International Teacher

Collaboration Celebration!

aylingn — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 02:36:34 +0000

So, our final project to help me complete my first 3 points towards my masters was to plan a global collaboration project using some online tool.
I was fortunate enough to work in a team of 6, with a fabulous representative from preschool right through to Grade 2 in the group. We decided upon starting our own blog with ideas and thoughts about what to include in a blog if we were to start using one in our classroom, where other teachers around the world could help contribute ideas and advice as to how better it and further improve it. Go here to see the site
Our overall aim is to then introduce it to our ES and have all teachers using a blog to keep parents and students informed with the happenings of school life. As well schools around the world whom students could begin to interact with on regular occasions.

I found this project thoroughly useful and have gained some great new blogs of other teachers around the world, which of course brings new and inspiring ideas for me as a classroom teacher. As a result I hope to start interacting with these teachers on a more regular basis. Swapping ideas, perhaps doing some integrated project together etc. A site which impressed me was Mrs Kovals blog so many wonderful widgets are used on her site and ones that I now hope to use on my classroom blog once it is up and running!

It was a really great project for me to undertake as I feel fully aware of what I need to consider when doing my own blog (ie security issues) and what best tools to use on the blog. I am so happy that I now know how to do something like this. Honestly 2 months ago I would have been clueless, “blog-what’s a blog?!” now I am ready for the challenge ahead to get this up and running. My job will not be complete until I have inspired the other 40 teachers or so in ES to do the same! Uh oh, good luck to our fabulous group in accomplishing this task!

PODTASTIC!

aylingn — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 05:54:43 +0000

Ok so the podcasting part of our module is done and dusted and I have to say I am a little bit upset! I loved doing this. The talking and recording was lots of fun and I have to say I am now thinking radio is my next port of call! Felt quite natural after 10mins or so!! Evidently talking nonsense is for me!! The infuriating part was transferring the recording from one computer to another, we seemed to lose much of our sounds and for some reason the waves all transferred on to one line which made anymore editing very difficult. Weird! I always find there are constraints with technology but this has not deterred me away from this tool. I will be reusing this over and over again with my kids. I know ECLC at our school have this set up and in place already and the kids love doing it and hearing themselves be ‘famous’ to the rest of the world! I know preschool will feel the same. Roll on August 2009.

For those of you not convinced by podcasting or at a loss as to how to incorporate into your lessons check out the following educational podcast site and get inspired. Be as excited as me!!

BOO to bloggin for mums

aylingn — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:59:26 +0000

Just call me miss negativity if you like because everything I seem to be writing is all against technology at the moment. ‘Boo’ to twitter and ‘boo’ to Blogging. I can obviously see the pros for both of these things…couldn’t for twitter if I am being honest (but a few people are making me understand why others might like to use it) blogging I totally get why it is used… for those people out there that have fascinating facts or interesting ideas and thoughts. However i am not one of these people and believe me being a mum of 2 small children all that my poor little brain can honestly think about is my kids!!! Blogging is just not something I can personally get in to and I am struggling to meet the requests of writing these posts because quite frankly my children won’t allow me to!

What do i do? Well my answer is this. I sneak round to my friends house while my kids aren’t looking to use her computer. My god it’s amazing, the laptop lid is not being slammed down and I am not being asked to come dance or sing songs. Wow! My fingers are enjoying typing away. I could get into this. Let’s face it though who wants to read this crap. I would be much better off writing in my journal here. No one wants to read this! I have nothing to say. So help me out here someone inspire me and tell me what to write about?! I am struggling. Thank you

Twit-tastic or twit-tacky?

aylingn — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 08:19:36 +0000

Why oh why would you want to use this?! I honestly don’t get it? Why would you want to communicate with people across the world about what you are doing today?! Who cares whether I am cooking a yorkshire pudding or have a poo in the loo! Seriously what is this all about? Surely if you miss talking to people or want a chat you go on to facebook and talk to people that you know there (or in some cases half know?!) I just read over on Nadines blog a couple of interesting articles but there is no changing this stubborn mind. This to me is twit tacky! Really, this is something I am never going to use (I hope I don’t eat my hat on this one!) if however you think you can change my mind on this one please let me know and I will eat my hat in front of you!

Skyping with Clay

aylingn — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:09:51 +0000

We are all sat in a class waiting to skype Clay Burel-a guy who is very clued up with blogging and has his own very interesting and helpful site. I’m kinda excited yet I’m a 30year old woman! Sad? Yes.

First thoughts on this is how much fun is this, I’m sure my 3 year olds would love this! Would be great to skype other schools around the world to ask questions on certain units etcAnyway back to blogging which is why I am writing this. It is used as a think aloud, and getting thoughts down. I could get into this seeing as I have my own journal and often do the same there?! I am guessing though I need to write down slightly more intellectual thoughts about education…and not private thoughts! However in saying that for the age I am teaching that is excellent in itself. If I can get my kids to start writing thoughts down because they find it fun then I have achieved a lot!

So Clay started his blogging in 2007 and soon after writing about a scientist specialising in global warming, the guy got in contact with Clay as he loved the write up about himself on the blog and wanted to come chat at his school. So if I write something superb about Brad Pitt will he come visit our school?! Basically I think I am understanding what this blogging is about. It’s really like having your own newspaper..media page that the world can see if they want to. Is that right?

