Wow!!!! What an awesome assembly we just had! I was so proud of Room 7, they did such a great job with the item and seeing the response from the rest of the school was worth all the hard work that we put in. All the children who spoke did an excellent job and the random jokes worked well....except the one by Meg. Grrrrrrr I'll get her back! 

Here are a few photos.

     

Wallwisher

Room 7s Wall by Brent

Just had a bit of a fiddle with wallwisher (click the link above). It's a bulletin board application where you can post sticky notes. Not quite sure what sort of other areas you could use it in yet, but I set a task for the children to go onto the board and post their opinions about digital classrooms. They are limited by the amount of characters they can use (160) so it becomes an interesting exercise in editing! For a first time run through, not a bad effort, some children have come up with some interesting opinions, but I can see that with more exploration wallwisher could be worthwhile!

The greatest class assembly item ever!!!!

With 3 weeks to go we are well into the swing of our item. Somehow I always manage to bite off more than I can chew! This year...an all out song and dance number. The song- "for once in my life" Michael Buble style. The children are creating a dance to go with it, full on partner dancing too! I am constantly suprised by the things they can come up with, its looking spectacular already. We have to add the band yet (miming with authentic instruments) and we are going to be working on posters to display before hand. We will probaby use photo shop for the photos as I want black and white jazzy type qualities. Heres an example I did of myself....well mostly myself....a bit of michael buble here and there! It keeps freaking my kids out!

Blog blog bloggity blog

Well my blog is all submitted and the course is finished. So I thought that I would keep my blog updated with useful things that we have been doing at school, either for others or just for my own reference. Might be quite fun to look back and see what we tried to achieve.

So I have got my students working on their blogs for the last term.... I know, I know...better late than never! It will be an ongoing project for the last few weeks and I will be including it as a Literacy activity so groups of children will be updating most days. So far children have been setting up their accounts and we have done that with just a little bit of fuss! All sorted now though. Firstly they are just writing some simple posts about their favourite things. movies etc. I have left it fairly open so as the children get used to the layout and how to post items. Some children are flying with it already with pictures and graphics being added all the time! I think thats the beauty of blogger, its very simple to just jump right in and if you want to be a little bit fancy you have that freedom as well.

3D awesomess!

Another practical blog, something that I am working on but haven't got around all the fine points yet.With the deluge of 3D movies coming out recently, I wondered if it was possible to create our own 3D images, so i had a look online and found instructions and even a template for making your own 3D glasses. After much backwards and forwards, I have finally figured out how to do it! It is made even more fiddly by the fact that we only have an old copy of Photoshop, so it takes a bit longer than normal. Basically you take one picture and slightly overlay them, put a colour layer of cyan over the left image and then a red layer over the right one. Combine them together and voila! There is your anaglyph. The plan is to talk about the history of 3D, what it has been used for and where it is heading (TVs if you were interested).One of my workmates went to the Armageddon expo on the weekend and said the 3D TV was mind blowing! Check out a video of Sony's offering.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=froIGgjJwOI&feature=related

Here is a sample image of what we will be working on. It's not quite perfect yet but gives an idea of what I mean. Drag out your 3D glasses if you have them! 

Pop Art

Just thought I would post some examples of what we have been working on at the moment. As part of art we studied the work and life of Andy Warhol and in particular his pop art. There is a really good website that has interactive activities for children to work through. It shows Andys progress through the different times of his life.

http://qag.qld.gov.au/kids/activities/online_interactives/warhols_world_online_interactive/interactive

Children used digital cameras to take photos of themselves standing in front of a blank background (in this case the whiteboard) they then imported the photos to iphoto. Next they took the photo and imported it into photoshop and deleted the background. They then changed the threshold to make elements of the photo stand out (in black and white). Then they selected the various parts of the photo, skin, hair, shirt, jumper, etc and altered the colours to create a piece of their own pop art! I was really pleased with the way they turned out and was also surprised how quickly the children became used to using photoshop...its not the most children friendly software out there! 

Here are a couple of examples of our work. Enjoy!

