Kicking Off DFI 2026

 Kicking Off DFI 2026: Day One Done!

Today marked Day 1 of 9 in my journey through the Digital Fluency Intensive (DFI), and I’m feeling energised already. This isn’t my first time diving into the DFI world—I completed it back in 2017 (earning my Level 1 certification after failing at the first attempt) and again in 2021, when I achieved both Level 1 and Level 2 certification. So why am I doing it again? Simple. Technology never stops moving, and as teachers, neither should we. Staying curious and committed to lifelong learning is part of what keeps our practice fresh and relevant.

Rediscovering, Refreshing, and Learning Anew

Even though I’ve been through the programme before, there’s always something new to discover. Today’s standout for me was learning how to use Smart Chips in Google Docs. These clever little tools let you insert interactive elements, like people, files, dates, timers, and more, directly into your document. They make information more dynamic and easier to access, and honestly, they’re just fun to use.

One feature I know students will love is the stopwatch Smart Chip. I can already imagine how handy it will be during speech practice. Instead of fumbling with external timers or having to open a separate tab, they’ll have a built‑in tool right in their document. Anything that reduces stress and boosts independence is a win in my book.

Creating With Purpose

We also spent time creating in Google Docs, and I used the session to start designing a poster that explains our school values. It felt good to blend creativity with purpose, and I’m excited to see the final product come together. I didn’t quite finish it today because the AI tool I used for generating images hit its daily limit on the free plan - but that just means I’ll be back at it soon to complete the design.

Looking Ahead

If Day 1 is anything to go by, the next eight sessions are going to be packed with learning, experimenting, and rediscovering tools that can genuinely enhance teaching and learning. I’m glad I signed up again, and I’m looking forward to seeing how these refreshed skills will flow into my classroom practice.

Onward to Day 2!

Here is a pic of my incomplete Create activity:

Blogpost #8: Monitoring, Recording and Tweaking of my Intervention

 

I have used Term 1, 2 and 3 easTTle data to see if there was a measurable shift in achievement. We have continued to use MyOn reading daily and the results are encouraging. More encouraging perhaps is that I have fewer students 'just clicking' an answer because 'there's too much reading'. 

What I would like to change/tweak about our Reading programme is:

• the length/ duration of our Reading lessons. In college, they have one hour lessons and not 35-40 minute sessions. This would also be in line with the duration of a standardised test. 
• Get parents in and explain the programme and its benefits. This wasn't possible at the beginning of the year due to ongoing C-19 restrictions. I believe that having the support and buy-in of the whanau would make a massive difference. 

Blogpost #7: Causal Chain

Blogpost #6 - Intervention: Implementation & monitoring of new approaches

 We have been reading daily on MyOn since mid April and it is interesting to note that almost a term later and students are really buying into the idea of reading for pleasure, even my reluctant readers are able to find a text that they want to read. It is important to note that even though we are reading for pleasure, the reading has a purpose, students have to complete a quiz on each text that they read and this will gauge their understanding. I want create readers in the class by teaching students how to read, by being a reading role model and by creating a classroom culture where reading for pleasure is encouraged and supported.

We did a pre-test to gauge their ZPD in April and we will be doing another one at the end of the year to see if there has been any growth. 

This was their graphed April results:

We will do en (EoY) test in November to see how much progress has been made. 

We tried using MyOn last year but with the constand Covid-interruptiptions, we didn't quite get off the ground. This year we had a bumpy start, but things are going more smoothly now. Student attendance is still not quite where we would like it (an issue plaguing many schools at the moment), but it is getting better. 

MyOn is for Reading what Hapara is for online monitoring. I am able to see how long students have red for, the results of the quiz they have taken and I can set assignments and assign books to groups or individuals. 

Blogpost #5 - Academic Research and Findings: The Benefits of Reading Stamina

Reading stamina is the reading equivalent of physical fitness. It’s the stamina you need to read for extended periods of time, and it can be developed with practice. The reading muscles – your reading skills – get stronger as they’re used, just like any other muscle in your body. If you’ve ever exercised before, you know that after a few days or weeks of working out, you’ll notice new strength and endurance. You’ll also see an increase in confidence: knowing that even if the going gets tough (like when reading a challenging book), you can push through because your reading stamina has improved dramatically. But reading stamina doesn’t just happen on its own!

A child’s ability to read is one of the most critical skills that they will ever develop. When an individual has good literacy stamina, it means they can experiment with more challenging texts and go on longer adventures in books! We consider stamina The ability to read significant stretches of time is called reading stamina. 

Reading #1: Gaining reading stamina through silent reading

Although this is an American-based article, New Zealand has many parallels. One of the ways suggested in the article to increase reading stamina is to provide time for students to read in the classroom. In my classroom, students read silently on MyOn for 30 minutes at the start of each day. This is in addition to the regular classroom reading program. 

