Delegates discuss learning at L@S
April 12th, 2009 by admin
At the Bloggers’ Cafe we interviewed delegates about their sessions, here is a slice of what is happening at Learning @ School…
Susan Garrud from Matamata Primary school attended “Developing 21st structure to support key competencies and self-directed learning” presented by Kat Braun:
The overlying theme of this session was the importance of being able to be flexible and create your own time structures for the school day. Often there is no time for differentiated learning in some classrooms. We looked at how to organise learning environment to cater for self directed learning.
The thing I will take away from this session is that I would like to talk to my kids about what time of the day they would like to learn different things – when would be a good time to do maths for example. Also I will look at the learning environment a bit more to see whether or not there is a better way. I will ask how the kids like to see their space. This session reinforced my ideas about consulting the kids. It sat really nicely with the Jamie McKenzie session this morning.
Kim Scott from the GRITS cluster in Gore who attended “Transformational teachers” presented by Tony Ryan.
The main message I picked up was being present as a teacher. It is really important to have memories of the past, a vision for the future but essentially to be present. Also I The importance of being comfortable highly creative. Not meaning the arts, could creativity of thought, behaviour patterning . The concept of connectivism was the key concept for me. I like it because it’s not just responding to people but about the relations built up behind it. The ability to be metacognitive.
The thing I am going to take away and use from this session is the TED talks. I use TED talks as an inspiration site for myself. I’m going to take it away and use it with my students. My short term goal is to be invited to the TED conference!
Karen Roulston from Huntly Primary School attended the Learning Caves (exciting online inquiry learning tools) session presented by Brendon Muir and Tiffany Whyte.
This session showed us how to create learning caves where students can go in and access information at home or at school and it allows you to see how much they do and don’t know. They can create the work at home if it is online and then work on it at school the next day. Learning Caves is a part of Spike Schools. I liked the fact that it is student created for each other.
Students being able to set up their own learning and share their learning with their peers in a safe, monitored manner is my take away from this session.
Todd Reid, Susan McDonald, and Laura Geaney, of St Therese School visited the Trades Hall during the breakout session.
There were so many things to see and so little time! You want to have a look and play with things. The teachers need to play with the stuff before they let the kids play. There were lots of interactive technologies, so exciting.
Click view was interesting, where you buy videos for your school specific to a subject. You get about 500 videos for the whole school to use. The videos are all related. You can search by topic so it would be a real time saver.
Panasonic told us about a movie competition for the students and we might have a go at entering that. It was worthwhile spending a session in the tradeshall as we had time to really look around.
Paul Brimblecombe is the Board of Trustees deputy chair from Raumati Beach School
It has been a bit mind boggling. All the sessions have been great. My specific purpose was to get an overview of the ICT elearning process. The Board of Trustees need to be really clear on the direction they set for the school. We want ICT to be a means to an end rather than the end itself. A lot of what I’m seeing around here is reinforcing that. The people who are delivering are all that in the breakouts. Its not just about iCt its about the big picture and where it fits in.
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