I have been thinking a fair bit recently about what success in Education looks like. The annual season of prize givings and prize lists, external exams and last minute assessments is in full swing. Marks must be entered, checked, entered again in case they are needed to derived grades. Students are tired and ratty andContinue reading “Celebrating ‘success’”
Category Archives: Teaching and Learning
Reflections from the PPTA ACT committee meeting November 2020
Today I was in Wellington for the PPTA ICT committee meeting. It was the first in person event for the year, after a couple of zoom sessions earlier on due to covid restrictions. Because of this, we had a rather full program with a few specific speakers, as well as a bit more admin typeContinue reading “Reflections from the PPTA ACT committee meeting November 2020”
Making GIFs in Microsoft PowerPoint
A quick little post about something I did for the #teachingwithsurface competition NZ was running – a ridiculous simple was to use Microsoft PowerPoint to make customisable GIFS for revision or for using in presentations to get key ideas across quickly. For some key ideas, a GIF is a really efficient way to get theContinue reading “Making GIFs in Microsoft PowerPoint”
Feedback is like echolocation, and I’m a little bit lost without it
My ‘inquiry’ focus for this year ‘is’ around making sure I’m giving the best feedback to students I can. I had made a start in this post around how I could use the data collected from Microsoft forms better, and make sure it was usable to the students. I have some draft posts about insightsContinue reading “Feedback is like echolocation, and I’m a little bit lost without it”
Giving feedback/feedforward: Upping my game with Microsoft forms
A focus for me this year (and really every year!!) is around getting useful information on where my students are at, and making sure the feedback is useable, useful AND not lost. I have tried various methods for this in the past, and one of the best methods I have found is taking an imageContinue reading “Giving feedback/feedforward: Upping my game with Microsoft forms”
Giving Yr 9 digitech a go
This year I have been tasked with teaching Yr 9 digitech. Which has been a real challenge, but hopefully I’ve now got a handle on what we are doing. I have leaned really heavily on the AMAZING Gamefroot resource at https://takaro.gamefroot.com/ that Dan Milward and Gerard Macmanus put together, it was a real life saverContinue reading “Giving Yr 9 digitech a go”
Microbit ‘Monsters’
This is the second year that Kevin and I have co-taught a yr 7 digital technology course, which runs for about 24 lessons on a rotation. (You can find previous reflections on this course (the first one is from this year when we introduced a greater focus on the technology curriculum here, here and here). WeContinue reading “Microbit ‘Monsters’”
Recording learning – how do I get this right?
I’ve been thinking a bit lately about how I/we/the system records learning. My thinking on this has been challenged a few times, and was kicked into gear way back in 2015 when I saw an amazing learning conversation around a thermos flask take place, that these students couldn’t write down but could explain very clearly,Continue reading “Recording learning – how do I get this right?”
Modeling ‘microbes’
This year I ‘swapped’ classes to pick up a yr 7 class part way through the year. It has been an interesting challenge, for two reasons. 1) I have not taught yr 7 Science before, and 2) I found it ‘difficult’ to pick up a class when expectations and routines had already been set. ItContinue reading “Modeling ‘microbes’”
Making a Chemistry App with Thunkable
Half way last term, I got to accompany some students to a digigirlz event that was hosted by the fabulous Phillipa Dick At Balmacewen Intermediate. The girls where given a ‘challenge’ and then quickly showcased a variety of digital tools they could use to make a solution. One that grabbed my eye was Thunkable, aContinue reading “Making a Chemistry App with Thunkable”
ibpossum takes on tech 