Challenges of using 21st C technology in the classroom…

Obviously very many challenges…that one I always harp on… if I had access to computers it would make it easier for the students to effectively use them… gazing through the window at them and typing in the air doesn’t work with the ict… although I do recall in grade 5 starting every day off with an exercise in typing… on a paper photocopied qwerty keyboard which we had to colour in (matching the correct colours to the correct set of keys..) this was taped to a part of the desk that would slide out… ASDFGF :LKJHJ. That’s correct. Every morning.

The other challenge I am obviously having is keeping pictures in my blog… will put another one in to illustrate the point I made in the last blog on very cool ideas… now that is fancy. An elephant or dog/bunny pencil case.

Excellent. I have used Moodle in my class it was great, year 7 art theory all online, a project in the 4 point plan visual analysis by Feldman every 2 weeks. It was excellent. But this year I can’t trust my year 7’s with oil pastels or glue let alone when I took them into the computer room to join moodle and they went CRAZY! So we left. Before anything got broken:)

But I would like to do that again. I always put my year 11 Vis Com work on moodle, that way when they say “Ohhh miss I lost my sheet”, I can say “Print another off moodle!” Saving my precious photocopy budget:) And discouraging wasteful paper plane throwing behaviour.

Anyway I am currently planning to introduce a textiles gallery with all the softies my new year 7 class is making… I am excited about those:) So we will have to see how that turns out:)

I have found it.

It is my new favourite blog. With ideas like these how can you go wrong??

It is called Japan Craft Journal – the link is here – and it shows all different japanese pattern books and also the best feature – suggests where to go in Japan to buy all these lovely things:) Which although may not be greatly useful to everyone… I do like to visit Japan… and I do enjoy that my lovely fiance who proposed in our favourite hot chocolate shop in the world that just happens to be in the old “home town” of Osaka Akai Tori, manages to take only one pair of pants on holidays with him so he can fit more craft supplies in his suitcase for me. That’s so nice:) Or may be it is just so I have to do the washing… because he would be pantsless… hmmm… shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth…

The website also has a link to where you can get transpations for your japanese sewing patterns… although they are fairly self explanatory… usually:)

Wikis and e-portfolios…

I love the commoncraft movie about wikis. I can’t help it. What a perfect way to organise a camping trip:) I love camping and someone ALWAYS forgets a chair. Then someone always misses out of a chair. How do you sit around the campfire with no chair?? I used to go to Wilson’s Prom regularly and there was always too people who will remain nameless, who were never really invited and never brought a chair. This ALWAYS resulted in someone who remembered their chair – usually the best chair – missing out. Now if we had a wiki for our camping trips we could put a list of things to remember. NAMELESS PEOPLE BRING A CHAIR! Alanna bring the tongs! How can you barbeque with no tongs??

So that is why I love the commoncraft wiki video.

But in relation to school… wikis are great for use with my classes as e-portfolios because you can make galleries where the students can showcase their own work and see others. And because it is a wiki and they can all apply changes this means I don’t have to do all the photoshoping and uploading! So in addition to learning to photograph their own work the students can learn to crop and adjust the photographs levels in Photoshop and then upload them! Saving me hours of home time! And of course new skills:)

I think it is a great way for kids to reflect on their work and share their thoughts with a larger audience also and it is all catagorised and organised… lovely:)

Compared to a paper based portfolio, I think that the e-portfolio has a lot more benefits – it is accessible from any computer in the world! So there is no more excuses such as I forgot my book… or my book was at school and my paper was at home and I couldn’t do it… Also it is good for the environment! Less paper wastage… less landfill.. less trees… all that stuff!

I also think that by using the internet to create an e-portfolio kids will be way more excited to create and good quality portfolio, nothing will be stuck in wonky with clag making the page all wrinkly.. it will all be neat and lined up and lovely.  Also in the presentation of the folio there are so many more options in presenting the folio – data projecting the folios and internet presentations… oh so many options!

RSS feeds …. excite!

So now I have my own igoogle account… it is very cool… I took much time and deliberation over the header design… so many choices… I definately wanted something quite lovely. My current design is the japanese inspired fox creature at his temple style house with his lovely river.  Earlier he was boating… now in true lunch time style he is having a lovely picnic with his chopsticks  of what appears to be shui mai, quiche and Pari Pari Salad! What a delicious lunch… probably not quiche though.. its not soo common in Japan… may be it is delicious okonomiyaki! My favourite Japanese food! The delicious vegetable pancake with bacon and roast potato.

I have attached the rss feeds of some of my favourite websitey blog places… and found some more.. like a treasure hunt and they just keep leaving these clues for more exciting things!

Online conference!

I just listened to an online conference! Well I guess I participated… It is part of the “Now” conference that Suz recomended.  After my initial excitement of people speaking through my computer.. which I really should be not so shocked by after being an avid user of Skype while living overseas.. where people used to ring in to our apartment with the skype and video messenger.. which I must say did cause some fluster when people wanted to talk to you after not seeing you in months and the time difference really caught you out with massive bed hair, panda eyes and pjs… that is a great way to really boost your confidence…

Back to the online conference.  After my initial shock resulting in squealling at the computer.. and then horrified thoughts that the whole conference had heard me squealling at the computer and that may be they  thought I was completely computer illiterate and a complete noodle… well I started listening to the lady speaking… I have already completely forgotten her name. But she spoke a lot about using web 2.0 technolgy in the classroom and how she has connected with classrooms all over the world. With her students.. and online voice surveys and graphing how many tv’s, radios, mp3 players and mobiles students had in their homes in her school, Denver and another school in a not so well off country… it was all very interesting.

