Class Teaching (Year 4-8) in BSLA Structured Literacy

Whaea TaiAko | Learn

Awarded to: Taitimu Winterburn

Awarded on: 

Those who complete the Class Teaching (Year 4-8) in BSLA Structured Literacy course have demonstrated expertise in implementing evidence-based assessment and structured literacy instruction for learners in Year 4-8 primary school classes.

Earning this badge

  • Demonstrate knowledge of theoretical foundations and linguistic knowledge related to children’s reading and spelling development.
  • Understand the role of phonological awareness, morphology, orthographic pattern knowledge, vocabulary and reading comprehension skills in the acquisition of literacy skills.
  • Administer and analyse evidence-based literacy assessments to monitor children’s literacy growth.
  • Implement evidence-based literacy instruction to facilitate phonological awareness, morphology, orthographic pattern knowledge, vocabulary and reading comprehension development to support successful reading, writing and spelling through the Better Start Literacy Approach (class/large group teaching and small group teaching).
  • Demonstrate strengths-based approaches to engaging whānau in their children’s literacy learning.

Collaborate – Site Agenda – DFI Non-Contact Day 5 , 2026

Whaea TaiAko | Learn

My Google Site

I loved our ‘bubble group’ conversations today!!! Our group was so full of all the things I never imagined from this learning journey we are all on. I felt like we all came back today with a common sense of safety in our space, and we opened up to one another and shared with such understanding from our differing perspectives on what this process has and is doing for us as Kaiako in our everyday lives. The shared understanding of what this journey is doing for us, and from our varied levels of understanding, to how we plan to use these tools in practice, whether it be for akomanga or kainga.

I found the Manaiakalani Pedagogy portion of the session with Dorothy, focused on Visible Learning, very interesting. I often get overwhelmed with all the other kaiako expectations as we progress through the term: curriculum, assessment, PLD, sports requirements, staff hui, and forget to ensure that my teaching/planning is visible to all. I have my online planning, which is usually just for myself, and presume that if whanau wanted, they could come in and look around the room or through their child’s books. I always have student work visible in the room, but something I now know from today’s session is visible also means the digital planning – this would provide the entire process of a teaching cycle.

It is beginning to make so much more sense to me as I navigate the DFI learning alongside what I have been using in practice with support from ICF. I can see and feel the “Why” in what Manaiakalani is from different perspectives.

We spent a good chunk of time today going over ‘multimodal/multi-textual’ content and what each caters to with more depth – I found this part integral to the learners within my akomanga, and now I understand why some are engaged at different times of the learning I am trying to deliver. So many new ‘gems’ within today’s session.

We explored a real-life visible collaborative process. The multimodal/multi-text database was a valuable tool, and I plan to share it with my team at Kura and work that way. I shared within my ‘bubble group’ how the collaboration we have currently feels very much like some share more than others, and others are quite happy to utilise what’s been done for them. I feel this is very draining and hope to learn/share with others a much more streamlined, more organised approach.

Google Sites – I have some basic experience with Google Sites, but as always in these sessions, there are always other ways of doing similar things and putting those to use has given me the new found confidence to work harder with using Google sites as a visible accessible place for my planning and for students/whanau to be able to access at home as well.

I am really invested in completing the Google site that I started today, with the focus on Pasifika Voyages and how that will tie in nicely later in the year with the Literacy focus within our BSLA – structured Literacy approach.

ngā mihi nunui x

Dealing with Data – DFI Non-Contact Day 4, 2026

Whaea TaiAko | Learn


Dealing with Data – DFI Non-Contact Day 4, 2026

 

I enjoyed today’s DFI session; I thoroughly enjoyed the whole day. I have never felt confident in data analysis and using formulas. I was the type of person who would input every piece of data into each cell of a Google sheets not trusting myself with formulas or the tools within the tool to support me and make life easier.

 

We explored:

Google Forms – I have used Forms before, but not created them for myself or my students. My experience has been to answer them for various purposes within my role as a classroom teacher. I have had my ICF support person share some information on forms, but I waited for today’s DFI session to learn alongside my peers here. I like that we can gather the responses automatically; now I know better how I can use this type of analysis work with my students.

Google MyMaps – I have used Google Maps before, but not MyMaps. I think this will be something I want to explore more in class, my learners will love this as a hands-on approach to creating their pepeha – I love the more visual aspect that it gives, especially for the learners in class who have no desire to use art supplies offered and draw for themselves. I also think it will be an awesome tool to use in Math when we are doing measurement – distance.

Google Sheets – I have very limited experience with Google sheets where I am using the tools to make life easier. I tend to use it like a doc, but with faster table drawing opportunities. I use Google Sheets for my planning and link in various resources from my drive, but this session has been so valuable, and I can create data analysis/graphs using the information that I want, not only what the school leadership expects, making it more purposeful for my students.

