ulearn Day 3 You Can't Fool Us!

You Can't fool us! Indeed.

Breakout 6 was a look at how to make sure that the websites learners visit are valid. Presented by Penny Harrison and Jenny Armitage.

Good ideas showing criteria children can use when using websites.

Delicious.com is a place where you can place your bookmarks in the cloud.

Hey, here's the link that Penny and Jenny were using at the Breakout using their delicious.com folder. I'm sure they won't mind. (Like all the other generous presenters. )

Make the most of it.

They suggested C.A.M.P.E.R as way of evaluating (Consequence/Constancy. Assumptions/Accuracy. Meaning/Main Points. Prejudice/Point of View. Evidence/Examples. Relevance/Reliability.)

ABCDE was another Author. Bias. Content. Duplication. Edited

There are others on the link.

Then I bowled on into Allanah King's podcasting website. Using macs she showed the versatility of garageband for podcasting and using podmatic.

Allanah is up for the Interface magazine blog of the year. Vote for her 'cause if ya need help in this area she gives it freely an quickly. Legend!

Anyhoo, tried to find quick way for podcasting for pc. Myna (Audio Editor) and Audacity are good in conjunction with Window Movie Maker. Myna is good because you can do a straight audia podcast with no image and no movie maker if you wish.

The system I have been using seems ok. Until we get software perhaps. I did look at Podium in the exhibit hall.

Lunch was great everyday, and today catching up with Gordon an old T-Col mate, now head of ICT at Kaitao Middle School in Rotorua. Also vote for him in the other category for Interface Mag competition.

In the afternoon keynote speaker, Margaret Carr, did well to hold the attention of everyone.

Her content was superb however.

The idea of "possible self" was forwarded. Here's random notes.

Possible Selves – what we might, could and are afraid of becoming. What the role of the school in discovering self/selves?

Quoting James Paul Gee – in particular his writings on literacy. Encouraging people to read his writing. Value of the gaming world for children to ‘play as [being?] experts’

Role of the teacher is to encourage and nurture possible selves for children.

“Education is not about children achieveing their potential – it is about them GROWING their potential”

concept of learning dispositions, relating them to Key Competencies.

Being ‘ready, willing and able’ to exhibit the dispositions/KC’s is important.

Learning pathways will be travelled by chidlren in their own ways. Incoming dispositions (etc) have an impact on them, as does what the teacher and other adults do:
A. Agency/Authoring – children should have the opportunity to manage and reporting/reflecting on their own learning. ‘Flow’ and its impact on learning. Learning stories as way of doing this and children working on their own.
B. Breadth. making connections in the learning.
C. Continuity. making the learning public and track it over time. Going back and forth to the learning (serendipity) a huge amount of time is needed to do a good job of learning stories but is probably worth it.
D. Depth. deep learning and imbedded. The development of their own language in that learning. Constructing own opportunities for their favourite goals. Giving something new a go.

I see a potential here for video is incredible.

Watching my two kids 3.5 years and 15 months. They are learning at a huge rate. She tinkers, plays, babbles (communicates), he plays asks questions, explores, explains and reasons....

Analysing video of them thinking and tinkering is incredible. Can this work in the classroom. Hell yes. Children could respond with their own reflection and thoughts on where to next too.

Exciting eh?

Is this diminished when children enter school? I hope not.

Cheers to all for getting me to ulearn this year.

Brilliant.

Myna pod

Mike's pod.egg on Aviary.

Just been trying Myna as an audio editor. Some pluses and minuses. I think I'll need a bit more tinkering (learning!) before I decide where to go. And yes all you mac users, it would be easier with itunes.

testing video blog

Best Educational Ideas in the World- ulearn Day 2

Back into it. Derek Wenmoth's keynote was excellent.

THE FUTURE IS NOT WHAT IT USE TO BE.

The potential is tremendous, we need to harness it.

He covered

use of mobile interenet devices

The cloud

Virtual Augmented and alternate reality

Open Content

Location based learning

Smart objects and devices

Check out the notes on his blog. The videos will help to clarify.

"Change is the constant."

Gary Stager was again on his soap box.

"Every Education Problem has been solved... somewhere." A need for will and connectivity.

All good ideas and projects are imbedded with the principles.

