IM TECHIN PE!

Check out our Multi-Cultural Games Unit

2010-04-13T08:41:00.007+07:00

We are finally ready to launch our multicultural games website!

What is it all about?

The website is based around a wiki platform to create collaboration with other schools around the world. The main purpose of the site is to build a resource of international games that is simple to use and accessible for students from all over the globe with an internet connection.

Kerry Dyke and I want to show case the best student work that we can find from schools interested in collaborating in this project. The hope is that students can get a better understanding of what sport and recreation looks like in different cultures. We believe this will foster global citizenship and help incorporate technology in PE.

What do student's learn?

Well it is best to let them tell you. Here are a few thoughts from some of our grade seven students who took part of the unit.

To find more about this project go to our multicultural games website and think about how you can add this to your curriculum.

Taking our Multicultural Games to a new level...

2010-04-06T21:32:00.005+07:00

Kerry Dyke and I taught our Multicultural Games unit last semester and we decided to take it one step further recently by creating a wiki which contains the best student work from within our classes. Our goal is to share this unit with other schools around the world, by letting you try it and to see if you can contribute your best games to this wiki in order to create a great resource for PE teachers all over the globe, hence creating global collaboration between teachers and students.

If you want to find out more about this unit we teach to our grade seven students have a look at an older post of mine which I wrote when we started planning out this unit, or check out the unit plan. We are also about to launch the wiki which is in the final development stage, so watch out for a blog post in the next week or two guiding you to this wiki.

Here's a little video of us working with our top students from the unit. We did this after school and they finished off their work for homework. This was a great chance for them to refine their tech skills, get extra credit for the extra effort outside of the classroom and for them to gain recognition for the great work they've done. We hope you enjoy!

Photo Orienteering...

2010-03-28T07:11:00.011+07:00

If you are looking for a great blog to read as a PE teacher trying to integrate technology then you will enjoy reading Jarrod Robinson's blog, 'Mr Robbo the PE Geek'. Jarrod is an Aussie PE teacher who offers some fantastic ideas on integrating technology into Physical Education lessons (have a look at his ACHPER conference presentation for some great ideas). One of his posts last year was geared around using QR coding in orienteering, which made me think of an even simpler way of using technology in orienteering... Photo Orienteering.

One of the things we are faced with while teaching middle school Physical Education at ISB are short PE lessons. This means that we don't have much time to teach tools such as QR coding. In reality, we want to maximise our activity time to ensure kids are moving. So instead of using QR codes we decided to create photo orienteering. The idea behind photo orienteering is that there are no clips or code to find, instead the students just have to take an enlarged photo of a photo clue given with a map, thereby matching photo clues to map locations. Almost all our students have camera's on their cell phones so there is little or no need to supply any camera and once set up this is a very easy lesson to administer.

Here's how it works...

We give the students a double sided laminated page, one side containing small numbered picture clues and the other side containing a google image with circles showing where the different pictures were taken. The pictures are small cropped pictures from a larger picture taken at the site, here's an example of some of the picture clues:

Here's an example of from a section of the map...

The students are instructed to go to one of the circles on the map and see if they can find one of the cropped pictures in the area of the circle. When they match the cropped photo with the circle, then they need to take an enlarged photo of the area to verify they actually went to the location, here's an example for letter C, which matches with photo clue number 16:

The Orienteering is easy to administer, the checking at the end is easy with all the answers being shown on a looping PowerPoint so students can check off their photos to answers, scoring themselves on the total number of images they were able to find.

Please email me if you need any more information on administering this.

Google Forms does it again!

2010-03-18T10:28:00.018+07:00

We recently had our Middle School Olympics; a whole day event for all 450 of our middle school students which started with an Olympic ceremony first thing in the morning followed by the three rotations (track and field, team sports & team challenges) and culminated in a tug of war competition. Although I wondered if it was worth the enormous amount of time in terms of organization, the response from the students at the end of the day makes me firmly believe it was worth every second of time we put in.

In the past we have always kept team scores (all the students are placed in four even teams) during the day by having a number of runners bringing the scores from all the events to three staff members collating scores, adding with calculators, entering into sheets, adding, counting, adding counting... until finally we managed to come up with a final sum for the day and let everyone know which team won.

This year we wanted to streamline the points gathering process and turn it into a real-time event, so again I used a Google form to achieve this. We realized we didn't care about keeping clear records of what event scored what with regards to the amounts of points (although there were clear guidelines for each person at each event so the points were even). The main aim was to get a running total during the day and have kids seeing it, instead of having them all wait till the end of the day for when we produced this ridiculously detailed document about all the scores for every event... basically we were turning the points into a formative assessment of their teams efforts instead of a summative assessment!

Here's how we achieved it:

I created a Google Form for gathering the four colors scores at each event.
I entered some fake scores into the sheet and submitted it to test it. I then entered an extra line above the fake scores and put in the 'sum formula' for each column (e.g. =SUM(B3:B9999) to sum column B)
I then created a second sheet on the form. In this sheet I created a table which collates the sum from each color's column from sheet one (e.g. the formula for column B is: =Sheet1!B2), this provided us with a running score.
We used an LCD projector and a mac laptop to project this. We also ensured the laptop was hidden from the students.
We zoomed in on the table so that the LCD projector only displayed the table (use two fingers and control on a mac to zoom in on your screen). Final product and final score...
Enter data into the Google form and you have an instant live score.

The really groovy thing about this was that we used a variety of ways to enter the scores. One group of teachers at the track were entering the scores on a laptop which was picking up the wireless signal. Another teacher was using her iphone, I was using my Nokia phone using my web browser and I also used a desktop when I dropped into the office. What happened is that students could always see the scores, always see them changing and hence there was huge excitement and motivation to go harder during the day.

It was so simple, so efficient and so effective. A great example of Technology really being useful within a sports day.

Digital Natives... Digital Nomads... Multi-technoral

2010-03-16T09:39:00.010+07:00

So I have been bugged for a while with the term 'digital natives' and finally I am bugged enough to write about it. I keep on hearing this term bashed around suggesting all our kids are digital natives, therefore it is ok just to launch technology at them and they will deal with it. This term comes cloaked in sayings like; 'the kids know more than us', 'just give it to them and they'll work it out faster than us'... the list goes on. What it looks like is teachers throwing technology at kids and expecting them to use it without enough guidance (I am guilty also).

The reality I see is that this is a facade. The whole idea of digital natives is a load of trash. Our kids grow up in a digital age, but many are not 'natives' in the true sense. The term 'native' points to an individual who has a handle on the things in their environment, they can use the surroundings and survive fine. A jungle native can use all the jungle and live effectively within.
What I have seen is that our kids aren't digital natives, they are digital nomads, nomads in the sense that their environment is always changing due to developments around them and their digital desires which shift them like the sand in the desert.

This environment is also a multi-technoral (a made up word I have created equivalent to 'multicultural') environment, as within it there are many tech languages. Each kid is entering this multi-technoral environment with different digital languages, some speak games, others text, some program, others talk facebook, a few type and the list goes on. The reality is there are many digital languages that they don't have a handle on.

So as a teacher my concern is we often throw them into this environment and expect them to survive, however the reality is that we need to ensure they speak the digital language we are using. We can't assume we have digital natives, we can assume we have a multi-technoral class with many different languages. It is our job to ascertain which digital languages are spoken and to ensure we are multi-techno-linugal in our teaching so we can speak, teach and engage all our kids.

Thoughts?

Our multicultural Games Unit...

2009-12-12T10:57:00.001+07:00

Kerry Dyke, our fellow Middle School teacher has been implementing a great unit on Multicultural games for a number of years here at International School Bangkok. I have teamed up with him and we now have re-vamped and improved the unit.

Here's how the project is going to work...

Students work alone, in pairs or three's.
They research a physically active game unique to their or another culture.
They will write a blog post which explains the game, includes pictures and the basic rules of the game and explains the games unique features relevant to their culture.
They also plan a short teaching lesson which they deliver to their peers. The class is divided into small groups to make the teaching itself less daunting.
Students will then deliver this lesson to their peers. The lesson is recorded on the flip camera
Students will be expected to work with the recorded video to create a 1-3 minute video which assists explaining the game and shows them teaching. This will be uploaded to You Tube and embedded into their blog page.
The final part of the assessment requires them to reflect on the process writing a blog post about it.

Check it out here

Flip Cameras... making life easy and hard!

2009-11-25T21:27:00.005+07:00

Kerry and I have been implementing our multicultural games unit which involves students presenting games from their own culture, being filmed doing so, creating a blog post about this and then uploading a video of their game to their school blog (I will blog more about this later).

This has been a fantastic unit and has provided an opportunity for me to fine tune some basics about using flip cameras and dealing with the other hardware to ensure that the images to students.

Here are a bunch of hints...

If you want good footage, film it yourself, or spend time teaching the students how to video and give them a chance to practice (not the greatest for ensuring lots of activity time in PE)
Once you film a child get the footage off the camera ASAP, label it and keep the video files in separate folders which you can pass on to the students. Don't import into iphoto... it isn't easy to work with iphoto with the movie files
When you download the files from onto your laptop don't delete them via your computer. You need to delete from the camera itself. If you delete via the computer you end up sending the files to a 'hidden file' on the camera itself, which doesn't free up space for more videos on the flip camera. Delete on the camera.
Once you have footage downloaded from the computer, encourage students to get it ASAP, or write it to a DVD/CD (watch the size). Ideally encourage kids to buy a 4gb or larger flash drive so that they can get the footage (flip cameras film in HD so the files can be huge)
Ensure you always have spare batteries for any flip cameras.
Back up

The flip camera a fantastic technology which is really easy to use and fantastic for quick filming with good resolution and frame capture speed. It allows kids to have instant feedback on their performance and has multitudes of uses in PE

Laptops in PE... Useful or time wasters...

