Starting a bit behind the 8 ball! Days 1 - 4 of 30 Day Reflective Blogging Challenge

Hi Everyone,
Discovering this on twitter tonight after a great discussion around e-learning #edchatNZ, I thought I'd give this a go.  So, in the spirit of all things that I will catch up!

Day 1 - My Goals for 2014
Over the year has changed and now that we're past half way through the term reflecting upon the rest of the year I want to achieve the following things:

• Children using their blogs to show their learning, what they're achieving and working on
• Whanau interacting on the children's blogs and the class blog
• Have a planned what personalising learning the NIS way is
• And a personal one: complete my first year long paper in my journey to getting my post grad to then move onto my masters

They don't seem overall big but is a work in progress.  Have been throwing around different ways in which the children can have a more meaningful way to show their PLP (Personalised Learning Plan).  Keep posted about this, it'll most probably come up a lot!



Day 2 - Piece of Technology 
Where do I start!  There is so much out there! I am just a little excited about Google Classroom however, disappointed that it is having so much troubles as this would help me to achieve my goal around personalising learning the NIS way!

Since I first started this journey with two others in 2009 we toyed around with ideas and Google Classroom has given me a new sense of hope for what we want to do.  But waiting to get access to it!


Day 3 - Mention 1 "observation" area that you would like to improve on for your teacher evaluation
I need to get more of a strong student voice.  I am taking steps for next term around social action, what topics they'd like to look into, and now they're working on the steps in which they need to take and the learning they'll need.

In attempt to try to get more student voice took a different approach to teaching mode, median, and mean paired with decimals work of multiplying and subtracting decimals.  Through an activity on Maths Shed around Super Heroes.  The children are giving me the workshops I need to teach however, still getting them to move quickly through the work is giving it's own challenges.  Will find out tomorrow where they are all at!

Sorry just realised I didn't do day 4!

Day 4 - The thing that I love the most about teaching
A very hard question!  I suppose what I love about teaching is those "AH-HA" moments the children have.  When they have been struggling so much, then it clicks!  They're excited, you're excited, the pride they are bursting with - that is the thing I love the most about teaching!