GD's Random Jottings

On The Move!

2012-01-13T12:51:00.003+01:00

I'm moving.
You can now find me, having moved on, at:
The Highland Headmaster
http://thehighlandheadmaster.blogspot.com/

Come join me there and on twitter at
@highlandheidie

The Boredom of my maths' lessons!

2010-09-14T18:25:00.003+01:00

I've been wondering why my maths lessons don't seem to work! Is it me?! I'm sure that I have a part to play, but thanks to a clever bit of thinking by Dan Meyer, I think I have an answer.

He believes that pupils come into maths preloaded with a set of viruses:

Lack of initiative
Lack of perseverance
Lack of retention
Aversion to word problems
Eagerness for formula

As a result, many of the maths text books pander to this. He advocates stripping away most of the information and getting pupils to face a real problem, and work out from there, what information they need to gather, and techniques they need to learn or adopt. This seems to be the heart of active learning.

Watch the video at: http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_meyer_math_curriculum_makeover.html

Word Booklets Can Be Done!

2009-03-31T21:30:00.003+01:00

One of the frustrations with Word, especially the newest version, is that you can't easily make booklets. This is more of a problem for our primary school because we use Macs, and there are many PC add ons that do the job. And yet, booklets are so useful in school life.

However, I have just found a way of doing it! All thanks to Cocoa!

You need to download a free application called Cocoabooklet. This adds a menu item to the tab. Don't panic, I'll explain!

Get Cocoabooklet from HERE and click on the .dmg file that you get. This will open a folder with the program, which you drag into the applications folder of your hard drive, and a Readme file, which you can save because it's the manual! The manual does a better job of explaining than I do, so read it!

So, how do you print a booklet now?

Make your document, A4, Portrait and large print (because the A4 is reduced to an A5 size).
Use FILE>>PRINT to bring up the print dialogue box.
Click (bottom left) on the PDF button.
You should now see a item on the menu.
So, click it!
It will ask for a destination to save it to- that bit's up to you!
That's it. Once it's done (in a second or two), you can click on the new file a print it out. Instructions are as per the manual.

Let me know if this helps. And, let me know if there are other ways of doing this.

Ah......!

2008-11-04T20:10:00.007+01:00

I've just been on a coaching course!
So...
"What were your reasons for going on a coaching course?" Uhm. Seemed like a good idea, well it's an authority big idea isn't it? I'm sure that it will help me relate to others I suppose. And, I think it's time for me do do something new, and this is part of that.

"So you're saying that you thought this was a good idea at a good time? Would that be fair?" Yup. "What did you think coaching was about?" Ah. You spotted that? You're right, I wasn't very clear. In fact I didn't have much of a scooby. I've done a fair bit of this stuff in my previous job. Twenty odd years of it, in fact.
"So, did you really feel you had much to learn?" Ouch. I suppose I thought I knew how it would work. I might admit to being a little bit cynical. And nervous. And, to begin with, I was a bit puzzled by what it was all about, and why it was so important. Not very noble sentiments I suppose. Oh and I'm useless when embarrassed!
"It sounds as if you are sensitive to people, and have shown that in your work, and in that sense have a good foundation to build understanding upon. What will help you build that stronger practice? " Well, I could do with more practise. It would be good to read one of the books. Oh, and I'm looking forward to the recall day. "What steps do you need to get practise?" I to talk to a head teacher and offer what I've learned. "When will you do that?" I will email or talk next week.
"Can you scale your current understanding, with 10 being completely competent?" I feel around 6. "What will it take to get you to 7?" I will need to practise, and I think I would like to be coached as well. There are a couple of things that I would appreciate help in untangling. Perhaps a book and another course?
So how do you want to be using your understanding by this time next year?" I would like to be using this within the cooperative, and to be on the recieving end of coaching too. "And can you see the next steps to achieve this...?" ... And at this point- I do need coaching!

