Sunday, 20 April 2008

eLearning and email, which comes first?

What do we class as eLearning tools, we look at how students interact with the teacher through various packages like moodle, knowledgeNEt, wikis, LMS, and CMS, is it the sharing of information from teacher to student through electronic means.

As you may have figured it out I have been in development of students email at school through the use of google apps. I believe that there is a place that needs to be started at. We have ll these wonderful tools at our disposal but we still need a way to get back to the one on one, or face to face interaction with the student and the teacher. Email is the start of this, if they are not comfortable using email to talk to the teacher then the rest of the tools are going to inhibit there learning as well. Through google tools is google docs, this has a spreadsheet, word processor, presentation application all built in, students can create work online and share it through the publish facility. Is this not what we are after through our other various methods of eLearning, for students to share their work, collaborate on a project. Start small and work up.

Yesterday I went to a presentation on collaborative tools and got shown how an interactive whiteboard could help with that. A large capital investment, google apps is free and all it costs is Internet traffic. The same type of collaboration can exist through other methods. Talked about in that presentation was how they need to be supported in schools, through PD, top down approach, encouragement, resources. I look at what I am doing, this has been a very bottom driven approach, the students have been after this for a while. 

Every year we have year 9 students have that been using email within their previous school and wonder why we don't have it. Teachers question why students don't have email s that is a tool that they have developed and used within their teaching practice at other schools. Has their been a fear about how much email can hurt a school, or is it the practices/policy that need to change. The fear of technology. 

Teachers have had email for the years that I have been there. Now students will get that and hopefully elearning will start to take off.

Saturday, 19 April 2008

xna development for xbox 360 dancemat

For some of them at least some of the motivation is to attract more students into their computer science programs. Springbrook High School has a video advertisement that shows students playing one of the games they have created. It is an interesting way to get students to think about taking some real computer science courses.

google apps in schools

just a few notes on developing the student email system through google apps, with the 1826 students added to the system, I have been thinking about how the helpdesk and abuse of the system will be handled. What policy will be needed to help with this. I know that we are getting our acceptable use agreement sorted, but we need something more manageable at this stage. What do the students do with abuse claims, harrassment. These are students here.

From the minister

no longer the three r’s
now the 4 c’s
Competence
Creativity
Character
Citizenship

Wednesday, 16 April 2008

Registered Associate Referee Course: Introduction to rugby refeering

Introduction to Rugby Refereeing.

Role of the Referee
  • Whistle, Signals and Verbals
  • Kick Off
  • Scrum
  • Lineout
  • Tackle
  • Ruck
  • Maul
  • Goal Line Area
  • Open Field Play
  • Advantage
Duration 2-2 ½ hours

Parents, Managers and Coaches of Junior Grade Club and School Teams. Senior School Students willing to referee Junior Grade games.

NZRU acknowledges there are insufficient Referees to cater for all grades of the game and in particular Junior Grade Rugby.

Tuesday, 29th April 6:00pm Supporters Lounge Eden Park

Tuesday, 13th May 6:00pm Supporters Lounge Eden Park

Secondary School ‘Best Practice’ Coaching Workshops

Practical workshops focusing on coaching rugby’s core skills.
The emphasis will be on skill drills and mini games.

Secondary School Grade Coaches of any level

Wednesday 14th May 3.40pm – 5.00pm Mt Albert Grammar

Wednesday 21st May 3.40pm – 5.00pm Auckland Grammar

Wednesday 28th May 3.40pm – 5.00pm Sacred Heart College

Wednesday 4th June 3.40pm – 5.00pm Kings College

Monday 9th June 6.00pm – 7.30pm Eden Park

RugbySMART

A 1 hour course concentrating on injury prevention and peak performance in Rugby Union. 

Compulsory for all coaches and assistant coaches from Under 13 level upwards 

5 May 2008 Kings College 

Presentations held at your school. Please see your Rugby Administrator in school for further details.

Coaching for Secondary School and Teenage Rugby

The course covers key aspects such as the Principles of Play, Skill Analysis and Coaching a Skill, and How to Run an Effective Training.

All Secondary School Grade Coaches from 2nd XV teams down (1st XV coaches recommended to take PORC, however are more than welcome to attend this course.)

Monday 9th June 6.00pm - 7.30pm Eden Park

Wednesday 11th June 3.30pm - 4:30pm Mt Albert Grammar School

Wednesday 18th June 3.30pm – 4.30pm Sacred Heart College

Tuesday, 15 April 2008

Digitial Technology Guidelines

The digitial technology framework has been renamed.

