We have just completed one of the largest exercises at school, e-asTTle testing.
This involves testing all year 9 and 10 students in their reading and numeracy skills. The reading test was done on paper, and required the students to sit a 50 minute test, and then for the multichoice results to be entered into the e-asTTle program. Whereas the Maths department did a purely online test which required access to computer rooms, and the students to login and sit the test. I think I outlined the issues surrounding the online test in a previous post last year.
We never seem to be able to get a successful import from out student management system into e-asTTle. A number of issues surrounding NSI numbers caused this testing to be delayed a week due to an update in our student management system and ENROl sis not want to talk to each other properly, also information that the previous schools put into ENROl was not accurate enough. We have a number of students that seem to change names when they enter secondary school. So all these changes had to be entered.
e-asTTle have an issue surrounding NSI Numbers and ENROl as well. For every 100 students imported, it pops up and error, which normally requires you to remove the students NSI number from the e-asTTle csv file and upload it. Though you cannot export a student from the SMS without a NSI number. Catch 22 situation.
Once we had a successful import it was all on,
Issues surrounding the next set are school related,
Failure of communication from deans on changes to Year 10 classes, all the login papers had been printed and supplied to teachers, this also meant that a number of students in the english tests could not be found by the data entry people which required the test to be reassigned to students and marked by me.
Also meant that some year 10 maths teachers did not have the login codes for students, which meant issues for IT support to be in the room at the start of all tests.
Year 10 Maths test had a written answer question, which required it to be marked before the scores were released to teachers. Marked over 660 questions, which if you take too long or press the wrong key, you have to redo again.
Getting access to computer rooms, we selected two rooms to carry out the test, but already some of these had been booked already so early in the term, which does place some stress on planning and development of lessons.
Technical Issues surrounding internet access, this was resolved after the first day due to the virtualisation project over the holidays.
Assembly for all female students in year 10, which impacted on the test, meant there had to be a catch up later one.
Catch ups, organsied catch ups, but some teachers failed to read emails, or not understand to just send the student, they did not need the login sheet, as we have all the details available to us.
More understanding by the teachers why this is so important,
Training for teachers on how to set there own test and run it.
Saturday, 20 March 2010
Thursday, 11 March 2010
Catch up
It has been a while since I have last posted,
I have been busy getting the schools google apps domain up and running this year, with the changeover of student logins to an new schema, though I can see this needing to be changed again next year with possible changes throughout the sector.
The other stuff we have been working on is getting moodle in schools up and going, www.moodleinschools.org.nz this has been a great benefit to the department as this is where we can see things moving to in the future. We already have other departments wanting to jump onto our server to make use of the various features.
myportfolio.school.nz is a new one that we are trying out with the art department as a way to keep an electronic prortfolio. We signed up yesterday and already have the students in and starting to put work up. It has been a bit of a mission to get the usernames and passwords up, as our temporary passwords for students did not meet there criteria.
e-asTTle has also been a thorn in my side this year, with the requirement of NSI numbers to be included, and not having all this going straight away with our SMS and ENROL is has caused it to be put back a couple of weeks. Maths department are doing it online with multichoice questions, though I had to mark 500 students maths papers this morning due to there was a written question still left in the test. English are doing there reading test on paper and getting outside people to enter the results in e-asTTle. It was due to a professional development meeting yesterday morning that we realised that these haven't been entered yet, as they want to present the results next week.
Other things have been going on as well, but that is another post...
I have been busy getting the schools google apps domain up and running this year, with the changeover of student logins to an new schema, though I can see this needing to be changed again next year with possible changes throughout the sector.
The other stuff we have been working on is getting moodle in schools up and going, www.moodleinschools.org.nz this has been a great benefit to the department as this is where we can see things moving to in the future. We already have other departments wanting to jump onto our server to make use of the various features.
myportfolio.school.nz is a new one that we are trying out with the art department as a way to keep an electronic prortfolio. We signed up yesterday and already have the students in and starting to put work up. It has been a bit of a mission to get the usernames and passwords up, as our temporary passwords for students did not meet there criteria.
e-asTTle has also been a thorn in my side this year, with the requirement of NSI numbers to be included, and not having all this going straight away with our SMS and ENROL is has caused it to be put back a couple of weeks. Maths department are doing it online with multichoice questions, though I had to mark 500 students maths papers this morning due to there was a written question still left in the test. English are doing there reading test on paper and getting outside people to enter the results in e-asTTle. It was due to a professional development meeting yesterday morning that we realised that these haven't been entered yet, as they want to present the results next week.
Other things have been going on as well, but that is another post...
Tuesday, 29 December 2009
Software design project
I don't know if I have posted this before,
The Task: Scavenger Hunt
Mobile phones with inbuilt global positioning systems (GPS) are becoming more and more widespread. This means that you can use services like Google Maps on your mobile phone to see exactly where you are. It also makes it possible to play scavenger hunt games with your mobile phone. Imagine you could have a game on your mobile phone that gives you quests and clues depending on your position in the real world, and guides you through the scavenger hunt. Imagine that you could create such games yourself with your mobile phone, and send them to your friends.
Your task is to make a proposal how a program for a mobile phone should look like that allows the users to create scavenger hunt games. The user should be able to specify a sequence of quests. Each quest should have a GPS position and a question that the players have to answer. During the game, when a player enters the correct answer, then the position for the next quest is revealed.
In your answer you should:
- explain the different functions you think this system should have;
- describe the user interface elements of the program that allows you to use these functions;
- give arguments for your design.
I would like to do this with my year 12 students as a test during the year.
Monday, 28 December 2009
The Buzz Contest
The buzz contest is not your playstation game, it is a contest in which you have to think about numbers,
This is what I am considering as a competition or test for my year 12 programing class
For the purposes of this, I will be using only Buzz, Wizz and Pop
So far, the game as described is too easy. To complicate matters, some numbers are designated as special. When it is a student’s turn to call out a number and that number is special, the student should not say the number, but should instead say some combination of codewords relating to the number. The codewords and their meanings are:
BANG: The number contains a 5 (in its base-10 representation) or is divisible by 5.
