Looking back

I am always in a hurry for people to adopt technology for what it does to help us (to make us better). Allows us to share learn and create. Sure there are those times when we could do with stepping back from technology to breathe in the fresh air and get real. Most of the time I think people aren't: moving quickly enough, adopting quickly enough or coming to terms quickly enough. I came across this reminder  of a survey conducted in 1998 at my school.  At that time half the staff without a computer at home.

We have come a long way.

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In Our Own time

When we give kids a challenge and some ownership they love it.
They learn as well. Having offered students a chance to come in at lunchtime and work with Lego robotics we have about ten committed students. 


They turn up consistently and work on this.


They are experiencing flow.

One of the ideas I am working on with this group is that
this is not a race and to acknowledge their own achievements.


The Temptation is to "borrow code" from others a little further ahead. 


With our own efforts well get there and when we do we'll understand more than borrowers.
With our own interests and challenges we are more likely to see this through.


Another quote to support this is "be a maker not a taker"

What Mckenzie had to say about Robotics and their Robot Storm.

Storm "So far we have built our robot. We are currently wireing and putting on our sensors. We downloaded the program we needed to use to program our storm robot.Our robot is basically made out of lego,  I like building Storm because it is a great challenge to achieve."

Finally Have a look at this clip that comes without sound.

5 seconds only. What it show is grandparents looking at the kids playing with robotics. I don't think the future is all about robotics but the looks on the faces of grandparents shows how different their learning and lives were.

Going Mobile

This Is my first mobile post. 


Typed/swyped mainly on a mobile. What I'd like to push myself to do is be more transformative in my actions. Lately I have become read alot (obsessed) about what features are to be available in the latest version of Google Android versus Apple's iOS.
This is an area that is changing so fast that new utility,applications and features are being added daily. 
There are people writing and reflecting on this even more often. We can read multiple updates and perspectives on this as easily as going to the web or even easy if we have them come to us using aggregation (reader) software.
My feeling is that we are a bit myopic in our adoption of Apple products fantastic though they are; without enough people testing other ways of doing things. My reading would tell me there is some realistic basis to this ie that the alternative are not without merit or functionality.


So There is some purpose to this Reading/Finding out but it is limited.

• preparing for purchase decisions 
• predicting future capability 
• finding useful applications 
• to be knowledgeable in the area of rapid change
• this is the fastest developing focus area for new tech

There are a few downsides

• lack of impact beyond the above
• this can become a habitual response 
• more passive than active 
• comes at opportunity cost for other learning 
• often relates to content acquisition rather creativity or adding value

So to break the cycle ...

I am limiting myself to set periods of reflection and to keeping a focus on 

the relationship of this learning to what it can bring for schools and learners as a result. When I read and follow I will put the GEMS into this blog or spaces for others. 

And on that note...

A great tool for android are the swype type keyboards have a look at this video to see how they work. Think this works on iOS but only jail broken phones/pods/pads.

This shows touchpal but swype is another great one.

Reality Check Market Day

Market Day Marketing


I was thinking that the year 8s were up for a big challenge with their Market day.
The big challenges I see are

• Co-ordinating the group together so everyone works for each other in clear roles (I guess alot of people are using google docs for that one)
• Having a catchy product name and an inviting stand
• Having a quality product and selling it to the public

I found a whole lot of pictures from last years market day perhaps having a look at these might give you some ideas about colours, styles, signs etc that are effective.

Any comments on the Market day from last year?
What style of fonts work etc


Advertising with a jingle


One piece of software for recording jingles is  audacity here is one persons guide
If you look for a tutorial video on youtube you will probably find one I call this Watch and Do

Digital Citizenship – a big ask

We have students with connectivity and a number of choices to make.
We can protect them to a certain extent and of course we do by filtering and
education B U T in the end we can only do so much ….

I have spoken to students about this and asked them to collaborate on a document where they are asked

What we think as students about digital citizenship.....
What the school should do about students who download age restricted material is ...
How the School should try to protect students from things on the internet is ...
Should the school lock down computers so that we can't install anything ? Why ? Why Not?
What we should be able to do with our computers is...
What we shouldn’t be able to do with our computers is...
Questions we have around digital citizenship are.

Will post back what this group thinks soon

Letting kids learn

“The longer you wait for the future, the shorter it will be”

ThinkExist.com Quotations. “Loesje quotes”. ThinkExist.com Quotations Online 1 Nov. 2009. 28 Dec. 2009 <http://einstein/quotes/loesje/>

I had the opportunity to work with some students who were taking part in end of year examinations. Those who finished early (and in this case most did) were given the opportunity to do something quietly. I watched as they involved themselves in a number independent activities. I took some photos on my mobile which are here in the slideshow. I reminded me of books we used to have like 100 things to make and do. I feel that this sort of activity, scaffolded and enhanced, has the ability to increase the potential of our student’s

literacy/numeracy/operacy .

Have a look at the slideshow (just eight pictures) and I will explain what I mean.

The only instruction given was that the activity had to be silent while others were working on their exams. We have looked at and developed a framework for learning at Southwell where I teach. I highlighted the values and key competencies personal learning time similar to this might support. This is about “learning to learn” and putting the learner at the center of the learning. Accepting where our students are at and providing them with the tools for self improvement but how ….

Quality Assurance
Such a strategy as this independent learning time is now possible to develop and support through the use of ICT tools. I believe the key characteristics of this might be. This is the big disclaimer

• Classroom Climate - Supportive classroom communities where learning modeled shared celebrated etc.
• Reflection/expression/evidence/collaboration portals ie social networks, eportfolios (for lack of better word), gallery spaces, video repositories etc
• Clear goal setting and articulation for learning perhaps SMART Students are asked to check off whether the goal is specific, measurable, action-oriented, reasonable and timely. This could be as simple as What is the purpose of this learning? What will represent success for me? What have I/we done so far? What do I/we plan to do next? with this information in a web environment peers and others can be used to motivate guide learners through this.
• Formative community assessment – embedded teacher,peer and whole class feedback/feedforward
• Time availability for learning to take place – this could be small pockets of time after say maths in an primary/elementary environment as we know that the brain need less intensive work in order for the neural pathways to become entrenched see syn-aps. It could also be represented in a more flexible programme where teachers facilitate learning with significant online support and individual access to personal learning.
• Exemplars, evidence – Examples of tall poppies – growing poppies and aspiring poppies give students a clear direction.
• 1 to 1 Access - to the connectivity, networks, creation tools and appropriate physical spaces and resources.

The place of personal learning can find its feet and show its evidence. I will finish with a building created in google sketch up by a year 7 students and a link to an online novel written by my son Jack (16) both examples of personal learning and endeavour.