2009-11-25T21:25:00.016+07:00

I have been blogging a bit about IT saving our time and I think it is important to review this in the light of effective use of computers in PE. I know what some PE teachers are already thinking... do computers even have a place in PE? in my mind there is no doubt they do, however only if they are providing further reinforcement to what is happening in the lesson, or if they save the time of the teacher, which may provide for better learning opportunities.

Today we finished our fitness testing and we have used the same process that we used in August where we used googledocs spreadsheets to create a form for students to submit their data from their fitness testing into a common spreadsheet, which could later be separated by class, teacher and grade and uploaded if necessary into student reports. This process involved students entering their personal and fitness test data into a google form, which saved us enormous hours and saved a whole lesson for the kids.

Why laptops instead of desktop, simple... PE is mobile.

In order to achieve the most effective IT integration into PE, the devices and tools we need to use have to be incredibly mobile, resilient and easy to use. We don't want to take away activity time from students(moving to a computer lab etc...), so it is essential that we ensure our non-activity time is reduced. We have improved the process of collecting data from students from one or my earlier blog posts about google forms for fitness testing so that students now enter their details into the spreadsheet as they finish all their testing. This saves further time and frees us up to do greater learning in our PE classes.

The biggest problem we face as a PE department is charging laptops when they are being used all day. In this situation it is essential all teachers are aware of putting laptops to sleep to save battery time after they have been used, and to ensure that during lunch times students return the laptops to be charged. Once this pattern is established effective use of laptops can become possible. Here are some ideas of how we could use them in PE:

Fitness testing via google forms
Entering activity levels on my food pyramid tracker
Using flip cameras and then downloading to allow for student to observe their technique.
Laptops could be used to write reflections about units.
Please make a comment on more ways that you see laptops being effective tools in our PE classrooms.

Happy laptop intetragration!

NETS... Effective?

2009-11-25T21:25:00.013+07:00

When we look at the NETs for teachers and administrators and their overall effectiveness we have to ask ourselves, how relevant are these set's of standards for Teachers and Administrators to being a "Good Educator" in today's world? After all, if they are not relevant then the chance of them being achieved is minimal and their effectiveness is questionable.

There is little doubt that the NETs are full of great ideas and principles which enhance learning, however, I have to agree with Gabi (from our COETAIL course) that the NETs are not strictly technology related concepts and skills. Often the adoption of such broad technology standards are a way to justify or add 'weight' to our subject area. Dana, also from our COETAIL course suggests similar views that we are committing jargon overload by introducing yet another set of standards. So how effective are they going to be if people are already teaching the standards in other curriculum areas?

My question is, do tools really need standards? I think most would agree that technology is a tool, it is a means to an end, not an end to a means.

The moment an educator is using technology 'just to teach the skills' or just to make it more 'teched out' is a concern. As I have said in earlier posts, technology is there to save our time, not to consume our time (check out this blog post from kmc21...), or for a nice video from TeachersTV on how to use IT to save time... (sorry they won't let you embed this in a blog... rather ironic as that would save time for the viewer!). Tools enhance learning, so therefore any effective curriculum for technology needs to focus on how technology ENHANCES LEARNING... not just how to attach it to learning already occurring.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51783679@N00/2333409688

We must make certain that we keep an eye on using technology as a learning enhancement tool, a tool that saves our time, freeing us up improve our teaching to therefore improve our learning.

Taking it to the next level... integrating IT in the classroom.

2009-11-07T10:50:00.011+07:00

So how can teachers and schools ensure that their students are learning what they need when it comes to Technology and Information Literacy? Before we even ask this question, we have to ask what does a school want to achieve when it comes to Technology and Information Literacy?

There is clearly a continuum that schools lie upon from those which don't embrace technology to schools which fully immerse themselves in technology. Each of these schools will have different information technology aims, and therefore when we ask the question of ensuring students get what they need, we have to frame this in light of the schools philosophy. Schools which fall under national curricula requirements have their hands tied to some extent, however as can be seen in the NETS or the AASL Standards there is a lot of room for interpretation in terms of what level of technology is actually taught. Many of the standards are broad and could be easily integrated into other subjects without a firm focus on 21st century I.T. Skills

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7830713@N03/510785371

As my last post suggested, to not teach technology is to ignore the life world's our students exist in, this in turn potentially disconnects us and may hinder a positive learning relationship. So, long story short... schools need to teach IT, what depth they chose is situational. In order to achieve this integration into the classroom there are some key areas schools need to consider:

Curriculum

By adopting a formal curriculum for IT, schools have an agreed upon set of learning goals which they need to meet with each student. In many ways this is just a step to 'legitimise' the domain of IT, however statements can provide schools with the necessary lever to integrate technology and source funding.

Budget

Probably the biggest limiting factor on any school is the available budget as this will effect every other suggestion below.

Staffing

To ensure that curriculum goals are met it is vital to have strong IT leadership amongst a school and the appropriate support provided, both in terms of technical 'maintenance' support and specific IT learning related support. There are many models of IT learning related support from teacher leaders, IT support staff, IT coaches etc... what is important is that handing a tool to someone is useless unless the user knows how to use it most effectively. Trained, competent staff are critical to delivering a quality curriculum.

Internet connectivity

What one can achieve in a web 2.0 environment is now highly limited by web connectivity. Wireless options and general internet speed has to be sufficient so not to waste learning time.

Appropriate hardware & software choices

Budget and internet connectivity will have an enormous influence on hardware and software choices. In saying this schools can effectively use much shareware and web 2.0 tools, which reduces cost, software and even hardware in some cases.

Regular Professional learning opportunities

The opportunity for teachers to engage and be extended with technology is critical if technology aims are to be achieved. Learning opportunities need to be linked to the school's vision of technology and any curricula adopted. This ensures that staff have adequate opportunities to master skills required to be taught in the classroom.

When schools take a good hard look at the above areas for implementation of IT, then there is a greater chance of ensuring we impart the information literacy skills students need.

Who's job is it to teach Technology and Information Literacy?

2009-11-04T16:16:00.014+07:00

So I am concerned, concerned that we are even asking this question. We started a new COETAIL course today so I'll have to answer it!

Let's be honest, technology is now so embedded in western society that it is in reality, quite impossible to escape it within education. Technology is here to stay and it will continue to expand and blow our minds by the advances it makes. If we chose to ignore technology as teachers we are turning a blind eye to the world that our students are growing up in and in fact, we are doing our student population a crime by not given them the skills necessary to succeed in a technologically driven economy and society. It is a disservice to not give our children an opportunity to master the skills needed to live in a such a society

The question that is raised is how do we teach these skills? One option is by creating a set of learning standards to ensure that all students are engaged in technology. The NETS are one example of a set of standards that can be adopted by schools. These standards are devised by the 'International Society for Technology in Education' (ISTE), which is actually an American based society (the 'N' in NETS represents 'National'... rather ironic considering it is an international society). The NETS are divided into key learning areas/strands/standards (depending on where you come from) as follows:

Creativity and Innovation
Communication and Collaboration
Research and Information Fluency
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
Digital Citizenship
Technology Operations and Concepts

As you can see from the above standards only the last two standards are overtly descriptive in their title as 'technology' focused (I use this term broadly). The first four standards are skills that I feel are embedded in other curricula areas within a school, it is only when you read the descriptors of standards 1-4 that there is a reference to these standards being taught through a 'technology focused environment' or using 'technology tools'.

Another set of standards that could be used for ensuring schools teach technology within their curriculum are the AASL standards (AASL: American Association of School Librarians). These are much broader (as they are primarily for librarians), but are also set out much more effectively as they are broken into Skills, Dispositions in Action, Responsibilities and Self-Assessment Strategies within the four standards:

Inquire, think critically and gain knowledge
Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply to knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge
Share knowledge participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society
Pursue personal and aesthetic growth

Once again, many of the standards are very broad educational goals that many schools already include within their 'School Vision', 'ESLR's -Expected Schoolwide Learning Results', 'Essential Skills' or whatever the school policy is called which lays home to it's primary educational goals.

So, as many of the standards themselves are embedded in other curricula areas and school policy documents why do we even need a set of standards? Does the creation of a set of standards lead us to ask the question 'Who's job is it to teach IT'?

Personally I struggle with this and see an adoption of a 'set of standards' as another bunch of boxes to tick, another hoop to jump through. Let's just look at standard five from the NETS... 'Digital Citizenship'. In reality most schools in western society promote 'citizenship' or 'global citizenship' as an educational aim, which in a modern world one would now argue is inclusive of digital citizenship... the two are connected, not disconnected, or should I say more broadly, information is connected in our learning, not disconnected.

The teaching of Information technology is embedded in what we do, it cannot be separate, sure we need to teach the skill of a program to ensure the students are up to speed, just like we teach a science student 'how to use a microscope' or a PE student 'how to use a heart rate monitor'. The key is this is not the key learning we are after... the technology provides access to something deeper... the cell structure... the workings of your own human heart. It is when we access the deeper stuff the we learn. Technology itself is a tool, a tool is used to create, to discover, to lever us into understandings we couldn't achieve before.

upload.wikimedia.org/.../Beating_Heart_axial.gif

The key point is...

...the tool (I.T.) is embedded within learning, it has to be taught within each subject. We therefore share the responsible for ensuring our students are equipped to succeed in an evolving technologically landscape.

Teamwork through photos

2009-11-01T21:22:00.002+07:00

Our current grade 7 Physical Education unit teaches teamwork through Aussie Rules. Teaching teamwork can be a little cliché and the term itself can prove to be a little elusive as many of the discussions students and teachers can have don't break the surface that much. Often simple ideas of 'working together' and 'communication' are the key things that students say, sometimes without really explaining what they mean, but what does teamwork look like? feel like? sound like?

 I was after something a little deeper so I've decided to use the following creative common pictures to lead the students, prompting them into some deeper discussion. The guiding look, sound, feel questions should help them identify some real examples of what teamwork is. The discussions take on a little more of a constructivist approach, which is helpful for them to connect to their own understandings of teamwork.