BUZZ: The number contains a 7 (in its base-10 representation) or is divisible by 7.
CRASH: The number is prime.
FIBBI: The number is a Fibonacci number. The Fibonacci numbers are constructed as follows:
F1 = 1, F2 = 1 and Fn+2 = Fn+1 + Fn. . So F3 = 2 , F4 = 3, F5 = 5, etc.
Thus, the first 6 Fibonacci numbers are 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8.
POP: The number is the product of two distinct primes.
SQUAWK: The number is the sum of two squares. For example, 9=32 + 02, and 5 = 22 + 12
WHIZZ: The number is square-free (is not divisible by a perfect square other than 1).
ZIP: The number is a perfect k th power with k greater than or equal to 2.
These codewords are not all in force at the beginning, but are introduced or removed gradually at the will of the moderator and in any order. For example, suppose Michael, Deena, Christa, Heath and Amy are still in the game. The codewords Fibbi, Bang, Pop and Zip are in force, and it is Deena’s turn on number 29. The sequence would sound something like this…..
Deena: 29
Please note that a lot of students are likely to fall in the 40’s and 50’s as it is very easy to lose track of what number we’re on. The proctor will not advise the students. It is the responsibility of each student to keep track for themselves even as others are eliminated.
The discussion at this link should help you determine which, if any, of the code words apply to a particular number.
This is what I am considering as a competition or test for my year 12 programing class
For the purposes of this, I will be using only Buzz, Wizz and Pop
The Buzz Contest is the mathematical equivalent of a spelling bee. Its 1992 revival at Texas A&M University marked the 10th anniversary of the last time Texas high school students had played the game at the 1982 Lamar Mathematics Day competition. Since then, this contest has been a popular feature of the Texas A&M University Math Tournament.
The general structure of the game is as follows: The students line up and count off. The first student calls N, where N is an integer between 1 and 20, which is randomly determined, the second student calls N+1, and so on. If a student gets his or her number wrong, he or she is eliminated and the next student in line must say the number the previous student should have said. All of this is done very quickly; a student may be eliminated for "delay of game".
So far, the game as described is too easy. To complicate matters, some numbers are designated as special. When it is a student’s turn to call out a number and that number is special, the student should not say the number, but should instead say some combination of codewords relating to the number. The codewords and their meanings are:
BANG: The number contains a 5 (in its base-10 representation) or is divisible by 5.
BUZZ: The number contains a 7 (in its base-10 representation) or is divisible by 7.
CRASH: The number is prime.
FIBBI: The number is a Fibonacci number. The Fibonacci numbers are constructed as follows:
F1 = 1, F2 = 1 and Fn+2 = Fn+1 + Fn. . So F3 = 2 , F4 = 3, F5 = 5, etc.
Thus, the first 6 Fibonacci numbers are 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8.
POP: The number is the product of two distinct primes.
SQUAWK: The number is the sum of two squares. For example, 9=32 + 02, and 5 = 22 + 12
WHIZZ: The number is square-free (is not divisible by a perfect square other than 1).
ZIP: The number is a perfect k th power with k greater than or equal to 2.
These codewords are not all in force at the beginning, but are introduced or removed gradually at the will of the moderator and in any order. For example, suppose Michael, Deena, Christa, Heath and Amy are still in the game. The codewords Fibbi, Bang, Pop and Zip are in force, and it is Deena’s turn on number 29. The sequence would sound something like this…..
Deena: 29
Christa: Bang
Heath: 31
Amy: 32 (This is wrong; Amy is eliminated.)
Michael: Zip
Deena: Pop
Christa: Pop, Fibbi
Heath: Bang (This is wrong; Heath is eliminated.)
Amy: Bang Pop (The next number is 36.)
Please note that a lot of students are likely to fall in the 40’s and 50’s as it is very easy to lose track of what number we’re on. The proctor will not advise the students. It is the responsibility of each student to keep track for themselves even as others are eliminated.
The discussion at this link should help you determine which, if any, of the code words apply to a particular number.
Saturday, 26 December 2009
Holiday Reading
From a csta post http://blog.acm.org/archives/csta/2009/12/holiday_reading.html
Ah, the holiday break. Time to relax, catch up on sleep, and perhaps read a book or two. If you are looking for some interesting reading related to CS education, here are three books that I read over the summer and really enjoyed:
Stuck in the Shallow End: Education, Race, and Computing, by Jane Margolis, Rachel Estrella, Joanna Goode (CSTA Board Member), Jennifer Jellison Holme, and Kimberly Nao. MIT Press, 2008.
Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell. Little, Brown & Co., 2008.
Blown to Bits: Your Life, Liberty, and Happiness After the Digital Explosion, by Hal Abelson, Ken Ledeen, and Harry Lewis. Addison-Wesley, 2008.
As a CS teacher, if you haven't read Stuck in the Shallow End yet, you really should. It gives a detailed analysis of factors that have led to our shortage of CS students, especially among women and minorities, and describes the project currently underway in L.A. to try and address these factors. All of Malcolm Gladwell's books are interesting and fun to read. This one looks at characteristics that lead to success (and so complements Margolis' book very nicely). Blown to Bits is a great description of the technological changes going on in society and how they impact our lives. Lots of fascinating facts and anecdotes you can impress your students with ;-).
I have read stuck in the shallow end, I brought the book off amazon, however this time I want to read blown to bits, the dollar at the moment is not good, so I have looked at books.google.com for a copy and found one. Blown to bits-books.google.com
Ah, the holiday break. Time to relax, catch up on sleep, and perhaps read a book or two. If you are looking for some interesting reading related to CS education, here are three books that I read over the summer and really enjoyed:
Stuck in the Shallow End: Education, Race, and Computing, by Jane Margolis, Rachel Estrella, Joanna Goode (CSTA Board Member), Jennifer Jellison Holme, and Kimberly Nao. MIT Press, 2008.
Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell. Little, Brown & Co., 2008.
Blown to Bits: Your Life, Liberty, and Happiness After the Digital Explosion, by Hal Abelson, Ken Ledeen, and Harry Lewis. Addison-Wesley, 2008.
As a CS teacher, if you haven't read Stuck in the Shallow End yet, you really should. It gives a detailed analysis of factors that have led to our shortage of CS students, especially among women and minorities, and describes the project currently underway in L.A. to try and address these factors. All of Malcolm Gladwell's books are interesting and fun to read. This one looks at characteristics that lead to success (and so complements Margolis' book very nicely). Blown to Bits is a great description of the technological changes going on in society and how they impact our lives. Lots of fascinating facts and anecdotes you can impress your students with ;-).
I have read stuck in the shallow end, I brought the book off amazon, however this time I want to read blown to bits, the dollar at the moment is not good, so I have looked at books.google.com for a copy and found one. Blown to bits-books.google.com
Monday, 21 December 2009
2010 course
since I am not teaching year 13 programming next year, I have brought some of the course forward to year 12.
I am planning on using the csta curriculum, or parts of it to help teach my students.
I am planning on starting with the problem solving part of the course first. This is due to the fact that I want to scare some of the students with what could be involved in the course, as with any course with computers students think that they will just be on the internet playing games. This is false.
The first problem is how to break a 200g cadbury chocolate bar into 12 equal pieces, using he least breaks possible, this is sounding like it is going to be a christmas problem that I will use my family to solve.
I also have to remember that there are two other things that have to be done during this time, 1 is the wai care visit, and second is the design of the screen of a software development project for the university of auckland. These are starting to sound like friday challenges. A new challenge every friday to spice the course up?
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Small Basic
I have been looking at a number of blogs surrounding programing and they have been talking about a development called small basic, a simple easy to use programming language, which would be great for a year 11 course.
Small Basic is a project that's aimed at bringing "fun" back to programming. By providing a small and easy to learn programming language in a friendly and inviting development environment, Small Basic makes programming a breeze. Ideal for kids and adults alike, Small Basic helps beginners take the first step into the wonderful world of programming.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/9/0/6/90616372-C4BF-4628-BC82-BD709635220D/Introducing%20Small%20Basic.pdf
A great blog to look at different things dealing with small basic http://blogs.msdn.com/smallbasic/
Small Basic is a project that's aimed at bringing "fun" back to programming. By providing a small and easy to learn programming language in a friendly and inviting development environment, Small Basic makes programming a breeze. Ideal for kids and adults alike, Small Basic helps beginners take the first step into the wonderful world of programming.
Microsoft Small Basic pdf getting started
A great blog to look at different things dealing with small basic http://blogs.msdn.com/smallbasic/
also http://blogs.msdn.com/paulcornell/archive/tags/Small+Basic/default.aspx who seems to be posting a new method a day at the moment.
Small basic http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/devlabs/cc950524.aspx
Small basic http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/devlabs/cc950524.aspx
Sunday, 13 December 2009
the national walking trail
While working on design the year 13 web design course, I planned to do some work with the old walkways New Zealand project that there was in the 1980's. There is information on this in the previous blog posts around april/may/june I think.
There is a national walking trail currently being created in New Zealand at the moment, http://www.teararoa.org.nz/ The Long Pathway.
This will be give me some guidance on how I would like the project to end up. Also I have to remember there is some designs in one of my visual diaries about this idea and design.
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Google supporting computer science week
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/celebrating-computer-science-education.html
Love this section
Integrating computing curriculum across K-12 core subjects
A group of Google engineers and K-12 "teaching fellows" is working on building and testing models of curriculum to encourage innovation. These curriculum models revolve around "computational thinking", a problem-solving technique that draws on the thinking and analysis skills that computer scientists use everyday. Our goal is to integrate computational thinking across subject areas in K-12 by connecting these skills, which are already a part of core curriculum, more explicitly to computer science. We're also taking this a step further by integrating simple programming concepts in appropriate areas of core K-12 curriculum, such as algebra. Our hope is that by making computer science more visible and showing its connection to every subject area, students will experience the full power and utility of technology in areas of interest to them. Integrating CS into other subjects will also have the key added benefit of leveling the playing field, so that many more students will have the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of computing.
Love this section
Integrating computing curriculum across K-12 core subjects
A group of Google engineers and K-12 "teaching fellows" is working on building and testing models of curriculum to encourage innovation. These curriculum models revolve around "computational thinking", a problem-solving technique that draws on the thinking and analysis skills that computer scientists use everyday. Our goal is to integrate computational thinking across subject areas in K-12 by connecting these skills, which are already a part of core curriculum, more explicitly to computer science. We're also taking this a step further by integrating simple programming concepts in appropriate areas of core K-12 curriculum, such as algebra. Our hope is that by making computer science more visible and showing its connection to every subject area, students will experience the full power and utility of technology in areas of interest to them. Integrating CS into other subjects will also have the key added benefit of leveling the playing field, so that many more students will have the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of computing.
Personal Teaching Statement
I have been looking for a while at personal teaching statement, and today I found one that is me...
It is called Avoid Passion to Porridge
I have always been impressed by those experiences teachers, educational leaders, school administrators and heads of department who nurture and encourage those teachers who enter with a passion for teaching and ensure that the flame of passion never dies. The same holds true for those teachers who ensure that their students maintain a love for learning. Conversely, I am highly unimpressed by people who use a relentless cynicism to affect some teachers so that their passion turns to a 'porridge-type' performance. Unfortunately we also find that many students have become cynical about learning and have lost that early quality learning and have lost that early quality of curiosity which characterises young children. I am impressed with schools where leaders and teachers are all pushing the same message of personal excellence, persistence and the benefits of a good education. Leadership is exactly that - it is letting everyone know that what we are doing is our schools is important.
