Graduation

June 22, 2011 Middle Years Graduation

Wednesday, June 22 marked our first graduation ceremony at the new school. We are an MYP Candidate school and as such we had our first Middle Years graduation.

The students chose a teacher to speak at the ceremony. I was honoured to be that teacher. My speech is here.


Oh yeah, I also made the program.

stop motion

http://mildlymelancholy.blogspot.com/2010/10/lets-see-if-this-works.html#comments

upcoming event . . .

Oeiras International School will be hosting a summer festival on June 17.

If you are in Portugal, please stop by!!!!

(oh yeah, I made the poster;-)

This sings of the IB Learner Profile

I would like to share this TED Talks with each of you. The speaker is Barry Schwartz-Psychologist. According to the blurb on TED Talks, “Barry Schwartz makes a passionate call for "practical wisdom" as an antidote to a society gone mad with bureaucracy. He argues powerfully that rules often fail us, incentives often backfire, and practical, everyday wisdom will help rebuild our world.”

When I watched this insightful presentation, I thought about the IB Learner Profile and how important it is. I liked his ideas of celebrating moral exemplars and acknowledging people. I agree with him when he says that we should act as moral exemplars to the people we are mentoring.

He’s right when he says that as teachers, we are always teaching; someone is always watching!

I especially liked it when he talked about being virtuous and people wanting to do the right thing, in the right way and for the right reason!

I think this sings the IB Learner Profiles.

Make yourself a cup of tea or pour a glass of wine and sit back and enjoy (video is approx 21 min). Enjoy!

More about videos - oh yeah and important blogs and bloggers;-)

What does joy have to do with learning? Well,just about everything. To read this amazing blog post by Dean Shareski: http://ideasandthoughts.org/2011/02/17/what-does-joy-have-to-do-with-learning/

Oh, Wow! Videos - my new favourite thing!

Videos are becoming increasingly important. . .

http://chronicle.com/img/photos/biz/photo_12116_carousel.jpg

Across More Classes, Videos Make the Grade

In some science and writing courses, final papers are giving way to multimedia

Film students aren't the only ones producing videos for homework these days. Professors teaching courses in writing, geology, forensics, sociology, anthropology, foreign languages, and many other disciplines now assign video projects, pushing students to make arguments formatted for the YouTube age. 


To read more . . .
http://chronicle.com/article/Across-More-Classes-Videos/127422/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

12 Comics

The 12 Comics Learning Support program is an exciting and unique program that makes learning fun through the creation of a custom comic book, video game and short film. The primary focus of the program is designed to provide additional tools for organizations to empower, motivate and encourage students to enhance their knowledge and experience the incredible benefits of creative learning.

http://12comics.com/

May 7

The High Cost of Low Teacher Salaries

Holly Gressley

An interesting op-ed article from the New York Times (By DAVE EGGERS and NÍNIVE CLEMENTS CALEGARI - Published: April 30, 2011)

WHEN we don’t get the results we want in our military endeavors, we don’t blame the soldiers. We don’t say, “It’s these lazy soldiers and their bloated benefits plans! That’s why we haven’t done better in Afghanistan!” No, if the results aren’t there, we blame the planners. We blame the generals, the secretary of defense, theJoint Chiefs of Staff. No one contemplates blaming the men and women fighting every day in the trenches for little pay and scant recognition. . . 

It's worth a look.  To read the rest of the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/opinion/01eggers.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha212 

Dave Meslin: The antidote to apathy

100 People Project

TZ from Ramona Dietrich on Vimeo.

My Year 11 group participated in an international project this term:
100 People: A World Portrait  (http://100people.org/)

According to the 100 People Project, "this project aims to capture in film, photography, music and text 100 individuals who represent the global population, proportionate to annual global surveys and statistics.  This world portrait will be used to make an introduction between the peoples of the earth and to facilitate an understanding of the diversity and the commonalities among us."

This is one contribution by one of the members of my Year 11 class.  Thank you Tiago, this is amazing!

Donaldson Report

The Donaldson Report, Teaching Scotland's Future, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/01/13092132/0 was the outcome of the Scottish government's national review of teacher education.

