My Kiwi Ramblings

Another tragedy

2011-06-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

This week we have heard the tragic news of some more student deaths in various parts of our country. Each one of these events is extremely tragic and very traumatic for everybody close to those young people.

I think as parents we will be kidding ourselves if we believe it can’t happen to us. The reality is that we can only do so much for our kids. At some point we have to let them go and they will have to start making the right choices themselves.

The one area I do have concern about in general, is the level of resilience of our young people. I sometimes get the impression that many of them are not great at dealing with setbacks and problematic situations. Maybe this is an area we as parents can help our kids with.

Resilience is being developed by letting our kids deal with issues themselves (within reason of course) and be there as a support person and mentor, rather than always stepping in and dealing with it on there behalf. They can only learn by doing: making mistakes, handling setbacks, sort out conflict, stand up for ourselves, solve problems, etc.

Why is TWITTER so powerful?

2011-03-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

There are two types of people in the world. Those who get Twitter and those who don't.

OK, I'm joking, but Twitter does seem to divide people. What can you say that's worthwhile in 140 characters? some people ask. Others claim that much of the Twitterverse is vacuous rubbish that isn't worth reading.

Well, anyone who uses Twitter on a regular basis will tell you that the power of the tool is not so much in its content, but in its ability to connect you to other people. The same applies of course to any other social networking tool, but unlike Facebook for example, Twitter contains very few distractions. It's stripped down and very simple. There are no frivolous food fights, 'poking' or third party games such as Farmville contained within its wrapper. Twitter quite simply connects you with people who are interesting, informative or humorous.

And here's the real power: The more you connect on Twitter, the more connections you get. For me, the value of Twitter is in tapping into its social critical mass. I think that most people who try Twitter and fail to see its value don't give it enough time. If they persisted and put some time into developing their contacts and connections on Twitter, they may discover that it pays them back for the time they have invested. To do this they can use lists, following those who are good value and produce useful content, while at the same time tweeting content that others may find useful.

No, Twitter is not so much about the information and useful links you can gain access to. Twitter is powerful because it allows people to share their emotions - you can gain a window on their everyday experiences, and that often helps you in your own daily struggles. I am often encouraged by people who share snapshots of what is happening in their lives right now. It's an important dimension - I have made many friends on Twitter whom I have later met and strengthened my friendships with. Self disclosure is a risky thing, but others often reciprocate. It can all be summed up by a quote from one of my favourite authors:

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: What! You too? I thought I was the only one." - C. S. Lewis

http://steve-wheeler.blogspot.com/2010/04/why-twitter-is-so-powerful.html

Do they know how to be digital learners?

2011-02-24T12:18:00.000-08:00

Where digital natives roam, paper and pencil have a place, too

^[1]

Back in September, when Nancy Amling first opened the doors to her new technology-themed high school in Chelsea, parents asked her what supplies they should buy. “I told them, ‘You don’t need supplies! We have laptops,’” Amling said.

Over the next few weeks, she and her staff learned that paper and pens have their place. But aside from the notebooks students carry around, almost nothing is traditional about Amling’s school.

Located in the basement of the Bayard Rustin Education Complex, the Hudson High School of Learning Technologies ^[2] is part of the city’s massive investment in technology and online learning, known as the iZone pilot. The pilot is funded with a combination of Race to the Top money, private donations, and city tax dollars.

Hudson High School is a “blended” school, which means its teachers combine face-to-face instruction with online courses and homework assignments. Each student has a laptop and every teacher has a webpage where they can upload assignments for students to access later.

When I visited last week, students in a math class were progressing through a series of online word problems and drawing out graphs of the problems by hand. In a science class, groups of students were creating PowerPoint presentations about famous bacteria, such as the ones responsible for the bubonic plague, while the teacher floated from group-to-group.

Amling said one of the most surprising discoveries was finding how widely students’ Internet-savviness ranged. Of the 109 students in her freshman class, some showed up knowing how to design a web page, use Google Documents, and send emails with attachments. Others weren’t sure how to save a file to their laptop’s desktop.

“There is that expression: digital natives. But just because somebody knows how to send a text and get an email, doesn’t mean they know how to be digital learners,” Amling said.

Hudson High School is also textbook-less, a fact that has earned it considerable media ^[3] attention ^[4]. Instead of textbooks, students taking an Algebra class are enrolled in an online Algebra course. Through programs offered by Aventa and Compass, two companies that provide much of the city’s current online courseware, students can progress through a series of lessons at their own pace. The programs aren’t perfect, Amling said, and she hopes to eventually have her own teachers write online courses.

