Month: November 2009

WISE Qatar – Doha Diaries 1

WISEPublished on1 Comment on WISE Qatar – Doha Diaries 1

I have arrived safely in Doha, Qatar for the inaugural World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE). I am excited to be here and really looking forward to how the next 3 days pan out.

One thing that is abundantly clear is the international register of attendees. For example in the car from the aiport to the hotel last night I met a Brazilian journalist who had a 20 hour journey, this is a truly global event.

I am writing this on the coach journey to the Ritz-Carlton Doha which will be the venue for WISE. As Alan Levine explained last night the hospitality and friendliness is in abundance and I also shared his initial scepticism of the invite at first glance. But it isn’t some elaborate ruse and the logisitics team behind WISE have done a great job so far.

badges and books

Interestingly I have been put in a hotel with all of the media professionals. The invite was as a result of this blog and I suppose I have to accept the fact that it is part of the media fabric – hopefully carving my own niche nonetheless.

Monday sees us take part in the opening of the conference as well as a variety of breakout sessions including:

  • Globalisation of education – preparing students for a global economy and society
  • Bridging Global Inequalities
  • Higher Education for a Sustainable World
  • Funding Education in the 21st Century – Who Pays for the Education of our Global Citizens
  • Pluralism – Every Child Matters
  • Innovation – Technology and E-Learning
  • Pluralism – Civil Rights and Minorities in Education
  • Sustainability – A Fully Intergrated Education Policy

There is lots to choose from and I am hoping to blog some notes over the next few days, that’s if I have time as the programme is pretty full on. You can always follow what I am up to at the conference by checking out my Twitter stream and the hashtag #WISE09 too.

Using Instant Messaging in Education – Good or Bad?

Google Docs, My class, TwitterPublished onUpdated on6 Comments on Using Instant Messaging in Education – Good or Bad?

Every single upper junior class that I have taught has loved instant messaging (IM). It is probably the most popular use of technology at home. But does that mean it needs to be used in the classroom? It falls into the same category as console gaming does and seems to spark differing reactions from people in education. I believe it can engage learners and much more.

I began the hashtag #IMinEDU to keep a record of a discussion on this topic that took place on Twitter. It revealed a range of views, some great resources and ideas. I have archived the conversation in a Google Doc because over time a hashtag Twitter search will disappear.

IM3
I have had a few experiences of the impact that IM can have on a lesson. When we began using Google Docs in our lessons we used the instant messaging function in Spreadsheets. I was able to post questions about the data we collected together – the children responded in the chat window. We repeated this recently and once again it was a great plenary to the lesson.

A further example is the use of the chat feature in a Google Presentation (In presentation/slideshow mode – “View Together”). I created a reading text and asked comprehension questions in the chat window – the children accessed the text for the answers and posted them in the chat. We have also done some peer review on a range of presentations using the chat – children posted comments and responses to work shared by others.

IM2
In my experience of using instant messaging I have discovered some common elements:

Engage, Engage, Engage – sometimes the children seem set to explode when they realise they are using IM in class. They are totally engaged with the tasks. They love using it.

Motivated – when asking a question in IM the children are really motivated to answer it, they all want to get their responses posted. They want to write – that can only be a good thing.

Inclusive – everyone can contribute at the same time. No-one misses out, everyone is involved. Responding in this way breaks the “hands-up” culture.

Behaviour – I don’t see any point in asking the children to behave completely differently when using IM in class. We can still say things like, “No smileys in the next answer,” or “I am watching your spelling for this one.” I think this flexible approach is better than saying, “You are never allowed to use smileys when we use IM in class!” That’s like asking them not to lick their lips when eating a sugar doughnut – it’s just what you do.

Teacher directed – in the examples I explained above I have been specific about the way we are using IM. It is not a free for all, it is carefully planned and directed. It is useful to have your questions typed up so you can paste them in the chat quickly.