Being able to read independently for long stretches helps students to make deeper connections with challenging text. That same focus also sets the stage for students to discover the true meaning of the story they’re reading.

Students also begin to take ownership of learning when they have greater endurance for reading — and not only in literacy but in other subjects and areas of life, as well. That ‘stick-to-it’ attitude is what we want to have students demonstrate is critical for tasks beyond reading and school.

Reading #2: Ways to build stamina for reading

This article outlines ways to practically support students in the classroom to increase their reading stamina. 

Reading #3: Creating Passionate Readers Through Independent Reading

This article looks at how can we ensure that students are successful not only at learning to read but also at becoming as driven about reading as they are about their video games, sports, or other hobbies.

At Glen Innes School we have started using Renaissance Reading as a way to increase reading stamina, foster a love of reading and broaden vocabulary. This programme has been implemented from Year 5-8. 

Students read for a minimum of 30 minutes each day in class. Students do a test to at the start of the programme to establish their ZPD (zone of proximal development). This then gives them what we call a 'reading range' rather than a reading age or score. This reading range allows students to choose books within their reading range. Renaissance has an extensive library and students are able to choose topics that they want to read about. At the end of the text, students do a quiz to establish their understanding/ comprehension of the text. Like most paid, online content I am able to monitor their progress and assign tasks and mini projects. 

It has been interesting to note thatgraphic novels are a hit with the boys, but not so much with the girls.  

Blogpost #4 - Hypothesise & Research

Share your findings about the nature and extent of the student challenge. Make sure it is clear what evidence from your inquiry supports each finding.

I've decided to include my Term One easTTle Reading data as well. It's good to use more than just a single test in order to get a better picture of where my students are at. 

EasTTle has 39% of my students in Room 6 working within level 4 of the curriculum. 18 students were tested. This means 61%, almost two-thirds of my students are not working within curriculum expectations. 

Room 6 Term 1 easTTle Data

EasTTle has 25% of my students in Room 7 working within level 4 of the curriculum. 16 students were tested. This means 75%,  two-thirds of my students are not working within curriculum expectations.         

Room 7 Term 1 easTTle Data

After analysing the data I knew that my intervention would focus around Reading as this is still where the greatest need exists, Also, improving reading comprehension will have a positive knock-on effect on Writing and Mathematics.  

Initially I thought that my intervention would somehow focus around the my current PD of T-shaped Literacy.  T-shaped Literacy is based on the hypothesis that reading of multiple texts with a relatively narrow focus can simultaneously deepen understandings, widen the breadth of texts engaged with, and promote higher-order skills, all skills which my students need to master. 

However, after reflecting on the easTTle results with my students, many said that they often just chose answers at random as they were tired of reading towards the end of the test. I then decided to increase their reading stamina (being able to read independently for long-ish periods of time without being distracted or without distracting others) as this in conjunction with the T-shaped literacy, will have a positive effect on student outcomes.  With easTTle testing, it was apparent that when the text was short, students did reasonably well, but when the text became longer, a sizable group of students began to skip around the text or jump to questions without reading. 

Blogpost #3: Preliminary Findings

 "Data use involves the systematic collection and organisation of information and evidence to inform key decision-making in schools. It includes student achievement data from standardised and informal tests, assignments and pieces of classwork, as well as teacher observations, conversations with students, and student voice and feedback. The use of data is central to strategic planning, teacher inquiry and wider improvement work. It forms the basis of formative and summative evaluation of teaching programmes and student progress and achievement."  - The Education Hub

I've decided to use the PAT student achievement data (as this is what Woolf-Fisher uses to compare and track achievement) as an indicator of my student's comprehension ability. The Reading stanines across all year 7 and 8 students ranged from stanine 2 - stanine 6. It was a real struggle to get all students tested as we are still grappling with attendance issues due to the ongoing impact of Covid. I managed to test 18/21 students in Room 6.

Our school School Strategic Learning Goal #1 is:

"To increase the number of ALL students reading at chronological age following on from a disrupted year of learning." With this goal in mind, I didn't choose a target group, but decided to use my entire class.

Here is my Term 1 PAT data (Room 6):

From the available data we can see that only 16.7% (or 3 students) are currently operating at or above the expected curriculum level.

Here is my Term 1 PAT data (Room 7):

From the available data we can see that only 21.1% (or 4 students) are currently operating at the expected curriculum level.

References:

Timperley, H. (n.d.). Using evidence in the classroom for professional learning. Retrieved from: https://cdn.auckland.ac.nz/assets/education/about/schools/tchldv/docs/Using%20Evidence%20in%20the%20Classroom%20for%20Professional%20Learning.pdf