If all teachers were to treat their classroom as if it were their own business, say a corner shop, then passion for what they are doing would be the least that their clients expect. We can no longer expect students to be docile Pavlovian learners. They expect to be impressed and motivated by teachers who believe absolutely in their business of education!
It is called Avoid Passion to Porridge
I have always been impressed by those experiences teachers, educational leaders, school administrators and heads of department who nurture and encourage those teachers who enter with a passion for teaching and ensure that the flame of passion never dies. The same holds true for those teachers who ensure that their students maintain a love for learning. Conversely, I am highly unimpressed by people who use a relentless cynicism to affect some teachers so that their passion turns to a 'porridge-type' performance. Unfortunately we also find that many students have become cynical about learning and have lost that early quality learning and have lost that early quality of curiosity which characterises young children. I am impressed with schools where leaders and teachers are all pushing the same message of personal excellence, persistence and the benefits of a good education. Leadership is exactly that - it is letting everyone know that what we are doing is our schools is important.
If all teachers were to treat their classroom as if it were their own business, say a corner shop, then passion for what they are doing would be the least that their clients expect. We can no longer expect students to be docile Pavlovian learners. They expect to be impressed and motivated by teachers who believe absolutely in their business of education!
Monday, 7 December 2009
Three days to go
ahh, three days to go. It seems like this has gone so fast and I have multiple things to do. Will look at posting an image of my post it notes on here tomorrow. But why has it seemed to go so fast, we have had the last three weeks without senios, but I think this is due to the project that we have been working on, all of this takes time. Time that is running out fast, been at a learning management system all today looking at what is coming out in 2010. The biggest fear is the yui file uploaded by yahoo. This means drag and drop uploading. I have a meeting next week in Wellington along more ict developments in schools in new Zealand.
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Software Education project
I have been following a blog since last year, the same time as the iphone were announced for new zealand, and a massive truck protest interrupted a conference that i was at down auckland.
Computing for sustainability, I have been thinking around a project for students to create a game around this subject. It will mean that the students will have to do research on the subject. It is just in the planning design in my mind at the moment.
Through gamemaker, we could the students to create a game that would see the enemy cutting down trees, and you have to plant more trees than they cut down.
Through this I am also looking at our class taking on some responsibility within the school in doing a management project of the school stream. This would be a Visual basic development where students enter the results of the different variables down there. They then would be able to see a change over time. This will mean that the projects that we are working on will fit within a vision of the new curriculum. Especially page 36 of it, which is stated in a sidebar of my blog here. I am looking at sustainability as a classroom focus next year. This could also fit in with the end of year project based learning topic that I am slowing developing...
This was going to be a project that i was going to develop with my year 13 students, but since I am not taking that course next year, I thought i would have a go with my year 12. Considering the stakeholders that are available for this (school science dept, waicare, primary schools)... It is better than the simple educational resource program I have been getting them to create for the past couple of years.
A question for me, is do I bring this same type of sustainability into the year 13 computer applications class as well. Or is that going to be overkill.
Last week of school
Ahh, what a year, the last week of school is now upon me, and I think this year it has snuck up from behind. I have been putting so much into the project that I have completely lost track of time.
I have a meeting on Monday with knowledgeNET, this will be an interesting one, with the SMS <-> LMS operability, as well as the moodle integration into this as well.
I also have to get moodle in schools going on our domain server, this will replace the current moodle installation that I put up this year. It will also mean a way of creating resources for the KN version of moodle as well.
I have schemes for my courses to write for next year, this is or particular interest as I will be teaching a course that I haven't done since 2002, when I first started at the school.
One of the biggest changes will be what type of course will be created for year 13 next year. I have plans for the year 13 web design class,which will involve some serious programming and design to get going.
e-asTTle is still an ongoing concern, I have emailed them requesting some information on what is coming on the next version, though they have not released any information on when it is coming out, or how it will impact on its current resources. Rumours are that there will be changes to the customised testing, when a more comprehensive test will be used.
How am I going to bring the changes that have been designed for the new intranet site, this has been designed in wordpress, yet our school intranet server does not run this currently.
Having some time to think
I thought I had better do another write up, with some extra information for me,
Time it has taken
21st November - Auckland Domain, to go through and find various cache places and puzzles.
22nd November - North Head - too look at locations for waypoint. Also cache making, various shop located to make cache boxes.
25th November - Auckland City to go through various locations for use for 3rd day.
28th November - Auckland Domain, to revise some locations as well as find some more caches and puzzles.
30 November - Drive around suburb to find locations for street orienteering.
1st December - Street orienteering, gps learning. Auckland Domain, to drop off caches boxes and check coordinates.
2nd December - Auckland Domain, Puzzles and Geocaching activities.
3rd December - Race around North Head, and CBD.
4th December - Auckland Domain, to pick up caches, lost Holey tree.
5th December - Auckland Domain, to take some photos to include in the Project poster. Create project poster to send to sponsors, as well as use at school.
Probably did not have enough time on the first day to do what is needed for the GPS.
Too many puzzles on second day, these sheets probably needed randomised to make sure that students did not go to the first cache site all at the same time. Holey Tree was probably a bit had it by the time the last group went, no cache items left.
Third day, the race, needed to get the GPS coordinates in Victoria Park correct to fix this in the future, though I don't know how much of the tunnel project will affect this park next year.
Total cost of the project? This needs to be worked out.
Can we handle more than 32 students, not really.
Geocaching the modern version of a scavenger hunt where we use billion dollar satellite technology to find platic containers (or other caches). It is a fast growing sport/hobby with potential for application in the realm of education. As students search for caches they apply many 21st century skills. The integration of this unique technology adds a "Wow" factor that increases student engagement and motivation.
Benefits to Students
• Understanding of spatial relationships
• Increased student engagement
• Application of geography
• 21st Century Skills (Career-oriented)
• Future technology
• Different learning styles
One of the other things I have to consider when doing all of this is,
Schools should explore not only how ICT can supplement traditional ways of teaching but also how it can open up new and different ways of learning"
-The NZ Curriculum (p36)
Friday, 4 December 2009
final eval
2. What went well in your project?
No one got lost, the students and teachers had a good time and learnt a lot about locations in our own suburb, Auckland Domain, and how to get from one place to another in the Auckland CBD and north head. The students managed to get on really well and worked hard to complete the challenges that were posed to them.
