Principal's Blog

Leading the learning of ICT

2010-04-14T00:44:00.000-07:00

Progress over the past year in developing ICT in the school has been pleasing. Having time over the recent holiday to reflect on the changes has identified several key aspects to bringing about change. Below are some tips from my own experience.
1. Do your homework. Assess where the need is in your school.
2. Talk to your staff. Assess their readiness to embrace and learn new technologies.
3. Research the hardware available. Keep an open mind about the best solutions.
4. Visit schools that are further down the track. Ask to see their best users of ICT technology in action and then see their beginners too.
5. Write an action plan. Cost it.
6. Share the vision with as many people as possible - teachers, BOT, parents
7. Take teachers and BOT to see the technology in action.
8. Buy two pieces of the same kit. Have your teachers learn together.
9. Model some IT learning yourself, a G & T group for example. Present the learning to staff and other children.
10.Once embedded use the technology to present at Board meeting, staff meetings, parents meetings, assemblies etc. Make other people want to use it.

Sitech Champions School Conference 2010

2010-04-14T00:16:00.000-07:00

This years Sitech Champions School Conference held in Wellington was excellent value for money and provided a huge variety of learning opportunities for teachers and leaders looking to develop and maximise their use of Interactive Whiteboard technology.
Breathe Technology (the educational training arm of Sitech Systems - follow the link) provided a range of workshops that catered for all levels of experience but it was the atmosphere of sharing and learning from each other that helped to underline the fact that we are all learners when it comes to ICT. The workshops were full of practical tips and not too large to enable questions, conversations and discussions. Hands on experiences were given to all delegates where possible.
Two teachers from school presented at the conference and the experience has certainly proved positive for them both. Being asked to present after only 6 months of IWB usage was a testament to their hard work and skills as teachers. However the gains in learning from the other delegates has also proved very worthwhile and has already impacted on their classroom practice.

Shannon's Photo Story

2009-11-11T22:27:00.000-08:00

Shannon gave this project a lot of careful thought. In selecting and framing her photos she showed not only considerable flair for visual liteacy but also a depth of thinking that we can all aspire to.

Laticia's Photos of the KC's in action

2009-11-11T22:07:00.000-08:00

The subject that Laticia has chosen for her study is another member of her class. There is clear evidence of 'Participating and contributing' in these great images.

Ms O. Images by Kimberley

2009-11-11T21:49:00.000-08:00

This is the outcome of Kimberley's photo assignment. What I like about this is the way in which Kimberley has played with the images to make a variety of styled photos. Kimberley quickly grasped the power of Picasa to help her take some risks with her editing.

Great images to display our school values

2009-11-09T01:18:00.000-08:00

Scott has used the subject of an oak tree to demonstrate our Key Competencies. The oak tree has iconic status at our school. Planted in 1964 as a memorial to it is in a dominant position outside the school office. Often used as a meeting point for the children, the tree acts as a witness to the day to day happenings at Puketapu School.

Key Competencies and Digital Photography

2009-11-09T00:06:00.000-08:00

I am a great advocate of the New Zealnd revised curriculum. The key competencies are the foundation for preparing our 21st century children for a 21st century where the rate of change is exponential. At Puketapu School I believe that the key competencies are visible in the classroom, in relationships and at playtime. What I was a little unsure of was how explicit we were in teaching and talking about these competencies. Always looking for a way to do things smarter, I wanted to integrate the promotion of ICT and a natural forum to promote class blog sites. To do this I promoted a scheme of work where a group of gifted and talented children worked with me for one afternoon per week to develop a blog which we could use as a platform to exhibit the key competencies through the use of digital photograpy. I was ably assisted by a parent who works as a professional photographer and I think the results speak for themselves. Check out these outstanding pieces of work.

Stop Motion

2009-08-31T02:36:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago a member of staff was discussing with me what the direction of her inquiry topic would look like this term. When we got around to what the students would produce as a way of sharing their learning she mentioned that she would like to produce a "Stop Motion Movie". Intrigued by the idea and always looking for opportunities to enhance our ICT skills and knowledge, I was happy to send her on a half day professional developemt course to learn how to make a movie. Since then I have been looking at a couple of 'stop motion movies' on YouTube. The following movie is also posted on Educating the Dragon blog spot - see my blog list - by the very person who led the professional development. This movie is very clever and I'm looking forward to what the Room 8 students will be able to produce. I hope you enjoy and appreciate it as much as I did.

Using Picasa 3

2009-08-31T01:50:00.000-07:00

This photo of Puketapu School was edited and uploaded using Picasa 3. I have recently been introduced to this photo editing software by Shayne Jeffares who has been supporting an extension group for pupils who have an aptitude in the visual arts. Picasa is a software download from Google that helps you organize, edit, and share your photos. It's free, and easy to use. As the advertising blurb says, 'Using Picasa and Picasa Web Albums together, you can now organize, edit, and upload your photos to the web from your computer in quick, simple steps. Arrange your photos into folders and albums and erase their blemishes using powerful editing tools in Picasa. Then use Picasa Web Albums to share those perfected photos online with family, friends, and the world.'
The point is that this software is easy to use. The guides are detailed and yet written in plain language that even us digital novices can follow.

