Tag Archive for technology

Using Technology Effectively in Music Classes

23/08/2011 Joh gratitude, learn, music, work

I taught at my old school today. My first lesson was a music class and the absent teacher had not left any work so Mr Harris (another music teacher) very kindly combined our classes as he was also teaching a year 7 music lesson. It was an absolute pleasure to be in the class and I learnt a lot.

I sat at the back of the lecture theatre behind the students so I could see all their screens on the individual netbooks. They never once strayed to play a game and the the rows of screens were all in the places Matt directed them to at the same time. Matt very effectively engaged the students and myself using both his entertaining style of delivery (he has a wonderful sense of humour and great presence) and the technology available. He used his voice to demonstrate so many things.  He knew his students well and made them laugh often.  I even wondered if I would be allowed to enrol in year 7 music for a year so I could fill in my gaps in my education.

He emailed students listening journals which allowed them to respond to the peice of music he played several times in media player on the screen. The journal asked about all kinds of music terms such as tempo, instruments, loudness and I learnt about how these parts of music are expressed. I have a very limited knowledge of music and always enjoy learning more. I love listening to it:).

The composer of the piece was also covered, Percy Grainger, and Matt mentioned his background and that he was Australian and told some interesting stories about his life. I had to google him then because I was curious to learn more about Grainger. I discovered a new word that I really like also: autodidact. It means a person who is self taught or without the benefit of formal education or instruction. Percy Grainger’s mother was an autodidact according to wikepedia, and she educated him.

Matt’s lesson ticked all the boxes for me. I loved it.

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Learning from CRTing

10/08/2011 Joh learn, work

I have been working quite solidly this term as a CRT (Casual Relief Teacher). Most of the work has been at the ‘close to home’, local Secondary College. I’ve only had a couple of days at my old school. It’s really easy to be in my old school whether at the senior or junior campus because I know so many of the students and teachers and I know where everything is. I’m comfortable there and I tend to get classes that are in my area (English/Humanities).

At the new place I’ve been in a great variety of classes. I’ve filled in for Art/PE/Science/Food/Leadlighting teachers as well as a couple of English/Humanities teachers. I’m beginning to get to know a few students and it’s quite interesting to watch them in different subjects. Students who shine in the traditional classroom environment sometimes aren’t so keen to participate in PE or Art, giving those who are boisterous or difficult to get focussed in classrooms the chance to demonstrate their enthusiasm and leadership in PE, or their creativity in art:). It’s a shame sometimes that in Secondary Education, teachers don’t get to see students across a range of subjects.It would help to know better where they are excelling and apply those natural interests and abilities in subjects they aren’t as ‘in to’.

It’s interesting to see the ways the curriculum is delivered in other schools, but it doesn’t seem too different. It’s also hard to fully tell when teachers are probably leaving fairly simple lesson plans (as I used to). Most of it, is work from the text books. I talk to the students about what they are learning in those subjects but this is also limited as they see a relief teacher as a break from the usual routine, so probably don’t tell all.

I am still not seeing the innovative use of technology I was hoping for. I don’t personally have access to a computer at the new school, so I can’t get in and check it all out. I’m seeing the IT people in the morning.

I have a permanent day a week until the end of the year working with a small group of disengaged students off campus. I’m hoping I will be able to use technology to help re-engage them. They all regularly update their facebook pages on thier phones so they have some level of engagement with technology already… now to channel it to learning, rather than negative or at best mundane, socialising.

I’ve been working with them for a couple of weeks and I’m quite optimistic about getting them positive about learning again. Some of them just need a safe space and a new way of thinking about school.

On Monday I was at the shops and one of the new school students greeted me enthusiastically. It won’t be long till I know every kid in town!

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Remembering the 90s Online

17/06/2011 Joh Business, gratitude, reading

I am still borrowing Darin’s laptop and keeping up with important things with my phone and ipod. I think this year is the most separated I’ve been from technology and the Internet since the mid 90s before I was on the Internet! Interestingly though even without my own personal laptop I can do more, faster than I could then. The internet was time consuming then. It was much slower and there was a wait for a page to load. Most of the particpants were on the other side of the world so posting to a bulletin board still meant a long wait for a response. There was nothing there, compared to now. I couldn’t do my banking, bill paying, apply for jobs, ask questions about products, shop, file tax returns or any other mountains of other ‘in person’ things I used to have to do. There was probably only one person I knew in real life that had an email address I could email to. In comparison, I can post an update on ‘The Butchers Dog’s facebook page and have instant responses and even customers within an hour. Now I only know a handful of people who don’t have a facebook page and I have to remember to call them and invite them to things or update them on important facts about me that I assume everyone knows.

I read this article recommended on the ‘Atlas Shrugged’ facebook page: Forbes: When it Comes to Wealth Creation There is No Pie. I was struck with the reality of how much richer my life is even in the last 10 years.

