Jazz on the eLearning Journey

Student Designed Learning Spaces

2012-01-29T19:42:00.000-08:00

I have been fortunate to have meet Anne at our ILT Conference in 2011. Since then I have followed her on twitter and collaborated with her at educampdunners and educampinvers. Over the past 2 weeks I have been on my own journey of creating new learning spaces, as well as keeping in touch with what Anne and Claire have been planning. So it was truly inspiring to see this edtalk on the NZC Online Update today...

Checkout this clip - well worth watching...looking forward to a follow up visit after the collaborative planning and designing!

21st Century Learner

2012-01-21T18:40:00.000-08:00

The journey to cater for the 21st century learner is fruitful and exciting. As a teacher you are able to cater for the needs of your students but it is also an approach that if adopted well by the whole school, it can be of great wealth to all involved - students and teachers.

This YouTube clip is inspiring and highlights the key components of the 21st Century classroom. However it states..."The future is coming - will you be ready?" which I disagree with - if the future is coming what is expected from teachers right now - today? I believe the future is here and it is with collaboration between teams of people, who are like minded change agents that will make sure they are up to date with the 21st Century philosophies, pedagogy at school, close to home and world wide that will empower their teaching approach for life long learners.

The future is here - are you ready?

The following YouTube clip is very interesting... students sharing their desires of being engaged within their classroom environment using their favourite technologies. How would you respond to students in your room with the following requests?

Learning Spaces

2012-01-21T02:02:00.000-08:00

Well the carpet cleaners have been and gone...now it is all up to me to begin my journey of learning spaces within my classroom. Well as we all know to create learning spaces the most important component of this change is furniture and floor space.

At present I have taken out half of my desks, found tables and a station on wheels that the students can stand at as they work. Strategically placing this furniture, which is workable but not what I would desire, has been a move and reflect, move and reflect task. I want to create optimum space where students can sit at tables in groups, pairs and independently - this will allow students to make choices frequently within a school day / week / term for their best learning space, that will reward them with the best work output.

Tonight as I was searching the net for inspiration I came across the following site...The Learning Spaces Portal, which attempts to represent ways in which learning spaces, learners and teachers interact. A partnership of two identities Research in Educational Futures and Innovation (CREFI) and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD). It is interesting to watch the videos if time allows but I found the photos - food for thought also.

This is a great YouTube clip that shows some learning spaces that include creativity, collaboration and inspiration. All essential ingredients needed to teach a living curriculum that will empower and engage its students.

The Journey in 2012

2012-01-18T06:09:00.000-08:00

Well 2012 is here and what will the year ahead bring?! As I am busy becoming excited about teaching and learning this year I start to think about all the ideas I put on hold last year to kick start the beginning of the new year. In many areas not just e-learning. However all new approaches have links to teaching and learning in the 21st century.

Part of the journey that is about to begin will be using learning spaces within my classroom. After the I Love Teaching Conference held in Invercargill in 2011where Jeni Wilson shared her work with learning spaces and viewing Claire B's classroom at educamp in Dunedin, my need to explore grew to a Must Do.

The year I will also begin with the use of kidblogging a site that provides teachers and students with individual blog pages. The students will record personal goals and record their learning journey in a safe environment that their parents will also be able to view to support reporting purposes.

I will continue to use and develop the Jeni Wilson approach to goal setting and assessment. As well as her approach to reflection the incorporation of What, So What, Now What will be introduced. We will also be continuing to use the Kath Murdoch Inquiry model.

To support students who require extension, there will be a bonus to their independent learning and will be extended not just to presenting work on tools such as keynote but they will be using wix.com to create their own website.

We will also be skying this year with Alice I's class at Darfield School in Christchurch which I am sure will be the beginning to many other learning and sharing opportunities.

The new look spelling workshops will be introduced in to my literacy programme with ideas collected from Jan F at Myross Bush School and their whole school spelling programme.

We as a school will be looking a t iUgo an Essential Resources online planning programme and looking at if this will fit the needs of our teachers and students needs for planning and assessment gathering.

As a staff we will begin the year with Trevor Bond as our presenter at our TOD. Which will build on the journey of questioning that we have already begun that supports effective teaching of questioning within our inquiry model.

To support our teaching inquiries we will unpack and use the What, So What, Now What model to up-skill our abilities to be quality reflective practitioners.

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”

–Oliver Wendall Holmes

It is hard to believe but we will be embarking on our 3rd year of our ICT2lrnwaihopai cluster, which will be sure to bring many great opportunities to begin showcasing our skills and understandings in the teaching and learning of ICT and Inquiry learning.