Active Maths

2008-08-17T13:48:00.006+01:00

A new year. A chance to set some markers of intention before the business of day to day planning acts like a fog to obscure the road I really need to travel.

So how do I organise a multi composite class for Active Maths. It's been nagging me most of the summer, and the high probability of an HMIE inspection does strange things to your sleep patterns!

What I have found are a few more sites to explore for inspiration:

http://www.creative-partnerships.com/projects/185805/ (The picture comes from this Arts Council project to teach maths in an active and exciting way. It gave me an idea for a maths challenge!)
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jontreby/Personal/mathsLinks.htm (Presumably a maths teacher, Jon has a host of links to some fascinating maths sites, from KS1 to A Level! As this is a homepage, I can't few this at school though!)
http://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/index.shtml (Again, so many things to choose from! Many of these are little working applets (models you can play with on screen). I especially liked the visual illusions. Much is well beyond Primary, but there is plenty that would extend pupils thinking.)
http://www.mathfair.com/index.html (There are some great puzzles here that would work well as cooperative activities) (I found this after reading a blog of two american students who were using a blog to record a project- investigating 'Math Fairs'. The blog showed their research progress and findings. I could use blogs for projects like that too, so pupils record the journey, not just the results.)
http://www.active-maths.co.uk/worksheets/index.html (This British site requires a modest subscription but allows for endless worksheets on so much maths. Useful, definately. BUT- worksheets are not active maths!!!)

Finally, teachers in the Wirral have created maths activities with the Kinesthetic learner in mind. This is more like it! I can do this outside, or inside if it ever rains in Argyll. The PDF (about 70 pages!) can be downloaded HERE

However, I haven't solved the problem, even if I found more sites than I can look at! Or will remember to use! It's how to do Active maths legitimately with such mixed ability. There must be a way. As ever, teaching is a 'work in progress'. All masterpieces are, after all!

A Lot Of Water Flowed.

2008-07-05T21:18:00.002+01:00

It has been a long time! And much water has flowed; the passing of time, the changing of life, the shedding of tears. Almost too much as to make one feel you're drowning!
But. This is a start. Not to pick up the old trails. No. A chance to go in different directions with thoughts and ideas. Maybe you won't notice the difference! But I will. And that's what now matters.

To Whom It May ...

2007-03-11T19:10:00.000+01:00

I'm going to have a rest from the blog.
I'm not sure it is read, and I'm uncomfortable with what too easily appears as self promotion. Not my scene, whatever is said about me.

Comic Life goes on!

2007-02-24T21:02:00.000+01:00

Apart from having problems printing out our comic, this has been a great experience.

The P1-3 children spent their period with me last week proof reading the comic for a few 'added' errors, and then after storytelling an extension to the book, where the main character is visited by the witch who needs her help, we convened an editorial conference. Actually we held it under the tables (they, like me, like the idea of being bad, in a nice way!).

It probably wasn't a good time for the Head Teacher and our Probationer teacher to wander through.

However, having discussed why the witch might need her help, and where she might end up going, we are going to use some blank ComicLife frames to write our own comic stories.
I'll keep you posted! If I'm still working.

World Book Day

2007-02-24T20:23:00.000+01:00

I thought the January-March term was the quieter one. You know, the time when you catch up on all your work, get stuck into that big topic, clear your assessment. Maybe even tidy your desk. Okay, the last one's unlikely. But still..?! Is it World Book Day already?

This year we're going to stick to an idea that worked. In fact, it worked really well. We had arranged with three other primaries to do some collaborative story writing. We wrote a storybook in one day, by email!

So, the planning is almost in place. We will start the story in our school with the P1-4s, who will write it on the Wednesday afternoon ready for the big day. First thing on Thursday it will be emailed to St Kieran's in Cambeltown, Kilchattan on Colonsay and Tayvallich in Mid Argyll. They will all add a chapter, leaving it on a cliffhanger, and it should return to my P5-7 by 2 o'clock. We will then, some how, bring it all to a conclusion, trying to draw all the threads of the plot and characters together. The completed story will then be emailed to everybody in time for it to be read before the end of the school day. Pictures will get emailed, faxed and sent in the next few days, and after some work layout work, proof reading and assembling, each school will get it's finished, colour hard-copy of the whole story.

