graham.dickie

By and large, using the Oscars to award to “Successful learners” has worked really well, in that everybody is familiar with the concept and the criteria. So, onwards and upwards!
In the multi composite you do tend to have many individuals working at their own pace, on their own things. Time to use the team building games from the Apodo, and something familiar; the tangled skipping ropes that have to be untangled one-handed whilst holding on to one end with the other. It worked so well on the courses I was on!
It died! I was left with dispirited, down-heartened, downbeat and “bored” pupils after 2 minutes. I’m still trying to work out what went wrong, or where I went wrong. I do wonder if anyone else has had that sort of response.
Or, as they say, “Is it me?” !!!

The Apodo has arrived, much to the consternation of all pupils. P1-4 were convinced that it had something to do with their dinosaur project! My class showed equal ingenuity when asked what creature it reminded them of. What flower it looked like was harder. Which member of staff it most resembled was clearly pushing it!

So, what to do first? I decided to use it to begin to formally introduce Curriculum For Excellence capacities to the class. These had been mentioned, and a school display has been created by the HT at the school entrance, but I had been waiting till January for the class ‘launch’.
The class were shown a version of the Successful Learners criteria that I’d developed (in more child friendly language) and, in groups, were asked if they had fulfilled any of them yesterday. They were then asked to nominate people who they thought were successful according to the criteria.

After a vote, the pupil deemed to have shown themselves to be a successful learner was duly awarded the Oscar from the Oscar Pod. This comes suitably engraved with a quote about success, “Success comes in cans, not cannots.”
There was content rich discussion. It didn’t take too long. And we will be able to choose another learner tomorrow with everybody becoming more familiar and focus on this capacity.
As we professionals say… it worked!
And we’ve got three more weeks to play with the pod!

I think I’m beginning to understand this, and the more I understand it the more I like the idea!
Create-a-Scape, from Futurelab, is all about getting pupils to turn any place into an interactive sound world. An example would help! Using a portable computer(PDA), they can wander across a playing field, but be on an African Savanna, following an on screen map which takes them to spots where sound and images tell the story of that place (a tribal gathering, a lion resting, the wind blowing, a child crying). One secondary school has turned part of the playground into a moon crater with simple markings. At various places in the Scape, listened to through headphones, the pupils have tasks- measure heights of crater wall (details on screen), solve a problem etc.. And, of course, the children can make their own scapes: a journey home, tree dressing, music in spaces or the Titanic!
This is a fascinating use of imagination and creativity enabled and supported by ICT. Perfect.
They site provides all the software links, instructions and worksheet templates.
There are drawbacks. PDAs aren’t cheap and they represent the top of the equipment list needed. Also, as most work with Windows Mobile, they need a PC, as does, I suspect, the HP software.
As it stands, I don’t think I can justify a pleading trip to the Headteacher. But it does set thinking off in a new direction. How could we achieve similar results, but using what we have in school already. I’m leading the teaching in the class about the Tudors this term. Could I tranform, or could the children transform somewhere, into something Tudor themed: a house, the Mary Rose, Henry’s Court? I’m not sure if I have the time to think about it quite yet!
You’ll find it all at www.createascape.org.uk

.. termtime.  Completely creamcrackered, but the educational adrenaline’s still pumping!

The Hinduism powerpoint essentially is finished. The blogs didn’t get done, but at least I know now that it would be better to timetable that into language on a regular basis.  I could get the class blog done as part of the developing “Friday Finish” activities.  Mind you, you only realise now how much the routines are disprupted by Christmas!

The video pieces for the service went well, though the editing had to be done at home, and took ’till 1am because the new computer dumped everything without saving and meant a restart from scratch. And why does Apple insist in changing the ‘dongle’ needed for digi projectors, and then not supply them?!

And now it’s time to switch off.  I don’t wish to have any updates installed for the next two weeks. Shutdown and sleep will do just fine.

And too much to finish off!

There’s the Hinduism topic, with the class working in teams to produce at least one Powerpoint page on their chosen topic as we make a class presentation.  Many have produced more, and selected their individual layout and transitions, and included photography (as they made the Barfi)!  So much of this couldn’t be neatly planned.  The learning spun out from their ideas and choices.  Many of these were better than mine.  But we do need to finish it off!

There’s the video pieces for the end of term service on Friday. Three film groups, each using improv and role play in a “breaking News” style interview of the Innkeepers, the Shepherds and the Wise Men. Also needed- Three “piece to camera” readings.  It should work well with the digital projector, but I did remember to warn everybody that if we run out of time, we lose the tech and do it live. I don’t know which is more concerning!

Mind you, I will have problems if I can get the DV tapes emptied of the School Nativity from last week. And the hard disk is full, so some emergency transfer is in order, and why did I download onto a Mac without a DVD writer! My own Mac is struggling to make an iDVD of my wife’s Nativity so that her school can see it yesterday.  And I meant yesterday! All sat waiting, two minutes of sound and then nothing! Attempt two,  tonight threw up a burn error.

Oh, and there’s some blog work they want to do.  And the song practice.  And the shared cards to finish off …. ! You all understand, I know.