 Finding creative commons pictures is easy, simply go to the creative commons search site and then type in the key search words just like on Google search. Why use creative commons to search? Simple... the photos are there to be shared, no need to worry about copyright issues and you have a great selection of photos available through all your key search engines. Here are the pic's I am using...

What does teamwork feel like in this soccer team?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/1384952210/sizes/o/

What does teamwork sound like in this rowing team?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigarnex/2536883387/sizes/l/

What does teamwork look like in this racing team?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/islandfreedom/2716487504/sizes/l/

What does teamwork feel like in this cheer leading team?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/moylek/1425919834/sizes/l/

iMovie and Coaching

2009-11-01T14:24:00.003+07:00

So I know that a few of you who read this blog may be wondering why so many blog posts in one day, sorry for the overload! With coaching and life being super busy the first thing to go in my life has been study time, hence the cram to get in all the necessary work for my current COETAIL course on visual literacy.

What I have learned during this course is that to do things 'visually well' takes time. To be a master at all the different technologies out there is unnecessary and means far too much time on the keyboard aiming for perfection. In talking to some other people in the course it was concerning to hear people mention that 'presentation zenning' one PowerPoint took them eight hours... to me this is over the top. When is too much, too much? To answer this I have to pose the question of what will people get out of the time I am investing into each visual improvement. If the person will gain much then perhaps it is worth our time.

In my final project I used iMovie as a coaching tool, something which was very time consuming to say the least, but in my mind incredibly valuable. I wanted to create an instructional video for each of my runners so that they could see themselves running and understand what aspects of their technique needed to change. Here's the process I followed to create a personal instructional video for each of my runners:

I videoed all my Cross Country team running using a flip camera (I used four different capture angles)
The download from the flip camera was super easy through the USB connector. I imported straight into iPhoto, then transferred the footage across to iMovie.
From here I trimmed each clip so that I had only quality footage.
I removed the sound from the footage as it didn't aid the instruction
I played through the 'movie' and found key points in each runners technique at which I split the clip, created a still or slowed the video even more in order to give time to provide quality feedback.
I recorded the voice over directly into iMovie, which was essentially the instructional piece
I created some end credits, which summarised my coaching points
Played with the sound to ensure it was loud enough, final check...
Exported to a DVD (or in the case below to You Tube)

What I feel I have created is worth my time primarily because of the possibility of change in each of my runners technique, based on the feedback I am giving them. It was enormously time consuming when you add up all the videoing time, editing, voice overs and final touches, however I think it was worth it... I guess I will tell you next season when my runners come back with hopefully improved technique!

Here's an example of the finished product for one of my runners:

Jing... it can't get any easier!

2009-11-01T14:23:00.011+07:00

One of the great little things that I have discovered and used a lot over the past 6 months has been Jing. Jing is basically a screen casting software available free off the web. The crew at Techsmith have done a great job at putting together a program which is super easy to learn and even easier to use! I think it took me about 5 minutes to get a good understanding of how to screen cast.

How have I used this?

As part of our new staff wiki, I was able to put together a couple of videos on how to log onto the wiki and how to update a profile picture, both proving to be helpful for people to whom technology doesn't come easily
For our department it has provided me with a way I can help others use programs and new technology without having to physically show them all the time (e.g. using google doc's)
For homework which is to be completed for Physical Education we try to reduce the amount of time in class which is taken up to teach technology required in the homework. Jing provides a chance for us to provide clear instruction to students out of the class
An example of this is in health where the program has allowed me to take screenshots easily, which I have then been able to upload to moodle to provide clear examples of 'what to do' for students e.g.

There is no doubt that this simple to use, quick to download tool has saved me time and allowed for my instruction to continue out of the classroom.

Web based video... it's all at our fingertips

2009-11-01T14:23:00.006+07:00

When John Logie Baird first transmitted light to create an image which was not made from a shadow (this was a big thing back in the early 1920's), the television was born. However I don't think John would have guessed how influential such an invention would be over the next 90 years. In education the introduction of such technology has allowed students to see into cultures, environments and historical periods that they were never privy to prior to this invention. It's no surprise then that explosion of web based video has had an even greater effect on learning and education.

As a teacher of Physical Education I regularly use You Tube to assist in teaching sports and skills which are not common to the students I teach. When teaching a new sport to young athletes it is often helpful to show them what the real game looks like, and in an international school where we try to have a balanced curriculum with sports from all around the world it can be hard to find DVD's for each sport we teach. Unless you have a fantastic range of DVD's available in your department or school library, then the first place most people now turn is straight to the web and in particular to You Tube.

Recently I taught some circo-arts to my grade 6 PE class; one of the skills I taught was the diabalo, also known as the Chinese Yo-Yo. While teaching this to my class I soon found that one of the boys was especially gifted at this skill and after spending some time with him I found out he had self taught himself through you-tube. This was no surprise to me as I often find myself going online looking for coaching videos, dynamic warm up ideas, technique videos etc... I also find when I get in the classroom I often rely on You Tube to pull in a short piece of video to help the lesson have a range of learning mediums.

In our grade six Health Education class we teach a small unit on smoking and in particular we focus in one lesson on what the cost is to a nation and what governments are doing to stop this. In order to get something useful for the class I managed to go online, find 5 different videos, which I downloaded and imported into iMovie, edited, added some questions for the students and what I have now is a usable, effective video to assist me in my smoking lesson...

The greatest benefit of web based video is the fact that it is at your fingertips. Here are just ten real benefits of using web based video:

In the past using video was an ordeal as you had to ensure that you had booked everything well in advance. Now with web based video multiple classrooms can watch the same video at the same time
Students can access any videos shown online at home, which is great for re-teaching or for make-up work
Online video selection is increasing all the time. As we contribute the range of quality video's increases all the time
Web based video gives up to date resources for students.
Storage space is not necessary, nor are tedious recording mechanisms to ensure we know what we have as a department

If you aren't using web-based video in your classroom, or if your school is too narrow minded and ban's You Tube or other sites hosting video then you need to change things! There is no doubt in my mind that correct use of web-based video greatly enhances the teaching and learning landscape.

Instructional Digital Story Boarding...

2009-11-01T14:02:00.005+07:00

So it hit me after catching up from a session I missed recently for our IT class that the process of digital story boarding was a perfect way to teach physical skills within Physical Education. If students can put together digital story boards for fictional and non fictional stories, then why shouldn't we use the same tool in Physical Education and get students to put together a digital story for teaching a specific skill?

Why would we do this?

We all know that teaching a skill requires deeper knowledge of the skill
By asking students to create an instructional 'digital story' we are requiring our students to understand the skill to a deeper level
Creating videos for different skills can provide useful teaching tools in the future

Here's the rather simple process to create a digital story...

Decide on a particular skill to teach in the instructional story
Get the students to break the skill down into the key stages of the skill execution
The students will take photos of themselves at each of the key stages while executing the skill
Students will write an instructional narrative which explains the key teaching points for each stage of the skill
Upload the photos into iMovie and record the instructional sound track in time with the key stages
Export the instructional movie to You tube ready for the teacher to assess. If students have an eportfolio or if they blog you could have them embed the video into their blog so that you can use a reader to pull all the video's into one stream for quick and easy marking.

What we provide for our students is an opportunity to really understanding the principles behind the movement, the knowledge they gain from this process allows them to then effect change within their own technique and their peers. Depending on the age of the child this process could be more guided with the skills and stages already set out by the teacher.

We are soon beginning a Tennis unit where students have to analyse technique and break a skill into its parts, this will be the perfect chance for the students to show their understanding of a tennis skill through digital media.

To zen or not to zen?

2009-11-01T13:27:00.010+07:00

To be honest, I'm tired of PowerPoint. The number of times I have had to sit through presentations where students, other staff or presenters read through their slides has gone well off what I can count with my fingers and toes (and believe me I have been guilty of this too). Often the slides are unappealing, disconnected from the content being shared, cluttered and full of 'special effects', which turns what could be a great PowerPoint into distraction, disconnection and disillusionment.

Presentation Zen is a breath of fresh air for those who are in my shoes, however like all good fad's it has its downside. The idea behind presentation Zen builds on the premise that pictorial information is much stronger at conveying messages than textual. If we can build our presentations around images that stimulate deeper thought, then the information we are trying to convey connects to our viewers more effectively.

The idea of Zen stems from Mahayana Buddhism, asserting 'that enlightenment can be attained through meditation, self-contemplation, and intuition rather than through faith and devotion' (answers.com). If our presentations are following a true 'zen' style then we must ensure our presentation itself, has sufficient time for meditation, self contemplation and intuition... essentially this is searching for a constructivist approach to presenting, the viewer constructs their own meaning from our carefully constructed PowerPoint.

How easy is this? in reality it isn't.

Many of us use PowerPoint to cover a lot of information in a short space of time, so the idea of reflection and time to meditate on specific content within a presentation is difficult to achieve. The mere fact that presenters speak throughout their entire presentation points to their being little chance for true deep reflection. I gave it a shot on a presentation I had done for our grade 8 Sports Education Unit, which focused on teamwork... here's how one slide completely changed...

The Old:

The New:

Coach

View more presentations from peteacher.

I think I know which one I would like!

7 ways I integrate IT...

2009-09-13T14:52:00.012+07:00

Our COETAIL course has started again and I am going to be posting blogs a little more regularly over the next few months. Since starting the course last year I can see quite an impact in how I integrate IT into my everyday teaching.

So here's my top seven ways that I have used IT...