The Future Today

2009-08-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

'We want our students to be engaged and active participants in their learning and it will be our goal to provide authentic and relevant learning contexts.' So says
Joan Middlemiss, Principal of Mission Heights School.
My visit at 2.30pm on a Friday afternoon was certainly going to test how 'engaged' the pupils were. What I saw was nothing short of astounding. All key competencies were highly visible in the way in which the pupils were going about their learning. Working at individual screens or collaborating in groups around interactive table top technology run through 'e Beam', the atmosphere was calm and productive. Students spoke articulately about the process of learning as well as the content. They were able to express the reasons why they were doing certain things and could articulate what the finished product should look like.
Students benefit from the state of the art facilities and resources but it would have been too easy for Joan and Veena Vohra (Primary Principal)to purchase existing technologies and formats. They have started with a vision of learning and then through energy, tenacity, and an unwillingness to compomise their philosophy, have found the technologies that will support and enhance their ideals. A Linux infrastructure, open source, use of Moodle in a windows free environment has resulted in this being an almost paper free school.
Upon arrival at the school a colleague commented that it 'looked like an airport'.
The analogy was not far from the truth. Everyone had a purpose and a clear direction, they were using the most modern technologies to get there and they were facing the journey with a sense of excitment.

http://tvnz.co.nz/close-up/wired-future-2891200/video

Fun For Fifty Bucks

2009-07-29T02:27:00.000-07:00

I've recently bought a couple of cheap webcams at $50 each. I've been startled by the interest that this simple gadget has created and the fun and learning that have come out of them. Coupled with a SKYPE connection I can be in my office but in touch with the learning around the school. The pupils love to Skype in to me and show me their work through the fantastic quality of the webcams. Impromptu learnng situations, a teacher or pupil success or merely a friendly hello from the Principal on a Monday morning have been received with great enthusiasm. This week I had a pupil in my office for a Milo as a reward. We Skyped back to his class to share the moment with them - we all feel more connected. And just $50.
What other educational uses for Skype have people been using

The Cost of ICT

2009-07-20T02:05:00.000-07:00

For a decile 9 school, funding for resources like ICTs is always a struggle. In the past it has only been through the generosity and hard work of the parents that has enabled expensive equipment to be bought. Unfortunately in the recent economic climate it has become increasingly difficult to raise funds that would enable us to develop our ICT infrastructure.
So what are the alternatives?
Leasing is always an option and makes sound financial sense when depreciation and replacement are taken in to account. However the cost remains the same and the money must still come from somewhere.
A local school recently received $30000 from Charity grants. Well done them. However this is a finite, contestable pool of money. Our own application (modest by comparison) was unsuccessful.
I am now looking to technology to supply the answers. In issue 17 of Interface magazine I was interested to read about eBeam. This piece of kit can apparently turn a normal whiteboard in to an interactive whiteboard for around $1200. Has anyone any experience of this solution?
I am also interested in exploring the use of mobile phones in the classroom. Many phones have internet access and can link to PCs. Is this a cheaper alternative than a set of notebooks?
I would be interested to know of imaginative ideas and solutions that will enable us to push forward with the development of ICTs at a cost we can afford.

Inquiry Learning and ICT

2009-06-27T16:04:00.000-07:00

Inquiry is a theme and direction in the New Zealand Curriculum connecting our school Vision, Values, Key Competencies and Principles. Teaching through inquiry integrates multiple literacies including ICT, learning how to learn and life-long learning across the curriculum. Research suggests that this approach promotes students learning in a vibrant school learning community.
At the moment teachers are building knowledge on how to plan, teach and assess a staged inquiry process.
Some ICT applications lend themselves particularly well to inquiry learning. These include, information and learning experience resources available through the internet, data gathering and analysis tools and the use of ICTs for recording and presentation. Our students need to be taught how to use these tools effectively.
I've recently read an interview with Jamie McKenzie called 'Avoiding the screen savers disease" which discusses the need to explicitly teach children to be researchers. Have a look at:

http://www.4teachers.org/keynotes/mckenzie/index.shtml

Interactive Whiteboards

2009-06-16T01:47:00.000-07:00

Since the installation of our interactive whiteboards I've been searching the web for sites that will support our learning and inspire us to get the most out of this fantastic tool. Check out this great website for everything you wish to know about IWBs.

Learning with ICT

2009-06-16T01:26:00.000-07:00

During our recent speech competition it was interesting to note how many references were made to the use of ICT. Videos, TV, MP3 players, Google and cell phones all featured in speeches on various subjects but not one was about technology. It underlined for me how technologies are integrated in to the lives of young people. No longer is the 'chalk and talk' model of teaching acceptable. Teaching is becoming more and more interactive, involving the learners actively and creatively with both teacher and learner using a range of presentation tools. After only a few days presentations and learning tools on the interactive whiteboards are already captivating the students and that can only be a good thing.
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Digital Natives

2009-06-03T02:34:00.000-07:00

More and more frequently we hear that 'children today are wired differently than us'. This is usually said in reference to their ability to use computer, cell phone, or iPod more quickly and effectively than the adults. Who has a better understanding of the video remote in your house?The old saying of 'you can't do two things at once' is clearly no longer true. Watch teenagers today and they can text, listen to music, network on a social website and write an assignment all at the same time. Reading left to right in a zig-zag pattern down the page is a skill that is soon superceded by the ability to read scrolling text entering a screen from many different directions. Kids today are wired differently. View this video from Youtube to help us to begin to understand the world that our children are growing up in. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8

Welcome

2009-06-03T01:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my first Principal's Blog. This is the beginning of a personal journey in using information communication technologies (ICTs) to engage students in their learning. My long term goal is that ICTs are integrated in to our curriculum and that we all have sufficient knowledge and capacity to support our students and learn alongside them.
ICT is a fast changing world, sometimes baffling, sometimes frustrating, sometimes overwhelming but always exciting. The pupils at school are often more familiar with the use of ICTs than the adults around them. As people interested in their future we need to be able to embrace the technologies and use them effectively as a tool to aid their learning.
As the lead learner in our school I think it is important to lead by example. I will therefore be slowly building my knowledge of ICT, making a few mistakes and learning some new skills. It is my intention to keep you informed of my progress through this Blog. Please get involved and help to develop our Puketapu learning community beyond the classroom.