              

An integrated approach

Dias raises some interesting and relevant issues around integrating ICT into the classroom. Dias states that there is a need for"moving teachers away from using computers for drill & practice, towards a more integrated approach" I found the comment about teachers receiving training on how to use hardware and software but only a lucky few ever trained how to integrate it quite pertinent. our school receives a lot of training on the use of Mimios and I have noticed that a lot of teachers are still focusing on the how to use the tools on the software, how to use the hardware and not focus on how to use it and integrate it into lessons. I have also noticed this at a number of workshops I have attended where people are more intent on asking questions about how to calibrate the board, how do I turn it on, how do i do this, even when I have presented ideas on how it can be used in other ways in the class, there seems to be this mentality of trying to get heads around the technology first. Not to say that I have seamlessly integrated the Mimio as well as I could have, there are still areas that I need to tweak here and there!
Morton (1996) brings up the term "tool", now as we all know this term is thrown around a lot with lots of different forms of ICT...."oh its just a tool..." "The Mimio is a tool..." etc. I have always had a niggling feeling about the use of the word tool to describe ICT but have never been sure why. Having read what Morton (1996) says I can now begin to understand some of my hesitation with the term . Morton suggests that technology integration is not just seeing the computer as a tool. Morton further suggests that this view suggests that computers are just add-ons and implies that they are then classified in the same field as a blackboard or OHP. Good point! From now on I will endeavor to spread the word about it's usage!

Last year I attended a course run by Jaqui Sharp on integrating ICT into the classroom, it was an interesting experience and I found the information that she provided about the stages of integration beneficial (it was also nice to know I was on the right track!) The 5 stages of integration according to Sandholtz, Ringstaff & Dwyer (1997) are; entry, adoption, adaptation, appropriation and invention. It would be wonderful if all teachers could be in the higher stages but being teachers we know that everyone learns differently and at their own pace. We would not expect our own students to fly through all the stages would we? (would be nice if they did!)
Integration of anything takes time and in particular ICT, as it is an ever evolving area, teachers need to be constantly updating their skills and getting their head around the new technology. Dias points out that the most common barriers to ICT integration include "time, training, resources and support. Teachers need time to learn how to use both the hardware and the software, time to plan and time to collaborate with other teachers."
Yes, but where do we find the time??? Anyone know the answer, please let me know!

Sprechen sie internet?

What a fascinating and interesting article by Prensky. I find the concept of the digital immigrants "accent" quite amusing, I was reading thinking to my self...well I wouldn't classify myself as a digital immigrant, I don't do that, no not that one either, no...oh hang on....I do sometimes print out my email, and I printed out most of these readings too! Quelle Horreur!

I think it is rather easy to get sucked into what Prensky is saying, the report is easy to read, it makes light of things and it makes for entertaining reading. On further perusal I began to wonder where the research was to back up what Prensky was saying, unfortunately there didn't appear to be any, just anecdotal evidence. Also I think that Prensky makes some large generalizations when he says that "all" our students are digital natives. What happens if they are "brethren?"....sorry that's being a bit facetious! I meant what happens if they come from a background where they do not have, or cannot afford such technology that Prensky claims all students have on their person at any one time. He seems to lump all digital natives together as some form of homogeneous society that learns and interacts in exactly the same ways. As teachers we know that all learners are diverse and bring their own special needs and abilities. 

I do agree with Prensky that children think differently now, they are more exposed to technology and are more comfortable with using it and giving it a go. An example from my own class is the use of a Lego Mindstorm robot. I basically showed the children how to set it up and then left them to see how they would cope. Within minutes they had the robot roaming all over the classroom, stopping when they clapped, kicking things, etc, they gave it a go and were not afraid if they got something wrong. 

Hmmm so in retrospect  what I have written at the start of the post doesn't make sense....perhaps its not such a fascinating and interesting article after all....shame on you Prensky...shame on you!

Just found this on another students blog, 

Jamie Mackenzie takes Prensky by the throat and piledrives him into the mat!

http://fno.org/nov07/nativism.html

Business as usual..the money or the bag? Selwyn...get it...?

