iMpressed with iMotion

I haven’t been on here for a while, like you I have been super busy with assignments and all that jazz but I have been keeping my eyes and ears peeled for technologies to use in the classroom.

As I was procrastinating the other day, (on Facebook) I happened to come across a blog from Miss Sarah who shared what she had been teaching in year one science using the free app iMotion. This is available to use on both iPhones and iPads. iMotion is a time-lapse and stop motion app for iOS, in which you take pictures, edit your movie and export videos to your device or straight to Youtube. This app can aid in key learning area integration, using Time-lapse cinematography techniques to accelerate movements. Also kids love creating, using any medium that time permits and then transferring these to a movie…how cool is that.

This is definitely something I would love to utilize in my teaching career…how about you?

Starting from SCRATCH or, SCRATCH that, let’s start again!

So, for a last minute exercise in EDP4130, we were asked to complete an introductory  course in SCRATCH; a programming language and online community where you can create your own interactive stories, games and animation.

It seems easy to manoeuvre around, as long as you read or listen to the tutorials and are not hard pressed for time. This is something I will need to revisit because on my first attempt, I really thought that it was wasting my time, but then I saw the square that I had produced through the simple commands I had given my avatar and hence my curiosity was piqued. I decided to head to YouTube to see what others had decided to post and there were quite an array of ideas…My favourite is by far the Ghostbusters tutorial/game. But I guess its not all about gaming, actually it is, but you control the context and as you can see here, there are many other activities available to you, all you need is imagination!

Yep, there it is, quite easy when you have the coordination’s and the know-how. Now onto the pentagon!!!

Task 1 Database

The following forms a brief detail regarding my planned resources for my major assignment in EDP4130 and any feedback will be appreciated as it will form part of my PLN.

Resource 1:

Design and Technologies Knowledge and Understanding (ACTDEK004): Explore the characteristics and properties of materials and components that are used to produce designed solution.

The first resource entails a website created for Foundation years educators in order to teach the learning area of Technology. This will integrate Science and will form part of a ten week unit plan in which students explore daily and seasonal changes in the local environment, forming an understanding that weather conditions are not the same for everyone. This website will focus on two lesson which form part of the Design and Technology Strand (ACTDEK004) with Chemical Sciences (ACSSU003), hosting a multitude of resources to cater for individual learning needs, and offering differentiation tips.

Resource Two

Digital Technologies Knowledge and Understanding (ACTDIK001): Identify, use and explore digital systems(hardware and software components) for a purpose.

Digital Technologies Knowledge and Understanding  (ACTDIP003): Collect, explore and sort data and use digital systems to present the data creatively.

The second resource found under the Digital Technology button will house my second resource, also used as a piece of assessment. Keeping true to the form of inquiry, student’s will create/design an animal shelter that will house them from all kinds of weather.

Upon completion, students will use an iPad to take each other’s pictures of their peers with their shelter and upload them onto a visualization and word software such as Book Creator (Red Jumper, 2015). This  will allow flexibility, creativity and differentiation through its functions.

Pressing this red button will take you to my website

Back again…so soon!

Back again….

Maggie’s back….

Tell a friend…or two.

Yep, here I am re-blogging again but this time for a different subject, EDP4130: Technology Curriculum and Pedagogy. This subject is my second last practicum subject, BUT I am taking it with two other subjects; an elective and my internship! So who’s the crazy one! Yep…me.

Anyhoo, the blogs I now create will aid in the development of my major as Project and Report, but I will also be blogging about tools of the trade or resources I will use for this major assignment.

Also, keep a look out as I inquire into the issue of coal seam gas, something I know little of!

Not waving, drowning…or I got me the study blues!

Way back when, at the beginning of this course, I talked about Task Environment Skills Tools (TEST Framework) in which we were asked to select a problem and implement a solution. With prac well and truly dusted for this semester I have before me, not a yellow brick road full of hope and adventure, but rather a dark gloomy downward spiral of obstacles along the road. Those obstacles are in the form of assignments, quizzes and exams! Kate also blogged about Almost at the end, offering insight about how we can keep clam and ENJOY (!) the study process. Of course planning is important…we all KNOW this, yet…every semester towards the end I leave it all to the last minute, cramming furiously, dreaming of pedagogies and histories in my sleep, running madly on the treadmill as I attempt to lose all the weight in one running as I haven’t ran in 3 weeks, and living on countless cups of coffee. This of course leads me into the next 2 points  of physical activity to help the brain relax (yeah right), and proper nutrition (eating is nutritional, not eating…now that’s another matter). The next point it offers it to find some rest…well my husband heads to bed earlier then me in an attempt to get some zees in before I bring my horse and suck the air out of the room each night…furthermore I tend to talk in my sleep (all incomprehensible).

If you want to learn more click here, if you want to read a poem by Stevie Smith titled Not Waving but Drowning, click here…And if you want to hear a great song by Armitage Shanks, then click here.

Kate, you can do it, you can do it, you can do it…just like me.

