Alastair


 * Staff Meeting 12 May 2010 - The Big Idea**


 * I like the comment in the '21st Century Pedagogy' article under Fluency:**
 * 'We need them [our pupils] to be unconsciously competent in the use and manipulation of media, technology and information'. For me this gives a good starting point for what a digital learning definition might be in our school. It requires free access for students and tchrs to a stable and adequate infrastructure (network and computers, etc). It needs chn's abilities to be good enough to make them independent. We need to get to a point that allows us to use the right tool for the right job at the right time.**


 * Staff Meeting - 18 May 2010 **


 *  If we had all of the ICT tools, the management systems were in place and kids knew how to use them, what would we do? **


 *  What authentic tasks can you come up with that relate to number 1 in the article **


 *  How would we use ICT in our learning activities? **


 *  How would we use ICT for complex tasks rather than subject of study? **


 *  Reflection on our Authentic Tasks reading: **
 *  1. Authentic tasks need to be real, not construed. Our units that have Social Action do this well. We need to make sure that they are useful. A skill they learn, they need to be able to use in a useful way. Graphing on the computer, communicating with outside people for camps, councillors, letters to organisations for useful stuff. **
 *  2. Yes, obvious. Do the kids just want to play the game, rather than see the reason why they are doing it. The chn need to use ICTs as well as ensure they understand why things are, (eg spelling, atlas', basic facts). **
 *  3. Yes, ICTs are a tool; yes they should be in the classes; yes chn should be able to use them as they need, as part of the tchg and lrng process. **

Brainstorm:
 * We would allow chn to go off and find answers to problems/ their inquiry, in groups with each member having a separate task. Then bringing back to present, or solve it.**
 * Use ICT as a tool, for just in time learning/solving. It should be a natural and integral part of the classroom.**
 * Use Bloom's Taxonomy to plan carefully about higher order thinking activities, rather than being busy.**


 * End thoughts: ICT is a tool. It should become a natural part of teaching & learning.**


 * Staff meeting: 22 June, 2010.**
 * The sharing that everyone did was great! (nice to know who I'm matched with, Adrian!). I really liked the authentic contexts that we are trying to link with our learning. Lots of the time at the moment will be on us and the chn just coming to grips with how to do things with Kidpix and other new software. When they are confident they will be more able to apply this knowledge into new learning. The issue making this more complex is us teachers keeping up with the chn and their needs. Do we need to play with this stuff on our CRT as well as plan and assess?**


 * 18.8.10:**
 * We need to spend time at the next workshops looking at setting up our own class wiki and then looking at Web 2.0 to plan for next term's units. I will set up my own wiki that everyone can go to to see if I'm thinking...**


 * 14.9.10:**
 * We have just shared our class items from our learning this term. The variety of learning outcomes and the learning behind what we see in the examples is very exciting. The learning context has helped give the chn some authentic audiences. What impresses me is that we are beginning to use ICT as an inherent and integral part of the tchg and lrng process. It is great that we use ICTs in ways that replace the way we have done things in the past and that by doing so we have engaged more chn in the process. There re chn of all ages that have produced something of quality, which they could not have done using old methods. That's great!**
 * Having Michael go around the school and be used in all classes twice this term has been really beneficial. It has meant that each tchr has been given personal PD and planned with Michael the context and how the ICT will be best used. That this has happened twice in the term for each tchr and class has kept up the focus and meant that the quality and success has been high. I think we need to do this again next year...**
 * I am excited that the teachers are excited! By becoming more confident, we allow our chn more freedom to do a wider variety of things and further enhance the learning.**