Google Forms: These have played such an important role in how I collect data. I use the forms in such a varied way and the fact that they are so easy to custom fit, has meant I have found many uses for them: collecting registrations for a monthly run that I organise in our local school community, collecting students choices for units, gathering sports team personal data and to gather parent feedback. Google forms have saved me enormous amounts of time and allowed me to focus on more important things.
Wetpaint Thai-ing in Wiki: As part of the role I shared with my wife as the new staff coordinators for our school we created this wiki to help people assimilate smoothly into Bangkok and our school. The wiki proved to be a collaborative space in which nearly 100 members came together to ask and answer questions, share knowledge and most importantly, connect. Although highly time-consuming in setting up the wiki the site answered numerous questions and the collaborative nature of the site meant that we weren't the only one's answering these questions! I used Google Analytics to track how much the site was being used and was surprised to see an average of 9 visits a day with over 12,000 page views in the past 5 months! Definitely worth it!
Google Docs: In our PE department we used a Google Doc as the 'virtual white board' to review our PE curriculum. It began with us all entering our thoughts about our current PE curriculum using 6 questions guided by De Bono's 6 thinking hats (we eached typed in a different font so we knew who wrote what). This rich document was then refined to create a list of things we liked and disliked about our current PE curriculum and gave us direction for curriculum changes. From here we created a new Google Doc which became the sketchboard for our new scope and sequence. The fact the document was shared, available for all to input, change, rearrange etc... allowed for much greater collaboration than would a static file.
Panthernet (Moodle): We are now using this school managed site in our PE department for information delivery, quizzes, and enrichment work. It isn't always the most simple to use, however once you know the ropes you can create a rich online support site for your classroom.
iWeb: From fooling around with iweb on my mac I created a static web-page which houses all our PE department's important documents on once site (Scope & Sequence, Standards, benchmarks, philosophy) and hyperlinks to all our units on our school shared server (which can be accessed from home). I then was able to email this to all our department (we all use mac's), and they were able to save this on their laptops. The idea is that this has the most up-to-date resources we are using and is user-friendly so that our fellow PE teachers who aren't so tech-savy can access the information they need swiftly and simply, saving time in the long run! They bookmark this static page and can access it directly through firefox.
My Google Reader: This has been a simple and effective way to receive relevant professional reading. I love the fact that I can get a quick summary of others blogs, read deeper if I wish, or mark as read as needed! My favorite two blogs include 'Mr Robbo -The PE Geek', a great blog from an Aussie PE teacher who has IT ideas oozing from his pores and 'Leadertalk', which sometimes provides some inspiration for aspiring leaders!
My Blog: This has given me a chance to be reflective to a wider audience. It has provided a reason to write and to share and it is creating a professional learning focus for me.

At the start of the course I set a goal in my first blog post: "My goal is to use technology so that I can do the things I REALLY want to do, it has to free up my time, not suck up my time." The reality is that technology has freed up much of my time, with the above examples really making life easier. The problem is that staying up with the technology has filed some of the time that has been freed up. The more I learn, the more realise how much more I could learn. The reality is that somewhere we have to draw a line... I'm learning this and drawing some clear lines with permanent marker... so don't worry, I'll never be tweeting you, I'll be out for a run.

Google Forms take the pain out of fitness testing... well at least for the teachers!

2009-08-13T20:37:00.011+07:00

Ok, so we all know that PE teachers hate paperwork (well most of them), but there is one thing that seems to frustrate us all... when paper work takes away from activity time and our own time.

In my current school we have been using the FitnessGram tests to complete our triannual fitness testing. In the past all the results were taken manually and entered into either excel, the FitnessGram software or onto PowerSchool (our online reporting software). We thought we were pretty good at keeping the kids 'connected' by getting them to log onto PowerSchool to check there results and then use these in moodle via an online worksheet which allowed them to reflect on their results and where they were positioned with the different fitness zones. This proved to be a effective way for the students to reflect on their fitness levels out of class time, while also increasing activity time and integrating IT into our subject.

What was a hassle was the process of transferring the data from the little sheets the kids recorded their results on, into our online reporting system (PowerSchool). What should be an easy task tended to take a few hours going through each child's fitness result form, collating the results and then manually entering them onto PowerSchool... not any more.

All we did was create a GoogleDoc form, which allowed the kids to input their data, which was automatically collated, and then exported, sorted using excel, and finally uploaded into PowerSchool.

Very sweet, very smooth.

To ensure the kids didn't loose activity time we built the input session into a fitness circuit around the gymnasium. At one station we had 12 laptops ready to go with the GoogleForm bookmarked for each child to input their data into. Students referred to charts to work out their fitness zones and in a short time got a clear picture of their fitness level. This station served as a rest and drink station as well, which all combined to create a meaningful learning experience, while saving us time. Good times! We had class sizes from 30 to a combined block of four classes with 110 students in the gym entering data within the lesson. Never again will I manually enter this kind of data again!

If you haven't tried GoogleDocs check them out. They are very easy to use and effective in the classroom.

Fantastic Picture...

2009-05-27T20:51:00.004+07:00

This is well worth looking at... Check out the original; it allows you to click to each of the famous people on Wikipedia.

COETAIL Course 2 Project Reflection

2009-05-03T09:58:00.007+07:00

'Thai-ing in'

For my final project I wanted to create a wiki that attempted to follow the theme of 'mass collaboration'. The first challenge is how do you start mass collaboration? Answer: one link at a time. The other major issue is when does mass collaboration become 'mass' collaboration as opposed to collaboration amongst a few people? Wikipedia defines the key difference of mass collaboration to normal collaboration being 'that the collaborative process is mediated by the content being created - as opposed to being mediated by direct social interaction as in other forms of collaboration' Perhaps this assignment was an attempt at 'mini-mass-collaboration', m-m-c. Sure the content is under constant creation, especially in the social aspects of the wiki, however some would argue this isn't really mass collaboration.

The purpose of the wiki is to help Integrate new staff into ISB, our community and Thailand, no easy task alone, hence the idea of mass collaboration works perfectly. If all people are able to contribute, edit, add and are aware of their ability to change the course of a wiki to suit the needs of all, then the final product is better off and more effective in achieving it's original goal. The wiki isn't just for the new staff coming in this school year. The idea is that it can grow, evolve and become a site which is a one stop new staff member site for all future ISB teachers.

Setting up the project using wetpaint was easy, however I still get frustrated at their little bug which causes you to appear to be signed in as someone else (requires a refresh to fix). In order to set up the wiki effectively I ensured new staff signed on first to introduce themselves, then collegial partners (who are still signing on). The next step is to invite all other staff to join the wiki to enlarge the possible contributions. The wiki is evolving as we speak, new pages, comments and updates seem to be added consistently.

I have enjoyed registering the page with Google Analytics, which is giving me some pretty awesome feedback. From this data I have been amazed that each day the site is receiving between 15 and 25 logins daily, averaging 7 minutes a session on the site. This kind of information is inspiring me to keep on improving the site.

The issues that I encountered fall around the fact that the site needs to be 'invitation only' as some of the information on the site is of a private nature with regard to individuals and the school. This limits the potential collaborative size of the site. The second issue has been getting people on board with the wiki when they don't have the technical skills to do so. In order to assist people in overcoming their phobia of technology I created video help guides using Jing (a fantastic screen capture tool by TechSmith. The reality is that many people still need one on one guidance in setting up their wiki, here again is where collaboration can occur with our fantastic Tech Team: Jeff Utech, Chad Bates, Dennis Harter and Kim Cofino.

Overall the process of setting up the wiki has been well worth it. It has taught me the technical skills I need to moderate a wiki, it has reminded me of the different abilities of new and present staff when requiring people to use technology to collaborate. Finally and most importantly it has inspired me to use Technology more to connect real people in the cloud so that their feet can stand on a firm foundation when they meet in reality.

For a link to more about how my wiki fulfilled my project requirements please go to my project write up.

A clash of cultures...

2009-05-03T09:57:00.009+07:00

Are we preparing students for a world of mass collaboration?

Rob Rubis offers some insightful comments on this question in his recent blog post, which points to the many structural barriers teachers erect when delivering curriculum that stop limit mass collaboration... I hear another Pink Floyd song coming on here! Here in lies the major issue... in order to prepare students for a world of mass collaboration we need to remove the barriers that stop collaboration, we don't another brick in the wall. The problem is that the barriers are often ingrained in our society.

Mass Collaboration:

Involves working together
Means being open for feedback from a wide range of people
It can take on a life of it's own
It is uncontrollable by an individual

Our Classrooms often contain:

Individual assessment, very little collective grading opportunities etc...
Feedback that is often uni dimensional (usually the teacher is feeding back to the student)
Scripted, curriculum driven, objectives, standards and learning outcome driven.
Teacher control

Our Current Western Society appears to be:

Be individualised, competitve, consumer focussed ideals
Valuing feedback limited to improving performance, products, accounability
Goal orientated, self centered based on personal goals and achievement
'User pays', 'liability', state control point to individual responsibility

What we have is a clash of cultures. Many western classrooms reflect the values that are prevalent in our current society, these stem from a capatalist, individualistic society which runs counter to the ideals necessary for mass collaboration.

The Second issue lies in the ability to get students to engage in mass collaboration, a skill which requires a high skill level:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35034347350@N01/541707092 By Ross Mayfield

If Ross Mayfield is correct in his representation of the level of skill and engagement needed to collaborate with others, then collaboration is a tough skill, let alone mass collaboration. The reality is that in our classrooms we rarely get to this level of community engagement, nor do the students believe they can contribute to mass collaboration sites.

So to answer the question, 'Are we preparing students for a world of mass collaboration?', no.

Perhaps we need to reword this question as Rob Rubis also suggests, 'how would we prepare students for a world of mass collaboration?' How do we do this?

Create authentic opportunities for collaboration in the classroom
Allow students to take control of their own shared learning
Create a culture where feedback is a natural and muti-directional in the classroom
Reward collective action over individual action
Remove the technical 'block's in the wall' (enlarge bandwidth, access to computers etc...)

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata

2009-05-03T09:56:00.011+07:00

Where does the power of the web lie?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50491110@N00/2728600736 Katy Silberger

Simple Answer: Google it...

