How technology has changed my teaching philosophy
How is the technology I am using enhancing student learning? That is the first question I ask myself when I use technology in the classroom. If I cannot answer this question, then I am not using the technology well, and I am in fact wasting huge amounts of money that has been spent on it.…
The role of self-directed learning in modern learning practice: #mlpchat review
It was great to have so many future-focused educators participating in my chat on the role of self-directed learning in modern learning practice. Without a doubt, all agreed that self-directed learning is a critical factor in modern learning practice, and there were some great ideas shared. See the Storify below for a detailed recap of…
The role of learner agency in Modern Learning Practice #mlpchat review
This year I have pushed the idea of learner agency in my classroom, and subsequently learner agency has become one of the key aspects that I consider when designing learning tasks. Core Education does a great job of explaining the concept of learner agency: “One way of thinking of learner agency is when learners have…
The role of GAFE in modern learning practice: #mlpchat review
Thanks for those that joined last weeks #mlpchat on the role of Google Apps for Education in modern learning practice. I hope that everyone learnt something that they could take away and use in their classroom to enhance student learning or teacher efficiency. Below are a few take-outs from the questions that I asked. Question…
The role of the Modern Learning Environment in Modern Learning Practice: #mlpchat review
Last week I hosted the inaugural #mlpchat on Twitter. I have started this chat so educators can share their ideas and hopefully learn something new about various aspects to do with Modern Learning Practice. It was great to see many educators join the chat, and hopefully this continues to grow in the coming weeks. Below…
Learning in an MLE – students respond to ‘that article’.
I have to admit, I wasn’t that surprised to read about how some teachers are hugely resistant to change. MLE’s are a scary proposition for those that think we still live in the same world that existed when we ourselves were students. As I reflected on this, I thought who better to ask than my…
Collaboration – An Innovation Challenge Accepted #EdBlogNZ
October is Connected Educator month, and this post is a celebration of connecting with others through a collaboration, on the theme of Innovation. Most importantly, it serves to meet the #edblognz challenge to collaborate with another blogger (or in our case, bloggers) on an important issue in education. We are a triad (to clarify,…
Reflections on a 1-1 MLE
The anticipation of moving into a new Modern Learning Environment had been huge. We had been preparing ourselves for more than a year, thinking of ways in which we would change our practice to make the most of our new environment, all in the name of enhancing student learning. However, ultimately we were always going…
Top tips for creating a self-directed learning environment
One of my main goals as a teacher over the last two years has been to create a learning environment that is as self-directed as possible. Essentially this is an environment where students take initiative and responsibility for their own learning. By creating such an environment, it is hoped that the learners become motivated, persistent,…
Daily Student Learning Plans to help students own their learning
Recently I have written a lot about students taking ownership of their learning. We are trying to set up and environment that is as learner-driven as possible, where students are able to choose their timetables, and ultimately, direct their own learning. In such an environment, it is difficult for the teacher to write an achievement…
Blogs as school-wide e-portfolios
Having just been involved in an inspiring #whatisschool Twitter chat hosted by Craig Kemp (@mrkempnz) and Mark Weston (@ShiftParadigm), where the topic was ‘Social Media in the Classroom’, I got chatting about an idea I want to implement with my school…… Blogs as e-portfolios While this isn’t a new idea, this year I have been…
How and why I encourage Inquiry-Based Learning with my class
I am a huge fan of Inquiry-Based Learning. I have been developing an inquiry template over the last two years that I am forever tinkering with, and I use this with my year 10 students. We generally do one inquiry per term (approx. 10 weeks), so the students are able to look into a…
How technology supplements our Positive Behaviour For Learning (PB4L) approach
My school, Tarawera High School, is a PB4L school. Put simply, that means that our focus is on rewarding positive behaviour rather than punishing negative behaviour. This works on the premise that positive behaviour can be learnt, and a safe and caring environment that supports positive learning behaviour needs to be created. We push this…
Wattpad – a great free resource for reading and writing
One of my students recently introduced me to the amazing free resource Wattpad. If you haven’t seen this resource before, Wattpad is a free community for readers and writers. It uses many aspects that are common on social media today, such as being able to have followers, and to be able to ‘vote’ (similar to…
How and why we let our students create their own timetables
Student agency should be a major focus in a future-focused classroom. With this thought firmly behind our planning, we (myself and the two teachers in our collaborative teaching space) created a system that allows students to create their own timetables each week. We believe that by allowing students to do this, we are not only encouraging self-management,…
Student agency through Student Licenses
Student agency is about creating an environment where students are encouraged to take control of their own learning. A big part of this is the ability of students to self-manage. Last week my school moved into a new MLE, and my two colleagues and I really wanted to push the idea of student agency in…
The how and why behind our Innovative Learning Space
Recently my school (Tarawera High School) has made the exciting move into our brand new Innovative Learning Space (ILS). With the students about to start on Monday, my two colleagues and I have spent some time organising our equipment and furniture into what we think will best serve their learning needs. We have a group…
Why and how I teach my students to code
Recently I read a great post on Craig Kemp’s blog (mrkempnz.com) written by Kim Vernon, called The Key to Coding. It is a great read about the benefits of coding for students, and I couldn’t agree more with the points that Kim makes. Importantly, Kim notes that the main skills that coding develops in students…
Use technology to help you teach PE like a boss
Many teachers (especially at primary level) do not have the luxury of having a specialist PE teacher to take their class for PE. Below are my top three ways for how technology can help you run PE lessons like a boss! 1) Teaching Dance Teaching dance can be a daunting task for a lot of…
My favourite tools to flip the classroom
Creating online instructions can be hugely advantageous to both teachers and to learners. Below are my reasons why I like to create online instructions: For teachers, one of the main benefits of creating online instructions is that it is time efficient. Many teachers tell me they don’t have the time to create videos. I like…