“What we find is the digital content is in its early stages right now,” Amling said. “Somebody once gave me the example of when they took radio shows and read them aloud on TV — in some way that’s what digital content looks like right now.”

Students mainly progress through the online courses at home, where the majority of them have Internet access. For the ones that have Internet but no laptops, the school has been able to give them take-home laptops that were donated. Amling said that some students’ parents had cable TV, but no Internet, and she’d been able to convince them to drop HBO in favor of getting their children online.

For all her enthusiasm about her school’s blended learning model, Amling said that if she had more money, she’d hire more teachers.

“Education is a combination of using the technology to support instruction, but it’s in the collaborative relationships where students are learning,” she said. “Because if that’s not where the important piece is, then why even have a school?”

Article printed from GothamSchools: http://gothamschools.org

What can we do now?

2011-02-07T12:19:00.000-08:00

With all of the limitations, or barriers, to provide the technologies we want it is easy to get frustrated as educators and administrators. But, there are things we can do NOW that can help. For what it’s worth, here’s what I think we need to do now:

#1: Create wireless space throughout our school campus so that students can use their own devices to access the Internet and open the door to digital possibilities. I know what you are thinking, what about requirements on regulating access for students? It can be done with the right policies, and good ole fashion staff responsibility and supervision. Let’s face it, we will never be able to keep up with the latest technology tools, nor will we have to. Why not let students bring their own in and use them to be actively engaged in their own learning, through devices they have on them 24/7? These devices might be smartphones that they are using their own 3/4g networks, or they might be an iTouch, iPad, other tablets, or netbooks that they bring in of their own that have wifi capabilities. The time is coming when everyone will have their own mobile device, so why are we fighting it? The time has come for us to give them the door to the world, allow for flexibility on their ‘transportation’ and then facilitate their voyage. We need to be open-minded and really, truly think through how we can make it happen. On all levels we need to start asking questions: Do we have wireless hotspots? How can we get more? Why can’t we allow students to access and use their phones, iPads, iTouchs, eReaders at school? What kind of policies can we encourage our board members to write to allow more connectivity? What can I do to get the ball rolling?

#2: We need to shift the importance from the tool to the purpose. From specific applications/software to teaching our students how to navigate in many digital applications. I want our students to leave being able to trouble-shoot and problem solve their way through many platforms, tools, and software applications. I also want them to know where to go if they can’t figure it out, to be self-motivated learners that turn to digital resources like youtube, Google, twitter and other digital networks to help themselves. So, yes I want them to be self-motivated to adapt from one application to another and to know when they need to turn to others for assistance. Imagine that, scholarly independence and adaptability. Yes, that is what I want. WE can do this, RIGHT NOW by exposing our students to many different tools, and allowing them to choose the one that best fits the task at hand. Give them the goal (to show evidence of learning) and let them run with it, using their chosen tool and project that can show their learning. We can facilitate student learning, without dictating the exact path.

#3: Provide many different learning opportunities, including access to quality online learning courses. This goes for student and staff learning as well. We need to get away from ’seat time’ and think more about ‘learning time’.

These are just three of the big priorities I see and by achieving these it will open doors for other changes to occur. In order for any of these to happen we need everyone working together: instructional administrators, IT managers, educators, support staff, parents, and students. The learning environment can truly be an open learning environment where we all take responsibility for our progress to reach our potential. Are you willing to work towards it? Are you willing to push towards it? Am I way out there with these? Let me know what you think… and add your priorities here.

See: http://vestaltech.edublogs.org/2011/02/05/the-new-school/

A Vision???

2011-02-02T18:25:00.000-08:00

It is widely accepted that for a school to be successful it needs a VISION. I do wonder how many leaders can actually explain what a vision is. How about these as explanations:

- A Vision is a disclosure of an unseen reality

- A Vision connects what can be to to what is

- A Vision is an invisible hand that guides what happens

Visions should always be an:

inscription - written

description - shows the next step

subscription - people have to buy into it

prescription - should be a solution

As leaders we are the keepers of the vision!

(See Jonathan Sprinkles for more on this)

Quality Digital Learning

2010-12-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

The NLC report contains a list ofwhat they call 10 elements of High Quality Digital Learning:

Student eligibility: all students are digital learners
Student access: all students have access to high quality digital content and online courses
Personalised learning: all students can customize their education using digital content through an approved provider
Advancement: students progress based on demonstrated competency
Content: Digital content, instructional materials, and online and blended learning courses are high quality
Instruction: digital instruction and teachers are high quality
Providers: all students have access to multiple high quality providers
Assessment and accountability: student learning is the metric for evaluating the quality of content and instruction
Funding: funding creates incentives for performance, options and innovation
Delivery: infrastructure supports digital learning.