Long Answer: Spend the rest of your life reading the 87,300,000 search results, or alternatively why not harness the power of the web to answer this question...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16851909@N00/93136022 Stabilo Boss

...delicious might give you some good references, facebook or your blog could create comments or writing on your wall, perhaps you could tweat it out, or even create a collaborative wiki to find the answer.

In my mind there are two things that make the web incredibly powerful:

1. It's capacity to hold and connect exponential quantities of information
2. It's capacity to connect people and evolve based on user feedback

Both of these processes are based upon the interaction of people with the web. As the web has evolved into web 2.0 we now see the power of the web lying not in static pages, but in active multi-dimensional web-pages where individuals are engaging with each other creating audiences bigger than ever possible in the history of mankind.

When Susan Boyle sang on Britains Got Talent, she had no idea her different 'You Tube' video's would total over 100 million views touching hearts all over the world. Neither did Alison Chang know that her photo posted by her youth pastor onto Flickr, would receive more publicity than the teenager could ever desire, need or handle (Thanks Virgin Mobile). The internet has the power to rise up and the power to crush. The power lies in it's users and the collective interactions they have.

Charles Leadbeater writes about this in 'People power transforms the web in next online revolution', a great article which points to numerous examples of the web being used as a powerful source of change, creative inspiration and space for inovation and development. Leadbeater challenges us to use this powerful collective element of the web to find answers that are real in society. His book, We Think: Mass Innovation, Not Mass Production is a book I want to read... going with the theme of working together his first three chapters are free on the his book's web page.

So, to finish I want to share a famous Maori Whakatauki (proverb) which points to the power behind the web...

Unuhia te rito o te harakeke,

Kei hea ke te komako e ko,

Whakatairangitia,

Rere ki uta,

Rere ki tai,

Ui mai koe ki ahau e aha te mea nui o te ao,

Maaku e ki atu,

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata,

Tihei mauri ora.

Translation...

If you should tear out the heart of the flax bush,

Where will the bellbird be,

Will it fly inland,

Fly out to sea,

Or fly around aimlessly,

But if you should ask me what is the greatest thing on Earth,

I will tell you,

It is people, it is people, it is people.

Would you climb without a rope?

2009-05-03T09:50:00.010+07:00

So when faced with the question of "who's responsibility is it to teach students to be safe online?" The answer lies in the following metaphor...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65525704@N00/88282901

Imagine, the web is a rock face, users 'climb' the web instead of 'surfing the web', moving freely over the face of the rock, navigating the different arete's, overhangs, cracks while not only engaging with the rock face but also with what lies on it. Climbers learn from experience becoming more effective 'users' as they spend more time on the rock. They move quicker from one site to another, learn the easiest routes, and as they work together, more routes are marked out, anchors are placed, top ropes added and climbing becomes easier and safer. Now imagine taking a whole class to this rock face, let's say a 7th grade class with a range of abilities, experience and confidence.

What is the 1st thing you would teach these kids?

Safe climbing procedures

What's the 2nd thing we teach them?

Good technique for climbing

You see, we don't send kids wild on a rock face as we know the dangers are too real. So why do parents and educators (including myself) often send kids online without reviewing online safety, and checking that our students have good technique to ensure they are using the web effectively? I think this answer lies in the reality that many parents and teachers see themselves as technologically challenged and in a position not to offer advice to these techno-savy teens.

To overcome this we must educate teachers and our parent population of the risks associated with online use, we need to ensure we are all up to date with basic technology and web tools and ensure that we all role model appropriate use. The reality is that as adults we are more likely to have a good understanding of what is appropriate and what is not, therefore we are definitely in a position to assist our youth on how to operate online.

So, the responsibility to teach online safety is a shared one, in my mind between parents, teachers and the student. Parents have a responsibility to be 'tutors' with their children, reinforcing what is taught at school. Many need to assume a greater role in ensuring they are working with their children to help them be safe online; after all parents wouldn't let their kids lose on a rock face without ensuring they knew what they were doing either.

In the article 'When Dad Banned Text Messaging', Geiger shares her struggles with her husbands decision to ban text messaging. This article demonstrates the lack of thought many parents put into extreme decisions such as banning texting or internet use. Geiger has major issues with her daughter texting 100 times a day and is particularly concerned of 'the mean-girl texts, the ones no one would have the nerve to say to a person’s face but are easy to send from one nonconfrontational phone to another', she appears to support her husbands decision of no texting, but also wishes her children were given the chance to text. Why do parent's resort to extreme stances? Is banning technology the solution? No, the answer lies in educating your children on 'climbing technique', how to use the tools safely and effectively. It is teaching children discernment and self discipline... words that aren't too popular in our impulsive, self centered society.

If Ann Collier's comments are correct on her second life presentation on online safety, then the web has evolved from the depository of documents, web 1.0, to web 2.0, which is ultimately the connection of people. As there is now more at stake with regards to safety online due to the personal connection people are creating, it is now more important to ensure students know what appropriate online behavior looks and feels like.

As schools we need to take the bull by the horns and assume the key responsibility of not only teaching children online safety, but assist in assessing online safety. Any teacher who expects students to use online technology in the classroom has to ensure students know how to 'rope up' and be effective while online, this involves teaching and assessing online skills. There are cases where the school's role with online behavior has been challenged such as shown in Kenrick and Zetter's articles, both cases show how schools can get caught in the grey areas of what happens 'in school' and what happens 'out of school'. The reality is the two are connected. Schools need to be bold in protecting children's welfare to ensure they can effectively learn, part of this welfare now extends to their online welfare... just another area for schools to take responsibility for!

http://thefourthside.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/noose.jpg

So, are you roping your students up or are they tying their own nooses?

Copyright or my Right2Copy?

2009-04-05T13:04:00.010+07:00

I remember searching for information as a 16 year old at our local library, looking through the microfiche and the index cards to find the books that would help me for my most special assignment... it was my first computer processed assignment on my favorite sport, mountain biking. Some of the books I needed were already borrowed, so next I was cycling to another public library to pick it up copies they had. Hours after I had started my initial stage of research I had three books, each full of prized information that I used to complete an assignment that I was proud ot, an assignment I have kept until this day as it was my first computer generated assignment, check it out as a google doc!

It is no wonder I wanted to recognise the authors of the books and no surprise I wasn't tempted to use their ideas as my own as I had put so much time and energy into finding the books and researching the sport. I was proud of this effort, and I wanted to show that I had become more knowledgeable because of my interaction with the information. Back then I didn't have access to the internet, it would be another two years till I came into contact with it upon entering University.

Fast Forward 15 years and the same assignment on Mountain Biking could be reproduced by any student anywhere around the world in less time, with less effort and all without leaving their seat. Researching these days consists of little more than typing the words 'mountain biking' into a Google search box, doing a quick filter for the best information from the ...

... search results and picking the the best pictures out of nearly 5 million pictures provided by a google image search, to enhance the project.

All this information available faster than I can type. With less effort involved at the research stage and with overwhelming numbers of sites of reference material, students must feel less attached to the material they find and more overwhelmed and 'numbed out' of the worth of what they find. It is therefore no surprise they see it as their right to copy this into their own projects; surely that is what the net is there for... to provide information?

Copyright is changing... Right2copy is the norm.

So do we as a global society need to rethink copyright laws? Copyright evolved to protect creativity, it was never in place to stop the sharing of such creative thought and works. It appears that what underlies the concept of copyright is giving credit for work, and in the case where profit or full use of an idea is involved, it is about ensuring that an agreement with the creator of the work is achieved. The effects of globalization as propagated by the internet show some of the dangers of copyright issues. Information is readily available for anyone, anytime, anywhere. You can't even be guaranteed of privacy on the net by removing yourself from the internet. This was clearly shown in the case of Alison Chang vs. Virgin Mobile, or Allison Stokke's unwanted nightmare online attention (enough to make any father worry), both show cases where neither girl posted the pictures that made them famous online. It is the norm for students to download music, photos, movies, games, programmes and file share online, along with a wide range of practices that blatantly break copyright laws.

So what is the solution? Is there a solution?

Copyright is changing and is continually challenged by the global nature of the internet. As there is no governing body over the internet the jurisdiction falls in whatever country you lie, some countries allow file sharing others don't. America will follow through with legal action and will even do so in the few cases of educators breaking copyright. Even where countries have firm copyright laws, a number of terms within these laws which have relevance for educators are vague and relative: 'fair use' and 'transforming'... isn't this dependent to the setting, student age, and goals of a learning project?

So what is the answer?

The biggest breakthrough in copyright over the past 8 years has been the evolution of creative commons. These give a more explicit intent of copyright and appears to help us in the sharing process of material online. Creative commons allow us to licence our own work and agree to share under certain conditions. It allows people to become more aware of their rights and take personal responsibility for their own copyrighted works. It also gives users of online material greater understanding of the intent of the creator. In essence it clears up the murky waters of 'fair use'. Creative commons don't by any means keep us safe (as shown in the Alison Chang case above), and this is something we need to be aware of. The potential for building a greater pool of knowledge and information by using open creative commons is limitless.

As educators our role is to ensure students understand the ethical side to fair use, and are able to judge what is transformative and what isn't. We need to promote the use of creative commons images, music, video and other works so that students feel safe about what they are using. We must encourage respecting authors work in the process of referencing material, and encourage students to be creative and build upon the work of others. By promoting a sharing aspect for our students and their work, we encourage them to contribute to a greater pool of knowledge than their own. Finally we must model this.

So does our AUP take this issue into account? No, Nothing there... hmmmm

Reflecting on my last two blogs, perhaps it it is when we take personal responsibility to maintain our privacy online, by being reflective about our digital footprint that we can also balance how we share our copyrighted works to others.

Privacy a Right or Responsibility?

2009-03-22T15:17:00.007+07:00

So I am posed with this question:

Is privacy a right or a responsibility?

In the west we strive to build our own little kingdoms, we erect our fences, install our security systems, ensure we deadlock our door's and essentially make our lives more private, protected and disconnected than any other period in history. Yet isn't it ironic that in these same houses we connect straight into a network more public than any environment we have encountered in the physical realm, a network which can multiply our information faster than a virus, potentially sharing it with an audience we may never have intended.