According to the findings teachers of the 21st Century should:

• be reflective, with critical and creative thinking skills;
• be committed to teaching as a vocation;
• be committed to the development and learning of each child;
• work in a range of partnerships to support the learning and development of each young person;
• have a passion for learning and deep understanding of and enthusiasm for their subject;
• have discernment to be able to put relevant theory into practice;
• share ideas and network with colleagues; and
• be keen to participate in their own personal learning and development.

Easter Egg Hunt

This Friday we pause.  We will have a well-earned 2 week hiatus commonly known as spring break.  But before we leave, we have a very full week culminating in an Easter Egg Hunt and end of Term 2 assembly. 

It's Yearbook Time!

It's yearbook time and I'm the Yearbook Co-ordinator.  So for the month of April, the push is on.  My deadline is May 2.

World Poetry Day - March 21

This week was amazing.  Maggie (an English A teacher and friend at school) and I ran a poetry contest complete with prizes to celebrate World Poetry Day.  We got a whopping 24 submissions.  Great turnout considering that we are a start-up school with 56 kids.  Can't wait for next year - I'm already making plans . . .

Global Warming 2

Another look at Global Warming. . .

English B Standard - Criterion A, Criterion C Assessment
This is a small video that a student has created to inform you about a global issue.

Jazzzzz too! - February 27

On Sunday, February 27 at 5:30pm Oeiras International School will present  the 2nd event in a series.  This event is a music and poetry recital which involves students and staff from our school, members of the CAP program, and parents.  These events are setting our school apart from the others;-)

I made the poster. . .

Jazzzz too! tickets

and tickets too . . .

Student Work - VOICE THREAD

http://news.meridianschool.edu/files/Microphone-Clipart-Illustration.jpg

Oral language work has taken on new dimensions in the past few year.  We have moved beyond role-playing and into moved into a cyber realm.  Our audience now transends the local classroom and has spread across the planet.  Everyone can now participate in our learning.  WoW!!!  Imagine that!!!

Below are my Year 11 English B contributions to cyber-learning in the form of a VoiceThread;-)

Freedom of Religion - http://voicethread.com/?#u1551847.b1719739.i9051982
Freedom of Speech -  http://voicethread.com/share/1708770/

Global Warming 1

English B - Criterion A, Criterion C Assessment
This is a small video that a student has created to inform you about a global issue. 

You don't get harmony when everyone sings the same note. . .

Ain't that the truth.  Too many schools try to be one-note schools, where everyone is pre-programmed to think the same thing.  This does not allow for creativity, flexibility and growth of the organization or the individuals - staff and students alike.

Check out this blog post that I happened upon to learn more. http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/1774

Changing Education Paradigms

http://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution.html
You can also see Sir Ken Robinson here;-)

Google does it again . . .

Now the major art museums around the world are only a keystroke away with Google Art Project. It's like taking a holiday without every leaving home.  http://www.googleartproject.com/

So you want to get a PhD in the Humanities

This is an example of an Xtranormal movie created by Leslie Allison a doctoral student studying 20th-century American literature at Temple U.   (source: The Chronicle http://chronicle.com/article/So-You-Think-an-English/125954/ )

I'm going to use this tool with my English B kids - they will get a kick out of this!!!!!   

Xtranormal - text to movie

 This is a very interesting site that I would like to look into: http://www.xtranormal.com  .

If anyone tries it, please share your opinion.  Thanks a bunch in advance;-)

The Networked Student

What does your PLN look like?

I included this as a post on my Year 11 blog to help them understand how important their digitial presence/identity is.

Happy 2011

This is a recipe for the Happiest New Year!

'Twas the night before Christmas

This is the video that my Year 11 English B class prepared.  We wanted to show on the television in the reception area at our school - but something went wrong and we couldn't upload the file.  It's such a shame.

I decided to share this work with a cyber-audience. 

Merry Christmas to all!!!!!!

OIS Holiday Card

This is our very first Holiday card.  We are wishing everyone a very happy holiday season!

and tickets

accompanying tickets

The Sounds of Life

This is the poster I made to advertise our big production.  The kids are all working hard to bring down the house.

Simple & Chic

This is a poster I made to promote a dinner featuring music provided by students, teachers and members of the CAP (Creative Arts Program) here at my new school - OIS.