This is a PD program, to teach under the new curriculum in the computing area.

It will be a journey
3 year, 13 lead school, developing resources, put up on tki around july.
more practicioner support.

Aim at better outcomes for our young people.

Enabling the 21st Century Learner, has been redeveloped for this year

Cognition consulting is looking after the project.

Various IT Careers, is the pathway in the computing at school that leads students into a job. Try and retain students through to a IT Career.

A planning environment which enables teachers to design and deliver programmes of work for Years 11 - 13 that give content, coherence, and relevance.

Where does it sit? Year 9 and 10 option and e-Learning. The DTG (Technology learning Area, Years 11 - 13)

Encourages schools to look closely at ICT course structure within senior classes.
Is modular in approach
Sits alongside digital literacy/e-learning.
Multilevel taeching, personalising learning within individual and group sittings.
Encourages the embedding of the 5 national key competencies



 

What are IT employers looking for in both school leavers and tertiary graduates

Attitude over Aptitude
agiliitygroup

Attitude
an innate ability to learn quickly
employers will compromise on skills but not on attitude
high rate of organisational change
workplace presure
abundance of online resources
skill shortages opens up opportunities to look outside the 'norm'

Factors that are working for your right now
no sign of easing in tight labour market
huge amount of work on attraction and retention of future talent (airnz employing people to use bebo to make airnz attractive and look for jobs
'corporate predation'
technology indifference

Three things you should know
1. Importance of research, no excuses-wealth of online resources, the importance of workplace culture, visions and values(why are these important to companies like telecom, microsoft, vodafone), leverage social networking tools (linkedin.com)
2. All about ME, Team fit is everything(include sports, activies, community work, what motivates you outside your studies), grapping with Gen Y(corporates are still strugging with Gen Y , th difference in values and focus, garmmar, loyal not to the brand but to the individuals), Technology Indifference(what language, not as inportant, breth), Profiling(personality profiling, idea of areas they can work on, improve)?
3. Know what we look for
A willingness to keep learning, learn from mistakes, positive attitude to change, self starter(get ahead of the game), 'wnat' the job rather than 'need' it.

what happeneded to the 3 R's

6 c's
communication in all its forms (Literacy+)
computation(numeracy)
cooperation
computer literacy(for the masses)
creativity
critical thinking

Notes form ICT in Education

Useful secondary subjects to take for secondary students interested in studying computing and information technology at tertiary level.
These have been compiled by researching identified career outcomes of programmes offered by UniTec’s school of computing and information technology on kiwi careers and the recommended subjects
For all roles
English

Maths

any Science Subjects

Technician roles recommended more specifically that students have undertaken the following subjects at secondary level
Maths

Physics

Information Systems Technology Studies

Designer roles, i.e software designer, web designer / master) recommended mire speciifically that students have undertaken the following subjects at secondary level
Computer studies

Art

Graphic Education

Programming roles recommended more specifically that students have undertaken the following subjects at secondary level
Computer studies

Maths with Statistics and/or calculus

Friday, 4 April 2008

Game programming class curriculum

Game Programming Class Curriculum
Here is an outline of the Honors Programming II class that I'll be teaching next semester which begins next week. The curriculum that I'll be using for C# was written by Digipen and Microsoft.
Introduction to C#
C# Types & Variables
C# Input & Output
C# Expressions & Operators
C# Functions & Flow Control
C# Classes
C# Arrays
C# Structures
The curriculum that I'll be using for some of the XNA training will come from Bill Reiss and Blue Rose Games.
Introduction to XNA
Getting Started
Getting Started
First Look at the Code (Part 1)
First Look at the Code (Part 2)
2D Sprites
Sprites without Lymon
The More the Merrier
Bust a Move
Follow the Bouncing Ball
Double Trouble (Part 1)
Double Trouble (Part 2)
Improving the Bouncing Ball Class using Properties
Sprite Color
Sprite Scaling
Transparent Sprites
Using Origin with SpriteBatch.Draw (Part 1)
Using Origin with SpriteBatch.Draw (Part 2)
Sound
The Delicate Sound of Thunder
Arrays and Loops
Arrays and Loops
I'll be putting up resources for the following later.
Making a Pong Game
Creating a 2D Shooter Game
Making your own game
Deploying your game to an XBOX and the XBOX Creators Club
Resources:
C# Videos
The Art of Computer Game Design PDF book I'll be using