After last year's experience, we remembered to check that we have the write email addresses! We waited half an hour for a story that was hiding in the wrong box. We lost two years off our life during that one! But, the pupils became such focused, excited writers and readers, and grappled with continuity, plot development and descriptive writing for a very real audience.

My only regret is that it can't be bigger. There are a few schools who wanted to be involved in our abortive attempts to do similar on Poetry day. I would like to have worked with Cardross, in fact I'd love to have seen this criss-cross our Authority. . So why not?

Mind you, at the end of the day, my long-suffering Head Teacher needs a large drink. Tea of course. Oh, and if you'd like to see a copy of their hard work- let me know.

Thanks!

2007-02-13T23:21:00.000+01:00

Many thanks to Andrew and James for the advice, and pointing me in the direction of the Akismet widget in Edublogs. It's already begun to block some of the spam that was turning the experience sour.
No excuse for trying to get the children writing now!

And in the spirit of ICT- if anybody who wrote to sympathise with the problem of edublogs spam wants to know about Akismet- I'm happy to pass on what was passed on to me! It's how it all works, isn't it!

Oh, and you can get you're chocolate thank you bar from www.baskets2give.com , but you have to pay for it!

Without Thinking!

2007-02-11T19:41:00.000+01:00

I've just realised that I've been 'doing ICT' without realising it!
Getting the pupils to use the internet for research is now standard practice. Blogging remains easier to talk about than action! And the issue of spam in Edublogs is getting to critical level. Beyond that?

My forays into the P1-4 class has focused on them creating a Comic version of "The Wise Doll". Oohs and Ahhs all round from the children. Comic Life has so much potential across every curricular and planning areas. We had taken the Russian tale, read it together, reenacted it through Drama, looked at Freeze Frames then moved onto using the digital camera to take key snaps of the plot, with pupils taking the roles. Then we placed the pictures into Comic Life frames, discussing how we could summarise the action with just a caption.

Now, it looks as if we're going to attempt a mini enterprise by selling their comic version to friends and family. So order here for your copy!

2007-01-30T19:57:00.000+01:00

For some reason, my class's blogs on edublogs are being spammed to frustration!
I don't want the holidays, the free Nigerian money or the car leases. The friends and the drugs are beginning to look interesting though!

The damage being is being done to my fragile ego and to my willingness to continue to blog! It's so depressing to read that someone has found your site and thinks you are doing a great job, posting a fab blog, and have the best blog they've seen yet, only to realise, when you look at the 'whois' that, it's a robot spam from some irrelevant part of the spamiverse.

Unfortunately, I'm fed up having to empty my limited A&B mailbox every morning, login to edublogs and bulk moderate the comments.

So, I'm in need of advice. Advice that works please. Is this an experience of others? Or am I special? On second thoughts, don't answer the last point- I don't do rejection well!!!

Ah! That's better!

2007-01-23T20:48:00.000+01:00

I couldn't just leave them all dispirited!

They had been so intrigued by the shape of the Apodo, though I doubt "appreciating the Apodo design" is a very valid Learning Outcome! So back to the skipping ropes!

This time - cut the number of ropes, reduce the knot to 'barely tangled' and ... success. Whoops! Successful Learners I meant to say. (ahem)

Not bad. They enjoyed the activity and the one who yesterday said, "I'm bored. I hate this," declared, "I love Apodo!".

Kids! Don't you love them.

It seemed like a good idea.

2007-01-22T22:32:00.000+01:00

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 Oscars Announced!

2007-01-16T21:12:00.000+01:00

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!

(An illustrated version is on the "official" GLO blog.)

Sound Scapes

2007-01-14T18:13:00.000+01:00

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

I Can't Believe it's not ...