But, it’s strangely all satisfying, even the problem solving. And when you see the learning and the creativity … I suppose it’s what teaching’s about.

Now I’m getting  pomposly profound. Again!  I need a holiday. We all do. Even the kids. Happy Chrsitmas when it comes.

… by the cover.  I know!  But I have to make some comments about the Glow try-out.  So let me see if I can draw out forward looking suggestions.

Glow needs Broadband! Not having it in our school, introduced new ICT rituals, like selecting a page and going to get my lunch from the kitchen while it loads. This is not a Glow problem, but an infrastructure one.  I await news of installation, with great interest!

Glow will be full of possibilities! Because of the long load times I didn’t see too much, and all the details that I suspect should have been on the main page (right), ended up in a long column on the left, below the screen.  What I saw, if I saw it correct, wasn’t that intuative.  This suggests that orientation and training will need to be gradual and step based, for many an ordinary teacher.  Having a staff tutor or mentor for one big day might backfire. Local in-service over several weeks might support and encourage long-term use. But one person’s experience does not research make!

Glow will connect people! We have reasons for connecting with others: interests, enquiries, questions, resources, escape! It would be good to allow these to grow organically.  I suspect that some of the problems with the Masterclass Online experience was that we were put in artificial groups and told to create.  I don’t know about you, but I’m selective with whom I create!

I’m still looking forward to Glow. It has so much potential. I’m also looking forward to hearing how others got on, and to the Argyll & Bute plans.  All this anticipation, and Christmas too!

Well! What more can I say?

I’ve just had training in the use of an Apodo from “Tree of Knowledge“, the motivational training company from Fife. This is an almost indescribable piece of equipment: colourful, large, shiny soft plastic, consisting of removable pods each containing equipment ranging from CD’s, Towers of bricks, latex gloves and blindfolds! It also comes with a manual! Just as well, because there is a fascinating range of activities for each item, suitable for all ages; P1 to the Staffroom!Is it worth it? Well, it’s a bit like Christmas presents- I’m sure the children will love the packaging as much as the product which, like Christmas presents, are not inexpensive. It has to be remembered that this is a commercial product from a company competing in a very strong field. But they don’t do so without heart. Replacement items are sent at cost, and the product is deliberately made in Scotland not the cheaper far-east.

Would I use it? Definitely. There are plenty of excellent and valuable lessons inside. They will inspire and motivate, fascinate and challenge. In fact I would imagine that this should be regular component of any PSED/ Enterprise/ Health programme. Of course I can pick faults, uncertainties and hesitations. I probably imagine I could have built it, designed it and delivered it better! But to think this way would be pure jealousy!

This is a product to cheer and work with, and in line with its aim, to be positive about. I have only one question - the grammar! I apodo, we apododed, enjoyed apodocation and were apodofied!!!? So, what is the collective noun?

… it’s not good for them.  Nor their owners.

The weekend before taking my first ICT in-service, with my notes, and life, safe on the machine, and backed up onto my mac, the sight of smoke was not encouraging. It’s subsequent death was regrettable.  What was not anticipated was that the mac would also roll over the next day.  With the back up.

I was left with a very unpredictable and unwilling desktop, and shredded nerves.  The course passed, but the lack of serviceable internet connection for the holiday, and no access to my usual programs produced what could only be called withdrawal.

It’s only when you haven’t got it, that you realise how much you need it.  In all senses.

Sort of says it all, doesn’t it!

It was Andrew’s last blog that set me thinking. (http://www.whereisab.co.uk/blog/) 

I’ve watched my children, and I do mean my children, as I apparently and obviously have had a life of sorts outside teaching, using Bebo!  In truth, they show a commitment and dedication to this community that impresses, surprises and makes me a tad anxious. Well, what are father’s for but to worry and pay up? 

I am jealous of this successful ict, and hope/pray/doubt/trust etc. that Glow will not only have the functionality, but also this fascination.  If it does, you can’t help but believe that the pupils will lead the way. At least until the next new thing takes over. If it doesn’t, they will bypass it, and the opportunity. 

I do hope there are some switched on designers in this - ones who haven’t been educationalised. Like us! 

National Poetry Day is on the 5 October and I would like to invite you to accept a challenge.

Can we create a poem between different schools, within two hours, on the day, using email to sent the poem onwards?

(UPDATE: I would appreciate doing this on the Wednesday- so the poem is ready for the Thursday)

We were able to write a short story between four Argyll schools for National Book Day, so I know its possible. I realise we could use Wikis for this, and they would be ideal, but as not everybody is familiar with them yet, I’d like to try email first.

What I propose is that our class here in Kilchrenan starts the poem with a theme and and sends out for the first, simple stanza along the lines of:

Theme: Cats

As black as coal

lying in the cellar.

This would be sent on so that another line could be added such as: As fierce as lions, hunting in packs. The fourth stanza would return to Kilchrenan where our contribution would be to add a summary stanza like:

Were Mrs Smith’s moggies

Fluffy and Snout!

All we need is to set a time on the day (I suggest the morning- 9.30-11.30) and some people to join in. Is your school, your class, up for a poetry challenge?