Saturday, 22 March 2008

The week that was

I have been struggling to get myself motivated to do the robotics unit this year. Issues have been virtualisation, waiting for assessments to arrive and the unknown if students are going to attend classes. I got stuck in on Thursday getting the virtualisation done so they students can start to program there robot and start to work on the assessment. One of the big problems I had doing this was that my account on the school system fried itself. Somehow I had create a 2Gig snapshot of the drive that I was working on and it got copied to my profile, which meant that I could not log in to any computer in the school. I have to find a way to stop this from happening on students machines or I am going to have some questions to answer on why the network stopped.

Also this week I have been working on solutions for the web design class so they could start there php and mysql unit. This involved some tricky work arounds on the linux server that I have. My problem is now that it doesn't support php 5 which I need to get installed to get silverstripe going, which is one of their projects. I don't want to have to virtualise everything I do, but it is starting to look that way. I wonder if I can grab one of the new dell machines and use that as a windows server with WAMP running on it to do the work. Or do I just go out and buy a big HDD and stick it in.

I have also been working on projects for when I am away from my web design class that they can work on throughout the year, one is a business card, two is a cd cover, and three is a website. I hope they will use some CSS in the website and not get stuck in with a simple design. I might have to add that to the crietia.

I did a mountain bike ride last week in the riverhead forest region and managed to turn a 1 and a half hour ride into a three hour uphill ride. Which was great at first, but now with the sunburn and 11 missed calls from one parent we need to make sure that we can find the trails next time. On Wednesday the first fifteen played a trails game against another school. 12 -12 was the final result with one fight just after half time. All was filmed and the dvd is getting created right now so the coaches can have a look at players and weather they will make the squad. The next game is in two weeks time against a under 21 team. On tuesday will be a sevens tournament that I might go down and watch. 

Also I have yet to finish some of the work required for the online papers. i must focus on these as I have paid for them.

Saturday, 15 March 2008

time management

I am starting to wonder where the time goes, I am now planning my lessons and having to incorporate calenders into my life to deal with the professional development, post graduate study and social life. To be able to create a work/life balance.

What is the best calender program to use,

iCal,
Microsoft Outlook
Google Calendar
School Lesson Planner
Diary

Friday, 14 March 2008

personalisation

In my previous blog I talk about some of the problems I am having with personalization with the xindows xp virtual hard drive. Some of the students have personalized it so that no-one else can log in.
I had my year 9 class today and they asked if they could change the background picture of the desktop. I am starting to think the days of DOS have gone. (I know, bad joke) But what is with personalizing everything, from bebo and myspace theme pages, changing desktops and themes, and one of the students favourite at school, they can change there mouse cursors, is personalization something the students can take ownership of it?
Back in the days of windows 98 running on the school system the students could change the desktop background, however when they logged off it went back to the original background image. Some of the images that they put on the background where offensive, now with the days of gang colours and gangster rappers these are what the students used to show. The same content the year 9's of today are downloading and want to show, the old gangster rappers have gone, but new ones are out there for them to look at.
Have a look at some of the themes on bebo and what they are using to show off there personalization. 
They need to understand that they are using equipment that does not belong to them, they are only using it for a purpose, that purpose is education. We are teaching these students skills, yo think and to learn for the future. 


Thursday, 13 March 2008

issues with computers

I have been busy trying to get the virtual hard drives working in my classroom, I had them all copied to the computers last week. I went in today to check on them to make sure nothing had happened as I knew that the other teacher was using them to teach his class some system clean up tips and found that they are now unusable. The reason, the students had personalised them, to the fact of creating user accounts with there own user name and password. Now there had been no administrator login created it was just, in, wham, thank you maam type thing. Now I have to go through and put a new virtual hard drive on these machines again. I think it is time for some education. Education on just because something is available for you doesn't mean that it is yours, others need to use it as well. These virtual hard drives are to be used in three different classess, what you do on it will affect others. How would you feel if your computer was taken over by someone else and changed so you couldn't use it. The same with this. We have a managed network because we need the computer to be the same for all users, we can't have one person wreak it for someone else, change settings, that would make it difficult for some someone else. The same with the virtual hard drives. 

A question: Why do students need to personalise everything that they get there hands onto?

