When do we learn best? It's always when we are personally involved in the subject matter. When my cousin was diagnosed with Leukemia I learnt far more about the disease than I ever did in my biology classes. I have a fascination with science fiction, so I often find learning about science interesting, it captures my attention and imagination.
Obviously this is a dilemma in the classroom, we just can't reach all our students on this level, they're not all personally interested in every topic.
So how do we engage them on this level given this obstacle?
How about involving them personally in the project of learning?
Perhaps Young Jenny doesn't care much about how to calculate the hypotenuse of a triangle, but she probably likes making movies, so how about Jenny and 2 of her friends making a movie to show not only how to calculate this (a meaningful learning experience), but also the application of this formula in real life? To give this project more meaning, make sure that it's going to be posted on the internet, or used in other classes, students love teaching each other.
Reaching our students can be one of the hardest parts of teaching, but if we want to ensure that learning is meaningful and successful it is vital.
Thank you to Doug Spicher for the inspiration for this blog entry.
Melanie.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Managing your networking online.
We all need to network, it's how we manage learning online, especially if blogging (or bleading = blog reading) is one of our major means of continuing our education and connecting to other educators of value.
However all this networking can begin to dominate our lives and a management strategy is necessary to keep us going or risk loosing interest or even the drive to update ourselves.
If you're like me you enjoy keeping on top of things, which means I like to check all the blogs and websites I value everyday, but this is not possible in reality, and it's beginning to take over my life. So I've had to find ways to manage this. Here are some helpful hints that might help you do the same.
1. Set a limit of how many bloggers you can subscribe to. It maybe 10, 20 or 30, you need to decide for yourself. This number of course may change over time, but setting a reasonable limit makes your bleading more manageable.
2. Think about your frequency of reading. Some blog sites, like this one are not update as regularly as others, or equally as important, they may not be of as much value. So assign blogs days, or even of regular contact. Put in on my bookmark folder those blogs you check daily and another that you check weekly, then pick a day a week for some serious bleading.
3. Take a break, don't do this everyday, you need to get yourself centered and fresh from time to time, make it happen and turn the computer off.
4. Using RSS can really be of benefit, by seeing the titles of blog entries can help you to know if an entry is something that really interests you. And even if you open it, but then find from scanning that it's not of value, move on. You are not required to read and respond to each and every entry.
5. There are times when your focus will be on different areas, increasing your networking time as you learn about a new topic . Don't be afraid to drop your favourite spots during this time, they'll be there when you get back and it'll help you maintain your sanity.
6. Be aware that your network is larger than you realise. The blogger you're reading got their information from somewhere else and they're now passing it on to you, it's a big web out there and it's all connected. So don't feel limited by what you're doing, realise how much your engaging by spending sometime connecting.
Case in point, I just read a blog entry by David Warlick who I've mentioned before in the blog about this very topic and agreed with it so thoroughly that I wanted to pass it on, and so the web of networking continues.
Melanie.
However all this networking can begin to dominate our lives and a management strategy is necessary to keep us going or risk loosing interest or even the drive to update ourselves.
If you're like me you enjoy keeping on top of things, which means I like to check all the blogs and websites I value everyday, but this is not possible in reality, and it's beginning to take over my life. So I've had to find ways to manage this. Here are some helpful hints that might help you do the same.
1. Set a limit of how many bloggers you can subscribe to. It maybe 10, 20 or 30, you need to decide for yourself. This number of course may change over time, but setting a reasonable limit makes your bleading more manageable.
2. Think about your frequency of reading. Some blog sites, like this one are not update as regularly as others, or equally as important, they may not be of as much value. So assign blogs days, or even of regular contact. Put in on my bookmark folder those blogs you check daily and another that you check weekly, then pick a day a week for some serious bleading.
3. Take a break, don't do this everyday, you need to get yourself centered and fresh from time to time, make it happen and turn the computer off.
4. Using RSS can really be of benefit, by seeing the titles of blog entries can help you to know if an entry is something that really interests you. And even if you open it, but then find from scanning that it's not of value, move on. You are not required to read and respond to each and every entry.
5. There are times when your focus will be on different areas, increasing your networking time as you learn about a new topic . Don't be afraid to drop your favourite spots during this time, they'll be there when you get back and it'll help you maintain your sanity.
