Skoolz Out!

This site has moved to a new location and changed to a different format. There are now 2 sites worth following – ‘ABCreative’ focuses on new ideas, tools and resources for educators, while ‘ABCreative Resources’ aims to provide a resource library of interactive tools. Please visit the following website for regular updates;

ABCreative – Discussing new ideas, tools and resources for supporting educators.

ABCreative Resources -A resource library for educators.

There is no doubt about it, there is a real sense of community around Mac users. It could be because we are often seen as different, and at times even persecuted, but it only makes most of our grins even broader as we reflect on what they are missing out on. Educators using Macs also tend to be on the same page – inspired, motivated, and excited about providing real and creative learning opportunities for their students.

So, Sue Tapp (Upwey) and myself have put together eMug (Eastern Mac Users Group). It has been created for educators in the Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne, Australia wanting to share ideas, new products and experiences in an informal way.

A big thanks to Mark Richardson and Deb Hicks for their initiative in getting the Western MacSchools Network up and running several years ago, and to Kim Mitchell and Peter Hine in the Northern Suburbs last year. In the true Mac spirit, these guys have been super supportive in getting the group up and running.

If you can’t attend the meetings, still join our group to particpate in forums, get the latest information and hints. Check out our website and join;

Click here to download an eMug flyer to put up in your staffroom.

See you at our first meeting!

Just wanting to alert people to the new Digital Storytelling network we have setup to discuss the positives, negatives and general experiences people are having when incorporating this type of program into your classroom. While this does tie into Richard Lambert’s and my book ‘Digital Storytelling’, the aim is keep supporting teachers trialling the program, and share in their successes and new ideas. Even if you do not have a copy of this program, we encourage you to join up and become part of the conversation.

While the network is still in its infancy, there has already been a number of members join, with some great ideas thrown around, with everything from lighting, optimising your computer, to using programs such as Voicethread and Glogster as a way of involving the Early Years students with Digital Storytelling.

So please check out the ‘Action Stations’ website for some great links and information, and the ‘Digital Storytelling Network’ to get al the latest. Click below for the links;

It is finally here. The Action Stations Series through the Curriculum Corporation releases a practical guide for teachers on ‘Digital Storytelling.’ There is no denying the importance of making our students critically literate, and in doing so, more digitally responsible. But creating lessons that cover these issues in an engaging way is not always clear for the teacher. We attend lots of Professional Learning and Development sessions in our careers, often walking away inspired and motivated, but with the same old nagging questions seem to surface;

• How do I set it up in my classroom?
• What do I need to get started?
• How do I go about it?

If you are this teacher, then this book is for you! This is a program a colleague and I have been working on for several years now in the everyday classroom. And even if you don’t want to produce your own ‘Short Film Festival’ as outlined in the book, the book is setup in such a way so that the teacher can run with whichever lesson they choose.

We are also attempting to provide ongoing support in the creation of a forum at the link below, or sinmply click on the ‘Badge’ in the right hand side-bar of this blog;

http://digistorytelling-actionstations.ning.com/

This forum will allow teacher to share their learnings, understandings and challenges as they implement the program. Both Richard and myself, the authors of the book, will contribute to these discussions and help you along the way. Unique, but we feel this type of program is a must for every school.

If you are interested in some sample pages and/or ordering a copy of the book, click on the book front cover below for the link.

Just a short note to provide some notes for all of the teachers who attended my ITSC 09 Mac OSX Basics session in Melbourne. Hopefully these notes will provide a refresher on some of the ground we covered. There are several links to some of the outstanding tutorials on the Apple website to help you if you get really stuck.

Enjoy!
ITSC 09 Mac OS X Basics

I was very brave a few weeks ago. Even considering I have made some purchases via eBay and other online stores, I have always been a bit apprehensive when it comes to making purchases over the Net. I am sure that I am not alone but it is obviously now a part of society. So when it came to organising a present for Mother’s Day this year, I decided not to leave it to the last minute (as I usually do) and create a book in iPhoto 09.

iPhoto 09 is yet another amazing development in Apple’s amazing iLife suite. I have become accustomed to using the tools to edit, adjust, crop and improve my photos, but the publishing feature was always something I thought I would do ‘some day.’ iPhoto 09 also provides the facility to publish the book you have just created and have it delivered to your door. While slideshows and movies are sensational, there is still something romantic about having a glossy product you can hold in your hands. With a growing number of photos building up on the family digital camera, and a number of shots my wife had not seen, it was the perfect opportunity to give this feature a test run.