The event was super and all of the participants agreed that the venue was beautiful, the food was fab, the music was great, the performances were first-rate.

Creative Dance Workshop

These are posters I made to promote an event held on Nov 12 at my new school - OIS;-)

Free Online Editing Tools

Follow this link to 20 Free Video Editing Tools
http://blueblots.com/tools/20-free-online-video-editing-tools/

Follow this link to 50 Free Online Photo Editing Tools
http://blueblots.com/tools/50-list-of-free-online-photo-editing-tools/

you oughta be in pictures

cameroid.com - way cool!

Another cool video. . .

I've been lucky enough to come across another cool little video. It's quite simple, yet says a lot!

For more please visit this site - Ingredient X Entertainment - Tales of Mere Existence by Lev Yilmiz : http://www.ingredientx.com . 

The future of the book

The Future of the Book. from IDEO on Vimeo.

An interesting video offering a glimpse of one possible future.  Making every experience a multi-media event.

Too cute for words . . .

I came across a little cat video. 


I then followed the link to the Simon's Cat site and found that a really cute photo competition has just started.  What fun this is going to be in November for my Year 7's and 8's!

Take a photo of your favourite animal with Simon's Cat!

"In celebration of the new Simon's Cat: Beyond the Fence book we've decided to hold a fun photo competition! In the book Simon's Cat ventures beyond his garden fence and discovers wondrous new sights and encounters many new animal friends.
 We'd like to take inspiration from the book by having Simon's Cat visit all your favourite animal friends all around the world!

 We are pleased to have by Sue Lang of Stray Cat Rescue as guest judge. She will be the assisted in judging by Simon Tofield. "

http://www.simonscat.com/

October 6

Ewan McIntosh brought up a really good point about how PBL (project based learning)  should aim at solving real life problems and what effect these projects can have on his blog post of October 6.   I teach Technology at a new MYP school just outside of Lisbon in Portugal.  One of the main goals of the MYP is for students to become problem solvers.  A fine goal indeed . . .

Also linked to his post was this great site from Stanford University (http://dschool.stanford.edu/k12/). It's worth a visit. 

Panoramas

Panaramas are way cool.

Details can be found : http://www.panoramas.dk/ ,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/in_pictures/360/buildings/ , and http://www.ptgui.com/order.html

OMG

This was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A couple of my students were audience members on the Portuguese equivalent of American Idol.

AND they brought signs for ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

looking for a better way . . .

Always searching for free online storage and came across this site that hosts moving images (video), audio and texts! http://www.archive.org/

Here's my contribution -



What I really need is my own space on a server;-)

International Day of Peace

This is the computer pop-up that we will be using tomorrow on our school's system to educate people about the United Nation's International Day of Peace and to inspire them to action.

For more information and the 24hour Peace Day Global Broadcast: http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/

Merlot Remote Presentation - August 15, 2009

Cristina Costa and I presented remotely at 2009 MERLOT International Conference on August 15, 2009 at 9:30pm(GMT).

Regular Session (30 minute Virtual session):
Get E-Creative: Teacher - Watch what kids are doing and be part of the movement
Track: Track 1: Innovations in Online Teaching and Learning
Presenters: Cristina Costa, Ramona Dietrich

In the last decade we have witnessed impressive technological advancements, which have increasingly been impacting on the way people communicate, work, and conduct life in general. Teaching and learning are no exceptions. Education needs to look at alternatives to make the connection with real life experiences if it wants to continue preparing individuals for the near future in a meaningful way. Above all it has to explore new e-fficient teaching strategies and create e-ffective learning situations based on real life contexts. Bridging the connection between the wider world and the local classroom will also help give education a fresh face. Note: Virtua presentation brought to you courtesy of the South Dakota Board of Regents.

If you missed us first time around, you can always catch us in re-runs (lol) here: http://conference.merlot.org/2009/Sat_Program.html#sataft

OR

Consult the wiki we created to scaffold this presentation: http://getecreative.pbworks.com/

September 19

This was Dr. Pausch's speech to the Carnegie Mellon graduating class of 2008. As graduations are nothing more than new beginnings, I thought it appropriate to include it in my blog at the beginning of a new school year.



