stories from todays news

iPads highlight need for tech-savvy teachers
School is back for most students this week and many will return to class rooms kitted out with the latest gadgets like iPads.
There are concerns teachers might not be able to keep up with their increasingly tech-savvy students, with the Government rolling out ultra-fast broadband to schools across the country.
Knowing how to work the latest technology is becoming increasingly important as many schools are putting iPads on stationery lists.
Education consultant Dr John Langley says those able to use technology has come along in leaps and bounds over the past two decades.
“When I look at the ability that children and adults have to access information today, it's just vastly superior to anything that occurred 10, 20 years ago,” he says.
But Dr Langley is concerned that some teachers may not have moved as fast as the technology has.
“For the older teachers it's much more of a struggle,” he says. “I think in that case, what we do require for them is quite significant ongoing professional development.”
The Government says the biggest issue for schools is getting connected in the first place. It is aiming to give most of them access to ultra-fast broadband within three years and is confident teachers will be ready.
Prime Minister John Key says it is up to the principal of the school to ensure teachers feel comfortable with what they are using.
“Those who are technologically friendly are assisting their other teachers, and there are always training courses that we can and do send teachers on.”
The Post Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA) says professional development in information technology is woefully inadequate. It wants the Government to provide more so that teachers are not being left to struggle on their own.
3 News - http://www.3news.co.nz/iPads-highlight-need-for-tech-savvy-teachers/tabid/423/articleID/241326/Default.aspx

and

Breakfast on One
This morning on Breakfast - Education: Technology: Costs
http://tvnz.co.nz/breakfast-news/education-technology-costs-video-470...
Waikato University Education Expert Noeline Wright looks at the growing
pressure on parents to provide children with the latest technology to aid
their learning.

Trying to work out what the difference is...

This came through a post last week, where the author mentioned three different types of teacher.
e-teachers, m-teachers and c-teachers, so what is the difference...

e-teacher
E-teachers are the new generation of teachers who will work in an Internet environment in both regular and virtual classroom situations. They will build new concepts of working in time and space. E-teachers collaborate, build and discover new learning communities and explore resources as they interact with information, materials and ideas with their students and colleagues.

http://cms.steo.govt.nz/NR/rdonlyres/C11315DE-804A-4831-AB75-3D4E77393DD8/0/eteaching.htm

m-teacher
M-teaching- Teaching with the support of mobile, handheld devices.

c-teacher
Doesn't use any devices in there learning at all?

Shut down or Restart

The Royal Society in Great Britain has just released a ground-breaking new report called Shut Down or Restart: The Way Forward for Computing in UK Schools which clearly demonstrates that the current challenges we face in K-12 computer science education are indeed global challenges..
The work behind this impressive report was carried out by the Computing at School project which did a comprehensive review of computing in UK schools. According to the Royal Society, the key points of the report are as follows:
1. The current delivery of Computing education in many UK schools is highly unsatisfactory. Although existing curricula for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are broad and allow scope for teachers to inspire pupils and help them develop interests in Computing, many pupils are not inspired by what they are taught and gain nothing beyond basic digital literacy skills such as how to use a word-processor or a database. This is mainly because:
a. the current national curriculum in ICT can be very broadly interpreted and may be reduced to the lowest level where non specialist teachers have to deliver it
b. there is a shortage of teachers who are able to teach beyond basic digital literacy
c. there is a lack of continuing professional development for teachers of Computing
d. features of school infrastructure inhibit effective teaching of Computing
2. There is a need to improve understanding in schools of the nature and scope of Computing. In particular there needs to be recognition that Computer Science is a rigorous academic discipline of great importance to the future careers of many pupils. The status of Computing in schools needs to be recognised and raised by government and senior management in schools.
3. Every child should have the opportunity to learn Computing at school, including exposure to Computer Science as a rigorous academic discipline.

