Becoming a Digitally Fluent Principal.

Introduction

E Tutu!“He aha koe e tutu ana?” my father asked.

A long time ago, I remembered waiting for my Dad. He was inside, having a quiet one with his mates. In those days, there was six o’ clock closing. I was a bit hoha and hungry. Dad gave me a packet of chips, a coke, and a torch with batteries. He said, ‘you have to put the batteries in the torch to make it work’. It was getting dark. I was only about six at the time. I remember having a tutu with the torch. The torch was a bit larger than my hand, rectangular in shape, and yellow. 

I knew that I had to unscrew the back of the torch, looking around the ‘old chev’, I found a pocket knife in the glove box of the car. I unscrewed the battery compartment of the torch, trying not to lose the small screw, I placed the two batteries in the torch. I was very pleased with myself, I switched it on, and it didn’t work. I immediately thought that the torch was broken, did I break it? I was annoyed, and it was getting dark. I took the batteries out, turned them both around, and it still didn’t work. Perhaps the bulb was faulty, I thought. I was a bit frustrated, so I shook the batteries, turned them around again. It still didn’t work. I kept on turning those batteries around, I carefully replaced the case, and it still didn’t work. I continued to persist with the same strategy. An hour later, that torch still didn’t work. I was lucky to have chips and coke to take my mind off the frustration of my broken torch.

I decided to do something different, and it shouldn’t do any harm. It made no sense to my six-year-old mind, to place the batteries in opposite directions in the compartment. I flicked the switch, and to my amazement, the torch worked. I didn’t understand it, but the polar ends of the batteries had to be at opposites for the torch to work.

I was happy, elated, and felt very clever. I got that torch working. I was shining it all over the car and shining it on any passers-by.

He aha koe e tutu ana? (what are you playing with?), my dad said. I shined the light into his eyes. He smiled at me and said, ‘Ka pai boy, you got it going, time to go home’.

 This is my fourth week attending the Digital Fluency Intensive (DFI) course, and I can see analogies between the above narrative and DFI.In recent weeks, I have been learning about Google and other digital tools. I find myself having a tutu with gmail, calendar, drive and google keep. There are some things that I have tried and failed; there are other things that I have learnt and had success. 

MyDrive, calendar and gmail are now streamlined and organised. I have a better understanding of using each of the tools for leadership purposes. I regularly use shortcuts to save time. At the moment, my use of Google drawing and Google sites is rudimentary. I take inspiration from our Year 10 Flexible Learning Time group. Each student was busy compiling their very own student profile in the Google site environment.

I think that being inquisitive and being a tutu is fundamental to my own sense of learning. I have always been comfortable with trying new things, failing with things, but being persistent about things. It is okay to try and fail, but keep on going, never give up. The more I learn about Digital Fluency, the more I realise I do not know. There is so much content out there. I need to sort out the useful stuff that will make my role more efficient.

How can I apply my Digital learning to Teaching and learning, whanau and community, internal review, personnel, finance and property, health and safety, and legal compliance?

It is my intent as part of the DFI programme to create a Leadership programme to support my role as a Principal. At the end of the DFI course, I can share my learning with others.

 I take this opportunity to reflect on my learning from last week.

What has worked for me since the last time we met? 

I have a better understanding and appreciation of the interconnectedness of various Google tools to share, collaborate and update information. The functions in each of the Google platforms are similar; therefore, the transition of data from one Google tool to another is seamless.

What hasn’t worked or made sense?

I require help with the functionality of the voice to text tool in the Google Keep environment.

What do I need help with?

I require a more in-depth content knowledge of the Google sites tool to support leadership.

 Having a natural curiosity, I want to seek a deeper understanding of the Google tools. I am now using Docs regularly and incorporating it in everyday practice. I enjoy the functionality of all the tools and how they link to each other. I have a better understanding of sharing either individual documents or folders. I have more confidence to share, who to share with, and what to share. In my role of Principal, there are documents confidential to specific people; therefore, it is essential to ensure the integrity of information in the sharing environment.

The theme of today’s lesson is ‘Computational thinking’ in the context of tohatoha (sharing). 

I enjoyed the ‘Trailblazers presentation’ on the 10 breakthrough technologies, according to Microsoft founder Bill Gates. The idea of new-wave nuclear power (fusion) being available to the public as a clean source of limitless energy is mind-blowing.

There is an ethical question raised when robots are being used for military motives. As humans, what controls are being put in place to ensure safety.  What about ‘Sophia’ the human-like robot? is there a place for a robot to have independent thought, creativity, and purpose?

For thousands of years, humans have developed a thirst for knowledge, and through the centuries, the question of how we use advancements to either benefit or destroy humanity has always been considered.

It is no different now, we have access to a different type of knowledge, and I believe that the odious apparatus technology needs to be considered and measured. It is up to us as a species to ensure that we pass on to generations the importance of being human, the importance of being self.

What makes us human? What are the characteristics that make us different from the diodes, capacitors, and LEDs of our most advanced robots or computers?

For me, it is about who I am, ko wai au? I am who I am. I think about my own sense of identity and connection to my cultural context, I think about my whanau, my inner wairua or essence that makes me the person that I am. I think about, those who have come before me, nga whakatipuranga mai ra no.

I need to process the moral imperative of technology taking over my thinking. I am not ready for the driverless car or plane. I am not prepared for 'binary numbers" to make a decision on what could be a life or death situation. I am who I am. I am not going to allow a 'diode' to determine the future of my own choices. Call me ancient, out of touch, or not with it, perhaps I just have a lot of digital growing up to do. I do not need email to converse with a colleague a few doors from my office, old fashioned talking still works. My point is that we need to be very considered in 'How and Why' we use new digital technology. We need to teach our children responsibility in the use of all technologies, and we need to remind ourselves what are the most essential things in life.

It has been a long time since I used the term algorithm, our presenter, Kawana, was able to demonstrate a variety of useful tools and strategies to implement digital technologies. Coding, in my view, has developed from a language-based tool to a model using blocks and patterns in which to solve a problem. This approach to providing instruction to a computer is more engaging than the language of using routines and subroutines. Gone are the former computer languages of FORTRAN, BASIC and PASCAL onto the new coding format of scratch.

Kawana showed how we could use coding to programme an electrical device. The possibilities of coding as a tool to support people are only limited by creativity. I can see how coding and its connectivity to devices can help students to engage in their learning. In today's society, it is now important to ensure that students get access to a world of tomorrow. Schools should be preparing students for technological advancements in the world. It is now normal for students to use digital tools in their everyday life.

I am looking forward to DFI 5, next week.