Always Look on the Bright Side.
A Teacher who continues to learn, teach, learn, teach, learn…well you get the idea!
Latest from the Blog
Learning to be a Leader
A very mixed journey Firstly, I would like to apologise for the derth of articles on the blog over the last few years. Suffice to say, there are numerous reasons for this unfortunate state of affairs which I won’t go into. The only caveats I would add, are that the previous three years have includedContinue reading “Learning to be a Leader”
My Mission Statement!
Firstly, I would like to apologize to one and all for this rant; and it is most definitely ‘a rant’. The crux of my rant will centre on this driving question: ‘Why do so many educators choose the easy path?’ I for one am certainly not innocent of having been short sighted or focused onContinue reading “My Mission Statement!”
Create your own YouTube Quiz!
To YouTube a lot or to YouTube a little? This is surely the question in today’s media mad world? In the entirety of entertainment and social media history, YouTube has to be the single greatest social informer, influencer, persuader and educator there has ever been. It could be said that at different points in history television, radio, newspaper and books have all heldContinue reading “Create your own YouTube Quiz!”
NUMROS
It is a well-known established fact throughout the many-dimensional worlds of the multiverse that most really great discoveries are owed to one brief moment of inspiration. There’s a lot of spadework first, of course, but what clinches the whole thing is the sight of, say, a falling apple or a boiling kettle or the waterContinue reading “NUMROS”
A good idea goes a long way!
I am borrowing heavily from an inspired game based learning idea created by a colleague of mine named Phillip Arneill. This gaming template has become so successful in my school that it has been adapted and replicated for a wide variety of lesson types and learning opportunities. I would say there are at least four different teachers who haveContinue reading “A good idea goes a long way!”
Games are bloody great!
What makes a game great? Challenge without being overly difficult. I think back to a game which I found incredibly frustrating when I first started playing it. However it became more accessible as I became more familiar with the game mechanics and controls – Disney’s Castle of illusion. This game also has a beautiful narrativeContinue reading “Games are bloody great!”
I’d rather be a farmer!
From the ages of 17 to 22 years old, I spent numerous Christmas, Easter and Summer holidays working in a variety of factories. I have worked in furniture factories, crisp factories, video-packaging factories; I have even worked in slaughterhouses. During my time in these factories, I worked in various locations found inside most modern factories. These included the assembly line, the packaging zone, theContinue reading “I’d rather be a farmer!”
Player Two’s Turn
An extract from a conversation which took place between two teachers playing the teaching game! Player 1: Games in the classroom? I don’t understand! Player 2: What don’t you understand? Player 1: Well..you know games are games. They aren’t learning. Player 2: Yes they are. Player 1: How? Player 2: Well, children learn to playContinue reading “Player Two’s Turn”
The Summit – Course 5 Final Project
After weeks of hard work and steady progress we have finally reached the peak of StoryTeller Mountain. I think it is fair to say that the journey has provided the students and myself with an exciting classroom adventure; an adventure which shows no sign of stopping. As I sit at the top of StoryTeller Mountain,Continue reading “The Summit – Course 5 Final Project”
Beginning the trek up StoryTeller Mountain
Today we started our climb up the monumental Storyteller Mountain. The children had been equipped with ipads, copies of the ‘legends of the lake’ myth books and organized into groups of four to better help each other with the initial climb. The base of the mountain was relatively easy to traverse as the groups beganContinue reading “Beginning the trek up StoryTeller Mountain”
Change the story…
As is so often the case with many things in life, not everything you plan for becomes reality. As a teacher, you work towards a weekly set of plans that focus on key areas of the curriculum – something which I have always believed, and still believe for the most part, to be the rightContinue reading “Change the story…”
The Magnetism of Magnets
Don’t worry – No storytelling, dialogue, poetry, digital mime or other bizarre writing styles in this post! No. Today I bring you an exciting new unit plan (well at least I think it is exciting) that I have altered and tweaked. ‘Altered’ and ‘tweaked’ are two highly apt terms when it comes to writing about thisContinue reading “The Magnetism of Magnets”
Footsteps in a new land…
Before the coming Across fierce seas, that battered and broke our small boats, we came. It took us many months of travel to arrive here – many did not make it! Now we have set foot in our new land. We are tired from the long journey but we look forward to putting down roots and settlingContinue reading “Footsteps in a new land…”
I say! Anyone for a game of cards?
Gamification, Game-based learning, Using games in the classroom, Gametime, Gamelearn…So many names and ideas connected by the word ‘Game’ when it comes to education. And why is that? Simple – because it is one of the most important learning methods ever created. And another thing – unlike many other aspects of learning – it is FUN! In my caseContinue reading “I say! Anyone for a game of cards?”
I want to work with you!
Does connectivism have a real shot at being a true learning theory? Yes! Well…mainly yes! As the new coordinator of primary history at our school (sorry if you have read any of my previous posts where I have mentioned this numerous times) I would argue that connectivism is now an essential part of a school’s structure. Let me beginContinue reading “I want to work with you!”
Heart attack in the playground!
The playground – probably the most creative environment in the world! Yesterday I sat on a bench, near my local park, watching my children climb, run and clamber over a brand new jungle gym. As I was watching, I noticed just how quickly all the children playing on the jungle gym quickly got bored with the slides, the climbingContinue reading “Heart attack in the playground!”
Failure!
Since I first started the Coetail course, all the way back in February, I think it fair to say that I have been heavily influenced and affected by the different ideas and philosophies that I have been exposed to. As both an educator and parent, my personal outlook on teaching and learning has undoubtedly changed. I look back at the wayContinue reading “Failure!”
We live? We die? You decide!
