Science - Biology

"Biology in Motion" is a cool interactive website that can be used for science lessons and/or reading activities. Will probably suit year 5 upwards. Take a look at http://biologyinmotion.com/ to see if it fits your science programme.
Ivan

Software for Learning

Thinking about purchasing some educational software for this year?
Check out the Ministries site "Software for Learning" it gives you an idea of the different types available. Use the search function to search by curriculum areas.
Ivan

Information Literacy

Information Literacy is the ability to locate, evaluate, manipulate, manage, and communicate information from different sources.
Digital Horizons, p5, 2002
A good start with helping your students become information literate is having a school wide "Inquiry Learning" model. The joy of a school wide model is that the kids are using the same language during their inquiries throughout the different class levels. There are many varieties of models from Gwen Gawith's Action Learning to De Bono's Six Hats, just to mention a couple. It may be that your school decides to come up with your own model.
If you are not currently using an Inquiry Model then it's important that time is spent teaching your students how to be self directed learners.
The following website has a good model with learning outcomes for teaching the different steps.
Noodle Tools - Information Literacy
Also the home page of this site is worth looking at.
http://www.noodletools.com/
as well as "Action Research Resources"

Have a good day - Ivan

ICT Professional Development

School is once again about to get under way. If your school/kura requires assistance with ICT development and/or teacher professional development please contact me as soon as possible, my available dates for term 1 are filling fast.

Site of the day is: http://www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au/globaled/page114.html
This site covers Learning Quests that incorporate problem solving, information literacy, and use of information and communications technology within a collaborative, classroom pedagogy.
Ivan

Future ICT Predictions

Wow! Where are we going with this thing called the microchip?
The following sites make for some interesting reading on how ICT will have an impact on our lives.
http://blog.core-ed.net/derek/archives/001019.html
http://www.battelle.org/forecasts/hightech.stm

Ivan

ICT Integration By Levels

I'm consistantly being asked for level tick sheets that show student achievment at each level. My answer is simple, we don't need to make sure they know how to insert boarders or complete an excel chart when it's not meaningful. We need to teach ICT skills in relevant contexts. Why teach "how to insert a boarder" when they may never use it? In other words teach skills relevant to what you want them to achieve within your lesson/unit objectives. Heck! don't we have enough tick sheets?
I do have a very good document though that gives an overview of the types of ICT experiences that students should be participating in at different levels. You can use this as a guide and incorporate the different items into your curriculum studies. Follow the link on the right side bar "Download ICT Files" to download this document.
Ivan

Blogs - Is their a problem for our teens?

Follow this link to view a good article on the moral panics surrounding teens and blogs along with the other social networking tools.
Many schools are banning any type of online communities that are not heavily monitored.
This type of reaction is worth looking at, and in particular we need to counter balance the discussion if we are to enable institutions to support and embrace (1) students having their own learning management tools under their control, (2) student-contributed technologies in institutions, and (3) students being encouraged to form their own informal learning networks.
My teenage daughters have taken to them along with all their friends without any input from me. Check her site out http://www.piczo.com/kokonati1?g=5978687&cr=2 I'm constantly telling her to tone it down.
What do you think?

Sorry about the change of blog name to "Waimawharf" as the old ymawharf was confusing some people.

Good Teaching Site

A top site for today is http://www.teacherplanet.com where there are lesson ideas and resources. TeacherPlanet features over 200 theme based resource pages. It's not kiwi, but many of the resorces are still relevant with links to other education sites. Sign up for the weekly newsletter that has some great features.
Ivan

Pandora.Com

Check out this website http://www.pandora.com/ it is great for developing your own personal on-line radio stations. Listen to your own type of sounds and rate the songs and artist's to play more favorites each time you listen. Can be accessed by any internet ready computer.
Could fit in well with parts of the Arts curriculum. (Music strands - Developing practical knowledge in music, Developing ideas in music & Understanding music in context.)
Ivan

Email Lists

If you are interested in joining my ict in education email list please drop me an email with your address. I want to use this list a lot more this year to send out "what's happening" and "what's new" in ICT.
Also if you have any collegues who would benefit, please encourage them to visit this blog and drop me their email.
Site of the day http://schools.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=tl
Ivan

WebNotes

WebNotes are an online tool that allows groups to add notes, pictures on any selected topic. Follow the link and add a suggestion on how your students could use webnotes to enhance literacy and/or unit studies.
Check it out!
http://www.aypwip.org/webnote/ymawharf
Ivan

After School Cyber Time

Kia ora koutou. Thinking about school next Year?
I plan on running an after school cyber time once a month starting in March. It would involve a 90 minute get together looking at various education software as well as new ICT in education ideas.
Each session would be something different and you could pick and choose which one you wanted to attend. The sessions will be held in the inservice room at School Support in Gisborne at no cost.
Please drop me an email with ideas/software that you would like included. irl@xtra.co.nz

Sudoku - Number Game

Check this out http://www.websudoku.com/ an on line maths game as it's the new time wasting craze amongst the corporate world. Could be choice for your Maths corner.
Ivan

Happy New Year

The crazy week is coming to an end with cars and tourists a plenty around Te Tairawhiti.
Since ipods and cellphones were up there in the christams present list it is a good time to check out an Australian media release on the future uses of MP3's, cellphones etc. There is also a link at this page to the full report commissioned by the ACT Dept of Education. It is a long report so just have a look at the executive summary if you are short on time.
http://www.educationau.edu.au/media/0509_emerging_tech.html
Ivan