Ahhhh nothing like a lame blog title to start off the day!

Any way Selwyns article about the continuing significance (or insignificance) of e-learning policy drives.

Selwyn proposes that in the early stages e-learning was seen as the domain of enthusiastic teachers, IT providers, Hobbyists and various other "techies". This made me think back to my primary school days (had to think a very long way) and would tend to agree. The experiences I had with ICT and e-learning were few and far between and seemed to be driven by one enthusiastic teacher. She even bought what Selwyn would call a "techie" in to show us his home built computers and homemade joysticks!

It's interesting to note that Selwyn takes a rather negative view of how ICT has developed in NZ compared with the likes of Brown and Campbell (mentioned in my previous post) who take a more favourable view of things. The "ad hoc" approach led to what Selwyn describes as mediocrity, where the technology promised much but delivered little in the way of educational change. I feel that's a bit harsh! Teachers and other educators were dealing with something new and unknown and made the best of what they were offered. Similarly a lot of teachers find themselves in the same boat today. The technology has promised much but has it changed the education sector, but has it had the impact that we expected? Schools have been talking about going paperless for years....has it happened yet?? Well maybe in one or two schools in Auckland, but not many! Teachers are constantly dealing with changes in ICT, I think it is a bit hard of Selwyn to criticise what has happened previously, especially since he has the benefit of hindsight.

Selwyn's claim that e-learning could be now seen as just the implementation of computers into the classroom and many teachers being sceptical as to why the computers are in the classroom at all is...well...infuriating! What a narrow view of what is happening in schools across NZ, there are some incredible things happening in classes  with ICT and e-learning and if a teacher is sceptical as to why a computer is in their class then perhaps they should think about getting out of the classroom, actually, instead of taking such a pessimistic view of how policy is effecting e-learning Selwyn may like to go out and have a look at some of the great work that is going on and develop some policy ideas to help support those classes. 

I didn't realise that an article could get me so wound up! Makes you think though.

A little bit of history

Reading through the articles by Brown (1998) and Campbell (2004) and what struck me was the advances that were being made with ICT. I really didn't realise that email was prevalent in many schools back then, I suppose being a student back then I didn't really take much notice, although I am sure we were not exposed to that much ICT at all! It is interesting to see how the Government saw the importance of ICT as well as the role that PD would play in shaping the teachers who used it. One large difference that we find ourselves in is that technology is constantly evolving and upgrading. Whereas during the early establishment of ICT in schools there were limited resources and only a certain number of tools that could be used, now we are faced with a barrage of tools, options and factors that will influence what we use and how we use it.

I was inspired by another students blog (Louis) who had created a timeline about various key events in New Zealands ICT history and decided to make my own. Louis mentions that she will try to update her timeline and I will endeavor to do the same, as so many more things have happened in the last 10 years or so, perhaps a future project!

Tried using timetoast to make my timeline. Unfortunately you need to have specific dates (you can't just have years) so events that didn't have a specific date appear to all have happened on January 1st!

Here's the link

http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/27644

current trends in elearning

The 2009 Horizon Report is the work of The New Media Consortium and is a long running qualitative research project that identifies and describes new and emerging technology that is likely to have a big impact on "teaching, learning, research or creative expression".

This years report suggests that the next big things to come our way are:

• Mobiles
• Cloud Computing
• Geo-everything
• The personal Web
• Semantic Aware Applications
• Smart Objects

The Horizon Report also looks at some key trends and where ICT use and thought is heading.

Key trends are ranked in priority and they are led by:

• increasing globalization continues to affect the way we work, collaborate and communicate

The report suggests that those institutions that use technology to connect and communicate globally are more likely to advance than those who don't. I would tend to agree with this statement, schools have many opportunities to bring the world into their classrooms through the use of technology. Skype, video conferencing, email, youtube and other tools can be used to communicate with other schools or instructors to provide more in-depth experiences for the students. This could be seen at our school where a class spent a term corresponding with a school in England through email. The topic they were both studying was sustainability based on an inquiry learning approach, The project culminated in a series of video conferences through skype (hooked up through the data projector). It could be argued that this could have been achieved by communicating with a school in New Zealand. However, children were able to experience a different culture, different cultural beliefs, different ideology and different accents!