Wow...I am so excited - the anticipation and opportunities of the beginning of a new school year is empowering for the soul!

Questioning Professional Development

2011-11-08T00:35:00.000-08:00

NRP Questioning Journey 2011As a staff we have been using the Trevor Bond Questioning Rubric to develop our students as Independent and Effective Questioners. The following presentation is the first stage our staff have taken to unpack and understand Questioning. We have used Trevor Bond readings, resources and assessment measuring rubric to monitor students questioning stages and progressions.

View more presentations from JazzRolton

eLearning Planning Framework

2011-10-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday I was a part of the first consultation for the eLearning Planning Framework. This was a great opportunity to be involved in an online consultation.

The e-Learning Planning framework will provide a 'road map' to support schools as they build their e-learning capability. Schools can use the framework as a self-review tool to gather evidence about their current practice, plan next steps and access resources and services to support to their progress.

I am liking the look of this practical document that will provide direction for those not involved in a cluster or about to fly solo. With inclusion of Leadership and strategic direction and even how it looks beyond the classroom. The phases have a evident flow on effect beginning with Phase 1 Emerging, Phase 2 Engaging, Phase 3 Enabling and Phase 4 Empowering.

If you want to check out the draft document and give your feedback go to e-Learning Planning Framework.

iPad Training

2011-10-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

Last week I was fortunate to attend iPad training with Online Computers and presenter Staurt Hale -Education Adviser in eLearning. I came away with some new found knowledge and app resources which was tremendous.

iPads
My biggest questions for the use of iPads in schools is managing the ipad apps and itunes accounts. I put a discussion post up on the Virtual Learning Network after the training and more than 30 discussion posts were added - WOW!
The other big discussion topic seems to be creating the apps to meet the needs of the individual classroom or manage them in a way that they all host the same apps so they can be used in a pod type style - classroom versus pod!

I believe it is extremely important to give the teacher ownership of the ipad as they are the teaching and learning motivator within their classroom. Lack of ownership becomes lack of interest!
With my new knowledge and discussion comments to research I will endeavor to create the use of iPads in our school using an ownership friendly approach that will be budget compatible.

BOYD
It was only 2 months ago that I had to reveal my ignorance and ask what the acronym Bring Your Own Devices to School was all about, with the thanks to AnneK I was informed of this new concept. I learnt more today about this concept and do see how beneficial it will be in eLearning focussed environments. With the support of school values and ICT Policies there will be great things to come. Check out Berkley Normal Middle School iPods in schools policies, guidelines etc.

ICT Giggle for the Light Hearted

2011-10-17T14:18:00.000-07:00

A must watch for a giggle and a half!!!

e-portfolio for staters

2011-09-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

At our ICT cluster meeting with our ministry facilitator. We are having discussions around e-portfolios and have found this quirky wee Youtube introduction. Not too relevant to primary education but gives a good idea of the concept. I will be definitely researching http://myportfolio.school.nz/ to learn more about this concept. If your using e-portfolio's would love to talk to you! :-)

Educampinvers Term 4 2011

2011-09-24T22:11:00.000-07:00

This is a must be at event being held in Invervcargill next term check out the link below and sign yourself up on the attendees list...

educampinvers2011.wikispaces.com/

Trevor Bond Questioning

2011-09-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

As a part of our schools ICT/Inquiry contract we have made a committment to teaching our students to be effective questioners. Over the past term we have been unpacking the stages of trevor Bond's Questioning rubric. Last week teachers we given a scenario to take back to their classes to assist them in the collection of questions generated by their students in response to the scenario. Tomorrow we will share the questions collected and place them on the rubric. We will then justify our placement of questions and engage in professional dialogue to support our thinking and learning. I have found a couple of Edtalks that feature Trevor Bond which will support us in our journey.

Educamp Dunedin 2011

2011-08-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

Wow I have just experienced my very first Educamp - Thank you to our hosts, Claire and Anne who hosted #educampdunners at an amazing venue St Claire School Dunedin. We started with a Smackdown where numerous people talked to us about a skill, tool or topic within a 2 minute time frame. Listening to these experts was amazing! Then we had break out sessions, it was your choice to join a break out that was of interest to you. It was certainly a relaxing approach and where everyone could share their experiences on the topic - truly amazing. Relaxed, informal and absolutely inspiring. At the end we reflected on what we would take away from our day, however due to traveling with a group of people the learning did not stop once we left Educamp. Great connections, new learning and inspiration was the key for my next steps on my eLearning Journey.

