Digital Citizenship - IEMs and Digital Tools

Kia ora, e te whānau,

Last Friday during Advisory time I wandered through some learning spaces and found Keira Meyer, Taylah Parker, Ashley Cloke, and Olivia Kjestrup-Traue busily preparing for their Individual Education Meetings (IEMs).

The students were reflecting on their learning over the past couple of terms and linking this learning to aspects of our CLOAK. They were doing this through our online Learning Management System called Schoology. I asked them what they thought about Schoology and the portfolios they were developing and planned to share at their IEMs. The students explained that the first time they took part in an IEM they were quite nervous and unsure about the process but now (as they have done these a few times) they are very comfortable and believe it is a great way to share their learning - “it is better because we can demonstrate and show what we have learnt and the fun we had”. They find it very enjoyable being included as part of the process and preferred this approach.

They also agreed that Schoology was a great way to share this learning as it helped them to stay organised as they could quickly check their grades, feedback and see how they were tracking overall. They also thought it was great as their parents could quickly see how they were getting on and liked sharing their learning with them in this way. The students have also enjoyed using the Google Apps for Education suite of applications (such as Docs and Slideshows) and they mentioned “once you get the hang of it, the tools are really easy to use”.

It was awesome to hear what a positive experience these students were having with regards to reflecting and sharing their learning using our digital tools effectively. We hope you enjoy your children's IEMs and wish you and your whānau a fantastic Christmas and New Year. Stay safe and take care.