Manaiakalani Innovative Teacher Project Summary 
2022

2021 ended with excitement as I was selected to be involved in the Manaikalani Innovative Teachers program (MIT).

It meant that in 2022 I would be working out how to solve a challenge I felt was impacting achievement. I wouldn't be doing it alone as the facilitators had sourced some wonderful brains from across Aotearoa.

Whanau are not engaging with online learning

My initial 'moonshot' was unveiled through a slide share and I immediately got feedback and forward through the 'why' process. This idea was Whanau are not engaging with online learning. I had ideas but these were unrefined and ultimately irrelevant. The Design Thinking Process introduced many other ideas and as I moved through the initial stages of this process my ideas and even my focus changed.

How might we...

So from here we looked at ways we could solve this problem. How we could turn it into an opportunity. We thought of reading parents comments so children would encourage home to engage. We talked about children flipping the learning by making videos to teach others. Info evenings came up. From these discussions we honed into using the word connect.

Camera's to Connect

The design boiled down to the 'Camera's to Connect' innovation. This was chosen because all my research pointed to the desire for humans to watch short videos that get to the point. These videos were short interviews with the children about one aspect of their learning.

The Design Thinking Process also allowed the idea to develop. Initially it was overly led by me but as the idea developed the children took more leadership of the presentation, making for a more appealing product. The use of a script polished things again and finally using the Google Meet streamlined recording.

I chose to email these as parents would look at emails from the teacher and by putting the video directly on the email they would have less distance to travel to connect. This also gave them an easy reply so I could access responses quickly and directly.

Here are some examples of correspondence -

Action Stations

The video involves...

• Considering the work you want to share.
• Aiming for something in the formative stage so the children can voice where to
• Giving the children a script to fill and think of
• Setting up a meet and area

These pre things mean when you get to the meet things will be smooth.

Filming the meet

• Introduce the children and have the child explain their learning

Sharing the Meet

• Email the parents with a link to the video
• Include a question so they have more incentive to reply

Wananga

As we neared the end of the process we headed to share our innovation with the Manaikalani Principlas at the annual Wananga. This year it was back on site at Waipuna. Thanks to previous opportunities to share in Rarotonga the public speaking aspect was less daunting. The relationships formed through the MIT sessions also gave us a support base and the experience was a highlight of my career so far. If you've made to here you might as well strap in and relive my Wananga experience in the video below.

Where's Wananga...

 Kia ora Tatou

 

 It was a sunny old day when I hit the runway in Auckland for the upcoming Manaikalani Wananga. 

I say upcoming but clearly this is a recount so you know I know how it went...

I shuttled to the Waipuna Conference centre and settled in, just in time, to a nice cold beer and conversation with my fellow MITers. There was, surprisingly, a lack of nerves as our preparation was well intrenched. After a fabulous buffet we ... okay lets jump to the event.

The morning had a few more nerves as a stream of who's who principals and leaders of eduction filled the hall. Our fearless leader gave us the final directions and we settled in to soak up the research. This element was equally valuable and offered a chance to reflect on my own practice and an avenue to share with my own clusters leaders.

The first of MIT crew hit the stage and nailed it. After an interlude with Dave and Russell (tough acts to follow) it was my turn to present. Despite butterflies it was over before I knew what was happening and it felt good.

The experience of MIT is near culmination and the opportunity to present was a major positive in confidence growth. The initiative creation was also of value but, selfishly, this aspect of public speaking is where I see my biggest benefit.

Hitting the Harbour and KPMG

KPMG in Term 2

The plane was full as we pulled out of Christchurch. I was the newby on this trip but luckily Anna was at the airport to Uber us to our hotel. It was a fish out of water situation and the wander around the viaduct was a real eye opener.

The morning meant access to a coffee and time to enjoy a Mojo breakfast. Once the MIT were assembled we headed into the KPMG building. The venue was a great space to share our ideas and the wander around later on showed they had really thought about productivity.

Sharing begun with a quick reflection of our progress.

Prototype

We then went into a little more depth sharing our 'prototype.' Mine was more of a presentation. I outlined where I had come and what my MIT focus was. Connect home with the learner. The adaptions that I had made from the hangouts had given me confidence that I was on the right track and the response from the team was mostly positive. It was great to hear how things might work from their perspective and some polishing points that will help with selling my concept and building on a template.

