DFI Workshop #2 - Workflow

I enjoyed revisiting google hangouts, how they are used and some of the tips and tricks to ensure a successful hangout.  "Hanging Out" with Dorothy at the beginning of the session was again informative. Learning the basics/decisions/theory behind Manaiakalani has been very interesting.

I have used Hangouts a few years ago with limited success. That may have been due to the dodgy wifi in the classroom at the time. There were still issues today but I guess practice makes perfect. It could be a useful tool to add to the toolbelt.

Working out the best way to utilise this with the learners, eg. with experts in the workplace around inquiry topics, etc will be something to ponder over the coming weeks.

Google search: 7 ways to use Google Hangouts in the Classroom

Learning more tips and tricks/extensions that will help streamline my use of google;

eg the Toby extension to manage chrome tabs has been fantastic. 

Google Keep was something I had dabbled with but not utilised to its full potential. Having the chance to explore this again and learn more about it was very useful. 

Having the presentations over the course of the day available to refer back to is great. There have been plenty of ideas that I have already taken back to Parkview Parua and shared with the team. 

Looking forward to next week!

DFI Week1 - Reflections

This is my reflection on Day 1 of the Digital Fluency Intensive. While looking forward to getting started in this DFI, I wasn't sure of how useful it would be, for me and my teaching. It was great to pick-up tips, tricks and new ideas on how to do new things and do old things better!

I have created a new "google group" for sports at Parkview Pārua school to keep the teachers involved and the teachers of students involved in sports happenings both in-school and inter-school. I think this will be useful to get information out efficiently to those who need it, rather than having them have to find the information in shared docs etc.

Another tip I found useful was using the Headings/Normal text functions and the table of contents. This was always a pain scrolling through docs - meeting minutes etc. to find the information I needed. I will definitely be sharing this with staff at Parkview help with organising docs. I have adapted the Doc I use for my writing groups to incorporate this feature. Click on the image below to have a look, and use if you like it.

I will use the link to the master table and copy and paste that at the top each session and add the current date as a heading to make each days writing easy to find.

Other tips from today that I will be following up on, are some of the extensions shared with us.

I am looking forward to next week.