For the Love of teaching is a podcast brought to you by teach stata we say teachers hours each week by bringing them quality downloadable teaching resources for their classrooms to make your classroom Buzz go to teach stutter.com today on for the love of teaching. I'm talking with Taylor Donnelly who's a young teacher with a very bright future with the support of encouraging School administrators. Taylor has carved out a unique space for herself in her school environment as the specialist.It'll Technologies teacher visiting every class in her huge thousand students cool for 30 minutes a week. Given that Taylor has only been teaching for three years. This is a huge achievement. Welcome tailored to thank you love of teaching it's lovely to see you here at Nova. Thank you. I'm so excited. Thank you for having me. No, we are so excited. You have been one of our long-standing teach starter Ambassador on social media and we've been watching you do some amazing things over the last few years. Thank you, but one of those things that is really makes you a star on social media, is that you Teach digital Technologies to students. So could you just tell us a little bit about your role in your school at the moment? What are you doing right now? Absolutely this year. I am the digital technology specialist. Sorry, I teach 34 classes from year 1 to 6, and they basically sort of like you would go to your music teacher for a music lesson. They come to me for a DigiTech lesson. So I get to see everyone for 30 minutes every week, which is a lot of students. Yeah, how many students in your school? Cool, so I think we've just ticked over to 1000 so using yeah, that's a lot of names to remember. Oh my goodness and they get so mad if you don't remember their names and you're just say, oh honey, what's your name again? And they'll go. Oh, it's this I get so offended. I feel so horrible because I want to remember everyone's names. But so I usually go with the honey or the love or the yeah, Daddy. Yeah. Oh, that's a very that's very clever. Not every school has a digital Technologies specialist teacher your school is very very lucky to have You have yes, how did that come about so I have a massive passion for digital Technologies. I previously I've taught you three for three years. So I was all into e-learning and one-to-one devices and bring your own device and all of that exciting so of ICT capability stuff, so I knew I wanted to move into that direction of digital Technologies being such a buzzword being that everyone has to teach it and report on it next year. So I went to my principal nervous as anything and just said this is what I want to do. Can you make it work and I was so lucky that it got approved. I remember when she came in and told me I screamed I ran laps around my room then profusely apologize for things like I'm professional and thanked her and then screamed and kept running around the room. So it's really really excited. And so how did you propose that to her? What time did you put forward? I booked a meeting. I basically was, you know explaining the value of digital. Veggies and how I could reach all of the students in our school. I proposed a couple of different timetable options for her. And yeah, that was the scariest thing I've done wow. So you did a lot of the groundwork your hand sorry and researched and I sort of was trying to be as confident as I could. Yeah, but yeah nervous as anything and yeah, I was so lucky. I just feel really really supported. That's Graeme. So yeah, it's all about trying new things this year because yeah. It's crazy how much you can do with the subject and then you have these like amazing plans and then it sort of falls short or the the kids are a lot further advanced in something then you assume so it's an absolute Whirlwind. Yeah. I love it. I can just tell ya that's tell the way you light up talking about it. Yeah, and it's so cool that as a young teacher you've carved a space out for yourself within your school. Yeah absolutely have to be assertive. You need to communicate what what goals you have, you know your principles and your deputies and all of those admin teams are there to support you? They can't ignore your drive and your goals so I'm such a goal space person. Like I have to have short-term and long-term goals in place. So I yeah communicated and communicated and then yeah as a really lucky that's fantastic. Yeah you have it sounds like you are a real go-getter. Yeah. Yeah, definitely persevered and it paid off. Yeah, absolutely. Amazing. Yeah. Well done. Now you said that you always did have an interest in information / educational technology. When did that begin? And what do you accredit that to? Well, I think it's just sort of my generation, you know having my high school was you ever had a laptop. So that was sort of just the norm as I was going into University. They just transferred over to the Australian curriculum like the national curriculum. So all of these new sort of things were coming in and things were being trashed and brand new things were coming in. So there was a couple little instances of subjects for icts. I remember doing scratch in one lesson of a tutorial at Uni and I loved it. I'd never done block coding before in the high school I did. I'd like HTML coding so that in websites and whatnot. So I had a little bit of an exposure to that when we were trying electives in high school. But yeah, basically when I discovered scratch at Uni, I was like this is really cool. And then I being that in high school, we used a laptops for everything when I started teaching all of my lessons. I had you know, my Walter my will upon my interactive whiteboard. I had I was constantly using technology to make things easier for me. Why would I print 25 worksheets where I could have it projected one time up on the board and have an engaging activity for it. So I tried to incorporate it because it was sort of the norm and a problem that I was solving as I was going. Yep. But yeah, and then it just grew and grew with the bring your own device. So last year when I was in year three, we were one to one school or and iPads. Yeah, it was sort of like the trial clouding your