Monday, 10 March 2008

Robotics

I have ben working on my robotics unit plan for the term. We have a number of Lego RCX robots and a NXT robot available to us. I have been working on the theory behind the assessment. So far we have looked at Robots, where they fit into things, how they work and the three laws of robotics.

Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics:
  1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
  2. A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
  3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or the Second Law.
But are these laws safe, there is a website that looks at these issues

"3 LAWS UNSAFE" ARTICLES
Is it possible to create ethical AI based on the Three Laws? Is it ethical to create ethical AI based on the Three Laws? What other solutions have been proposed for the problem? These questions are explored in the Articles Section. The articles give perspective on why the field of AI ethics is crucial, and why Asimov’s Laws are simply its beginning.

We have watched a couple of episodes of "Lost in Space", the 1965 original and I, Robot. We are now working on creating a couple of robots and getting some programs into them. However, to do this we need batteries and a virtual machine with usb support, something that Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 or 2007 doesn't have.

Wednesday, 5 March 2008

NCEA Technology Cluster Meeting

NCEA Technology Botany East Cluster Meeting
Wednesday 5th March 2008
Botany College
Introduction
Focus - Level 3, due to the new schools starting in the area. Focus on Technological knowledge.
www.edcentres.auckland.ac.nz <- all the PD for this, Kohia teachers centre.
Courses, Select, Secondary, Technology.
Courses through Kohia are a programme for the year, not just one off courses.
Look at standards
Title of the standard, skills and knowledge in the materials, this is knowledge and skills, not practice knowledge. This supports the students in their technological practice.
What type of skills and knowledge do the students need in the particular area. Look at Technology 2.7
Our role is to support the student to select the appropriate standard.
Should we look at the graphics standards?
Up to August to remove the standard, if they want to remove then you are allowed, it will be a school problem if they don’t remove it.
The standards are based on high level thinking.
Level 1 - Identify, (list, some detail, because)
Level 2, describe, explain (details, grunt, link it back to the specifications, example,
Level 3, Discuss
Scholarship, synthesize, critically analyze, integrate
Identify the knowledge from the technologist. Expand on there knowledge (explain, discuss), what is the knowledge that underpins a technological outcome. What knowledge is needed for the outcome, materials, ict...
we are looking at level 3 on the curriculum standards, we are looking at specific knowledge.
Level 2 -> level 3 is that they write a report
To be able to get excellence, they have to compare and contrast between two or more technologists. a venn diagram is only identify. Look at the DVD of exemplars for examples.
Print and cut out and get the students to look at and compare the technologists what are the key differences because, scaffolding in pace to enable them to get to that level.
Level 2, explain the knowledge that is used to develop the outcomes and explain how that has informed their practice. Give examples of what knowledge they needed and how it helped them. If not giving in a portfolio.
technology 3.4, wider responsibility to the community, legislation, codes of ethics and moral and ethics responsibly. These are constraints, what constraints are imposed on them to create an outcome. the technologist has to understand those things so they can come up with their product. They have to look at appropriateness and feasibility. technologist work within limits, and have to understand the wider community. Appropriateness might change depending in the end user. Engineers are constrained by standards.
Students need to understand constraints. example, go home, want to cook something and not have all the goods for the recipe, so what can we do next. budget, resources are constraints. What are the key factors that are vital for the project, what cannot be changed, deadlines, project management has to work within deadlines, so project milestones are important. Standards need to be looked at, and how desirable they are to meet that standard.
Diagram of vital things in middle, then very important, they clients and stakeholders needs are going between the two things. Non negotiable.
If the students look at the what if, they are looking at excellence.
Articles in the paper, matel toys, they were not using materials that were appropriate. implications for the end user. Just looking at little short clips so that they can look at standards, ethics and morals.
Chief assessors reports will be out soon.
Tech practice at Level 3
Must have a client, prior knowledge, consult with technologists (practice, and depth of knowledge), wider community (different perspective, implications, values and beliefs)
Achievement Objectives, use the new curriculum and the tech practice strand, planning for practice, brief development, Outcome development and evaluation.
Look at personal experience, prior experience of yourself. Have you bene a client, a technologist.
Profile the client, contract or agreement from between the client and students. Roles and responsibilities of both. need to understand that the client is there for a purpose, key decisions need to be between the student and client and not made by themselves. Need to give their client options, final decision needs to be by the client. Intellectual Property. These need to be looked at in the initial brief.
Who how client could, be, access, contracts, communication, when are the times, how often, initial questionnaire, the time for the client.
Techlink has resources for the client.
Beacon Practice, Case Studies, Materials, Client Based Practice, Delivery
This looks at the initial client questions, an ideas, understand what the unit is about through the background, profile the client relationship and the interactions.
Tech Practice, look at the technology curriculum, explanatory Papers, tech Practice, senior secondary.
Look at Level 7.
Brief Development
Planning for Practice
Outcome Development and Education
Unpacking the issue, what prior knowledge do they have, whose, where.
Self awareness, how to reflect. PMI, (Positive, Minuses, Improve)
Research skills, historical issues, innovations in technology and how they impact in their design. Production methods and commercial methods and how that impacts on product development.
Critically analyze, are we asking a surface question, or a deep questioning (what if, what could, why), answering the questions with reasoning and justification.
Work Ethics, own strengths and weaknesses
Understand a range of planning tools. (Visual Diary, Gnatt Chart, Journal)
Key Stages (assessment, clients needs, teacher?)
Look at explanatory notes Level 1, Level 2
resources, functions and aesthetics
impact on the environment
Codes of ethics
Codes of practice
Constraints (input form client, testing and trailing, mockups)
specification
Clients needs, interviews, questionnaires, surveys, protocols
Documentation, justifying decisions. Resources in terms of time, expertise, materials and costs.
fitness for purpose, appropriateness, and feasibility.
how are we going to make the judgment, we have to document at least 8 students in full for moderation.
how the key stage has gone and how the feedback from the client has affected that stage.
Review and revise and record
Preempting and forecasting
Triple bottom line, social,
Must haves and wants, weighted wants
Must have weighting.
Feedback
Not a credit counting course, we want a quality course in deeper thinker.
have to do 3.1 or 3.2 or 3.1 and 3.2
3.4 wider community,
3.6 knowledge
3.7 skills
www.techlink.org.nz

