Since I published my are e-portfolios portfolios are past their educational used by date? post there's been a lot of conversations about the use and purpose of e-portfolios. I've had a couple of companies try to peddle their wares. Here are some tools I've found that work instead of a stand alone portfolio. Flickr/instagram My class... Continue Reading →
Don’t let the tool drive the learning
Could you buy a reading app? What piece of hardware should we buy? What online platform shall we use? Notice what's missing from these questions? The learning. Instead of endlessly comparing tools, why not start with the learning. What does learning look like, sound like, feel like, in the classroom. Then look at ways that technology... Continue Reading →
Authentic Connections – lets bring the purpose back into @SkypeClassroom
The classes I teach have always been connected to the outside world. Blogs, flickr, twitter, skype, facetime, hangouts. The tools have never been important. It's been the ability to connect to help further learning that has always been the draw for how I wish students to use technology in the classroom. When I look at the times... Continue Reading →
On being less helpful…
"Have you shared your Google doc with the group?"The discussion director is hunched over his macbook impatient to get the literacy circle under way. Extensions like doctopus have their place. However I often wonder if in a quest to make our lives easier teachers are robbing of opportunities to develop their own ICT skills and decide on... Continue Reading →
Social media messages – Compare and Contrast @bnighrogain
A few weeks ago I had a big rant about teachers taking to social media to teach kids 'a lesson.' Today I was on twitter and spotted a similar photo and had a completely different reaction. What I like about this photo The students are posing a question rather than a teacher. It's a message... Continue Reading →
Why are there so few women in ed tech? #28daysofwriting
I am elementary school teacher. One the things you quickly notice as you wander around an elementary school is that the vast majority of the teaching staff are women. I am also an edu tech geek. One of the things you quickly notice when you go to educational technology events is that the majority of speakers and a huge... Continue Reading →
Classroom iPads one week in 17/365
It's been one week since my class received a set of iPads to use in the classroom. We'd been relying on a bookable set of iPads but having the devices in the classroom has made them so much better. Students have developed a sense of ownership over the devices. A strong essential agreement was an... Continue Reading →
From assembly to maker faire… #adechat #pathon @bookcreatorapp
Another unit of inquiry ends. It made sense that a unit which started with creating ended with creating. Like many schools, our primary school has regular assemblies which are led by different year groups to showcase learning. When we look at the purpose of assemblies they are: An opportunity for children to express themselves and present their learning.... Continue Reading →
What is the Big Idea (Friday)?
Over the last few years I evolved a tradition in my class called Big Idea Friday. It started out from my own learning where I try to write a weekly blog post about something that I've been thinking about in my teaching practice. I found the process for processing the end of a busy week... Continue Reading →
Video newsletters = easy and awesome! Thanks @shareski
Writing newsletters is one of least favourite chores. I'm not sure how many parents actually read the newsletter, moreover the production of newsletters takes time away from the things that matter. Could this old-style communication become more effective? Enter Dean Shareski. One of his suggestions from the recent Singapore Google Apps for Education summit was the idea of... Continue Reading →
Teaching the Teacher 