4. There is a need for qualifications in aspects of Computing that are accessible at school level but are not currently taught. There is also a need for existing inappropriate assessment methods to be updated.
5. There is a need for augmentation and coordination of current Enhancement and Enrichment activities to support the study of Computing.
6. Uptake of Computing A-level is hindered by lack of demand from higher education institutions.
The text of this report is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike and you can download the entire report from:
http://royalsociety.org/education/policy/computing-in-schools/report/
It is well worth reading.

computer science and obama

I found this youtube video the other day, this looks like it could be a good one to use with the students, to get them to give an explanation why Obama is right, as well as giving an explanation on what other methods could be used.

Also I came across this site http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/teachers_corner/4483.html

In this there are some team problems to be solved using computer science,

They are meant to be done by pairs of students during a class period. I tell my students to try to finish by the end of the period; if they can't, they may complete the assignment for homework and turn it in at the beginning of the next class. Each pair of students (or trio, if you have an odd number of students) turns in one solution, although it may contain one or more pages written by each team member. Each problem is worth 15 points and each student on the team gets the same score unless there is evidence that one student did all or most of the work. An overarching goal of all the problems is to give students experience in working with at least one other person to solve a substantial problem (that is, "substantial" for them at that point in the course). The "larger" nature of the problems lends itself to team solution. In some cases, the problem sheet suggests a way that the two students can divide the work.

Here is a list of the problems.

1. Averaging Numbers: Write an algorithm for averaging a list of numbers. Focus first on the problem of knowing when the user is finished entering the numbers.
   
   Objective: To make students think about this standard algorithm before they develop a program for it in subsequent classes or labs
   
   Prerequisite knowledge: How to input and output numbers; For and While loops
   
   
2. Putting Numbers in Ascending Order: Draw a flowchart for the problem of arranging three numbers in ascending order. Then trace the flowchart using a given set of test data.
   
   Objective: To have students develop the if-then-else logic required to solve this standard problem before they write the code for it in subsequent classes or labs
   
   Prerequisite knowledge: How to draw a flowchart with input/output and decision symbols
   
   
3. String Searches: Apply a "brute-force" method to determine if a given string is contained in another string. Then apply the Boyer-Moore algorithm to the same task and note the reduction in the number of steps.
   
   Objective: To have students apply a search algorithm that is not part of their regular classwork
   
   Prerequisite knowledge: How to use a pointer to move through a string; comparing characters
   
   
4. Swapless, Pushless Sorting: Develop an algorithm to sort a list of integers into descending order without swapping any values or pushing values up or down.
   
   Objective: To have students create a sort algorithm that is more efficient than the ones they have learned to code (e.g., Shuttle-Interchange, Bubble)
   
   Prerequisite knowledge: At least one sorting algorithm, so as to understand the idea of comparing numbers in a list and swapping those that are out of order
   
   
5. Dealing Cards: Develop several algorithms for dealing a deck of cards and storing them in the computer's memory.
   
   Objective: To have students develop multiple approaches to a problem that underlies numerous card games, including poker and solitaire
   
   Prerequisite knowledge: How to store data in one- and two-dimensional arrays; random number generation; if-then logic
   
   
6. File Compression: Apply the LZ algorithm to recreate a file from its condensed version and to condense a given file as much as possible.
   
   Objective: To apply a compression/decompression algorithm to "unzip" and "zip" files
   
   Prerequisite knowledge: Understanding of the concept of file compression and the LZ algorithm
   
   
7. Seven Segment Display: Apply the techniques of Boolean algebra to design circuitry to run a seven-segment display for one digit (as used for calculators, cell phones, etc.).
   
   Objective: To apply Boolean algebra techniques to a "real-world" problem that students are familiar with

What if Babbage?

http://www.i-programmer.info/babbages-bag/304-what-if-babbage.html

From slashdot article

http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/11/12/26/1921200/what-if-babbage-had-succeeded

cypher

Looking at getting students caught with level 2 computer science, one of the things that we have to look at is cyphers, looking at what movies have cyphers in then. One is Allendorf Cipher

I hope this video will still exist when I goto teach this unit www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqI3SwDYbj8

Yet another is the playfor? Cypher

The elephant in the room

This is going to be a post that will evolve over time, I came across this blog post this evening which has got me thinking about the difficulties of teachers evolving in schools with technology. http://blog.core-ed.org/derek/2011/11/elephant-in-the-roo.html - by Derek

Consider the following notes so I can get my thoughts in order, they are direct quotes from the link above.

