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.