own device. Yeah, what does one to One school owned mean so for my class of 25 students my school purchased 25 iPads, and they have to leave those at school. Absolutely. Yeah. Yes. So when they came into the classroom they would they all had their own iPad. They were all numbered so they took responsibility of them. Yeah, we had massive discussions about how it's not there. I've had yeah, I can take photos of anything you want and download things unto it. It was purely for learning so they introduced. BYOD this year. Yes are some of our classes are bring-your-own-device. Yeah, the teachers sort of nominated for that. Okay, and we've had teachers take up on it. And so I'm just trying to put on as much professional development for my staff as they will let me yeah, so but unlike master classes for my teaching team. I'll put out an email saying, you know, if you want to know how this works come and see me at this time. How cool yeah, so that's really cool because I love engaging with other Educators and sharing this like, you know better ways of doing things. Things are different ways of doing things. Yeah. Yeah, and there's been a couple of staff meetings that you know, I got to present at so I have found that as a massive compliment as well. So in your time teaching since you graduated from uni, how has stem learning changed? I don't think I think because I'm only at the beginning of my teaching journey, I can't really comment where stem was before I got into it. So basically I can just say that you know, Stem is obviously a massive buzzword at the moment. You say stem and everyone knows what you're talking about for those that don't know what they're talking about science technology engineering mathematics and obviously steam incorporates the Arts as well. Yeah. Sorry. There's a lot of policies that are put in place to get students to be stem literate and have the stem capability. So basically what the curriculum and you know, the big bosses are there what they're trying to do? Do is get all of our Learners to graduate with those literacies in stem? Because that's where the jobs of the future and even the jobs of right now are ya there's a really good quote out there. That's quite controversial. It's from Dell Technologies. And it says 85 percent of the jobs of the future don't exist right now. Now that's that's a massive percentage. So I'm not sure where they get that percentage from but I like the The preface of the quote that there are so many jobs that do that will invent be invented tomorrow or next week or years from now the future. Yeah that these kids need to be ready for so I think incorporating stem and being so cross-disciplinary stem can really hone in on those problem solving is that Innovation the creativity? Yeah, so it's really cool to see it come to life. So yeah, I don't know where it was. Ten years ago. Yeah. Yeah, or if it was there 10 years ago while I was teaching 10 years ago and I'll tell you it was pretty limited and we had B box. Okay and scratch. I don't know if it was invented, but I think that that's come in like more recently than even maybe 10 years. I'd okay into the classroom teachers vocab. Anyway, yeah, perhaps back then digitek teachers knew all this stuff. But yeah, absolutely just to be upskilling and taking on board and doing the PD and stuff. It's come ahead. Leaps and Bounds. Yeah, so it's quite a simple out you supporting us in the past and that kind of thing. Now the the Delk statistic that you just said, yes got me thinking and my job wasn't around 10 years ago. I'd hafta and your job probably being a digital Technologies teacher in in the kind of way that you are probably wasn't around that either. I mean when I think about my it teacher it's called Information Technology. All he did was take us to a classroom and we do Ooh word-processing. Yeah. Well, we'd have to type something that was on a sheet. Yeah, and then printed out at the end Yazzie and funnily enough. Some people think that that's what I do as it did you take teachers are really trying to prove them. Otherwise, it's often a challenge. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. So things have come quite a long way, but then like I said, I've got a long way yes out in front of us as well. So and the soft skills that the kids are getting from these lessons and from programming coding using the Technologies. Are going to be applicable in their future job whether that is in the tech industry or not. Absolutely. Yeah, so it's a really good good way to prepare them for learn how to present and they're so ready like my sorrow the youngest year level I teachers you won and they are so on to it. Yeah, so we do basic programming sequencing with the bibot type robots and they are so good at it. They are so good at the problem solving or No, I don't want to do it this way. I want to do it this way to finding that different way. Yes to do. What's in it thinking that stubbornness. I love so much. Yep. No, no that your way is not the best way. This is my way and and explaining that thinking and communicating and trying things testing various. Yeah. It's a really cool. The other Learners are definitely changing them. Yeah ways of learning and yeah just they're inquisitive nature is amazing. Some schools have policies on laptop and device. So I know at the school that I was teaching at where my kids grow now they say roughly 15% of the school work or the learning will be done on the iPad and we're a BYOD and probably 95% of the kids would have their own device. What do you think about the limits? Do you think that there should be a limit as are they reasonable or are they a bit restrictive? I don't really have a firm opinion on the limits. I agree that some people think that kids are spending too much time on. AG being that I was a one-to-one classroom last year my students this year are also one-to-one, but obviously I only get them for 30 minutes a week. I only use the iPads when it's going to enhance learning. So we still do a lot of unplugged activities and as a classroom teacher, I still had bookwork and handwriting lessons and all of that kind of stuff personally as a classroom teacher. I wasn't