Today I got a gentle reminder to look through my students eyes a little more often that I do. It was timely as all those classroom routines and tasks start to bog down all that beginning of the year energy. On Tuesdays I have my delicious yr 13 Chemistry class, followed by my energetic yrContinue reading “Boiling water”
Category Archives: random ramblings
Reflections from the PPTA ICT committee meeting November
Edit – since I first published this blog, the friendly folk at NZQA got in touch with some answers and responses to my ponderings below. I’ve put their responses in italics and separated it out from the general round robin info. At the end of last term I attended the PPTA ICT committee meeting inContinue reading “Reflections from the PPTA ICT committee meeting November”
Integrating digital technologies – computational thinking, designing digital outcomes, and Dichotomous keys
As my inquiry this year, I have been trying to explore ways to incorporate aspects on the digital technologies curriculum strand into ‘my’ classes in a meaningful way. I have had a play with my Level 2 chemistry class by focussing on pattern recognition and algorithms we were exploring solubility rules, and then also withContinue reading “Integrating digital technologies – computational thinking, designing digital outcomes, and Dichotomous keys”
Integrating computational thinking – Mystery Skype.
When I first did a mystery skype with Kyle Calderwood, I remember thinking this is a great way to encourage students questioning skills as well as for them to learn about other people and places. The premise is that during a Mystery Skype, students will ask questions to locate where the other class or person is. YouContinue reading “Integrating computational thinking – Mystery Skype.”
Reflections from the #NZMIEEHui18 Part 2
So, aside from just catching up with some of my favouritists teachery people, and meeting some new ones, I actually did learn a few new things to take forward. This is a summary of those I guess, for me to come back to and check in to see where to next Zoom in powerpoint. YouContinue reading “Reflections from the #NZMIEEHui18 Part 2”
Reflections from the #NZMIEEhui18 part 1
It was very hard to know where to start writing this post, as it has been an amazing journey, filled with successes, failures, excitement and despair, collaboration and lack there of, to get to the point where the NZMIEEhui18 has been and gone. It was an amazing weekend, filled with learning, laughter, ideas, diversity andContinue reading “Reflections from the #NZMIEEhui18 part 1”
Myth busting Napoleon’s buttons
I am sometimes reminded of how small things can be so important. Making connections, learning new things and questioning things said can make such a difference to learning, engagement and interest, including mine. So this a wee story about some buttons, some exploring, some learning and some fun. Recently the Science Learning hub posted aContinue reading “Myth busting Napoleon’s buttons”
Lighting fires with the Chemistry Add in for MinecraftEDU
As part of the inquiry section of my yr 8 Home Chemistry unit, some of my students explored the Chemistry add in for MinecraftEDU. (You can find out more about the Chemistry Add in HERE at the MinecraftEDU site.) We have a subscription for MinecraftEDU at my school to use with the year 7 digitalContinue reading “Lighting fires with the Chemistry Add in for MinecraftEDU”
Reflections from #ENERGISENZ2018
I attended EnergiseNZ2018 at the end of the April school holidays, and it was exactly what I needed to kick start my interest and passion for learning back into gear. Talking to loads of teachers there, many were tired, a bit burnt out, frustrated and not sure of where they were headed. Which is whereContinue reading “Reflections from #ENERGISENZ2018”
Reflections from the PPTA ICT meeting April 2018
There was a pretty full on agenda for the April meeting of the PPTA ICT committee, and I got myself wonderfully wound up over several points. Much discussion was had of hard issues, and of course, hard issues have no easy answers and there is not always a clear pathway to follow. So if youContinue reading “Reflections from the PPTA ICT meeting April 2018”
ibpossum takes on tech 