Pili A Pa'a: Solidifying New Knowledge

Our principal, Mr. Glenn Gray, wrote a grant to establish a space for professional and reflective teacher practice. In partnering with PIDF (Partners In Development Foundation), Holualoa Elementary offers two teachers a four-week intensive training/collaboration period to enhance their teaching practices. Teachers work with instructional coaches to create units of instruction for their respective content area(s). Coaches provide critical feedback and research based instructional strategies to enhance the curriculum development process. This post serves as a brainstorm reflection of my participation thus far in this mini-sabbatical cycle.

November 5, 2014: Hawaii Education Leadership Summit 2014

November 6 & 7, 2014: Schools of The Future Conference

November 10-14: CourseBuilder, Google Classroom, Computer Literacy

November 17, 2014: Tech adventures in Oahu: Iolani, Momilani Elementary, Hale Kula Elementary, Ali'iolani

November 18-21: Google Apps for Education + Moving towards Creative Computing using Google Classroom

* VEX IQ competition November 1, 2014
* FLL and Jr. FLL competition November 15, 2014
* HIKI NO! tour of Global Virtual Studios showcase: November 13, 2014

Essential questions:

1. "We're at a spot where digital literacy is as important as reading, writing and math." How can we better coach digital literacy?
2. How does this version of blended learning look, feel, structure and work?
3. How can we structure three areas of blended learning at our campus: a) use of computer/technology as tutor and data tracking, b) use of computer/technology as way to create and learn computer literacy skills, c) use of computer/technology as way to synthesize, create, tinker, build, investigate, design, play, program?

Kamehameha BELIEVE

Most grateful appreciation for inclusion at the Kamehameha believe Kukulu Kaiaulu 2014: Building Global Communities. Another beautiful performance of ideas in action; manifesting dreams.

Two take-aways and One plug:

1. Dewitt Jones: enough said. Best Keynote speech I've heard to date. Thank you.
2. Talking live via Face Time and Google HOA with Hokulea and Hikianalia: Unreal!!!! Safe travels. Thank you for your service.

http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/20016532/

+Plug= Link to Agenda for my breakout session: SCRATCH and other Adventures in PLAY and FLOW steAm learning: From PLNs to MOOCs, TurtleArt to SCRATCH, Computer Clubhouse to Maker Space to CoderDojo

#HITC2014: Hawaii Island TechEd Collaboration @ Kamehameha Schools Hawai'i, Keaau

Being invited to HITC materialized for me the energy put into motion five years ago, with the Schools Of The Future Initiative. I feel grateful for being given the opportunity to participate. After the welcoming greeting chant from Kamehameha students and community song, the opening keynote with +Adam Bellow was a call to arms against the mustn'ts (in reference to Shel Silverstein's poem), and a reminder that anything can be.

My 5 Take Aways:

1. I am in total awe of the work being produced from the Kamehameha Schools Hawaii Performing Arts Academy. I enjoyed seeing how hula, film, performing arts, costume design, and technology are being remixed into new creations. I think in addition to awe, I left the conversation wondering how do we hold, honor, and value each traditional discipline, while creatively remixing?
2. Naviance: Family Connection–It is no doubt a few years since I myself went through the college admissions procedure in secondary school. I remember my father telling me back then, how different it was than when he decided to go to college. And, yes it is different for this generation too. I was enlightened by Kamehameha's College and Career Counseling team, and learned about many things this software program can offer. What kind of learner are you? What is your Myers-Briggs code? What is the average SAT/GPA for the college you want to attend? Need SAT prep? How do you rank? Start your college application? This just scratches the surface of what is built into this software program.
3. 1:1 5th grade iPad Student Presentation: I learned so much from the fifth graders sharing their portfolios and other learnings from the year. They shared the process of how they post and share their class blog, http://blogs.ksbe.edu/kaahhee, and tweet out @5BFish. They were able to Skype with a best selling author, and are currently Quad blogging! Here were the top apps they recommended: 

• Keynote (although hard to share work between students)
• Telegami (30 second videos, more sophisticated than...
• BuddyPoke which allows four minute rockstar videos)
• iMovie
• PicCollage
• Book Creator
• PicsArt 

      4.  Student KGB, Kamehameha Genius Bar: Na'u E Koho: Digital Citizenship
Ethical Use of Technology for grades 9-12 is taught and directed by the students of this group, under guidance from +Kealii Akina and +Kristi Martines. All students receive twenty minutes of instruction in this course on Thursdays. I'm looking forward to digging in deeper investigating this curriculum. Very cool.