2006-12-22T23:21:00.000+01:00

.. 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.

Only two 'get ups'!

2006-12-21T00:40:00.000+01:00

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.

Fractured Teachers

2006-11-22T21:59:00.000+01:00

I think there's a fault-line running through current educational thinking.

Don't get me wrong, "Curriculum for Excellence" makes this an exciting time to be teaching, but we are being expected to be something that is not easily reconciled.

For many years now, personality profiling has taught that we live and work on a continuum between being Risk-takers and Consolidators. At one end lies the creative multitasker, surfing the big waves of dreams and possibilities, carving out inspirational moves in areas that make others shake their heads in either disbelief or disapproval. At the other, we have the orderly consolidator, breaking tasks into clear tasks with definite time scales and clear plans, preferring to sit on the same towel, on the same bit of beach, in the same resort, at the same time each year!

Now we are encouraged to take risks with our curriculum, and above all, to be creative. We must be creative. But we are also expected to be orderly in our approach, planning details in advance and keeping to the timescale. That has been the clear expectation from HMIE.

We are expected to be at both ends of the continuum! How can this be healthy? In my old job I used to meet people who tried to do this. I was a part-time NHS chaplain in a psychiatric hospital! Fault-lines are lines of stress. They are dangerous places to live and work. Tell me, do you feel the strain too?

PS- If you want the car tee shirt ... http://www.toplinegifts.com/teachergifts.html !!!

Been, gone & apododed!

2006-11-15T21:40:00.000+01:00

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?

Computers Shouldn't Smoke

2006-11-06T23:16:00.000+01:00

... 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!

2006-09-24T21:42:00.000+01:00

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 arranging this for the Wednesday so that 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.

(You would fill in the bold words)

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?

And, don't forget to breathe!

2006-09-12T18:26:00.000+01:00

Nice, eh?
Five minutes from school, and on the way, this is the view from 'my' layby! I try to stop after 55 mins drive on single track road, to breathe deeply before the day starts.

I'm not sure where the last few weeks have gone. I know my planning folder is in better order than it's been before, though I'm not going to say that I've cracked how to do it! I'm always grateful to a very patient HT!

It's when you try to do some ICT in the midst of this, and something small doesn't work, that you realise that days can pass, even weeks, before you return to sort it out. It's been that way with the class blog. The children wrote their Newtonmore stories, all were gathered to a peg. And then the Word documents from various computers showed as unreadable, so they couldn't get uploaded.

It's such a small thing, easily rectified. But I'm beginning to wonder how many others have stalled ICT projects, their progress barred not by large rocks but by small, irritating pebbles of problems.

I think we need ICT buddies! Somebody to know what you're doing and keep you doing it because they're interested. In fact, if we planned ICT in pairs, it could make a real difference. We could be paired with a school colleague, someone from nearby or Authority school. Or what about from a completely different area, perhaps someone we've never met face to face. We could communicate by a simple, shared program where we record our trial and triumphs and get comments back. We could call it.... a weblog.

Darn. Reinvented the wheel again.

Anyone out there want to buddy ICT .. and keep prompting me to breathe!

PS- The spellchecker wants me to replace weblog (which it doesn't recognise!) with wobble! Ahem!

Smile Please!

2006-08-21T22:10:00.000+01:00

I've just been planning the Health Unit for this term in P5-7: Healthy Teeth. I came across a great site, incidentally on the LTScotland site, which has made an interactive ICT based topic possible. "Healthy Teeth" is supported by the Canadian Dental Association and clearly tackles questions like 'What causes cavity', 'What's the problem with sugar', 'Why is smoking bad for teeth' and 'Why does it take so long for your teeth to hurt'?

There are a few animations, plenty graphics (especially in '5 steps to a good teeth'), and some interesting photographs that will appeal to many a boy! Mix in a quiz and plenty detail and you have an easily navigated and excellent site. I've built my whole unit around it.