• The avoiders – "I'll make time for the ICT PD once I've done everything I need to for NCEA implementation…" 
• The excuse makers – "My laptop has never functioned properly, so I can't really do that.."
• The apologists – "I just don't seem to be able to make it work, it must be my glasses or something…"
• The debaters – "We really need to be sure we're using the technology for the right reasons, not simply because it's there…"
• The pessimists – "Technology is leading us down a road to destruction, there are so many problems lurking online…"

Consider now the case in a school, where, after consultation with the staff and parents, the decision is made to establish an online environment where resources and learning support can be made available for students to access in their own time. The school and its community agree that this is a positive thing to do in supporting students to become self-managing learners, and provides parents with the ability to take a more active interest in the work their offspring are engaged in. The action is included in the school's strategic plan and signed off by the BOT, with the expectation that every staff member will make a contribution to the online resource pool in order to make the online offerings complete. How do we then regard the teacher who, at the end of the  year, hasn't made any move to contributing, and defends his/her position with excuses/apology/debate etc.? No student has died. No student has been put at risk (apparently). But the fact remains that an expectation, agreed by the BOT and school management hasn't been met.


This is the elephant in the room. We don't want to offend sensitivities. We make excuses for the teacher(s) involved – they are overworked, they are too old (or too young), they have had a rough year, etc. Other staff attempt to 'fill the gap'. Resentments loom large and rifts begin to occur among staff. Expectations are revised, and in the subsequent year's strategic plan putting materials online for students becomes an 'option' for staff. The refusers win, and the learners lose.
Having heard of and witnessed such concerns for some time now, I have come to the following conclusions:

1. It's time for leaders to lead. They must be prepared to take responsibility for following through on the strategic goals set by the school. These are not to be treated as a 'wish list', but as a plan containing specific actions and expectations backed up by evindence-based decision making.
2. Every teacher should be be provided with opportunities for professional development that is relevant to their needs, and assists them in fulfilling the requirements of the job they do. Without it, such requirements become un-enforceable.
3. Schools need to have a robust process for involving all staff and their communities in developing a vision and strategic plan, particularly where new initiatives are contemplated. Such decisions need to be reached on the basis of informed, future-focused thinking that is focused primarily on preparing students for their future.
4. Teachers in schools need to be held to account for the contribution they are expected to make to the agreed strategic direction of the school. there ought to be clear links between the intentions of the school's strategic plan, and the objectives included in a teacher's performance review at the beginning of each cycle.

Such instances in schools may be rare – but where they do occur, it is the impact on students that I am concerned about – and of schools who remain continually unable to achieve the goals they set for themselves in terms of meeting their students needs. How much longer can this be tolerated?

Southland accent

The good Lord blessed me with a thick Southland accent, including the famous Southland 'R' - misrepresented by Jim Mora in this mercifully brief documentary, which makes the spurious claim that the Southland 'R' pulls chicks.

Another feature of Southland speech is our single, multi-purpose vowel, which is best pronounced with a closed mouth and also sounds like 'R'.   Combine these two potent features of Southland dialect - the R and the R vowel - and you're living in a powder keg and giving off sparrrrrrrrrrrks. 
 