Read more: http://www.edweek.org/media/12-1-10_digital_learning_now_report.pdf

Reflection

2010-11-07T16:48:00.000-08:00

Reflection can be a challenging endeavor. It's not something that's fostered in school - typically someone else tells you how you're doing! Principals are often so caught up in the meeting the demands of the day, that they rarely have the luxury to muse on how things went. Self-assessment is clouded by the need to meet competing demands from multiple stakeholders.

In an effort to help schools become more reflective learning environments, Peter Pappas developed this "Taxonomy of Reflection" - modeled on Bloom's approach.

How useful is this model? Please share your thoughts

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

2010-10-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

We had the Manawatu Principals' Association One day Conference on Friday. We were joined by colleagues from Wanganui and further afield.

Some of the more interesting things that were said:

John O'Neil:

We need to be careful not to end up with a curriculum for poor kids and a curriculum for rich kids.

Gary Punler:

An efficient school vs an effective school - what is the difference and where do you sit on this?

Iain Lees Galloway:

What will the successor to the Internet be?

Perry Rush:

How do we assess to show learning and understanding outside if the core areas?

What are your thoughts on these ideas?

But are they any good??

2010-10-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

Lots of school have started using/experimenting using the Ipad. I am all for embracing new technologies, but it will always be important to make sure that the technology will support learning.

Here is a extract from an opinion piece by an "expert":

The prognosis for iPad's use in the classroom is good, said Sandra Sutton Andrews, research director in the Applied Learning Technologies Institute at Arizona State University. "The concept is perfect for education--a lightweight computer, relatively inexpensive, capable of being used almost anywhere: in your hands, on a table, attached to a wall, built into a tabletop," she said.

Andrews's job involves investigating uses of technology in education--especially emerging technologies. She designs and conducts research, teaches university courses, and works with K-12 teachers to help assess and satisfy technology needs. One of her next anticipated projects is setting up an iPad laboratory for a deeper examination of features and benefits.

"Add to this the fact that creating apps [for iPad] is not difficult, and at that point everything changes in terms of possibilities," she said. "Educators are already finding new uses for the available free or inexpensive commercial apps and are creating new apps that teach, engage, and even collect data. What's more, the educators behind these apps are making their resources available at no cost to other educators."

Positive point:

Good, some would call it excellent, color reproduction;
Natural platform for e-textbooks;
Large, 9.7-inch screen with 1,024 x 768-pixel resolution;
3G and WiFi for "always on" Internet access;
Accessibility (support for closed captioning, voice over screen reader, full-screen zoom magnification, and support for nine languages, for example). (thejournal.com)

What do you think?

Creativity

2010-05-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

Most people will agree that Creativity is one of the IN words at the moment and there tend to be consensus that Creativity is very important. Traditionally we tend to think of Creativity as something that normally gets expressed in the creation of something visual - maybe a work of art, new song, new gadget, etc. To look at creativity only from this angle can however be very limiting - especially in an educational setting.

So what does a Creative Classroom look like?

When students are being creative in the classroom they are likely to:

1. question and challenge ( Creative kids are curious and don't necessarily follow the rules)

2. make connections and see relationships (Creative kids think laterally)

3. envision what might be (Creative kids imagine, see possibilities and ask "what if"?)

4. explore ideas and options (Creative kids try alternatives and fresh approaches, keep and open mind)

5. reflect critically on ideas, actions and outcomes (The invite and use feedback and make perceptive observations)

So to find a truly creative classroom we might have to stop looking for good artwork, but instead listen and observe what is happening in the learning discussions.

(Creativity Its place in Education, W Morris)

Its here

2010-04-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

We have been able to get 2 iPads and they are just so KEWL. Now the playing will start and we can explore how to use it as part of the technologies in our classrooms.

Once they are available in NZ we will surly get plenty more!

What currency do you deal in?

2010-02-24T17:01:00.000-08:00

I've read a very interesting article about the currency exchange in a classroom. Most students offer teachers attention, curiosity and participation in return for their efforts. In exchange for their efforts teachers offer students approval, praise and positive attention. It is important to recognize that the currencies we value might differ from he ones our students value.