using the iPads all day every day there were often days that we didn't use them at all. I think. Just up to the classroom teacher. I mean to decide where it's going to be useful. You're not just giving the kid an iPad and saying go and play a game for 20 minutes or I hope you're not doing that where it's going to be Innovative and engaging and and Inspire learning activities that the kids are going to remember and retain. I think the the devices are such a good tool to do that. But yeah some People think that children spend too much time on devices and I totally agree that kids should be playing outside and doing more Hands-On and play-based learning and all of that kind of stuff. So I think it's just but I see value in devices and value in not using devices. Yeah, so it's about balance really absolutely everything things with yeah action and with budgeting a constant consideration and many departments to Resource and staff often. It falls upon classroom teachers to teach digital Technologies to kids. And it's a given in today's classroom that teaches adopter flexibility and willingness to learn alongside their students and to develop their own digital literacy as well as their pupils. Now that teachers have an expectation to I mean, we're all life long Learners. We all know that part of the job is to move with the times and progress. But I know anecdotally that a lot of teachers find it quite daunting to take on board a lot of new teaching at a time. So is it possible for anyone to teach coding or programming or is it something that people need to seek out their own PD formalized PD. Is it something you can look teach yourself with? Like you said the YouTube videos and someone in your school or is it something that needs to be taught? Do they need to go actually do some formal courses? I think anyone could Teach coding no matter what age you are or what year into teaching you are. I absolutely believe that anyone can teach coding. I only spent one tutorial learning scratch in University. And then after that, I've I've taught scratch for three years straight. I've only just gone to my first scratch PD this year a really I've been teaching it for so long, but yeah using YouTube and using so a lot of the apps and programs that are out there for coding have tutorials that are so easy. It tells you exactly what to click and it'll explain things. You can go back to it. They have videos that you can play. There's so many different Avenues to upskill yourself just at home on your laptop. Yeah. I can't even you know learn alongside the kids. I remember my first lesson that I taught on scratch with my year five that three years ago. I put up on the board my Waltz and my wealth my Walter was wait. Learning to move our characters left and right we had 40 minutes in the computer labs will by the end of the 40 minutes. They move left right up down there were talking they were you know, they were changing costumes. They were you're really exceeded the exactly and I had a stage. I've only just at my beginning of my scratch journey and I'm thinking oh my goodness. That was my entire unit that I plan to these kids and we smash it out in our first lesson. Yeah. Sorry, the kids will often surpass you in some coding things. So trying to keep up to date with them. I can be a little bit challenging but I find such value and asking the kids questions to they get such that they get so chuffed over it. For instance. We were using the scratch jr. App which I previous to this year have never used before because in my opinion it's for quite a lower level of coding and I didn't know how to delete a character. You just had to hold it down. It Wiggles you press the X but I didn't know that so someone said, how do you delete the character? And I'm thinking oh my goodness. I have no idea how to delete this. Done. And so you just set it as a challenge, whoever can figure out how to delete delete character, you know, get a super duper or get the name up on the board. I get a class point or something like that. Well, yeah and they're so motivated like Miss Donnelly didn't even know how to do this and I was able to solve the problem. Which yeah, obviously is that going back to those, you know skills and capabilities that we want students to yeah, problem-solving. Yeah and making them the expert in some way. Yeah 100% great actually. We that is I think that's a sign of a great teacher flexible and noticing when there's a teachable moment and how to deal with that is a really the sign of a teacher who has a good grasp on their class move their students and knows their yeah, what motivates them. I think never be afraid to say hold on. I'll just Google it but yes, they need to know that if they don't do something we'll they can Google it to especially when those abstract questions come, you know, they might see a picture of a pyramid they say how many bricks are in that pyramid. Yes, I've got no idea. How many bricks are in that pyramid second. That's the theory lot know everything exactly and I think that is a that's really important skill to know where to seek information. You're a student. It's just a life skill that people need to have now solutely. Yeah. I asked Taylor to give listeners her topics for learning apps which are easy to incorporate into the classroom. Here's what she said loaded question. So I try and use the apps before I go. Show the students how to use the app. So this is just my opinion on what I have found to be quite useful. Yeah, so we're going with five. Yes, please okeydoke ho ho okay. So based on going to combine two together. Okay how sneaky the sorry scratch jr. Is a great way to introduce scratch and block coding. It's not an app, but scratched three on the website is obviously you're extending of scratch jr. So scratch. Definitely. Yeah block coding is a great way to start off coding. They move on to you know, text based coding and stuff like that much later. But block coding is quite easy to get a grasp on. So the bibot app you don't actually have to have the be Bots to use it. It's completely free. I'm a big person for if it's free. Oh, I'll give it a go. I don't like paying for apps so lightly I'm the bibot app