Pencilchat outcomes

1. No, we don't have an Acceptable Use policy for pencils. I refuse to do this, because I don't have a policy for slates, for compasses (for more dangerous, in my opinion) or for chalk. If you want it to be an issue of compliance, I'll comply - but only through paperwork. I don't believe in it.
2. Pencil predators are real, but most abuse happens in-person via close social relationships. I suggest an open dialogue with parents about monitoring pen pal letters. 
3. Pencils aren't making kids narcissistic. They're in junior high which means they are naturally self-centered. The good news is that pencils provide a platform for self-awareness.
4. I see your concern about Pencil Citizenship and it's being addressed, but I'd like to push back a little and suggest that ethics and social justice might be a better approach. And not just with pencils, but with life. 
5. Banning pocket paper devices (i.e. tablets) is a really bad idea. Yes, they pass notes, but they're also learning to use these tools well. Let's allow students to learn how to use these tools for learning.
6. Please quit banning Bullying is a real issue, but the most common method is still verbal and the most common site is still the cafeteria. Are we going to ban food next?
7. Students aren't addicted to paper. Really, they're not. They're addicted to social interaction in the same way they are addicted to water and to oxygen. 
8. I see your concern with violent games, but I played Hang Man and I'm not violent. It's really not as big a deal as you think.
9. Teachers are motivated to use pencils. The real issue is self-efficacy. Many of them want to use the tools, but they're scared. Slate-based testing is a major component to this. There is a fear that learning can't transfer from one medium to the next. 
10. The real issue is pedagogy. The power in the pencil is the nuance, the paradox, the gray area. It's in the idea of portability and permanence. It's about empowering each student to learn in a personalized way. It's a chance to erase and thereby move away from summative and toward formative assessment. 

Link to original post

ideas for 2012 for DTG

Bp tech challenge with club describing tech practice
Nzta tech level 2 ideas needed plus junior 4 lesson tech
Mk you think challenge
Binary challenge
Steve's insurance program
To come up with templates to help student and teachers with tech knowledge and practice and nature. Using a variety of different ideas
Ar drone and Getting student to learn to operate and challenge
Use vc unit to have real challenges with other students
Take mk you think to cs4hs and get teachers stumped over rules, when the rules havent been defined.
Challenge between schools, vs and over a number of days/afternoons throughout the year challenge students to think outside the square and be able to explain why/how technology has influcended there decisions
CCES competition to look at thinking skills rather than person that can do it.

Cup stacking competition - this is actually a sport and available in New Zealand - http://www.speedstacks.co.nz
What is sport stacking?
Sport Stacking with Speed Stacks is an exciting individual and team sport where participants of all ages and abilities stack and unstack 12 specially designed cups (Speed Stacks) in specific patterns with amazing precision and dexterity. Competitors stack on a StackMat®, either individually against the StackMat clock or head-to-head in relay teams.
Active and healthy, sport stacking improves ambidexterity, concentration and hand-eye coordination. A university study has shown that sport stacking increases bilateral proficiency; equal performance on both sides of the body, which helps develop awareness, focus, creativity and rhythm.

This is more about think and problem solving than doing
Byod debate, as part of the christchurch debating programme and record these for byod vln to show student voice
Newspapers from the press, contact them for numbers to help with no tech challenge. To take back bp tech challenge from science and win because we are technology. 10 challenges with points up for grabs between the schools, needs a trophy to make the point with principals.
Needs to be formalized and come with with a structure to show for students to come up with an answer. Want to move away from spegittei and marshmallows.
Shared course that we can develop.
Friday challenge days. Me to see if he can find the blog on the companies Friday afternoon challenge, ie graphic design,logo,game character, web site creation based upon existing work and imitating.
Main development is around thinking, key competencies!!!!

perfect computer lab

Having traditional computer labs and not allowing kids to bring their own devices is not preparing them for college or life.

The Perfect Educational Computer Lab http://blogs.msdn.com/b/alfredth/archive/2011/11/30/the-perfect-educational-computer-lab.aspx

missing Get Lost!

I am missing Get Lost! this year, a project that captured my imagination and use of Technology to solve puzzles, challenge students and all in all have a good time. However, with moving schools comes different challenges.

The school I am at has two activity days. I decided that I wanted to do something different as what I have done in the past is not available to me currently. There is no CBD, there are a massive amount of fences that surround it. There are other opportunities, but the two day period is prohibitive on creating something exciting.

So Get Cranked was born. Two days of Mountain Biking with a group of four students using the car as a way of getting from venue to venue, some hundreds of kilometres apart.

Day two's venue had to be changed due to information received last week.
An Alert was posted on the DOC website as well as the vorb.org.nz that Poulter River track was closed
Poulter Valley Track is closed
The track is closed between the Poulter Bridge (Mt White Rd) and Pete Stream due to recent flooding completely destroying the track in numerous sections. The washed-out sections cannot be safely crossed.

