Whilst students in the Southern Hemisphere feel the warmth of spring and the promise of imminent holidays, those in the Northern Hemisphere have only recently returned from the summer break. In the UAE, Eid Mubarak is the focus of the week before we start to think about the impending school year.
Of course, it's not easy to be a teacher and completely switch off. Just as people make New Year's resolutions on January 4th, so the new academic year can be a time of change, not just for studnts but also for teaching practice.
Technology continues its relentless march towars the classrooms. Some teachers have welcomed its arrival and have changed their pedagogy, or their methodology, for the better. Others have been more resistent.
If you are unsure about how to get started with Web 2.0 in teaching, this blog is a good starting point. Setting up a blog for your classes can encourage them to read your posts, keep updated on assignment deadlines and class projects as well as the content for the day. Blogging takes very little time and can make a big difference to the way your students learn and how your class operates. Setting up a blog is easy and once you get started, you can keep it simple while you gain confidence. Before you know it, you'll be setting quick questions which your students will be answering online and dsicussing in the classroom.
Every journey begins with a single step. Take a step today towards effective integration of technology and see the difference it makes to your teaching.
1 Sept 2011
12 Aug 2011
iPad 2. It's time.
Has anyone else experienced techno-desire?
Fortunately my bank account places adequate restrictions on my compulsive urges to run out and buy technology willy-nilly, providing me with enough deterrant to take a few moments to analyse the object of my present covetousness.
The iPad 2.
Yep, I know you’ve been there and done that, but I’ve been vassilating over this purchase for, well, a while. I’ve supported Bill over Steve for many years now and that’s despite being the proud owner of an iPhone for the past 2 years, and an iPod for 5. No, you can’t have them!
I get hooked up on the barbed wires of compatability. So much of what I do relies on the exchange of ideas and documents with others, flipping between formats just makes my head spin.
A recent dinner party quenched my pusillanimous fears on this score. The iPad was our hosts portable of choice and had “changed their lives”. The work of a scholar, academic and tutor seamlessly blended every aspect of the multi-facetted roles through a versatile iPad which not only reduced the back strain but also the number of trees being hacked down for assignments which, once submitted and evaluated, would soon be forgotten. These were being submitted online, assessed on iPad and resent without a single leaf being shed. Administrivia, home financing, entertainment all neatly packaged into an attractive touch-sentitive screen.
I’m not kinky, but my desire to purchase new technologies when they hit the market is quite organic. I know these objects will provide fulfillment in my life, even if it is only temporary, and I know I will forsake them when a newer, better, more attractive model hits the market, but that doesn’t stop the wanting.
Hi, my name’s Col and I’m a techno-holic.Fortunately my bank account places adequate restrictions on my compulsive urges to run out and buy technology willy-nilly, providing me with enough deterrant to take a few moments to analyse the object of my present covetousness.
The iPad 2.
Yep, I know you’ve been there and done that, but I’ve been vassilating over this purchase for, well, a while. I’ve supported Bill over Steve for many years now and that’s despite being the proud owner of an iPhone for the past 2 years, and an iPod for 5. No, you can’t have them!
I get hooked up on the barbed wires of compatability. So much of what I do relies on the exchange of ideas and documents with others, flipping between formats just makes my head spin.
A recent dinner party quenched my pusillanimous fears on this score. The iPad was our hosts portable of choice and had “changed their lives”. The work of a scholar, academic and tutor seamlessly blended every aspect of the multi-facetted roles through a versatile iPad which not only reduced the back strain but also the number of trees being hacked down for assignments which, once submitted and evaluated, would soon be forgotten. These were being submitted online, assessed on iPad and resent without a single leaf being shed. Administrivia, home financing, entertainment all neatly packaged into an attractive touch-sentitive screen.
Some logistics were identified re: online ‘office’ readers/converters, but the problems had been minimal and insignificant. Here were two champions of the cause.
Yes, Steve, it’s time.1 July 2011
The future of technology in education
What do you think is the technology we should be focussing on for our future technology needs?
Laptops get the best press. They are common amongst students and often located on cows (computers on wheels) in schools. Banks of laptops remain connected and charge as they wait to move from class to class.
iPads are growing in popularity. iPad 2 gave us two cameras, but still no usb connection. The apps are getting better and more broad in their outloook and these computers are lighter, cheaper and easy to use. Training for teachers is improving and the ipad is proving to be a worthwhile prospect for mobile technology in education.
But my award goes to the mobile phone. That ubiquitous computer which has become progressively smaller, lighter and so multipurpose, most of us forget that in addition to being a game player, music player, camera, gps, calendar, email exchanger link to the internet and text messager, it can also be used as a phone! It's major drawback is the fact that there are so many about. In fact, too many brands on too many platforms with too many different options all requiring slight tweakings of the software code so the same application can run across different platforms. Yep, this is a problem, but not a terminal one. Let's face it, nearly everyone has a mobile phone these days, so instead of trying to discourage their presence in the classroom, why not get a supplier on the line, come up with a great bulk deal and mobile up your school? I'm sure the students will be keen to upgrade.
