Educating the Dragon

There are just few pictures of the attendees of my stopmotion workshop. It’s amazing what can be created with simply a webcam, windows movie maker/ imovie and bit of imagination.

What I love about this workshop is that after the first 30 minutes of my introductions the remainder of the workshop is completely dependent on the delegates and the direction they wish to go as they spend either a long or short time trying out the different sorts of animation.

This particular workshop everyone focused on cutout rather than pen and ink.

I love it when I run a workshop and then get out of it as much as I put in…. I hope to blog further about the session later but I just wanted to share this video one of the attendees talked about.

Met with some my good friends and colleagues today.

We had a long discussion about Web2.0. What it is. What it means. Who’s responsible. How do we as educators meet the challenge.

We can’t just lock our kids up, wrap them in cotton wool. And we certainly can’t UNDO the internet.

Education is the answer. Just as it is the answer to every single issue in society. Education, education, education.

But it is not just the kids who need to be educated. It’s the parents who need it too.

But what needs to happen to bring the dangers of the internet into the national psyche?

Dangerous driving has had a national ad campaign, smoking in public, smoking in your house/car, drink driving. Campaign after campaign after campaign.

But there are two issues here. Firstly, is a national ad campaign going to work? TV is often seen as the place ‘parents’ are found. So perhaps.

But secondly, are we all becoming a little inoculated from violent outcomes due to stupidity? Intersections kill, you know?

Perhaps we need we need it printed on our bread. “internet predator alert!!”

I have just run my first training session on Podcasting through Skype.

It worked really well having two people at the other end of the call. My Skype connection came through one computer and they worked off the other. Therefore if we were jumping from website to website. It did not stuff up the Skype call.

It certainly is a powerful tool. If you would like to recieve PD through Skype just let me know.

Today’s workshop was about Podcasting. How do you? Why do you?

KPE is held up as a shining example of Students’ Podcasting.

I thought I’d share my list of Podcasts that I listen to:

Wesley Fryer

EdtechTalk.com

November Learning Podcast series

Technology Intergration

Virtual Staffroom

This is my first ‘Sales Meeting’ for Sitech . I don’t know why I put it in inverted commas. It really was a sales meeting. I just can’t believe I’m AT a sales meeting.
Having been there we have been discussing several different products a few that I think are worth a mention. Obviously if you are wanting to find out more email me .
But they are as follows.
DVC – This is a place to store all the digital files central for the school. It can be accessed across the school wide network. Staff can record from Sky, connect via a DVD or VHS to support existing resources. The is the system which will assist school to safely meet copyright issues and still dilver for staff and students as there is only ever one copy of a resource. Not only does it support video and audio but allows staff to create a meta data supported resource file.
Edukite – May well be an answer to the E-Portfolio question. It is easy to use and the interface for staff, students and parents. I’ll be blogging about this a little more in the months ahead as I will be developing the comprehensive professional development package for it.
RM- Have a number of different software products available that Sitech may or may not be supplying. But the do supply the Easiteach software for the Interactive whiteboard. RM Easiteach has been developed purely as a software programme for any different iwbs. As they are specific to software development the range of tools available is very extensive and some cool animation creation options for the iwb.