Girly Weekend.... the MAGIC of our Auckland Trip....

So, finally the countdown is over - Susan and I are off to Auckland for a fun weekend with Sue. Delighted to have my flight home from Christchurch on time, we boarded for Auckland! How exciting to see Sue again.

Saturday starts with a drive up None Tree Hill. Blue skies deceive as the wind whips around and chills.  Following this a drive over the harbour bridge, and over to St Heliers for some retail therapy and a coffee on the waterfront. 

Next up, up the tower for stunning views and lunch in Orbit, the revolving restaurant. 

The day ends with shopping in Queen Street, then over to New Market. Dinner at Ponsonby Central with the ultimate dessert treat - icecream sandwich.  I can't believe I have never seen this before.  You choose your cookies and icecream flavour, topped off with candy floss - D E L I C I O U S!!!!

Sunday dawned grey, but what a day we have in store.  Lunch in the viaduct, a walk down the Wynyard quarter, then onto the ferry for Waiheke. 

Leaving the grey of Auckland far behind we sail into the blue of Waiheke.  Onto our bus for our wine tour!

What a wonderful greeting at Stonyridge Vineyard. A walk around the vineyard, through the olive groves, and into the restaurant for lunch

Next stop,  Rangihoua Estate for an olive oil tasting. Wow, they sure are delicious.

After a drive around Onetangi Beach we went to Wild on Waiheke.  Wine tasting, craft beer tasting... even drunken oyster shots....

 Final stop on the tour was Mudbrick Vineyard. WOW - what a stunning venue.  

All too soon the tour was over and we got the bus back to Oneroa.  Retail therapy, a walk on the beach and a walk up to Oyster Inn for dinner.  We were incredibly fortunate to strike live entertainment.  The food, ambience, conversation, entire evening was stunning.

Back to the ferry for the ride back to Auckland and a walk around the Wynyard quarter.  

Home for our last night in Auckland.  All too soon it was morning and off to the airport we went.  A delay was announced to our flight due to weather conditions in Dunedin.  Hard to believe the contrast from one end of New Zealand to the other.  Delay after delay,  and finally, airborne, the delays continue as the Dunedin Airport runway is too frosty to land.  So finally, we arrive back, a couple of hours late... 

 ...flying over the white winterland....

A HUGE thank you to Sue and Susan for a stunning weekend... 

Te Reo Manahua Māori face to face MAGIC

So, today, I have the privilege of spending the day with Gemma and Anaru for Te Reo Manahua Māori. I am so excited to be able to embrace this opportunity and continue the momentum. I am anticipating challenge, discomfort and I am very excited. 

My expectations are HUGE, of the course, of our kaiako, of our Te Reo Manahua colleagues but most especially, myself. I expect to be busy, busy, busy! I expect to be uncomfortable with my journey. I expect to embrace my mistakes. I expect to maintain a growth mindset! I expect to spent time in the pit of learning, but I anticipate a whole lot of support to assist me as I clamber out....

I am delighted to see that there are two challenges during the course. Great opportunities for us to really embrace our learning, accept challenges, and grow in my reo....

I am very grateful for the opportunity to maintain the momentum. I know myself well enough to know that I learn best by continuing, by facing and embracing challenges. Woohoo… maintaining the momentum….

WOW – what a day… so much new learning… this certainly is a step up and out of my comfort zone, but so well supported by Anaru and Gemma and fellow kaiako on the journey. 

My highlights of the day:

· Being at the face to face;

· Meeting my colleagues for the journey;

· Hearing the reo;

· Patai answered and discussed;

· Using the podcast app to download the podcasts so I can listen to them anywhere;

· Seeing the new options in moodle for a more interactive, pick a path experience;

· The fun of the day – thank you Gemma and Anaru;

Now the real learning begins.

Module one is whanaungatanga… relationships…

I can’t wait to dive in and get fully amongst the new learning, the new opportunities. 

The new tense markers:

Thanks to Anaru for sharing them in this wonderful graphic…. And with the actions to try and solidify my learning.

The new sentence structures today open up a world of possibilities.