Live long and prosper,

Mags

Supreme being? no just an Avatar

The use of Avatar’s are a great way to capture the imagination of students as they are introduced to objectives of lessons. I have used these within my Questgarden assignment last year as a way to engage students and prepare them for the learning ahead.  Tammy used an avatar as a way of introducing herself to the prep class where she was doing her prac in and she is a big fan of them now.

In particular, her choice was using voki which I myself have also used with much success and at this stage I have about 30 avatars ranging from animals to digi, with all forms of moving backdrops.

This could be incorporated into any lesson as students use these avatars as communication and comprehension in any of the key learning areas.

I have found these really user friendly and I’m sure students would find these easy eough to use as well, particularly the older students and even those from ESL backgrounds.

Thanks Tammy for posting about voki, I had forgotten what a great tool it is in the classroom.

Mags

Curiouser and curiouser…

Trawling through the reader and became curious about a blog posted my Study mum about a new classroom management tool called Bouncy Balls. Well, naturally my curiosity was peaked as I clicked onto her hyperlink , whooshing me through to a screen showing various sizes of coloured balls. I played around, choosing the emoticons, eyeballs (my favourite), plastic and bubbles (another great one) turned my microphone on and proceeded to whoop and cooey and carry on. The children of the house came running in to see what the commotion was all about, only to realise it was just mum trying out a new site in which the balls move to the sounds and depending on the veracity of the sound, depends how vigorous the balls move. Now they just jump about even when I am typing, which I actually find quite cool.

Now I didn’t use this on my prac, and I’m not too sure whether I would want to, because if those kids are anything like me (and trust me when I say that quite a few were), then they would want to make noise just to see it move.

Regardless, I still think it is great, and will look at utilising this into my next prac. Thank you Study mum, it really is great fun!

Mags

practic…UM… (reflections)

 

 

 

There has been much angst regarding other peoples pracs, some people have been in tears, second guessing their choice of careers, whilst some have had the best time of their lives (prac lives that is).

Amy replied to a fellow students blog regarding reflections on teaching, which made me pause and wonder about if I feel as though I am on the right track. I must admit that all of my pracs have been quite daunting, but I put this down to content knowledge and I don’t tend to beat myself up about it too much. What my main aim whilst on prac is to do is create a good rapport with the students, embedding behavioural management right from the start. Having said this, the only way I believe you can do this is by teaching , and I don’t mean snippets here and there, rather that you throw yourself in and take over. I am lucky that this prac and the last saw me do just that, and even though it was daunting, I was able to connect on a deeper level with not only the children, but the content as well, as I could moderate the content when required. This also allows me to learn what works and what doesnt, and even though each class is different hence each teaching episode will be different, the main thing is  that one cannot teach from the chair. Rather one needs to be hands on, listening, talking, asking questions, laughing, and being serious.

As for ICT use in this prac, I had to think outside the box…the computer box that is and use other means of interactive communication technologies, like the camera and stop watch and the whiteboard (not interactive though). During my last prac I was able to book the laptops for cramming sessions of ICT which were poorly developed and rushed, but still a great learning curve which I will talk about in my assessment.

Love my pracs, and even though I don’t receive presents or fuzzies, when those kids see me downtown, they always say g’day Mrs Johnson. What more could I ask for?

mags

enCOMPASSing maths!

Following on from Alsuphs blog on a maths website she came across, I thought I would share with you this website about the use of compasses. I was lucky enough to have done the whole teaching load for weeks 2 and 3, requiring me to not only lesson plan (very simply mind you) but moderate and gather resources and equipment. One of the activities required us to use a compass for direction, in which I found a class set of compasses and after using a fellow student to discuss how he uses a compass whilst orienteering . The kids were very excited, but there was more to come as I divided the children up into groups of 4, gave them each a compass and directions encompassing north south east west, and paces. We headed out to the oval and I went through the motions of the most important thing to remember is as we turn, we must also turn the dial so that the north hand faces north.

I am glad to say that the kids loved it, wanting me to next time make up a treasure hunt. Unfortunately time was of the essence, but here is a great website that allows you to upload a map of the school and place directions into it, then print it out for treasure hunting.  

Curses to the C2C timeframe!

Mad mags

Say Cheese…or Monkey…

As I was trawling through the myriad of blogs, I came across this one of particular interest that involves photography. Found on Steve’s blog, it shows some absolutely beautiful photos of things of old! This isn’t people but rather is of things, well organisms by a great artist Rachel Sussman. In the classroom that I am attending my practicum, we are looking at photography in which the year four students take a series of photo’s and choose their three best ones to showcase. My teacher will be presenting a year four art gallery for other students and teachers to walk through and possible vote for their favourite, in which I will be back to cast a vote. This site will allow me to show to the students how nature can provide for us the muse for as you peruse through these beautiful photos, I’m sure you too will be amazed and astounded by the crispness and absolute beauty of it all.

Anyway, time to email this to my mentor,

Catch you later,

Mags