I have to say I'm not sure about getting badges and displaying them on emails as some people have done.
I understand if you are a contractor or 'paid facilitator' because it's branding of your product being used for marketing.
These badges are dated and or expire.
But as teachers it's mark of point of difference' in the staffroom.
It is finished.... or is it just starting. In the light of Covid19 I was proud of the limited site that I had created during the first lockdown. Yes, it was obviously created by a rookie but it did the job it was intended to.
Now that I have completed the DFI programme, the site has had an upgrade. My students have it book marked and what is on the site is being updated. Both the students and I are better equipped for teaching and learning if and when the next lockdown occurs.
The ideal of ubiquitous is not and probably will not be accomplished anytime in the immediate future for many in my class. Anytime, anywhere, any pace from anyone... requires students to have a device and the internet readily and freely available. Also it needs 'parentals' to buy into it. I have a student whose parents believe 'he is addicted to the screen' and so do not what him using a device. So moving forward into this 'new era of schooling', I regret there are just somethings I can't change and have to refer onto management.
However, DFI has made it possible to do regular reflection on my own digital fluency, enabled me to use new teaching tools with my students and experience exam taking this century.
Rangatiratanga - chieftainship, the right to exercise authority....voice/choice /ownership.
The catch phrases used to start our sessions today. The key idea being education can empower people to boldly step into uncharted experiences and opportunities.
By the end of this session I neither felt empowered nor bold. It still takes relationship and safe parameters to build trust for risk taking, even in a digital educational environment.
We were told about the google exam that it seemed you had to jump through hoops just to be able to set and that you were expected to have the credit card facilities to make happen for yourself. Granted most teacher do but it reminded me of Tanzania; where you have to already have an education to get an education. You have to have paid your own primary schooling to be able to receive the free secondary school education. Therefore the system providing a barrier to participants without actually turning any away.
Above is a 'thing' (I use that phrase because I didn't catch the term for what we were making) by using computational thinking (programme coding). It was my first venture into using 'Scratch'. I do see how some in my class would enjoy the creating aspects of it and sharing it. I also explored using other basic block coding. My class would connect well with the Mindcraft and Flappy Games examples that were shared. As a classroom teacher I need to upskill more to make teaching coding a less dortining reality for me, although I do see how students with lower literacy levels can still achieve success in coding.
