eTOURS+2012

uLearn 2012
 * Heath || **Presented at uLearn 2012**


 * || Staff Reflections : ||
 * < Sigrid ||< * ** U Learn Conference, October. **
 * New Media Narrative and Digital Storytelling in the Classroom. Jason Ohler.
 * Hooking learners with Digital tools. Keven Honeycutt.
 * 5 e learning tools to capture student voice in a classroom. David Kinane.
 * Tools of engagement: Podcasting and Screencasting. Andrew Douch.
 * Digital primary sources, exploring our past and present. National Library.
 * One vision: A Learning Journal. Jo Fothergill
 * One vision: A Learning Journal. Jo Fothergill

Kevin Honeycutt sees IT as an essential tool that can motivate hard to teach students. he does not see using IT as 'cheating' but making use of a best possible way to improve students involvement and therefore outcomes. He is a fan of social networks to reach all students but that caregivers need to help (and essentially monitor) their children to be socially aware and responsible while on line.

I am trialling a class Twitter Board idea that he talked about with my yr 3 class see photo. The children post their comments and respond to others comments before school and after lunch. Many are motivated to write, it is easy, fun and does not need to be long. Their comments so far have been a mixture of personal eg what they have done at home and at school. There are rules because it is "in the public domain and others can read them" the comments can never be rude or upsetting to another class member.

Andrew Douch has made many podcasts for his secondary Biology students. They were very enthusiastic about how they helped them to revisit what had been covered in the classroom. ||
 * < Liz ||< U-Learn 10-12th October, 2012


 * Breakouts**
 * **What is good thinking - Maryanne Mills**
 * **Science Hub**
 * **e-teachers VLN schools**
 * **Collaborating in the Cloud - John Locke, Jacqui Patuawa, John Clarke**
 * **Organised Chaos - digital curriculum mapping**
 * **3 teachers, 3 classes, 1 vision - Jo Fothergill**

Some of the key messages or tools I took away and am or plan to use in my learning space are:
 * 1) Students need to be problem finders as well as problem solvers
 * 2) Literacy includes all the literacies of the day including media, social, personal, visual etc and as a result - good writing will be valued because it is necessary rather than the default.
 * 3) How am I teaching my students to be creative, critical and metacognitive thinkers? and why? Need to create self-regulated learners. Teaching thinking skills (thinking key competency) needs to be throughout the curriculum and taught/modeled/scaffolded - moving towards autonomy
 * 4) Science Hub - great contexts and online links and information for both teachers and students. I have already been using this with my students as part of our science inquiry - solving mysteries.
 * 5) VLN schools - great to know this exists and I can see that it can offer opportunities for students to have access to subjects outside of our school especially in languages - te reo
 * 6) BUILD RELATIONSHIPS FIRST and TAKE RISKS. This message came through all of the keynote speakers and some of my breakouts. They all emphasised the importance, as teachers, to establish relationships with students first. you need to develop the trust and communication.
 * 7) prezi.com - online presentation system
 * 8) Digital devices are our reality - need to teach students how to use them sensibly and have a responsibility as educators to learn to use them ourselves so that we can keep tabs and be informed of what they are doing otherwise they are able to lead secret lives. ||
 * < Tania ||< __**U-Learn 10-12th October, 2012**__


 * __ Kevin Honeycutt- My favourite quotes from the breakout session and the keynote I attended. __**

“Students’ potentials are hiding in plain site. It is Up to us as educators to stop long enough to discover what others might miss.” “Seeing with 21st century eyes, today’s kids have a chance for a level of creative invention that the world has never seen.” “A teabag can make just so much tea & a teacher can teach just so many kids. Adding more kids dilutes learning until it’s no longer learning” “You are the bridge that others can use to cross over into new understanding. Be inviting and cast the path on the far side as the best possible destination.” “Learning and re-learning is an essential skill and a fun way to spend a life. Our brains were designed to learn and keeping our learning switch on is actually a healthy thing to do for life.” “Children don’t always know what to love. Make what they need to know what they love to learn about.” “Story telling is the most basic of human activities. Digital story telling is only the latest chapter in the story of how we share experience and wisdom with one another.” ||
 * < Marquerite ||< ======__**U-Learn 10-12th October, 2012**__======

My breakouts included:-

 * The World is Your Oyster Global toolkit :- Google Docs and Goggle + for Global Wendy Gorton
 * SOLO Taxonomy: A Mental Model for Learning to Learn –Pam Hook (pamhook.co/HookED_Handouts and www.pamhook.com)
 * ​Tinkering With Possibilities- Linda Lehrke from Hingaia Peninsula School
 * Cool Web 2.0 Tools- But What Now? Glen Mc Kay
 * Digital Resources - Where do you find quality New Zealand digital resources? Tracy Dyett
 * Cyber and Digital Safety: yes it`s everyone business! Sharon Carlson
 * Power of Parents: Connecting the classroom with the home. Sally Russ & Tacy Watkin

Keynote speakers were: Dr Jason Ohler, Khoa Do, Kevin Honeycutt and Glenn Capelli.
 * Dr Jason Ohler spoke about how each child learns and how going to school should be a joy... teachers he will always remember and how every teacher should open new doors to each child. BYOD was covered and he questioned why students can have at home but not at a lot of schools.Branding of BYOD and building blocks. The concept of immersed connectiveness was also sounded out.
 * Khoa Do was a most interesting speaker who spoke from the heart and talked about his life in Vietnam and choices and also lack of, being a refugee and life to where he is now. Hs mother`s words will be with forever... believe in yourself and look after what you have.
 * Kevin Honeycutt. An interesting speaker who promoted relationships with learners and one of his key messages was to "treat every kid like he`s the only you trust". He emphasised that no-one should have secret lives and stressed the importance of "do unto others as you have them do unto you". The online environment should be treated no differently! Digital devices were discussed and the importance of digital etiquette as well as safety and responsibility. Everyone must learn to use and manage devices not vice versa.

