Record in Garage Band normally. Use Sype to have the conversation and records it via CallGraph (PC’s). Google docs is used to collaborate on the podcasts.

http://www.edtechcrew.net/vitta-session-2008/

This is the link to all of Darrel and Tony’s links from the presentation

Feedburner is what they use to get the tags that is needed for itunes

John Pearce

http://saltysolutions.pbwiki.com/

zoho Suite is a good alternatived to Google Docs and cazn easily be embedded into blogs and wikis. It is more fully featured than Google Docs. Can export out into the Office suite

Google Docs less featured. The Spreadsheet function allows you to create easy online forms ahich feeds back live into the spreadsheet.

Interesting link for Primary Science curriculum

http://www.science.org.au/primaryconnections/

Derek Robertson – Gaming in education

Scotland’s got game…  …and is embracing game based learning

The application of NintendoDS in the primary classroom, we looked at the game nintendogs. The computer game creates an engaging environment for learning especially for students weho may not succeed with traditional curriculum structures. When playing games students are hypothesizing and problem solving at a rapid rate.  Scotland rewriting nationa; curriculum -  curiculum for exxcellence, successful learners etc

Semiotic domains – school domain -  and area that someone owns and has infliuences over.  Game domain is something the students have ownership and mastery over. In Scotland trying to get the 2 domains to intersect.

Consolarium – Scottich centre for games and learning

Brain Training for the DS 30 DS’s in a class with head phones for 20-25 mins every morning for 10 weeks. Found a huge improvement in the mental maths ability compared to the control goroup. Now in 16 schools throughout scotland. Student voice saw improvement in their own abilities ” coz we’re smarter” became cool to be good at maths. Students became very colliegiate, sharing hints and tips, Students even wanted to improve their hand writing so the DS would recognise their writing better.

Nintendogs – created a context for the game, was an integral part of the course not just a reward. Kids enjoyed reading about dogs from books more cause they were using the game. Students mentors for children that couldn’t play the game. (some students who were traditional strugglers were mentors). SOme parents were not happy intially but by the end of the project they were quite enthusiastic.

Moshi Monsters www.moshimonsters.com social networking for young children. Currently being trialled by Scotish school for the early years

Nintendo Wii  + endless ocean Awesome immersisive way for students to see the ocean. Use it as an integral part of a unit on the Ocean

Crazy Talk which is a website that animates drawings to make them look like that are talking

Guitar Hero for learning! Gotta love that!

Afrika PS3 game for learning! Photgraphy, Animals etc!

Professor Leyton for DS

Spore for secondary students

Games devices ave a low technology skills threshold, teachers get succes from games technology, enhances self confidence, teachers can focus on teaching and learning and not the technology, teachers are getting results. Good teachers use good resources to engage learning www.hotmilkydrink.typepad.com

As I was unable to hook up to the internet today at the conference I could not blog my sessions as I went. But with great thanks to @LucyBarrow who has told me which network to log on to hopefully I will be able to improve on this tomorrow!

Excellent presentations today in a rabbit warren like venue and some unusual rooms! (Actual hotel rooms with the furniture cleaned out!) The first presentation was Travis Smith the AP from Frankston High School demonstrating the Tablet Laptop. I have seen these before but never actually played with one, which was fun. I could immediately see the advantages for senior students in particular especially if you were going to choose one of these over an IWB. Travis recommended buying a Tablet laptop with a wireless projector. Some of the software that we played with was free Microsoft software that can be used on non tablet PC’s as well as tablet PC’s but was particularly suited to the Tablet variety. They were the Microsoft Education Pack and the Microsoft Experience Pack. Must also check out www.schoolkit.com a website with heaps of technology rich lessons.

The next session that I went to was on Cybersafety presented by Greg???. He spoke about the Cybersaftey Outreach Program run by ACMA. They have created a PD module registed by VIT on Cybersafety in Schools. You can get accreditation to certify your school as a cybersafe school. He then presented some interesting statistics about teenagers being the major decision makers when choosing ICT equipment and Internet plans for households. That Gamer rooms are becoming more popular in new houses that home cinemas in new houses, homework is the number one reason that students use computers, primary students have on averagre 2-3 emails and secondary students have 3-4 emails on average. He then presented on emerging Issues that schools are having with students playing online games such as World of Warcraft such as

Conflicts with Parents
Food Habits
Problems with personal hygiene
Neglected school work
Late Nights
Addictions

Then Greg presented on Identity Theft and ways to avoid it, which was very intertesting sharing on such topics as Limewire, chain emails, Premier SMS services etc.

The last presentation I attended was Blended Learning by Westley Field from MLC Sydney. This was an I interesting presentation on how MLC defines and uses blended learning through their own in house learning management system. MLC have no blocks on their Internet other than for porn which I guess is OK if you have a large download limit and robust Internet connection at your school!

Overall it was a good day and I look forward to tomorrow and my sessions!

So I have been incredibly neglectful of my blog over the past couple of months! It has been crazy at school setting up reports for the new semester, completing the timetable (which I haven’t really quite finished yet) finishing off the ICDL, VASS, developing a new college website, handling the implementation of eduKate and general ICT PD and support plus teaching! So tomorrow I am off to the VITTA conference which I am really looking forward to. I can’t wait to catch up with some people I went on the ACCE Study Tour with and to see some new ideas and get some inspiration. I am only attending the Monday and Tuesday of the conference as our reports are due in this Friday and this when staff have the most tweeks and queries on their reports. The conference has free wireless Internet access so I will try and blog each session that I attend. This is what I am planning to attend

• 1101 LAB: Keynote Address – Shift: Tectonic and granular
• 1209 LAB DBL: Tablet Notebooks Computers Across the Curriculum
• 1209 LAB DBL: Tablet Notebooks Computers Across the Curriculum
• 1410 LECT: Cybersafety in schools
• 1510 LECT: Blended Learning – a working model
• 1601 LECT: Open Source for Education
• 2101 LAB: Games in Learning
• 2215 LECT: I’ve Got a Blog and a Wiki so What’s Next?
• 2312 LECT: Google@School: Bringing Google Technology on Campus
• 2412 LECT: Podcasting :: Ed Tech Crew way – first hand tips and tricks
• 2516 LECT: Collaborative Student-Centred Learning Using an ePortfolio

2009 Plans

12 Business Management

I am teaching a full class (not job sharing) next year and I am planning how I am going to integrate technology into this subject. We have eduKate next year but I would also like to use an external blog as it has greater functionality and I can collaborate with other classes. This year in Business Management (year 11) I had a central blog and the students had an individual blog. It worked to a point but was hard to set up as our students don’t have school email addresses and of course hotmail, yahoo mail etc are blocked. So I thought that I would set the students up as contributors to a central blog for ease of use!

PD Plans

Well I am going to be busy doing eduKate training but I would also like to continue PDing staff on web2.0 and we also have to keep on with the IWB training. We had a great session the other week from Callie Whelan from Beyond Chalk which was really well received by our staff. I am really incredibly blessed to have a staff who are champing at the bit to integrate ICT and are doing some great things with blogs and wikis! I am planning to use any official meeting times to do eduKate training and then to run some informal sessions on web2.0 during the first 5 weeks of each term.

Well that’s all for now must be off and get ready for tomorrow and of course watch the Australian Idol final. Go Wes!