QR Code Geo Quest

I was inspired lately by a session I attended in Albury with Ben Jones called "Building Your Own Geo Epic".

Now, being a Sci-Fi nerd, the name automatically grabbed me. I envisioned teachers and students running around with suped-up mobile devices participating in geek-a-thon cosplay. The reality was, of course, much more practical than this (though I'll never give up hope of running a live-action role-playing game to teach kids about history).

Anyway - Ben's session involved a bunch of educators running around with iPhones, scanning QR codes and completing small tasks. None of us had done anything like it before, but once we familiarised ourselves with the technology it was smooth sailing. It was an awesome way to introduce us to the idea.

Long story short, I came back inspired. I ran a session for my own school at one of our staff meetings. And now the principal has asked me to create a GeoQuest for the Year 6 kids on their transition day. What an awesome way to introduce kids to their new environment and teachers, as well as getting them working in teams with other kids at the school.

I haven't made the transition day quest yet, but when I do, I'll post it. For now, here is the one I did with our staff.

This is the QR from the library door (it's a link to a personalised Google Map):

At each station, teachers scanned more QR codes with instructions for activities to perform. I won't put them all up here, as there are plenty. If you're interested in what kinds of activities you can do, give me a buzz.

Posterous is a blogging tool that allows you to allocate groups and monitor their activity. This way, each time a group sumits an 'assignment' to their posterous blog (via e-mail on their mobile devices), it is automatically categorised into their own rolling record of work. You can keep an eye on times of submission, and all of your groups are stored within your own Posterous account. Very cool.

If you want to see more of Ben Jones' great ideas, head over to: http://benpaddlejones.edublogs.org/

Anyway, happy questing!

Australia in WWI

Have been run off my feet lately, but here's a link to the blog I created for the Year 9 kids earlier this year:

http://missnorberry.edublogs.org/

I didn't delve into any student interaction or creation, as this was fairly early on in my blogging for learning. But you get the idea! :)

Parody (For Teachers)

I must admit - it's nearly the end of Term 3, and I'm facing a little bit of burnout. Not like that's anything new for a young teacher at the end of each term. Learning to cope with the stresses of teaching is an interesting journey. It makes me think of the great school parodies - Summer Heights High and the British Teachers.

For those of you not familiar with Summer Heights High, here is a quick preview.

Summer Heights High is a parody of the 'typical' Australian high school.

And that's all I'm posting. Because we could all use a little comedic release at this time of year.

Satire

Teaching humour is a pain.

It's also some of the most fun you can have with a class. Puns, comedic similes, malapropisms, double entendre, euphemisms...Oh, the joy that can be had!

One of my biggest personal challenges has been engaging the students with relevant humour. I mean, these kids have the same sense of humour I do. They love slapstick, parody and satire. They watch television shows that operate in these genre every night. The Simpsons, The Chaser, Summer Heights High, Kath and Kim, The Colbert Report and so on.

In an educational setting, the struggle with teaching humour is keeping it 'appropriate'.

You can't watch The Chaser skit that satirises A Current Affair, because it mentions 'fat kids'.

I can't show Summer Heights High because "puck you, miss" sounds a little too much like that other nasty phrase.

Now, don't get me wrong. I completely agree that we need to be mindful of 'inappropriate' material in the educational setting. But I don't know if completely avoiding it does any good for kids as they navigate through the 'real world'.

I'm pretty sure that a structured and monitored examination of how A Current Affair sensationalises weight issues might enable kids to be more critical of the 'news' being blasted at them every evening.

I'm lucky enough to be in a professional environment that encourages individual teacher developement. My ideas are met with open minds. Some are shot down. But that's probably a good thing. After all, I don't have the experience to say whether, in the long run, somthing will be a great idea or not.

In honour of my open-minded faculty and inspiring co-workers, here is the lesson I'm presenting to Year 8 English during Period 3 today.



After progressing from simple parody (in our last few lessons using 'Gangster's Paradise' by Coolio and 'Amish Paradise' by Weird Al Yankovich), we will discuss the concept of Satire.

First, show the following video clip. There is an accompanying worksheet at the bottom of the post.

Next, show the following video.

Students will be working in pairs to complete the Simpsons portion of the worksheet.

