ICT, plan b, and other restrictions.

So, no IWB practice as this school doesn’t have access and therefore, I have to use the projector only.  Some classrooms don’t even have a projector, just a white board.  I have had the opportunity to work in rooms with computers but even this is limited.

Plan b with using any ICT comes down to the projector working for presentations, the presentation or my laptop (school allocated) failing to connect, or the internet failing.  We did have a blackout at the end of one day that resulted in me having to come home to work on lesson planning and another day the internet stopped working for students.  The feedback I received mentioned some troubleshooting to determine the cause or how widespread the problem was when trying to find a solution – Does if it affects all those in your classroom? Can those students with personal devices and data usage still connect to the internet? Are other classrooms affected? It turned out that the school internet was the problem but those students with personal devices (year 11 class) were able to continue research using their phones.

The staff were under the pump from the start of term 4 and this impacted the time I had to lesson plan.  Discussing future lessons the day before and having to be ready the next day did provide a reality check as this is a likely the scenario for the beginner teacher.  Given the short notice most of the time while on Professional Experience meant the reasons for selecting ICT resources were based on the following: What I already knew/found during this unit, what the teacher was happy/familiar with, and whether or not the site was blocked by the IT department.  There was no time to apply C.L.E.M. in these instances but I did consider the RAT model when selecting and using the ICT.

One day to go then to reflect on the experience as a whole and get working on the rest of the assignment. I need a holiday.

First week of prac.

Implementing ICT into lessons is great when you can imagine so many ways to use the tools, apps and sites you find during the unit. However, the reality is that my classes don’t have Interactive White Boards (IWB) only projectors. So far, I’ve used a PowerPoint presentation and the students have used digital cameras to document their work and upload them to a folder and the specified drive where the teacher can access them.  The way this differs from traditional cameras is the quick, easy access to the final product and that the teacher can check they have completed the steps, such as sourcing images online.  These are part of the learning that students need to complete before moving on to the next step. I would say that, as per the RAT model, this amplifies the instruction method but will also, in later lessons, transform student learning as they will be using Paint.NET to edit and modify their images. I’m hoping I can source a link I found a while ago where you can upload your image into a virtual, outside, urban gallery space (street art-style), so far I can’t find it. *sigh* If anyone knows what I’m talking about and locates it, that would be great! (I live in hope)

*I learned that a wireless mouse is a great addition to the classroom so you can circulate.

Assignment Two: Information letter and risk management.

These are excerpts of the full documents to show my thought process about the event in the unit plan.

Information Letter:

Risk Management:

Context:

Students are mature enough to understand expectations and the importance of the activity to their assessment.  This is a small group of 9 students, two or three may require additional attention and reminders, otherwise they are responsible, young adults.

They will be required to set up their display, to have their hair, makeup, and costumes attended to, and pose in their painting.  Props will be used along with a frame and backboard.  This will take place in an indoor venue.  Teachers and parent volunteers will supervise the activity.

Control measures

Students participate in risk assessment in Experience 1/Activity 3 to contribute to a “roles, responsibilities, and conduct contract” for the exhibition.  This is reviewed after the practice run in Experience 4/Activity 2.

a.Using seat belts on the bus (administration, personal protective equipment)

b. Carrying smaller loads. (redesign, administration,)

c. Ensuring walkways are clear of obstructions, belongings put away (elimination, isolation, administration)

d. Identifying emergency exits, meeting area and head count (administration)

e. Selecting venue with alternatives such as natural light (elimination)

f. Contract defines use and respect of facilities (administration), bring supplies to repair/replace equipment (administration).

Additional information:

One of the attending teachers holds a first-aid certificate, medical information forms will be available, basic first-aid box, contact details for parents/carers, venue, medical authorities, supervising adults, and participating students.

First aid guidelines: http://ppr.det.qld.gov.au/corp/hr/workplace/Procedure%20Attachments/First%20Aid/guideline.DOC

A persistent risk is that of students not following procedures and leaving the premises. Students will be allowed to bring mobile phones to the activity for emergency use, to take photos, or during breaks.  Head counts will be carried out at various stages and areas checked for tripping hazards.  Anxiety is another issue that will be addressed in lessons and practice runs, including breathing/relaxation techniques. The intention is to have enough adults to be able to attend to the health needs of individual students and supervisor the exhibition should the need arise.  Back up supplies will address repairs of equipment/props if necessary.

Phone chargers, phones, iPad/tablet, USB stick, will be used by the teachers with back up provided by the volunteers’ own equipment for taking photos, accessing information, making notes.  This ensures the is more than one method of communication to contact others and be contacted, should one device fail.

