Soooo after much procrastinating - have conducted a technology questionnnaire with my class to see who has facebook access (2/3rds of the learners). Have sorted out how to set up a Facebook group (thanks Claire’s handy tips sheet!). Have created the group and added a colleague as a member. Have used my school email address. Have written the first post – basic ground rules of facebooking comments AKA for the class group page. Pretty sure I have created the right settings for the page.
Now – have to give the learners in my Yr 11 class the link to request membership. Have to tell someone at school what I am doing. Have to email the learner’s parents (50% of the class have email contacts) and let them know what is going on!
What this space - 11 IMS Cy @Facebook
One of my colleagues pointed out to me yesterday when I was ‘practising’ setting up the technology required for a lesson, that how I felt was how students must feel when they come into a classroom and are presented with a new skill!
Getting used to the systems and technology protocols in a new school can be challenging. As my sweaty fingers struggled to screw in the data projector connection to my laptop, while trying to follow the fab instruction sheet on using the ‘extended desktop’, I found myself truly missing my easy peasy magnetised Apple connector! But hey I (or should I say we) got there in the end! Seeing the images projected in full colour on the screen is worth the effort and nervous energy it took to get them there!!
Nervous energy abundant again as I prepared for whole staff PD around ‘teaching as inquiry’ focus of PD in the afternoon – not helped by what felt like 100 degree plus temperatures in the staffroom…..
The technology questionannire I had my Yr 11 class fill out showed that 1/3 of them do not access Facebook or have internet access at home – so thinking through the options for them when I set up discussion around texts.
Plenty of things to reflect on at the moment 
My new school has 3 100 minute blocks of learning each day, split by 2 30m minute breaks. For an ‘old’ hand like me, that is taking a little getting used to!
There is a lot written about the benefits of the 100 minute lesson – you can read access some here TLRI Alfriston College and here Gazette article .
The first 100 min lesson with my Yr 11 English class went well – Do Now 20 quick fire Qs; introductory writing based on the the Qs; technology questionnnaire and a langauge terms activity. It was unnerving knowing that a bell ‘wasn;t going to go !!’.
The second lesson today, I didn’t think went as well, probably because the transition to the library and personal reading didn’t go as I would have liked it to have gone.
I know that once I get my head around the ‘chunking’ of activities and a handle on the technology available in the learning space that supports key resources, I’ll feel a whole lot better!
Reflecting on what we do in the classroom around teaching and learning and why, is an esssential part of what makes teachers great practitioners. This is firmly recognised in the RTC that all teachers, not just PRTs will be monitored against from this year.
I have always thought about what has (and has not) worked and why, but it wasn’t until completing my MEd and being involved in a TLRI project that I had to formally put these reflections in writing. I used a blog rather than a paper reflection journal and excerpts from this became part of my written thesis.
Part of my role this year will be working with teachers around developing reflective e-portfolios as part of a ‘teaching as inquiry’ project. I’m looking forward to the viewing the process.
I’m also looking forward to my Yr 11 IMS (English) class who I have for the first time tomorrow – I’ll reflect on how the 100 min lesson goes!!!
Tags: e-learning·e-portfolio·reflection
Just viewed a short clip from Ewan McIntosh on e-portfolios (you can access it here ...). A couple of key points were not to use them as a place to publish the final product but rather as a working document (warts and all approach) where other can see, share, learn and teach around the content. He also advocates for making the setting ‘public’ so as not to block out the valuable learning that can take place from other online – web – wide readers.
Tags: e-learning·e-portfolio·research
My post-grad work was based around integrating Web 2.0 applications into classroom practice. I initiated a class reader response blog and my Yr 12 students created their own blogs linked to mine. You can access them here. The students blogs are linked at the bottom of the page.
My research findings were presented in my thesis in 2008 ‘Keeping up with the digital natives – intergrating Web 2.0 technology into classroom practice’. You can find it here
Tags: blogging·e-learning·research·student_blogs
I own a number of blogs on the Google platform – blogger.com. This is the first time I have used edublogger as a platform. I am not convinced it’s as easy to use as blogger…
You can check out the blog that I maintained in my previous position as HOD English at Tuakau College. You can see my Department blog here…
Tags: blogging·blogging_platforms·e-learning
Hi, I’m Alison Cleary (MrsC). I’m a mother, educator, ICT in English enthusiast, avid reader and booklover and film enthusiast.
This is a place where we can share ideas around teaching and learning; discuss what is meant by the term ‘culturally responsive pedagogy of relations’ and generally keep up tot date with the world of e-learning. You can check out what I’ve been reading lately here - http://mrscsbookblog.blogspot.com/
Tags: e-learning·introduction
