Ōtautahi Outreach
Digital Future Aotearoa’s (DFA) facilitator Kate, talks about her experience laying the foundations of our new Ōtautahi Outreach Programme over the last ten weeks.
With support from the Ministry of Education, DFA has developed a model of PLD (professional learning and development) delivery that takes place in the classroom and includes both tamariki and kaiako. Hands-on, fun, and high energy, the new model aims to grow and fill the Hangarau Matihiko kete of each kura we work with.
Kate has discovered the magic happens when kaiako (teachers) and tamariki (children) are learning together in a classroom setting. Each week, teaching strategies, lesson plans, and edu-tech kit are combined to encourage the class and teacher to get creative with robotics, electronics, coding and digital design. Kate also works one-to-one with kaiako to align sessions to the curriculum progress outcomes and tailors each lesson to the kura’s aspirations and journey so far with Digital Technologies (DT). Kate explains:
“when kaiako are provided with the opportunity to see DT in real time in the classroom everything clicks into place and it becomes less frightening. Similar to when we learn a new language we need small, frequent building blocks of information and this is what the new model is all about.”
When kaiako encounter tamariki debugging their code in real time, they can confidently grasp the concepts and basic coding principles much faster than when presented with the curriculum document. We demystify the language and terminology in a real-time classroom context, allowing for an authentic learning experience.
Sessions have explored themes relating to Matariki, the Paralympics, wearable arts and Bird of The Year. Having uniquely Aotearoa based content ensures DFA can support kaiako in interweaving DT across all core and emergent curriculum areas. Kate believes the teachers are more engaged, she says:
"because they can see DT is not just sitting in front of a screen. Tamariki are collaborating, working together in small groups and thinking creatively to complete challenges, using code and digital technologies."
One of the kaiako who participated in our pilot started with no prior knowledge or experience and is now confidently running learning hub-wide Micro:bit projects for all year 5 & 6 tamariki. For Kate, this is the real highlight, seeing kaiako confidence grow to the point where they are embedding and weaving DT across all learning areas.
Once they have found their feet, DFA continues to support kaiako with an edu-tech lending library, allowing them access to resources and kit which sustains the learning with ākonga (students).
If you are a lower decile kura based in Ōtautahi and are interested in our Ōtautahi Outreach programme please drop Kate a line to connect - kate@codeclub.nz