There are however currencies that is problematic, e.g. sarcasm. Some students might use it as a way of getting respect from their peers as it shows they are lever and funny. If students feel that teachers don't value or understand their currencies, they often assume that there is no place for them in the classroom.

Teachers often attempt to address classroom problems by attempting to connect with students through their interests or with rewards. Getting to really know 20-30 students in a short period of time and make a personal connection with each one is also seldom possible. A possible alternative would be to work out what currencies they value and plan your strategies around that.

How might this look in practice? If you have a group of students who value the approval of friends more than good scores, trying to get them to place greater value on scores might not be the best strategy. A much better way might be to develop a class culture where students push one another to do their very best - in short: use the currency they value.

(Robyn R Jackson: Start where your students are)

The Future

2010-02-15T18:57:00.000-08:00

I have a keen interest in how learning in the future will look and what spaces we need for this learning. Look at this new video from FutureLab titled ‘Make the Future‘, which looks at ideas drawn from research commissioned under the Beyond Current Horizons (BCH) programme. BCH considered futures for education in the light of social and technological change over the next two decades.

The video aims to inspire education leaders to think differently about the future of education and to consider the challenges and possibilities for 21st century schools. It contains a series of challenging statements and questions to provoke thinking and discussion for those involved in working to prepare our schools for the future.

(Thanks to Derek W for the link etc)

Thankful

2010-02-15T18:33:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to be awarded a sabbatical for this year. I strongly believe that the system of sabbaticals is a very important things to help principals take a break and come back to work refreshed.

At a Principals' Development Group meeting yesterday I met an English "Head Teacher" who is visiting one of our fellow principals. They don't have a sabbatical system in the UK, so after 15 years in the job he decided to resign his job to get the break he so desperately needs. This whole process is costing him a big part of his life saving. This was a good reminder for me to thankful for the opportunity I will have and a large number of my colleagues have had. I am also been lucky to have a very supportive Board who is supporting the "work" part of my sabbatical.

I will be on my sabbatical during Term 3 and plan to do a literature study and visit some experts in Auckland, Victoria (Aus) and the UK. And I plan to spend quite a bit of time on R and R and do some traveling to places I've always wanted to visit (guess where?).

It's Here!

2010-01-27T15:54:00.000-08:00

iPad has finally been launched by Apple this morning in San Francisco. This is a great device using the very successful touch technology. Makes surfing the net, watching and viewing all so easy. iPad also has its own version of iWorks - Pages, Keynote and Numbers to produce your own work.

Now the real fun will be to explore all the different ways we can use it to support learning. It can run all the iphone apps for a start, have some great tools of its own and who know what developers will come up with.

Exciting Fun Awesome

No Data Projector?

2009-11-05T13:55:00.000-08:00

We regularly have groups of teacher visiting our school to look at ICT, Inquiry, etc. They often seem quite surprised that we have a data projector in every classroom. Personally I see a data projector as a standard piece of equipment in a modern classroom.

Am I living on another planet regarding this issue? How do you see it?

IWB? - Not on my patch!

2009-10-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

A local eductech magazine had a special edition the other day focussing on "Interactive" whiteboards. On the cover was a whiteboard and on it was written: "Interesting and fun things to do with your IWB". I took one look at it and though: "Yea, that just about says it all". Fun and Interesting - but what about educational value??

Somehow IWB had developed an aura or being new, innovative, progressive and modern around them. For this reason lots of schools have jumped on the bandwagon and spent astronomical amounts of money on this technology. I want to argue that they are nothing of the sort.

Why don't I support this technology:

It reinforces the dominance of the front of the classroom: After being involved in a number of projects relating to the design of classrooms, creating a flexible space with no dedicated front, (or back, or anything for that matter) has developed as a key factor in supporting the types of learning spaces we want. For that reason our new classrooms don't even have a big fixed whiteboard anywhere. As the teaching/learning changes the classroom layout changes to support the learning. A conscious effort is being made to do away with the "front" of the class as the focus point for learning - we don't even mount out data projectors.

Support outdated pedagogies: The nature of this technology encourages "show and tell". Yes, I know kids can be manipulating it as well, but what are the other 29 kids doing at that time? The nature of this technology creates a situation where the interaction is predominantly at the front of the class and limited to a small number of people.

You teach better sitting next to a child than standing in front of them: A bit of a generalization, I know. And I also acknowledge the fact that PD can make a difference on how this is being used. The question is: In practice, how many teachers use it in the "better" ways? From what I have seen in a number of countries the answer is not many (very few actually). Researchers from Cambridge and Bristol also have serious reservations of the practical educational benefit of this technology.

