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All teched up, where to from here?
Ultra-modern Cabot Place by UGG boy UGG girl licensed CC BY Last post on our iPod Trial at UNIS… The school year is almost done and so finishes our iPod trial in the MSHS. Before I go into the end products, it is important for me to thank Ed Gilbreath and the Tech team (especially Mr Long) for the opportunity to trial mobile tech in PE and for my own professional growth and learning during this process. I would also like to thank Clint Hamada for his never-ending patience and wise sage-like advice at times of despair and for sharing our home computer with 4 iPods and related issues. And…
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Launching Apps for Academics
Last year I met a hero of mine, Jarrod Robinson. Jarrod (aka @mrrobbo) is the founder of the PE Geeks movement mashing together PE and Tech into some fantastic new territory. Jarrod ran a workshop at Yokohama International School talking and sharing his passion about the role that Apple products and apps are taking shape in his classes. Inspired by his down to earth approach and my own desire to see great things in the classroom, I made the decision to make Apps for Academics to use in their classes with the goal to bring together Google Docs, Apple and to make things easier for teachers on the move. Mobile…
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Slow Progress – iPod trial
Undecided by Rafael Peñaloza CC BY NC SA Have you ever thought that things would run at a certain pace, but been amazed at the reality? That is how I am feeling about my iPod trial. I suppose because I read about the great things that other PE faculties and teachers do, I dreamed that all of this would suddenly begin for me here at UNIS. However, I am findng that it takes longer than I had originally thought. My post here is not intended to be negative or pessimistic, I am loving finding out what I could/should do with my iPods in class, but there are some hiccups that are…
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Google Drive – living the dream!
Falling by coleydude CC BY NC SA I have been really reading closely some blog posts (Chris Lehmann has a good one out) and tweets this last month about ‘letting go’ or ‘doing less’ and I have been thinking about what this means to me and my teaching. The basic principle is that you have set your students up with the tools for working without you constantly guiding them. I have been working really hard in my PE lessons on peer coaching and feedback – trying to ensure that students share with each other using a variety of feedback methods (blog posts, continual formative feedback opportunities and times to reflect…
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Innovative Grant
iPad unpacking by ntr23 licensed by CC NC SA For the last year or so, I have been working with some colleagues to try and get our school and PE department more mobile. I have bought my own iPad3 and have been trialing it in different ways and have loved what it brings to my lessons and my students. I am encouraging my Technology director to come and see this in the field so that he can see first hand what can happen with just one iPad and a PE lesson that is ready for it. This year our school has decided to offer some Innovative Technology Grants – some…
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Ipads at school
So this year I have managed to get my hands on a shiney new ipad3 and I have decided to start doing my own trials at work. I work at a school that uses tablets and one-to-one technology with our students and although I am a very big fan of this, it is cumbersome in PE and can limit what you can do out in the field. I have decided to try and work through the year with some set goals in mind. I am aiming to try and use Google docs so that I can do formative assessment and note taking during my lessons and then be able…
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Processes
I find that I ask students to reflect on their learning very regularly and try and ask them to think about this on so many levels and from different viewpoints but I haven’t really put all my ideas or learning down in a forum where I can draw from it with ease… so I want to try and do that over the next few weeks. No doubt it won’t be as well-done as some of my student works, but it is important to start. Schools work slowly – it takes time to have your new ideas approved and as the idea goes further up the chain I find that it…