Assignment Two: 4 week unit plan

Context Statement                                 

School: This is a small, private, rural school in Queensland for years 7 to 12.  There are a small number of Indigenous Australian and Chinese students at the school, the latter of which speak English as their second language.   The school promotes a pedagogy of nurturing and support that begins with identifying students’ emotional needs and interests to facilitate learning.  There is emphasis on using ICT across all subjects and responsible and safe use of the internet, copyright, and verifying sources.  Mobile phones are not permitted at school, and although iPods are allowed at student’s own risk they are only used in class with the teacher’s permission. All classrooms have internet connectivity and an interactive whiteboard (IWB).

Students:  This year 12 Visual Arts class consists of 9 students, 6 female and 3 male, all from either the local town or rural surrounds, all of which speak English as their primary language.  All students have an internet ready iPad or tablet and are encouraged to learn and use a range of ICT for use in all classes such as PowerPoint, Word, OneNote, the school’s learning management system, SEQTA, and research using the school’s online library system and use of the internet.

Staff:  All teachers have an iPad/tablet, internet access and are encouraged to use SEQTA to post homework, class work, extension activities, resources, and for student task submissions and feedback.

Overview of unit and community event: Students will analyse historic paintings of people to identify whose voices are excluded and will present their perspective through visual and written works, with consideration given to cultural understanding and sensitivity.  Students will research their chosen artwork and focus, such as race, gender, class, to create a different view of the artwork, giving the unheard a voice, and building on this in an extended writing task.  They will each rework the historical artwork of their choice, with themselves in the painting, and will present them to the wider community in a living-art exhibition.  This will take place during the Jumpers and Jazz in July festival in Warwick, Queensland near the end of the month. This annual festival celebrates local arts and crafts as well as yarn bombing the town.  They will participate in a feasibility study and decision-making processes to make unified decisions on aspects such as dates, costs, fundraising, asking for sponsors, or raising money for charity.  Students will demonstrate their understanding of the objectives, concepts, focus, and purpose of their artwork to educate and entertain the public, thereby recognising the value of arts in society.  There is potential to adapt this unit’s topic and to contribute to the festival annually while providing year 12 students with real-world experience in applying and designing for exhibitions.

Art Subject Content

This is part of a 13 week unit plan designed for Year 12 Visual Art (Authority Subject) students that contributes to their Body of Work – 1 and written assessment tasks.  The body of work will culminate in at least one resolved piece of artwork, that of the living artwork, but students may create other 2D/3D works for their folio.

There will be 5 x 45 minute lessons a week, consisting of two double periods and one single period, and will run through semester 3 and into semester 4 of the work programme for years 11 and 12. This is so that it coincides with the festival weekend. The appraising task will be over 6 weeks, introduced at week 7, and the making task will be over 13 weeks.

Aims: To promote critical, cultural, and aesthetic understandings through participation in the processes of the visual arts experience.

Unit Topic: What’s That I Hear?

Desired results:

At the beginning of the unit students will learn about predicting and collating requirements, decision making, and applying for an exhibition event through a feasibility study.  They will learn how to analyse historic paintings of people for contexts (historical, sociocultural, political, personal) and perspectives.  They will learn to identify which voices are unheard through discussion, inquiry, and research, and they will explore the concept of society with a focus on unheard voices in historical artworks.

By the end of the unit students should be able to design and create an artwork that shows the viewer an alternative version of the historic work, if the context were different when it was originally painted.  They will be able to demonstrate their perspective in their chosen artwork and focus by creating a living art performance and artist statement to supplement the exhibit.  Students will be able to apply their learning to an extended writing task that examines historic artworks and justifies their perspectives.

Students will know that… (Constructing Knowledge objectives/selected content descriptors from the syllabus)

3.1.1 Making – Visual Literacy

• Define visual problems and communicate solutions related to relevant concepts, focuses, and contexts.

3.1.2 Making – Application

• Select, explore and exploit materials, technologies, techniques and art processes informed by researching, developing, resolving and reflecting.

3.2 Appraising

Analyse, interpret, evaluate and synthesise information about visual language, expression and meanings in artworks, relevant to concepts, focuses, contexts and media.

Students will be able to… (Transforming objectives / SELECTED content descriptors from the syllabus)

3.1.1 Making – Visual Literacy

• Create and communicate meanings through the use of visual language and expression.

3.1.2 Making – Application

• Construct and communicate meaning through the knowledge and understanding of materials, techniques, technologies, technologies and art process.