I got to do something I enjoyed.
One of the interesting things was the responses to the text about what was positive.
I likes the 2nd day when we used the GPS thingie. It was way better than the third day.
Coming first on the first day. Im happy that our group did not cheat and did not use other groups to win. We played fairly and we gave it our best! I had heaps of fun! But not when I saw the possem. Lol. I am disappointing that we did not come first =’(.. But oh well.
Hi Sir, I particularly like when we went on the ferry to Devonport. It was fun.
We won man, we won, we came 1st overall
I fully enjoyed the whole event! The clues, the running around the awesome teamwork! I loved the ferry to Devonport! Mint Az, asking people random stuff! But the best part would have been knowing that our team worked hard and didn’t give up and held each other strong. Ooh and the great workout! Hehe. Thanks Sir.
Getting leaded to another area – train tracks! And winning today
It Raining!
Coming first on the first day and the second day.
Everything!
Nothing!
For the future in the distance and the good that we can do. It just so happened that this was one of their final clues at Albert Park.
3. What improvements would you make to your project next time?
The street orienteering had issues on the first day, I managed to make a couple of the clues too cryptic and hard for the students to get the answer. Travel times on the train, I think I need to leave around 9:00 next time, not 9:25.
Bookings on the, not leave it to late again, having one person at school dealing with transport, rather than every group organising there own, especially with the train, many people getting confused when other groups where travelling.
Possibly less puzzles and more caches in the domain exercise, the students enjoyed finding these and texting the puzzle back in them.
Possibly another question at North head next time, as it seemed to be a race up and back to the ferry. Though thinking about it, it was good for them to have that demand put on them at the start.
Don’t rely on GPS software – I used easyGPS and google earth to come up with a puzzle for use at Victoria Park for them to use coordinates to write SKYCITY using their GPS units, this failed because the GPS was not able to go up to the numbers that were shown on the computer.
To collect the caches on the day, due to timing and other issues, tiredness and setting up the next day we were unable to go and collect the geocaches on Wednesday night, instead there were picked up on Friday morning. Losing one of the caches, though it has been interesting getting texts from the public texting the codes in from one of the caches “regeneration” in the domain. I think I received about 6 texts from people that had found this one.
4. What evidence of the students displaying the key competencies in your project did you see over the 3 days?
Where do I start with this one?
Thinking - students had to make sense of the maps, gps coordinates, and puzzles that lead them to various clues, caches and other various tasks. They had to use previous knowledge to solve the final clue on thursday, which was to get the railway stations that we stopped at the previous day in order from location to newmarket south. Some managed this within 30 seconds, others took 15 minutes.
Using Language, symbols and text - this is what the three days was about, there were puzzles, decrypts to solve a puzzle on where caches were, they also had to solve technological puzzles and questions through map reading, gps waypoints and marking where they were.
Managing Self - Self motivation to complete the puzzles and caches were a key factor in this project. The students had a can-do attitude which was evident when we got off the ferry and they had to make their way to victoria park market. The teachers did this in 25 minutes the previous week, the students did it in 10 minutes. The students also had to manage what credit they had on their phone, the SIM cards were provided by 2 degrees and they had loaded money on them for us. It was great to see then respecting this. As for the ferry, they knew when the times were and when they had to be back, all of them arrived within the hour of getting to north head and back before the ferry left.
Relating to others - one of the amazing things throughout this was that the students looked after each other, and the teachers. The negotiated what puzzles and caches they had to go to, what was the best for them. Looking at the north head, they looked at their team members and went, we will go to the top, answer the question and come back down, you rest a while so we can run back to the ferry.
Participating and Contributing - A common purpose soon became evident in this project, to beat the other teams, but there was also something else that came about, it was the concern for the other teams, if a team didn't turn up on time, the others became concerned for them and their safety. Especially when it came to the person following one team, which they rang for help, through it ended up being a possum in a tree.
The GPS units and the software I used to program the coordinates in did not match up for the Victoria Park exercise which means we had to come up with another puzzle for the students to do, it also meant the students were able to come together, talk about what they had done so far, and talk about strategy, which two teams came together to create one. I will have to think about this factor next year about teams getting together for next year.
5. What thoughts do you have about the duration/ timing in the year/ planning time and process?
Planning time, possibly not enough, though most of the planning had to take place near the time the event is run as things are ever changing in the locations that we went to. If it was to be run at another time of year there would not be some of the puzzles in place, I.e count the number of mice in the smith and caughey shop window. This only happens around xmas.
The domain caches need to be setup the night before, though I had been out to the domain the previous three weekends for planning.
Duration, three days was enough, the students probably could have not coped with another full on day of activity.
Timing of the year, it was evident when we jumped on the train and ferry in town, other schools had the same idea as us, though most of them seemed to be primary schools running around. I have to be wary of this next year if using the tunnels as there was a primary school in the tunnels as well.
6. What support would you like to see provided when we do this again in 2010?
Support, I have managed to over spend, by quite a bit, as when we were originally asked what costs would be and ideas, all I thought was transport, but getting the GPS devices, we were originally going to hire these, but the place did not have enough in stock, and they were the wrong type of units, more of one sitting on the dash board of your car. Then getting the items for the caches, not thinking about water or some food for the students. It kind of got out of hand. Though 2degrees did step up and help with providing 36 SIM cards with $8 loaded on each, and Veolia did help out with providing us with a discount on the train travel on day two, which helped fund the teachers travel. I don't want it to go over $20, but looking at all the costs involved; it would have cost the students $75 dollars each. I think I would like a little bit of funding help to be able to run this again, as I see costs as a big issue when doing Education Outside the Classroom
7. Overall organization - what would you like to see changed/improved/done differently?
Better timelines, I know I was lucky to be running the online selection, but the timelines for things seemed to be constantly changing, instead of one person to go to, I had two people, and things not being communicated between the two. Sometimes I felt like the piggy in the middle. I would like to see a cut off when a selection gets too big. One of the things that scared me was when 175 students signed up and around 150 of them turned up outside the Block for the first meeting. I never thought that there would be this much interest.