Laptops get the best press. They are common amongst students and often located on cows (computers on wheels) in schools. Banks of laptops remain connected and charge as they wait to move from class to class.
iPads are growing in popularity. iPad 2 gave us two cameras, but still no usb connection. The apps are getting better and more broad in their outloook and these computers are lighter, cheaper and easy to use. Training for teachers is improving and the ipad is proving to be a worthwhile prospect for mobile technology in education.
But my award goes to the mobile phone. That ubiquitous computer which has become progressively smaller, lighter and so multipurpose, most of us forget that in addition to being a game player, music player, camera, gps, calendar, email exchanger link to the internet and text messager, it can also be used as a phone! It's major drawback is the fact that there are so many about. In fact, too many brands on too many platforms with too many different options all requiring slight tweakings of the software code so the same application can run across different platforms. Yep, this is a problem, but not a terminal one. Let's face it, nearly everyone has a mobile phone these days, so instead of trying to discourage their presence in the classroom, why not get a supplier on the line, come up with a great bulk deal and mobile up your school? I'm sure the students will be keen to upgrade.
13 June 2011
Concept Animations
If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is a talking picture worth?Creating a simple animation is easy and pretty cheap on the web these days. Go Animate is an easy to use animation creation platform.
I am always looking for motivators to use with my classes and animations are a great tool. You can add scenes, select from a range of characters, or design your won. You can also give your characters pre-stored voices, or again record your own.
You write the script and build the animation scene by scene. This sort of animation is unlikely to win you an Oscar, but it is so easy to use you can even set it as an assessment item for your students.
Testing concepts in this way is great motivator and a useful tool for identifying prior student conceptions.
Read more in Concept Animations Street Article. or visit PassingNotesOz You Tube Animations to see some sample animations.
1 June 2011
Web 2.0 new tools new schools
Read any good books lately?
I've just finished reading Web 2.0 new tools, new schools.
It's a cracking good resource for teachers wanting to understand the opportunities for learning these tools have created. There are lots of practical examples of what teachers are doing with the technology and how to find Web 2.0 tools for your classroom.
It is a very readable text and you can always skim over some of the historical stuff, if that's not your bag, baby!
You can find a more comprehensive review at http://mobilegamesforscience.com/2011/05/28/web-2-0-new-tools-new-schools-great-read-part-1/
I enjoy reading and try to divide my time between reading for pleasure and reading professionally. I am also always on the lookout for valuable teaching resources and other teacher's experiences with technology.
Feel free to share any resources you've recently read so we can grow our knowledge corporately and help our students learn.
I've just finished reading Web 2.0 new tools, new schools.
It's a cracking good resource for teachers wanting to understand the opportunities for learning these tools have created. There are lots of practical examples of what teachers are doing with the technology and how to find Web 2.0 tools for your classroom.
It is a very readable text and you can always skim over some of the historical stuff, if that's not your bag, baby!
You can find a more comprehensive review at http://mobilegamesforscience.com/2011/05/28/web-2-0-new-tools-new-schools-great-read-part-1/
I enjoy reading and try to divide my time between reading for pleasure and reading professionally. I am also always on the lookout for valuable teaching resources and other teacher's experiences with technology.
Feel free to share any resources you've recently read so we can grow our knowledge corporately and help our students learn.
30 Mar 2011
Mobile Games for Science
How do we make the most of technology in teaching?
Setting up school wide networks provides technology based teaching, but not necessarily technology based learning. What we need to do it put a computer into the hands of our students. This is neither easy nor cheap, yet paradoxically most of them are already carrying everything they need in their own pockets.
What is the current state of play regarding mobile games for science?
Setting up school wide networks provides technology based teaching, but not necessarily technology based learning. What we need to do it put a computer into the hands of our students. This is neither easy nor cheap, yet paradoxically most of them are already carrying everything they need in their own pockets.
What is the current state of play regarding mobile games for science?
Web 2.0 for Science Teaching
It's as easy as 1.0, 2.0, 3.0!
The Web keeps getting more complicated and yet the amount of support for teachers constantly increases.
How can we put Web 2.0 into Science teaching before we have to start thinking about Web 3.0?
The Web keeps getting more complicated and yet the amount of support for teachers constantly increases.
How can we put Web 2.0 into Science teaching before we have to start thinking about Web 3.0?
Technology in Science Teaching
Teachers are great at sharing ideas, successes and failures. The desire to become better is ever present and the goodwill amongst the profession is exceptionally high.
The introduction of technology presented an additional challenge for teachers, not least due to the sophisticated ways in which students are now entertained.
Perhaps there are ways of exploring other ways in which teachers can share information for more effective multidisciplinary cohesion.
The introduction of technology presented an additional challenge for teachers, not least due to the sophisticated ways in which students are now entertained.
Perhaps there are ways of exploring other ways in which teachers can share information for more effective multidisciplinary cohesion.
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