A great place to go for IT PD is Richard Byrne's Lesson Plan Rehab
"Technology alone is not going to rehabilitate our lesson plans. However, when used correctly technology can improve our lesson plans and in turn our students' learning experiences.
The pages in the left-hand column will take you to free technology tools and resources that have been reviewed on Free Technology for Teachers."
Richard Byrne's PD site
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Wordia
Wordia is a free visual, video dictionary. Wordia features a selection of user-submitted and professionally created videos explaining the meaning of a word. .. read the full post at Richard Byrne's Free Technology for Teachers
Monday, September 13, 2010
The child-driven education
Sugata Mitra: The child-driven education
Education scientist Sugata Mitra tackles one of the greatest problems of education -- the best teachers and schools don't exist where they're needed most. In a series of real-life experiments from New Delhi to South Africa to Italy, he gave kids self-supervised access to the web and saw results that could revolutionize how we think about teaching.
Sugata Mitra's "Hole in the Wall" experiments have shown that, in the absence of supervision or formal teaching, children can teach themselves and each other, if they're motivated by curiosity…
Education scientist Sugata Mitra tackles one of the greatest problems of education -- the best teachers and schools don't exist where they're needed most. In a series of real-life experiments from New Delhi to South Africa to Italy, he gave kids self-supervised access to the web and saw results that could revolutionize how we think about teaching.
Sugata Mitra's "Hole in the Wall" experiments have shown that, in the absence of supervision or formal teaching, children can teach themselves and each other, if they're motivated by curiosity…
How the Internet is making us stupid
This provocative article explores the impact of the net on deep thinking and critical thinking skills. What are the implications of this for educators?
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Digital Literacy
'At Google, we support the education of families on how to stay safe online. That's why we've teamed up with online safety organization iKeepSafe to develop curriculum that educators can use in the classroom to teach what it means to be a responsible online citizen.
The curriculum is designed to be interactive, discussion filled and allow students to learn through hands-on and scenario activities. On this site you'll find a resource booklet for both educators and students that can be downloaded in PDF form, presentations to accompany the lesson and animated videos to help frame the conversation.'
Google's Digital Literacy Tour
The curriculum is designed to be interactive, discussion filled and allow students to learn through hands-on and scenario activities. On this site you'll find a resource booklet for both educators and students that can be downloaded in PDF form, presentations to accompany the lesson and animated videos to help frame the conversation.'
Google's Digital Literacy Tour
Monday, September 6, 2010
The networked student model for construction of personal learning environments: balancing teacher control and student autonomy
This entry is from Curriculum Leadership 3 September 2010
Australasian Journal of Educational Technology
Volume 26 Number 3, 2010; Pages 369–385
Wendy Drexler
A model for the introduction of autonomous, networked student learning has been trialled at a K–12 independent school in the USA. This test case involved 15 students spanning the final three years of secondary school. During a nine week unit each student researched a contemporary social issue of their choice using a range of web applications, including RSS alerts, social bookmarking, personal blogs, video conferencing, web searches, podcasts, digital notebooks and a class wiki. Teachers scaffolded this learning experience, providing students with working knowledge of the web applications involved as well as the organisational skills required for independent learning online. Students' capacity to develop and maintain a personal learning environment was assessed through weekly assignments, a rubric-based evaluation at the end of the unit, an essay and a final synthesis of the topic using multimedia. At the end of the semester students were surveyed for their views about the trial. Positive responses were received from 11 students, who valued the unit for the breadth and quality of learning it offered, and saw it as a sound preparation for tertiary study. One negative response referred to the fact that ICT was not 'fun or entertaining' in the school context, while another student noted the difficulty of moving from a traditional to an autonomous model of learning. Students identified time management as the greatest area of difficulty for them, especially time free from normal classes, which students were left to regulate on their own. The researchers concluded that students' success in adapting to autonomous networked learning is likely to depend on their individual levels of motivation, technical aptitude and comfort with self-directed learning. It also depends on the teacher's ability to gauge students' understanding and progress. The unit called on teachers to find a balance between encouraging student autonomy and scaffolding students' experience of a new and challenging learning environment. Generalising this form of learning to other schools would require extensive professional development and 'a philosophy different from that of most current educators'. One of the most useful forms of such professional development would be to apprentice a teacher to a colleague who has already implemented networked learning in a classroom.