IM4
There needs to be more examples of teachers using it and sharing their reflections, to get a fuller picture of its usefulness. I think it has a place and I hope that some ideas in this post or the Twitter discussion give you something to think about and perhaps try in your class.

How have you used instant messaging in the classroom? What is your opinion about the use of it in lessons, does it have a place?

Teaching Handwriting using an Interactive Whiteboard

IWB, Literacy, My class, SMARTboardsPublished on10 Comments on Teaching Handwriting using an Interactive Whiteboard

We still practice handwriting at school with the children. Since having SMARTBoards I have been using the software to transform the way we teach it and the way we support the children.

I don’t think that handwriting is that important, what is written is more important to me – however the practice does encourage some structure, which can improve legibility.

Instead of just using the board to model the different joins (replace) I use the SMART Recorder to make a little movie of the joins as I model them and play them back, on a loop (tranform). Most IWB software (if any good!) has some sort of video screen capture tool. This allows me to step away from the board and go and support he children as they are working. As the class work they can easily look up and see the modelled join/word playing back on the board.

Before I explain how to do that, here is my routine for teaching any handwriting session. When we begin I remind the children about the 5 Ps.

  • Position – I encourage them to think about the position they are in and where there book should be.
  • Place – are they cramped or squashed? Make sure they have enough room on their table.
  • Pen – I talk about the tripod grip, to watch out for the power grip where the wrist and lower arm is too tense and encourage the precision grip with a freely moving wrist etc.
  • Posture – Can you feel the back of the chair in the lower back. Don’t be too upright and tense, be comfortable and relaxed.
  • Peace – We all need some to do our best.

When talking about the actual joins or words I ask the children to trace them on a giant scale in the air with their fingers, talking about the movements as we complete them. I then ask them to do the same join on the palm of their hand. We repeat the join on our wrists where it is all tickly and then a final time on the back of someone sat next to them. This helps to feel the shape of the letters.

34291498 18a2127f83

Megan’s Present / Hand by Aeioux
Attribution-NonCommercial License

Before the children go on to practice in their handwriting books, I complete a modelled example using the video recorder. Here is how you do it:

  1. Open you handwriting page. We created a template on a blank page with the guidelines that suited our scheme.
  2. Open your video screen capture application – we use SMART Recorder.
  3. Select just the small area that you are going to be writing in – not the whole screen or page.
  4. I find it really useful to have the join/word already written with it’s transparency turned down. So that it is just visible, allowing you to trace over the top. If you are doing a simple 2 or 3 letter join model it more than once.
  5. Hit record and complete the modelling of the join or word.
  6. Hit stop and save your capture using the join or word as the file name.
  7. Playback your movie and set it to loop. Move away from the front and sit with children as they are working. With different movies open in different small windows you can have multiple joins so that children can work at their own pace through the work.

This is a good example of how technology can transform what we have been doing for decades. It breathes life into a common task, providing the teacher the opportunity to support the children at the point of writing. If all we do is write them up on the IWB we are just replacing old ways, we may as well do it on a dry-wipe board, or even just a blackboard or find a cave wall and some berries. The video playback is there if the children need it – they don’t need to remember what was done, they can just watch it, that has transformed the way they learn the joins and the behaviours that support that learning.

Within my handwriting sessions there is that important balance between technology and other approaches, a blended take on it all. Tickling the words on our wrists or a partners back is just as important.

Consoles for Classrooms

Games Based LearningPublished onUpdated on7 Comments on Consoles for Classrooms

I think that every classroom should have a console.

That is basically what this blog post is proposing, you can read on and find out why I think that, but that is it in a nutshell. You could stop reading right now, but please take away that first sentence, those first 9 words and consider them carefully if you do.