Anyway the update is that it was actually me who damaged my computer! It was liquid damage. This post in March ‘Sticky Keys’, preceeded all my laptop troubles. I don’t know why I didn’t connect the dots sooner! I have been given a quote which is almost half the price of a new laptop. I am going with it because why create more landfill? I have been watching the passing traffic of people going to the Cobbler in our arcade where our shop is. I really like his business, it’s very eco-friendly, yet old fashioned too. I like seeing people get things fixed instead of throwing them away. My laptop will be back with replacement parts early next week… woo hoo!

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I Confess

08/06/2011 Joh food, work

Tonight as I updated The Butchers Dog facebook page, I felt compelled to drive back to work, with my PJ’s under my jeans and jumper and get another peice of Jelly Slice and Cheesecake. So I did. I feel better now that’s off my chest and in my stomach. I had soup for dinner, so it’s not that indulgent:).

I have actually lost 5kgs since Christmas. I believe that substituting takeaways and the school canteen food with real food has made the difference. When I am busy I buy lots of take away food. I know it’s not healthy and not a great decision but lack of time and hunger leads me there every time. Even though our food is really yummy, it’s made from fresh ingredients like vegetables, meat and dairy products. It obviously does make a difference. I probably don’t eat as much because it’s pretty satisfying as well. Somehow fried food and disolveable bread doesn’t seem to satisfy me as long.

I worked at my old school today. I enjoy being there as a CRT. It’s great to catch up with past students and get to know the new ones I haven’t taught before. I actually gave a little ‘facebook’ lecture today to an English class. I have noticed that some past students who are on facebook are writing status’s that are not very pleasant reflections of who they are. Whilst I know them and know they are not really nasty people or inappropriate in real life, I am concerned that potential employers won’t. On the weekend we were having breakfast at a local restaurant and the owner mentioned that he only uses facebook to check out potential employees. I know I’ve told some of these students before about this kind of thing, but we all probably need reminding frequently. I love facebook because it allows me to keep up to date with people I don’t get to see very often. It’s a quick way to stay in touch. I am still concerned about the lack of education about maintaining an effective online reputation for young people. It’s great most students at my old school have laptops to use. All year 7′s, 10′s, 11′s and 12′s have laptops now. I just hope they are being used in ways that prepare them for their future, not damage it. There is so much potential available to learn with technology.

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New Mobile Phone

17/01/2011 Joh learn, work

I have a new mobile which can do a lot of cool things. In theory I could blog with it. I could take videos and photos and send them straight to my blog. I could read my facebook and twitter feed all day long if I wanted to. There are heaps of gadgets I could add to it to do any number of amazing things. I love the touch keypad and I’m glad it’s not a qwerty keyboard like my ipod touch thingy cause I always hit the wrong key, it’s the same as the numbers on my old phone with predictive text.

My point is though, that although I could do any number of things with my new phone, as yet, I’m just using it for texting and phone calls because when I’m at work, I just don’t think about being online. I’m enjoying doing work and talking face to face with new people. I love seeing new sights and faces. I have new challenges to overcome and problems to solve. Sometimes it’s a bit scary, but all in all I am present at work and it’s a great feeling. I don’t want to be anywhere else. My mind is not on other things.

I also need to put a bit of time into learning how to do all these new you beaut things. Then you might get to see some photos :-)

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The Gifts of Technology

02/01/2011 Joh family, gratitude, home, love, music

Yesterday was a very quiet start to the New Year. Darin’s children were traveling to Sydney with their mum and he was in touch with them all day via the mobile. It’s great that we can keep in contact with our loved ones when they head off on adventures. They had been here for a few days and the house seems so silent and still without them.  Once we knew they were safe and sound at Joan’s home in Sydney (their Nana), we relaxed into a night of TV watching:-).

We caught up on a couple of TV shows on ABC  iview. We’ve been watching ‘To the Manor Bowen’ this year and usually through iview. I love that show. It’s so funny and I love the clothes they wear and the conversations they have. The transformation of their home is amusing as well and their creativity in homemaking appeals to me. It’s very watchable.

We then watched Family Confidential: The Barnes Family and The Mundine Family, another great series on the ABC that I’ve enjoyed but don’t always catch when they are on. They were both interesting stories and especially the Barnes story reinforced to me the power of love and family.

And because I stayed up very late last night I got to watch some kind of ‘Countdown’ retrospective. David Bowie and Kate Bush on the one show! It was made for me:-).

Having a HDMI cord means I can watch stuff from my computer like TED talks and any other online video, on my big TV. My TV has become more useful to me again. I love it. These marvels of technology never cease to amaze me and I feel that the abundance of choice I have, even about amusing myself is a luxury that previous generations couldn’t have dreamt of.