What fence do we build around the information we share in our networked community? How do we padlock our digital identity? What security system do we entrust to ensure that more sinister net users can't steal our virtual embodiment? The reality is that most of us on facebook don't think twice about clicking 'accept' to invitations from 'friends' that we don't really know as traditional friends in the true sense of the word, the majority of online users often trust the website and never read the screeds of terms and conditions when signing up online, we click the little box which says 'I agree to these terms and conditions'. But what are we agreeing to, who are we connecting with, and perhaps more importantly who is watching us?

The problem we have is a breakdown from reality to virtuality. In reality we accept that privacy is actually a personal responsibility, which leads to a right. We don't open our homes, our worlds and our personal matters up to the world, yet online people feel compelled to... why?

Disconnect.

When we spend so much time online we lose reality of the potential audience we can reach through our online activity, and are oblivious to the potential surveillance over us. We forget we are essentially creating a digital passport which we will carry for life, one which can reveal all sorts of information about us.

Both articles we had to read this week, the first by Samantha MacConnell, 'Don't overestimate privacy of online information' and Beware: the Internet could own your future by Husna Najand, raised some interesting points about privacy. Najand's article concerned me the most as it highlighted the abuse of power that capitalist corporations such as Facebook have over people. The ability for them to change their terms of service contract to a stance which saw them ultimately owning all the information of their users online is a grave concern for some, and a major abuse of power. For many users this may not be much of a concern as MacConnell points out, 'Of course, if you do not have photographs or information posted that could be incriminating, there probably is no need to worry.' But the following short clip from The Wall shows why we all need to have some concern...

Are you taking the responsibility to protect your privacy?

How's your footprint?

2009-03-18T08:09:00.009+07:00

So we have started our second course in our Certificate of Educational Technology and Information Literacy course and our first focus is on digital footprints.

Our reading has taken us to an article, 'Protect Your Digital Footprint' by Fields Moseley, who appears to offer very little innovative thought other than... be careful your digital footprint may catch up with you when it comes to job interviews. A second reading, 'Your online reputation can hurt your job search' also failed to stimulate my brain much, although it did offer some good solutions to ensuring your online character is upheld in a positive light... basically remove the negative and promote the positive.

So in need of something a little more 'meaty' I searched around and found a few interesting read's. One of the major issues with our digital footprint is that it is not a footprint in the sand or mud, it is more like a wet-paint footprint... the key here is that the paint never dries, it is open to being reformed, redistributed and reconstituted. I was watching a great movie last night called doubt, in it the Catholic priest preaches about rumors. He gave the analogy of a rumor being like a feather pillow split open on a roof top, the feathers spread everywhere become almost impossible to pick up. In a similar way once we post or do something on the internet the 'wind' picks it up into the cloud, where it is almost impossible to retrieve. Scared?

A good read about some of the legal issues surrounding internet use can be found at Internet Attorney, a site focusing around legal issues on the internet, with specific regard to American citizens. Basically we need to be aware that the internet has no internal law, it is governed by the local governments from which the user accesses the site, therefore there are serious issues about what is acceptable and what is not as their is no norm. It was also interesting reading the Wikipedia article on internet privacy, to find out that the E.U. has passed a law that allows police throughout the E.U. remote access to anyone's personal computer without a search warrant! This raises serious issues about personal privacy and state control. Although it seemed a little out-dated the Australian 'Office of the Privacy Commissioner' has some good explanations on why you need to be careful online, and the different ways in which people obtain data on your activity, which all construct our digital footprint.

So what really is the issue here?

If we are 'doing stuff' and 'posting stuff' on the net that is not acceptable and this is coming back to bite us shouldn't we have thought first about what we were doing? The real issue is that most users are not aware of the visibility of what we are doing, in my mind this is the key issue...

Increased connection = Increased visibility.

If we want to be connected, we have to accept our actions can be seen by a wider range of people, this is reality. With any job position or career that is highly visible, people learn this quick. However, with a private computer hidden in a room in your house we are fooled into thinking we are not visible.

So what does this have to do with schools?

We ask our students to go online, we ask them to blog, we ask them to create in collaborative spaces, but are we ensuring they understand they are creating their own digital footprint throughout this process? Could these processes potentially harm their identity on the net? Are we putting them at risk with displaying their work to the world?

There is no doubt in my mind that if we expect students to participate online that we must teach them how to do this safely. It has to start with the schools 'Acceptable Use Policy', which must not just be a policy that protects the school, but protects the student. By focusing on protecting the student it will most likely meet the goal of protecting the school. It is our responsibility as educators to guide students in creating positive digital footprints and enlightening them of their visibility online. If we fail to do so we fail to protect the child, which is yet another role for the school to absorb!

Technology in PE... Worth it?

2009-03-07T18:16:00.008+07:00

So why integrate Technology into PE?

It is quite fascinating looking back to what people wrote over ten years ago about the possibilities of technology in Physical Education (See McLean, D. 1996, 'Use of Computer-based Technology in Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance'). Specialised software, multimedia enhancement, computer assisted instruction and use of the web were some of the major suggestions made by McLean. But the big question still remains: Have we really moved much beyond the these suggestions? Are we changing our profession and modernising the way we teach Physical Education? Has Physical Education entered the 21st Century?

Before we answer that question we have to ask why change? Why actually go to all the trouble to integrate technology into our lessons? Is there any research out there that suggests it is a good thing to integrate? There sure is a heck of a lot of resistance supported by a view that technology takes away practical time. Possibly it does. But I would argue that although we may lose practical time we maximise 'learning time', increasing the chance that our learners will become 'life long learners', motivated to gain in knowledge, understanding and application about what this actually means in a 'Physically Educated' sense.

Research isn't that easy to find and most web-sites offer limited scope on how one can integrate technology into PE. The most current trend being implemented is that of pedometers and HR monitors into PE (e.g PELINKS4U), primarily to assist in measuring effort (the whole concept of an effort grade is one that still bothers me... do we give an effort grade in academic subjects?). When used appropriately I have seen HR monitors and Pedometers improve participation and in some cases where there has been sufficient teaching, it has also lead to a greater understanding amongst the students of what is occurring during exercise in their bodies. But take caution! Research from McCaughtry, N., Oliver, K.L., Dillon, S.R., & Martin, J.J. (2008). (Teachers' perspectives on the use of pedometers as instructional technology in physical education: A cautionary tale), highlighted that the use of pedometers does not necessarily mean better learning in our classrooms, nor does it motivate all students to participate better.

But what about other technologies? Are we utilising digital video footage? Web 2.0 learning opportunities? Online feeds such as You Tube (have a look at the endless sporting videos online). What about software like the fitnessgram, Polar's PE Manager, are these promoting better learning? PDA's are useful in recording assessments, but are these enhancing learning? Are they giving the teacher more time to provide meaningful feedback within the class?

I think we have to test technology integration with three critical questions....

Does this integration of technology increase the participation of the student in physical activity in and/or out of the classroom?
Are students LEARNING better about being a physically educated person as a direct result from implementing this technology?
Does this technology remove barriers to participation?

I think when we can honestly look at our technology integrations and say yes to each of these questions then we are doing the right thing, if not we need to seriously question what we are doing.

Panther Run Series...

2009-03-02T15:57:00.002+07:00

So I have been geeking out... I have played with google docs and saved myself a huge amount of time in the long run... how?

By using Google Doc's I have created a registration form for our upcoming Panther Run Series, check it out below, and if you are not doing anything on the dates below come and join us and run in the panther run series!

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Connection or Disconnection?

2009-02-28T13:32:00.008+07:00

Plug in, switch on, connect, roam, SMS, 3G, wifi, GPS...

...At the center of the development of technology is a pressure to be 'connected'. Connected to what? who? how?

Connectivism is a modern phenomenon, so modern my spell checker is showing the word as incorrectly spelled. In order to understand this theory it is worth considering the principles that underlie it as suggested by George Siemens (2004):

Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions.
Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.
Learning may reside in non-human appliances.
Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known
Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning.
Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.
Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities.
Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision.

It all sounds good on the surface, People of diverse backgrounds connected, sharing new technology, experiencing lifelong learning together, this is a dream for most educationalists, including myself. So what on earth is the problem?

Can I disconnect?

I hear this time and time again; how can I disconnect? To survive we almost need to become hyper-connected. Staying current, nurturing connections, processing information, decision making ...it all takes time. As we master one skill, a new technology requires a new shift, as we advance our social network and PLN we require more and more time to maintain the networks we are creating.

The result... Disconnection... with REALITY.

I know that in the short duration this course has run that I have felt more disconnected from reality than connected. I see it regularly. In youth today I see more and more connection online with a corresponding disconnection with the immediate reality in their lives. In the 'Hanging Out' section of the MacArthur Report the result of this is that we are '...constructing new social norms' are the new norms better than those preceeding them? Mizuko also raises the 'hypersocial' (MacArthur Report 2008, p.14) process which teens use to create their identity. Am I just too old fashion, too stuck in the past to see that this is the way of the future? I know for sure that as a Health and Physical Educator I am concerned.

I want students to use technology, please don't think I am suggesting technology is not a good option. I think the use of technology in sport and physical education not only can improve performance, but can assist in students gaining a deep understanding of their health and well being, which can inspire them to be more active over their lifetime; a goal most PE teachers would share. I am more concerned about the impact that such hyperconnectivity has on our student populations, and in particular how it disconnects them from what is really important. My challenge is to teach children to live a life of balance, one in which technology can assist them in relationship building and identity formation, but one in which they are still firmly connected to who they are without technology.

Final Reflection for my COETAIL course...

2009-02-28T13:31:00.005+07:00

So this is my final reflection for the COETAIL course one I have been taking... late, but as I often (too often) say, better late than never! I have found this course really interesting, and can say now, looking back on it that I have used a lot of technology and learnt a lot in doing so. I have picked up a variety of skills that I feel have culminated in my final project.

