Today’s digital fluency workshop was a valuable opportunity to reconnect, reflect, and deepen our understanding of effective teaching in a digital learning environment. The session followed a thoughtful structure that balanced collaboration, theory, and hands-on exploration. We began the day by connecting with one another through a karakia and regrouping in our digital bubbles. This opening created a supportive space to share our experiences since the last session. Discussing what has worked well, what has been challenging, and where we need support was a powerful way to ground the day in real classroom practice. It reinforced the importance of ongoing reflection and collaboration in our teaching journeys. The focus then shifted to the Manaiakalani pedagogy, guided by Dorothy, with an emphasis on the Learn, Create, Share framework. Today’s spotlight on visible learning encouraged us to think more intentionally about how we make learning explicit and accessible for our students. It was a timely reminder that learning should not be hidden, it should be seen, shared, and celebrated. We also explored practical strategies for increasing visibility through Hāpara, with Stacey sharing useful tips on how to better showcase student learning. This linked nicely to the broader theme of making learning more transparent and connected. A key highlight of the morning was the deep dive into multi-modal learning. We unpacked what “multi-modal” really means and how it supports an inclusive and differentiated approach. This session challenged us to think beyond traditional methods and consider how different modes of visual, audio, text, and interactive elements can better meet the diverse needs of our learners.
After the break, we moved into an exploration phase, where we examined examples of multi-modal learning sites. This was particularly inspiring, as it provided concrete ideas and models that we can adapt for our own contexts. Later in the morning, Vicki introduced us to Google Sites, guiding us through the process of creating a site from scratch. This hands-on session helped build confidence and highlighted the potential of Sites as a platform for designing engaging, accessible learning spaces.
In the afternoon, we were introduced to Angela Moala’s Multi-Text Database. This resource showcased how teachers are curating and sharing rich, multi-modal content. It also opened up the possibility for us to contribute our own resources, reinforcing the idea of teaching as a collaborative and evolving practice. The final session focused on levelling up our own work. In groups, we began planning the content and layout of our own sites, using a range of tools to map out ideas. I was in Kerry’s group where we made a site on the topic “Matter” for junior science. This collaborative planning time was both productive and energiZing, as it allowed us to share perspectives and build on each other’s ideas.
Overall, the workshop was a meaningful blend of reflection, learning, and creation. It reinforced the value of visible learning, the power of multi-modal approaches, and the importance of collaboration.
This is a snippet of the site i created and published.