 

I have a newfound love for Google Forms!

Media – DFI Non-Contact Day 3, 2026

Whaea TaiAko | Learn

I enjoyed today’s DFI session; I love the creative part of the DFI learning the most. It really opens my eyes up to the possibilities of how I can use my new learning in my everyday practice. I am excited about how I can plan more engaging learning opportunities for my students. 

We explored:

  • Youtube – setting up our own channel so we can subscribe to other channels, how to make playlists and the tips and tricks that facilitators shared within our bubbles made for more thought-provoking ways I can make sure I am using the new skills from today in my teaching and something I will look into doing this year in my class is creating a class playlist, and adding that to the class site where students will be able to access the ‘pre-approved’ playlist and not ask me to play songs.
  • Google Drawing – I have used this tool a little bit in the classroom. I was lucky enough to have in-class support last year with a Manaiakalani facilitator, and I would resort to this as part of the students’ independent learning after we had whole class learning on inquiry topics. I now know that it will be a better practice to “set up the page size before creating”. My biggest knowledge from this was that Google Drawing is a ‘create’ process, and that we need to download and save the creation as an image, which we can then use.
  • Filmmaking apps – I have very little experience with using devices to make videos, but the examples shared in this session were something that made me think I would like for my students to use this as a frequent tool to capture and share their math learning, as we do a lot of hands-on math and we don’t often have ‘evidence’ of the learning moments. One tip I will take away from this session is that “it doesn’t have to be fancy, keep it basic and get the students to give it a go!”
  • Google slides – I have used these for so many different aspects in my practice, but it was a good reminder for us to see how presenting to a larger audience (assembly) requires more thought in the planning process and the difference it makes if we reduce ‘the number of font styles’ making it easier for the reader, including ‘images/quotes’ as a simple visual for when we are speaking to the slides. All of these skills are ones I will take with me to class and try to convey to my students. 
  • Blog – In the session today, we were shown how to use a variety of templates and how to publish them into our Blogs. I am still trying to make sense of how posting in blogs is a process where we are creating in the background and setting up the page from a backdoor stance.

Creating with slides – I will definitely be following the process from this afternoon’s session on Digital pepeha. I have tried several ways in the past for my students to be able to get creative with this task, especially in Term 1 and to tie into Waitangi Day. I have shared my slides in this post.

I now feel more competent in my knowledge of the Google tools that many of the students in my class have already been using, so I won’t feel like I’m going in blind this year!

Creating with Meet – DFI non-contact Day 2 2026

Whaea TaiAko | Learn

 

During today’s DFI session, we received numerous valuable insights to help us utilise various Google tools. As someone who values organisation in all areas, I found today’s learning extremely helpful.

I now feel more organised in Gmail after going through the settings with the group, rather than trying to figure things out on my own through trial and error, which would have wasted precious time. I also have a better understanding of Google Calendar after following the step-by-step instructions provided. I had set up Google Keep headers ahead of time for my school account, which makes me feel more prepared to return to school. Previously, I was using my personal account on my phone, and it had become quite messy.

I thought I had a good grasp of Google Meet since I was a university student during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, today’s learning highlighted that we, as facilitators, engage with the tool differently. I appreciated being paired off in our groups to work on specific tasks. This setting allowed us to experience both student and teacher roles, helping us connect on a more personal level and collaborate on problem-solving.

My main takeaway from today’s session is that while we are presented with a lot of information, we aren’t expected to remember everything by the end of the day. The resources will always be available for us to reference and integrate into our practice. We are being given a whole lot of information, but we are not expected to know everything at the end of the day, and the slides will always be available to us to look back on and support our practice.

Core Business – DFI non-contact Day 1 2026

Whaea TaiAko | Learn
Day 1 ‘Create’

 

During today’s DFI session, we were divided into smaller breakout groups. This was beneficial, as we will remain in these same groups for the duration of this year’s DFI sessions. I particularly enjoyed learning about the history of Manaiakalani through timelines that illustrate our journey up to 2026. 

My confidence grows every day as I stand in front of the class and use the laptop! I learn alongside my students, so participating in DFI helps me understand the behind-the-scenes aspects of all things Google. This knowledge better equips me to answer the questions of newer and younger students who come to me. I also learned how to remove backgrounds from images, allowing us to create seamless-looking documents.

I learned that creating step-by-step slides for new learning as I progress throughout the year will better prepare me for the learners who will come through my classroom. As a new kaiako to senior teaching, this is something I would like to build on as I proceed through this year and with the DFI learning I will gain.