View full article free online...
Australasian Journal of Educational Technology
Volume 26 Number 3, 2010; Pages 369–385
Wendy Drexler
A model for the introduction of autonomous, networked student learning has been trialled at a K–12 independent school in the USA. This test case involved 15 students spanning the final three years of secondary school. During a nine week unit each student researched a contemporary social issue of their choice using a range of web applications, including RSS alerts, social bookmarking, personal blogs, video conferencing, web searches, podcasts, digital notebooks and a class wiki. Teachers scaffolded this learning experience, providing students with working knowledge of the web applications involved as well as the organisational skills required for independent learning online. Students' capacity to develop and maintain a personal learning environment was assessed through weekly assignments, a rubric-based evaluation at the end of the unit, an essay and a final synthesis of the topic using multimedia. At the end of the semester students were surveyed for their views about the trial. Positive responses were received from 11 students, who valued the unit for the breadth and quality of learning it offered, and saw it as a sound preparation for tertiary study. One negative response referred to the fact that ICT was not 'fun or entertaining' in the school context, while another student noted the difficulty of moving from a traditional to an autonomous model of learning. Students identified time management as the greatest area of difficulty for them, especially time free from normal classes, which students were left to regulate on their own. The researchers concluded that students' success in adapting to autonomous networked learning is likely to depend on their individual levels of motivation, technical aptitude and comfort with self-directed learning. It also depends on the teacher's ability to gauge students' understanding and progress. The unit called on teachers to find a balance between encouraging student autonomy and scaffolding students' experience of a new and challenging learning environment. Generalising this form of learning to other schools would require extensive professional development and 'a philosophy different from that of most current educators'. One of the most useful forms of such professional development would be to apprentice a teacher to a colleague who has already implemented networked learning in a classroom.
View full article free online...
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Making events, places and buildings more real
BBC Dimensions
Dimensions takes important places, events and things, and overlays them onto a map of where you are. A great way of showing the relative size, eg. the size of the Pakistan flood and Australia, the Colosseam and Geelong.
Dimensions takes important places, events and things, and overlays them onto a map of where you are. A great way of showing the relative size, eg. the size of the Pakistan flood and Australia, the Colosseam and Geelong.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Bridging print and digital texts in the classroom
Bridging print and digital texts in the classroom - National conference for teachers of English and Literacy.
Eduators have increasingly become aware of the need to integrate digital forms of communication into literacy instruction. This paper outlines seven principles for enhancing literacy teaching and learning using digital texts and modalities.
Eduators have increasingly become aware of the need to integrate digital forms of communication into literacy instruction. This paper outlines seven principles for enhancing literacy teaching and learning using digital texts and modalities.
visual learning
Recently I saw an infographic that clearly put the number of 'boat people' arriving in Australia into perspective. Here it is courtesy of Crikey.
So it was timely to read Richard Byrne's latest post about visual learning. He has a link to another terrific TED Talk on data visualisation (18 minutes) as well as links to other relevant posts.
So it was timely to read Richard Byrne's latest post about visual learning. He has a link to another terrific TED Talk on data visualisation (18 minutes) as well as links to other relevant posts.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Wolfram Alpha - Computational Knowledge Engine
Here's a totally new way of searching the net- not a web site to be found. Instead you will gain answers to questions that need some sort of calculation: algebraic formulas, GDP, population, weather, nutritional content of food.... Here's an article about it as well as a short (12 minutes) introductory video as well as the site homepage. ... so what was the weather like in the city on the day you were born?
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Schools and social media
Schools and social media
'The social media covers a wide range of applications including blogging, wikis, online forums, Twitter and Facebook. Most forms of social media are free and are easy to use. By 2009 Australians had become the world's greatest consumers of social media, according to the Nielsen 2010 Social Media Report, but so far schools have been reluctant to participate in this trend. This article explores some of the ways in which schools might use the social media, and the benefits they could bring.'