• The notion of collective intelligence is redefining how we think about ambiguity and imprecision.

People want to be active members of the learning process and be involved in formulating answers not just sitting back being passive listeners. I guess this leads to more options, a greater knowledge base, everyone feels that their opinions count? 

• Experience with & affinity for games as learning tools is an increasingly universal characteristic among those entering higher education & the workforce.

A survey carried out by the Pew Internet and American Life project found that multiplayer and online games are very common among young people. These games have led to increased social interaction  and civic engagement. Interface magazine has a very interesting article that tackles this kind of social interaction in a classroom. Southwell school is investigating the potential of online gaming while engaging students in deep learning by using social games on the Xbox 360

http://www.interfacemagazine.co.nz/articles.cfm?c_id=19&id=128

• Visualisation tools are making information more meaningful & insights more intuitive.

Having an IWB in my class has shown how important visual tools are to children's learning. Even the most mundane activity can be given a new lease of life by making it visually appealing.

Levy (2002, cited by Hall & Higgins) when discussing IWBs suggests that learners appreciate and respond to the "clarity of visual presentation"

Hall, I. & Higgins, S. (2005). Primary school students’ perceptions of interactive whiteboards, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 21, 91-101

• As more than one billion phones are produced each year, mobile phones are benefiting from unprecendented innovation, driven by global competition.

I can see that the innovation and development of mobile phones (such as the iPhone) may have an impact on some institutions, especially as they are becoming cheaper, can run more applications and can do a number of things that personal computers can do, but in the primary sector I believe that any such impact is a long way off into the future. I think that children bringing such technology to school is a risky business. Unfortunately we have had a few phones stolen in the last 3 years and I think parents would be hesitant to allow children to bring any expensive technology to school...and besides phones are only allowed at school in an emergency at this stage. 

One aspect of the article that I found particularly interesting was the development of a personal web. Various tools allow for the creation of personal customized web environments. These ca include numerous learning activities and social and professional information that pertain to the persons interests. I can see that this kind of system would benefit educational facilities by enabling the sharing and pooling of information based on various topics. It would also be useful for students to organise favourite site, activities and media

Storybird takes flight

So after thinking about Hendron's article I wanted to see if there was a way I could get my children's work right out into the aether as well as them having the opportunity to respond to other  with out setting up a blog or wiki (I did set up a blog last year but it died a slow horrid death and I forgot the login!). I happened to bump into a site called Storybird (www.storybird.com). It allows users to choose a set of art work and then compose a story based on that artwork. The story can be published and then viewed by family, friends, or anyone who is around at the time. The children really got stuck in with writing their stories but what I found the most encouraging was that most, if not all of them went home that night and wrote more stories! The children also enjoyed receiving comments from other users and it was very exciting when some of the artists replied and said how good the stories were. 

Here is an example of one of the stories

Uh DUH!!!! and the Hendron collider!

So that's what RSS is! and here I call my self fairly ICT smart, shame shame is my name!

Hendrons article (2008) raises some interesting points, especially when discussing the Read/Write Web in schools. Hendron offers a variety of reasons why the Read/Write Web should be used in schools and classrooms. Firstly this is where both "business and society have turned to learn". No matter what tool you use, be it Google, you-tube, Wikipedia or any other number of search engines, people now have a staggering amount of information available at the click of a button. Schools need to acknowledge this by embracing the opportunity to expose (with precautions of course) children to this information and allowing them the chance to interact and add to this global knowledge. I can now understand why many employers have banned the use of Ebay and Trademe from the workplace! Its astounding to think that one million people (in 2006) quit jobs and now make a living selling items on auction sites full time. (Tapscott & Williams, 2006, p.100 cited by Hendron)

Hendron also offers that many schools promote "life long learning" where students go on to self education and using the Read/Write Web has become a more desirable skill to have in the future, whether it be in business or further education (take this blog for example). To be honest I had not really thought of the use of blogs, podcasts or Wikis as being part of what should be a large component of what children should be taught, but having read Hendron I can now see that these tools are an important way for children to express views, obtain information and generally open themselves up to the world. 