Creates a greater gulf between teacher and learner: This technologies is firmly under control of the teacher. Most of the time students interact with this technology when invited by the teacher. Is this the type of teaching/learning situation we want in our classrooms?

Cost/benefit ratio: I am fully aware that there are a number of very useful and handy and educational uses for this technology. Like with all technologies, the question of how much "bang for your buck" you will get, has to be asked. From what I've seen in terms of software, we can do the vast majority of the things with KeyNote and a Bamboo pad. I also believe if you give my teachers a choice they will all rather have 5 more MacBooks in their classrooms than an IWB. (not even talking about an iPod Touch for everyone!)

I am fully aware that many people have a different opinion about the value of and IWB - for a variety of reasons. I will be keen to hear from those that have seen the added value these pieces of technology can bring to a classroom.

Getting it right

2009-10-14T17:56:00.000-07:00

Like most of us, I am working on getting things sorted for 2010. We will move from 2 to 4 Digitally Enhanced Classes next year. Currently students in the DEC's have 1 MacBook or iMac between every 2 students. We are quite convinced that the iPod Touch has place in the classroom as a device that can easily handle the smaller tasks and contribute to the increased levels of access in classrooms (all of them - DEC and non DEC). Maximizing the use of these smaller devices is something we still have lots to discover about.

The biggest issue we are struggling with is, is what ratio will work best? In a class of 32 - what ration of IMacs, MacBooks and IPod Touches? Anybody have some ideas?

ULearn09

2009-10-11T18:05:00.000-07:00

The Staff and I attended ULearn09 in Christchurch last week. We decided to take all the teachers (just about everybody could go) because we have a large number of new staff members this year. Once again it was a well run conference and all of us thoroughly enjoyed it. We will get some feedback from the Staff this week and I am looking forward to that.

On the flight back I was thinking about the conference and conferences in general (while BassHunters was pumping away from my iPhone). I guess it will be fair to say that when you have attended a few conferences it becomes very difficult for people to really "WOW" you. But then I realized that my focus for conferences have changed over time. I am not looking for answers anymore, I am now looking for QUESTIONS to be answered. What is your experience?

I will post more about the conference once I have a moment.

I am on Twitter now - please see the link on the side---->

And some more . . .

2009-09-23T15:55:00.000-07:00

The newest tablet story is that Microsoft is also hard at work on their version of a tablet, or tab book / booklet.

Gizmodo. com reports:

Courier is a real device, and we've heard that it's in the "late prototype" stage of development. It's not a tablet, it's a booklet. The dual 7-inch (or so) screens are multitouch, and designed for writing, flicking and drawing with a stylus, in addition to fingers. They're connected by a hinge that holds a single iPhone-esque home button. Statuses, like wireless signal and battery life, are displayed along the rim of one of the screens. On the back cover is a camera, and it might charge through an inductive pad, like the Palm Touchstone charging dock for Pre.

Until recently, it was a skunkworks project deep inside Microsoft, only known to the few engineers and executives working on it—Microsoft's brightest, like Entertainment & Devices tech chief and user-experience wizard J. Allard, who's spearheading the project. Currently, Courier appears to be at a stage where Microsoft is developing the user experience and showing design concepts to outside agencies.

Knowing MS's track record on innovation, I'm not holding my breath. I'll wait till February to get my Apple tablet!

Computer linked to my brain?

2009-08-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

I have seen a few video's, etc about how computer technology is being built into just about everything - fridges, watches, shoes and even clothing. While I see all of those developments as quite exciting, what I've read yesterday made me feel a bit uncomfortable. Vint Cerf is of the opinion that soon we will have computers linked to our brains through a brain implant (see below).

I'm not quite sure i'll be in front of the line for this one! What do you think?

from www.stuff.co.nz:

The man regarded as one of the founding fathers of the internet is in the country - and he says the future of the web is in our bodies and in outer space.

Vint Cerf, vice-president and "chief internet evangelist" of tech giant Google, foresees the introduction of internet capability to existing neural interface technology such as cochlear implants, allowing, as an example, web radio played direct from computer to brain.

He is also involved in work to send internet infrastructure into space to create "a communications backbone between space-faring nations".

Cerf predicts the falling cost and rising sophistication of programmable devices will allow the internet to be widely embedded in inanimate objects, leading to revolutions in automated shipping and inventory control.