Dr. Pausch instructs each of us to "find your passion".

Merlot Conference

Cristina and I submitted a presentation proposal for the Merlot Conference to be held in San Jose, CA this August.

Teaching and Learning in a Networked World
13-16 August 2009

Doubletree Hotel San Jose, California, USA

Our proposal was accepted, but, unfortunately, we are unable to attend. Well as luck would have it we were offered the opportunity to give an online presentation. (This give the word remote a positive spin!)

Stay tuned for more details.

lots of new tools/toys

Flowgram

Tools, tools, and more tools.

This is the week that I'm collecting new tools to play with. Here's another for my toy-box.

Cover it live!

http://www.coveritlive.com/index.php

another new option for live blogging - what will they think of next?????

OMG -Brightstorm

I just found out about this new amazing online learning network where students can get extra help with classes or prepare for the SAT.  It's all online and it's done through a series of video tutorials.  It looks way cool!  Check them out at:   www.brightstorm.com 

Blogging Course

"Using Blogs in Education" (November 9-14) was a big hit!

Our blurb:

Educational Technology is now a must in the classroom. The Internet and the www is a world known to all our students. They have grown up with technology and it is pervasive in their lives. They are the web generation! They associate computers with entertainment and fun. If the classroom can be converted into a forum of “edutainment” - everyone wins.

Although educators are not expected to be ICT experts, we cannot be indifferent to using technology in the classroom. Integrating technology may seem difficult, but it is easier than people think. In this Knowweek you will be introduced to various "freeware" blogging tools and the knowhow that will give you the confidence to use them in your classroom. Together we will explore many possibilities and reflect on their potential in an educational context.

and off we went from there. There were more than 25 participants and the forums were full of interesting and relevant discussions.

I learned a lot and came away with a Term 2 Year 8 (PhotoStory3) project.

Life Round Here http://liferoundhere.pbwiki.com/

Can't wait!

You ought to be in pictures . . .

Links for a video project:
http://pblmm.k12.ca.us/index.html
http://fcit.usf.edu/lmm/industry.html

a girl's world . . .

I love the net - you just never know what gems you are going to come across.

Today I watched a news spot about a couple of teenagers (Sara and Lauren) who started their own web site. And guess what - it's all about girls:-) It was created by girls, all the contributors are girls and the target audience is: GIRLS.

It's interesting to note that girls have a stronger web presence than boys do. More girls are blogging and posting pictures than boys. Experts say that girls out-perform boys in English and writing and blogs offer another venue where girls can communicate.

A Girls's World is looking for contributors so I will be passing their url along to "my girls" beginning next week.

Computers - just another tool

"....Computers are not rescuing the school from a weak curriculum, any more than putting pianos in every classroom would rescue a flawed music program. Wonderful learning can occur without computers or even paper. But once the teachers and children are enfranchised as explorers, computers, like pianos, can serve as powerful amplifiers, extending the reach and depth of the learners." Alan Kay

Computers are tools that kids must learn how to manipulate to be successful in their work-lives. I see my job as helping students make the most of each of these tools.

Balance is important . . .

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance
you must keep moving.

Albert Einstein (quoted from a 1930 letter to his son)

I saw this on another blog and thought it was important to take a few minutes at the beginning of the semester to remember the importance of maintaining a balanced existence. We are "at our best" when we strike a healthy balance between work and play. There really is time for both!

Here we go again . . .

It's time for classes to begin and I've come across some (game) sites that are valuable in more ways than one. First of all they contribute to student learning while being fun at the same time and they help others:

Free Rice - a vocabulary game that donates rice through the UN World Food Program to help end hunger
Aid to Children - another vocab game
Free Poverty - geography game. See how many cups of water you can donate by testing your knowledge about the world. Each correct answer means they will be donating 10 cups on your behalf.
Free Corn - the more you visit, the more you give . . .
Free Kibble - helps to support animal shelters
Free Kibble Kat - helps feed hungry cats

Kelly Tenkely from The Apple offers some suggestions:

How to integrate these websites into the classroom
Each of the above websites offers a wonderful opportunity to teach students to look outside their own needs to the needs of others. Use these websites to teach your students compassion, about other cultures, and about helping those less fortunate. The websites will also be a great way for your students to practice vocabulary or geography. Encourage your students to play these games from home when they are “bored” or just for fun. See how much rice, money, corn, water, or kibble you can raise as a class. Use these figures to teach graphing and charting. You create a “commercial” for the site, a poster advertising the site, etc. (I found a commercial that I made as an example for my students on Free Corn…small world!)

slide.com - another ppt host

Ok - this is a test. Just wanted to try out this ppt host and saw that they offer some fun options. My Earth Day photos look pretty cool posing as a drive-in movie (hahahaha)

Blogs for Moms (and Dads too)

Well, I finally did it. I was able to offer a blogging class for parents. Since all of the kids had a blog this year (which served as their process journal for their IT classes)I thought it would be fun to get some of the parents involved too. This introduction to blogs would also serve as a tool to help them understand the role of the blog in the classroom. Five moms and the secretary from the Senior School attended the class and we had a lot of fun setting up 1st blogs!

| View | Upload your own

KnowSchools

Another KnowSchools week starts today and runs until Friday (June 1-6). Cristina and I are providing a course entitled: Digital Photo-Stories: Enhancing Creativity. It should be lots of FUN!

Another video

Future of Education - The top video clips of the week are here

Take One

| View | Upload your own

Publisher For Teachers - a mini-lesson

| View | Upload your own

Knowschools - Everything Google

Wow! What a week! Cristina and I were once again involved in providing an online course at Knowschools. This time the title was "Everything Google" (April 27 - May 02). Google is much more than a serarch engine! We covered an array of Google apps: (Google Docs, Blogger, Google Calendar, Google Video, Google Doodle, Google Sketch up, You Tube, Google Desktop, Google Gadgets, Google Pages, Google Reader, Google Earth, Google Maps, Google Groups, Picassa, Gmail and Gtalk)!

The course was held at Knowschools which offers classes in a virtual environment. It is intended for educators and one of their aims is to promote excellence in online education. We met a lot of really great teachers and we are now all Google experts (hahaha)!

Earth Day 2008

Another day, another Voicethread!

Earth Day 2008 (April 22) is just upon us. To participate in creating a better world my I have set-up a Voicethread so students at SDIS can offer suggestions.



Are these great kids or what???

Voicethread

Today my students got what they asked for! I have been wanting to incorporate the use of voicethread.com into my teaching practice and wasn't exactly sure how I was going to fit it in. Then out of the blue an opportunity presented itself;-D Yesterday one of my students was complaining about the research that they were doing about our upcoming project - creating a newsletter. I told him that I needed to know that each of the students actually knew what a newsletter was before we began to create one. He then replied that it would be a lot easier if they just took an oral quiz. It was another aha! moment. All the lights went on at one time! I knew that I now had a real purpose for my voicethread and would immediately introduce it into the curriculum.

Here it is:

Even MORE links

http://www.storycenter.org/index1.html

Resources
The Center has been active in publishing a number of articles about Digital Storytelling, in print and on the web, as well as a workbook and textbook about our process. We have also contributed to other publications and websites and numerous articles have been written about our work.
On Our Website
Digital Storytelling: Capturing Lives, Creating CommunityTextbook by Joe Lambert. Available for purchase on-line.Digital Storytelling CookbookThe manual used for our workshops.
A Digital Story: MomnotmomThe digital story used in our workshop tutorials and Cookbook. Created by our former Community Programs Director Thenmozhi Soundarajan about her mother.The Digital DinerA series of interviews with practioners in the field.These Images from These PicturesA guide to writing into images prepared for the Canadian Film Centre's Great Canadian Storytelling Engine.Relationship MediaNotes and examples from a lecture at Stanford University, 2000.
Articles on Digital Storytelling
Is Digital Storytelling a Movement?By Joe Lambert. Reflections on the Digital Storytelling Community.
Storytelling for the New MillenniumBy Corey Hitchcock, SF Gate
Tell Me a (Digital) StoryBy Marcia Stepanek, Business Week
Digital Storytelling Finds Its Place in the Classroomby Tom Banaszewski, Infoday
What's Your StoryBy Daniel Pink, Fast Company
Digital Tools Easier to GraspBy J.D. Lasica, OJR Senior Editor
Resource Sites
Hilary McLellan's Story LinkHillary has posted one of the most extensive and up-to-date collections of links on Digital Storytelling available online.Digital Storytelling AssociationAn international association of Digital Storytellers, which CDS launched in November 2002.