So a trip to Hamner Springs is on the cards instead, going and having some fun on the Mountain Bike Tracks, yes it does have some Key Competency links with the New Zealand Curriculum, but not the same as Get Lost!

In the last couple of weeks since working out what I was going to do I have thought about some other projects, more related to Community.
There is a community garden that is at the old Edmonds Factory site which had a large amount of liquefaction destroy its ponds and gardens, grabbing a car load of students and a trailer would have been a wonderful project to help assist one of the cities assets to come back to life.

Another was the idea of an outdoor classroom, in the middle of RE:start, for students to go around and document the development of the CBD as well as some of the emptiness around the town. Though we are not quite there yet with our technology it would have been possible to find some laptops and cameras and give it a go to develop a site to show those outside of the city what we have. Maybe this could be a field trip next year?

 

subject option choice

all first round of test data has now been imported and is checked,
-issues are tutor class being 4 characters, has now been changed to 5
-subjects are at levels not years for the system to work, year12 is level 2

just need to work on option lines locking down, as well as entering in curriculum data, including fckeditor
as the fckeditor does not exist any longer and I don't want to put on old software, I have installed the ckeditor  http://ckeditor.com

I have had a meeting with the client and they have requested a number of changes
1. Move the last years subject selections down, I am also thinking of adding in the options that they choose term 3 (completed 28/11/11)
2. If the student doesnt need to change options they need to confirm that they have accessed and confirmed there course.Working on this, it is not passing throw from index to confirm, message Data not entered showing up. - This has been fix and is now working fine, main reason way that I had changed the variable name from attending to returning earlier on without changing it throughout the program. (completed 4/12/11)
3. If they are leaving school, this needs to be sorted, drop down list with a " please choose from the options below message"(completed 28/11/11)
4. add into the sql statement that they have added in the destination, table attending. needs to be done on the first screen? if they are leaving then second screen should have thank you, you have been registerd as leaving school and going onto... - this has been completed, all data is now submitted into tables 4/12/11

Fix in hod editor-option line codes disappear- input type was set to number, needed to be changed to text as now optionline runs by like %optionline% to find options listed abcdef fixed 5/12/11

How to change?

One thing I want to work out is how to develop change.

Computer science 101 via Stanford uni online

Came across this one today

CS101 teaches the essential ideas of Computer Science for a zero-prior-experience audience. Computers can appear very complicated, but in reality, computers work within just a few, simple patterns. CS101 demystifies and brings those patterns to life, which is useful for anyone using computers today.

In CS101, students play and experiment with short bits of "computer code" to bring to life to the power and limitations of computers. Everything works within the browser, so there is no extra software to download or install. CS101 also provides a general background on computers today: what is a computer, what is hardware, what is software, what is the internet. No previous experience is required other than the ability to use a web browser.

Course is available at http://www.cs101-class.org/
Wondering if it may be something to get my year 13 students involved with, though I need a bit more a guideline on what is to be taught each week, so I can prepare my lessons and check the content to suit

Subject option choice .10

I have been asked to make some changes to the program to allow it to be used as part of an re-enrollment package for the beginning of the year. Once students get there ncea results they will have the opportunity to jump online and make changes to there subjects based on the information they have. This then gets imported into the SMS and a timetable is created. All good in theory, but how will it work in practical. I am going over my code looking for how I developed the system and am surprised to see that I have already coded some of this in, and left it either commented out or being used in the junior sections.

I have fixed up the messages code and included in a table that will be able to be edited by others, something I wrote in comments ages ago and had yet to do. Now I am trying to figure out how to include a extra drop down box and how this will affect the I am planning on leaving school, there are now 32 options afterwards on where they are looking at going. This could be added to the main table and if there is a leaver they will have a number added to a field that will be pulled out in a report. select * from table where leaver = 2 order by asc.

This needs to Include blank timetables or no passing of information through to the export and that filled==2

If a student is leaving school? Does a student need to have their timetable reported back into the system? yes, if they are leaving school and are not coming back, they may come back later on.

