Digital tools, real people.
Events
All the latest news and reflections relating to presentations / workshops I am conducting or attending.
DEECD Innovation Showcase 2011
05 months ago
DEECD Innovation Showcase 2011 - RNPS iPad Trial.
Students from Ringwood North Primary School attended the ‘Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s’ Innovation Showcase last week. Our students worked through a storytelling challenge on the day using their iPads, as well as answer questions from teachers from all over the state of Victoria.
Today at assembly, we shared our experiences with the rest of the school. I was also fortunate to have a number of educators from Carey Grammar (Donvale) who were willing to share their reflections. It always means that little bit more when other people are sharing their thoughts on their work, rather than it always being the regular teachers. Thanks to Mr Raines and Ms Stummer for sharing their reflections.
Please visit our iPad trial website link above to view the movie.
ADE Institute Australia & Slide2Learn Reflections
15 months ago
It seems like a lifetime since my last post. I have learned so much in the past month that I am looking forward to sharing in future posts, but I don’t feel I can start until I discuss the Apple ADE Institute in Sydney and Slide2Learn which was held in Mooloolaba. These events were held one week apart during the second term school holidays.
As a member of the ADE Board, I was fortunate to attend the Apple Distinguished Educator inductions at the Sydney Institute. The Board worked on fortnightly conferences, bringing together a variety of learning experiences for the Class of 2011. It was a fantastic opportunity to work alongside such a talented and dedicated team. Well done to the Board for putting on a great event.
As an educator, the ability to listen to, watch, and spend time with experts in fields other than education is a rare treat. This opportunity has allowed me to walk away with a great insight into what it takes to be seen as an expert in your field, as well as practical tips that I can incorporate and adapt to have a relevant place in my school.
It also provided us with the chance to work in groups on specific projects with like minded educators. I came away inspired, motivated and justified after seeing the way our ‘Challenge Based Learning’ project team approached their tasks. They were willing to stay in the question, take on new viewpoints as well as share their expertise. I am looking forward to viewing the final products that will be appearing on the iTunesU ADE website in the coming months.
I was also honored to be invited to do a keynote presentation on our school’s journey into mobile devices at the Slide2Learn conference. This conference focuses on the use of mobile devices such as iPods, iPhones and iPads as a way of improving outcomes in our school. There was a fantastic variety of presenters, physical and skyped in, as well as a smorgasbord of hands on workshops. Even Tony Vincent was a special guest, having traveled all the way from the USA to share his expertise with mobile movie-making.
For me, the whole concept of Slide2Learn amazes me. In only its second year, you are lucky if you can get a seat! This conference is real, relevant and has been created by teachers, for teachers. I cannot thank Jonathan, Deon, Jenny, Kate, Louise, Tony, and Megan for not only an amazing conference, but the way in which they welcomed me and my family into the fray. I am sure the other attendees have also marveled at the efforts of these talented educators in bringing us such a unique experience. Looking forward to next year…
(The Slide2Learn team in the red t-shirts, the team from University of the Sunshine Coast and a groupie second from left! Visit their website at http://slidetolearn.ning.com/)
Taking the ‘Challenge’ To Texas!
59 months ago
Next week, I, along with 2 other staff members from my school, have the honour of attending Apple’s Challenge Based Learning Project in Dallas, Texas. We have been selected as representatives from Australia to attend the workshop, which is bringing in educators from all over the world to participate in this program.
The program aims to explore the role of Challenge Based Learning with schools collaborating to develop units of work that will be implemented when we resume, and will be reviewed upon completion of the program. Findings of the report will no doubt be shared by Apple via the website and/or iTunes.
This is a a huge privilege for our school, and hopefully reflects the quality work we have been implementing in regards to Challenge Based Learning in conjunction with our 1:1 iPad program for our 130 Years 5/6 students. With so much success in the last few months of the year, I have seen the impact CBL has had on our students as they engage in meaningful tasks that promote curiousity and differentiation.
I look forward to sharing ideas and learning from other enthusiastic educators from other parts of the world on this program, and hopefully updating you on how it is all going.
Stay tuned!
Ed Tech Crew @ Vitta
011 months ago
Darrel and Tony from the EdTech Crew are at it again.
The boys will be streaming live from the VITTA 2010 conference and have created this website to share all the latest news. The conference has some outstanding sessions and the EdTech Crew will no doubt gather some fantastic interviews.
So if you can’t make it to the conference you need to follow along on this website, and if you do attend, it will be a great way to catch up on sessions you may have missed.
Well done and thanks to Darrel and Tony for setting up this forum for everybody to share.
‘Getting Started With iPads’ Professional Learning Session
011 months ago
Everyone is talking about the iPad, its features and how to actually implement it in a school. There are many schools out there looking at the device and considering it for next year, but with the iPad still being in its infancy in education, do you put your schools funds behind it or not?
Ringwood North PS is running a small, relatively informal session on our experience with the iPads on a 1:1 basis and management of 150 devices. We are going to go through the good, the bad and the ugly, discuss options for implementing them in your school as well as look at how our approach to learning has changed, as well as examples of student work.
So if you are interested, or know someone who may be, please print the flyer below and follow the instructions.
**The session is limited to 30 places in order to be of maximum benefit for the participants.
Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association Annual Conference
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The Melbourne Racing Club , Caulfield Racecourse
Mon 29 Nov | Tue 30 Nov |
I am looking forward to presenting one of the Keynote presentations at the annual VITTA conference in Melbourne this year. The conference program looks outstanding and I am very honoured to be speaking with such a talented group educators in attendance I just hope I can string 2 words together and be reasonably coherent!
You can download the guide from their website and register if you have not already.
Looking forward to seeing you there.
Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association Inc. - Keynotes.