6. Be aware that your network is larger than you realise. The blogger you're reading got their information from somewhere else and they're now passing it on to you, it's a big web out there and it's all connected. So don't feel limited by what you're doing, realise how much your engaging by spending sometime connecting.
Case in point, I just read a blog entry by David Warlick who I've mentioned before in the blog about this very topic and agreed with it so thoroughly that I wanted to pass it on, and so the web of networking continues.
Melanie.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
10 ways to make your iPod a better teaching gadget
Open culture list 10 ways to make better use of your iPod in education. The list includes the following topics and then some! - Wikipedia on your iPod, loading you tube videos, making videos iPod-ready, converting MP3 files into one audio book, ebooks for iPod, maps and language study.
Unleash the potential of mobile devices in education!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
2cents Worth
A very informative and tech-savvy blog for you all the check out is 2cents Worth and well worth checking out for every teacher. (I personally have it RSS) David Warlick who manages the blog not only gives great advice and links about ICT in education. He is inspiring about education and the way we approach it. Take a quote he put in today's blog entry.
"I’ve heard this one before, but it was shared again by Will Wright, creator of The SIMS, and I wrote it down word by word.
There was a professor who went into a kindergarten class one day and asked students to raise their hands if they could dance. Of course they all raised their hands. Draw? Sing? Again, they all raised their hands.
Then he went into a college class and asked the same questions of students there, and of course, no one raised their hands.
He concluded that education is the process of teaching us what we can’t do."
His personal commentary on PL as well as his outlook on education makes this a very practical blog to read, with ideas that you can incorporate into your own philosophy of teaching.
You can find his blog at http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/ and we have his blog listed in our links for your easy access anytime.
Melanie.
"I’ve heard this one before, but it was shared again by Will Wright, creator of The SIMS, and I wrote it down word by word.
There was a professor who went into a kindergarten class one day and asked students to raise their hands if they could dance. Of course they all raised their hands. Draw? Sing? Again, they all raised their hands.
Then he went into a college class and asked the same questions of students there, and of course, no one raised their hands.
He concluded that education is the process of teaching us what we can’t do."
His personal commentary on PL as well as his outlook on education makes this a very practical blog to read, with ideas that you can incorporate into your own philosophy of teaching.
You can find his blog at http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/ and we have his blog listed in our links for your easy access anytime.
Melanie.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Meet Liz
Hi everyone - welcome to our blog! Last year we developed a wiki that housed links, news and info about what we were getting up to. We've decided to build on this - hence developing this blog. With this blog comes a commitment to posting regularly about all things relating to the world of teaching with technology. (So make sure you check back regularly or RSS us!). I'd like to officially welcome Mel to our team! It has been great working with her for the last couple of months!
For those of you who I haven't met - I'm Liz - the professional learning facilitator in Brisbane. In this role, I actively assist teachers to understand the educational objectives of Information Communication and Technologies.
I graduated from the Queensland University of Technology with a dual degree - Bachelor of Creative Industries (Visual Art) Bachelor of Education (Secondary) with my second teaching area as English - and a few years ago never would have imagined being in this position. I have an invested interest in various creative projects including film, animation and interactive arts and through these passions I have developed a strong understanding of modern digital processes.
I believe that education is shaped around the fundamental values of freedom and respect and encourages students to constantly search for truth and technology allows students to achieve this.
I love to talk and share my passions with whom I meet.
Contact me on: (07) 3914 5343 or email: lperry@mac1.com.au
Look out for future posts.
-Liz :)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Back in December 2007
December
Following on from the UNE Creative Animations workshop with two of my year 7 students, I took the skills I had learnt back to the classroom. The two students I had taken with three others had written a script for the inaugural Namoi CMA script writing competition. They unfortunately hadn't won, but here was the means for them to have the fulfillment of completing their vision and gain the satisfaction of taking their project full circle.
A few planning sessions followed where the girls divided the script into manageable sections, decided on backgrounds and cast members. The girls were so enthusiastic that they were happy to get as many supplies from home as were necessary and even completed each of the 5 background boxes at home in their own time. From there they only needed condensed time. I deliberately timed the filming for the end of year when I knew other teachers would not mind the girls being out of class. Setting them up with the digital camera on a tripod in the book room they worked well together, sharing the tasks to take photo after photo after photo.
