DFI through a Principal’s eyes

DFI through a Principal’s eyes (Harry’s Blog 2, 30-7-2019):

Whakatauki (Proverb)

“Whāia te iti kahurangi, ki te tūohu koe, me he maunga teitei”

“Seek what you value and treasure most: if you should stumble, then let it be to a lofty mountain.”

A message about determination and overcoming challenges to reach your goal.

Introduction:

Kia ora, if you are reading my blog for the first time. I wish to introduce myself. I am a Principal of a Christchurch Secondary School (Mairehau High School) in Canterbury. Today’s Blog is about sharing, my learning, reflections, and thoughts while attending a Digital Fluency Intensive (DFI) course. The following link takes you to an overview of DFI: DFI overview. The overview will provide you with the goals and actions of the programme, and importantly how the course aligns to a pedagogy of practice known as Learn, Create, and Share.

Learning:

I know that genuine personal learning is occurring when I can do things that I couldn’t do before. Having an opportunity to develop new skills and capabilities by completing the DFI course, I trust, will deepen my confidence that, in fact, real learning is occurring for me. As a lifelong learner, I am learning to use new digital tools, I am creating, and I am sharing. 

I  wish to apologise to readers that my blogs are currently being written in ‘the first person’. As a Maori, I feel very uncomfortable about that, and writing in this style is not natural for me. But, I am also uncomfortable attending DFI. I draw guidance from today’s whakatauki; let us learn and let us share.

What has worked for me since DFI One? 

Google groups: I used and created 3 different google groups: Senior Leadership, Deans, Teaching staff.

Blogging: I created and posted my first blog.

Other Google tools: I am exploring Google docs and sheets.

What hasn’t worked or made sense?

Last week, I used google groups as a platform to communicate with my staff. I had mixed reactions to my communique. My Dean’s, all indulged their principal, and somewhat reluctantly accepted my group invitation. The “Staff Teachers” group was a bit of a disaster; not many accepted the invitation, albeit I had news of the extra $1500 in their pay packet this week. I have a bit of work to do, and I want to know how to improve takeup.

I can see the potential of google groups strengthening communication, collaboration, and feedback in the school environment. I will let you know how I get on.

I am now blogging. My curiosity is allowing me to have a tutu (play) with some of the other Google tools. I don’t really know what I am doing; it’s a lot of fun. I am not entirely convinced about moving from Microsoft word/ excel to google docs/ sheets. I’m prepared to give both a go and just see what happens.

What do I need help with?

I need more help with formatting the presentation of my pages, creating links, adding images, sharing content, i.e. making my pages more dynamic, interactive, and exciting to look at. I will ask someone to show me how to link into other blogs. I wish to comment to DFI friends, colleagues, whanau and students.

DFI & Learn, create, and share:

I see DFI as a multi-level programme to support my Principal’s role, strengthening communication by using google tools within a google environment. However, more holistically, I view DFI as a pathway to support Learn, create and share teaching and learning practices, which will provide equitable learning outcomes and opportunities for our students, and the generation of students to come.

First steps:

I am most appreciative of the opportunity to participate in our DFI programme. Many Principals give so much to others without reward or acknowledgement of themselves. We walk a moral path through life, we want the best for our students, and we are often judged by others. I trust that other principals will take the opportunity to step out of their school for a short time and take the opportunity to attend DFI.

I hope to create awareness and sensibility, and use the knowledge learnt from DFI to support me in my leadership role. I trust that I will become a better principal and professional leader as a direct outcome of learning, creating and sharing.

A moment from DFI last week:

I leaned over and  looked at Lucy’s screen and said, “What are you  placing into your blog?” ‘a giphy’, Lucy replied “eh? What’s a giphy?’ I said. Lucy gave me a puzzled look and then took the time to explain to me the meaning of giphy. 

Later, Mark showed us how you could download 1000s of giphys’ from the web. I had never heard of the term. In DFI, I am not only learning about digital fluency, but I am also learning a new digital vocab. I thought of Shakespeare: I wonder what Bill would have done, in his time, with a giphy? 

“Ti’s nobler in mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune”(Hamlet). 

Today’s Learning

The learning for me today, has focussed on leadership communication and collaboration by using a suite of Google tools. I have been learning about four useful Google tools: Google- Hangouts, Keep, Gmail, and Calendar. I am familiar with Gmail and Calendar, and because of DFI, I am much more knowledgeable about these tools. The lucid DFI presentation from Tanya is appreciated by all, showing our group a range of short cuts, actions and opportunities.

Google Hangouts: A useful communication tool which enables messaging and chats.

Google Keep: This is a cool way to keep notes, which is linked to Gmail and calendar.  I especially like the phone image to text conversion; this is a time-saver, and I will show students and staff. In my view, a useful tool for students, staff and whanau.

I wasn’t able to contribute too much to our afternoon hang-group that I worked with today. I had techy issues with m microphone, kei te ahua (ah well).

I have enjoyed learning about the G-tools that I thought that I was already familiar with, e.g., Gmail and Google calendar. I have used both for many years; today, I have fine-tuned my knowledge and learning about each. 

This is my second DFI workshop, and already I feel like I have learnt much. I am applying my newly acquired knowledge to the everyday context of Principalship. It is satisfying learning new knowledge looking at opportunities that challenge my role.

At the moment, I seem to be taking, i.e. the manaiaKalani team of schools have shared an immense amount of knowledge and information. When I have successfully completed DFI, I expect to share my learning, experiences, and understanding with my students, staff, community and the world. My eyes are opening to an opportunity of possibilities. If you are a Principal or leader in your school, you must seriously consider committing to the next DFI course.

I wish to close with a favourite whakatauki, a proverb learned years ago as a Deputy Principal in Rangitikei and appropriate to Learn, Create and Share. I have made a change to the translation.

“Ko te manu, e kai ana te miro, nona te ngahere

Otira, ko te manu e kai ana te matauranga nona te ao.”

The bird that takes sustenance from the fruit of the miro, shall master the ways of the forest.

However, the bird that takes sustenance from “Learn, Create and Share”, shall master the ways of the world.