is really really good. You don't have to have a bibot attached to it. It's talking about about directional sequencing as so getting I use it with my year one. So getting them to start thinking about giving instructions and the orientation of which way the robots facing I found that to be really really good app. So that's the bibot up. Yeah. I've recently found a new really cute outfits by Fisher-Price again free. It's called learn to code code a pillar. I think it's already learned. I have seen the toys. In the shower. Yes, how cute are again. You don't have to have the matching thing to it. It's a free app. You can use it on its own again sequencing that direction. Yeah goodness. So good and I find that such a massive misconception for young students is once you've programmed a couple of steps you need to, you know, pick the robot up and put it back or the trial and fail at there seem to be so difficult to move past those sort of things if it doesn't work, you need to clear it and have another ghost. So I find that app quite good for that as well. So what would you recommend instead of clearing and starting again? Would you how would you recommend that those students fix that problem? I like to have the students write down their code before they try it. Yeah, and if it's wrong, I don't tell them I get them to find out themselves that it's not wrong. Yep. So then once they work out that the robot has not gone or perform the action that you wanted it to do. We'll go back to and have a look at the code. Yeah card was right. Well, maybe we can put it wrong or something. There's a bug in the code. So - we have to try and find it. So I work with the white boards to fix the code first I can go back and so they have their own personal handheld whiteboard. Yes. I've got class set of the little white board, but also my tables are white board table awesome. So yeah, that's really handy. Awesome. Yes. Okay. I've got two more. I really like the Swift playgrounds up. It's an apple owned app it Canyon work with a myriad of different. Robots, or it can be worked just on its own with graphics. And so you can connect the - the microbe it's all of those exciting things true. So if playgrounds also, I just bought some drones and I can connect the drones to Swift playgrounds as well. But for those people that aren't resource to with robotics, they have a little graphic is super cute and you have to program him to collect, you know, the coin or the star or something like that and then get to the engine. Yeah come and it's talking about text based coding. So it's Off from block coding but it's a really good place to start and it's got the tutorials. It won't let you do the wrong thing too many times. Okay, don't Zone in and help you if it's clear. You're not moving past a levels. Yeah. I find that to be a really good like inbuilt kind of support. Absolutely, which is what you want. Don't lie. And the last one I would probably recommend to give a go. I've only just found it so I can't speak too much about The nitty-gritty of it. Yeah, but friend just showed me the codable app. Okay, actually a program that you can register your students with my understanding is it's free that could be different but my understanding is it's free. Yeah, and you can assign them sort of like an athletic. So you're familiar with Matt. Yes, I described and username. Yes, but you can on Mathletics you can assign different concepts. Okay might want to work with you. I'm a tree. Well, you might only want them to work with baked with basic sequencing. Yep. You might want them to be extending that a different year level or you can have all of your students on a year three level but someone's just not quite ready for it. So you can put them down to a year to level. So yes, so great. Yes. I'm really at the beginning of using that. Yeah, but it looks really good so far. Yeah, I'd be interested to hear what everyone else thinks about that one. Yeah, you have any feedback on any of these apps that she is recommending? Please do jump onto our Facebook group, which is for the love of teaching podcast join up. It's really simple. Just have to answer. You really easy questions get into that group, and we're going to open up a bit of a dialogue in there about digital technology, and it all of Taylor's expertise, and she's even going to kindly pop in and do a little live video for us while we can ask some questions. Yes, so you have any questions ready? Yeah zaps / can't wait. Thank you so much for joining me today, and I'm going to talk to you next time a little bit about your presence in the digital space online. Absolutely educator. Yeah, great. Well, thank you so much for having me. Thank you. Bye thanks for listening to this episode of For the Love of teaching. Don't forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast app so that you get the latest updates on all the newest episodes.
Taylor Donnely is a young teacher with a very bright future. With the support of encouraging school administrators, Taylor has carved out a unique space for herself in her school environment as the specialist digital technologies teacher, visiting every class in her huge (thousand student) school for thirty minutes a week.But not every school has a digital technologies specialist teacher. With budgeting a constant consideration, and many departments to resource and staff, often it falls upon classroom teachers to teach digital technologies. And it’s a given in today’s classroom that teachers adopt a flexibility and willingness to learn alongside their students and develop their own digital literacy as well as their pupils'.I asked Taylor to give listeners her top picks for learning apps which are easy to incorporate into the classroom. Join us in our new For the Love of Teaching Facebook group, where we chat about the podcast, feature live vids of guests, and talk teaching!Have you subscribed to For the Love of Teaching? Don't forget! It means you'll be the first to know whenever a new episode is released.For the Love of Teaching is a podcast by Teach Starter. We make quality, downloadable teaching resources that save teachers hours of time and make their classrooms buzz! 