One thing that makes this one different is that I have to include option lines, the thing about that is trying to figure out a way to do option lines being the beast that they are. I thought about doing different database row entries for each line, but this becomes unmanageable. One way around this could be to use the LIKE statement to look for the option line in the option field, this would mean changing the field from INT to VARCHAR(6) as there is the possibility of six option lines.

Has every students selected subject lines == no, some students don't have subjects, so these would have to have dummy/empty lines attached.
what does does it go live? NZQA release there results - 17 or 20 Jan


Those not returning could possibility get a different confirm screen, this would allow then to select from a combo box on where they ate planning to go and would be simpler to program. Students would still need to have the filled==2, and it would be unlikely that they would relogin and change there selections

Innovative learning network to lift student achievement

Innovative learning network to lift student achievement

This was announced today, I don't know where but I would have thought that #ulearn11 would have been a great idea to inform teachers of the potential benefits of such a network as they will be the ones using it.
More information will be made available next year for a 2013 launch. But I have an issue with the example, london learning grid, this seems to be an example of offering one service for schools, though what happens to the other systems that we have in place, we use google apps instead of live@efu, use moodle instead of ultranet, have our identity service with gcsn instead of watchdog. Is this still going to be a possibility?

Media release below:

Education Minister Anne Tolley has announced that a dedicated nationwide online network for New Zealand schools will be developed, to ensure that teaching and learning is at the forefront of global educational developments and makes the most of new technology.

The safe, secure system, called the Network for Learning, is estimated to cost between $300 -$400 million over the next 10 years, and will provide high-quality educational content and resources to schools and students, to help lift achievement for young New Zealanders wherever they are across the country.

The Network for Learning, which will be available from 2013, will also simplify and substantially reduce costs for schools accessing ICT content and services, including the cost of internet connections.

“This is hugely exciting for education in New Zealand,” says Mrs Tolley.

“The scale and complexity of the Network for Learning is enormous – with potentially over 2500 schools and more than 800,000 users this will be the biggest network of its kind in the country.

“The Network for Learning will ensure that schools get the most from their ultra-fast broadband connection, and will provide them with affordable access to the latest ICT teaching and learning developments.

“Location will no longer be a barrier for accessing courses. For the very first time every rural and urban school will be able to connect with each other to collaborate and share resources and best practice. For example, a student at a small rural school could take part in a specialist teaching class via state of the art video-conferencing with a large city school.

“Importantly, the Network for Learning will provide a safe and reliable environment, and will also allow schools to share information with parents.

“The benefits for students, families and teachers will be tremendous and we will work closely with the education sector to make sure it delivers the lift in achievement levels that our young people deserve and that parents want for their children.”

The Ministry of Education is working on the next steps for procuring the technical network, and determining how the Network for Learning will be governed and managed.

The Network is expected to be progressively available to schools from 2013. An update on progress will be provided in early 2012.

Questions and Answers

What is the Network for Learning?

Cabinet has approved a business case for a Network for Learning, a dedicated online network for schools, which will run over the ultra-fast broadband infrastructure currently being rolled out across New Zealand. The Network for Learning, available progressively from 2013, will provide schools with affordable, safe ultra-fast internet access as well as a range of online content and centrally-procured services.

Over the next five years, 97 per cent of schools will receive ultra-fast broadband connections enabling speeds of 100 Mbps plus. The remaining 3 per cent of schools, which are in the most remote locations, will receive a high speed wireless or satellite connection.

Why is the Government doing this?

The roll-out of ultra-fast broadband will lead to increasing demand for online education-related content and services among schools.

The Government wants to ensure that schools make the most of ultra-fast broadband and the educational benefits that go with it, while lowering the costs for schools. Through centralised procurement and management of online services, a Network for Learning will considerably reduce ICT complexity and cost for schools.

How much will this cost?

The estimated cost is between $300 -$400 million over the next 10 years. The exact cost will be confirmed following the procurement process.

What cost benefits will there be for schools?

There will be significant savings for schools. The backing of government and the combined purchasing power of schools will enable the Ministry to procure ultra-fast broadband internet access and other services much more cost-effectively than individual schools could obtain on their own.

The Network for Learning will represent much greater value for schools than they can obtain via the existing arrangements and should therefore make access to online content and services much more affordable for all schools.