8. Any new ideas for projects?
Not yet, I think I am getting over this one at the moment. I have had this in my head for a while, and when I was at ulearn09, the ICT conference, I was chatting with an exhibitor about the GPS devices and the workshop that they were running on geocaching. I think I need some time to think about it.
I am a person who wants to do something different each year, I don’t think I can do the same thing, year after year. It is like my teaching. Never the same stuff. Technology changes all the time, and so do I.
No one got lost, the students and teachers had a good time and learnt a lot about locations in our own suburb, Auckland Domain, and how to get from one place to another in the Auckland CBD and north head. The students managed to get on really well and worked hard to complete the challenges that were posed to them.
I got to do something I enjoyed.
One of the interesting things was the responses to the text about what was positive.
I likes the 2nd day when we used the GPS thingie. It was way better than the third day.
Coming first on the first day. Im happy that our group did not cheat and did not use other groups to win. We played fairly and we gave it our best! I had heaps of fun! But not when I saw the possem. Lol. I am disappointing that we did not come first =’(.. But oh well.
Hi Sir, I particularly like when we went on the ferry to Devonport. It was fun.
We won man, we won, we came 1st overall
I fully enjoyed the whole event! The clues, the running around the awesome teamwork! I loved the ferry to Devonport! Mint Az, asking people random stuff! But the best part would have been knowing that our team worked hard and didn’t give up and held each other strong. Ooh and the great workout! Hehe. Thanks Sir.
Getting leaded to another area – train tracks! And winning today
It Raining!
Coming first on the first day and the second day.
Everything!
Nothing!
For the future in the distance and the good that we can do. It just so happened that this was one of their final clues at Albert Park.
3. What improvements would you make to your project next time?
The street orienteering had issues on the first day, I managed to make a couple of the clues too cryptic and hard for the students to get the answer. Travel times on the train, I think I need to leave around 9:00 next time, not 9:25.
Bookings on the, not leave it to late again, having one person at school dealing with transport, rather than every group organising there own, especially with the train, many people getting confused when other groups where travelling.
Possibly less puzzles and more caches in the domain exercise, the students enjoyed finding these and texting the puzzle back in them.
Possibly another question at North head next time, as it seemed to be a race up and back to the ferry. Though thinking about it, it was good for them to have that demand put on them at the start.
Don’t rely on GPS software – I used easyGPS and google earth to come up with a puzzle for use at Victoria Park for them to use coordinates to write SKYCITY using their GPS units, this failed because the GPS was not able to go up to the numbers that were shown on the computer.
To collect the caches on the day, due to timing and other issues, tiredness and setting up the next day we were unable to go and collect the geocaches on Wednesday night, instead there were picked up on Friday morning. Losing one of the caches, though it has been interesting getting texts from the public texting the codes in from one of the caches “regeneration” in the domain. I think I received about 6 texts from people that had found this one.
4. What evidence of the students displaying the key competencies in your project did you see over the 3 days?
Where do I start with this one?
Thinking - students had to make sense of the maps, gps coordinates, and puzzles that lead them to various clues, caches and other various tasks. They had to use previous knowledge to solve the final clue on thursday, which was to get the railway stations that we stopped at the previous day in order from location to newmarket south. Some managed this within 30 seconds, others took 15 minutes.
Using Language, symbols and text - this is what the three days was about, there were puzzles, decrypts to solve a puzzle on where caches were, they also had to solve technological puzzles and questions through map reading, gps waypoints and marking where they were.
Managing Self - Self motivation to complete the puzzles and caches were a key factor in this project. The students had a can-do attitude which was evident when we got off the ferry and they had to make their way to victoria park market. The teachers did this in 25 minutes the previous week, the students did it in 10 minutes. The students also had to manage what credit they had on their phone, the SIM cards were provided by 2 degrees and they had loaded money on them for us. It was great to see then respecting this. As for the ferry, they knew when the times were and when they had to be back, all of them arrived within the hour of getting to north head and back before the ferry left.
Relating to others - one of the amazing things throughout this was that the students looked after each other, and the teachers. The negotiated what puzzles and caches they had to go to, what was the best for them. Looking at the north head, they looked at their team members and went, we will go to the top, answer the question and come back down, you rest a while so we can run back to the ferry.
Participating and Contributing - A common purpose soon became evident in this project, to beat the other teams, but there was also something else that came about, it was the concern for the other teams, if a team didn't turn up on time, the others became concerned for them and their safety. Especially when it came to the person following one team, which they rang for help, through it ended up being a possum in a tree.
The GPS units and the software I used to program the coordinates in did not match up for the Victoria Park exercise which means we had to come up with another puzzle for the students to do, it also meant the students were able to come together, talk about what they had done so far, and talk about strategy, which two teams came together to create one. I will have to think about this factor next year about teams getting together for next year.
5. What thoughts do you have about the duration/ timing in the year/ planning time and process?
Planning time, possibly not enough, though most of the planning had to take place near the time the event is run as things are ever changing in the locations that we went to. If it was to be run at another time of year there would not be some of the puzzles in place, I.e count the number of mice in the smith and caughey shop window. This only happens around xmas.
The domain caches need to be setup the night before, though I had been out to the domain the previous three weekends for planning.
Duration, three days was enough, the students probably could have not coped with another full on day of activity.
Timing of the year, it was evident when we jumped on the train and ferry in town, other schools had the same idea as us, though most of them seemed to be primary schools running around. I have to be wary of this next year if using the tunnels as there was a primary school in the tunnels as well.
