In preparation for the full launch of the iPad project where I work, I organised 2 weeks worth of parental iPad experience sessions. I set them up with timings scattered across the various days to try and make sure everyone who wanted to come was able to.
There were a few outcomes I wanted to achieve from the sessions. One was to give parents a one to one, or one to couple, experience of using an iPad as I suspected a number of them had never used one before. Another was to give parents the opportunity to speak with students, digital leaders, teachers and senior leaders about the project, what had been found and how they had been using the device to support learning. It also gave us the opportunity to talk with parents in small groups about the project and to answer any questions they may have.
The sessions ended up with more than 250 parents attending with large numbers of staff and students attending – in this brave new world of education, it has been completely heartening to work in this way. It was really heartwarming to see students discussing how their learning has moved forwards as part of being involved in the project and for staff to explain how their practice has changed as a result of using the device in lessons. It really helps bring home the vision that it is a project all about learning, not about technology.
It’s a project all about learning, not about technology…
It was also a really good learning experience for me – as a result of conversations with parents, it has helped to develop the project further too. Another reason why it is so important to engage with all all stakeholders in the project. It was amazing to reflect back and to see how far we’ve come and I’m really looking forward to the next chapter.
Google Forms as a tool has probably been one of the single most important web based developments to support how I work in the classroom over the last few years. Whilst pretty simple to use, the power of the Google Form is in its flexibility in the many different ways it can be used.
I was recently asked how I go about making my Google Forms and to that end, I’ve made the screencast below to support anyone wanting to learn how to make a Google Form.
Now that you’ve seen how you can make a Google Form, why not try it yourself!
Don’t forget if you’re surveying people / students – check out the ‘Summary of responses‘ option on the Forms menu!
If you’d like to see how you can create a Google Form as a multiple choice quiz and then have it assess itself for you automatically, then watch another of my screencasts here:
I’ve seen Google Forms used in practice in many different ways:
Having been inspired on the Microsoft stand @ BETT by @innovativeteach and @chickensaltash and their use of Microsoft Mouse Mischief, I returned home inspired to increase the level of competition in my classroom.
I have since purchased 20 wireless mice and USB hubs to facilitate the use of this excellent plugin for Microsoft PowerPoint.
What is it?
The Mouse Mischief plugin allows the creator of the presentation to include questions in to the presentation which can be set to either multiple choice, yes/no or drawing based questions. When the presentation is running multiple mouse users can move their own individual mouse pointers to each of the possible answers, click on their answer and check their learning. At the end of each question, the plugin tells the audience a) who answered the correct question first and b) how many people got the correct answer.
A nice little demo video on Youtube can be found here:
How has it changed learning?
What I have found in my classroom is that the quizzes:
a)Inspire learners to concentrate more in class as they like to win
b)Inspire learners to work harder as they only get to ‘play’ the quiz if they have worked well in the class
c)Check learning in plenaries in a fun and innovative way
d)Previously created quizzes act as a good way of revising previous learning/topics
How could it be better?
One thing that I think would be good with the plugin would be if it was able to say who had won the overall quiz at the end of the presentation. As it stands at the moment, I have to get another individual in the class to act as quiz master and record who ‘wins’ each question in the quiz to work out the overall winner.
Why should you use it?
You don’t have to, but I have found it to be a really useful tool in my arsenal of teaching tools to help inspire and engage learners, particularly those who can sometimes like to play games – this way, they get to play a game in your lesson in a way that you can closely control that links directly to their learning. This plugin allows gaming to take place in the lesson in a fun, controlled and safe environment with a minimal cost outlay for the mice and the USB hubs. The software itself is free.
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