My audio intro to #tmclevedon – listen here
Posted under: Made using a combination of Audacity (@russellprue would be proud) and ‘Pocket Announcer’ app for iPad/iPhone:
Browsing "TeachMeet Clevedon 3"
Julia Skinner @theheadsoffice talks @ #tmclevedon
Quad blogging – an opportunity for class blogs to get up and running by providing you with an audience, linking you with 3 other blogs (school). Each school takes it in turn to blog, 1 school each week. You can link with the types of class you wish by signing up at http://quadblogging.net
Schools across the world take part and this can be requested when registering.
100 word challenge – Julia sets a prompt of a few words or picture to which students then write a 100 word piece which get blogged online. Children will then read each other’s and get feedback on what they have written. This provides a real audience for their work and inspires students to write creatively. Julia asks students not to go down the obvious route and there is even an adult 100 word challenge!
http://www.theheadsoffice.co.uk/
David Didau (@learningspy) talks @ #tmclevedon about the ‘Learning Loop’
David talked about a SoL called the Learning Loop which has been created at Priory Community School in Weston-Super-Mare. He added that we want students to think but this can be very hard at times. In order to perform complex tasks we use memory and therefore, students need to learn how to think.
David showed a visual of the learning loop, starting at self assessment with PLTS and mind sets to looking at observations and feedback with the students themselves and reviewing what they have done. This loop is then done about 6 times so they learn to know how to think the way they need to.
David added that the Belbin test can be used to look at skills and qualities of students by them completing a quiz. In addition, it was said that sometimes students need to learn to fail and being given impossible tasks allowed for this to happen, as well as taking away teacher direction and help by the teacher taking on a different role within the classroom. Students must take some value from losing or not being able to complete something. It is the process that is important and they must realise what they’ve learnt in having that happen.
Here is his presentation:
Alessio Bernadelli (@asober) talks about iMindmap5 and biggerplate.com #tmclevedon
Alessio spoke about how imindmap 5 can create attractive mindmaps which allow creativity within the classroom as well as incorporating images into diagrams as well as text. Plus audio attachments means that the software suddenly opens up to a whole new variety of subjects to this style of presenting – being able to narrate stories for young children without having to write is one good idea that has been used.
In addition, biggerplate.com was mentioned as a place to share mindmaps with others and allow for teachers to access student work, as well as sharing them with peers.
@kat_crocker talks about rocketing up your tutor group at #tmclevedon
The lovely Kat Crocker spoke about rocketing up your tutor group. She spoke about top tips for tutor time and things that have worked well at Clevedon School…
- go vertical
- give them jobs to do
- get organised by tracking students carefully
- plan your time together, quality time
- predict the news: watch the news and then predict what the news will be on the Friday, allows time to be used mentoring other students while rest of group do activity.
- Brainpopuk: daily video, links to lots of other curriculum areas
- Sporcle: quizzes can be made by students or completed by the whole tutor group by guessing particular words for a variety of categories
@ianaddison talks top sites to engage learners @ #tmclevedon
Ian presented a virtual Teachmeet presentation with a variety of ideas…
Manga High – free. You can upload users and students can play different games to accumulate scores. Challenges can be set for the class, students can play other schools and a personal login for your school means no need for a long username. The games have educational content which can be interacted with in a fun way.
Zondle – you can choose a character, play games randomly set by the teacher or create own games related to a specific topic. The games are all different in various ways and the questions get assigned to whichever game you wish.
Hooda Math – a variety of games linked to logic, arithmetic and ideal for primary school classes.
Games for the curriculum, get them to choose!
@jamieportman talks about ‘Internal Teachmeets’ @ #tmclevedon
Jamie ‘virtually’ talked about in school TeachMeets to improve teaching and learning. Presentations which are 2 or 7 minutes long can take place within a meeting, turning the environment into a relaxing and stress free place and the ability to share ideas and thought easily. The length of the presentations are non-intimidating and gives confidence to those who are less brave at speaking in front of their colleagues.
TeachMeets are not about whole school priorities but other people’s ideas and learning from each other.
How good do you want to be?
Teachmeet Clevedon from Jamie Portman on Vimeo.
Dave Gale (@reflectivemaths) talks about Maths (or not!) in real world scenarios #tmclevedon
Dave spoke about how everyday things can have a creative effect within the classroom:
Labels in shops and supermarkets for ‘deals’ which are not extremely good being used to interest Maths students.
A ruler on the spine of Ikea, using electrical tape on signs, a 21 percent sale….
Amazing pictures taken by Dave himself had the audience chuckling with laughter, not to mention feeling shocked when realising they are all very real. Students can be inspired by the fact these things actually occur, plus knowing where they are will add real interest.
@noeljenkins from juicygeography talks about using Posterous as a homework tool @ #tmclevedon
Posterous vs. Homework
Noel spoke about how following how his daughter uses social networking has allowed him to learn a lot about how he can use social networking for his students.
Posterous can allow you to create an online course for your subject, everything in one place! The students can set up their own Posterous to share their learning and take responsibility for everything that goes on there. Noel described how the teacher can then subscribe to the Posterous accounts, receiving mail when another post has been made. A like button can aid marking of work as well as sharing this with other people if it is particularly good.
Noel added that this method means a lower level of homework marking and that this has inspired lower ability students to interact with the technology and get involved with learning outside of school.
@edubaker talks about Posterous and Paper.li @ #tmclevedon
A PE and IT teacher from John Cabot Academy from Bristol. He commented that there was so much information around that it was sometimes difficult to know how to communicate this to staff.
Chris added that Posterous was a great way, and a free way, to post ideas all to one place by just emailing comments, pictures or videos straight to an email address which then goes straight to the Posterous blog. Chris has seen this used in PE when wanting to post match results quickly.
Posterous can also be linked to paper.li which can help you to make your own online newspaper, collecting your most popular twitter comments and links which are then fed out to people in a ‘Daily’ style document. Due to the fact it keeps a standard URL it means that just one link could be used on a website to link to all the latest news from your school.
What a great idea!