I am especially looking forward to learning new whakatauki to bring into my learning journey and sharing these at sessions we run. 

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini

My success is not that of the individual, but that of many

Te Reo Manahua

Christchurch bound… Early start and the best message of the day arrived from Susan.  “I sung in the shower…” Wow how happy is that..

For the longest time we have been planning our S.A.S. weekend in Auckland and today is the day… The countdown is over…

So, Christchurch bound for a day, flying home in time to meet S. at the airport for our flight to Auckland. WOW – what a day in the air it is going to be. 

So what am I most looking forward to? Undoubtedly it is S’s excitement.  We are going to have so much fun travelling up tonight, then the fun with S.A.S. will really begin… Auckland S. has planned such an extensive, exciting agenda.  We are sooo lucky. 

Flying over the snow tops today… WOW, that snow is low.  I knew snow was forecast for the weekend but hadn’t realized it was due already.  Stunning shot to share with Aucklanders…

So, today, I have the privilege of spending the day with Gemma and Anaru for Te Reo Mahura Māori.  I am so excited to be able to embrace this opportunity and continue the momentum.  I am anticipating challenge, discomfort and I am very excited.

edcamp Global 2015: Harnessing your Ecosystems

I caught up with a few sessions for edcampglobal over Saturday, and loads of chat on twitter.  Sunday morning dawned and I had to extract myself from family time and head to the office for our session: edcamp Global 2015: Harnessing your Ecosystems

So, what is it, that takes you away from your family time on a Sunday? 

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata - undoutedly it is always the people. 

Some time ago the amazing Fiona Grant gathered together a group of educators from around New Zealand to share a story, discuss how we are connecting in and around New Zealand, indeed, how we are harnessing our ecosystems.  

A bit of history is necessary to share my passion for the #educamp philosophy. 

Way back in July 2011, I travelled to Whangarei and attended my first ever educamp - educamptaitokerau and I was completely and utterly hooked.  

And so begun the journey of educamps in the mainland...

Claire and Anne share the story of the inaugural educampdunners...

Educamp Dunedin from EDtalks on Vimeo.
Claire Buist from St Clair School, Dunedin, and Anne Kenneally from St Mary's School, Mosgiel, tell of their experience in holding an educamp in Dunedin. Claire and Anne describe how the day came about and why the educamp experience was so successful.

Evident from the onset was the open sharing and support from Fiona and from around New Zealand. For each and every educamp there is a genuine willingness to support others in this crusade - to provide an opportunity for open, free, connecting, networking and sharing.  

Dunedin has now celebrated six educamps and a padcamp.  Each one unique, special and its own kind of MAGICAL.

Alongside this in the deep south, Christchurch held its first educamp in 2012, and has followed up with an annual event and the inaugural #padcamp in 2012.

Timaru has recently celebrated its third educamp, Central Otago have celebrated three educamps and Invercargill is hosting their second educamp next Saturday, 15th August. 

What is it that keeps this incredible phenomena going. Undoubtedly, as I said at the start, it is the people and the open sharing.  It is impossible to come away from an educamp without a multitude of ideas, connections, and fully recharged batteries.  The buzz of people, sharing, learning is simply contagious. Continually, we battle with ensuring the news of educamps is spread far and wide. We rely on participants to spread the news and bring newbies to events. We rely on the generosity of educators to share their practice, successes and challenges.  We rely on enthusiasm for sharing to our SMACKDOWNS. 

So, here we are, eight years into a journey that Fiona began in Auckland, celebrating educamps, connected educators the length and breadth of our country.  

Thank you Fiona for your MAGIC, your inspiration and generous sharing, and support.  New Zealand educators are ever so much richer for the experience.  

Thanks also to Annemarie Hyde, Barbara Reid, Juliet Revell and Philippa Antipas for sharing in the conversation.  Indeed, a wonderful way to spend time on a Sunday morning. 