What services will be available?

This will be determined in consultation with schools and during negotiations with providers. The intention is to have a range of current and new services that allow flexibility and choice for schools.

What funding will be available to schools?

In Budget 2011, the operations grant for schools was increased, with $4.8 million targeted at ICT in recognition of the growing demand for online education content and services. Schools will receive this increase from the beginning of the 2012 school year.

What support and training will schools receive to use the Network?

The Ministry invests $11.2 million each year in ICT professional development for teachers. Further help, including technical support, will be provided on an ongoing basis to schools to assist them in getting the most out of the Network.

When and how will the Network be procured?

A robust procurement process to obtain a provider for the Network and providers of associated services will be undertaken in due course.

Over the coming months, the Ministry will talk with a wide range of agencies and key sector groups to ensure the viewpoints of all potential users and suppliers are taken into account when planning for the procurement, build and launch of the Network. An update on progress will be provided to schools by early 2012.

How will the Network be governed and managed?

The Ministry is investigating governance and management arrangements. The Government has instructed the Ministry that schools’ views should be strongly represented.

Are there other education networks of this type in use overseas?

Yes, for example the London Grid for Learning.

One of my favorite quotes

Don't plan what you're going to teach - that's about you - plan what they are going to learn. It is their education after all.

our bookmarks

Should we look at using delicious, as with all good things sometimes they are taken over by other companies and changed.

ASHS has a social bookmarking solution, based on Pligg^[4]. This allows everyone in the school to save, share and find bookmarks that are use to them and their learning. Pligg supports tagging, RSS feeds, recent bookmarks etc. (Built by students for students.)

micro blogging

an idea that I have had for a while and that has been implemented within a school is the use of micro blogging, am looking at its first major use to display information relating to athletics, students have iTouch and running a local wifi will allow students to gain information needed? Plus am looking at the educational benefits of students being able to micro blog about the work they are doing for there projects, rather than keeping seperate journals.

Looking at what had been done at ASHS and there use of status net, I went about implementing it on one of the machines at school with the XAMPP stack.
Who would have realised that it would end up like this..

ASHS has a microblogging site, powered by the libre^[4] application StatusNet and linked into their identity provider, so anyone with an ASHS username and password can use it without having to set up an account. Microblogging is useful for impact projects when teachers and project managers need to be able to see what all team members are working on, even when they are in different parts of the school or even the city. Microblogging is also a useful tool for students and teachers to share questions, answers, ideas and resources when learning. (Built by students for students.)
from: http://wikieducator.org/Albany_Senior_High_School/e-learning

Start
downloading the software from status.net, great its a .tar.qz and i don't have a extractor on the remote desktop computer.
Download it at home, run it through the mac, and extract it, zip it and place it on google docs to download it at school.
Downloaded and placed into ourmicroblog folder,
Go to install it, create teh database and user in mysql to allow teh program to work.
run the installer, installer works but only to a certain point,
rerun the installer, goes through to the setup page,
input the information needed, great, lok liek I have it working,
wrong, admin account doesn't login... wonders what is going wrong.
try again. drop all tables in the statausnet database, and reinstall, same errors,
jump into php.ini and remove all errors for being displayed, try again, looks better.
Drops the database tables again and tries, still coming up with issues relating to PEAR?
end up having to do changes to PEAR as it has been updated since I installed XAMPP earlier this term
http://status.net/wiki/InstallationWindows
starts following the instruction, running php -q go-pear.php fails, tells me I am using to newer mysql, has to run go-pear.phar
has PEAR installed and running,
tries installation again, runs smootly, creates admin user,
is now able to login and access status net,
right now to change the theme, 1.0.1 has no admin - design features in it,
requires user to create the theme and modify in config.php
will have to leave this for later, now midnight.

End

Ministry of Health releases FAQ: wifi signals not harmful

The National Radiation Laboratory, a specialist unit of the Ministry of health has released on their website that WiFi is not harmful.
To read the entire FAQ fact sheet click here.

This is probably going to be needed as we move towards wifi developments within our school, parents concerned over cell towers and the mis information that is put out in the media. A FAQ would be of use.