This article has been adapted from the author's report Why schools are spooked by social media
Results of a survey of Victorian School Principals, published by the sponsor-ed Group June 2010.
UP-date
Curriculum Leadership Journal has included a follow-up article. Click here
by Denis Masseni
'The social media covers a wide range of applications including blogging, wikis, online forums, Twitter and Facebook. Most forms of social media are free and are easy to use. By 2009 Australians had become the world's greatest consumers of social media, according to the Nielsen 2010 Social Media Report, but so far schools have been reluctant to participate in this trend. This article explores some of the ways in which schools might use the social media, and the benefits they could bring.'
This article has been adapted from the author's report Why schools are spooked by social media
Results of a survey of Victorian School Principals, published by the sponsor-ed Group June 2010.
UP-date
Curriculum Leadership Journal has included a follow-up article. Click here
by Denis Masseni
Monday, July 26, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
New Spice, study like a scholar, scholar
Ummm, not sure I have anything to add ... For some reason the vid doesn't always appear till you click the play arrow below ...
Apps for mobile devices
I Education Apps Review
IEAR.org is a community powered review of educational applications for mobile devices ... Read more about this at Richard Byrne's 'Free Technology for Teachers' blog.
IEAR.org is a community powered review of educational applications for mobile devices ... Read more about this at Richard Byrne's 'Free Technology for Teachers' blog.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Writing web content
The 'Yahoo! style guide: writing, editing and creating content for the digital world' has been released. The on-line companion guide has a great deal of useful information including: how to write online content, writing strong titles, how search engines 'read' content and a glossary of words.
Click here for the on-line companion guide
Another useful resource is the 'Digital Journalist Survival Guide: A Glossary of Tech Terms You Should Know' and the most up-to-date version of this glossary is on the Hacks/Hacker website. You can read about this resource here.
Source: The Librarian in Black
Educational uses:
English teachers could use this when exploring different text types. It's also useful for any website users to know how web content is created (e.g. Why do certain pages come up first in a search?). Administrators could use this when creating web content for the school. The glossaries are a gold mine when trying to understand web talk.
Click here for the on-line companion guide
Another useful resource is the 'Digital Journalist Survival Guide: A Glossary of Tech Terms You Should Know' and the most up-to-date version of this glossary is on the Hacks/Hacker website. You can read about this resource here.
Source: The Librarian in Black
Educational uses:
English teachers could use this when exploring different text types. It's also useful for any website users to know how web content is created (e.g. Why do certain pages come up first in a search?). Administrators could use this when creating web content for the school. The glossaries are a gold mine when trying to understand web talk.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Embedding digital curriculum resources
'Enhancing Teachers’ Take-up of Digital Content: Factors and Design Principles in Technology Adoption'
by Professor Michael Gaffney, Education Services Australia
This research was designed to find out what works in helping teachers embed digital curriculum resources into their teaching practice.
Click here for the Report
by Professor Michael Gaffney, Education Services Australia
This research was designed to find out what works in helping teachers embed digital curriculum resources into their teaching practice.
Click here for the Report
Friday, July 16, 2010
Student blogging
This is an interesting read, including the accompanying comments, for those of you who are thinking about blogging.
What you wanted to know about student blogging
What you wanted to know about student blogging
Inquiry based learning
This article describes the introduction of a middle years IBL program at Matthew Flinders High School and its development over three years, focusing in particular on the impact of the IBL on the professional learning experiences of the school's middle years team.
Inquiry based learning
Inquiry based learning
Monday, July 12, 2010
TED Talks
Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world. Here's the homepage:
TED: ideas worth spreading
Sir Ken Robinson's talk about the importance of creativity in education: dance like no one is watching.
Do schools kill creativity?
Interview with Sir Ken Robinson: Huckabee - Sir Ken Robinson, Author of The Element (01-31-2009)
Ken Robinson has written numerous books, most recently "The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything." This talk explores ways to connect peoples' natural aptitudes with their personal passions to achieve at their highest levels in education and business.
