2014 Term 2, Week 7

eLearning Availability

I will be available during the following periods to support staff with their eLearning requirements.  If you or your department would like to discuss, develop or learn something new then I am available either formally or informally.

If you want to book a time just email me and let me know in advance otherwise I'll be available at my desk for a drop in...

Week 7 

Thursday Pd 3

Friday Pd 1

Friday Pd 2

Week 8 

Monday Pd 5

Friday Pd 3

Friday Pd 4

I Want To, But I Need Help...

Do you need assistance getting your class webpages up and running, but your free periods don't line up with mine?

If you have resources that you would like on your website, but either don't know how to do it or just need some support, then why don't we work on it together.

In an initial meeting we can discuss what needs to be uploaded and where and then we can collaborate together to build up your online presence! I can allocate some of my availability to working on your site pages and so can you...

Send me an email, grab me whenever Im near or visit my desk. 

Lets collaborate!

Authentic Use Of Technology

One of the biggest challenges in using technology in teaching is knowing when to NOT use the technology! 

ICT skills are vital for 21st Century learning, but so are the social skills and problem solving skills. Using technology should not be the focus, and if it distracts from the learning then rethink its use. The use of the technology must be authentic and add to the learning experience.

This video, I feel, is an excellent example on a number of levels. The message of technology overuse is delivered beautifully, but underlying this is a message about the effective use of technology in a creative, authentic, powerful way. Afterall, the video would not have been envisaged, filmed, created, edited, shared and trended worldwide, if it wasn't for the use of these 21st Century skills.

Good On You Rosemary!

Below is an example of how Rosemary in Science has been using Google Drive to share resources with her Science classes.
The resources have been shared with students to allow them access 

24-7. It also allows a feedback conversations between staff and students 24-7.

The organisation of the Google Drive subject folders means that each pupil knows where their work is, can access it anytime and can build up an organised collection of work that can be opened on any device.

Students Google Doc with teacher/student comments

Learn About.... Creating Google Docs

If you build it, they will come...

(Field of Dreams, 1989)

2014 Term 2, Week 6

eLearning Availability

I will be available during the following periods to support staff with their eLearning requirements.  If you or your department would like to discuss, develop or learn something new then I am available either formally or informally.

If you want to book a time just email me and let me know in advance otherwise I'll be available at my desk for a drop in...

Week 6 

Friday Pd 3

Friday Pd 4

Week 7 

Thursday Pd 3

Friday Pd 1

Friday Pd 2

What Goes Where? Bethlehem electronic workflow...

There are so many different communication systems talked about at school that sometimes its confusing about what does what and what needs to go where!

Hopefully this may help....

There are currently four main online information systems used at school:

1. Sentral
2. School Portal
3. Google Drive
4. Teacher Dashboard

Sentral

Sentral is Bethlehem's main administration communication software. It allows rolls to be taken, reports to be written, markbooks to be completed, daily notices to be communicated, etc.

School Portal

The school portal is available to staff and students. It is the main school location for learning resources. Staff should be locating resources for students, as with 'My Classes'. The resources can be of any file type (Office files, iWorks files, images, videos, audio, YouTube links, webpage links), they do not have to be Google Docs.

Every subject has its own page and every class has its own page. You have been given editing writes to your department pages, so go ahead and start uploading your teaching content. Make your classroom resources available to students 

24-7, by placing them onto your subjects class webpage.

The web address for staff is:  www.tinyurl.com/bcstaff

The web address for students is: www.tinyurl.com/bcstudents

Example school Portal Class Page

Google Drive

Google Drive is an online storage location similar to iCloud or Dropbox. It allows you to store all your documents, of any file type (Office files, iWorks files, images, videos, audio, etc), so that they are available to you wherever you are.

It also allows you to create Google CloudShare documents online (Documents, presentations, spreadsheets, etc) and share them with other people.

Teacher Dashboard

Teacher Dashboard offers the ability to quickly share any document within your Google Drive, of any file type, with students within your class. You can also do this using Google Drive, but its A LOT quicker using Teacher Dashboard. 

At the beginning of the school year every pupil had subject folders automatically made on their Google Drive account. Teacher Dashboard allows you to view all your classes Google Drive subject folders. Any document that you share with a pupil via Teacher Dashboard is automatically placed in the appropriate subject folder on their Google Drive. You can then see these all on one screen thats easier to use that searching through your Drive account.

Example Teacher Dashboard Class Page

Good On You English!

Below is an example of how English have begun to populate their Year 7 portal webpages.
The resources have been added to the website as attachments, pupils can download them when they are required. These resources were not converted into Google Docs prior to upload.

These resources are now available to students 24-7. 

Year 7 English Resources on the Student Portal

Learn about.... how to upload any document to Google Drive

Learn about.... how to upload any document to the school portal

To Infinity & Beyond...

(Buzz Lightyear)