I have made the most of games based learning in my classes over the last 3 years and I passionately believe in the impact on learning it has. We have explored the world of Myst, done stealth written subtraction using Wii Sports Golf and even driven a whole curriculum topic with the sheer joy that is Endless Ocean. I have seen our whole Year 4 year group working with their Nintendo DS consoles and using Maths Training everyday. Besides my own use I am always amazed and inspired by the cadre of great innovators using games based learning.

The children become excited, engaged and wrapped up in their learning. They want to do well, they want to find out more, sometimes they don’t even realise the learning that is taking place because they are so immersed in the places we can take them. They invest in the learning that is going on because the return is something they understand and appreciate.

3297961043 1ab2a0f94b

Radio Daze by Ian Hayhurst
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License

Gaming on consoles falls into the “Home” bracket and not in the “School” bracket. For some people those brackets need to be separate. Boundaries never to cross. In my opinion, as educators, we need to open our eyes to the potential gaming can have and merge these two realms. We need to leverage the children’s natural engagement and use it to their learning advantage.

Six years ago we installed SMARTBoards throughout the school and I also installed video players. In those six years DVD players have plummeted in price. We wouldn’t be without access to a DVD player now. Broadband in UK schools has become a standard, cheaper, faster and for some countries a basic human right. We wouldn’t be without internet access.

The internet, the DVD player, the class computer are all platforms to deliver content that makes learning fun or more engaging. So why do we not consider a console in that same bracket? They often do a better job.

In many ways I think that console games like Endless Ocean deliver even richer content because it provides a space that can be defined by the learner. The platform that they are delivered on is cheaper – a class Nintendo Wii can be less than £150 (with games). I think it provides amazing value for money in the right hands.

I hope that the Building Schools of the Future project in the UK has found that small amount of money to equip classrooms with consoles. Seems a small drop in the millions that have been invested. Yet that small drop can lead to an endless ocean (sic) of learning. (I nearly deleted that one but it is so cheesy it is staying in!)

Is it suddenly some big surprise that games based learning is engaging our learners? Not to me. If not then why is this type of learning still such a niche. I am going to say it again, I think that every classroom should have a console.

You can take away the first 9 words or the last 3, it is up to you.

Consoles For Classrooms

Make a Coordinates Activity in Google Earth

Mapping, MathsPublished on4 Comments on Make a Coordinates Activity in Google Earth

I have been really excited to see the interest in my idea for Maths Maps. On Sunday afternoon I had the idea to overlay a simple coordinates grid on the satellite imagery in Google Maps or Google Earth, so children could answer position and direction based questions.

As in so many other cases those who follow me on Twitter helped me out when I was looking for an image to use for the grid. Admittedly I need to brush up on my image creation/editing skills but I was so grateful to get so many people offering help and ideas. Matt Lovegrove a Year 2 teacher in Berkshire, kindly made me some 10×10 grids which were perfect.

After much exploring I discovered that adding an overlay onto Google Maps is not so easy as it is in Google Earth. Here is a how to create your own Google Earth coordinates overlay (and in fact any image overlay!)

Firstly use Google Earth to find a place that is relatively interesting (there is quite a lot of choice you’ll agree!), you will be asking things like, ” What is the position of…?” etc so there needs to be enough in view. You might like to look around the Shapes in Paris Maths Map as it would fit well with this topic, or perhaps the location of your school might be a good starting point. Then follow these screenshots.

You can see an example of the linked coordinates task in the Shapes in Paris map, the placemark is titled “12 Coordinates Questions”.

I also created an example using the school’s location as a starting point in our lesson today. I was able to ask them about the coordinates of our school and even our classroom. I picked up on buildings and shops in the locality and kicked off the lesson using this resource. We zoomed in from space by the way (always exciting) and I told them I had spent all weekend painting the lines and had cleared out the local hardware store of red paint.

Some of the children worked independently today on the Google Earth task and they were really engaged and enjoying the task, we recorded in our maths books, as this was simple and best for us. I hope you are able to follow the idea through for your own group of students and using the screenshots create your own Google Earth coordinates activity.