Sir Ken Robinson, Hammer Lectures
TED: ideas worth spreading
Sir Ken Robinson's talk about the importance of creativity in education: dance like no one is watching.
Do schools kill creativity?
Interview with Sir Ken Robinson: Huckabee - Sir Ken Robinson, Author of The Element (01-31-2009)
Ken Robinson has written numerous books, most recently "The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything." This talk explores ways to connect peoples' natural aptitudes with their personal passions to achieve at their highest levels in education and business.
Sir Ken Robinson, Hammer Lectures
Friday, June 25, 2010
Paul McLoughlan - Marian College Ararat
Contained below are the links that Paul McLoughlin presented at a staff meeting.
Classtools.net http://www.classtools.net/
Google Docs http://docs.google.com/
Wallwisher http://www.wallwisher.com/
Ning http://www.ning.com/
A Ning for teachers http://www.classroom20.com/
Posterous http://www.posterous.com/
Mindmaps http://www.text2mindmap.com/
Screencasts http://www.screenjelly.com/
File storage (links to itunes 'dropcast') http://drop.io/
QR Code generator http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
A great Blog http://mrrobbo.wordpress.com/
Other Teacher blogs
http://edublogawards.com/2009/best-teacher-edublog-2009
Wiki http://www.wetpaint.com/
Example of a wiki http://mariancollegepe.wetpaint.com/
Easi-speak microphonem http://itmadesimple.com/product_info.php?products_id=97
Tech tools for teachers newsletter http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEREZ3JkNVktU3BPUUxOVW9WYXBYVEE6MA
Maths & Science video tutorials http://www.khanacademy.org/
My Bookmarked websites (about 250) http://delicious.com/pmcloughlan
Classtools.net http://www.classtools.net/
Google Docs http://docs.google.com/
Wallwisher http://www.wallwisher.com/
Ning http://www.ning.com/
A Ning for teachers http://www.classroom20.com/
Posterous http://www.posterous.com/
Mindmaps http://www.text2mindmap.com/
Screencasts http://www.screenjelly.com/
File storage (links to itunes 'dropcast') http://drop.io/
QR Code generator http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
A great Blog http://mrrobbo.wordpress.com/
Other Teacher blogs
http://edublogawards.com/2009/best-teacher-edublog-2009
Wiki http://www.wetpaint.com/
Example of a wiki http://mariancollegepe.wetpaint.com/
Easi-speak microphonem http://itmadesimple.com/product_info.php?products_id=97
Tech tools for teachers newsletter http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEREZ3JkNVktU3BPUUxOVW9WYXBYVEE6MA
Maths & Science video tutorials http://www.khanacademy.org/
My Bookmarked websites (about 250) http://delicious.com/pmcloughlan
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
New technologies rewiring the brain?
Hooked on gadgets, and paying a mental price
Scientists say juggling e-mail, phone calls and other incoming information can change how people think and behave. They say our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information. Try some of the tests yourself to see how well you cope with multi-tasking.
Technology's toll: impatience and forgetfulness
Some experts believe excessive use of the Internet, cellphones and other technologies can cause us to become more impatient, impulsive, forgetful and even more narcissistic.
Your brain on computers
While most Americans say devices like smartphones, cellphones and personal computers have made their lives better and their jobs easier, some say they have been intrusive, increased their levels of stress and made it difficult to concentrate.
Scientists say juggling e-mail, phone calls and other incoming information can change how people think and behave. They say our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information. Try some of the tests yourself to see how well you cope with multi-tasking.
Technology's toll: impatience and forgetfulness
Some experts believe excessive use of the Internet, cellphones and other technologies can cause us to become more impatient, impulsive, forgetful and even more narcissistic.