Even better, I discovered that if you have Adobe Acrobat you can turn the whole website into a PDF file with all the links working. This means that I can create a few CD copies of the PDF and the children can use the site offline, without needing to wait for the non-broadband connection to spit out a few bytes an hour! With the 'Professional' version all the video and animation work, but even on the school mac, navigation works fine and even though the video is missing, I was able to save it onto disk via QuicktimePro if it really is needed.

And now I've realized that I'm the only one in the class who doesn't have a toothbrush in school and who doesn't brush their teeth after lunch! Hope none of the children have realized it too. Some hope!

Just when you think ...

2006-07-31T14:45:00.000+01:00

... that you're getting the hand of one bit of technology, they change it and move on!

Welcome to "son of blogging" - otherwise known as VBlogging. In reality its just a blog that uses video clips. Perhaps no big deal, but it raises greater issues of child protection. In fact, I have become very concerned about the issue.

I came across one of the "flagship" school sites with a report on an outing filmed by the children. So far so good, actually very encouraging to see, and well done by the pupils. The huge problem for me was that the report was in the form of an interview in which the children openly used their names and located their classes.

Before coming to teaching, I was involved in drawing up Child Protection policies, in a sector often targeted by paedophiles. This issue is one in which, given the ingenuity and persistence of offenders, paranoia is an appropriate state!

So am I over reacting? Is video of children revealing who they are appropriate on a school site? If nothing else, the whole matter has reminded me that "exciting practice" is not always "safe practice", and even expert practice should be weighed carefully.

So Different Without Children!

2006-07-02T21:29:00.000+01:00

I went back to school today!

I know it is the first week of holiday, but I left my room like a nuclear test site. Forward plans scattered to the winds. The piles of "removed to make way" stuff created when building services came to put up the new projector screen during the morning of the penultimate day. One has to laugh. Ha! We just had to try it out on a quick return to Myst! Not bad. Not bad at all! And when no one was looking, the birds' cartoon from Pixar was brilliant as ever!

So back to clear up. And perhaps, a chance to look back over the year now that the P7s have left with brave faces, the other pupils have stampeded out to freedom and the dust has settled.

It had started as a new masterclasser at SETT. I made new friends, discovered how to use games like Myst to stimulate language work, found a virtual Gamalan- and I had been looking for one!- and saw lots of things I wanted but couldn't afford. I even learnt about the difficulties of teaching advanced aspects of language to adults. I was actually in the wrong seminar, and I still don't understand what they were discussing. But it was very, very serious.

I began to use digital photography as more of a tool that just a camera that didn't need processing. I taught the children how to plan, film and edit with iMovie. I stumbled on some of the pitfalls of web creation. I was able to support colleagues, and find support from them. And, I discovered blogging. It's only when you stop to remember, that you realize how much you use and need ICT. It has been a busy year but a year when I can say with certain passion that the ICT began to find it's rightful place. It wasn't perfect, sometimes frustrating and occasionally too dominating. But it enhanced, enriched and enlivened lessons.

Next year? I have my first Authority seminar to lead. I have an application to write for SSDN mentoring. I have a blog to maintain, something I enjoy. I have several people and groups I want to encourage into blogging. I want to keep contact with Jan and Wendy, my fellow blogger newbies! But it is the work in the class that will underpin this, and that is what I'm looking forward to planning now. I might even write my forward plans in advance. Only kidding! ;-)

However, I will need to go back into school on Tuesday: to move the piles in peace!

Houston, we have a solution!

2006-06-27T18:18:00.000+01:00

The class agreed a name for it's class blog! KPS Kidz

Of course, as the 'world' now knows through this blog, the new name was only necessary after I lost the password, username and email address for the first one! Well, it's been a long term. In comparison to the new choice, a bit of creative inspiration from a P6 which met with an loud outburst of approval, my original was truly awful. The twinset and pearls of blog names.