My Take outs were...
Personalised Learning was a big take away for me - I even went back to see Claire in her classroom and discuss learning approaches further. I have changed the way I begin the school day, using choice workshops at reading and have some good feedback from the kids about the new approach we have to learning.
ipad apps - there were some really good discussions that about the use of apps in the classroom, how teachers manage ipads and the apps they use.
I also took away a number of other ICT tools that I will post later.
Fantastic opportunity, if you get to go to an educamp it would be the best day spent talking about school in your personal spare time.

Registered Teacher Criteria for e-learning

2011-08-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

Within our ICT Cluster we are focussing on teacher practice that impacts on student achievement. This is also the aim of the renewed Registered Teacher Criteria.
This wiki below has been created by Suzie Vesper and Rochelle Jensen from Digistore and it provides links between the criteria and eLearning. It's an amazing resource that can help head us in the right direction when creating action plan goals and also our Individual Teacher Inquiries!
It is a must to check it out...
Registered Teacher Criteria and e-learning

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I Love Teaching Conference - 18-19th July 2011

2011-07-31T03:08:00.000-07:00

It was yet again a great opportunity to be in the audience of our ILT sponsored education conference. Brought to us by our Conference Convenor - Marlene Campbell and an enthusiastic committee who were dedicated in delivering a top quality conference leading the way with keynote speakers of a high calibre.

The conference programme was themed for teachers under two key competencies - Managing Self and Relating to Others. The conference perked up everyones early morning moods with the first presentation from Rhythm Interactive - "Action Speaks Louder Than Words". Before too long everyone was involved in creating music by using an African styled hand drum and believe it or not all those educators did it without speaking and via non verbal instruction.

The Keynote Speakers included...

Francoys Gagne
The DGMT (Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent) theory of talent development was delivered to us highlighting the clear distinction between outstanding potentialities (the gifts) and outstanding achievements (the talents).

Allie Mooney
In an exciting delivery we heard about the four different personalities there are in life Playful, Peaceful, Precise and Powerful. It was certainly entertaining and thought provoking.

Wilson McCaskill
Brought to us key messages about play and how we empower children to manage their emotions. His beliefs of how the power of games acts as a universal language for the development of positive social behaviour was incredibly passionate.

Graham Watts
Shared many practical tools in his workshop presentations that can be easily transferred into classroom programmes e.g. 10 tools to combine literacy and thinking. His keynote messages encouraged us as educators to look critically at what we are teaching and why we are teaching. Are we heading in the right direction for the 21st century learner and how will it look for our learners in the next 100 years?

Jeni Wilson
Asked us to take a step back and ask ourselves... What does it look like at our school from a students point of view? How passionate are we about what we teach? Have we personalised learning to meet the needs of our students? We were given grand examples of learning spaces and "Big Picture Learning". Within her workshops there were clear guidelines to use Thinking Strategies uphold the value of belief in ones self. Creating action plans using personal learning goals and reflections to meet the students needs which applies personalised learning for students.

James Nottingham
Delivered a powerful message about the methods of feedback. He explained how praise feedback was ineffective to the next steps of a students learning and how process feedback was essential.

I have added slides that James has shared as I am inspired to learn more.

It was a tremendous conference and I a grateful for the chance to have attended this marvelous form of Professional Development in Southland.

I Love Teaching

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Challenging Learning Workshop

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Welcome to the World of ipads

2011-07-31T00:09:00.000-07:00

We have just had our senior classes equipped with two apple ipad2 per class. The secret is now to find the best possible way to use the ipads to the best of its potential for child centered learning throughout the whole school day. I found the following interesting resource that will help us on this new but exciting journey.

https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=0AclS3lrlFkCIZGhuMnZjdjVfNzIxZ2RrNWp0ZDg&hl=en_US

Using iPads in Education: Resources for teachers using iPads in the classroom

http://bit.ly/pIxQ52

Encouraging Teachers to use Class Blogs in the Classroom.

2011-07-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

How to sell the value and easy use of class blogging across all levels of the school.

Most teachers can see the need for class blogging but find it difficult to find time and implement blogging into their exisiting class programes a hurdle to somewhat hard to overcome.

It is merely a shift in thinking and before you relise it the hurdles will have be passed and students will use blogging successfully and effortlessly within daily programmes.

Setting up the blog page easy with support from a previous blogger.

Learning how to embed new tools a slight challenge but once practised a few times, very manageable!

Maintaining the momentum of posts and links to programmes a little more difficult but with some planning and specific teaching and learning contexts it will become apart of your daily planning routines.

Creating an audience and regular input of comments from a wider audience may prove very difficult. However applying some of the following ideas will be helpful

Steps I have taken to help lead the blogging journey...

