Thursday 16th July 2015 When schools begin their journey down the BYOT path – leveraging students’ own technologies to support the curriculum – much planning time is often focussed on which device (or devices) will be acceptable, how these devices will connect to the school network, how apps will be controlled, and other ‘technical’ hardware and software support issues. (Not to mention policy … Read More
Google – Privacy check
We’ve all been there at some point or another… You just lost your phone and want to wipe your personal information; You attend an event, and you want to share your photos with some people (but not everyone); You hesitate as you download another app that’s asking for a lot of information. Everyday, we make choices that affect our privacy … Read More
Powerpoint should be banned!
Monday 1st June 2015 “Invented in 1987, the Microsoft presentation software PowerPoint is reportedly installed on more than 1 billion computers around the world. It is estimated that more than 30 million PowerPoint presentations are given every day. “But as PowerPoint conquered the world, critics have piled on. And justifiably so. Its slides are oversimplified, and bullet points omit the … Read More
Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy
Tuesday 17th March 2015 When ‘pen and paper’ activities that focus on Lower Order Thinking Skills are transferred to a digital format, they don’t magically transform themselves to become activities that promote Higher Order Thinking Skills. As educators we must continue to focus on developing an appropriately challenging learning environment for our students, whether or not the activities involve the use of new … Read More
iPads in schools: 5 critical mistakes
Monday 9th February 2015 While there are many effective approaches to incorporating iPads (and other mobile devices) successfully in the classroom, there are some common mistakes that are, in many cases, crippling the success of these initiatives. How can your school avoid these mistakes? Read more at Edudemic >>>
Rubic’s Cube – A question, waiting to be answered
Monday 1st December 2014 Rubik’s cube is more than a puzzle – it’s a question waiting to be answered. And when the right person finds the right question, it can set them on a journey to change the world. As Ernő Rubik notes in the video below, great educators are helping young minds find the questions that challenge, excite, and let them … Read More
Budget shortfall looming for NSW Public Schools
Friday 12th September 2014 The NSW public school system is facing a $7 billion shortfall and declining standards unless the government doubles its spending over the next two decades to meet the state’s growing population, a leaked report reveals. The report from the Department of Education warns that without a new approach to funding and planning schools, the government will … Read More
ASTD 2014
Monday 8th September 2014 It’s on a again – bigger and better than ever! One of the most practical, classroom-oriented technology conferences in Australia, the annual All Schools Technology Day will be held on Tuesday 28th October 2014, at Kiama Pavilion. The 2014 conference theme is ‘Learning in the Mobile Era’. Choose from a variety of hands-on workshops to explore … Read More
Escaping Education’s Death Valley
Monday 25th August 2014 Sir Ken Robinson outlines 3 principles crucial for the human mind to flourish – and how current education culture works against them. In an entertaining presentation Sir Ken considers some options to escape the educational “death valley” we now face, and discusses (without a slideshow!) how to nurture our youngest generations with a climate of possibility….
Goodbye Powerpoint – Education conferences
Friday 22nd August 2014 No one moves. A room full of people have traveled long distances to this conference of superintendents, and no one wants to ask the person speaking before them a question. Some people are probably afraid to ask a question because they weren’t paying attention; at least a few attendees have spent the morning on their phones, checking … Read More
NAPLAN test too confusing for students
Monday 18th August 2014 The NAPLAN writing test was so hard this year that students’ marks have slipped across the country and in NSW there has been a “substantial increase” in the number of students who will receive zero because the question was too confusing. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), which runs NAPLAN, is investigating problems with … Read More
Follow ISTE 2014
Monday 30th June 2014 While we are relaxing during the Winter holiday break here in Australia, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is presenting one of the biggest education technology conferences in the world. Around 20,000 educators are attending the ISTE conference in the summer warmth of Atlanta, Georgia, from the 28th June to 1st July. If you are … Read More
Effective Presentations
Wednesday 18th June Death by Powerpoint …. we’ve all been there – battling to keep our eyes open during an eye-glazing slide-show presentation, containing tonnes of irrelevant information, in tiny text that no-one beyond the front row can read! Don’t become one of those presenters! Check out these tips for effective presentations >>>
Transitioning your school to the new ICT era
Monday 26th may 2014 A key goal of teachers using technology to support the curriculum has always been the integration of new and innovative technologies in day-to-day classroom activities. Unfortunately, the cost of new technologies has always been a hurdle to achieving this goal. When ‘technology access’ is located in a secure ‘lab’ in another building in the school – accessible once a week … Read More
BYOD Sandpit
Tuesday 13th May 2014 Thinking about implementing BYOD in your school? The BYOD Sandpit contains support documentation and resources developed by teachers, school communities and consultants. The material at BYOD Sandpit is provided to help inform discussion on the implementation of BYOD in K-12 schools. There is a great deal of info on this site relating specifically to NSW DEC schools, including step-by-step … Read More
Whatever happened to Netscape?