Then, we'll be viewing something a little more serious. But still funny.

Again, this will be contrasted with the following video clip from The Chaser's CNNNN.

During these videos, which may be played more than once (depending on how quickly students grasp what is actually going on), students work with their partners to answer the questions on the following worksheet.

I'm not claiming any of this is really revolutionary. I know I'm not using technology that will blow peoples' minds. Or even wow them a little. I just want a place to vent about my creative processes!

8 Good Reasons Why Educators Should Use Twitter

I went to a really good professional development session up in Deniliquin last week. It has completely changed the way I see myself in the wide world of education.

The session I attended was run by the HT of Maths at Deniliquin HS, Meagan Rodda. (You can find her on Twitter - @meaganrodda) Our two focus points were Twitter and Maang. Now, don't get me wrong. Maang is a nice idea. But Twitter... Oh. My.

Since the session, I've been connecting to educators all over the world and improving my own teaching practice. I even ran a Twitter session here at our school. Hopefully the idea will catch on.

Since last week, I've perused the internet for as much educational Twitter info as I could find.



Here are the top 8 reasons I could find that you, as an educator, should be connected through Twitter:




1. It is free professional development.

2. It is quick and convenient.

3. It is a free marketing tool.

4. It is eco-friendly. No need to send out paper notices to students or their parents. Have information longer than a tweet allows? Link to the school blog, where all information can be communicated at length, with relevant links and in colour.

5. It is a direct line of communication between the school and parents. And it’s instant.

6. It is the future. Our students need 21st century skills to thrive in the modern world.  As educators, it is our responsibility to teach them to use these new text types safely and effectively.  This means, if you’re interested, you can build a classroom twitter trend.

   For example:

   In class, I ask my students to tweet a statement reflecting on their    learning for the day. They must include the hash tag #norbseng.  A portion of their class work mark (the portion usually dedicated to student reflection) is generated based on their ability to successfully communicate in this medium in an appropriate form.

 7. It is a means of staying up to date with the Board of Studies, Teachers Federation, DET and any other important educational body. The news comes directly from the top, removing the middle-man.

8. Instead of relying on your own innovations, or those of teachers you have regular access to, you will be able to connect directly with leading educators and their resources from across the globe. Need a video to help demonstrate world biomes? Tweet, and ye shall find.

I'm sure there are more ways to use Twitter in the educational setting, and I'm keen to find out what they are!

Trust

Only in a town this small.

And I'm not just talking about the trusting sign out the front of the local drive-through bottle shop. I'm talking about things that really matter. 

For example, my students can leave their bags in the quad all day without a single incident. They can leave sport supplies on the quad racks for weeks and no one will touch it. 

Class sizes are small, and everyone knows everyone.

And if they muck up, chances are their parents will have heard about it through the grapevine before I get the chance to contact them that evening. And they'll have already strung them up.

My point is, the small community here breeds just that - community. And I'm starting to really feel a part of this one. I'm desperate for these kids to succeed. I see them on the streets when I'm walking my dog. I buy groceries from them. I'm friends with their family members. 

Maybe this idea of community can work with education. Maybe we can have small groups working together with teachers, mentors, friends and family to create a holistic learning environment. 

Just a thought.

Maths Brain

Now, I'm all for logic. But I think we could all agree - creativity is awesome.

Be the Change

So often I hear people complaining about them. You know them. Everyone does. Them doesn't care about you. Them doesn't support change. Them lose your paperwork, and them sure as hell don't accept your claim.

Well, I'm sick of hearing about them. I bet by now in the post, you're sick of hearing about them too.

The truth is, change is a grass roots movement. I can't think of a single time in history when the best changes were made from the top. Ordinary folk like us are the ones that call the shots. And I don't see why some people refuse to see that. Just take a glance at what is going on in the world right now.

As a young teacher, at the bottom of the education food chain, I still feel empowered. I refuse to let the man get me down. Or the woman, for that matter. In fact, I don't even believe in them. We're all here trying to make a positive difference. I change lives every day, and that's more than some people can say.

So, as 'the man' - used in a totally different sense -  once said:

"Be the change you want to see in the world."

QR Code Maths

Well, the Medieval Feast went really well. But I'll blog about that once I have photos.