Some of these capabilities are already starting to be realised: Cerf's wine cellar is internet- enabled, sending him a text message when temperature and humidity levels become unfavourable.

Technorati Tags: ICT Technology Future

Have a peek at this!

2009-08-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

I found this on YouTube - bring it on!!!

Technorati Tags: ICT School NZ itablet technology

iTablet

2009-08-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

Having started thinking and playing (sorry exploring) with handheld technologies re: ipod touch and how it can be used, the idea of an iTablet is obviously an very exciting one. Yes, we have all heard the rumours, but according to sources it has now gone past the rumour stage.

I guess only time will tell!

This is what others closer to Cupertino have to say:

Barron's chimes in (subscription required) with its contribution to recent Apple tablet rumors, claiming to have spoken with an unnamed "veteran analyst" who has seen firsthand a prototype of the forthcoming device. Unfortunately, the source provides little detail on the device other than to note that it will excel at displaying video content.

The machine impresses with its display of hi-def video content, says the veteran analyst, who asked not to be identified. "It's better than the average movie experience, when you hold this thing in your hands."

The source also notes that anticipation for an announcement regarding the device in the near future is so high that competing tablet manufacturers are holding off on new designs until they are able to see what Apple has to offer.

"It's close enough now to a final design that in Asia, there's no other product in the waiting room or in the bullpen," said the analyst. "There are dozens of ODMs [original device makers] making products for Lenovo and other PC makers that are all waiting to see what the Apple product is."

Barron's also cites a second source who confirms that news of the Apple tablet "is all over the supply chain in Asia."

As for details of the new device, the report seems to summarize many of the current rumors floating around, citing a possible $699-$799 price point and suggesting a September announcement and a November launch. A number of recent reports have pointed to a launch late this year, possibly as early as September alongside enhanced iTunes album offerings, although other reports have claimed that the device will not appear until early 2010.

Technorati Tags: Apple ICT NZ Education School iTablet

ipod touch - maybe a glimpse of the future?

2009-07-30T17:36:00.000-07:00

We hope to start using the ipod touch in our classrooms in the near future. At the moment we are exploring a few of the applications (mostly the free ones) and it looks very exciting.

You might want to ask why the ipod touch. The short answer is that the ipod touch is much much more than a "mp3 player" - it is basically a small computer. It can connect to the school's wireless network and access the web and files that way. The low cost makes this a good candidate to improve access in our classrooms.

What are the possible benefits?

The "in your pocket" mobility is where our kids function, what they're accustomed to and the technology.
It is very easy to use.
The touchscreen/touch keyboard and their ability to take notes in much the same way they text is compelling for students.
Immediate access to the internet in their pocket
The "on the go" field research in various content areas including Science and even PE
Apps, once synced do not need to access the net
Apps provide great tools to manage themselves etc.
Lots of the applications are free

I have a very good feeling about this one and will make more posts as we move down this track.

Technorati Tags: ipod education ICT school New Zealand

a Wii bit interesting

2009-07-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

I am not a fan of so called "interactive" whiteboards at all, but i loved what Johnny Lee has done with the Wii. What a great way to take a piece of technology and make it so much more. I also like the way he put his research on video and shared it - that gave others the chance to continue development. This is an example of the true knowledge economy.

Watch this clip and comment:

Technorati Tags: Johnny Lee technology ICT schools New Zealand

Catching the Google Wave?

2009-07-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

I am always looking around the see what's new (yea, I can be nosy) and how these new products/application can support learning and teaching. Google is about to release what they call, Google Wave. The elements aren't new, but it seems to be a new way of using these different elements alongside each other. In a cooperative learning environment I think this can have some potential. Have a look below and post your thoughts.

Google Wave

Google is hatching a new species of email and instant messaging, but the internet search leader first wants the hybrid service to evolve even more with the help of independent computer programmers.

The free tool, called Google Wave, runs in a web browser and combines elements of email, instant messaging, wikis and photo sharing in an effort to make online communication more dynamic.

Google hopes Wave simplifies the way people collaborate on projects or exchange opinions about specific topics.

Google offered the first glimpse of its latest offering during the Mountain View, California-based company's annual conference for software developers who build programs on top of its services.

The rest of the web-surfing public won't be able to hop on Google Wave until later in the year.

By the time Wave rolls out for everyone, Google hopes independent programmers will have found new ways to use the service.

Among other things, Google is counting on outsiders to figure out how to weave Wave into the popular internet communications service Twitter, social networks like Facebook and existing web-based email services, said Lars Rasmussen, a Google engineering manager.

