Comments for Think :: Learn :: Do http://stmbtech.edublogs.org Reflecting, Engaging and Empowering at St. Michael's Primary School, Blacktown South Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:08:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on I Know An Easy Solution to Our Problem by Frances Manning http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2008/05/05/i-know-an-easy-solution-to-our-problem/#comment-40 Frances Manning Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:05:06 +0000 http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2008/05/05/i-know-an-easy-solution-to-our-problem/#comment-40 Back again Robert! I also like to keep in touch with what others are doing & saying...they might have some answers for some of our questions!! Anyway...we've discussed the 'paper' issues from many different angles. Another issue we've found is the perceived need for us as teachers to have 'proof' of activities from every child. Of course it is necessary for us to be able to have examples of the students' work for assessment etc....but need it be always in a paper form. There are issues of access and acceptance of this way of show casing work...but we are trying a few ideas! At the moment we have gone back to trialling having each teacher store & use their own class's paper. Back again Robert! I also like to keep in touch with what others are doing & saying…they might have some answers for some of our questions!!
Anyway…we’ve discussed the ‘paper’ issues from many different angles. Another issue we’ve found is the perceived need for us as teachers to have ‘proof’ of activities from every child. Of course it is necessary for us to be able to have examples of the students’ work for assessment etc….but need it be always in a paper form. There are issues of access and acceptance of this way of show casing work…but we are trying a few ideas! At the moment we have gone back to trialling having each teacher store & use their own class’s paper.

]]> Comment on I Know An Easy Solution to Our Problem by Robert Barden http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2008/05/05/i-know-an-easy-solution-to-our-problem/#comment-39 Robert Barden Sun, 11 May 2008 12:49:12 +0000 http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2008/05/05/i-know-an-easy-solution-to-our-problem/#comment-39 Hi Frances, Welcome to our blog! I've been following HFS Conversations for a while and it's always great to keep in touch with the work of other schools. I think you've hit the nail on the head - what it critical to this issue is why we're photocopying; if it results in "entertaining" or "occupying" students because we're not well prepared, or because we're afraid of stepping out of our comfort zones and into the more daunting world of 21st Century learning, then it truly is a waste of paper, because very little is being achieved. I think we will need to start counting our paper use. Being a school nearly twice the size of HFS, I dare say the numbers will be huge! Hi Frances,
Welcome to our blog! I’ve been following HFS Conversations for a while and it’s always great to keep in touch with the work of other schools.

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head - what it critical to this issue is why we’re photocopying; if it results in “entertaining” or “occupying” students because we’re not well prepared, or because we’re afraid of stepping out of our comfort zones and into the more daunting world of 21st Century learning, then it truly is a waste of paper, because very little is being achieved.

I think we will need to start counting our paper use. Being a school nearly twice the size of HFS, I dare say the numbers will be huge!

]]> Comment on I Know An Easy Solution to Our Problem by Frances Manning http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2008/05/05/i-know-an-easy-solution-to-our-problem/#comment-38 Frances Manning Wed, 07 May 2008 12:47:05 +0000 http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2008/05/05/i-know-an-easy-solution-to-our-problem/#comment-38 Hi Robert, I agree that a solution to the 'paper problems' requires a collaborative approach. I like your idea about asking the students for ideas. I also agree with the idea that we need to look at our learning activities. Are 'Worksheet-dependent' activities truly reflective of the type of teaching & learning that is relevant to today's students? HFS will be interested in your discussions about this topic.Keep us posted! Hi Robert,
I agree that a solution to the ‘paper problems’ requires a collaborative approach. I like your idea about asking the students for ideas. I also agree with the idea that we need to look at our learning activities. Are ‘Worksheet-dependent’ activities truly reflective of the type of teaching & learning that is relevant to today’s students?
HFS will be interested in your discussions about this topic.Keep us posted!