3.2 Appraising

Justify a viewpoint through researching, developing, resolving and reflecting.

Resource Links: http://www.jumpersandjazz.com/    https://www.google.com/docs/about/

Resource Links: G.R.R.Model: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/113006/chapters/Learning,-or-Not-Learning,-in-School.aspx

Resource Links:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZmNZi8bon8

Resource Links: De Goya: https://www.artsy.net/artwork/francisco-de-goya-the-third-of-may  Indigenous Australian Peoples: http://usqstudydesk.usq.edu.au/m2/pluginfile.php/1064217/mod_resource/content/1/Terminology%20Indigenous%20Australian%20Peoples.pdf

 Resource Links: Interactive site:  https://budd-e.cybersmart.gov.au/teachers/secondary/budde.html  Art sites: https://www.artsy.net/gene/iconic-works-of-art-history/artworks?for_sale=false&include_medium_filter_in_aggregation=true   http://www.nga.gov.au/Collections/AUSTRALIA/

 Resource Links:  https://www.edsurge.com/news/2015-04-26-how-to-bring-augmented-reality-to-your-school-s-art-show

https://www.aurasma.com/

Evidence of Student Learning

Formative:

• Visual Art diary – shows evidence of notes, research, designs, experimentation and reflections – provide individual feedback.
• Contributions to discussions, Google Docs, group work – provide feedback to the group.
• Independent writing tasks and worksheets – provide individual feedback.

Summative:

• Living artwork – students demonstrate learning and understanding through the changes in the artwork.
• Artist statement – supplements the artwork in providing information to the public.
• Extended writing – 800-1000 word essay on their original artwork and one other, discussing their chosen focus.

Feedback and Report on Student Learning

Students will receive ongoing feedback on formative tasks, both verbally and through SEQTA, to inform their learning.  Reference will be made to learning objectives that informs the rubric.

The teacher reports grades and positive feedback in SEQTA for both school use and aspects are available for parents/carers to view.  Teachers are encouraged to send positive behaviour/learning notes home.

Peer feedback is delivered verbally and students are encouraged to reflect on their work/learning regularly.

Cultural and Aesthetic Aspects

Arts and crafts are encouraged during this festival with a number of exhibitions and markets taking place during the same week.  Student-centred learning is at the heart of this unit whereby students select and research a focus area that is important to or interests them – sexism, racism, class. Presenting their works to the public expands understanding within the community with regard to who is excluded from historic artworks and the important role visual art plays in education.  Exhibiting in this local festival allows people to share perspectives and cultural differences, and to feel like part of that community.

Feedback to Evaluate and Enhance

Responses and comments from visitors to the exhibition provides additional information for both students and teacher to reflect on learning.  This will require a simple tick in boxes such as how engaging, informative, and professional it was.

Students will use this response to inform future works and for inclusion in their reflections. Students provide feedback to teacher, Experience 2/Activity 2, to inform learning needs and future planning.

Questions raised in Google Docs are also an indicator to the teacher as to what areas need further work, either for individual needs or in the delivery/content.  Reflections are also used to adjust the teaching pedagogy, strategies, and content delivery (Churchill, et al., 2011, pp. 434 – 458).

References

 Bransford, J. B. (2000). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Expanded Edition. doi:10.17226/9853

Carjuzaa, J., & Kellough, R. D. (2014). Teaching in the Middle and Secondary Schools: Pearson New International Edition (10th ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education.

Churchill, R., Ferguson, P., Godinho, S., Johnson, N. F., Keddie, A., Letts, W., & Vick, M. (2011). Teaching: making a difference. Milton: Wiley.

Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2013). Books: Better Learning Through Structured Teaching: A Framework for the Gradual Release of Responsibility, 2nd Edition. Retrieved from ASCD: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/113006/chapters/Learning,-or-Not-Learning,-in-School.aspx

Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs. (2008). Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians. Retrieved from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/National_Declaration_on_the_Educational_Goals_for_Young_Australians.pdf

Adventures of C.L.E.M in the world of IWBs.

Some ‘Literature’ in the acronym C.L.E.M (raised in a previous post):

In reading Beauchamp’s text about the spectrum of IWB users, he classifies them as:

• black/whiteboard substitute;
• apprentice user;
• initiate user;
• advanced user;
• synergistic user.

Although I haven’t found any ground-breaking examples for its use as yet, having read the criteria, I feel that I fit somewhere between apprentice and initiate. I have created my own resources for use on an IWB and used multiple tools but, as yet, I have not had much opportunity (or awareness of opportunities until now) to make it interactive for the students.  My limited experience is having one student types in notes as the rest of the class debated that Scottish play. Do I count having them participate in an online survey where they could watch the results appear on the screen? Not sure.