Rasmussen and his brother, Jens, helped build Google's online mapping service, which sprouted a variety of unforeseen uses after its 2005 debut because of the ingenuity of external programmers.

Having learned their lesson from the mapping experience, the Rasmussens wanted to give developers ample time to tinker with their newest creation before unleashing it on the rest of the world.

The Rasmussens broke away from Google's mapping service in 2006 to concentrate on building a service that would enable email and instant messaging to embrace the web's increasingly social nature. They contend email hasn't changed that much since its invention during the 1960s.

"We started out by saying to ourselves, 'What might email look like if it had been invented today?'" said Lars Rasmussen, who worked on Wave in Australia with his brother and just three other Google employees.

Wave is designed to make it easier to converse over email by providing tools to highlight particular parts of the written conversation.

In instant messages, participants can see what everyone else is writing as they type, unless they choose a privacy control. Photos and other online applications known as "widgets" also can be transplanted into the service.

The service could easily accommodate advertising like Google's five-year-old email service already does, but Lars Rasmussen said it's still too early to predict how the company might profit from Wave.

http://wave.google.com/

Technorati Tags: technology teaching learning education ICT New Zealand school

Swine Flu

2009-06-03T16:02:00.000-07:00

Like many others, I have thought that the Swine Flu is a thing of the past. Looking at the latest reports, the opposite seems to be the truth. To date swine flu has infected more than 17,000 people and killed 115 globally.

So far in New Zealand, it has been confirmed in just 10 cases and has generally been a mild disease, but health authorities expect it will eventually infect more than half the population. Even if it's relatively mild, people will be too sick to go to work or school."

One of the first steps health authorities take to limit the spread of such a flu is to stop people from gathering. This might mean that schools and some businesses might be closed. This is quite a scary thought and something I hope we can avoid. The reality is that it might happen and we need to make sure we warn our communities and have a plan.

National Standards

2009-05-27T01:16:00.000-07:00

A new government and "new" ideas. Yes, we have just seen the draft standards and to be honest, I think the team from the Ministry of Education has done a pretty good job. The standards are closely linked to what most of us already use and they have included material (in maths and writing) to clearly show what each Level means. A pretty good source of information for teachers.

My problem is however not with standards, it is with the collection of "data" from schools. We have come a long way in New Zealand to develop a cooperative model with schools sharing best practice and helping each other. I am pretty sure that most of my colleagues will fight back if any system is imposed that threatens that. If the government needs information to direct policy, we have the wonderful National Education Monitoring Project (NEMP) that provides a quality overview of how our students are doing. There is no need for collecting data on standards.

I will stay positive (for the moment) and trust that the government will keep their word. We will not go down the track of the UK and USA on this one!

Technorati Tags: Education ICT NZ

Not my usual colour!

2008-06-12T01:48:00.000-07:00

Soccer (sorry football) is not the sport that usually excites me. Yes, I'm a rugby boy and my colour is black. I do however have a soft spot (a very big one- he he he) for the boys in Oranje (orange). After 20 year we just might be champions again. I was in Amsterdam 20 year ago when we won the EURO Cup - will I ever forget it!

iTouch Learning

2008-05-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

I've read this on the blog of Jane Knight and thought it was worth sharing:

I have recently been investigating the use of the iPod Touch for learning and performance support purposes.

The iPod Touch is the little brother (or sister!) of the iPhone; it has pretty much all the same functionality except for its mobile phone capability.

It is therefore much more than just an iPod/MP3 player. You can watch (MPEG-4) videos on it, and it also has on board a range of Internet applications (e.g. Safari browser, mail reader, YouTube player and Google Maps reader). You can connect to the Internet wherever there is WiFi connectivity.

The multi-touch interface lets you control everything with just two fingers; and there is also a touch-screen QWERTY keyboard when you need it. The accelerometer detects when you rotate it from portrait to landscape and adjusts the contents accordingly. Just like any other iPod you can synchronise your audio files with iTunes, but with the Touch you can also sync your email accounts, bookmarks, contacts and so on.

I consider the iPod Touch to be a very useful mobile learning device.

I've also been putting together a list of the top web apps and optmised sites for the iPod Touch for learning and performance support purposes, as well as collecting tips to get the most out of it as well as other resources about its use. I've added a new section to the Centre's website, called iTouch Learning to share these findings, and of course would be very pleased to receive any links to other relevant web apps, resources, etc that could be added to the lists.

iTouch Learning

05 May 2008 at 08:11 AM in

Gaming - Oh NO!