Unfortunately I can't seem to get edublogs to work tonight so I can't check the links that I've made to Andrew's 118 project and the scotedublog wikispace. But still, I can get on with adding the news pieces that the children wrote in anticipation some two weeks ago. I'll show them how to add items next year. Also, I need to create an email address for children to send their holiday stories, news and photos for inclusion during the summer which will keep us all informally in touch.

Following a good discussion (and a coffee and a cake) with Jan, I feel more confident and certain about the security factors needed, but there is a set of difficult moral judgments that still need to be made; the pragmatic and the protective.

All I need tonight is to remember which memory stick I used to save their work. Or is it still on the different computers? I did save it didn't I? It has been a long term.

Breathing Again

2006-06-17T22:13:00.000+01:00

It was a great day! It was an exhausting day! And one pupil even said thank you!

Admittedly I thought it was about to dissolve into chaos. The school that cooks our meals lost all power, threatening to throw a mighty spanner into the timings. And when, in the first challenge requiring the building of a "set for a new children's show", and with an explanation of the term 'set', three of the groups started making a TV set complete with aerials, I was ready to return home! The bizarest moment came in the afternoon when I was asked if they really had to make a video about soap (sic). The pupil wasn't familiar with the genre!

Perhaps the most important question was 'What did the children learn?'. They saw their learning and their knowledge in real world context. They extended their understanding by facing and resolving problems. Team working, leadership and cooperation became vital skills because of rigid deadlines and the thought of what other groups might produce. Oh, and they were reminded that having fun could be part of school and learning!

There were technological problems. One version of iMovie had a confusing 'record from camera' button instead of 'import'. The eMac didn't appear to record to DVD, but the video was made into a Quicktime movie and transferred via cd. One older, borrowed video required a cable which we didn't have and so couldn't import. The group handled the disappointment well and we worked out how to show the unedited clips on the TV. Another video lost sound, requiring an impromptu, improvised dialogue over the silent film which added a level of 'randomness' to the performance!

There is one skill here that I've come to realize we need to teach well: how to react to and surmount ICT problems. This truly requires creative thinking skills. ICT confidence will not develop without creative and critical thinking skills.

In running these Creative Days, you make resources that would be good to share, but knowing how to do so I find a problem. It seems a shame only to do them once. You want to pass the idea and resources on and yet, there's nothing as distasteful as teacher recommending their 'wonderful work'! Maybe someone will have some suggestions!

Would do it again? Absolutely. In fact, I've already thought of two more exciting themes for next year!

Deep Breath ...

2006-06-16T00:03:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow is our Creative Day. Not, I hasten to add, that the other days are uncreative, but this one is special!

We set the children a set of challenges to meet across the range of the curriculum, this year with the theme of The Wonderful World of Television. They will be building a set for a new children's show, making a billboard poster for a new programme (Footballer's Families or Face To Face With Wild Animals). They will compose the missing soundtrack to a horror film and record it for playback as the film, a set of 6 pictures on Powerpoint, is seen. There will be a Math's challenge which requires programs of the correct running times to be fitted, jigsaw style, into a blank schedule. The afternoon will see the four groups set the task to create, improvise and film a scene from a Soap in which a farmer is accused, in his local pub, of stealing sheep! This they will act and film with DV, edit with iMovie, and show by digital projector at the end of the day.

Now, I get excited by what the children produce, strictly without help, and with limited materials. They work in mixed age groups, supporting and encouraging. Last year's Circus Day ended with a fabulous set of improvised circus acts! So, we look forward to tomorrow's films. But...

... it's the technology! It's the fear of computer error messages, frozen programmes, flat batteries, poor tape machine quality, blown bulb on the projector ... Get the picture?

I really must trust technology, and get some sleep! ... I wonder if the eMac has the version of iMovie the children are familiar with ...?

... And a Lot of Desperation!

2006-06-13T00:48:00.000+01:00

Time to introduce the class to Blogging. Blogs explained. Potential for us explored. Digital projector working. Items for the first posts all gathered from various computers onto a peg. Eager anticipation of seeing the site for the first time.