Photo credit: pixabay You must yourselves realize the power of Athens, and feed your eyes upon her from day to day, till love of her fills your hearts; and then, when all her greatness shall break upon you, you must reflect that it was by courage, sense of duty, and a keen feeling of honourContinue reading “We live? We die? You decide!”
Bike-to-chart
Infographics? Data visualization? Digital notetaking? What do these words mean? Me – No idea! Actually, this isn’t exactly true! I did know what infographics were but I didn’t know that they were called infographics. The first time I had actually come across these type of images was when I had teamed up with Palvinder Thurman for ourContinue reading “Bike-to-chart”
Once upon a time…
Photo Credit: Magenta Rose Once upon a time, there was a small girl named Adi. Adi was an energetic and enthusiastic girl who loved playing at home, visiting the local parks and going to school. It’s true! She really did love her School! Well, it’s mostly true. She loved almost everything about school except for one thing-that most awful and dreadful task knownContinue reading “Once upon a time…”
Story telling with slides…
Photo credit: flikr Two years ago I was very fortunate to be part of an in-house training session where our excellent and highly creative Literacy coordinator talked about the importance of story telling. During the training, he talked passionately about the need for teachers to take a small amount of time each week/day to readContinue reading “Story telling with slides…”
Photographing Time
Photo Credit: Wallpaper Flare Time! Or more particularly chronology is a concept that most primary school students find very difficult to understand. And why wouldn’t they? How can a seven year old child be expected to understand the differences between the Romans and the Egyptians when they haven’t had a chance to develop any sort of personal historical record. They just haven’tContinue reading “Photographing Time”
Give me the tools and I will build!
What do I think of visual media? Personally, I can’t get enough of it. Ever since I was a tiny tot I have been a slave to anything that is large, eye catching, colourful, bright or tells me something interesting. In fact I have dedicated large parts of my childhood, teen years and adult life to absorbing as muchContinue reading “Give me the tools and I will build!”
The Bystander’s Guide To a Collaborative RUA
And so I near the end of a second course on the COETAIL journey. It is fair to say that this project provided me the greatest test I had faced on the COETAIL course so far; yet it also has to be said that it has provided me with the greatest reward – the finalised RUA that my group created. Another major difference which has made thisContinue reading “The Bystander’s Guide To a Collaborative RUA”
The Greatest Quiz Machine Ever?
The Quiz – is this one of the greatest inventions ever? I mean who doesn’t love a good quiz? Since I can remember (which admittedly isn’t that long ago), people have always wanted to test their understanding and knowledge by taking part in ‘The Quiz’. As a medium, it provides so many of our socialContinue reading “The Greatest Quiz Machine Ever?”
Will somebody please help Robin!
Robin’s Tale Robin is seven years old. He has just received his first school email address and his parents have just bought him a brand new iPad for his birthday. He has an older sister who is 15 years old. She spends most evenings on her laptop chatting to her boyfriend, friends and classmates aboutContinue reading “Will somebody please help Robin!”
Fagin’s law
What does teaching and learning look like? Well, I would suggest that teaching and learning comes in a wide variety of forms. Sometimes the learning may be teacher centred, at other times it is student centred, it may involve small groups working together, it may involve a larger group discussion, it may have an independentContinue reading “Fagin’s law”
Facebookphobia!
Ladies and gentlemen, at this moment I have no facebook page and I probably never will! I do have a linked-in account but I have never really used it. Yes I have email addresses, a class Twitter feed and this blog but that is the extent of my gloriously limited electronic imprint upon the WorldContinue reading “Facebookphobia!”
Hey everyone! Look at me!
What exactly was a digital footprint?…Did I have a digital footprint? To be completely honest I just didn’t know! How was I supposed to find the answers to my questions? Well, I decided that I needed to spend more time looking at a variety of different articles on what a digital footprint actually was. AfterContinue reading “Hey everyone! Look at me!”
Teeth…Glorious Teeth!
Teeth? Hmmm…how do you make this topic interesting to children? As far as I am aware, the most interesting thing about teeth for children is the tooth fairy! So let’s be frank, the topic is dry – really dry! When we sat down, as a year group, to discuss this topic there was a definite feeling of apathy and very littleContinue reading “Teeth…Glorious Teeth!”
The Second School!
And from the depths of my limited and muddled mind was born an idea of the ‘Second School‘. I don’t know if this term has been used before but I think that it fits quite well with the central idea for my post this week. First let me tell you the story of how andContinue reading “The Second School!”
How to avoid becoming a caveman!
In this day and age, how has it come to a point where we have children whose skills and understanding of the digital realm far outstrip the people they are supposed to be learning from? I guess that the obvious answer to this question is that this has always been the case and that when we wereContinue reading “How to avoid becoming a caveman!”
Out with the Old! In with the New!
Me versus Me Date: This time last year (part 1) At this time, I was still relatively new to my year group and was currently in the middle of my second term. Being part of a new year group, I was less willing to take risks with the structure of my lessons. Although, as aContinue reading “Out with the Old! In with the New!”
The People Collector!
“Experience has long been considered the best teacher of knowledge. Since we cannot experience everything, other people’s experiences, and hence other people, become the surrogate for knowledge. ‘I store my knowledge in my friends’ is an axiom for collecting knowledge through collecting people.” Karen Stephenson quote taken from Connectivism a learning theory for the digitalContinue reading “The People Collector!”
Courage to make connections!
Like any organism, a school needs to evolve in order to become a successful institution of education that provides students, parents and teachers with a positive learning experience. If schools remain stationary in their roles as places of education, then they risk becoming archaic institutions that serve no other purpose than becoming glorified creches for children and teenagers. How does a school remainContinue reading “Courage to make connections!”
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Always Look on the Bright Side 