2007-11-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

I think it would be fair to say that most people (parents) see gaming and learning as opposites. This premise is probably based on 2 main factors: 1) For most adults learning and playing/having fun is not (and based on their own school experiences) and cannot happen at the same time, and 2) games are bad for you - waste of time, encourages violence, make you anti-social, etc.

I am no expert in this field (I don't actually know exactly where I stand on this), but I have learnt a few things about it:
1) The main reason why people love it so much is the fact that they get to make so many decisions in these games,
2) People know a game is fantasy and don't easily confuse games with reality (the confusion is created by TV)
3) I have seen a few good examples of learning motivated and facilitated by gaming.

What do you think?

To read more - go to: http://www.marcprensky.com/

We are getting there

2007-08-13T16:42:00.001-07:00

Our new block of Learning Spaces is just about completed (the last few bits always take forever) and ready for the official opening on Friday 24th August. The Minister of Education will be our guest and will unveil a plaque.

The new block consists of four main learning spaces (call the classrooms if you want), 2 student work rooms and a big internal space that serves as an extention to 7 classrooms. This new facility has been designed to help support 21st century learning and break down some of the barriers to learning that traditional designs impose on students. They are L shaped, very flexible, no "front" and have a mixture of student desks.

I am very excited about this development and it was just amasing to see how the students started using in exactly the way we hoped.

Technorati Tags: Design Education NZ Schools

would - yes, like fish to water.

Lucky Lucky Lucky

2007-06-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

I have been very fortunate to go on the USA Educational Experience earlier this Term. The tour focused on visiting schools that are on the 1:1 initiative. We talked to distinguished educators and visited classrooms to look at the impact of having a laptop per student is having on their learning.

We met some wonderful teachers and some delightful kids in Florida and in California. The last two days were spent at Apple's Campus in Silicon Valley where different members of the Apple team briefed us on various aspects of software and hardware development.

Technorati Tags: Education NZ Schools Apple USA

School Governance

2007-03-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

We are currently having Board of Trustee elections in New Zealand. From what I've heard it is quite a unique system where the central government has delegated a large part of the governance roll to the Board of Trustees of each school. The BoT consists out of parent representatives, the Principal and a staff representative (high schools have a student representative as well).

In this system the Board is responsible for the governance role and the Principal (and management team) for the management of the school. A little bit like the directors of a company and the CEO. In general schools in NZ have quite a lot fo freedom in terms of self management and how they deal with the curriculum.

Generally speaking I believe the system works quite well, but there are some pitfalls:

There are some grey areas between governance and management. As long as the Board and the Principal get on fine it is not a problem, but when they disagree a lot the seperation of roles can be an issue.

Some communities strugle to find enough suitable and quilified people to take on this role and this can disadvantage some schools.

Some decissions of the central government can make it hard for the Boards to fulfil their role.

I would be very interested to know how govrnance and management is handles in other systems.

Up up it goes

2007-03-07T19:12:00.000-08:00

After many months of planning and research our new block of learning spaces (note: not classrooms) is finally showing some visible signs of going up. I have been involved with a number of building projects, but this is by far the most exciting.

My Board and I decided that we will not add another set of rectangular boxes to our school - we will design something that supports learning - not stifles it! I was able to go on a fact finding mission to look at new trends and study what designers are saying about what spaces should look like for the new learning we are trying to establish. A good boook to read is The Language of School Design: Design Patterns for 21st Cantury Schools by Nair and Fielding

Wrong Question

2007-02-27T23:44:00.000-08:00

This is probably the wrong question to ask a bunch of teachers, but how important is grammar in this day and age? Does txtng have its own grammar? Or do we have to keep up the "standards"?

Get going

2007-02-25T17:34:00.000-08:00

I attended the Learning@school conference in Rotorua last week. One of the keynotes was delivered by David Warlick (Landmark project, USA). David's presentation was on "Telling the New Story" and it was absolutely inspiring. His key message was that we have to: "Prepare our kids not for a future of security, but for a future of opportunity". My/Our challenge is to make it happen in each of our schools.

Once again I have heard that international experts are amazed at the level of freedom that we have as educators in NZ. They all wish they had that at home. My question is: " What have we done with that freedom?" Often I think it is just same old, same old (maybe with a few new gadgets).

I have come back with the resolution to stay focused and work hard to ensure real change will happen. So watch out, here we come!!!