6. What support would you like to see provided when we do this again in 2010?
Support, I have managed to over spend, by quite a bit, as when we were originally asked what costs would be and ideas, all I thought was transport, but getting the GPS devices, we were originally going to hire these, but the place did not have enough in stock, and they were the wrong type of units, more of one sitting on the dash board of your car. Then getting the items for the caches, not thinking about water or some food for the students. It kind of got out of hand. Though 2degrees did step up and help with providing 36 SIM cards with $8 loaded on each, and Veolia did help out with providing us with a discount on the train travel on day two, which helped fund the teachers travel. I don't want it to go over $20, but looking at all the costs involved; it would have cost the students $75 dollars each. I think I would like a little bit of funding help to be able to run this again, as I see costs as a big issue when doing Education Outside the Classroom
7. Overall organization - what would you like to see changed/improved/done differently?
Better timelines, I know I was lucky to be running the online selection, but the timelines for things seemed to be constantly changing, instead of one person to go to, I had two people, and things not being communicated between the two. Sometimes I felt like the piggy in the middle. I would like to see a cut off when a selection gets too big. One of the things that scared me was when 175 students signed up and around 150 of them turned up outside the Block for the first meeting. I never thought that there would be this much interest.
8. Any new ideas for projects?
Not yet, I think I am getting over this one at the moment. I have had this in my head for a while, and when I was at ulearn09, the ICT conference, I was chatting with an exhibitor about the GPS devices and the workshop that they were running on geocaching. I think I need some time to think about it.
I am a person who wants to do something different each year, I don’t think I can do the same thing, year after year. It is like my teaching. Never the same stuff. Technology changes all the time, and so do I.
Thursday, 3 December 2009
last day
Man, what an adventure. Today was the last day of the three day project. We started off into the city where we jumped on the ferry, then we were off to devonport. Once at devonport they found the teacher, I have never seen 30 students run across a busy road like that before, they collected there next clue which put them up to the south battery at north head, they had 1 hour to get up there, find the clue, and get back. Which all the teams managed, once back on the ferry they had a chance to relex before setting off for the next one at victoria park market, which noone managed to get right first time round. this is where we had a problem, the GPS units and the software i used to program the coordinates in did not match up which means we had to come up with another puzzle for the students to do, it also meant they were able to come together, talk about what they had done so far, and talk about strategy, which two teams came together to create one. I will have to think about this for next year. They then ran off to the sky tower to complete the next task, which a number of them missed the vital clue, and came up with the wrong answer a number of times. Then off to a shop to count the number of mice in the christmas display. I think we need to make actual rules about the numbers, because they really do need to go back and get the right answer instead of counting numbers. Maybe pen and paper, or the txt based system that seemed to work out well.
Off to albert park to find a quote on a sculpture where the students went around asking questions to people, I liked the answer of "I don't know, I will have to start paying a bit more attention to things around here as I come here every day".
Off to santas mail box in Brittomart square, where they had to get the railway stations in order on the southern line. One team struggled with this for a long time, as they had travelled that line three times in the past 2 days, i would have thought better.
It has been a great day, and a great three days.
Would i do it again, at the moment I would say no. As I believe that there are other things that we can do as well. I don't want to have to do the same thing over and over, it is not like me.
What have I taken out of this
I wish to get back into orienteering, I have just shown myself that something I did as a high school student and the learning and attitude that I gained through the sport at school and the interactions with the teachers and community that I was involved with, I was able to bring and show students various aspects of something I enjoyed when I was there age.
I was able to bring technology into a real and functional aspect of learning, all this stuff about cellphones not being able to be used in class, here I was pushing the boundaries of using cellphones in this experience, this was needed as a health and safety aspect as there was no way a teacher was going to be able to keep up with these students. A trip we did in 25 minutes, the students did in 10 minutes. The GPS devices have been a great addition into this as well, using this for navigation for day 2 was all about waypoints and puzzles, this is the day that the students enjoyed the most, well that is what they have been texting me.
I miss doing Education Outside the Classroom. That I can create an interesting and enjoyable program for the students, where they don't even know that they are learning. That I have to keep other people in the loop a bit better, and let some of the responsibility go.
That the weather is not a factor in this, students have been out in the rain and enjoyed it, they don't need jackets, Auckland is a hot environment, and we have been hitting 100% humidity 4 times in the last 2 days, and this rain has helped keep the kids cool.
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
project - so far
It has been a far busier event that I though, so far I have over 100 text messages on the phone from the students that have been busily texting through answers to me.
PUZ007 Boulders
Tuesday - Started off at school and got into it straight away, A street Orienteering event that took the students all around the suburb that the school is named after. We had teachers at key locations just to make sure that they were going through. One team didn't even make it that far. They managed to get lost around the first 6 controls.
Other teams managed to take a wrong turn which put them a good 600-700m out of the way, a couple of phone calls from them to me got them back on track. A wonderful time, where the students have all come back with stories about there adventure. I have to make sure that the controls add up to the clues. It looks like one of these was out by one, which mucked up some of the later clues.
The second activity of the day was learning how to use the GPS. We started off with a video from campbell live on geocaching, which provided students some information about what they would be required to do. At lunchtime I went for a walk around the school and found some locations that the students could go to. It was then all about waypoints and finding them, one a spot on the field, the other a distinct tree. Though we ended up 12 metres away from the tree.
Students then created there own hide and go seek. Five locations around the school, then hand the piece of paper on.
Day two, the train. this was an excellent experience, the company had put extra carriages on that accommodated the extra students on the platform, from here we managed to get to the newmarket south station and get up to the auckland domain, a quick safety briefing, and hand out of the gps units and clues, they were off.
Man, what fun...
Here are some of the clues
PUZ001 Millennium Tree
How many branches are on the tree
S 36 51.543
E 174 46.538
PUZ002 Centennial walk
how many light-posts on the centennial walk?
PUZ003 Sculputure
What is the name of the sculpture located here?
