Battle Of The Adverts 1 V 1

We have been doing a unit on Consumerism for the past few weeks and this is the final product from a Year 9 Class.

The Brief

1. Make a 30 sec video 'selling' a future focused positive consumer behaviour.
2. The best two from the class will be posted on You Tube to compete for the most views.

Tell us in the comments which is your favourite.

Reduce Reuse Recycle

Save Power Turn Of The Lights

Student Perspective on iPads in the Classroom

What does using iPad in the classroom look like for students?

Here is a 1 min clip from a Year 9 students perspective. From a class with 1:1 iPads.  

Pros

• Internet access
• Sharing
• Essay and Document Writing
• Make Presentations 
• Make Music
• Holds Personal Communication like email
• Great to have our own in class

Cons

• Expensive
• Damage to screens
• Doesn't work with slow/intermittent wifi

iPad Success! 1 on 1 Student Advert Comp

We have been doing a unit on Consumerism for the past few weeks and this is the final product from a Year 9 Class.

The Brief

1. Make a 30 sec video 'selling' a future focused positive consumer behaviour.
2. The best two from the class will be posted on You Tube to compete for the most views.

Tell us in the comments which is your favourite.

Get A Bike

Hang Your Washing

How to Fast Track Collaboration

Collaboration is an integral part of teaching and learning for the 21st Century.  True collaboration is a process and begins when we meet people.  The stronger the foundations of the relationships we develop the better our collaboration will be.

The best way to develop strong foundations is by learning and using peoples names surprisingly fast. So fast that they get taken aback, look at you twice, then smile and feel valued.

This short activity has the bonuses of getting people active and the blood flowing with a bit of fun while you learn everyones names.

Splat

Objective
Be the last one Standing

Game Play

1. The group stand in a circle arm length apart.
   
2. One person stands in the middle, the King or Queen Splatter.
3. To Splat someone you need to hold your hand towards a person palm out and yell "Splat insert name" (insert the real name of the person you are pointing at).
4. The King or Queen always starts by looking around the circle and splatting someone.
5. That person (the one that got Splatted) gets a chance to duck and avoid the blast.
6. This gives the two people on either side a chance to Splat each other over the top of the ducked person (these two cannot duck).
7. The fastest person wins. 
8. If you get Splatted you are eliminated from the circle.
9. King or Queen Splatter carries on like this.
10. Eventually there will be two people left, time for a Splat Off.
11. Standing back to back the walk in time to the count of the King or Queen splatter away from each other.
12. The King or Queen Splatter yells splat at a random time and the last two spin and splat each other the fastest wins.

Notes
The fastest splatter wins but their yell must be intelligible.
If there is no clear fastest splatter it can be a draw and you continue.
If you don't duck in time for the two on either side to splat then you are out.

This is great for learning names, once the group gets the hang of it they can run it themselves and the teacher/facilitator can step out and try to memorise all the names.  This tactic works well as they are all shouting out each others names to help remind you.

2 Reasons Apple TV is a must for Paperless Classrooms

Apple TV opens up the possibilities for learners sharing their work and the possibilities for teacher placement in the room.  I am fortunate to work in a environment with 1:1 iPads supplied by the school and this does make a difference to the poser of ATV.

1. Immediate Sharing or Work
Being able to project work from any Device in the room with a push of a button makes sharing a
simply photo, paragraph, website, short video (yes it wirelessly sends sound too), etc so easy.  It is similar to putting up hands and asking for feedback.  Imagine saying who wants to share what they have created and then flicking it to the big screen for them to explain it from their desk. Easy.

2. Teach From Anywhere in the Classroom

By carrying my device around the classroom I can be anywhere in the classroom and have what I am talking about on the big screen.  This can be really useful for live documents.  Using a google spreadsheet to check of students tasks as I go around with my device and they can see the live doc on the big screen being updated.

Less Cables and Wires
Obvious but nice.

VGA Projector?
Most projectors have the VGA connector, there is an easy and simple way around this. Use the Kanex HDMI to VGA converter, just plug it in and go. (See picture on Left)

These principles would work with any device as long as you sort out compatible wireless streaming.  It really adds a sense of ease of use to the classroom, making the connection between developing digital work and sharing it much more real.  It is a challenge having a paperless classroom and seeing everyones work this makes it far more accessible.

7 21st Century Learner Skills For Social Studies

I teach social studies at the Yr 9 (13 yrs old) level based developing civic competence, encouraging the ability to be an active contributor to communities that learners are a part of.

This does not happen through content alone.  In New Zealand our curriculum is driven by

Achievement Objectives that are based around understanding of concepts eg, People and Places, How People Use Resources, How People Make Decision.

I use these concepts as the content to drive the skills I believe underpin this understanding and are needed to be a successful and active contributor to their communities.

1. Problem Solving - A strategy developing process for reaching solutions
2. Decision Making - Process selecting an appropriate course of action among several alternatives
3. Collaboration - Working together with other to achieve a common goal
4. Creative Thinking - Bringing into existence an idea that is new to you and adds value
5. Analyzing Perspectives- Exploring multiple points of view to a topic or situation
6. Communication - Conveying and receiving of information using a variety of methods
7. Critical Thinking - Reflective reasoning about beliefs and actions

I am still in a formative stage of implementing this skills programme, so far it has been really effective at engaging students and getting them thinking beyond the content.

4 Ways For Learners to Move at their Own Pace

These are the principles I have been using in my classroom to provide my Yr 9 Students with the ability to move at their own pace.  It has been great for the self-motivated quick thinkers.

1. One to One Internet Access
2. Flip the Classroom
3. Find the Right Size Chunks
4. Self Directed Sign Off

One to One Internet access

This is the environment I am lucky enough to work in.  All the students have iPads supplied by the   iPads are not essential however someway for each student to be connected to the internet opens up so many options and possibilities.

school to make this possible.

Find the right size chunks

This is my biggest challenge in my class.  How much is too much information at once.  After the last unit on Consumerism I am going to simplify my tasks and instructions as much as possible.  Using heaps of pause and do parts in my videos.  Regular check in places will be important.

Flip the classroom

Put as much teaching/instruction giving/working through examples on videos.  I use screen casts to do this.  It is easy to do and then lasts forever.  It can be easy to confuse students with ramblings and the best ones I have produced had a basic script of what I was going to cover.  Show examples of templates for them fill out, the web resources they will need etc.  I found that giving an instruction and then telling them to pause the video and complete it worked really well. I am using google sites to publish these and uploading my videos through you tube.

Self directed sign off

The students love the power of ticking off their tasks.  It gives them the ability to organise where they are up to and what to do next.  I think it gives them a feeling of satisfaction and completion.  I use Google Spreadsheets to do this with names down the side and tasks along the top, they fill in their completion date along their line.