I know I have picked up some great IT skills that will eventually save me time, and help me to develop more as an educator. Using GoogleDocs is a huge time saver for registration of athletic events not to mention surveys for kids and collaboration prospects in the classroom. Blogging on Blogger has been an easy technical skill to master, although I still struggle to blog regularly. Using my Google Reader has taught me a great deal in how to manage the endless amounts of information continually arising on the web and participation within the class wiki on wetpaint, has been a great chance for me to understand through participation what a wiki can do, and the collaborative potential it holds.

I have gained an understanding of a few of the issues that are surrounding the integration of IT into education, and needless to say I am concerned about some of the outcomes of diving in deep into Information Technology. I am more firmly grounded on a few key principles:

IT is one of many tools that assists learning.
When IT begins to draw us away from reality we are becoming too hyper-connected, this is a dangerous state.
IT has to help our lives. It has to free us up more to do the important things in life.

I see a great potential in integrating IT into Physical Education and I am looking forward to researching more and continuing my blog to help enlighten any willing readers to understand ways they can integrate IT to improve student learning in PE. I can't wait to implement my multi-cultural games unit to my grade 8 students and see them collaborate with a class from another school. This has huge potential for inter-cultural understanding and appreciation.

Thanks to Kim Cofino and Jeff Utech who have been our mentor lecturers during this course, you have done a great job with a class of over 50! I have been challenged, extended, frustrated, excited and dismayed, but most of all I have learned.

Repackaged... ain't it the same thing?

2009-02-28T13:30:00.009+07:00

Bloom's Taxonomy

The old... (Benjamin Bloom 1950's)

The new... (Lorin Anderson 2001)

The Techie new... 'Bloom's digital taxonomy map'

Key:

Elements coloured in black are recognised and existing verbs, Elements coloured in blue are new digital verbs.

So honestly, what is the difference?

I have only been in education for ten years and already I am seeing things re-packaged, re-worded, re-branded and regurgitated. Is this stuff completely revolutionary?

My opinion: No

I also tend to disagree with some of the words used under each of the headings in Bloom's Digital Taxonomy, which are explained more in depth in Andrew Churches article 'Bloom's Taxonomy Blooms Digitally'. I don't think that Bloom would place video editing as a higher order thinking skill (HOTS)... the reality these days is that many of the tasks appearing on the surface as HOTS are not. Technology has made these skills accessible to a wider range of people via a more user friendly platform, what we do looks more 'flashy', but the reality is that we do much of it without using many HOTS.

I also struggle to agree with Anderson's new Bloom's taxonomy. The change from using noun descriptors to verbs makes much sense. However, the swap at the top doesn't ring true to me... I struggle to see how one can evaluate before there has been some form of creation/synthesis. By placing creation at the top it almost assumes we have an endpoint in the thinking process, this is counter productive to further development of the thinking process. Evaluation above synthesis/creation inspires us to maintain our learning.

In saying all this, I see value in integrating the different digital tools and skills in 'Bloom's digital taxonomy map' in order to promote higher order thinking skills amongst my pupils, some do have merit and it is a good starting point when it comes to the integration of technology across curricula.

Are you a geek?

2009-02-28T13:29:00.004+07:00

I'm confronted with this question and need to be sure that I am not a techie geek!

In order to answer this I need to consider the three genres of participation with new media that the MacArthur Report (1998) suggest exist:

Hanging Out
Messing Around
Geeking Out

If you imagine the above three categories along a continuum the hanging out stage is merely using media to 'connect' with others. It is quite a basic level of interaction with technology and is simple in it's interactions. Using Bloom's digital taxonomy map, the skills involved in this stage are low order thinking skills.

As one begins to "Mess Around", they become more involved with 'tinkering with and exploration of new spaces of possibilities' (2008: 25). The thinking skills start to move up in bloom's taxonomy, but according to the MacArthur report the activity is still 'embedded in social contexts where friends and a broader peer group share a media-related interest and social focus' (2008: 26); few higher order thinking skills are reached.

“Geeking Out”, defines a serious shift and involves 'an intense commitment to or engagement with media or technology, often one particular media property, genre, or type of technology' (2008: 28). The key point here is that the intensity increases. There is a definite shift in thinking skills that involve higher level thinking and self directed learning from peers.

So what motivates my engagement in technology?

I primarily engage in technology for communication. I have very briefly dappled with blogs (with not much success). I tend to test technology with the attitude of... if it makes my life simpler, quicker and easier it is worth it. If technology pulls me away from reality, it I am firmly against it. Do I have the urge to become a Geek? Yes, on occasions, but something thankfully pulls me aside and makes me remove myself from 'the cloud' and see the real clouds in the sky. I'm not a geek, but I am sure grateful for the advances that the geeks have made for me!

The Wave... what are the implications for teaching and learning?

2009-02-28T13:28:00.007+07:00

Prensky wipe the smile off your face...

I have to admit that if there is one author I find a challenging read, it is Marc Prensky, his 'Adopt and Adapt: Shaping Tech for the Classroom' continued to make me feel concern as to whether he is actually an educationalist or not. I feel he is so absorbed into technology that he has actually lost sight of the greater aspects of education.

One of the great things that education can promote in society is social justice, however if not delivered appropriately, education merely reinforces social inequalities. Prensky is pushing for an education system which is for the global elite, the effect of this merely will reinforce the social inequalities we see in society.

If you take the time to go to Global Rich List and type in your annual income, you soon realise the reality of the world. Three billion people live on less than $2 per day while 1.3 billion get by on less than $1 per day. One to one computers in all schools... haven't we lost the plot? How are the majority of the world going to afford this when they struggle to access clean water. Prensky seems to be lost from reality as shown in comments such as:

'But resisting today's digital technology will be truly lethal to our children's education'

and...

'They (students) not only need things faster than their teachers are used to providing them, they also have many other new learning needs as well, such as random access to information and multiple data streams'

Resisting technology ...lethal? Multiple data streams as a need...why? Such 'needs' are not needs at all. Students today need to learn to live without limitless technology. Students need to be challenged to use technology to create action, action that promotes change, after all how can we achieve Prensky's edutopia without such social justice.

Utopia, an imaginary island described in Sir Thomas More's 'Utopia' (1516) as enjoying perfection in law and politics, is a term now associated with perfection and idealism. Edutopia, a state of perfection in edcuation is idealistic and in reality, it is unrealistic.

The MacArthur Report clearly points out in its conclusions that there are a number of barriers to online participation (economic, institutional, social and cultural), these are embedded within greater societal issues that cannot be solved with a change in the educational system as suggested by Prensky.

I've vented enough. I don't agree with many of Prensky's perspectives, but I do believe he has some validity in the four step process of adopting technology that he suggests:

Dabbling.
Doing old things in old ways.
Doing old things in new ways.
Doing new things in new ways.

Schools are slow to take on technology, and when they do, they tend to rely on the old ways of doing things. Education does need a bit of a shake up, but I firmly don't believe that technology is the key solution. Technology will play a role, and as the MacArthur report suggests, it is impossible to disconnect today's youth from it, however perhaps what we need to see now is technology branching out from a consumer model to an action model.

Techin our Multicultural Games Unit

2009-02-28T12:39:00.009+07:00

Kerry Dyke, our fellow Middle School teacher has been implementing a great unit on Multicultural games for a number of years here at International School Bangkok. I am pretty fired up to build on this unit and take it into the 21st century.

Here's my project sketch for our intercultural games unit:

Students currently partake in a very short unit which requires them to research and present a game from their culture. The unit begins by the teacher demonstrating some games from a variety of cultures to inspire the students to find games from their own culture. Students research a game from their own culture for homework, then are assigned to teach this game to their peers. They are also required to hand in a one page overview of their teaching plan and overview of the game.

The problem with the unit is that it currently gets 'squeezed' within other units. It needs to be more substantial, especially given that developing intercultural understanding is one of the key areas of the ISB vision. This project creates authentic learning experiences for children from a wide range of cultures, directly developing intercultural understanding. By 'Techin' this project it should give it more worth by expanding it's length, creating better opportunities for children to collaborate together online, and by forming a platform in which students from ISB can work with students in other schools.

Students will be peered up with someone from either their own culture or another culture. In peers they will research a physically active game unique to their or another culture. They will work on a wiki together to create a page which explains the game, includes pictures and the basic rules of the game and explains the games unique features relevant to their culture. They will also plan a short teaching lesson which they will be expected to deliver to their peers. The class will be divided in half for each teaching session to make the teaching itself less daunting.

Students will then deliver this lesson to their peers. The lesson will be recorded on digital video. Students will be expected to work with the recorded video to create a 2-3 minute video which assists explaining the game and shows them teaching. This will be uploaded to You Tube and embedded into their wiki page. The final part of the assessment will require the students to go onto each others sites, watch the videos and complete a small peer assessment task which will be managed through Googledocs. It would also be nice for students to offer feedback (via threads) on the wiki.

The ultimate goal will be to actually do this with students from another school in another country. In the first year of implementation it will be completed with students from ISB to work through 'teething' problems. In the second year the plan will be to join peers together from one school with another so they work in groups of four planning their wiki page and mini lesson together on the wiki. Once planned the peers will deliver the instruction in their own school then each post a video to their wiki. They will then be involved in providing feedback to each other online and completing the peer assessment through googledocs.

The most relevant links to the NETS are as follows:

2. Communication and Collaboration

Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:

a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments
and media.
c. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.

3. Research and Information Fluency

Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students:

b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources andmedia.

5. Digital Citizenship

Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students:

b. exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.

6. Technology Operations and Concepts

Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students:

a. understand and use technology systems.

Pretty exciting aye??!!

If you are reading this from another school and want to join my PE class in this adventure please respond to this post. Please also have a look at the unit plan which I am developing.