I wanted to post something I'm trying today in my Year 9 Maths class. I was inspired by this:  Through a Green Lens - QR Codes in Maths Class

I'm having my kids use QR instructions to create their own QR worksheet. I figure the hardest thing for them to do on this will be to create their own Probability questions.

Essentially, they design one black QR coded question (using their laptop program QuickMark) for each sub-topic in probability (sample spaces, theoretical probability etc.). They then pass their working document on to another student, who generates blue QR coded answers with supporting work. They then hand this back to the first student, who creates red QR codes informing the second student if they were right. If they were wrong, they have to explain the process for solving the problem.

We might work through it a couple times today. The program is fast and efficient on their computers (which, as you all know, sometimes lag a bit). I think it will be a really interesting exercise to help them review all of the topics we have covered so far.

Essentially I'm using the codes as a sort of gimmick to get the kids interested (last period on a rainy day) and teach them how to use the program. I'll branch off to including videos and texts soon!

So, here are the sheets I handed out to the kids.

We'll see how we go!

Holiday Medieval Fun!

By the end of Term 2 it was evident that I wasn't going to be able to get everything finished for the Medieval Feast in time. The kids all agreed it would be fun to come in on the last Friday of the holidays for a little working bee. We had pizza, listened to music, and put the finishing touches on our event preparation.

The kids spent some time making decorations (during brain-break).

I'm not really sure about the rules involved in posting photos of some of the kids, so I'm going to hold off until I'm sure if it would be allowed.

Anyway, it was a REALLY cool experience to be able to hang out with the kids in a relaxed setting. It's almost like they learned more because they knew they weren't in the traditional school environment. I don't think we should get rid of desks and books entirely, but I'm starting to think there is some real merit in educational immersion. Throw kids into a 'pretend' situation where they need to define their social status and rules and expectations, and devise structures based on information they have learned in the traditional old text book or internet.

We'll see how things go, but this might be something I do more often. Stressful as it was at first, I'm starting to feel a little more confident that it won't be a total bomb.

Victoria Floods

This post really should have happened a long time ago, but I'm only now just getting around to it.

The Victoria floods had a huge impact on our little school. Our town was a refuge where many stranded families were provided with shelter. Some people around town baked muffins and other single-serve foods to distribute at the camp sites. Kids weren't able to get to school in surrounding towns, and some of our kids or their families were faced with serious real-life issues. Granted, most of the flood action took place during the school holidays - but I just want to share this with you. I took these photos just outside of town at the end of February. This water isn't going ANYWHERE.

Lonliness

There are hundreds of good things about moving to the country.

The people are eager to know you, and it isn't long before you call the local chemist, shop assistant, firewood guy, pub owner and post office personnel by name. You know their stories and what's been happening in their lives. And for us, it was awesome just to be able to make a completely fresh start.

In turn, they know what kind of car you drive, what time you come home at night, how late you were at the pub and what you wear to bum around the yard. In fact, we live across the street from some of our students. Needless to say, when we first got here we were closing the curtains every second of the day and night.

Initially I was really worried about feeling isolated and lonely. How could I, a girl with 'hip' interests, ever find someone to connect with in a country town so small?

Pretty easily, actually.

We made some close friends extremely quickly. It's really a matter of urgency out here. You have to be social. You have to make the effort. If you don't, you have no one to talk to. An no one really wants to be in that situation.

No, I don't get to see all the latest arthouse films. No, I don't get to wander the shops for hours on end. And no, I don't get to go to the newest trendy cafe. I had to make friends with online shopping. And I had to come up with something other than lazing away the hours shopping or sipping soy lattes.

The Head Teacher of TAS is a really cool guy. He and his girlfriend broke the ice and invited us for breakfast. We had a great time, and now we've taken up cycling with them. (Hey, you have to do something to stay fit when there isn't a gym!) It's been nice to take up a new hobby.

And you know what? Being hip is WAY over-rated.

Anyway, we were feeling a little dwarfed by our large home and yard. So we got some company.

Meet Starbuck. (The Sci-Fi character, not the coffee.)

Bad Literature

Some Inspiring Words

Midwinter Medieval Feast

In my absolute madness I've decided to host a Medieval Feast.