A number of breakouts proved to be most worthwhile and gave me immediate internet sites and recommendations that I can use immediately with my class and in fact have done.

I have included some of the conference ideas in the last two Home Learning grid cells:- > Log each child on > S log in & tests on basic facts +,- x, division > Green means can do- levels them and works out next steps. Know basic facts under 3 secs > Class code- s put in their own pin > 2-3 mins per day > This site will increase the students basic facts and speed of basic facts. It only takes a few minutes to log the class on, they get their own passwords and then they sit tests that get harder as they move through the questions and also locates areas that need further development. > spelling, maths mix, algebra, maths 101, timestables etc and play against others overseas s > set boundaries so not always easy > [|www.freetypinggame.net] > Tests and times… can graph to show progress, games, typing lessons > Highlighting work > Blue is You -kids how they met scriteria > Green teacher highlight what is a.wesome > Pink > Writing copy & paste interesting words > Bottom exclude all words > Pre assessments- how the computer is used and size of letters to match importance. > > American and take screen shots and print on > Log in & create > S to look at characters and settings first > > [|www.toondo.com] > > www.goanimate.com > Why use web tools. > Full length movie- sound & movement, choose voice and accents > > [|www.wallwisher.com] > Put a picture up and s write descriptive sentences > Forums > Brainstorming > Questions for topics > What do you want to know? > > Making the connections: The Mountain of Understanding > Kids area & teachers and get a key so you can go back to it later > A game to learn > > [|www.childrenslibrary.org] > F11 bk enlarged > F11 again small > > Google- TumbleBooks -Auckland Library Books (free)
 * https:// [|www.xtramath.org]
 * [|www.tutpup.com]
 * Typing- roster with SSR and handwriting
 * __Google Docs for writing__
 * __Wordle__
 * __Story Jumper__
 * __Toondo -__ can embed
 * Log in via Google
 * Wallwisher
 * __Into the Book__ reading.ecb.org
 * International Children`s Digital Library
 * __Tumble Books__

||

Term 3 Courses __ e-Learning Workshop with Jacqui Sharp: __ Jenny & Marquerite


 * __ Workshop Reflection __**

Our course proved to be most informative and practical for all those attending. Jacqui had planned and organized the workshop so that it was action packed and flowed through a wide variety of concepts and resources. Jenny and I both left on a “high”!

We believe that our teachers here at school have very well developed IT skills and if we have issues there are a number of staff who are more than willing to assist us. Being able to share our ideas and IT tips is of the essence as well.

What a fantastic course and all credit to Jacqui Sharp!


 * __ Next Steps __**

1) The websites listed above have a wealth of information in them and we hope that all staff can set some time aside to view and try some of the ideas out. Jacqui loves sharing the best sites with anyone who is interested and would feel proud of the two of us bringing these sites to your attention.

2) Encourage the syudents to BYOD to school.

3) As a class we would appreciate more laptops so that group work was possible. (8-9 per learning space).

4) Use Google Forms- eg EOTC interests, Interest Inventory, Diagnostic testing

5) Develop more learning areas in the learning space eg. watching and collaborative areas.

6) Visit the above websites for new and innovative ideas.



Term 2 eTour __Schools visited__: The Gardens School, Buckland Beach Intermediate, Elm Park School __Visiting Staff__: Katrina Butcher, Sigrid McMillan, Linda Haaker, Heath McNeil __Reflections:__ Linda and Sigrid || Katrina Butcher, Linda Haaker, Sigrid McMillan. Ramarama School. **What we saw** The Gardens
 * Katrina,
 * Use of i-pads throughout the school
 * Special e-learning classrooms, children had to buy i-pads and pay extra school donation
 * Interviewed children, enthusiastic about use, wanted to be in e-learning class, used across the curriculum
 * Appeared very computer literate
 * Eager to show work and apps used
 * Teacher offered master list of apps
 * Apps appeared relevant to year level and children’s learning
 * Younger children appeared to be experimenting with technology

Elm Park
 * Using i-pods with Apps every day for maths
 * Children’s reflections short, to the point
 * School used Knowledge Net Learning Journals
 * Year 1s learning to log on
 * Year 3 – transition year, by end of the year they were able to put up some things of their own
 * Year 6 children were putting examples of learning and reflections up on KN independently, able to talk about them and willing to show visitors
 * By year 6 reflecting well using De Bono’s thinking hats (process)

Bucklands Beach Intermediate
 * No classroom visits
 * Showcased two children’s portfolios through Google docs (Layout of class on one page with updates visible)
 * Great reflections done
 * Parents regularly contributed, both orally and written
 * Two students shown were extremely motivated and had previously shown their work to the BOT

Reflection From what we have seen our teachers and students contributions to the learning journals are on a par with schools who are far more experienced. All our teachers have a very good IT knowledge and skills. They are open to new learning and are constantly trying out new things and share with each other. On Knowledge Net we have movies, slideshows, photos through sites like Photo peach and Vimeo and use a variety of layouts.

Next steps:
 * Would love to have i-Pads (8 for a group)
 * Could try BYO device
 * Enjoy i-pods but need more for a group situation ||