]]> Comment on More on our Bee-Bots by Robert Barden http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2007/05/18/more-on-our-bee-bots/#comment-37 Robert Barden Wed, 07 May 2008 02:55:51 +0000 http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2007/05/18/more-on-our-bee-bots/#comment-37 We purchased our bee-bots through Modern Teaching Aids, http://www.teaching.com.au/ There's also supposed to be a newer product from the same manufacturer called a pro-bot, which is suitable for older grades (we haven't looked closely at it yet). There's also a blog on what some schools in our diocese were doing with bee-bots last year. http://bee-bots-downunder.blogspot.com/ We purchased our bee-bots through Modern Teaching Aids, http://www.teaching.com.au/
There’s also supposed to be a newer product from the same manufacturer called a pro-bot, which is suitable for older grades (we haven’t looked closely at it yet).

There’s also a blog on what some schools in our diocese were doing with bee-bots last year.
http://bee-bots-downunder.blogspot.com/

]]> Comment on I Know An Easy Solution to Our Problem by Robert Barden http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2008/05/05/i-know-an-easy-solution-to-our-problem/#comment-36 Robert Barden Wed, 07 May 2008 02:36:29 +0000 http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2008/05/05/i-know-an-easy-solution-to-our-problem/#comment-36 Judy, Thanks for your comment. I really like the idea of empowering our students to find some solutions. Not only could it have some great creative results, but it's just the kind of challenging, relevant learning we want which is not worksheet-dependant! It's amazing how the colour printing at school has reduced since we've changed our printer over, and printing in colour has become a more deliberate choice to make. Maybe a similar vein can be taken... maybe photocopying is just too easy? Judy,

Thanks for your comment. I really like the idea of empowering our students to find some solutions. Not only could it have some great creative results, but it’s just the kind of challenging, relevant learning we want which is not worksheet-dependant!

It’s amazing how the colour printing at school has reduced since we’ve changed our printer over, and printing in colour has become a more deliberate choice to make. Maybe a similar vein can be taken… maybe photocopying is just too easy?

]]> Comment on More on our Bee-Bots by mrooke http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2007/05/18/more-on-our-bee-bots/#comment-35 mrooke Wed, 07 May 2008 01:49:08 +0000 http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2007/05/18/more-on-our-bee-bots/#comment-35 Thankyou for all the work you have done and shared. It has been very helpful. Do you know where BeeBots can be purchased in Australia? Thankyou for all the work you have done and shared. It has been very helpful.
Do you know where BeeBots can be purchased in Australia?

]]> Comment on I Know An Easy Solution to Our Problem by Judy Buhagiar http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2008/05/05/i-know-an-easy-solution-to-our-problem/#comment-34 Judy Buhagiar Tue, 06 May 2008 12:43:21 +0000 http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2008/05/05/i-know-an-easy-solution-to-our-problem/#comment-34 Hi Robert, I agree totally that we have to cut down on our use of paper. I was amazed by the stats at Holy Family. Ours are probably just as bad - or worse as we are a larger school. While computers should be helping to diminish paper, there are limitations. I have had classes save work to computer folders which I then corrected online. HOWEVER, students typing the work were painfully slow (and I have more computers in the Library than there are in classrooms) and marking the results online seemed to take longer - when I could access staffnet from home (not always available) Another issue is that I am finding that many kids now are bringing in homework on their thumbdrives and coming to the Library to try to open them when they can't in the classroom. However, they often have used Word 2007 which does not open using our older Word 2003. I do think it worthwhile to raise the issue at a briefing - again, and maybe brainstorm how individual teachers are trying to cut back. Maybe we could get one of the grades to take it on as a problem-solving activity as part of their units (e.g. Year 5 and Rainforests; Year 2 as part of Kids Care; Year 4 as part of their Community unit; Let's all work together on this. Don't let it beat us. Cheers Judy Hi Robert,
I agree totally that we have to cut down on our use of paper. I was amazed by the stats at Holy Family. Ours are probably just as bad - or worse as we are a larger school.
While computers should be helping to diminish paper, there are limitations. I have had classes save work to computer folders which I then corrected online. HOWEVER, students typing the work were painfully slow (and I have more computers in the Library than there are in classrooms) and marking the results online seemed to take longer - when I could access staffnet from home (not always available)
Another issue is that I am finding that many kids now are bringing in homework on their thumbdrives and coming to the Library to try to open them when they can’t in the classroom. However, they often have used Word 2007 which does not open using our older Word 2003.
I do think it worthwhile to raise the issue at a briefing - again, and maybe brainstorm how individual teachers are trying to cut back.
Maybe we could get one of the grades to take it on as a problem-solving activity as part of their units (e.g. Year 5 and Rainforests; Year 2 as part of Kids Care; Year 4 as part of their Community unit;
Let’s all work together on this. Don’t let it beat us.
Cheers
Judy

