A learning journey with no fixed abode
Congratulations Illminster Intermediate for being the Grade 6-8 winner of the Interwrite Makeover Contest with “Digital Child”
And well done to all the NZers particularly who took the time to cast their vote.
Download Video: Posted by interwrite at TeacherTube.com.
It should hardly be a surprise to me… but it was, and it gave me such a warm feeling all over.
Here’s the tale of Alligator Alley:
Alligator Alley is a book that my class were reading together at the beginning of the lesson today. We had’read a bit and what happens next? and see if you can guess the ending etc etc. They were asked to talk to talking partners about “What questions would you ask Mrs O’Malley?” During the feedback time one my kids asked “So what’s the difference between alligators and crocodiles?…. (to be honest, I have no idea)
“That’s a good question I say, How could we find out? One thing led to another and this group then typed in “What’s the difference between Alligators and crocodiles?” into Google kids (A few other search engine ideas from Louise, thanks btw). They then scroled through and found Gator Hole.
They then spent ages and ages and ages…and ages finding out EVERYTHING they possibly could about Alligators and crocodiles. They then pulled off relevent extract (and cool pictures) to create a single screen backdrop to their oral feedback of their findings…. The learning intention for the lesson is ‘read…read..read’ who care if they are not reading School Journal Part1 Number 6 2004. This fired their desire to find out. And I bet they read more in that session than they would do normally. Personalized learning in action.
I conclude with a nod to Interwrite for the board, Sitech for the inspiration, my principal for wireless internet access, all of these things came together for my kids to direct their own learning.
I think this is a clear case of my Learning Intention being “Reading for information” but then my kids changed the context ‘on the fly’, and I had the technology available to allow them ‘to go for it’.
My school is part of the Sitech Champion Schools programme. As part of that programme the staff here have been involved with a professional development model that appears to be working. Hardware and software have been purchased for the school and the company has provided many hours of training and professional development in it’s use in the classroom environment.
Private provision is an interesting situation, company’s vary in there product and support available. I would be interested to know of any strategy or framework which guides this aspect of school provision. As the product and support varies from company to company the experience of both staff and students also varies along with the development of ICT within the school. Is this a good thing, or bad?
Perhaps the diversity of provision is advantageous in Early Childhood and Primary phases but I would surmise that as students’ progress through Secondary and onto Tertiary national parity would be more desirable to ensure an ICT literate workforce.
Here are a list of resources I picked up at the IWB Conference, truth be told, my ICT facilitator picked them up in a session and passed them on.
English
www.readwritethink.org/student_mat/index.asp
www.rainforestmaths.com (Click on Writing fun down the bottom right)
Maths
www.smartkiddies.com (Aussie money)
www.quiz-tree.com (Maths quizzes)
Science
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/index_flash.shtml
www.topmarks.co.uk/Interactive.aspx
www.durackss.eq.edu.au/ifiles/ifault.htm
www.howstuffworks.com (watch out for popups)
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
Others
www.promeatheanplanet/flipcharts.htm
Well gee, I can’t say I haven’t had an interesting week. Have spent much of the last couple of weeks researching Higher Order Thinking Skills, writing assignment one and putting together my power point presentation for the Digital Deco ICT conference. I finished it on the Tuesday night…… Smiled quietly to my self for 24 hours and then promptly dropped said laptop off the kitchen bench, trust me, they’re not really designed for that.
I then spent all of Thursday panicked that I’d lost my assignment and power point presentation, and that I’d spend all night Thursday redoing it. Fortunately for me a guy called Andy from East Coast Computers came over, took out the hard drive and managed to pull the two documents off. Yippee.
It is only then that the real fun begins. I arrive on the Friday all ready to go, memory stick in hand and the promise of a borrowed laptop.
PRS is a great system…. Classroom response unit. Unfortunately there were a couple of features involved in embedding in Power point that I over looked. There can only be ONE asked question per page NOT the 2 or 3 I had planned, also the Question when it comes up creates a ‘toolbar’ across the top. Couple these two together and you have a rather wonky presentation document with custom animation going off when it shouldn’t. Ahhh!
We were only given an hour so, yep you guessed it, I didn’t get finished. Not only that but we barely got started on applying Higher Order Thinking to a curriculum area. Doh!
Finally I have a deligate say quite openly “I am bored now,” – I mean how should one respond?
Just for the record I, for one, was not bored, Freaked, yes, disappointed, yes, embarrassed, certainly.
Twas a chapter of disasters from start to finish.
Chrissy, on the other hand preformed incredibly well. Her wonderfulworldofwikis presentation was an inspiration to all who attended. She even had someone who created her own wikispace for the presentation she was giving immediately after. Go Chrissy.
Btw I have to mention that she called Vicki the “Wiki Queen”- well in made me smile at the time- probably just one of those ‘had to be there things.
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