Student voice about how they like the lesson instructions presented to them.

For the past 4 years, I have been using Google Plus Communities with my classes. We put our work on their so everyone can see it and give feedback.
I have also been using it increasingly for lesson instructions, links, examples ect, on a day to day basis. This started as a good place to put instructions when leaving relief work but it got used more and more for every day lessons.
The NCEA communities are here.
Level 1
Level 2
Level 2

This year, the school as a whole has made a move towards using Google Calendars more with the students. I have been putting lesson instructions and links on to the calendars. These are embedded on the class site and onto the front of their portfolio sites.

I have tried both methods this term and then tried not doing any online method, just relying on me telling them what to do when they come in the room.
Today, I have asked their opinions about this and what they like / don't like.

Here are the questions that I asked them and their answers :-

"Hello. I have tried putting the lesson instructions onto a calendar this term. This calendar is on the front of your personal Google Site. I have also continued to put instructions and examples in the class communities.
I want to know what you have used the most, liked the most, noticed.
I have not used these methods for the whole term on purpose to see if you noticed when one was used and not the other."

• It was helpful all the time, because with having the instructions on the calendar we could keep up to date with our work.
• Because they were easy to understand even when Miss wasn't in class.
• cause computer sometimes slow
• it had precise instructions
• I like the instructions because when its easily for me access my work faster
• I just like it because it helps me
• I just like it because it helps me
• I liked it because it helps me understand what I need to work on and shows me what we are doing each day when we have graphics.
• I like the instructions on the calendar cause when we straight away get in class we can login and check the calendar to see what today task are.
• I like having the questions being put up on the calendar because easy access to view.
• I like the instructions put into the calendar because easy access to it
• I like it because it's easy to access things.
• The calendar is great, because if we are lost we can just check the calendar.
• I like it because it helps me understand more 
• Because they we easy to understand when she was absent

• It was very helpful for me, when the teacher put up instructions on the community.
• It also was easy to read when she wasn't here
• its algood so were not always nagging what to do 
• Just the same opinion in using calendar but a lot easier to access (for me) because we receive an email every time there's a new post. 
• I like the words the community has did
• I liked it because it helps me 
• I liked the community instructions because it show our progress and where we are at. It also gives us feedback from the teacher to know what needs to be done. 
• Cause it was confusing
• Don't really go on the community site.
• i like using community because it has visual instructions and teachers can give us examples through pictures
• I like using the community for instructions because you don't have to sit and listen to your teacher talking for 10 minutes, telling you what you're suppose to do.
• I like the community for instructions because I'm usually on the google community rather than the site, and also it's simple.
• I like it because it helps me more 
• Because they also were easy to understand when she was absent

My main takeaways from this :-

• The students seem to like the calendar and community equally.
• The students appreciate the "rewindable" factor about both methods.
• The students like the community as it is more visual (I like it for this reason too!)
• They also like the community as they can look at each others work and support each other.
• They like the easy access of the calendar.
• Some of them liked the way the instructions seemed more precise on the calendar.

So.... I guess I am going to move into Term 2 using the calendar and the community.

That's OK...

Staff Online Support using Google Plus

This is my second year as one of the Manaiakalani facilitators at school. I have come to realise over this time that the staff are WAY more difficult to help than the students. It is pretty obvious when a student is needing your help, even when they don't really tell you, but the staff are a whole different thing.
Communication last year was a mixture of emails, filling in a spreadsheet for bookings and verbal (the latter happening the most often in corridors).
I have started a "How To" site this year, with the most often asked things making their way onto there. I recently branched into making a screencast for this site for the first time, which will be ok as it is not me having to listen to a recording of my own voice!!!
Verbal communication / questions / step by steps have been a lot more popular this year, with staff not being so shy to ask for help ( no one is judging!! ).
So, over this long weekend, I joined a Doctor Who community on Google Plus, and a lot of fun it is! This got me to thinking about a community set up to support staff, where they can ask questions and help others with what they already know. I get round to a LOT of classrooms doing this job and I realise that this is not available to other staff due to lack of time, so sharing seems to be just on a departmental level. We have been doing slam sessions in morning staff briefings with different staff members, but these are not recorded.

I set up the community over the long weekend, and have it set to invite only. I have currently invited all the staff that are on Google Plus, so the next job is to email all staff to let them know, so that those who have not yet started their plus account know what is happening.
I am finding the categories interesting and I have started one so far about internet safety. The sharing has started already as the first post in there is information from another staff member.