So this blogging thing seems to take up a lot of time. I think if you are single it may be easier to keep up to date…however having children and still wanting some sort of life may be hard to keep on top of this. I am thinking my blog will be more a place to store good websites and twice monthly updates of what has been going on in the classroom (for parents to view)

Wikis are good for the older children, not sure I could really use it for pre schoolers-if I am wrong please correct me here. It would be good to use as Clay suggested to get kids to interact between 2-3 different classes. Clay was saying the kids loved it, I can imagine it would be great to be able to interact with other kids that are not present in their class and to hear their ideas.

So how do you make sure that using technology is engaging and worthwhile? Clay gives a good example of a history lesson he did. Kids gave a lecture and videoed it and at the end downloaded it as a media file and added it to their wiki. The kids then watched themselves and reflected on how they did it as opposed to the teacher writing it down on paper on how they did. I like this!! THis could be used in preschool and kids could reflect on their play interactions with friends. Would be a great learning activity I think.
We shall see… I’m gonna do it.

What is web 2.0 find out here….

aylingn — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:48:45 +0000

Well here I am trying to write about something that I have actually never heard of before! Surprised?! Well, not really I have been a hermit crab for the last 2 years with my 2 small girls and as far as computer/technology stuff goes… what the hell is that? Believe me I never get a chance to sit down at a computer to navigate around it without a ‘mummy come play with me’ or a screaming child wanting milk.

So here is my outlook on it all. Web 2.0 is what is taking over the world as we speak. People are speaking less and less to each other on a personal basis but more through technology. Now everyone has a chance to report to the world if they choose to, it is not just left to the media. Blogs and wikis allow people to talk about themselves and report on whatever they choose and share it with the world. People can feed back on ideas and thoughts from these blogs. Videos such as ‘You Tube’ can be broadcast for all to see.

I personally try to use computers on a personal basis as little as possible as I want to ‘have a life’ and to me that means meeting people, being with my family and following hobbies such as sports.

I understand that at work this web 2.0 is a fabulous resource for students, to help with their learning. At the same time it worries me about how we can protect the children from everything that can be found on the web and how we can protect them from items they want to share with the world. Then I read my colleagues blog
Click here to go to Steve’s blog
and he has similar concerns but already he is finding fun and useful sites for the kids to use at this age group. Must speak to him more about this. Basically that is the great thing about this web 2.0 there is so muvh useful information IF you have the time to search for it!

My goals-what I really want from this…

aylingn — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:05:26 +0000

Ok so now that my little brain (and I blame the birth of my 2 little cherubs for that!) is finally beginning to understand what blogs and wikis are…with still a lot more to learn… I am starting to really appreciate what I hope to get out of this course.

Firstly I am loving the netvibes. I am finding it really useful as a base to start at and it is certainly helping me to organize everything that I like using and want to start using on the computer. I aim to have this fully up and running with as many useful websites and computer ‘stuff’ on it so that I can continue to use this as a quick link base.

Secondly I need to be able to start using and understanding technology jargon because as you can tell from my initial two paragraphs I am no way near yet!!

Thirdly after realizing what blogs are and why they are used I would love to get into the habit of checking early childhood education blogs. In particular Matt’s and Steve’s I think this is a realistic goal. I will also aim to occasionally search on external blogs from around the world. It would be great to collect valuable information and resources to extend my teaching at pre school level, as this is a new area for me. As far as my own blog goes I do not aim to use this too much myself. As useful as it is to understand how one works and what it is used for I do not think this is something I will keep up and running, it is not a goal for me. Although as Stale quotes in his blog,

I guess I think of blogging a bit like jogging: the first few times you try it, it’s frustrating and hard – possibly even painful - but if you stop there, you’ve gained very few long-term benefits from it. If, on the other hand, you start slowly and build over time, you will gradually see improvements in performance and benefits (some of which may be unintended and unexpected).

So maybe I need to rethink my goal and whether I will actually start up my own blog…ummm.

I will aim to use the school portal site, however, which I know is something that is encouraged in ES and certainly at preschool level where a lot of parent support and interest of days activities and goings on occur.

Now the main aim that I want to get from this course is to incorporate some of this technology ‘fabulousness’ into a preschool classroom. Right now I am struggling with how to get a 3-5 year old involved in all of this stuff…when I am even struggling to understand what it is all about! I am guessing using podcasts would be fun and making videos in the classroom, such as interactions between children and playing it back to see how they feel they dealt with certain situations (a good reflection for them on their social interactions) However I need to know where to store this kind of stuff. And the best way to go about all of this. Also as Shannon mentioned in her write up, where do you find time to start incorporating all of this stuff…especially when I have 2 children waiting for me at home both under the age of 3! So much to think about?!

A little lost in learning

aylingn — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 09:03:45 +0000

I am looking forward to learning a lot during this course. Having started today I know very little and feel like my ECLC students-LOST! Still unsure as to the difference of this and the one under technology for learning. When do I write on this and when do I write on the other one?!