30+ WAYS TO USE WORDLE IN THE CLASSROOM

Thanks to Tom Barrett for this link sharing a multitude of interesting ways that wordle can be used in the classroom.

Mel's idea was a brilliant one too. Parent feedback to a survey was entered into Wordle and the display was really informative and showed direct links ot the school vision for learnning. What a clever cookie!

I wonder how others are using it...

XTRANORMAL - A GREAT DIGITAL STORY TELLING TOOL

Wow Wow Wee!!! Thanks to Twitter I've linked to this great tool. It is still in its beta site and because of this free at this stage.

Watch the video below and see why I'm excited.

Make your own mini-movie using avatars in four easy steps and all for free.

XtraNormal - great for creative writing, sequencing, structure and just having fun. Have students create their own show complete with camera angles and attitude. Story board first is a recommendation.

Don't let the kids have all the fun - go on in and make one to show them too. You'll have fun!

Visit xtranormal.com
I'm off to add it to the Digital Story Telling Page on our RELLco wiki Shows how helpful a tweet can be.

ADDING VIDEO TO BLOGGER ARTICLES:

Locate the video you want to add from the www video site it is stored on e.g. YouTube, Teacher Tube etc.

You should see a box referring to Embed: with html text in it

Copy all the html, the embed code offered within the Embed: box

1. Login to blogger with your ID.


2. Click New Posting.


3. Choose Edit Html tab (up by the Compose tab)


4. Move the cursor to where you want the code to appear and paste the embed code.
   
   
5. If you want a line break between this and the next line of text add where you want the break to appear
   


6. Click Publish Post button


7. Done. Please see the results

View your blog. Don't forget to refresh your page if it was opened before publishing.

TWITTERING SATURDAY

A wet ANZAC day in the Bay spent watching out for Marty at ANZAC Cove, Turkey via the TV coverage. No sign so far. However while watching I have enjoyed twittering around, catching up with my facebook, emails etc. Have enjoyed the time talking with people and catching up on their news etc. This brings me to some musings about Twitter...

A while ago I blogged about this social networking tool, querying its worth in my overflowing life. Then at a couple of conferences last year I found it invaluable. To sit in a room and listen to a speaker with no interaction is hard for me now and it doesn't have anything to do with getting old! It is about being able to interact with my thinking. Where people would have whispered and talked, disturbing others in the past, I can now twitter. This allows me to have my questions asked - and answered, hear what others are twittering in the same space, expose myself to new links and thinkings etc and come back to them all later when more in depth follow up is possible.

I found this video on YouTube and am still smiling. I guess it is about us as users. It is about us using the tool to meet our individual needs. Thank goodness I don't have an addictive personality... but then perhaps I wonder, have I??

Enjoy:



If you want to find out more about twitter:



If you want to join: http://twitter.com

If you want to meet me there: http://twitter.com/lwatchorn

IS THERE STILL A PLACE FOR PEDAGOGY?

The thought just wont go away! Last June I blogged about the place of pedagogy as opposed to andragogy (Knowles…)within a 21st century learning environment. The article focused around the pondering: Is it a case of only one (pedagogy as it is seen to apply specifically to children) or andragogy within the classroom?
I am still wondering....

Should we be examining a learning theory in light of the learning rather than the age of the people involved? My current leaning is more and more towards the principles of andragogy rather than pedagogy in a child centred classroom.

Two Definitions of Pedagogy From A Google Search:

o "Pedagogy , or paedagogy is the art or science of being a teacher. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction."
From en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedagogy

o "An educational approach characterized by teacher-centredness. The teacher is viewed as an authority figure and students are not generally involved in decisions/actions in regard to learning. Related concepts include: directed learning."
From: www.nald.ca/adultlearningcourse/glossary.htm:


I understand the word pedagogy comes from the ancient Greek paidagogos, the slave who took little boys to and from school as part of paideia. The word "paidia" (παιδιά) refers to children, which I guess is why people make the distinction between pedagogy (teaching children) and andragogy (teaching adults).


Two Definitions of Androgogy:

o "Andragogy is the process of engaging adult learners in the structure of the learning experience."
From en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andragogy

o "an educational approach characterized by learner-centredness (ie, the student's needs and wants are central to the process of teaching), self ..."
www.nald.ca/adultlearningcourse/glossary.htm


Aha! Perhaps the later definition is the key.


I am at the Art of Facilitation Course run by Joan Dalton and David Anderson. A poster displayed on the wall has caused me to reflect on my thinking and how it may have progressed since my June 08 article. I am feeling more and more that I lean towards pedagogy either needing to be revamped or trashed altogether. Wow! Now, this statement is a risk, a dramatic concept for me to publicly declare! As I do this, I wonder about the ramifications. Hmmm, I'll risk it.

The poster refers to the assertion that adults need:
- to be involved in planning and evaluating their instruction
- to use experience as the basis for learning activities
- to learn what has immediate relevance to their jobs/personal lives
- problem-centred learning rather than content-oriented learning.

Isn't this what we do and want for our classrooms? Why should the adults have all the fun?

Have a look at this link. Which on the list does not apply in a 21st C Classroom?

What am I missing?? I'd love some feedback and to have my thinking challenged.

Has the time come for pedagogy to be discarded and replaced with another term which encompasses all learners, recognising their cognitive ability rather than age?

What is informing our current practice and assisting us as we travel towards our vision for learning?

Pedagogy?

......Should it be?

SLANZA 2009

I spent yesterday with a wonderful group of people involved in school libraries, all keen to find out about this "new Web2 phenomenon". And did we have fun!! All created either a wiki or a blog and most did both! Hosted at Otumoetai College in their library and suite (for the hands on) we dived right on in. If you want to find out more, check out the SLANZA wiki which was set up last year for a similar foray. It is always so nice to work with Linda and thank you for organising it all. I was just able to turn up and have fun which I sure did!

I'm in Hamilton now and loving this weather!!

INSPIRATION IN THE JUNIOR SCHOOL

Here I am at Owhata School and loving it! I always feel so inspired when talking to Trish. The learning focus she has is wonderful!! I love listening to the enthusiasm and passion, Trish's reflections and ponderings as she shares her progress with her Junior class. I just can't get enough!!!! Trish is going to become a blogger too so others will get to feel inspired along with me which is great news. I'll post Trish's URL up here when we get going.... so watch this space!