Learning NZSL

Learning NZSL

New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) is recognised as an official language of New Zealand through the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006.It is for this reason that NZSL has special mention in The New Zealand Curriculum (2007).  When NZSL is taught as an additional language, it fits within the aims and objectives of learning languages in the New Zealand Curriculum. NZSL is used by members of New Zealand’s Deaf community and those who are linked with this community, for example, hearing people who have Deaf relatives and interpreters who work with Deaf people. In linguistic terms, sign languages are as rich and complex as any spoken language with many different dialects and grammar structures.

Heath, Koral, Di and I are currently learning NZSL so we can more easily communicate with our KDEC (Kelston Deaf Education Community) learners. The lessons are taught by Marjorie a trained teacher of the deaf, at the Anton Centre.  As with all new learning, some things are easy to grasp and some not so easy. Many signs are representative, which makes them easy to pick up, the challenge then is to retain the knowledge and be able to use it in context. As Marjorie is deaf herself we have to communicate either with sign or by writing. We have shared many laughs as we get signs mixed up or incorrect, I found it particularly funny that the sign for Principal is very similar to the sign for God - luckily Heath's title Leader of Learning - though I do know several principals who would not be adverse to the signs being mixed up...

Having used NZSl briefly while growing up, I have retained some knowledge of NZSl particularly the fingerspelling alphabet however I still struggle with the vowels - and remembering which finger represents which vowel sound. I hope I don't confuse too many of our deaf learners as I hesitate when trying to fingerspell... 

Something I have also learned and found interesting is that it is our deaf learners who will assign us a sign for our name. This will be based on personality traits or physical characteristics. When I told my own three children this they offered to give the deaf learners some insight - an offer I have politely declined... 

Ormiston Primary has two trained teachers of the deaf on the team,  Luisa (Habitat 1) and Margaret in  (Habitat 2) who will be supporting our KDEC learners within the Habitats. Every learner at Ormiston Primary will have the opportunity to learn NZSL, some times through explicit teaching but probably more often through immersion and the need to communicate and collaborate with our deaf learners

Learning NZSL will give all our hearing people insight into the Deaf community. In turn, this will allow our Deaf people to communicate with hearing people more easily. Thus, our school will become more inclusive as we work together to create our distinct Ormiston identity.

Ignite

Another great ignite evening and as always the right people were in the room.

Seven presentations spanning a multitude of topics, it was great to see some new faces and first time presenters. Tino Leaupepe from the National Library gave a very moving and inspirational presentation around our perceptions of students ideals and the idea that you can make a difference to your learners by immersing them in things that are relevant to their needs.

The amazing OPS' very own Di (ignite newbie and now hopefully convert) together with Justine presented on their #GTASYD experiences - something I am planning to apply for next year. I am interested in learn more around design thinking.

The SOLO (structure of observed learning outcomes) presentation by Bridget reinforced my thinking around the potential of this as a learning tool something I'd like to investigate more when we have learners on board.

I gave a repeat performance of my very first Ignite presentation about the FISH philosophy - something I'm very passionate about both personally after discovering it around ten years ago. Hopefully this time I managed breathe and not race as quickly through it.
One thing I have realised the more I present is it's less about the presenter and more about the message - but being able to breathe is still required...
 

School Trip

Today @DianaWilkes @heathmc1 our Admin Ninja, Koral and I all got to go and check out Office Max. We were able to try out some of their furniture options and then were given a tour of the dispatch centre. Talk about teacher stationery heaven, oh for a free run of this place!

This is where the magic happens

They have an automated system which was incredible to watch - it felt a bit like being in a cross between the conveyor belt scene in Toy Story 3 and Charlie and Chocolate Factory.

The labels on boxes are scanned at various points on the line and exit the belt where the pickers select the items.

What I found to be really interesting, was that the pickers wear headsets which tell them which items need to be picked,  they then have to verbally respond before they get the next item. As part of the staff induction each picker has to create a 'voice response' template,  this can be in which ever language they choose, - a great example of personalising the work space.

I loved this machine - it creates paper tubes which are used to fill the empty spaces in the cartons - ever the junior teacher I want to see what kids would create with them. Our Admin Ninja has promised to save them from now on....

A paperless society - yeah right! This is but a small portion of the paper they supply.

Community Information Evening

Recently we held a  Community Information Evening
We used this evening to communicate with interested parents in our enrolment zone.
One of the activities we got the parents to do was to write down on templates the attributes they wanted for their children when they left Ormiston Primary.

We wrote down all their words and used them to create a 'wordle'. I must say there was a 'fist pump' moment when we realised what our most common word was.

10 weeks of Oresome

Doesn't time fly when you're having fun! First term done and dusted and day one of term two begins..

I have loved every minute of my time so far as the Associate Leader of Learning here at Ormiston Primary and have loved all the learning.

I found when I was first appointed it was like being inducted into some exclusive members only club, doors opened and many professional relationships where taken to the next level. I have been humbled by the huge amounts of support offered by the people who have travelled this journey before - everything from the sharing of resource lists, to offers of 'come and play at our place'. We do truly stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before.

Some things that have been challenging to deal with are; not having the amount of structure you are used to as a classroom teacher - every day is hugely different, from site meetings to eBOT to procuring resourcing to wonderings and ponderings of what the learning will look like at our place.
I've also been challenged by the seemingly moment to moment flicking from micro to macro - what staplers shall we order, what will our vision principles look like??

Every day is different and every day is #Oresome at Ormiston