is a strengths-based tool for behavior change.

It’s about mana (pride, strength, self-respect, empowering, identity, presence, confidence, self-worth). Brilliant actions and exceptional talent will be noticed and will enhance one’s mana; whereas actions that cause harm, will also be noticed and will have a negative effect on mana –  it will diminish.

We unpacked the word Mana and our understanding and many different definitions of it. Also putting it into children speak.

It is based around unpacking your and students' sources of strength, what keeps us well and strong in the world represented by Papatuanuku-Earth Mother-Nurturer, sustainer and life-giver.
They unpack and really get to know their students through requesting important information about the student's personal attributes, beliefs, places, and spaces important to them, important people, inspirational and go to people, interests hobbies, Aroha-things people do for you, actions you do for others and yourself. Treasures you hold dear to you, they can be people or things or places.
This really gives you a clear picture of the student and helps to make connections and build relationships.

Then they use Ranginui-sky father devoted partner, protector, and provider. This represents the various emotions and actions of people.
They use colors and the children of Ranginui and Papatuanuku to represents the feelings we go through.
Yellow-Rongomatane-Best day, optimum learning zone, engaged and challenged in your learning.
Orange-Maui -Doing well in some areas but not others, not quite sure how to complete a task, getting hoha.
Mauve Ruaumoko-On the edge, about to blow, struggling to keep up, confused, falling behind
Red Tu Matauenga- crises point, failing, not engaged, warfare, Explosive
Purple-Tawhirimatea- after crises, seeking help,
Blue-Tangaroa- repair, calmed down, restoration, new plan, Everyone safe.

Some of the warm-ups she used: everyone in a circle and she asked the questions and you moved seats if the answer was yes. A none threatening way to assess. Did you have breakfast this morning? Did you have a good sleep last night? A great way to assess anything by just changing the questions.

She also had A4 sheets of paper laminated with the colors and lined them up on the floor and gave them an example and asked us to line up behind the color that resonated with you. Suggesting to take photos and put them on the wall. Example 

Yellow-Felling great could carry on for another 2 hours.
Orange-Felling good and positive
Mauve- had enough ready to go home.
Red- Over it, got a headache, can't listen to another thing.
Purple- Need a break
Blue- was confused but starting to get it.

A great activity that can be used to assess anything a specific curriculum gaol, a lesson, students' feelings. Very none threatening.

One of her sayings I really resonated with:

"Don't fill my nothing with your something"

It was a great day and I really enjoyed the program and ideas. I can see how I can introduce it to my Manaiakalani work. It also empowers students to self regulate, engages and communicate their needs. They get to identify their strengths, emotions and allows them, their peers, Whanau, and teachers to support them to plan ways to best stay positive. This allows them to enhance their Mana not diminish it. 

Te Hiku Manaiakalani outreach 2 Launch Day

Te Hiku Launch Day29 January 
A great day at Kaitaia Intermediate. We started off with Dorothy Burt speaking about RATE Ako and the importance of good pedagogy.

We also Monica and Kerry introducing the new Digital curriculum. They shared the great resource of translating the curriculum terminology into the student's voice.

• Designing and developing digital outcomes.
• Computational thinking. 

We got to hear Joes MIT journey. Then we were lucky enough to hear Robyn Anderson from Panmure Bridge school and she shared her Inquiry.

I presented Talk moves looking at how to amplify and turbocharge them across the curriculum.

It was a great day with lots of learning happening. The teachers were very positive and gave great feedback.