Principles

Respect, authentic, Real tools and materials, expanded ops, learning is natural, urgency, commitment to social justice and democracy.

FAB programme-Neil Gershenfeld working with design tools to make anything!

Making things is better than being passive.

Making good things is even better.

Personal fabrication- instead of buying it go and make it. Using tech to solve local probs.

Bricolage -learning through tinkering. (The french express it so better.)

“How to make almost anything.” Check out the the video on what personal fabrication is all about.

Make magazine, a brilliant magazine facilitating the creating of just about anything. Bring out your chemistry sets!!

Microworld is a software mentioned often with personal fabrication. Go to the link and download the trial software.

The introduction of the theories of Reggio Emilia education showed how our preschools inherently do this stuff. The kids learn by what they are doing. The Reggio Emilia schooling hire a pedagogista who helps interpret what the children are doing as they learn. (Our job?)

Another version of learning through tinkering perhaps.

Elements for effective projects (definition- something to share with others)

purpose

time

Personal meaning

Complexity, including serendipity

Connected, shareable

Access to and constructive materials

All seems so easy when written down.

Reasons I'm so excited...

Firstly, the inquiry process lends itself to this perfectly. Don't know if many have mentioned this to Gary.

Secondly, Room 1's adaptation inquiry and it becoming Save the Wrybill, has many of the elements that he has been talked about in the sessions.

With perhaps a little more foresight by me, (this was heavily lead by the children), and an injection of more self reflection I can see the learning being strengthened.

Thirdly, our technology inquiry will lend itself to the "lets address the problem" of this tinkering, creative, child lead and reflective learning that has been espoused at the conference, and that is the inquiry process.

Bring it on.

Ulearn 09 Day One

Well it's underway. A morning of paradox.

Anne Tolley extolling the wonders of the govts generosity of 1.5 billion 0f OUR money going to laying cable all over the country. Get everyone in your school's neighbourhood to drop their passwords on their wireless and log on!!! Be cheaper eh?

Gary Stager an excellent keynote speaker. Seems a bit grim up North... in the USofA education system. Fighting the bureaucracy and ignorance.

Software is the key to 10 things to do with your computer

1. Write a novel

2. Share knowledge

3. Tougher questions via primary sources

4. Make sense of real data

5. Design a video game

6. Build a killer robot

7. Lose weight (PE/nutrition and tech)

8. Direct a blockbuster ("video should be shorter"- "edit it one more time.)

9. Compose a symphony

10. Change the world.

Easy eh? Well some of it. Now where's that software budget...

Stanley Bay School showed two excellent projects (defined as -"Something to share with others"- G Stager). Publishing a book to raise money for charity and creating a school newspaper. Yr 6 stuff that shows how an inquiry approach, well constructed group frameworks and brilliant use of the experts in the community can result in some creative, reflective and purposeful learning.

Alot like what Room 1 are doing with the wrybill but with alot more outcomes. I'll be curious to see how the crew reflect on their learning on this one.

Child security was another interesting point made by Gary. "Parents and teachers are the best filters of the content that children view." Indeed.

He also feels a need to lower the antagonism between adults and children/teenagers. Giving them access to technology will aid this. He compared it to days of old and chemistry sets. The kind that you could create gunpowder with, or melt the kitchen sink. Now days, if you can find them, they come with packaging stating no fire, no acid. What's the point. That's what chemistry is all about isn't it?

Then there's computers. You can have it but only to do.... Get the idea.

And the National Standards and all this. Well bah-humbug. "Who demanded these? Schools? Parents? ("Did you have a fun day at school dear?(not an above the national average in achievement day!!).

Any parents reading this can you contact me re your feelings on what info you get from your school, or what you like to hear or see what's going on. And national standards and testing, what do you think?

In defense of them, I do believe they have excellent exemplars and I see the challenge for us teachers is to set up challenging and relevant programmes where we can show children achieving.

And that's where the video, podcasting, audio, et al comes in...

Looking forward to tomorrow.

Orana Park Rocks

Afternoon at Christchurch's premier animal experience. Feeding giraffes by hand, rhinos close up, seeing the lions getting fed and the cheetahs get some exercise. Brill.

Here kitty!

My turn Dad!