Kaluhi, Luke and classmates patiently answered my many questions.

     5. MineCraft EDU with +Shane Asselstine: I took wood from the treasure chest, followed a path, jumped, placed wood and built a 24' aquarium using glass, wood, ice and ax. All in realtime with 20+ other participants. Awesome. Then I went home and created my first world, entering my first seed: Cow Poop USA (why of course when I'm being taught by my nine year old son). That night, using PE on an iPad, I was very interested in my teacher's shaka-like hand placement, as he naturally maneuvered the world using the iPad tool. I was so nervous for nightfall! Maybe I'll post a screenshot of my first dwelling. On second thought, that would just embarrass myself. 

Unfortunately the day ended too soon, as logistics forced a quick exit. Closing keynotes are so challenging. I was sorry not to make it live for the oh-so-clever +Amy Burvall. The notes are inspiring, and I am disappointed to have missed her.

Week One Reflections: LCL2

My current memory:

I did not find a love or disdain of fly fishing. I chose to read and draw and be. It is the shared time with family members along the river bank, or in car rides to and from the cabin, that I now treasure. Unlike my older sister Jennie who ended up making a living out of fly fishing, I became a dedicated fisherperson only when my little brother would venture back to the parked car to tell me his catch number. I would then put the book or drawing pad down to go out on a mission to surpass. It is in my later years that I realize the minor details of the catch. The study of entomology, the cycle of life; and yes I tied some Woolley Buggahs that caught plenty Rainbow, Brook and Brown Trout!

My response from last year:

Gears from My Childhood

It is funny.  I read Paupert's affinity for gears at age two, and my first reaction is, "Gosh, I don't remember age two.  I certainly didn't dream of gears.  He must be brilliant.  I must be no one important or of worthy sharings because I must not be a prodigy like him."

And then I pause.  Gears no.  Color yes.  I have always seen light.  I remember squinting my eyes and seeing the color spectrum floating like molecules all around me in little 'u' shapes.  I told my mom, "But yes, yes you can see air."

Whether or not you can 'see air' this was an ah-ha experience.  I still look for the rainbows.  It is funny.  We are all so different.  We all have a slice of prodigy.

Post Hawaii Google Apps For Education Reflections

I could spend a great amount of time today playing with words to post here. Instead here are a few links to work I have already created and sourced in the last few days as I move through reflective processing.

1. Click here to see other collaborative reflections. Collaborative PresentationThanks +Michelle Carlson Colte
   
2. Work directly translates into my personal reflections for MIT's Learning Creative Learning Year Two course which started last week. Join this MOOC here: http://learn.media.mit.edu/
3. Click here to see reflections from EdTech Mixed Plate. EdTech Mixed Plate Episode 15 Thanks +Megan Cummings +Michelle Carlson Colte +Michael Fricano II +Rachel Armstrong 
4. Click here to see reflections from MauiLibrarian. Google Rocks, Episode 29 Thanks +Linda Lindsay 

Joyful Gratitude

There are so many reasons and ways to be thankful today and every day. Yesterday I received a surprise email which created joy tears and chicken skin. With small changes, the ripples carry.

At the beginning of the year a second grade teacher on campus volunteered to bring her kids once a week to a creative computing session that we ran together. (OK – well that I 'ran' but both of us tinkered and played together with the kids.) This session was in addition to the weekly allotted computer time they already receive. (This extra session was even during their traditional reading block!)

Because of various affects to the schedule due to holidays and other small/big changes creating ripples around campus, our extra creative computing session lost its momentum.

Yesterday I received the email below with an image of a proud student holding the monitor.

Today we had a turkey drawing contest!  Using our programming software Turtle Art, who could come up with a program to design a turkey? And the winner is Kainoa Smith.

This second grade teacher found her own joy in playing and creating in TurtleArt and now the computers in her homeroom are being used to program! The ripples are carrying!

Experimenting with QR, Avatars, and Scratch...

in preparation for Monday's last work session prior to Junior Robotics showdown Saturday, November 9!

kealakeherobotics.org

My Avatar

Scratch Wildfire Video Game – http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/13861417/#player