Have you ever wondered why we use Chromebooks, Google tools, blogs, and other types of technology in our learning? A big part of this comes from Manaiakalani. But Manaiakalani is more than just using technology at school. It is about changing the way we learn, create, and share our ideas with others.

Manaiakalani is a New Zealand education programme that supports schools and communities by using digital technology to improve learning. It gives students opportunities to become more confident, creative, and independent learners.

One of the most important ideas behind Manaiakalani is “Learn, Create, Share.” These three words represent different parts of the learning process.

First, we learn. This means gaining new knowledge, understanding new ideas, asking questions, and developing skills. We might learn through our teacher, classmates, research, or digital resources.

Next, we create. Instead of simply writing down what we have learned, we can turn our knowledge into something of our own. We could make a presentation, video, animation, drawing, website, or blog post. Creating allows us to show our understanding in a way that suits us.

Finally, we share. This is one of my favourite parts because our learning does not have to stay between us and our teacher. Through blogging and other digital platforms, we can share our work with classmates, whānau, and people around the world. Knowing that other people can see our work can motivate us to produce something we are proud of.

Manaiakalani also helps us develop important skills for the future. Technology is constantly changing, so knowing how to use digital tools responsibly and effectively can be extremely useful. We learn how to communicate, collaborate, research, solve problems, and think creatively.

What makes Manaiakalani special is that students are not just expected to sit and listen. We are encouraged to take an active role in our learning. We can explore our own ideas, make choices about how we present our work, and learn from our mistakes.

I also think sharing our learning can help us become more confident. When we publish a blog or create something for others to see, we are putting our ideas out there. It gives us a chance to receive feedback, improve our work, and recognise how much we are capable of achieving.

Overall, Manaiakalani is about giving students the opportunity to learn in a modern and creative way. It combines education with technology and encourages us to learn new things, create something meaningful, and share our learning with others.

So, the next time you open your Chromebook and start working on a blog, presentation, or project, remember that you are not just using technology. You are taking part in a way of learning that encourages you to Learn, Create, and Share.

Kia ora everyone!

Today I’m going to talk about an activity we did at school that really tested our problem-solving skills. We took part in a CODEBREAKER activity where we had to work in teams, think carefully, and try different ideas to complete the challenges.

At the beginning, we were given some instructions and had to get ourselves into groups. I wasn’t exactly sure how difficult the activity was going to be, but once we started, I realised that we needed to communicate properly if we wanted to succeed.

One of the biggest challenges was trying to understand the clues and work out what they meant. We couldn’t just rush through the questions because one small mistake could affect the rest of our answers. My group had to discuss different possibilities and decide which ideas were most likely to work.

Sometimes we disagreed about what we should do next. Instead of arguing, we had to explain our thinking and listen to each other. This helped us come up with better solutions because everyone had a different way of looking at the problem.

The activity also showed me that problem-solving takes patience. There were times when we tried something that didn’t work, and we had to start again. At first this was frustrating, but I learned that getting an answer wrong can actually help you understand the problem better. We could look at our mistakes and use them to change our approach.

The time limit also made the activity more challenging. We had to think quickly while still making sure our answers made sense. This taught me that staying calm is important when you are under pressure. If we panicked, it became harder to think clearly and find the right solution.

Another thing I enjoyed was seeing how everyone contributed. Some people were good at noticing patterns, while others were better at explaining ideas or organising the group. It showed me that teamwork can make problem-solving easier because you can use different people’s strengths.

The activity had some connections to our learning about New Zealand and working together, but for me, the main lesson was about how we approach problems. I learned that there isn’t always one obvious way to solve something. Sometimes you need to experiment, make mistakes, communicate, and keep trying until you find a solution.

Overall, I found the CODEBREAKER activity challenging but enjoyable. It helped me improve my communication and critical-thinking skills, and it showed me that giving up when something is difficult isn’t the answer. The most important thing is to keep thinking, try a new strategy, and work with the people around you.

For our Food Technology practical, we made rice bubble slices with our teacher, Matua Ben. I was excited to make them because rice bubble slices are a simple but tasty snack, and it was interesting to see how a few basic ingredients could be combined to make something completely different.

The ingredients we used were rice bubbles, Coco Pops, maple syrup, sugar and butter. I thought it was interesting that we used both rice bubbles and Coco Pops because they gave the slice a mixture of textures and flavours. The rice bubbles made it light and crunchy, while the Coco Pops added a chocolate flavour.

One different thing about this practical was that we did not have printed copies of the recipe. Matua Ben did not have enough time to print them out, so the recipe was displayed on the TV for us to follow. This meant we had to pay attention and make sure we did not miss any of the instructions.

Before we started, we got our ingredients and equipment ready. We had to make sure our workspace was clean and organised so we could work efficiently. We then followed the recipe step by step, measuring our ingredients carefully. This was important because changing the amount of an ingredient could affect the final texture and taste.

We combined the butter, sugar and maple syrup to create the mixture that would hold the rice bubbles and Coco Pops together. Once it was ready, we added the cereal and mixed everything carefully so that the coating was spread evenly. We then transferred the mixture into a tray and pressed it down firmly into an even layer. After it had been left to set, it could be put in each of the baking cups.

Although making rice bubble slices seems quite simple, there were actually several skills involved. I learnt that accurate measuring is important in Food Technology because even a small change in the ingredients can affect the result. I also learnt that it is important to read and follow instructions carefully instead of rushing through the process.

Another thing I practised was time management. We had to work at a reasonable pace so that we could finish each step within the class time. Having the recipe on the TV also meant we had to stay focused and keep checking the instructions as we worked.

Food safety and hygiene were also important. Keeping our hands, equipment and workspace clean helped make sure the food was safe to eat. We also needed to work carefully around the equipment and ingredients and clean up properly when we finished.

Overall, I enjoyed making the rice bubble slices. I liked that we were able to be hands-on and actually make something instead of only learning about food in theory. I also enjoyed seeing the mixture change as we combined the ingredients and pressed it into the tray.

If I made the recipe again, I would focus on making sure the mixture was pressed down evenly so that all the slices had a similar thickness and shape. I would also make sure I was checking the recipe regularly so I knew exactly what step came next.

This practical showed me that Food Technology is not just about cooking food. It involves planning, measuring, following instructions, using equipment safely, managing time and evaluating the final product. Even though rice bubble slices are a fairly simple recipe, making them gave me the opportunity to practise all of these skills.

Overall, the practical was a fun and successful experience, and I would definitely make rice bubble slices again.

26. Kiwi can

Kia ora, Kiwi can

 Malo e lelei And ourTongan

WALT: This week we are learning to do problem solving  like finding a way to save the day and our theme is Resilience. 

And We then did a recap about what we did 2 weeks ago which we did Goal setting which means trying your best to achieve your goals. This week we learned about Problem solving which means doing the right thing even when no one is looking.  

 Reflection

• Resilience helps us stay calm and keep trying when a problem gets tough.
• It encourages us to look at challenges as opportunities to learn rather than give up.
• Resilience is like being a superhero for your own brain—it helps you bounce back when things go wrong, like forgetting your homework or tripping over your words, instead of just feeling grumpy about it.

Think about a recent challenge I faced

• What was the challenge?
• How did I feel?
• How did I show resilience to overcome it?
• What did I learn?

Thank you Kiwi can Nga mihi Shanah 

this week we are going to talk about what is my pathway?

my pathway is basketball because i like to play games so I look up basketball and it is a thing so that I will be playing basketball because it is my pathway to go and become the best thing to do in basketball