Truth and Peer critique…

2009-02-28T10:54:00.005+07:00

So my blogging frequency is not scoring too high; we're supposed to be blogging on a regular basis (at least once a week), and have been encouraged to put our thoughts out into the ‘cloud’ with less editing than one would use on a traditional piece of written work…

I can’t do that.

When it comes to writing I write, re-write, edit, re-edit, all in order to come up with something that may be readable! I’m behind, and our course ends tomorrow… so expect a few blogs within the next 36 hours!!!

Although I am not blogging much, I have been reading, and in doing so I have learned a lot about information overload. My Google Reader is constantly flooded with information; much not worth reading. Online I am also faced with the same problems. How do I filter through the endless amounts of information available? How do I know truth? Can I identify bias? More importantly, how do I assist my pupils overcome these same issues?

Amongst the endless information online, how does one find truth and identify bias online?

In our session a few weeks ago Chris Betcher showed a variety of videos that highlighted how this has been a problem for a long time. What is truth has been a question pondered since the great philosophers. The problem now is with the multitude of information available online we have to filter and the number of judgments we have to make in filtering truth and bias in what we read. Chris offered some ideas for us in how to overcome these issues (See the bottom of this post)

This is a major issue for me, and highlights a major need within our classroom… How do we assist students in filtering through the endless amounts of below average information available on the web? How do we teach students to discern truth? How do we inspire critical thinking to ensure that our students can identify bias on the web, yet still be challenged to grow and expand their own perspectives on learning?

The answer… collaboration.

Using a PLN to find Truth and Bias Online...

I can only teach, role model and guide students so much when it comes to filtering information, I cannot be the expert. In his article ‘World Without Walls: Learning Well with Others’, Will Richardson shares the power of the web 2.0. The web is no longer only about information, it is about connection with others, which seriously alters our role as educators...

“…we as educators need to reconsider our roles in students’ lives, to think of ourselves as connectors first and content experts second."

Our role now requires us to teach the skills to allow students to connect to others to assist them in their learning, and to help them identify what is true online.

"we need to rely on trusted members of our personal networks to help sift through the sea of stuff, locating and sharing with us the most relevant, interesting, useful bits."

This brings with it a whole new range of issues, how do we trust the feedback and recommendations we get? How can we ensure that we listen to more people than those with the same perspectives as us in order to challenge and extend ourselves? How do we teach students online communication skills that allow for such sharing?

What is clear is that a personal learning network is critical in assisting us as teachers and learners and our students achieve success in navigating our way to find the right answers online.

View more presentations from sirchriss. (tags: google)

A few ideas for integrating Technology in PE...

2009-02-25T21:59:00.009+07:00

After doing a little bit of research, I found the Charleston County School District website, which has a few ideas for integrating technology into PE, here's their list of ideas (not awesome, but may provide a springboard for you):

Technology Integration Ideas for Physical Education

1. Develop a HyperStudio presentation that allows students to view separate "stacks" of skills and knowledge for various instructional units, such as tumbling, basketball, soccer or jump rope skills. Stacks can include digital video clips or still images of the skills. At the end of each stack, include a quiz, which enables each student to test his or her knowledge. Students who utilize this program enjoy learning in a multimedia setting.

2. Videotape students during PE class performing specific skills. Students can then check out their tapes for overnight viewing. This is an excellent opportunity for parents to visit their children’s’ PE class.

3. Email parents a positive message about their child and include a picture of them participating during physical education class.

4. Create or use an existing WebQuest that allows students to research a specific physical education, fitness or health topic on the Internet, then create a final project or product using that research.

5. Create and display a slide show of photographs of fitness activities or healthy food choices for discussion or a game.

6. Create a web page in Composer or Dreamweaver. Post it on eChalk. It can display class rules, fitness ideas, class projects, contact information and resources for students and parents.

7. Using computer “stations,” students rotate to a computer and go to a specific interactive web site to perform a specific task.

8. Students exercise, then measure their heart rates using heart rate monitors set up at stations.

9. Prepare a spreadsheet for students to fill out information to demonstrate their understanding of the food pyramid. (Students type a reason for eating each food listed in the 1st section, the nutritional value in the next section, and the part of the food pyramid in which the food is found in the last section.)

10. Students time their heart rates and plot them on a graph in a spreadsheet.

11. Students keep track of their steps per day with a pedometer and plot them on a graph in a spreadsheet.

12. Have students collect digital images from the Internet depicting motion, movement, dance, or another theme. Insert the images into a PowerPoint or HyperStudio presentation and add music or text. Present the project to the class.

13. Students create a brochure in Publisher promoting physical activity, fitness, nutrition, or a sport.

14. Students keep a daily log of their nutrition, exercise, or number of steps per day in a MS Word document.

15. Check out the video streaming web site http://streamlinesc.org accessible to CCSD teachers beginning fall of 2005. You can search for videos on health, fitness, dance, or movement. Digital pictures are also available to help depict health, fitness, dance or movement.

Mobile Technology in the Classroom

2009-02-25T21:42:00.009+07:00

So today we had the job of collaborating together to create an elevator sales pitch talk to sell our piece of the 2009 Horizon Report. This report gives some indicators to what the future may look like with the development of technology.

Here's our little Video on how mobile phone technology is creating a new landscape in our classrooms.

Update: If you want to read a good blog on mobile phones in the classroom check out Chris Betcher's recent blog post: Computers in Their Pockets.

Not impressed Mr Prensky...

2009-02-25T10:43:00.006+07:00

So part of this Master’s paper I am doing requires me to give some feedback on some reading we are required to complete, and as per usual I am doing this too late. This blog entry relates to Marc Prensky’s article, "Engage Me or Enrage Me" an article which achieved it’s title in me! Let me vent…

What is the role of Education?

With such a range of educational philosophies one can see that this question is not easily answered. ‘To educate the child’ seems a simple and fair answer, but educate them in what? How? Do we strive for good character, scholastic achievement, well rounded, technologically literate students who are reflective and aware of their own strengths and weaknesses? Is lifelong learning a goal we encompass? How important is it to challenge students to extend their comfort zone, to encourage them to try new things or should we just deliver what they want and employ a consumer satisfaction model.

What is clear from Marc Prensky’s simple analysis of a complex sociological issue is that he has not taken the time to look at the greater underlying themes involved in education. I feel slightly enraged that he has looked at education in such a simplistic ‘user pays’ model in which everything happens as the customer wants. The educators who have influenced me the most are those that challenge me, move me beyond my own needs and take me to something greater. They didn’t give me what I wanted, they gave me what I needed.

Marc’s perspective is so limited ‘…kids back then didn’t expect to be engaged by everything they did’. Seriously Mr Prensky, who on earth is completely engaged by everything they do? And really, is the whole process of endless computer connection shown in this comment; ‘Every day after school, I go home and download music –it’s all I do’, …is this what we want our society to live like?

Marc discusses how school should be user selected, he suggests students are not ‘empowered to chose what they want’, and relates this to the idea of surfing hundreds of TV channels, personalized identities and ring tones. Sorry Mark, kids aren’t deciding these, advertising is convincing them they need them; this is not a good example of empowerment.

Ok, I have bagged Mr Prensky enough, after all he does say one nice thing… that perhaps ‘kids are sending us another message… offering the hope of connecting with them’. Here within lies the key, it is not engagement we have to aim for, it is connection, connection comes from a unique relationship with a teacher, not a computer, and when we have this special connection, then we get true engagement. Technology is a tool, not the tool.

Thanks Mr Prensky, you made me think.

Take your marks, set...

2009-01-31T20:00:00.001+07:00

It has taken me a while to get into this. I love technology, but I am also very wary of how it can form a giant black hole which potentially sucks people into a virtual life of a million connections, yet disconnecting them from a tangible reality. My goal is to use technology so that I can do the things I REALLY want to do, it has to free up my time, not suck up my time.

I resisted cell phones, now I text, call, surf the web and plan my lessons and life on its calendar. I refused to have an online email, now Gmail is the hub that keeps me in contact with hundreds of people all over the world. I hated the idea social networking thinking it was a waste of time. I am now linked on facebook to people I would never have been able to keep in touch with otherwise. I don't like the idea of anyone finding out all about me online... now I am blogging my thoughts here.

I learn. The gun went off and I may not have had a quick start, but anyone who knows anything about the sport I am passionate about... adventure racing, knows that it is a long race and you don't always know what is around the corner. You have to adjust, keep your bearings, become confident in your surroundings and you have to use your surroundings to your advantage.

My challenge lies in using I.T. in my current teaching discipline: Physical Education. Technology has become so embedded in sport that we have no choice but to role model it in Physical Education. It is easy to embed the physical technology of new products and sports equipment such as heart rate monitors and pedometers, but how do we specifically embed I.T. to drive students towards our number one goal: a lifestyle of personal fitness for health and enjoyment. How do we use it to inspire those students who want to push themselves that little bit harder so they can achieve better performance within their sport.

Some schools appear to embrace it, teachers walk around with palm pilots, downloading heart rate data from students, while assessing them in real time with pre-set rubrics. Some embed technology within lessons using visuals from the internet, and some schools are even buying into the new 'exertainment' systems. At ISB we are trying panthernet for online assignments and assessments in order to increase activity time. But will this really improve our students learning? We are trying to get kids off there rear ends and be active... therefore is embedding I.T. going to be counter productive to our goal? Possibly. We have to be wise about how we integrate it into our subject, it has to grow to a new level of connectivism... a state where it connects into the life of the student and inspires ACTION on their behalf.

I am doing a few courses through the school I currently teach at (International School Bangkok) and my challenge is going to be to take this learning and to apply it specifically to Physical Education. If it potentially takes away activity time for my students, I have to question it. If it makes them more inspired to take control of their own fitness I'm all for it. The gun has gone off and I am navigating through my environment working out which are the best tools to use; it should be fun! Look out for my reflections throughout this course.

"If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger."

Frank Lloyd Wright