A huge part of the educamp experience for me has been in travelling to other events and hosting educators from around NZ. So next week, we travel south, for #educampinvers.  Please come and join us, face to face, or virtually and experience the MAGIC of connecting and sharing with like minded educators...  

edcamp global

Birthday MAGIC

WOW

Everyday in every way is special and unique but birthdays have a richness that is just ‘something else’. 

My celebrating began yesterday with an early birthday lunch with Mum. What a wonderful surprise for me, Mum had my card and present all sorted. For a couple of years now I have been supporting Mum with cards and presents for all of the family birthdays. What a delightful surprise I got. She had also told all the staff so I got a whole lot of very special greetings.

Second MAGIC surprise was my son and partner's wonderfully thoughtful present – WOW – so cool! Then last night was capped off with a lovely dinner out with Grant, Jason and Gabi. Agh yay….

Today, my birthday dawned with stunning flowers from Grant, and lots of lovely messages. AirNZ sent me a message advising my flight was delayed so unbelievably I had a chance for a quick visit to Mum on the way to the airport, a real bonus to catch up on my actual birthday and meant a lot to us both. WOW then for the MAGIC from Air NZ. Lynne always treats me in a way that makes me feel special and she is kind beyond measure. Imagine my surprise, delight, when she gave me flowers, wine and choocies to take to Christchurch for Katie. Kindness like this is so precious….

Now air born, flying to Christchurch for a truly MAGICAL day… first stop Selwyn House for a long overdue catchup with Bridget and Lynn, then the office for a marketing presentation, then out to CBHS for our literacy workshop! Dinner with Katie and Sean will round of a pretty amazing day. 

Flying home, reflecting on two MAGICAL days…. WOW, what an incredible visit to Selwyn House! How awesome to see you in your space Bridget!!! What a treat to catch up with Lyn again, and Liz! Wow, special times. 

Across to the new CORE office in time for the marketing meeting – wow, awesome!!! Say no more for now!!!!

Next stop, Riccarton House for a Birthday afternoon tea with Sue, Rowan, and Pauline. What an incredible place. I can’t wait to come back here for a meal, and for market time. 

Our workshop at CBHS was amazing. A room full of passionate educators, enthusiastically engaging at the end of a busy day is a beautiful thing indeed! I just loved our session, loved the time to work with individuals and groups and to allow agency within our workshop. Extensive preparation to allow for such freedom is so rewarding! Also rewarding was the feedback!

Back across town in time to check in, change and out to birthday dinner. What a truly special night out at Tutu Benne with Katie and Sean! Awesome meal, great conversation, lots of laughter….

Today was a MAGICAL opportunity to fully explore the new office space. Thanks so much to Ruby for the amazing guided tour! WOW – what an incredible modern learning space we are in. My key feelings initially are the feeling of open-ness, light, space, and collegiality. The agile flexible spaces allow for individual, small group, large group, open, private, formal, relaxed gatherings. I am completely in awe of the feeling of a space which fully ‘walks our talk’! Throughout today I was able to experience many of the spaces, and love the flexibility afforded. WOW – HUGE kudos to all involved in making this space possible. 

Today was our final Te Reo Puāwai face to face session. What an incredible opportunity to recap, reflect on, celebrate and showcase our journey. Gemma, you are amazing. We are incredibly grateful to you for your support, encouragement, humour, commitment and patience. Thank you for the fun, the games, the learning and the laughter, and most of all, thank you for the belief in us. 

Across a very busy Christchurch on a Friday afternoon, after a coffee catchup with Katie, and I arrived at the airport in time for early flight, a true bonus on a Friday afternoon. 

So, arriving home in time for a quick change before another birthday celebration!!! Time to reflect on just how lucky I am. There is nothing quite like the feeling of gratitude. Thank you to everyone who is such a special part of my life!!!

Even Google wished me HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! teehee...

Te Reo Puāwai Māori - Weather - Twitter - sharing....

OOOOOhhh what a wonderful link for me...
http://www.maorilanguage.net/maori-words-phrases/weather-huarere/  
What better way for me to increase my reo than tweeting weather phrases on my instaweather photos... 

Tweet one sent....

Now for an instaweather addition... maybe this could become a daily challenge for myself... tweeting in reo....