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Our enthusiastic and dedicated Mathematics Core Learning Team offer us another WOW (Website of the Week for those who missed the subtle acronym use last time).  Take some time to look around.

A further resource to support our discussion around HSIE and Information Skills has just come by my way the day before our next staff meeting on HSIE.

Chris Betcher’s regular podcast The Virtual Staffroom has a new episode that went up yesterday all about Information Literacy.  He interviews a teacher librarian on the subject, raising and discussing some of the challenges of learning in the 21st Century and how to locate, select and critique information.

It is long for those not used to listening to podcasts, but it is good (in fact, I’m listening to it as I type).  I recommend you listen to it.  The link to the podcast is below, or if you’re an iTunes user, you can access/subscribe to the Virtual Staffroom through the iTunes store.  I’ve also added a link to the podcast in our staff del.icio.us account.

The Virtual Staffroom Episode 14: Questions are the Answer

Parramatta Marist High at Westmead is looking to engage its students in project-based learning.  Above is a YouTube video shared by our Executive Director, Greg Whitby, of the conversation he had with PMH staff about their plans.

I’ve chosen to share with this because I believe what the staff say, especially principal Br Patrick Howlett fms, is something that would resonate with most teachers today.  Notice too, how their conversation reflects a similar one we’ve been having about learning – that acquiring/consuming/absorbing content is pointless without the skills to not only do it themselves in the future, but also to do something with it.

There’s no mention of technology, but imagine how they could use technology to help them achieve the results they want to see with the students.

Last week in our staff meeting we looked more closely at the pedagogy underpinning the teaching and learning in the HSIE curriculum, particularly the Information Skills process.  Here are just a few resources to continue the PD and keep the conversation going.

Firstly, here’s the NSWDET site on the newly updated information skills process.

Secondly, if you’d like to see your children use search engines more effectively and critically, you can download these posters and cards for display in your classroom, courtesy of Google.

Finally, if you’re still not convinced about the need to develop students’ information literacy, then you must watch this video from teachers.tv.

Of course, this week’s staff meeting is CENet part II.  We’ll get back to the HSIE conversation and journey next week.

www.multiplication.com

Thanks to the great work of Rebecca et al., this week’s Mathematics Website Of the Week is multiplication.com.  Take a look around and see if there is anything you can find useful in your classroom.

This video hopefully contributes to the journey we’re currently taking at St. Michael’s, both with renewing our teaching and learning in HSIE (and later Science and Technology, etc.), and the emerging conversation around a whole-school learning pedagogy.  I think the HSIE-focussed members of the Curriculum Team have implemented a great idea with the “parking lot” in the staffroom.  Unfortunately, I can stick the video up on a piece of butchers’ paper!

This video, which captures a teaching and learning experience (for both teachers and students) within our own diocese may be entitled Teaching and technology, but when you listen carefully, the teaching and the learning takes the fore.  The laptops don’t jump out at you as such because they’re not the focus of the learning, just one of the tools – but one where “the possibilities are endless.”

I’m contributing this video not to push technology into our conversation because it should (and is) already there.  Rather, pay close attention to the teachers explaining how they planned for this exciting and engaging learning.  I’ve tried thinking from a similar viewpoint as I’ve planned my own class’ work this term on British Colonisation of Australia.

Let’s keep embracing our big ideas and seeing how all the steps fit together.

Last Wednesday, we got through the first week of CENet training.  From an organiser’s point of view, I was impressed we got through the meeting with over 20 laptops wirelessly connected to the network and without the internet grinding to an absolute halt.  That would have been impossible when I started this LTC gig!

Don’t forget your CENet homework!  Make sure you complete the survey and send it to me by Friday!