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Technology at School

12/07/2010 Joh learn, work

Today we had a student free day. We focussed on implementing IT into the curriculum. I was struggling to be positive about it all to be honest. I am fairly up to speed with technology in classrooms. It was sunny outside and I had to break myself into sitting still. I have wondered if they do that to us, to create an empathy for when our students return to the restraint of the desk the next day. That’s what I like to think anyway.

I learnt a couple of new tricks from a fellow teacher. I’m keen to have a try of Glogster. You can make online posters and embed them with videos and audio clips. She also used Prezi and it looks an interesting way to avoid the overused phrase ‘death by powerpoint’, yet I imagine if you have nothing to put on your slides other than the words you are about to speak, it will still hurt your audience.

I realised today that the handful of teachers who are technological at school all have taken different paths and use it in different ways in the classroom. I think this makes it more interesting, yet I wonder if it makes it overwhelming for those who have not embarked on the journey.

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New Template and other changes

05/05/2010 Joh blogging, learn, work

I have changed the template on the blog in case you are reading this post in a feed. I’ve also been reorganising my categories and tags and things. I have 1010 posts! It has made me realise the things I post about the most. The 7 most popular categories are tabs on this template. I was surprised by some of them to be honest. I still have some more reorganising to do. I deleted a lot of categories that had only one or two posts in them, just so I wouldn’t have to scroll through them all. I have a much better sense of a category and a tag after nearly 5 years of blogging :-)

I’ve been thinking about how much the improved technology at school is making my life easier. There is a suggestion that all students will have laptops instead of text books in the near future. I look forward to that day. It just makes sense to me to be honest. All students have an email address for the first time this year and having students email me their work, is fantastic. It effectively timestamps their work and I can correct it anywhere and email it back to them with a lot more ease. I am never in doubt about when I received it or if I’ve lost a peice of paper in my travels. I love it.

I also hope the increased uptake of technology by teachers will make sharing ideas and resources easier for us all. There is a little resistance I must say. Not all teachers have been fiddling with computers and playing online for so long as I have. Some can’t touch type so I guess it is a steep learning curve for them. I find it difficult to fully appreciate what it must be like. I keep thinking surely they saw it coming. So with them in mind, I try not to look too excited about it all in public. I am though!

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Blissful Weekend

19/04/2010 Joh family, gratitude, home

Just when I thought winter had crept in, this weekend was a sunny, welcome one. It kick-started for me on Friday when Asha surprised me at school bringing a box of delicious muffins for me for lunch. I got to show her my new office and we caught up. She popped around after school and I am really pleased she is going to be around for a couple of weeks while she does her placement here.

Darin got home early so we had a great Friday night together. The kids came Saturday morning and I have enjoyed their company for the weekend. I love hearing them talk to their nanny in Sydney on Skype. Technology is so fantastic for keeping people in touch. We went to the park and enjoyed the weather. We fed the ducks and they had another fish, this time no carps lost their lives. It brightens my time having these three little people around with their unique personalities.  

I talked to Tom tonight. He sounds well. I saw some photos on facebook taken by one of his friends who went to visit. I miss him. This is probably the longest time I have gone without seeing him. He won’t be home till after his birthday now.

This week will be busy. We have a Marist basketball carnival at school so there will be plenty on. I feel very happy at work now. I got a laptop from school on Thursday. Now I can leave mine at home and not have to lug one around as much. I think the improvement in technology at school has also added to my enjoyment. I have been waiting for this for so long. On Friday one of my students created an excellent documentary for his Local History project. It excites me to think what they will be able to do now they have the tools. I think there is greater independence and engagement in their learning.

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Parent Teacher Interviews

25/03/2010 Joh gratitude, learn, relationships, work

Tonight was the night and tomorrow morning, I’ll have more again. I enjoy parent teacher interviews. I like meeting my student’s parents. I learn more about what’s going on at home from them. It’s insightful. Tonight I had a couple of challenging interviews. I had to tell parents or students, in front of their parents or child, things I knew they wouldn’t want to hear. I was pleasantly surprised with how well the news was received. I was prepared though, with alternatives for them so I think that made a lot of difference.

I really appreciate being at the senior campus. It’s given me a different focus and one that I’m really enjoying. I like seeing parents that I met when their child was in year 7, 8 or 9 and being able to share the pleasure of the students development and maturity. It’s very rewarding.

I also had my annual review (from last year) today. It went well also. I am glad I ran out of time last year to complete it because I feel like a whole new person this year, professionally. Our school has updated it’s technology, and this has made a huge difference to me. I like using technology to teach. I believe students are able to achieve a lot more and I am more efficient using it, to facilitate that. I can see now that all the learning I have done in this area is paying dividends for me this year. It is making my life easier.

Tomorrow I start my holidays…. how good is that!

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