Reference:

• Beauchamp, G. (2004). Teacher use of the interactive whiteboard in primary schools: towards an effective transition framework. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 13(3), 327-348. doi:10.1080/14759390400200186

Interactive white boards (or IWB).

So far, I haven’t found anything that unique about the use of these in the classroom. I don’t know if it’s just me but I am unable to see past them as being a giant screen. I have used them with PowerPoint presentations and I can see the benefits of students interacting with them adding notes to the board during the presentation or them solving problems and identifying techniques. In this way, I see them as being similar to an old fashioned chalk board the difference being that they use digital pens/erasers and can click/drag images.  This is, of course, beneficial in developing schema and in understanding how schema is transferable from one ICT tool to another, and presentations or flipcharts make it easier for everyone to work through information together. Is there some extraordinary way of using IWB that I haven’t come across yet? I hope so. I’d love to see some unique way to use it that goes beyond my observations above. In terms of the RAT model I can only see this as amplifying learning but I am unable to identify any transforming aspects.

 

I don’t know much…

but I know I. C. T.

If you were singing along, you are either showing your age or have a broad pop-culture education. 😀

 

“Record” (CC BY 2.0) by Gavin St. Ours

I’m noting ideas of how I could bridge ICT and my subjects but it’s rather difficult when I still don’t know what ICT is available at my prac placement, or what they are studying, unlike my fellow blogger who has met with her mentor and discussed options. *sigh*

My plan, however, is to keep recording all these fabulous links, sites, and tools on the very useful Diigo and contact my school again, tomorrow, just to check if I should rock up on the 4th October, what time, and where.  I haven’t been contacted by the site coordinator or anyone else so I’m hoping it starts on that date, as planned.

Meanwhile, I thought this app to combine a photo and text would be great for visual art and this word generator could make poetry, Haiku in this case, more fun!

There’s something about C.L.E.M.

This acronym is aimed at analysing whether or not to use an ICT based on what you can research about it, basically.

• Community – Is there a group that uses this and how active are they? Do they have resources? How do you get involved?
• Literature – What does the literature say about this ICT (how to use it, how not to use it, how to apply to learning)? What does it say about limitations or issues?
• Examples – Are there lessons showing how the ICT is used? Do they work well? Can I use them or modify them?
• Model – How does the ICT work and what does it do? Is there specific terminology to learn? How is it more beneficial compared to other ICT? What problems/solutions are there?

It’s a good place to start, I’d say.

ICT on Professional Experience.

I’ve made contact with my school but I am still waiting to hear what I need to do before hand or what topics/years I will be teaching. All I know is that it will be Visual Art, and English Juniors.

Meanwhile, bouncing back to this subject from the other one that’s had my focus for a while, I am responding to an activity given the little information that I am currently armed with.

What digital technologies will I use on PE?

Laptop/tablet, USB memory sticks, IWB, searches on the library computer, projector, the school’s digital information management system, emails, computer programmes (internet search engine, Photoshop, Paint, PowerPoint).

This has led to some questions:

Does the school provide a laptop/tablet? Will I be using my own? Can I connect to the school wifi? Are there programmes I need to access? Will I be using my mentor’s laptop/tablet? Will there be an induction into the programmes/security? What do the students use/have access to? Is there wi-fi in all classrooms? What technologies are available in the classrooms?

I got excited when a fellow student shared a link to Free Interactive Whiteboard Resources but when I clicked on the first hyper-link it took me to non-digital, wipe-clean, white boards. Amusing, but no help. The lesson here is to scroll down the page, any page, to make sure you have got all the information. The good stuff was at the bottom. Hahaha.

 

Putting on my big girl pants and getting back in the game.

‘m am feeling a bit more positive since my disastrous first assignment, hence I’m back to including images in my posts (a sure sign that I’m feeling happier).

“School girls in athletic bloomers playin” (CC BY 2.0) by  simpleinsomnia 

 

Having read through other reflections about that short quiz on bullying I found it interesting that one other person who achieved 100% was also a parent and covered this topic previously in their course.  The combination of these factors is what informed my choices in the quiz – being witness to your child’s errors in judgement, regardless of what you’ve taught them or how often you get them to repeat conditions of use, is a good measure by which to understand how people think. Not just young people, but anyone may be tempted by ‘free’ or ‘you have won’ message alerts or inadvertently open an email from a friend because they are not aware that their friend’s computer is infected and is now using their contact list for its own evil ends.