Tairawhiti DFI Day 5

Kia Ora all. Today's DFI session was focusing on Devices. We were looking at the backstory of how we at Manaiakalani have come to use 1:1 devices, and most importantly how to use said devices. As teachers it's so important to be able to put ourselves in our learners shoes and practice using the same tools that they do (as usually as teachers we're equipped with macbooks or hp laptops, rather than chromebooks). However we need to know what functionality their devices have (AND don't have!) if we're to be setting learning activities for them.
The other key component of today was looking at the Manaiakalani Cybersmart curriculum.
This is and should be such an integral part of our teaching programme. If we're going to be giving learners access to the world with a device, it's crucial that they're given the tools through an intentional cybersmart curriculum to become smart learners, building smart relationships and creating a smart digital footprint. This links with not only the NZ Curriculum vision, but also Manaiakalani pedagogy of Learn Create Share being connected confident and empowered lifelong learners. 

Three key takeaways are: 

• Cybersmart is about creating positive language. SMART - rather than SAFE (which implies danger and has negative connotations) 
• Learners need opportunities to develop Cybersmart relationships. This is where blogging and commenting on blogs is useful. 
• Explicit teaching of the Cybersmart curriculum (within contexts) is necessary, and the smart learners, smart footprints, and smart relationships components should be addressed at the beginning of every year. 

Our Tairawhiti DFI cohort today were asked to create a screencastify of one of the cybersmart lessons. As always I ask you check out their blogs and leave a quality blog comment.