]]> Comment on Keyboard Shortcuts by Keyboard Shortcuts http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2008/05/04/keyboard-shortcuts/#comment-33 Keyboard Shortcuts Sun, 04 May 2008 09:01:31 +0000 http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2008/05/04/keyboard-shortcuts/#comment-33 [...] KW’s World wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptKeyboard Shortcuts Filed Under (Technical How-to) by Robert Barden on 04-05-2008 and tagged keyboard shortcuts You may have noticed last term that one of our fantastic Teachers Aides (she better be reading this now that I’m showering her with praise, but given that she’s on long service leave, she probably isn’t) had a list of useful keyboard shortcuts to use with different programs. I was lead myself today to such a list, and quite a definitive one at that.  You see, this one’s from Micr [...] [...] KW’s World wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptKeyboard Shortcuts Filed Under (Technical How-to) by Robert Barden on 04-05-2008 and tagged keyboard shortcuts You may have noticed last term that one of our fantastic Teachers Aides (she better be reading this now that I’m showering her with praise, but given that she’s on long service leave, she probably isn’t) had a list of useful keyboard shortcuts to use with different programs. I was lead myself today to such a list, and quite a definitive one at that.  You see, this one’s from Micr [...]

]]> Comment on IWB08 by Robert Barden http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2007/12/09/iwb08/#comment-32 Robert Barden Fri, 29 Feb 2008 06:27:18 +0000 http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2007/12/09/iwb08/#comment-32 Hi Sue, Congrats on being the first to reply to this post and on your first comment on Technoblog as well! We're trying to look at how many different ways we can try and balance everything as best as possible. At the moment, I'm still waiting on a confirmation on just how much is in the budget this year, so once I know what we're playing with, we can start to be a bit more certain on what we can/will do. Hi Sue,

Congrats on being the first to reply to this post and on your first comment on Technoblog as well! We’re trying to look at how many different ways we can try and balance everything as best as possible. At the moment, I’m still waiting on a confirmation on just how much is in the budget this year, so once I know what we’re playing with, we can start to be a bit more certain on what we can/will do.

]]> Comment on IWB08 by Sue http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2007/12/09/iwb08/#comment-31 Sue Fri, 29 Feb 2008 03:33:18 +0000 http://stmbtech.edublogs.org/2007/12/09/iwb08/#comment-31 I think to have 'equity' across the school, all classes need to have a data projector in their classroom rather than half the grades having IWB's and the other classes having nothing!!!. Then add the IWB's as money becomes available. The reason the data projector in the strong room is not used is because you need time to go and get it and then put it back. The convenience of having a data projector installed in the classroom, would mean you would use it. I think to have ‘equity’ across the school, all classes need to have a data projector in their classroom rather than half the grades having IWB’s and the other classes having nothing!!!. Then add the IWB’s as money becomes available. The reason the data projector in the strong room is not used is because you need time to go and get it and then put it back. The convenience of having a data projector installed in the classroom, would mean you would use it.

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