More Digital Storytelling Links

Another student project with an interesting link to explore:-) http://www.digitalstories.org/


Resources
StorytellingCapture Wales A BBC sponsored this digital story telling site, which has individuals create and edit their own personal stories. A great example of the power multimedia presentation can have in capturing human experience. http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/capturewales/ DigiTales: The Art of Telling Digital Stories A site by author Bernajean Porter dedicated to instruction, resources, examples and training opportunities all related to digital story telling. http://www.digitales.us/ Putting the Story into Digital Storytelling A presentation style .pdf file that stresses the student components of creating a digital story including the mechanics of story writing and the instructor side such as the elements of performance literacy - before committing it to a digital format. http://www.jasonohler.com/storytellingCenter for Digital Storytelling Originating at U.C.Berkley, the Center espouses the principle that every individual has a story to tell. This site contains examples, resources, instructional materials, learning opportunities and a cookbook. http://www.storycenter.org/ David Jakes On-line A site by renowned digital story telling workshop presenter dedicated to using the tools of the digital age to advance pedagogical practice and student learning. http://www.jakesonline.org/
Video Tools Digital Video for the Web: Assembling the Pieces This site addresses a wide array of issues related to the successful creation of digital video content for the internet. From an initial needs assessment to the finished product, this site offers a vast amount of easily digestible resources. http://stream.uen.org/medsol/digvid/html/mainmenu.html The Multimedia Project’s The Video Guide is a resource for both students and teachers to use as they explore the world of video. Containing four categories, the materials include such assets as advice sheets, activities and glossaries. http://pblmm.k12.ca.us/TechHelp/VideoHelp/VideoGuide.html Apple’s I-Movie site iMovie specific art, sounds, downloadable plug ins and assorted other resources are available here. http://www.apple.com/ilife/imovie/ Microsoft’s Movie Maker site Movie Maker tutorials, tips and tricks and downloads available from Microsoft. http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/default.mspx
Photo Tools Creating Online Image editing section containing several free online image tools and generators. http://www.creatingonline.com/image_editing/ FxFoto Free software for editing digital images http://www.fxfoto.com/ The GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software suitable for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. www.gimp.org Graphics Primer Oregon State University College of Forestry’s site covers resolution, file types, file size and tools. http://www.cof.orst.edu/net/howto/grprimer/ Pics 4 Learning Copy-rite friendly images for education http://pics4learning.com
Audio Tools Public Domain Music A reference site to help identify public domain songs and public domain, royalty free music. http://www.pdinfo.com/list.htm Partners in Rhyme Royalty free music and sound effects. http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/ CDBurner.ca This site discusses and compares various Digital Audio Formats and the pros and cons of using each one. Great comparison tables for file size, encoding time and quality. http://www.cdburner.ca/digital-audio-formats-article/index.htm Audacity A free sound editor for all platforms. http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ Free Play Music A royalty free music site http://www.freeplaymusic.com
Other Digital Storytellers-From NECC 2006AFI Screen Education Center: Digital Filmmaking in the Core Curriculum AFI Screen Education—empowering educators with the tools of digital filmmaking to engage students in mastering core curriculum and key 21st century skills. http://www.afi.eduDigital Storytelling: Be the Next Ken Burns! Digital storytelling offers educators and students a platform to present information in new and dynamic ways. Examine K-12 uses and free online resources. http://twi.classroom.com/workshops/pscott/schedule_ds.htmThe Tech Savvy English Classroom Revisited From wikis to digital storytelling, this interactive session explores emerging tools and how they can help “move” the literacy skills of all students. http://www.bringingtheoutsidein.com

Digital Storytelling Links

More links that may (or may not - hahaha) be useful when teaching digital story-telling.

I happened upon the site: http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/learnshops/digital/resources.php
when correcting student projects (thanks kids!) and thought they might be worth a glance.

