Tonight I am presenting a workshop at Ivanhoe grammar for VITTA on Youtube, Teachertube and Mojiti. However, although I play with these sites regularly I had not ever posted anything... so Talk about "just in time learning" - or learning for a purpose. Today I "uploaded" a little movie I made for the Year 10 Patisserie class. It is not perfect and there are heaps of improvements i will make over the next week but for now ....
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
what happens ?
I haven't posted for a while, I have thought many things but just not made the time to stop and reflect. I know kids of today ( my own two included) claim they can work and think with music on and MSN chats happening and stuff going on around them but I cannot. Call me old fashioned, old school or just OLD !! For me to truly reflect I like quiet!
I have been reflecting on a number of things though. In my job I work with teachers from P to 12 and many things have hit me lately
1. I taught grade 1/2 today , read them a story and gave them a creative task. Watched as their teacher discussed the importance of planning and the questions they needed to ask themselves before rushing off and designing a 'chicken feeding machine. Their enthusiasm and creativity was delightful.
2. Then I helped grade 5/6 make movies for a project on Health. A few were creative, they were less keen to stop and plan, and I noticed they were far more conservative in their ideas.
3. THEN, I asked a friend how her year 9 science class went. We had spent quite some time trying to make 'elements, compounds and molecular structure' more interesting. Giving them the opportunity to make a model, allowing them choice in the method of demonstrating their understanding. But alas ... no real interest, no creativity, no enthusiasm. Yes VELS suggests making it 'real-life' learning and turning topics into true problem-solving activities - but the reality is 4 x 45 minute periods with 7 topics to cover and be assessed for the next report.
I found myself asking 'what do we do to these kids that kills that love of learning.' Why do they have to learn about 'elements, and compounds anyway !" How cold we have done it better ? We have tried many things with 9E in science - interactive websites, Comic Life, mobile technologies ... we just can't seem to engage them .... not at this particular school anyway. It disturbs me and I will be giving it more thought.
I have been reflecting on a number of things though. In my job I work with teachers from P to 12 and many things have hit me lately
1. I taught grade 1/2 today , read them a story and gave them a creative task. Watched as their teacher discussed the importance of planning and the questions they needed to ask themselves before rushing off and designing a 'chicken feeding machine. Their enthusiasm and creativity was delightful.
2. Then I helped grade 5/6 make movies for a project on Health. A few were creative, they were less keen to stop and plan, and I noticed they were far more conservative in their ideas.
3. THEN, I asked a friend how her year 9 science class went. We had spent quite some time trying to make 'elements, compounds and molecular structure' more interesting. Giving them the opportunity to make a model, allowing them choice in the method of demonstrating their understanding. But alas ... no real interest, no creativity, no enthusiasm. Yes VELS suggests making it 'real-life' learning and turning topics into true problem-solving activities - but the reality is 4 x 45 minute periods with 7 topics to cover and be assessed for the next report.
I found myself asking 'what do we do to these kids that kills that love of learning.' Why do they have to learn about 'elements, and compounds anyway !" How cold we have done it better ? We have tried many things with 9E in science - interactive websites, Comic Life, mobile technologies ... we just can't seem to engage them .... not at this particular school anyway. It disturbs me and I will be giving it more thought.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
The Lakes School ... my vision in reality..
Many of us have a 'vision' of what best practice looks like, of how education SHOULD be. Well on Thursday i saw mine... It was The Lakes P-9 , a new school in Sth Morang. Based on the concept of a learning street, it was amazing. Principal Kerrie Heenan proudly invited me back. "i could tell you anything" she said to me, come back and watch us in action, talk to the kids. I intend to Kerrie .. Have a read about them in The Age article
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Fellow travellers ... my friend would say
One of my friends used to refer me to as a "fellow traveller", it is an expression I have come to appreciate as I meet many other teachers who fit into this category nicely. Joseph from Ivanhoe Grammar Plenty campus is one such person. We have met only briefly a few times but we think alike. Actually blogging has proved that you do not even need to meet a 'fellow traveller', you communicate with people who you know are just like yourself.
Joseph invited me to the Plenty Campus on Friday 25th May to take part in a SKYPE with
Tom Barrett Tom is currently an assistant headteacher and Year 6 teacher at Priestsic Primary and Nursery School in Nottinghamshire, England. He was a finalist in the Best Wiki awards for Edubloggers in 2006. He talked to us about the many ways you can use Google Earth in the classroom. This has huge potential not realised by most teachers. He also showed us a site that records where visitors to your blog have come from. Many people visit and read blogs but do not comment, a little disturbing for the kids who look forward to seeing if anyone has been visiting them. digital point shows where 'visitors' have come from. It looks like this in a blog.