Away to think about possibilities!

I had heard teachers mention Wordle but hadn't had the opportunity to see or to use it. So I thought I would check it out. Wordle is a Web 2.0 tool that can generate "word clouds" which are images made up of words. After inputting individual words or even a whole body of text Wordle generates a word cloud, resizing and highlighting prominent words. The cloud can then be altered with different fonts, colours and layout. You can then print them out, save as a PDF or save them to the Wordle gallery.

Here is an example that one of my students made (with the help of an online thesaurus) consisting of "sad" words.

I also had students compile a word cloud about themselves which we then proceeded to make into a slideshow that I have as a screen saver which is displayed on the board through the projector. Looks like quite an interesting little tool!

IWBs and some benefits

Where to start, where to start??? How about IWBs! Mysteriously I was put in charge of Mimio implementation in our school. This was due to the fact that we decided to trial them out and the teacher next to my classroom was meant to have one but she was taking on a new position so I was lucky enough to get the chance to have it installed in my room and I haven't looked back since! We now have 25 Mimio units school wide with ceiling mounted data projectors, teachers create many of their own resources as well as using content that is available online. I have found that there are many benefits to having an IWB in the class. These include:

• Global Communication-Using skype for video/audio conferencing.
  
• Access to all forms of media- video and audio from various sources (youtube/nationalgeographic) Images available from numerous sources.
  
• Save and view written or annotated work from previous sessions.
  
• Lesson can be enhanced by easily integrating video, animation, graphics, text and audio
  
• Notes, diagrams and entire lessons can be saved, archived and added to the school intranet.

Beauchamp and Parkinson (2005) highlight several ways in which IWBs can help enhance both learning and teaching in the class. The first is focussing the attention of the children. Having a large screen at the front of the classroom allows the children to focus their attention to one particular area, this is useful for engaging children's interest at the start of a lesson.

As well as helping focus children’s attention, IWBs have enabled teachers to more effectively scaffold learning. “When one begins to unpick some of the distinctive features of scaffolding it becomes apparent that the features of the IWB fit the bill admirably” (Beauchamp & Parkinson, 2005, p. 99).

Daniel (another member of the course) poses some questions about IWBs on his blog:

* Will my students learn better because I have one? - Maybe

* Will teachers need training to be able to use IWBs? - Most Definitely

* Will it effect the way I teach and make me a 'chalk and talk' rote learning teacher? -Possibly!

I would like to offer my answers...if I may!

• Will my students learn better because I have one? - Absolutely!!!!

The change I have seen in my students through interactions with the Mimio has been astounding. They are keen to be involved, enthusiastic about the use of the Mimio and the amount of discussion that it has promoted when working in groups has been incredibly impressive!

• Will teachers need training to be able to use an IWB? - Absolutely!!!!

Ongoing training is vital for keeping up to date with what is happening in the IWB world. It is easy to reach a level of proficency and then plateau out if you do not keep up to date with new innovations and training options. It will be interesting to see how schools deal with PD for ICT in the coming year, especially since funding for PD in all areas except Literacy has been cut.

• Will it effect the way I teach and make me a "chalk and talk" rote learning teacher- Absolutely!!!! Well...only on the "effect the way I teach" part.

I now see my role in the classroom as more of a facilitator, the Mimio has allowed greater children ownership of activities and the way things are run in the classroom, we interact together with the Mimio and have established a more reciprocal relationship. I don't think an IWB would lead to "chalk and talk" at all. I believe quite the opposite, it allows for more creativity, freedom and more child involvement.

First post!

Well here we go, my blog on E-Learning and other sources of wonder and excitment!...well...hopefully. This blog is in conjunction with the current university paper I am studying, E-Learning in practice which looks at current trends in ICT in the classroom and the various philosophies and pedagogues that come into play. I am hoping to learn a lot about how others use and view the use of ICT in the class and look at the various research that is available in various technological areas, especially IWBs which is a passion of mine....more on that story later!