S 36 51.585
E 174 46.387
PUZ004 Band Rotunda
standing in the middle of the band rotunda, how many rubbish bins can you see
S 36 51.543
E 174 46.538
PUZ005 Statues
take a photo of your group with the same pose as the statues at
S 36 51.543
E 174.46.538
PUZ006 Take a seat
Take a seat, what numbers can you see?
S 36 51.413
E 174 46.396
How many circular boulders are here
S 36 51.295
E 174 46.309
PUZ008 2 part
What is big and green located here?
S 36 51.794
E 174 46.525
follow directions to
S 36 51.689
E 174 46.457
how many poles are a different colour?
PUZ009 War
How many poppies are on the monument?
S 36 71.729
E 174 46.406
PUZ010 The Gates
How many runners?
S 36 51.792
E 174 46.239
PUZ011 Green Post
What are the three white letters on the green post?
S 36 51.590
E 174 46.792
PUZ012 Time goes slowly
For local mean time today, I have to do what?
S 36 51.713
E 174 46.753
PUZ013 MC
What does MC Stand for?
S 36 51.654
E 174 46.753
We had some issues with some of the GPS co-ordinates, Even though we went out twice, some of them were quite out.
The caches the students enjoyed, though some students thought they could come up with a better location for some of them, I don't think they enjoyed the one under the bride, so they put it on top of the bridge under a bush. Regeneration ended up on top of the sculpture, not down the bottom, but we had an issue with one of the caches, it ended up be watched. I am now glad I did not put it in the tree.
Other issues surrounded one of the locations not being looked at in a two stage process.
I have some interesting photos of the sculpture which the students had to copy the pose of.
One of the most memorable moments of this day, was when the text messages started come in, which showed that they students were able to find the locations and answer for the puzzle.
All in all it has been a great two days, tomorrow, is still to come.
Monday, 30 November 2009
under the weather
No, i am not sick, the weather outlook for the three day project based learning is
Tuesday - Occasional rain, possibly thundery. Muggy northerly 22-18
Wednesday - Outbreaks of rain, some heavy. Northweste-lies dying. 25-14
Thursday - Rain at times. Easterlies developing. 19-13
Ok, so Tuesday we are based at school, that is not too much of an issue. Though, I have developed a 4.9km course that the students are going to have to do solving questions along the way. I hope some properties don't get scared with 32 students walking past there gate.
So questions will be asked when they get back. How difficult was the course, how easy is it without street names? Draw your route on the map. Was there any issues that you came across on the way. These questions are likely to be used again and again throughout the three days. There is not time limit on this exercise, though there will be time limits on the other ones over the next three days, how does this impact on your ability to think on your feet.
Planning for the domain drop is going well. Working on dropping the caches after 6pm tomorrow and looking at the light tonight, I guess we have 2 and a half hours to get it done, before we get darkness.
I probably have to get some more batteries for my GPS unit, and a $20 top up voucher, just to add some extra credit to the phone.
The third day still needs some planning on developing the coordinates required for the writing at victoria park.
Roles - 4 people in each group
Navigator
Scribe
Reader
Photographer
Classwork
What different types of caches are there?
find an earth cache, what is its purpose? GC1C31D
See if you can find a cache somewhere are new zealand that meets the guidelines, must be around auckland first, then you can go further afield.
Students could design their own cache, what could they put in it, where could they put it?
also some ideas for tomorrow, I like the one of throw the ball/kick the ball, graph them using a gps
Sunday, 29 November 2009
have been busy
All the tickets are brought, It is interesting going into brittomart on a saturday to pay for these, 35 discovery passes and travel on the train there and back the day before.
There are around 5 school groups jumping on and off the train on those days, so I think they may be trying to work it out. Spent yesterday running/walking around the domain, looking for cache sites.
1) Billy Goats Gruff
2) Cricket?
3) Holey Tree
4) Thomas the tank engine
5) Regeneration
6) Domain
7) Take a walk
8) between a rock and a hard place or hidden cave?
the caches have been made and will be dropped off to there various locations on Tuesday Night.
Currently loading all 35 contacts into cellphone and creating groups for this. Can't wait for the first full student message to go out. Looked at the vodafone symphony and the issues that they had with the network.
What is with the weather, is it going to rain or not?
To get credit for the cache, share your experience by composing a Cinquain Poem. A short description of a Cinquain Poem is provided.
A Cinquain Poem has five lines:
Line 1: Title (noun) - 1 word
Line 2: Description - 2 words
Line 3: Action - 3 words
Line 4: Feeling (phrase) - 4 words
Line 5: Title (synonym for the title) - 1 word
Line 2: Description - 2 words
Line 3: Action - 3 words
Line 4: Feeling (phrase) - 4 words
Line 5: Title (synonym for the title) - 1 word
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
have been busy
Yay, now I have all 8 Garmin etrex h GPS Units, a nokia cellphone with the SIM Card now installed and all ready to go. Just need to find some batteries now?
Good thing we have a property manager with batteries for a lot of clocks. saves me spending 29.98 for 40 batteries.
Plan for tomorrow is now in place. Getting into Auckland and having a day of the amazing race, secondary school style!
Just have to remember to pack a lunch and water.
Oh, its not $5 on the cards, its $8. That means that the students will be able to do some other txting. Wonderful news for them.
Train timetable
have been busy
Ok, this is starting to seem like a theme with this "have been busy" but we have.
Had a meeting thins morning to talk through a number of things with all the group leaders, one of the biggest factors is the transport everywhere. I don't think the train company is going to like us, as there have been three people ring to book extra spaces. Oh well, all is fair in the placement of your students on the railway platform. Other things are just the emergency procedures if something does go wrong.
We are off to town tomorrow to see a few sites for the amazing race setup. Just have to figure out how long it is going to take us to get around town. + the extra time that could be allowed for ferry travel.
The students have been busy getting permission forms back and some have even emailed through some questions about how this is going to run. Things to remember for next time. Seperate all three days and make it clear where they are to be and at what time.
Also got told today that this project based learning will be running next year, but with a better planning and leading up time. Start planning term 2, for a term 4 run.
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