My Year 7 History class just started a unit on Medieval Europe. After a few lessons sitting with them in a classroom reading through books, internet sites and worksheets, I decided on a whim to ask them if they would be keen to organise a feast. Of course, they were thrilled with the idea of getting out of the classroom and doing some real History stuff with their hands.

I moved things around in the program enough to allow for the summative assessment to be in the form of a portfolio of work. This portfolio is intended to be completed using group-work skills.

The components of the portfolio are as follows:

• two posters about two Medieval persons.
• each group had approximately four members, so the students were able to work on the posters in pairs.
• one gigantic banner depicting scenes and text describing an aspect of Medieval life.
• one 'black death survival guide' (per student).
• the research and preparation of two Medieval recipes.
• the individual group-work reflection.
• this was intended to provide a method by which students could reflect on their own learning and their group-work skills.

I won't go into marking criteria and all of that right here.

Now for the things to do for the feast:

• make decorations
• design costumes
• order ingredients
• enlist the help of some other insanely eager teachers
• find some money
• panic.

Can someone remind me why a Temporary Teacher on a one-year contract would go to all this effort?

Only on an Excursion in the Bush

Our 20-seater bus was held up for a few minutes at a stock crossing.

Staff Lunches

Well, staff lunches are of a different breed out here.

Instead of stopping at Woolies in a rush on the way into school in the morning (we don't even have a Woolies), everyone seems to make something from scratch at home. Cookies, slices, quiche, muffins, pizza, pasta - you name it.

So - in an effort to fit in, I've made Guinness Stew.

I like that everything is done by hand out here. People are more human in a place where everybody knows everyone.

I'm also really enjoying the small class sizes. I think I can come up with some really good stuff for these kids...

My brain feels...

...how my desk looks right now.

We Made It

It is a great wide expanse out here.

When we moved, we had to organise a house in a town we had never been to. It seemed like a pretty risky thing to do, considering we were just going to turn up on the doorstep with all our possessions.

What if the people there hadn't any teeth? What if they all drank VB, used the 'c bomb' every sentence and believed climate change was a hoax? What if they watched Channel 7 News?!

More urgently, I wasn't sure if we were moving to 'that town' with 'that school' where teachers only last two years before desperately placing themselves onto the transfer list. And for that matter, I wasn't really sure where 'that' place was, or if it really existed. But I sure didn't want to be the one to find out firsthand.

Luckily, when we made the call to the local real estate agent, everyone was really friendly and as accommodating as possible. No 'c bombs'. Seemed like these people had teeth after all.

The real estate agent sent us photos of a house she described as having 'not much' of a backyard. Enough to hang clothes in. Now, where I come from, that means a slab of concrete and a wall-mounted washing line. Here's what we ended up with.

Yeah. Not much of a backyard, huh?

Awesome!

The moving van was organised on relatively short notice, and all of our stuff didn't fit. There was a slight panic on the day before we realised, 'oh, we own a van. duh.' So, we piled all our most beloved possessions into the back of our decrepit old faithful and headed out into the sunset.

Turns out sunset isn't the best time to start a 13 hour journey. Not at all.

We decided to stop at 1am to get some sleep.

So. Here we are, safe and sound. And here are the photos of our country paradise - completely hillbilly-free.

Its The Little Things

A student drew me a picture and picked me a flower on day three of term one. I feel like I'm living in the twilight zone.

Where I come from, kids throw furniture at teachers.

This has to be a fluke.

Gone Country

Well, we did it.

We really did it.

About a year ago, my husband and I discovered that living on the coast of NSW and obtaining a permanent teaching job wasn't really an easy thing to do. On our job applications (he is also a teacher), we were required to tick a little box that said whether or not we would be willing to teach anywhere in the state.

Now, I'm not sure from where you've wandered in, so I don't really know how much you know about NSW, Australia. To put it bluntly, our state is roughly the size of the Republic of Mozambique. For what that's worth.

Anyway, we didn't do it. What insane, attatched person would?! We lived in a hip city, with plenty of young, hip friends, and access to the most hip of all the hip stuff.

One year later, our hip friends all started to move away, we had gotten over the buzz of living in a 'hip' city, and hip stuff was obviously 'out'. What to do?

Long story (somewhat) short, here we are. The border of nowhere. And you know what? It's not so bad after all.