They were long days, but the girls were so involved in the creativity of the task, the satisfaction of completing something they had started, that they never swayed. Each time they completed a section of the script they would crowd around for the uploading of the photos and watched in awe as using Quicktime pro 7 they were turned into a little movie.
As a teacher, I can't begin to express my own joy at the learning and devotion my students demonstrated with this task. This is the power of connected learning...watch out for them at film festivals!
Melanie
Back in September 2007
September
On the last day of Term 3 at Peel High School I was very surprised to receive a phone call from Col Easton from Namoi CMA. He was running their script writing competition for high school students that had been the inspiration for a unit of work I'd completed with my year 7 class. He was calling to let me know that my group of boys, who called themselves the "Order of the Muffin", had won the competition with their script entitled "Squirt and Droplet: Environmental Police" The prize was $10K to have their script professionally filmed.
Excitement throughout the school was evident and none more so than for the boys themselves. They devoted their lunch times and sport time to planning meetings so we could edit the script, design costumes, plan locations and gather props. Without the very great support and time devoted by Col to bring the project together though it would never happened. Many members of the community really helped also, the Tamworth dramatic society and even the Mayor of Tamworth, Mr Treloar, made it all possible within the budget.
Finally the big time arrived in November and our camerman/director, Gareth Tillson, arrived and really brought the project to life. We bundled all the students involved with all the props and supplies we needed onto a mini-bus and headed off to each location over 3 days. Timing was vital, we didn't have much and there was a lot of filming needed with a lot set changes. With the professionalism of Gareth and the ever present organisational skills of Col, the project did happen though and we managed to film all the takes we needed to.
It was then out of our hands, Gareth returned to Sydney to edit the film into the final product. I think this was the hardest point for the boys, the project was completely out of their hands now and all they could do was wait for the premier in the last week of school.
The big day finally arrived and Gareth delivered the final product for the boys, family, friends and teachers at the school to see. With breathless anticipation we waited in darkness for the movie to start and it truly lived up to my expectations. I think personally I had more fun watching the boys in the darkness and seeing their delight at watching their vision come to life and laughing their way through.
Afterwards they couldn't stop relaying events that had taken place throughout the filming and they really felt like celebrities with the local radio station there to record interviews with each of them.
All in all, it was a memorable experience for everyone involved and something I would encourage many others to take part in.
Melanie.
On the last day of Term 3 at Peel High School I was very surprised to receive a phone call from Col Easton from Namoi CMA. He was running their script writing competition for high school students that had been the inspiration for a unit of work I'd completed with my year 7 class. He was calling to let me know that my group of boys, who called themselves the "Order of the Muffin", had won the competition with their script entitled "Squirt and Droplet: Environmental Police" The prize was $10K to have their script professionally filmed.
Excitement throughout the school was evident and none more so than for the boys themselves. They devoted their lunch times and sport time to planning meetings so we could edit the script, design costumes, plan locations and gather props. Without the very great support and time devoted by Col to bring the project together though it would never happened. Many members of the community really helped also, the Tamworth dramatic society and even the Mayor of Tamworth, Mr Treloar, made it all possible within the budget.
Finally the big time arrived in November and our camerman/director, Gareth Tillson, arrived and really brought the project to life. We bundled all the students involved with all the props and supplies we needed onto a mini-bus and headed off to each location over 3 days. Timing was vital, we didn't have much and there was a lot of filming needed with a lot set changes. With the professionalism of Gareth and the ever present organisational skills of Col, the project did happen though and we managed to film all the takes we needed to.
It was then out of our hands, Gareth returned to Sydney to edit the film into the final product. I think this was the hardest point for the boys, the project was completely out of their hands now and all they could do was wait for the premier in the last week of school.
The big day finally arrived and Gareth delivered the final product for the boys, family, friends and teachers at the school to see. With breathless anticipation we waited in darkness for the movie to start and it truly lived up to my expectations. I think personally I had more fun watching the boys in the darkness and seeing their delight at watching their vision come to life and laughing their way through.
Afterwards they couldn't stop relaying events that had taken place throughout the filming and they really felt like celebrities with the local radio station there to record interviews with each of them.
All in all, it was a memorable experience for everyone involved and something I would encourage many others to take part in.
Melanie.
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