Monday, 25 February 2008

Microsoft Education in New Zealand Part IV

I finally had time to ring Microsoft today and ask about the Microsoft Academic Alliance High School Membership program. I got a guy in Australia who answered my question. I can get everything that was mentioned in my previous post. I forgot to ask about Microsoft Expression though.

The cost of the license is $549.50 which covers the school for the next 7 years. Yeah I kinda jumped when he said that figure. Seven years I said, is that cost for each year. No, that is the cost to have the license for 7 years.

I now have to get this past my HOD and through to the principal. I think it is worth it. Plus it gets our school on the map.

Sunday, 24 February 2008

The future classroom?

I was informed the other day that the computer lab that I use will be returned to a normal classroom in two years, I was kind of surprised at this. Then talking a bit more to the guy he explained that in a couple of years everyone will have a laptop. He explained that the one they are looking at is about A5 in size, small screen and just a bit bigger than a pda. I knew then what he was talking about even though he didn't know the name of it. It is the ASUS eee pc.

Through a but more research I found out where he was getting the information from, from the RM.com site.

I have a number of friends with this ASUS eee pc's and they absolutely love them. Me however, I am waiting for a bigger hard drive and more RAM.
Available in New Zealand, it is called the ASUS eee pc and it is available from Dick Smith Electronics for around $599

From The RM.com site...
The RM Asus miniBook is the perfect choice for pupils; a genuine "anywhere, anytime access" device at a startlingly low price. Smaller than an A5 pad and weighing less than 1kg, it combines the portability and quick-start of a PDA with the capabilities of a notebook. Starting from only £169, the RM Asus miniBook is an exciting new category of device, set to fundamentally change ICT provision for pupils.

Perfect personal ownership device

The RM Asus miniBook is perfect for pupils to use at home, at school or on the move. Small and light enough to be taken anywhere, the robust design offers increased protection against the bumps and grinds of mobile computing in the education environment.

Everything a pupil requires for mobile computing
  • With a 7" screen and weighing less than 1Kg, it's smaller and lighter than many textbooks.
  • Robust solid-state hard drive provides fast boot-up / shut-down and preserves pupils' files.
  • Integrated webcam (4G model only), microphone and speakers for easy web video-conferencing.
  • Integrated 802.11b/g wireless and optional 3G module provide great connectivity.
  • Integrated card-reader and three USB 2.0 ports provide a simple way to add additional storage and easy connection for peripherals.
  • Full-size VGA-out for connection to projectors or monitors.
More details can be found here