Your brain on computers
While most Americans say devices like smartphones, cellphones and personal computers have made their lives better and their jobs easier, some say they have been intrusive, increased their levels of stress and made it difficult to concentrate.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
digital textbooks discussion group
Some of the teaching and learning issues relating to using digital books, including textbooks, are being discussed in the edna discussion Group e-books in teaching and learning. You will find a considerable number of resources there in the forum discussions.
Not everyone ready for digital textbook revolution
Not everyone ready for the digital textbook revolution
E-school News
Seven in 10 students still prefer printed textbooks over eBooks, according to recent research.
Don’t let the iPhones and BlackBerries fool you: Research and a recent pilot program that put eReaders in U. S. A. college students’ hands suggest that most students aren’t ready to read their textbooks electronically, despite the proliferation of internet-ready mobile devices on campuses nationwide.
E-school News
Seven in 10 students still prefer printed textbooks over eBooks, according to recent research.
Don’t let the iPhones and BlackBerries fool you: Research and a recent pilot program that put eReaders in U. S. A. college students’ hands suggest that most students aren’t ready to read their textbooks electronically, despite the proliferation of internet-ready mobile devices on campuses nationwide.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
iPads in schools
There has been a bit of talk about the use of iPads in schools. I found this blog post and the added comments an interesting addition to the conversation.
Free Technology for Teachers
Free Technology for Teachers
text books
On-line textbooks don't have to be static. Flat World Knowledge not only provides text books on-line but also enables users to customise them: an alternative to developing a text book from scratch.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Multi modal literacy
Helping teachers to explore multimodal texts
Michele Anstey, Geoff Bull
Curriculum Leadership Vol 8 (16) June 4 2010
Current definitions of literacy frequently refer to multimedia and multimodal texts, and there are references to such materials throughout the draft version of the new national English curriculum. It is therefore timely to consider how teachers can become familiar with and confident in their use of multimodal texts in the classroom. The authors identify areas of professional learning of particular value for integrating multimodal texts into classroom practice, and suggest ways to introduce professional learning in schools.
http://cmslive.curriculum.edu.au/leader/default.asp?id=31522&issueID=12141
Michele Anstey, Geoff Bull
Curriculum Leadership Vol 8 (16) June 4 2010
Current definitions of literacy frequently refer to multimedia and multimodal texts, and there are references to such materials throughout the draft version of the new national English curriculum. It is therefore timely to consider how teachers can become familiar with and confident in their use of multimodal texts in the classroom. The authors identify areas of professional learning of particular value for integrating multimodal texts into classroom practice, and suggest ways to introduce professional learning in schools.
http://cmslive.curriculum.edu.au/leader/default.asp?id=31522&issueID=12141
Friday, June 4, 2010
Maths textbooks
Lately, I've been thinking about digital/on-line textbooks and what they might look like. While this clip explores maths textbooks, many of the principles he covers could apply to any text book, especially the idea of creating a wiki text book.
(If you double click on the video, it'll take you straight to YouTube to watch it in full screen.)
Dan Meyer analyses the way most maths text books work and shows how these can be detrimental to creating patient, persistent learners. Take 12 minutes to watch it . What would your ideal text book look like?
TEDxTalks — April 12, 2010 — Dan Meyer teaches high school math outside of Santa Cruz, CA, and explores the intersection of math instruction, multimedia, and inquiry-based learning. He received his Masters of Arts from the University of California at Davis in 2005 and Cable in the Classroom's Leader in Learning award in 2008. He currently works for Google as a curriculum fellow and lives with his wife in Santa Cruz, CA.
(If you double click on the video, it'll take you straight to YouTube to watch it in full screen.)
Dan Meyer analyses the way most maths text books work and shows how these can be detrimental to creating patient, persistent learners. Take 12 minutes to watch it . What would your ideal text book look like?
TEDxTalks — April 12, 2010 — Dan Meyer teaches high school math outside of Santa Cruz, CA, and explores the intersection of math instruction, multimedia, and inquiry-based learning. He received his Masters of Arts from the University of California at Davis in 2005 and Cable in the Classroom's Leader in Learning award in 2008. He currently works for Google as a curriculum fellow and lives with his wife in Santa Cruz, CA.
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