Center for Digital Storytelling
is a non-profit project development, training, and research organization dedicated to assisting people in using digital media to tell meaningful stories from their lives.
http://www.storycenter.org/

Digital Storytelling Cookbook
The Center for Digital Storytelling provides this online tutorial that provides an overview of the process of conceptualizing a digital story, including sections on "Recipe," "7 Elements," "Getting Started," "Storyboarding," "Digitizing Memories," and "Premiere."
http://www.storycenter.org/memvoice/pages/cookbook.html

Dana Atchley / Next Exit
Atchley, who passed away in 2000, was one of the pioneers in digital storytelling vis a vis Next Exit productions, complete with performances in front of a digital camp fire.
http://www.nextexit.com/

Digital Storytelling Festival
is an annual gathering of both experts and people interested in learning more about digital storytelling. This year, the festival is June 7-12, 2004 in Sedona.
http://www.dstory.com/

The Elements of Digital Storytelling
An excellent resource site from the University of Minnesota.
http://www.inms.umn.edu/elements/

Digital Storytelling Association
http://www.dsaweb.org/

Term 2 Ends

Term 2 ended on March 12 at 12:30 pm (GMT) and co-incided with the beginning of Spring Break.

SEN

http://scotens.org/sen/index.html

Here is a great link for SEN

E-Skills for the 21st Century

Links to learn about the European Commission's policy

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/ict/policy/ict-skills.htm

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=8&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.microsoft.com%2Fdownload%2F8%2F8%2Ff%2F88f04e62-169a-4d9f-b8eb-7f857bddb650%2FMS_DelSkills_brochure_Ver_A.PDF&ei=43nER8quNpSgwwGnleGJAw&usg=AFQjCNE_GwNBxqEjY25N-oykrZL11SlzBg&sig2=Cj5msEblYyENSHbHdAmCiw

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=18&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eden-online.org%2Fcontents%2Fconferences%2Fannual%2FHelsinki%2FKeynotes%2FHerrmann.ppt&ei=l3rER8OjG4eWwgH33sCJAw&usg=AFQjCNGhMunCysgK_qkB8DELwW9CJWKuiA&sig2=utj7wKHaivsy8NyTGmbECQ

Can every kid be a 7?

A problem arose in my school at the end of last term when I had a group of Year 7's and a group of Year 8's that did outstanding work. The Year 7's (basically 11 year olds) learned to use Microsoft 2007 and my Year 8's (12 year olds) were introduced to PhotoStory 3 and had amazing results. The curriculum was written by me, checked by the MYP Co-ordinator and approved by the Head of the Technology Department who also happens to be the principal.

These kids did great work and had fantastic results. A problem arose when I gave them all 7's (the highest grade) - which they all deserved. This was met with a lot of resistance by the Dept Head/Principal and, although not directely asked to do so I am smart enough to know that I was expected to change the grades and I did so (unhappily/begrudingly).

I was informed that all kids can't be 7's and if they are then there is something wrong. And I quote,

"They cannot all be achieving level 7 by the end of the course. If they are, it suggests that the demands of the course are not significant enough."

I don't get it - I'm teaching Word 2007 and PhotoStory 3 not Brain Surgery 101 to middle school aged children. What I saw in those 2 classes was a bunch of little kids following directions, working hard, and having a bit of fun. Sounds like a winning combo to me. In my book, that in and of itself is deserving of a 7.

Somebody has a lot to learn, and I'm not exactly sure who that is . . .

Another possibility/example

My newly formed group of kids at school (Tech Teen Productions) have decided to make another film:-D I came across this video and although it is way too long, thought that it would serve as an example for the kids. Can't wait!

My First Assembly

Our school holds assemblies just about every week. One of the primary reasons is to showcase student work and to show the rest of the school what we are doing in class. Well tomorrow I will be involved in my first ever (hahahaha) assembly. The above video is what my Year 9 IT classes are all about.

Grab your popcorn. Hope you enjoy the show!