Monday 12th May 2014 For those old enough to remember… When the web first made an impact on the broader population, Netscape was really the only web browser available. In August of 1995 Netscape was valued at $3 billion. So, where did it all go pear-shaped for Netscape? Read the full story at Engadget >>>
North Baddesley Infants School (UK)
Friday 9th May 2014 Discover what is happening at North Baddesley Infants School in Hampshire in the UK. This engaging site provides the school community with a clear insight into various aspects of school life. Great example of a school web site. Visit North Baddesley Infants School >>>
Google to stop scanning apps inboxes for ads
Wednesday 7th May 2014 Google has announced that it will stop scanning students’ Apps for Education accounts to target ads at them. What was somewhat lost in that announcement was that Google will also make similar changes to other account types. Google will also soon stop scanning the accounts of Google Apps customers with Business, Government and legacy accounts for the free version. … Read More
Sync Multiple Google Drives
Wednesday 30th April 2014 If you have a Gmail account for personal use, and a Google Apps account for school, then you have probably already felt the pain of not being able to sync multiple Google Drive accounts to your computer. Insync is a utility that allows you to sync multiple Google Drive accounts to your computer, along with several other neat … Read More
NAPLAN online – is everybody ready?
Tuesday 29th April 2014 The Australian Government is planning to conduct NAPLAN online from 2016. While the Government is to be commended on the move to take advantage of the efficiencies and the opportunities opened by going digital and online, will all parties critical to the success of conducting NAPLAN online be ready for a 2016 test? Will all Australia’s … Read More
US bans junk food in school canteens
Monday 28th April 2014 The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a ban on junk food in schools in an effort to cut the level of obesity in young people. The ban will begin on July 1 and will be nationwide. According to the proposed ban, schools across the country will only be allowed to sell healthy foods such as fruit, … Read More
Finnish Lessons
Some holiday reading….. “Education policies in Finland concentrate more on school effectiveness than on teacher effectiveness. “This indicates that what schools are expected to do is an effort of everyone in a school, working together, rather than teachers working individually. “In many under-performing nations, I notice, three fallacies of teacher effectiveness prevail….” Read more at The Washington Post >>>
Google Apps – Office Online – iWork for iCloud
Online ‘office’ apps are becoming a critical component in every educators’ toolbox. There are now three main players in the online ‘office’ apps department – Google, Microsoft and Apple. Which one is right for you or your school? Read the review >>>
BYOD at Banksmeadow PS
Teachers Eric and Ben discuss the process of introducing a BYOD program at Banksmeadow Public School in Sydney….
Cloud providers – Policy statements
How private is your data (and your students’ data) when it is stored with a commercial cloud provider? Will you and your students be targeted with advertising, based on the content of emails and documents stored in the cloud? Who owns ‘your’ data, once it is stored on a remote server, possibly in another country? Links to privacy statements from … Read More
Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow
The ACOT project identifies six design principles for the 21st century high school: Understanding of 21st Century Skills and Outcomes; Relevant and Applied Curriculum; Informative Assessment; A Culture of Innovation and Creativity; Social and Emotional Connections with Students Ubiquitous Access to Technology How can you apply these principles in your school? Read more >>>
Essential Guide to Innovation in TPL
The Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership’s (AITSL) Essential Guide to Professional Learning series examines the research behind key themes of the Professional Learning Charter. This latest issue expands on the importance of innovation and adaptability in professional learning. How will you know when your school’s professional learning culture is innovative? Learn more (pdf) >>>
New Google Sheets
Have you activated the new version of Google Sheets yet? There are plenty of new features in the latest update, including Filter views, enhanced function help, new functions, advanced conditional formatting, coloured sheet tabs and new find-and-replace features Watch this short video to learn more…