Not a good time then to forget the password I had used the night before! Especially when the "retrieve password/login" requires the correct email, which obviously doesn't match what I had used.

Sometimes I wonder about myself. Most people who know me are well passed the "wondering" stage!

A Little Bit Of Inspiration!

2006-06-11T14:25:00.000+01:00

Well actually, a little bit of Kidspiration. In the spirit of letting them loose, on Friday I showed the class how we could use Kidspiration to record our science work on Classification. It's ideally suited to this, even coming with some appropriate templates, but we chose to start from scratch.

There is a moment, we all know it, when we sense we've talked too long! The children know what they need to know, and just want to get their hands on a computer and do it! So, eventually, I stood aside having pointed out many, many useful features. (yawn!)

They all created good examples of species groups, in colour, with pictures, even the right pictures, using the picture editor when needed (hadn't shown them that), and even using the Super-Grouper button (hadn't understood that!).

Now I really wish I had done what I had intended months back- to let the children use this programme to record their understanding of rainforests before and after the topic. We used this Mind-Web idea for this Greeks, but only in a written form. Kidspiration is a natural for this.

Since some children were away, the experts will teach them on their return. And when all are Kidspired, I'll let the P6&7s loose with Inspiration.

And yes, I know these have been in school for ages, and it does appear a bit tardy only just getting to them now. But- Teacher's Mantra- "so much to do, so much that could be done, and so little time!"

Sounds more professional saying it that way!

At this very spot ...

2006-06-07T01:44:00.000+01:00

Argyll had it's summer yesterday!

Well, just in case that really is all the sun we're to see, what else could we do but abandon the plans! (Just pathfinding for the Curriculum for Excellence!) We headed out armed with tripod, video and an idea from the "Language In The School Grounds" book.

The task was to play the role of a travel guide, point to an ordinary feature in the playground or garden, and tell a preposterous, though almost believable tale behind the object. The video camera recorded the work and encouraged them to maintain the role, and gave the rest of the class a role to play as tourists!

So we had the red spot on the playground that marked where Rudolph the reindeer died and his nose had melted, the bin that held the stale crusts of the Queen's cucumber sandwiches, the post that children used to tie teachers to as they waited for the tide to come in and a bit of a wall that was all that remained of the house of a famous explorer of the Arctic rainforests!

A thoroughly recommended activity. We learned about presenting ourselves, maintaining a role, creative story telling with structure and how to support a lead role. The video has given us the chance to revisit and review our work, and catch all the jokes we missed the first time round!

Next steps? To relinquish control of the video! I suffer the teacher's phobias; the fear of losing control, of not getting it done on time, of imagining that it will take too long to explain. Time to let the fledglings fly!

One Small Step ...

2006-06-05T21:08:00.000+01:00

The children loved watching their finished videos! (see previous blogs) and once again impressed me by being able to give them the "two stars and a wish" treatment. Sure, they loved the continuity mistakes (well spotted!) and moments when people fell over but we also had a very serious discussion about how transitions needed real care and planning. They had spotted that one mis-chosen transition had led to a small picture of one girl spiraling out of her forehead! A bit unpleasant before lunch!

Reflecting on the experience with the video, the ongoing web site design and ideas about blogs and PLPs makes me realize that in ICT, small steps are more significant than at first they seem. Getting a class news-blog might be the first step to the web site (thanks Andrew), allowing me to decide which authoring package I really want to use. (I'm not yet convinced by Dreamweaver). Using a blog to record whole class learning intentions and successes (thanks Lynne) looks like a good and valuable introduction to anything individual. Small steps. Firm steps.

And as I was reminded today, quite rightly, "technology" isn't enough of a justification for doing it, the learning and teaching is what matters.

Enough of being serious, I'm off to Command and Conquer" the world. Or if my head teacher is out there - I'm going to do my forward plans and prepare for parent's night. Honest. :-)

Grumpy Old Man

2006-06-05T13:43:00.000+01:00

Sometimes you put things badly! First lesson of blogificatating- take care how you say it.. then take more care.
Just thought I would confess to bad writing which made my collegues sound sexist, me sound grumpy, and it just didn't work! So I edited the previous blog (Pity The Man) to say what I had intended, not what it sounded like!
I now see why the children find this writing stuff hard... !

