Got home from our inservice day to find a few children had been posting to their blogs, shortest, but in some ways most interesting was Joshua who Posted from his psp. I’ve made a new emoticon in his honour (psp). This follows on nicely from Derek‘s session at eLive yesterday.
David stops singing the tinfoil hat song Andrew looks disappointed. We are have a relaxing time at the Jolly Judge.
Derek has rushed round telling us about tons of gameing kit and is going to let the masses loose.
Too much sillyness to blog, but here ins Mr W in a spin:
Click to image play
I’ve replaced the original flv video with QT after ‘s comment. The movie was a bit to short for my flash player.There was certainly more laughter at this event than any other I was at today. The eyetoy game left Mr W and myself puffing. But during the fun you could see lots of teachers thinking there is a lot more to this than they had though before. Derek is going to have his work cut out keeping up with all the requests for gaming help in the classroom.
Dave Whyley is the director of the one-to-one project in Wolverhampton called Learning2Go (www.learning2go.org ).
Ex primary head. Gadgets less important than learning. Technology in normal human environment. Children growing up digital:
Half written communication is email, 29% by text and 13% by pen and paper.
ICT suite shackles children.
Children like ownership, make stuff, need to author and share.
Creativity valued in all jobs, eg engineer.
ICT suites for training not needed any more children have the skills.
Showing bbc report on Learning2Go with handhelds.
1200 devices in Learning2Go project mostly year 5 & 6
Parental contribution £1.50 per week. Up to £2.50 for phase 3.
Why mobile:Cool, give learner choice to learn, built in digital imaging, unobtrusive, easy to carry (kids don’t like carrying laptops), safe ’cause they are hidden.
Just like a 21st Century pencil case.
Dave seems to have very low expectations of teachers, give the kids laptops and the teachers will make ’em type. I don’t really like that!
General bias against laptops umpcs take too long to boot.
I am getting the feeling that all this good stuff, mind mapping, picture editing etc can be done on pcs and laptops feels like the same ideas and results as many 121 projects except the devices are smaller.
Children make ebooks, fan fiction type stuff which they can pass around. Many of same advantages as blogging, audience and feedback.
Girl demoing an animation explaining pollination.
photo from my phone
Using mobile phones as computers in class
Part of learning hubs project. Funding. All 5th & 6th to have handheld learning device.
Negative image of mobiles in schools: Phones should be banned in class. Staff at school have responded very well losing these negative notions.
Higher 5th & ^th years staying on.
Phone spec:
Looking at MDA choice: Vario II, keyboard, GPS, looks serious, not a phone, looks like a computer.
Children will not phone, just use for data. Data only Tariff.
Windows mobile, office, type up essays, bluetooth keyboards in English.
Maths: spreadsheets. Bluetooth homework. read ebooks (boys especially).
All the goodness of outlook organisation.
This project not using text (data only), but text has potential: reminders: exams, bullying report etc.
Internet access
All have access, research, blog, this should equalise digital divide.
Kate is now talking about finance… business involvement to help buy cheaply.
Want contribution from parents, parents may pay for device as deposit (returned at end of year), or parents insure device (£5/month).
Children used device for 1 or 2 years, get to keep device if they go on to further edu. Already incentive to go into 5th year.
Research going onto health & safety, personal safety, behaviour, consequences and rules. (Not a street device, misuse lose for a week).
Attribution and permission.
Troubleshooting pse period, self supporting system, children to teach teachers.
Links: 2020.wikispaces.com 121.wikispaces.com www.learninghubs.co.uk.David looks like he is blogging this at the other side of the room.
I’ve arrived at elive sitting in the keynote and see Mr W is flying the blogging flag!
Siting net to Ewan who is blogging Hans Leganger’s keynote. I can’t type fast enough so am happy enough to listen to Han telling about a great school in Oslo.
elive seems to have got off to a great start, quite a few blog posts.
While I am waiting for them to turn up on ScotEduBlogs news: index I’ve folled with my own wee toy: taged eLive07.
It looks like teachMeet is going to have:
with lots of swapping chairs and showing each other’s stuff on laptops, rather than presentations. Much more relaxed than the last TeachMeet
says Ewan.
My message was going to be short anyway, I might just makes some flyers, here it is if I do not buttonhole you:
List your blog at http://www.ScotEduBlogs.org.uk
Tag your blog at http://www.ScotEduBlogs.org.uk
Link to http://www.ScotEduBlogs.org.uk
from your blog. Graphics avalible at the SEB wiki:
Don?t like the graphic, I don?t blame you, design your own share it on the wiki.
Spread the word, with RSS we GTD .
http://www.ScotEduBlogs.org.uk
We are also looking who can help us with a server for http://www.ScotEduBlogs.org.uk see Donations
Propaganda: encouraging readers or viewers to: “jump on the bandwagon”
I just posted a comment on Dangerously Irrelevant: Know a great commenter? listing just a few of the folk who have really made their mark on the Sandaig blogs. There are of course a great many more. All make a great deal of difference to the children here we own them many thanks.
If you have commented on any of the Sandaig blogs, Thanks
I am quite excited, next Wednesday I am going to elive: Edinburgh’s Festival of Learning for the 21st Century.
I seem to spend half my blogging life reading posts about great ideas coming from educational conferences and feeling a little green.
Days out of school for inservice do not feature as much as they did a few years ago. I’ve been lucky enough to be part of Masterclass and am now a Glow mentor which has meant that I have managed to go quite a few interesting gatherings. I really feel that my teaching benefits by being given the chance to meet with colleagues and get exposed to new ideas face-to-face.
Last year I was talking at ELive and they have asked me back again this year. Whilst I am a little nervous to be talking to teachers rather than pupils I am really looking forward to going to other seminars and having a chat with anyone that sits still long enough.
I’ve usually found that the informal chat surrounding inservice events and conferences to be as much value as the events themselves. Last year’s elive was followed by an informal bloggers meetup (Photos) this developed into teachMeet06 at the Scotish Learning festival and now TeachMeet07
Starting at the Jolly Judge, between 4.30-7.00 for drinks and wifi. and moving on to Centotre, George Street, Edinburgh, 7pm-late.
Past experence and a look at the wiki means this looks like being a great night.
