Donna recently sent out a copy of a planner for 2017. Jemma Field has converted this (thanks Jemma) to a google doc for those that now use google docs for their administration. Using a google doc is useful for then putting this into a student handbook for giving students at the beginning of the year.
As an alternative you could also use google sheets (like excel) which would mean you could have all of your subjects planners in one document by using different tabs for each subject you teach. I like this approach as it keeps it all in one place for me. This is more ideal for your own planning rather than putting into a subject handbook. Both are also quite useful for putting onto google classroom for students to access to plan ahead for various things.
Google Sheets Version
To view these instructions in a larger format click here.
To open a larger view of these instructions click here.
Getting students to create videos as part of introducing them to a new topic or revising one already learnt is a great learning activity. It can enhance many skills for students. And far more engaging that writing out information! This way you add some digital skills at the same time! For those that have attended my 'Humble Camera App' workshops, it is a good step up from the basic talking head type of video and enables students to utilise many pictures included in the programe as well as images they upload themselves. In an activity like this students may need to research information, synthesize it, define it, and explain the concept or topic in their own way. This requires them to really think about what is needed in a video about their topic that will help a viewer to understand the topic or concept fully. This new tool is well explained and reviewed by Jennifer Gonzalez on the CULT OF PEDAGOGY website. If your interested she has a facebook account under the same name - very handy to see what she comes across. I have given the program a quick go and think it is one of the best of this style of video creation tools that I have seen in a while. I particularly like that it starts from a written perspective and then you add pictures to support that. In many previous tools students have focused on putting the fun good looking pictures on first but haven't thought about what it is they need to say first. This is a much better tool for this reason. Below is an example of the style of the videos created. Many teachers may wonder why I do what I do for E-Learning here at Westlake Girls. There is probably a fairly good assumption out there that I just love technology, and don't get me wrong I do (although I'm not half as tech savy as some might think!), but I do enjoy finding cool websites, and apps and processes that help to make my teaching more interesting and engaging and successful for my students and of course that make my life as a teacher easier. While this is a significant part of my reasons, it goes far deeper than that.
Essentially I am worried, and I don't just mean a little bit worried, but I am really concerned about whether we are able to prepare the students that we have now for a future which is changing so rapidly we actually don't entirely know what jobs we as teachers are preparing them for. When you think about that statement for a moment, about the reality of an education system that perhaps is not preparing students for what lies ahead, it’s pretty significant. Some teachers are happy to continue to go along with "Oh technology is not going to change things that much, the jobs are still going to be there…" type of attitudes, but I'm not, because many jobs are not going to be there. That is fact. Things are changing so fast and in ways we don't expect that it’s scary. While I had an awareness of this over the past few years, until recently I really didn't fully understand the potential impact on our future adults and society in general. The time I spent at the Mindlab under its founder Frances Valintine, helped me to get the big picture in high resolution (pardon the tech pun!). Let’s take a really straight forward example. Automated checkouts at supermarkets. Most of us have now used the automated checkouts available at supermarkets and I for one am more than happy to use them instead of waiting in line for a checkout operator (unless I have a full trolley!). I remember being at school and in one supermarket in particular, where many of my school friends worked, there were probably about 15 checkouts being operated by staff. Fast forward a few years to now, and ask the question; how many staff are now not employed because of automated checkouts? Quite a few in my opinion. Now many may think that it’s not a big deal in the scheme of things and perhaps they aren't the types of jobs we want our young people to aspire to. But they are jobs none the less and more obvious than that, they are low income jobs. Add this up with other automated low income jobs that have met a similar end and the picture becomes worrying. It concerns me that there will soon be even fewer jobs out there for people, and in my opinion it is the lower income bracket earners that are going to be hardest hit. Some might then say "Well there are always going to be the need for doctors etc." And yes that is correct, but technology is changing medicine every single day, and so it should. It is enhancing medicines, changing medical techniques, enabling doctors to be more successful in diagnosing, treating and completing life-changing operations. So there really aren't any jobs that will not be affected by technology in some way. So this begs the question, with the fast paced change that is occurring because of technology, will there be fewer jobs overall? The answer is simple. NO. The jobs available will however, be very different. Businesses in the technology industry already can't find enough workers with the skill sets required. Technology needs creative minds and innovative people. So, to put this into context, I ask the question again "Are we preparing our young adults for the world they are about to enter???" So is this blog post just a beat down on the Ministry of Education? Absolutely not. The Ministry have, in the past couple of months, made some significant announcements. On July 5th 2016, the Minister announced the first change to the NZ Curriculum since it was written in 2007. That "Digital Technology is to be formally integrated into the New Zealand Curriculum". Ms Parata goes on to say that this change "reflects our Government’s commitment to championing 21st century practice in teaching and learning” and that “It will ensure that we have an education system that prepares children and young people for a future where digital fluency will be critical for success.” This is a significant decision. They are working throughout 2017 via working parties to develop support for schools in how to implement this whole new learning area. The question will be exactly that for schools, how do we meet this new addition to the curriculum? The second announcement was on the 23rd August 2016 with the introduction of the National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP). Communities of Online Learning will be popping up in the coming years which will give choice in how learning occurs. "For the first time early childhood education providers, schools and kura will have clear objectives set, through the NELP that this Bill proposes. So for the next three to five years, centrally funded PLD by the Ministry will be focused on a small number of national priorities – pāngarau/maths, pūtaiao/science, te reo matatini (pānui, tuhituhi, kōrero)/reading and writing and digital fluency.“ "With this legislative change we’re making it clearer to our educators what success for students looks like. We’re also enabling them to be innovative and creative with how they deliver education in this digital age.” Education Services. Web. 04 Sept. 2016. In essence the Ministry of Education are making some very clear statements here. Firstly, that being digitally literate is important and secondly, that they are prepared to put money behind it. This is great news. While we might not agree with everything the Ministry decide to do, we can't really argue with this message. The question then becomes, how do we do it? Well, the good news is, here at Westlake Girls, we are doing it. We have made huge progress over the past 4 years. My concern is that on the SAMR model, we might stop at Substitution. While we have some amazing teachers who are pushing the boundaries in the ways they are using technology with their students, my concern is that there will still be a reasonable number of teachers who implement the use of technology in their classrooms, but in a very minimal and meaningless way. That the technology implemented does not enhance the digital skills needed by our students. That we don't enhance their creativity and their ability to be innovative because we think we are there already. What is my answer? We just need to work together as a team. We are a strong school, with amazing teachers who achieve awesome academic results. We ALL need to continue to listen to each other, learn from each other, work smarter together, take risks, make some mistakes and continue to push ourselves beyond what is comfortable. We must ALL role model to our students (and departments) that it is ok to do all of the above and that it is ok to not know the answers - but be trying to find out what they are. We ALL have to role model LIFE LONG LEARNING. I encourage you to keep up to date on this issue, read articles and listen to what is going on. Don't forget to add anything you read etc. to your Appraisal document as PD! Tech In Education Articles/Interviews.
Ministry's Announcements and Digital Learning please have a look at these links:
|
Categories
All
Archives
February 2021
AuthorPlease be aware these are links to other people's work. Most blog entries are written by me unless stated otherwise. I am happy to share all my ideas. |