Qlipboard

http://www.qlipboard.com/


What can you do with QlipBoardTM? Make narrated slide shows of your vacation. Show off your home for sale. Get help with your homework. Invite someone to a party. Talk to your friends in other countries without having to wake up at odd hours. The possibilities are endless! To learn how, click here

Term 2 is in Full Swing

Well Term 2 is in Full Swing. In fact we are half-way through the term and are enjoying a week off due to Carnival Break :-) I'm setting more limits and learning to say "NO". I can't do it all and be it all - it just isn't possible. BUT I can be the best Tech Teacher that I can be (if that makes any sense at all - lol). So that's what I'm doing - or trying to do. I'm trying to help these kids, that the universe sent my way, become more computer literate and introduce them to technologies that they can actually use in their scholastic and personal lives. After all they will be spending a lot of their waking moments online. Most days I feel like I'm making progress - and that's what really counts!

Avatars that talk . . .

I have a class blog for each of the grades that I teach (7, 8, 9, 10, 11). The main purpose of the blog is to post assignments and students can find the information they need to be successful there. I've been having a bit of fun by putting a Voki (talking picture) (http://www.voki.com) on the blogs (my favorite is a cat) and the students have gotten a big kick of it. One student has found another site called Blabberize (http://www.blabberize.com) and it takes this speaking avatar idea one step further. You can send an animated message. (Thank you Guga). Check it out!

Google Calendar

Today at the staff meeting someone gave a presentation to introduce the staff to Google Calendar. Where have I been? This is a tool which can help organize your life - both professionally and personally. It was suggested that the school begin using Google calendar and insert all of the dates that the staff needs to keep track of. Then, each department in turn could do the same. Finally, each teacher can also open an account. All of our important dates would be collected in one place assessible from any internet connection. What a great idea!

Here's mine . . .

Becoming a Webhead 2008

Well it's that time again. . .

Time for the annual Becoming a Webhead Course. It begins January 14 and runs for 6 weeks. It is a special no-cost, online course taught by volunteers which introduces the participants to educational technologies and web 2.0 applications. Blogs, wikis, and other online communication tools will be examined and participants will learn first hand how to utilize these tools. Each week another topic/tool will be explored. Week 5 (the week I co-moderate;-) interactive exercises (using free online sites like ProProfs and ClassMarker) will be the focus.

The intended audience for this group is EFL teachers but all interested parties are encouraged to join. This Community of Practice offers a warm and welcoming online atmosphere and group members have a unique bond which allows this group to continue long after the course has finished.

If you want to learn more about educational technologies and expand your teaching repertoire, do yourself a favor and enroll today!

Click to join baw08

Blogs in Plain English

Check this out!

Holistic Education

In an effort to better understand "Holistic Education" I decided to take a little trip into cyberspace (my favorite travel mode) and came up with a few links worth mentioning.

http://hent.blogspot.com/ - Holistic and Integral Education (Roger Stack)
http://www.hent.org/ - Holistic Education

Also came across this link for a very forward school: http://www.hobart.tased.edu.au/default.htm

Happy New Year

Christmas Day . . .

Finally, time to breathe! This blog was intended to be a place to chart my progress and learning as a teacher as well an online filing cabinet of sorts. I can only say that this has been the hardest learning curve so far. I'm not always sure who is actually learning from whom - that position seems to change on a minute-2-minute basis.

I will say this - that in the New Year it is imperative that I find a balance . . .

How to insert a video

IATEFL Conference - Milan

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IATEFL Conference - Milan, Italy November 26-28, 2007

Learning Technologies: Bridging the Gap between Technology and Pedagogy

My first cyber-session! Cristina and I presented at the Milan conference. You are thinking how wonderful it was for us to travel to Italy to present. What a great opportunity to drink expresso and eat biscotti! Well, it wasn't quite like that. Cristina was in Manchester (England) and I was here in Lisbon (Portugal) webcasting from my classroom after school. (LOL) However, it was a great experience and everything worked smoothly aside from the fact that I couldn't connect my camera so we went to Plan B and just uploaded a photo of the two of us. The audience asked a bunch of questions (always a good sign) and I felt great! Thank you Cristina for doing all the legwork (well actually finger work - hahaha) for finding this opportunity for us. Cristina, you are the guru!

Made by Andrea Micheloni

I came across this site which makes these incredible posters! I just loved it and thought that I would advertise it! hahahah

Blogging in their own words . . .

Listen to what some student bloggers have to say . . .