Christmas came early today. . .

[Vicki Hagenaars]

My class had the great privilege of unpacking 56 of the 70 new laptops we have leased to replace the dated and clunky desktops.  Several commented that it was almost like Christmas as we were unwrapping and unpacking for a good 40 minutes.  The Tech could only fit that number in his car to come from Palmerston North so we get to do it again timorrow on a smaller scale with the remaining 14. 

It is a step in the direction of each Cluster of 5 classes having a number of laptops available to be distributed as they decide over the course of the week.  No more timetabling of the Computer Suite, greater access to mobile technology and, hopefully, wise use of the also-new Wireless system that was put through the school in the last holidays.

These will be followed by more in March as our original lease of Netbooks and the COW trolleys to transport them runs out.  Looking forward to seeing the challenges and changes this will bring to the way we teach our classes.

Topping this wonderful time off was the discovery of the method I can use to flip my class.  I actually had it all the time and need to thank the 'Smartboard Queen' Adele for showing me!  I have an Activboard which has the ability to record the lessons as I want to teach them.  The best bit is you get to do over if there is a whoops - not something you get in front of the live audience!

I was able to introduce the teachers in our Cluster to Storybird during our meeting with lots of ideas buzzing about how we can be using this with our less-than-enthusiastic writers.  I also shared the updated version of 'Did You Know' - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmwwrGV_aiE&feature=fvwrel  Thought provoking in itself!

To add the extra icing to our week we have revisited our class Blog which has not been very well nurtured in the race to get Science Fair, Speeches and the timetabled hockey lessons through.  We discovered a class in Cardiff had visited us and asked if we can be Blog Buddies.  Great!  Collaboration here we come!  Another incentive to keep the Blog more up-to-date was the over 400 hits we have had in less than a month from a huge range of countries across the world.  There were some incredulous students sitting there gobsmacked as it dawned on them.

Our week will close with us participating as a speaking school tomorrow morning for the South Pacific Expedition field trip through LEARNZ.  We will question Andrew and some of the students to discover more about their time away in the Kermadecs as they sail back to New Zealand aboard the HMNZS Canterbury.  Andrew also has our class ambassador, Poseidon, in his care.  My class have spent the week following his adventures with enthusiasm and laughter.  We have already had questions asked about how he will have changed when he arrives back to us.  The funniest thing to bear in mind is that these are Intermediate age students!

I guess we have had an absolutely digi-busy week!

[Clarence Yates]

An absolutely digi-busy week! Now this really sums it up what is happening in your classroom Vicki. All that learning taking place, the sharing from inside your walls in the class room to way beyond and in fact to the opposite side of the world from Cardiff to on board the HMNZS Canterbury. Your students are on what you might call a virtual holiday that is all about learning. Yes they well I assume are digital natives however, you are providing the opportunities for them to go on this holiday and as with any holiday that we remember it had to be enjoyable, full of discovery and challenges with a feeling always of feeling safe. This is what I can see happening in your class room with your students.However as with all good holidays there has to be meticulous planning and you have shown that as well as the most important focus on the pedagogy you have got the physical systems set up and running. This is so important to prevent frustration and to un-motivate students as many of us can think about our flights been delayed or cancelled due to some problem.  The best bit is you get to do over if there is a whoops - not something you get in front of the live audience! Why not just leave it there and let the students pickup on the whoops-lead to great discussion and also to see that the teacher is also a learner. Model that it is only a mistake if not corrected and the students will lose that fear and have a go especially our least confident students. Ask Barry what he is doing with video and the learning based around this simple yet highly effective tool with students. It might be a way to engage your reluctant writers how I ma not sure but there is potential here. I can see it aligning with the use of Voice Thread and now while I am on it your Activboard. I left the best for the last "There were some incredulous students sitting there gobsmacked as it dawned on them." This says it all Vicky.

 

[Vicki Hagenaars]

Thanks Merryn!  I now have some fantastic ways to use this link.  The collaboration aspect is not something I have much experience with so thanks for the awesome ideas!  Had wondered about some Voicethread photo sharing activities giving the photo as the motivation for question and answer.  Will email the teacher back over the weekend and begin the whole discussion of where to. 

Am looking into quadblogging also.  This is something I hadn't heard of until my cousin in Timaru - also a teacher - asked why we weren't involved!  How you find out about things. . .

[Merryn Dunmill]

Wow. How exciting Vicki on all fronts! Really keen to hear more about the collaboration with the class in Cardiff. What a coup to have so many international hits on your class Blog. Having the students collaborate on a project would be absolutely awesome. Even the initial collaborative process to get a project/topic that everyone agrees on would be stimulating and rewarding for all concerned. Then the shared learning, producing, evaluating, refining processes....love it! I wonder if Storybird could be the conduit to a shared project - Building the story with different cultural perspectives, shared art and writing, editing and publishing...multi-media options, YouTube versions of the students reading/presenting their work (different accents, a range of reo?).....

[Vicki Hagenaars]

Hi Melvin

I have no idea of the cost as the Principal has negotiated that and he is currently winging his way to Sydney for the Bledisloe Cup match:P  We have leased through TTS (formerly Edtech) for a 3 year period.  I can check on prices for you on Monday.  We are a Decile 4 I think.

[melvin din]

Good morning Vicki

Any idea about the lease terms/ costs please. I am keen. I am in a decile 1A.