Examples of what was sent to parents and reflections.

Examples of response

The team

Anusha - shared her work on redesigning the learning experience. The blueprint was amazing and I think I will take an adapted version back ASAP to my planning at school.

Anna - shared her Bookflix website. Books galore with links to texts online. The use of forms to question - adapt in context - use of forms regularly to practice with inference comprehension.  (I will be using this ASAP)

Pip - Student feedback - letting them know how they are progressing.

How to PAT: Skimming and scanning - define. Tips on the question. Useful to target with groups texts.

Tools - Highlight 

- 

Alida - New Teacher's Induction

Website to show ways to teach in NZ, whether it is BT or teachers new to NZ.

Digital induction course

Add with specific school digital resource for new staff at NBC.

Deb - Tuning into Oral Language

Themes set up with specific inquiry. Featured texts - set vocab and prompts. Play provocations.

Looked at assessments and adapted to make more relevant to learner - see patterns.

Jono - Algebra - how to

Use of children to tutor peers

Web link to worksheets - set up as Learn, Create, Share

Some great work done by the team and good to have the progress analyses by colleagues.

Blogging - I learnt to be careful where I hide the gold in videos - make sure that the point is evident and quick - I hope you have managed to find the gold here.

March Meet-Up

 Hui - Flaxton RD1 

So, as the heading suggests this is not the wonderful exciting Auckland trip I had been looking forward to. The week prior I was struck down with the dreaded 2 stripes. I felt like I would be OK by the time Monday rolled around and was due out of Isolation just in time. Well come the Sunday it was evident the whole trip would be a bridge too far. I was grounded.

Even working from home was a challenge as the Covid lingered in my system but I managed to be present and engaged for the whole day. 

We started with a checkin and 3 Ws

I was very challenged in this as I felt we had moved around in circles from the time at Kouatuna. I felt that I should focus on existing tools and how I can better present them to the school community. Discussion proved this kind of push was already happening in schools. I had to dig deeper and consider some of the HMW statements that were focused on different approaches.

I was waning and actually had a nap while the crew went walk about with the delicious lunch supplied to them. I did make it back in time to hone in on the crazy 8s ideas and what would be a focus for me. The idea that was considered not happening now and a bit of a why has created a few logistical considerations since.

I am still torn and working on producing an outcome that will meet the focus assigned to me.

Alright stop, collaborate and find the opportunity...

 How Might We...

Whānau rarely engage with online learning. Making learning ubiquitous.

The task involved all the MIT team. We were presented with all the problems brought forward by the team. They were posted around the room and the wondering wandering began. We were given some great direction from Dorothy in the form of question starters. 

We were tasked with looking at each problem and considering how we could turn it into an opportunity. With a good range of things to challenge us the ideas were up before you could say post-it note. 

I was given a slew of ideas from the team. Each one with merit and a set up for what I could do to address my problem. I enjoyed the whole process and the chance to offer my ideas on other projects and, of course, directly pick the team's collective brains.

We then fed back what had been suggested. 

A good way to emphasise those who are engaging

Modelling - maybe useful to check up on Classroom on air

We use these in the blog but having the students

go home and encourage the whanau to check it

out might be a good start

If time is a factor for those at home

extra may be a challenge

Great idea - regular check in sessions

targeting groups and showcasing their children's

work

Giving whanau more buy in could spark

things on the BLOG front

YES!

This was a great activity and initiated many new approaches and ideas in addressing the issues we have identified.

Who...

WHO...

This was an exercise in identifying who could help us with our projects.

We went close to home initially, coming up with those we felt were obvious. 

Then it got fun (no offence to my purple people)

We were able to consider anyone (they did have to be living)

We could be creative in this although I think I went a bit overboard but felt that some of my selections were clever and valuable.

The activity opened our eyes to the possibilities and gave us some broad ideas how we could approach our problems. Who would you use to help you connect learning with whanau?

 

Role Play

 Roll on to the role play

What does our problem look like?

To further break down our problem we dusted off those acting skills again and took up roles to show how the problem affected the stakeholders identified.

I got to work with Pip who was focusing on providing higher order skills and questions to her students. I played Nick a typical disillusioned teen with the weight of the world on my shoulders, subtly implying a lack of direction from home through facial ticks and ...no I was just Nick the student. We looked at simple and higher order thinking through questioning. Pip asked simple questions which I was able to answer then responded with shoulder shrugs when things got deeper.

