My little space in the world

Teaching in action – examples to share

Chromebooks

September19

On arrival at Waitaki Valley School at the beginning of Term 2 I was met with 30 Chromebooks in their boxes.  These were quickly taken out of the boxes, set up our system and ready to go!!

But . . . it’s not always that easy – how do you integrate them in meaningful ways within the classroom?  They started off by being used as additional machines for what I refer to as the consumable user (not the creative thinker!!) – for the likes of Mathletics and other interactive websites.

My teachers have been very receptive to their use though and are now using them alongside Hapara in order to have students creating and responding to each other’s work through Google docs.  This has quickly become a wonderful way to engage previously disengaged writers.

30 iPads and 30 Chromebooks (as well as a number of PCs) seemed adequate to me for our little school of 110, however the demand for the Chromebooks as a teaching and learning tool is quickly increasing over our Yr 3- 8 classes.

I’ve spent a bit of time recently looking at the various ways that we can continue to use the Chromebooks in valuable ways to increase learning opportunities.

Here’s a few things I have come across:

  • Google overview and educational apps for chromebooks here 
  • NZ Chromebook Classroom on You Tube

    Google Classroom on You Tube

    Google Classroom on You Tube

  • Benefits of Chromebooks
  • Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Chromebooks – Kathy has been around for years!!! I remember referring to her site when I was studying at the turn of the century!!   Some really good background information, as well as tips and tutorials, links to classroom practice and international sites

Sketch up Pro

August8

Did you know that the NZ Ministry of Education have purchased licences for Google Sketch up Pro so that NZ schools and students can use this within their learning?

This is a sophisticated programme that allows students to plan ideas and see them in 3D before even considering how it might come together.  I know in speaking with some people in industry that Sketch up Pro is comparable to many of the expensive industry based programmes and now we have access to it in our classrooms!

To access your licence in order to have this deployed across your school please e-mail DSV.MOESupport@datacom.co.nz

Heidi Hayes Jacobs

May30

I had a particularly stimulating day on Saturday at the MYSA conference – spending most of it in sessions run by Heidi Hayes Jacobs.  I am interested in looking at how US and Australian schools are using Curriculum Mapping to work ‘smarter’ and more collaboratively across their schools.  In particular I was inspired by the many Web 2.0 tools that she shared with us – the majority of those I had never heard or seen before.  The real benefit can in the ways that she shared the possible use of these tools, also enabling us to talk as a group to compile our ideas of how we might use them in our classrooms and schools.  Heidi has compiled a ‘Clearinghouse’ on her own website ‘Curriculum 21’.  Take time to look over her website – there is a huge source of tools available.

Curriculum 21

Comic Life

November5

For those of you who were on our bus trip to Timaru last term, many of you will remember watching a fabulous ‘MAC’ programme called Comic Life being used in a couple of the classrooms at Bluestone.  At the time we were told that this was just for the MAC platform – HOWEVER – I have just found out that there is indeed a version for PCs.  It has a free 30 day trial and then is $24.95 for a license so a reasonable price.  This is a great wee programme for various visual displays, and a great way to study a variety of uses of language while using your own photos.
Check out the PC free trial here.  MAC free trial here.

kidscomic1.JPG


Here is a little sample of what I have done with some family photos.
(Click on the image to see it with detail)Here is an example of how North Lowburn School in North Canterbury are using Comic Life to reflect on their learning – a learning journal, reflective journal etc.

Kids @ Conference Today

October25

dsc04336.JPGdsc04337.JPGWhat a wonderful day!  I have spent today in Dunedin facilitating

Scratch Workshops with some fabulous children from all around Otago.  It was great to work with these creative kids (and teachers) to learn and discover aspects of this wonderful programme.  The conference itself runs over 2 days and is a wonderful opportunity for Yr 5 & 6 children to experience new teachers, programmes and experiences.  One neat quote from a girl this afternoon “I made a video and a friend!!”

dsc04334.JPGdsc04335.JPGMy workshops with the programme Scratch were an introduction to using Scratch to produce some animations. Scratch is a great free download (can be used on both platforms) and is relatively simple to use to create animations (and games).  From a teachers point of view it comes with some great support material that can support class use.  Check out the Scratch site here:  http://scratch.mit.edu

 Thanks to Iain Cook-Bonney who has kindly uploaded the Scratch animations from the first workshop today to the Scratch gallery.  Check them out here:  http://scratch.mit.edu/galleries/view/6835

I have uploaded some from this afternoon’s workshop and these can be viewed at http://scratch.mit.edu/galleries/view/6840

You may want to see what others have been up too also – Check out the  blog, the podcasts and the website for the kids @ conference event.

North Otago and the AVRACS cluster were proudly represented by 3 children from each of Duntroon, Ardgowan and Waitaki Valley Schools, so I look forward to hearing of their highlights on their return.

More Great PhotoStory Uses – Enhancing Literacy

September14

I had a wonderful day on Monday at Duntroon School.  I was working with the Junior teachers, Bev and Linda in the classroom, and was intrigued enough to be keeping an eye on a little guy Lochie – a Year 1 student I think, working just along from where I was.  As a pre-reading exercise Bev had photographed the pages of Lochie’s Ready To Read text.  This wee guy was competent enough to be inserting the images into the Photostory from the class drive and was then recording his own voice to state what he thought each page was about.  What a great way to introduce a text in such a high interest way.

 I guess the implications that this brings though – and Bev mentioned this too – is that of Copyright.  This is a great pre reading activity, using the images to be thinking about what text might later come in the Guided Reading session, however legally I guess this isn’t actually right.  What do you think?  Leave a comment.

I will also upload a copy of a Photostory that a group of Year 4 students created on their findings about the Irrigation systems.  The depth of knowledge is great and PhotoStory is such a simple way for them to share this information effectively.  Watch this space for this!

Reading and Audio

September4

Shirley at Totara has been building up a great resource of the past few years.  She has been reading much of the Junior reading material onto tape so that there is greater access for children to listen to texts.  She has now changed her resource and is simply using the sound recorder on her laptop (All Programs, Accessories, Entertainment, Sound Recorder).  From here audio files are easily recorded, manipulated and grouped for access for the teacher and particular students.  How easy to now collect fo example all of the ‘Orange’ texts onto a CD for the teacher to use and access.

Another great looking resource is one shared by Janine of Balclutha on her Blog.  She refescreendump.JPGrs to http://www.robertmunsch.com/booklist.cfm where sound files of texts are downloadable.  Download these, Save these and write them to CD for a listening activity on your Listening Post.

My latest little toy!

September2

BUBBLESHARE: Check out what you can do with Bubbleshare.  I have created an album of photos from our Timaru Bus trip and loaded it onto the front of our AVRACS site.  Here I have created an album of a collection of photos from schools around the cluster.  Isn’t it great?  What a fun way to share static images.  Check this out at www.bubbleshare.com.  Easy to use and an attractive outcome!

[bubbleshare224421.d5c0eb3a27f]

Reading Tip of the Day

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