DFI 6 Collaborative Sites

Today our Tairawhiti DFI professional learning group were discussing the visible learning kaupapa of Manaiakalani schools and how to do so with collaborative google sites. 
To really have empowered learners they should have access to planning, WALTs, LOs AOs, and outcomes. Learners, whānau, and colleagues should also have access to the learning pathways. 

Image by DigitalShards from Pixabay 

One of the discussions we had was that if learning is not visible then it's like trying to navigate through a maze, which can be the most frustrating experience (one which I had the frustration of doing with a two year old in tow recently - Not recommended!). 

Having a visible class site, and visible teaching and learning plans enables learners to truly be empowered to drive their own learning, at their pace using rewindable multi-modal resources.  

We also looked at multi-modal learning during the day. We had the chance to review some past sites that teachers had created before creating our own. One of my Yr 7/8 class inquiry sites [Ocean Politics] was on the list of exemplars. This was a great opportunity for me to reflect. Looking at the site, I liked the learning activities that I had created for developing learner's critical thinking, and their were plenty of multi-modal resources. However many of them were simply hyperlinks. Most of the site was TEXT. It was dry, dull, boring, and un-engaging. Where I should have embedded content there were links. Where I could have added images and diagrams there was text and links. All of the content was hidden behind clickable links, it was there, but not obvious to learners who often consume first with their senses before reading. Understandably - reading requires more cognitive power than digesting an image or listening.

Where was my hook? I created the oceans site in 2014. At the time I had been in a 1:1 chomebook class for less than a year. Fast forward a couple of years to 2016 when I look at the Yr 4-6 science units I created for Taste & Smell, Colour and Light, & Buoyancy. These examples I am much happier with. There is a variety of resources embedded directly into the sight. The learning objectives are clear, and rewindable content is clear and easy for learners to access (without loads of click throughs required!). However even looking at these sights I still see room for improvement - and perhaps with the new google sites being available this would be easier to produce cleaner more user friendly content. 

The other important thing to note is that multi-modal resources and rewindable learning opportunities are no substitute for quality teaching. The two go hand in hand and one really cannot exist without the other. Know thy learner. Hook thy learner. Teach and provide quality multi-modal resources which they can revisit to cement and extend their learning. Therefore being empowered agentic learners in their own right and meeting the NZC vision statement that young people are "confident, connected, actively involved, and lifelong learners"  

I enjoyed reflecting on my sites and how far my teaching practices have come with the use of digital technologies. Our DFI cohort also had time to create a multimodal site, as always I ask you to check out their blogpost reflections and sites they are working on. Comments not mandatory, but appreciated.