Assembling the Book

This was ridiculously easy. There are a number of themes/templates available that allow you to simply and easily create a collection of memories. There is also the scope to create your own look and choose the number of photos you want on each page. There is also the ability to add text to pages, and by simply selecting a photo and dragging onto the book, you can create your masterpiece in no time.

Next came purchasing online. This was also as simple as clicking on the ‘Buy Book’ button and filling in the payment details. I selected the type of book, and was clearly pointed out the total cost and that it would arrive within 8 – 10 days (excluding weekends). This was the only time I questioned whether I should have taken it down to a local camera store and let them do it, maybe losing a bit of my personal touch, but at least having it within the week. I was interested to see how long it would take.

Hints

After being quite proud of myself and showing a colleague at work who is a talented photographer, she made a number of recommendations on the layout;

• Take the time to adjust your photos. Click on your picture, click ‘Edit’ and then ‘Adjust.’ The slider at the top which deals with ‘Levels’ can really bring your photos to life. By bringing in the sliders to the points where the colours start, you make the most out of your shots.
• Have your photos arranged so that they all face the centre. That is, organise your photos so that the key focus of each shot is either looking at, or draws your attention to the middle of the page. (Thanks Bec!)

To the Door!

After only 7 working days (10 days total) my book arrived at  the door. Packaged beautifully in an Apple box and carefully wrapped. The final product is amazing! The quality of the print, paper, dust jacket and hard cover are all beyond my  expectation.

Overall this has been a really fun, creative, positive  experience which I will definitely be utilising again. The cost  is comparative to the cost of getting it made and printed at  a shop, and the delivery time was better than I expected.

My wife loves it and take greats pride in showing it off. The boys also thought they looked pretty cool and were excited about handing it over (yes, this is written before Mother’s Day – we couldn’t wait to give it to her!)

Look out family members – you know what you are going to be getting for all major celebrations from now on.

Over the past few weeks, I have been working with the Year 5/6 students on developing their own ‘Choose Your Own Adventure‘ stories. While not the most advanced form of writing, it has been a really positive experience, as many reluctant writers have enjoyed this different style of writing. We discussed the concept of ‘interactive storytelling’ and the link to computer games.

We started by looking at a variety of different stories – the plot, setting the scene, creating a beginning, middle and end, developing characters and the use of language. It was surprising to see how many students had never heard of the books – but then again I am getting old! Interestingly enough, there are a number of ‘Goosebumps’ books that are using this genre. 

Working in groups, the students used a graphic organiser to plan their stories, with the beginning, middle and possible endings. In groups of four, each student contributed collaboratively and independently. The students really enjoyed this process and came up with some great stuff.

The final part of the process was to produce a Keynote presentation with hyperlinks. When the reader selects an option, they are taken to the appropriate page.

Designing each slide was also a great opportunity to discuss the concept of ‘Copyright.’ When asked how they go about including pictures in their work, nearly all the students answered ‘Drag a photo across from Google Images!” This led to the concept of ownership and reproducing other people’s work without permission. To encourage creativity and originality, I directed the students to a few websites that allow them to create their own pictures or designs which could be included in their presentation without fear of copyright infringement. These sites were Imagination Cubed,  Flash Paint, and Drawz It 

Rather than enetering email info for the file, we used old ‘Command, Shift and 4‘ on the Mac to capture a screenshot, which was then imported into their slide. Too easy!

I have created a website off our iSchool page, where I will be including regular updates for you to check out. Visit our story page here.

AB

Hi all. Welcome to my first Blog. This site aims to inform, discuss, inspire and possibly entertain, as we reflect on new and exciting ways to engage our students.

Many of these entries will record new experiences that I, and other teachers that I am working with, face in the everyday primary school.