Her name in Anne Mirtschin and I have just found that you can view the recorded sessions of the previously run online conferences! They all go for about 1 hour… but they seem very worthwhile! This is the link – http://nowconference2008.ning.com/ they are in the middle of the page… the one I did was Around the World NOW using Blogs with Anne Mirtschin… you can see my little name in the recorded session… if someone could write that down for my pd records that would be great…:)

And the best thing about an online conference is that I could sit at home in my pj’s and my holiday issue footwear (as seen in my flickr holidays documentation) while knitting booties and eating raisin toast! How many pd sessions have you done that in?? And I listened very hard.

Anne told me about so many different links to sites that were good for so many different things! I see much potential for hums, womens studies, all different things. I am going to advertise my year 10 jewellery blog in a handmade website I know of and get people from all over the world to discuss the students work. Just need to put up some more pics:) Please feel free to comment on their works also… even if you are in the same 20km as the students… you may not think you are as exciting as someone from an exotic location but I’m sure they will appreciate it! The link is to the right over there ————->

This is a little bit rambly but I have to leave by saying…. Although I was mortified at the fact that a whole conference heard me squealling at my computer I found out they hadn’t, my microphone wasn’t turned on by the moderator. I am still considered at an average level of computer savviness… I am ok for today… haven’t embarrassed myself yet:)

Another one:)

I had to do another one… there are two ways to do the filter… I had to try both obviously! This photo is of the Lovely Eri. Eri is the little sister of one of my students from my teaching in Japan days:) That student, Masumi, is now a lovely friend and we visit each other and she sends me lovely pictures of Eri growing up:) I love her school uniform. It is the best. Can we bring in those awesome backpacks??

Hockneyizer Example!

This is an example of the Hockneyizer filter that Suz recommended in her redback blog…

It was taken in one of my top 3 camping places, Maude, at the “best” time of the day:)

Using images in class..

Well I guess for me this one is kind of obvious.. being an art/graphics teacher we need to use images and the internet is an excellent resource for this!

Programs like photoshop and illustrator are great but not always available, and websites such as Suz’s “Simpsoniser” or “Graffiti creator” give a great polished result to the students, which I find can often draw them in to a subject like graphics.  It gives them a kind of benchmark as to what they need to achieve in their own final presentations.  A favourite website of mine for Interior Design class is www.designmyroom.com where students get to add surfaces to walls, floors, ceilings, all the furniture and fittings. Another of Suz’s recommendations:)

School holidays! Here at last!

I imagine most people would be sharing my excitement at the school holidays that we have been on for oooo about 2.5 hours… I have already documented today… in Flickr, for Suz’s holiday redback assignment (whixch i was secretly mega nerdly excited about..:). I am already wearing my cleaning/photography/messy craft apron, I have cleaned the bathroom, I have entertained a guest (the lovely miss maggie), I have done one load of washing (many more to be done), and I have found some chocolate and eaten it, and sadly I already also accidentally  looked up myself in flickr and found my own stuff in other peoples flickrs… Now I am planning to sit down to an exciting episode of mash and finish sewing in the zip to the possible bridesmaid dress option that I will road test tomorrow night. SO VERY PRODUCTIVE already! So I figured I would write in this lovely blog, make it more exciting! Like Jo’s! I love Jo’s blog:)

OOOOh so excited about being on holidays! Now I can get everything done!

Blogs Blogs Blogs!

I look at blogs a lot. A LOT. It is quite exciting to finally have one…

I love to look at blogs with tutorials on how to make things… so many things, textiles things, jewellery making things, art things, recycling things, knitting things and so many others! But mainly making things.

I get so many ideas for my classes from these blogs, I also learn so many new skills from the blogs. Some of my favourites are… (not all blogs… but blog style)

http://thelongthread.com/?cat=255 - this blog has “Make it Monday”, every monday they post a tutorial on a short crafty project – often textiles based, which can be quite useful for those students that have forgotten their material again!

http://www.etsy.com/storque/articles/ - this one is part of a site that sells handmade goods, but here the sellers and admin put in all different articles on living a “handmade life” which can involve anything from making your own hammock to creating L.E.D. baby shoes… it also gives you a view into other peoples lives and so many links to other peoples blogs and websites! (and things that you can buy… don’t look in you can’t resist pretty things).

http://www.threadbanger.com/blog - this blog is ok… but the website is best! But you wanted blogs… this one shows you how to recycle things to make new clothes! An excellent resource for textiles:)

I have so many favourites…

And what do I hope to gain from the Redback Program? I hope to gain a better understanding of how to use web 2.0 both for my own learning and for use in the classroom.   It is great to see a recognised program encouraging people to look into how to use ICT in the classroom and as a program with small steps which makes it accessible to more people and allows those with more skills to take the ideas further:)