... hmm yes I know no-one visits mine !!! but you can see how this would be interesting for kids and it spring boards discussion and interest about other places in the world.
Whilst at the Skype I met two ladies from VITTA and they invited me to speak at a mini conference being held at Ivanhoe Grammar Ridgeway Campus in August. I will be speaking about Teachertube and Mojiti. Quite amusing when you think that two years ago i didn't even know how to use the video camera !!. The conference is being held in conjunction with a visit by Will Richardson. i have added his blog to "blogs I read. Anyway keep a look out for their conference details it sounds really interesting.
Joseph invited me to the Plenty Campus on Friday 25th May to take part in a SKYPE with
Tom Barrett Tom is currently an assistant headteacher and Year 6 teacher at Priestsic Primary and Nursery School in Nottinghamshire, England. He was a finalist in the Best Wiki awards for Edubloggers in 2006. He talked to us about the many ways you can use Google Earth in the classroom. This has huge potential not realised by most teachers. He also showed us a site that records where visitors to your blog have come from. Many people visit and read blogs but do not comment, a little disturbing for the kids who look forward to seeing if anyone has been visiting them. digital point shows where 'visitors' have come from. It looks like this in a blog.
... hmm yes I know no-one visits mine !!! but you can see how this would be interesting for kids and it spring boards discussion and interest about other places in the world.Whilst at the Skype I met two ladies from VITTA and they invited me to speak at a mini conference being held at Ivanhoe Grammar Ridgeway Campus in August. I will be speaking about Teachertube and Mojiti. Quite amusing when you think that two years ago i didn't even know how to use the video camera !!. The conference is being held in conjunction with a visit by Will Richardson. i have added his blog to "blogs I read. Anyway keep a look out for their conference details it sounds really interesting.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Speakers worth listening to
As I continued my search for 'keynote' superman (or woman) for my cluster PD day I stumbled across two more incredible people. Colin Pidd from BTLi (Below the Line)had all 200 staff at the Brentwood Cluster PD day talking. He talks about communication, and the difference between effective communication and the 'above the line'corporate talk. He is engaging and personable, and he is now booked for the 31st August, for the Templestowe Cluster.
Another "must see" is Marco Torres. He was out here courtesy of the Department of Education, talking about the future of education, and what we have to do for our kids. I liked his philosophy about teachers who are resistant to change; they have three choices - 1. Quit, 2. Complain, 3 Innovate. Many bloggers have discussed him in detail, see susanvg's blog reflexions The movies his students have made are truly amazing and can be viewed at sfett. He began his presentation with the following film .. wouldn't you just love to show this to your staff
Another "must see" is Marco Torres. He was out here courtesy of the Department of Education, talking about the future of education, and what we have to do for our kids. I liked his philosophy about teachers who are resistant to change; they have three choices - 1. Quit, 2. Complain, 3 Innovate. Many bloggers have discussed him in detail, see susanvg's blog reflexions The movies his students have made are truly amazing and can be viewed at sfett. He began his presentation with the following film .. wouldn't you just love to show this to your staff
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
wonderment and awe !!
I have been a bit of a PD "groupie" lately attending Professional learning days of other schools and clusters, in search of a keynote speaker and presenters for our Cluster Day in August. The focus of our day is (of course) ICT and PoLT. i tend nowadays to be drawn to like minded people and over the last 2 weeks have had some incredible conversations and learnt so much. I decided I had better record some of what I had learnt to share with others. Some of the stuff that is "out there" now is so exciting and just literally makes me respond with "WOW" !!" It reminds me of Art Costa's Habits of minds - one of which is responding with wonderment and awe. I did take a minute or two to wonder though, do our students respond to these new technologies in the same way, or is it so much a part of their world that they don't find it as A M AZ I N G as I do ????????????????
For example, Youtube may be blocked but you can access Teachertube which has some brilliant videos on it. Or check out Mojiti where you can add "spots", text, animation, audio, whatever you liked to existing clips. See my first, very amateur experiment below.
Now the question has to be asked, how can we use this in our classrooms ?
For example, Youtube may be blocked but you can access Teachertube which has some brilliant videos on it. Or check out Mojiti where you can add "spots", text, animation, audio, whatever you liked to existing clips. See my first, very amateur experiment below.
Now the question has to be asked, how can we use this in our classrooms ?
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