Poetry In Motion

2006-06-03T12:13:00.000+01:00

The two class groups have just finished their Anti Racism Digital Videos. You have no idea how relieved I am! A finished ICT project! And so much learning: PSED, language, maths, Technology, ICT, Art and Design and RME.

We took a poem about racism, by a 16 year old girl from Campbeltown,(in the MACARE pack), made storyboards to plan DV, narration and SFX, and discussed the various types of shots that could be used. With two teams and one video/tripod , management needed careful planning. But it was amazing how quickly the children got into their stride and were confident on their own.

Editing threw up interesting issues of Mac compatibility, with slightly different versions of iMovie, and "computer running slow" messages. But that's behind us now. It's in the can, or at least, it's in QuickTime! Time to show the whole school and evaluate each others work. Time for them to say- "I did that!".

Both class and teacher learned bundles! Both class and teacher will do it differently, and better, next time! And there is a next time coming up soon... but they don't know about it... and I won't tell. Not just yet!

PLP and the Blog

2006-06-01T20:59:00.000+01:00

I enjoy our staff meetings! We're tired, in need of tea, but it's good to talk! And our talk-times leave you positive. How many meetings can you say that about?!

Like everybody in Argyll, we're looking at how we do Personal Learning Plans. And with the obvious danger of connecting your latest fad to the latest question, I have started to wonder if you could use Blogs for children's journal of their progress etc..

Safety is the main concern that needs absolute reassurance. But, if that can be achieved, there appear many potential ticks:

it's instant
it can be seen by staff, parents and peers. (even Granny Island!)
they can get quick feedback and comments
it can be accessed at home

So, are there more? Is it being done somewhere? Can safety concerns be addressed? Another set of questions for my hour long drive to work!

Pity the man!

2006-05-31T19:11:00.000+01:00

(I have revisited and rewritten this blog, as I was unhappy with the way I had expressed much of it. It seemed unfair and, to be truthful, a bit grumpy-old-man! I hope it reads better now- you can let me know)

School sports day! Sun, light wind to remove the midgies, happy children.... and a teacher in search of a job. What do we do with him?

Well, he's no good at running as he falls over. (It's a long story...!) And we know that the ladies are better at organising, multi tasking and all that (yawn), so he's safer with the video camera. Let him film the day.

For the second year I ended up with the ICT toys. Last year a non teaching member of another school had said to me, "You're a man. You take this!" (the digital video). Actually at that point, not having done the Masterclass training, and all that, I had never used one. There were female teachers and Mums far more skilled and experienced. So why did I get it?

This year it was "because you enjoy it". There's lots of things I enjoy, but I'm not allowed to do them in public when others are working!

There is a lot of technology that seems to end up in the male domain. Why? And why if I use them, are they classified as toys?

I think next year I could try to plan to have a couple of pupils who don't "do sports", but become the Sport's Day Film Crew. Then they could edit and even sell to parents as an enterprise. Others could join in with advertising and PR, cover design and assembly..... hey I'm on a roll!

Note to self- start this in January!

It started with a ....

2006-05-30T20:47:00.000+01:00

I was once accused, in a former life of which I am thoroughly embarrassed, of delivering random jottings. The fact that I believed it to have been a half hour of closely reasoned argument, supported with years of experience in the judicious use of illustrative material, did nothing to my rapidly deflating ego. What that elderly couple had quietly observed was more accurate than I cared at the time to believe.

And so I had better start this off with a healthy dose of humility! I offer no more than the random jottings of a primary teacher who has far more ideas for what he could do in a classroom than is healthy for his pupils, his headteacher or himself.

So, hold on tight to the arm chair... Its bad taste to fall off when you nod off!