1. Whole Staff Teaching team create an account and design a blog page to meet their purpose e.g. Deputy Principals, Library, Junior / Senior school, nump / lit leaders page

2. Offer Techie support for blogging at least 2 per term. Introduce basics gadgets, embeding, widgets. Practice is essential before returning to next session. Next session staff share their questions / wants / needs. Introduce the use of slideshows e.g. photopeach, glitter text for some sparkle - personalise to individual needs.

REFLECTION...
After a staff feedback session it was obvious that the main hurdles were...
time to organise or use the blog
how to use in daily programmes
finding a reliable audience make comments and give feedback

NEXT STEP...
I had recently been introduced to quad blogging (four classes - each week one class is the focus class and the other three classes view and leave comments for the focus class) Every class gets an opportunity to participate as the focus class and viewers. Within the school we will approach quad blogging as above but across the school involving junior, middle and senior classrooms.

Teach students how to make comments...

Blogging for the very Young - check this link out...

http://primarytech.global2.vic.edu.au/2011/07/19/blogging-with-very-young-students/

Intergrating Blogging in the Primary School

2011-07-01T03:06:00.000-07:00

Teaching students to comment correctly on blogs is an essential step in the use of blogging. Also these skills are handy to share with parents when encouraging them to comment on your classroom blog.
Check out Intergrating Blogging in the Primary school for inspiring ideas...

http://primarytech.global2.vic.edu.au/2010/02/21/blogging-teaching-commenting-skills/

The Courage to Blog with Students

2011-04-29T01:23:00.000-07:00

This is a great article from Education Week. It has some very interesting reasons for why blogging is an important learning and self reflection tool for learners and teachers. It breaks information into Tips...

Tip #1: The best way to get your feet wet without drowning is to use a group blog

Tip #2: Teach students how to write comments

Tip #3: Use what you already have in your teaching plan, with some minor modifications

Tip #4: Practice commenting without computers

Tip #5: Make student use of the class blog a privilege

Tip #6: You can't emphasize safety too much

Tip #7: Decide how you will choose user names

Tip #8: communicate with parents early on

Check it out and share your thoughts!

The Courage To Blog With Students

e-Learning Essential in Education

2011-04-10T00:46:00.000-07:00

This is a sure indication that Teachers need to step up to teach, use and integrate e-Learning into daily routines. The world is ever evolving and also the rate that ICT is moving. It is paramount for us as educators to take that on board. The role to empower our future generations with the skills that will support their survival in thinking, e-Learning, ICT skills and social networking contexts is essential. Have you integrated e-Learning into your reading, writing and numeracy programmes?

Borland Lodge Adventure and Education Trust

2011-04-09T00:57:00.000-07:00

Clifden Suspension Bridge

Hall & Kitcen Facilities

Camp Cooking

Abseiling

Camp Fire & Marshnellows

Burnt Ridge Track

Bivvy Making

Borland Lodge what a great place for Education Outside The Classroom...hiking, abseiling, kayaking, river crossing and much, much more plus great accomodation...http://www.borlandlodge.co.nz/

Growing great leaders, taking students in the depths of nature away from home comforts, focussing on team building, setting SMART goals and over coming personal challenges...it is amazing to see students grow within themselves before your eyes!

Gever Tulley teaches life lessons through tinkering | Video on TED.com

2011-04-02T23:03:00.000-07:00

Discovery Time maybe not quite like this within our school but this is excellent example of what we as teachers need to allow students to do "Take Risks" and allow self directed learning. The students get the opportunity to use their imaginations and creative problem solving. When given the tools, material and guidance the world is definitely their oyster!

Inquiry-Based Learning

2011-03-18T02:55:00.000-07:00

What an easy, fun way to describe Inquiry Learning!!!

Using teaching as inquiry to guide an eLearning action plan

2011-03-18T02:38:00.000-07:00

This video tells you how using "teaching as an inquiry" cycle informs e learning action plans. A good example of how teachers work through the process.

The Best Motivation Video

2011-03-18T02:14:00.000-07:00

Imagine, Dream and Believe You Can Do It!!!

This just shows you the strength of perserverance and determination pays off. If you have a dream imagine it and believe it is yours and it will come true!

Making Mistakes is Positive

2011-03-18T00:58:00.000-07:00

This is great - links to Inquiry Learning...Some focus ideas for the classroom...Get your kids to watch it and see what they say. It could be a whole language discussion. All about learning, how they learn, why they learn, where the information is, how to access it, the importance / place of presentation vs information as well as the importance and place of mistakes in learning.