In my role-play we looked at my problem from 2 perspectives. Lock down and how the caregiver would support and engage with the learning and out of lock down where the caregiver was too busy or had other things they were doing that they valued more.

The activity showed that through parody I could identify my perceptions. Whether or not they are reality is still to be proved but the team agreed that this was also what they perceived about the issues we identified.

We had to consider why our problem was a problem and how other stakeholders feel, act and may perceive things.

 

Academy Awards - Role Play

 And the Oscar goes to

Our first foray into the process of unpacking our ideas onsite was also a great ice breaker.

Our initial identified problems were put on show at a parent meeting with the premise that these things were going to be taken to the ministry and how do 'we, as parents' feel about them.

We had Jenny sitting in as the school principal and Dorothy was our board chair. The rest of the team were parents from different walks of life. I drew the successful artist with a loose look at the way a school should be run. We had farming parents, lawyers, grandparents ex lecturers, plumbers, among other things.

Each problem came up on the screen and vigorous discussion ensued.

Free image pixabay

The process was a great way to unpack problems form a range of perspectives

It identified shortcomings in our initial proposals and gave ideas on honing them in.

It allowed us to consider where we were pointing fingers when coming up with problems and the perspective of blame.

It did paint a picture of a worrying trend in the school with many problems coming from a range of sources.

and... importantly it was fun with no judgement, just discussion.

The next step was taking this discussion and the ideas generated and clarify our own problem. I must have changed my initial problem's wording 10 times before finalising my idea, maybe.

• Whanau rarely engage with online or ubiquitous learning.

Why, why, why, why, why = wise

 Tell me why

Following the Moonshot Proposal we were paired up. We were tasked with connecting with a fellow MITer and ask why!

This is designed to challenge the problem identified and dig deeper into it. It provides a fresh set of eyes and ideas and opens discussion targeted at the identified problem.

I was teamed up with Jono and his problem involving Maths at Year 7/8 level and Deb came on board to help me dissect my problem around whanau engagement online.

The process was nice and simple yet proved engaging and enjoyable, if challenging when thinking of whys.

• Read through your buddies proposal
• Focus on the problem and ask 1 why question
• Wait for response then ask another why question based on this response
• Wait for response then ask another why question based on this response
• Wait for response then ask another why question based on this response
• etc

 

 It was a positive way to connect with another member of the team and a start in the getting to know you part of collaborating. It built trust and a relationship in a meaningful way while challenging each others thinking.

New Moon - The Moonshot Proposal

 

The task: Identify a challenge impacting students in our class or at our school

• I had been concerned with the lack of commenting on blogs.

It was evident the children who were getting a buy in from home were performing better academically and those who had had no responses were not invested in blogging. Their posts were rudimentary at best and they were reluctant to take time to produce quality posts.

I considered this and considered ways to improve this engagement from home. Eventually I came up with the initial problem of...

• Whanau are not engaging with online learning

This was broader and I felt it was a good place to start.

I took this problem and continued through the Moonshot process.

I had to identify who it is a problem for and how do I know it's a problem. Looking further afield I found information that supported my thoughts on the impact of social media at home.

The next step was to come up with some initial proposals and ideas that may help improve outcomes and address the problem I had identified.

The initial stage of the moonshot proposal ended with considering how technology could impact my problem in a positive way.

The Moonshot proposal process was a great way to identify my initial ideas. I am sure they will be extended and challenged through the year working with MIT. I am confident and excited to see where the inquiry takes me!

MIT - assemble

Thursday ended early for me as I had to hightail it to the airport to begin the journey to Kuaotuna in the Coromandel.

I was the only traveller from the South Island and was looking forward to the adventure up north. It felt like a huge privilege to be included in the team and the rich history of the previous participants and their innovations.

I managed to get to Kuaotuna in time for tea. The venue was amazing and the Manaiakalani team of Jenny, Dorothy and Matt made everyone feel welcome. 

It turned out we were missing a couple of members of our MIT team onsite but the valuable discussion and thinking was present the whole 3 days. (as was the beautiful beach and incredible night sky!)

The Kuaotuna team!

I left the team for the trek back home with a full mind and excitement to see where the inquiry would take me and the team. 

Soaring above the clouds