Cath Blackmore's Blog

 DFI The next step...  Taking part in this challenging and expansive professional development is the best thing I have done to empower me to be a digital citizen as well as a confident user and teacher in this digital world.  My growth is evident in the belief I have in my ability to engage with a range of digital tools and to continue to expand my problem solving without being overwhelmed by issues when they arise. The LEARN, CREATE, SHARE pedagogy fits so well with how I like to work with children so to have the research and practice behind this supports me as a teacher in the school environment and wider community. Life lessons learned also... it has reinforced for me in a very practical way that  - where our attention goes or energy follows - focus on the process and the outcome becomes an achievable goal - being "comfortable being uncomfortable" enables us to take risks and manage anxiety. I am keen to move on to my next step... putting it into practice.

Reality and Myth conversation... Exam Nerves As a very wise person ( Renzie Hanham) who works in the area of " Performance Under Pressure" says frequently "This is a Reality and Myth conversation." Reality is where we are... myth is where we want to be; how we want to be; where we think we need to be. Where we get stuck, he says, is in the GAP between the two.  We become stuck when the focus of our thinking is on what is missing , or what we can't do, in order to achieve "the myth". Anxiety, procrastination, and avoidance can begin to invade our way of being. We can lose the ability to see steps forward as part of the solution because the leap to the "myth" situation is overwhelming. In order to move through the gap learning to be "comfortable being uncomfortable" can become a huge asset. Accepting where we are, enables us to create an achievable set of steps in front of us and move from our stuck thinking and begin the process of c...

  Devices - The fun and frustration Oh how I feel for the little people who come into our New Entrant learning space full of curiosity and eager to start drawing and Reading and Writing. Many think it will happen immediately, and adults around them can inadvertently perpetuate this idea by "preparing them" to start on day one.  Today was a good experience for me to be "as the learner" in a similar situation. I approached this session so keen to explore and become proficient using Explain Everything on an IPad so that I would be ready to impart all my clever learning and guide my students to explore and create in an engaging environment.  AHA only one problem.... I will need to take steps slowly to follow the process and build my skills... just as the new learner in our space learns to do.  As I encourage my students to do, I will have to continue to stop, consider possible options, seek advice, know what I have control of and what I can't control and to maintain...

The Journey Continues - DFI Session 6 The Bubble group time today was such a delight. To be able to work on my own goals, at my own pace, with a great supportive guide on hand was a sheer pleasure. Knowing that I can use the DFI material to support my process also gave me an opportunity to step out on my own and explore the "rewindable" resources to problem solve by myself. Woohoo...  if you know me at all, you will know that this is the greatest learning step for me... the sky is the limit, when you gain the confidence to know how to work through the process, and what resources are there to support you. Knowing the questions to ask to lead to the solutions you want is my area to develop further.  This is what we want all our learners to be able to do. To feel the sense of achievement from self directed purposeful learning that meets their needs appropriately. To be excited by learning and see the opportunities available to apply this learning is a gift we give our students....

 It is always so enlivening to be able to easily see the application of new learning, for my work with New Entrant children. The time to explore Google Sites and to spend time creating was very valuable and highlighted for me the importance of allowing learners in my class time to practise their developing skills without overloading new material and without imparting a sense of urgency.  The calm and relaxed manner in the small bubble allowed ease of questioning and problem solving and my confidence to do this has greatly improved. There is a strong link for me between T shaped Literacy and how we introduce and expand learning opportunities in our learning space. Connecting with children's interests and springboarding from this to appropriate level text and extension through providing a broad base of complimentary material which children can follow in Discovery workshops or are invited to take part in, is the base for our Literacy / Inquiry plan. I am thankful for the exposure...

 DFI Day 4 - A day of Expanding Horizons How heartening to observe today, so many experienced, confident and capable educators experience difficulties with technological factors, unexpected responses to inputs, confusing issues where other pathways for doing a task were needed and at times even loss of direction in thinking or processing. It was a master class in coping with and solving problems that all of us experience from time to time.  To see modelled, people calmly back track steps, retry pathways, patiently pause, consider options and seek advice from others gave a process for me and perhaps others who sometimes become overwhelmed with issues. Before this DFI course, I lacked the problem solving skills and confidence to believe I could sort issues, therefore would give up or procrastinate rather than try to find a way through to solving and moving on with a task. My confidence and grasp of basic processes has developed exponentially and today, being able to work with ot...