Well. Sometimes being a CRT can be a hard slog for no feedback and can feel mighty unrewarding. Then there's those other times...
I got a message from a teacher the other day. I've had the class more than once this year and also some of the students in Literacy Intervention sessions. It's a good class and often rewarding because passing the students in the corridor sometimes ellicits a hopeful "Mrs L, are you in our room today?" which is always nice to hear.
The other day though... The class were filling in their self assessment forms for the year in which there's a section for their goals for the following year. Two of the students put in;
"To have Mrs L as my classroom teacher".
Bless their little hearts! Those are the moments that make absolutely everything about being a CRT 100% worthwhile.
Regards,
Mel.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Friday, December 28, 2012
End of Year Report - 2012
Yes! It's that time of year. You are able to find the End of Year Report at the link below;
http://wodongacrtsupportnetworkpd.blogspot.com.au/p/we-are-approaching-end-of-financial.html
Regards,
Mel Lichnovsky-Klock
http://wodongacrtsupportnetworkpd.blogspot.com.au/p/we-are-approaching-end-of-financial.html
Regards,
Mel Lichnovsky-Klock
Monday, December 24, 2012
If you are travelling these holidays, please drive safely and keep a special eye out for those that aren't! We'd like to remind you all that speeding, driving while talking on your mobile phone and not wearing your seatbelt are all considered "Naughty" and will make sure you end up on the business end of one of Santa's lists!
If you are camping, hiking, boating or one of those other outdoor activities please remember to take all the appropriate safety precautions! For those of you staying home, please remember that you are staying where most accidents happen!
We hope you all have a wonderful time and make it through to the new year safe and sound!
Regards,
Melinda Lichnovsky-Klock
Wodonga CRT Support Network Coordinator.
Monday, December 10, 2012
December Inspire Magazine
Happy reading!
Mel
Saturday, December 8, 2012
40 weeks, 40 classrooms! No 9
This weeks "40 weeks, 40 classrooms!" video looks at student workspaces and the impacts of the workspace on the student!
Regards,
Mel Lichnovsky-Klock
Friday, November 23, 2012
When the Wind Changed - Updated with Lesson Plan.
"Don't make that face, the wind might change." I remember my mother
telling me this when I was little. I would look around to see if the
wind was about and then check the mirror just to make sure it hadn't
changed my face. It's funny the stories we remember from our childhood.
As a teacher, the wind means something else to me now. Usually craziness. While team teaching a class of 30 students last term, we decided to have a little fun. Bring back some of the old fashion teaching and focused on 'faces' for the day. This decision was not made until ten minutes to 9 o'clock. With two of us on the job, we each took a different activity and ran around getting ourselves ready for a busy day.
It was such a simple idea. An outline of a face with it divided into three parts. The top section was for the hair and eye brows. The middle section for the eyes, nose and ears and the bottom section for the mouth, beard and neck.
We walked the students through the activity without telling them about how the finished product was going to look. When each of the students finished their picture I collated it into this 'faces' book.
The students' loved seeing their faces mixed up with someone elses. The detail that some of the students put into their pictures was amazing.
This session was simple but very effective. You could easily make it into a art lesson, a writing session or a follow up activity to the book!
Since some of you have asked, I have made up a lesson plan (including a basic face pro-forma) and support video to go along with this activity! You can download the free lesson plan from Teachers Pay Teachers here:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classroom-book-activity-When-the-Wind-Changed-by-Ruth-Park
Mel
Saturday, November 17, 2012
40 weeks, 40 classrooms! No 7
This weeks "40 weeks, 40 classrooms!" video is about reading to generating enthusiasm for literacy in your classroom!
Regards,
Mel Lichnovsky-Klock
Friday, November 16, 2012
Last workshop for 2012!
Hi everyone,
We have just finalised our final workshop for 2012.
We have just finalised our final workshop for 2012.
Ian Trevaskis
presenting
Having fun with Writing
All details can be accessed from the link below and booking are open.
Regards,
Mel
Friday, November 9, 2012
November Inspire Magazine
Here is the November edition of the DEECD's Inspire Magazine. It appears that the DEECD has stopped producing it's online version and the magazine is now only available in .PDF format.Happy reading!
Mel
Thursday, November 8, 2012
40 Weeks, 40 classrooms! No 6.
Today's "40 weeks, 40 classrooms!" video is about using a bit of sign language in your classroom!.
Click here to visit the Auslan sign bank!
Regards,
Melinda Lichnovsky-Klock
Wodonga CRT Support Network Coordinator.
Click here to visit the Auslan sign bank!
Regards,
Melinda Lichnovsky-Klock
Wodonga CRT Support Network Coordinator.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Paper dolls lesson plan.
Hello everyone,
Since some of you have asked for a lesson plan for the paper doll emotions activity I have uploaded them to my Teachers Pay Teachers store (free download).
My Teachers pay Teachers store.
Should this link not work please be patient! My TPT store is in the process of a name change which will change the internet address. I will keep an eye on it and update it as soon as I can after it changes!
** the name change has now gone through and the link is updated! **
Regards,
Mel.
Since some of you have asked for a lesson plan for the paper doll emotions activity I have uploaded them to my Teachers Pay Teachers store (free download).
My Teachers pay Teachers store.
Should this link not work please be patient! My TPT store is in the process of a name change which will change the internet address. I will keep an eye on it and update it as soon as I can after it changes!
** the name change has now gone through and the link is updated! **
Regards,
Mel.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
40 weeks 40 classrooms! No. 5
Today's "40 weeks, 40 classrooms!" video is an EQ exercise using paper dolls allowing students to explore their different emotions.
Regards,
Melinda Lichnovsky-Klock
Wodonga CRT Support Network Coordinator.
Regards,
Melinda Lichnovsky-Klock
Wodonga CRT Support Network Coordinator.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
When the wind changed.
As a teacher, the wind means something else to me now. Usually craziness. While team teaching a class of 30 students last term, we decided to have a little fun. Bring back some of the old fashion teaching and focused on 'faces' for the day. This decision was not made until ten minutes to 9 o'clock. With two of us on the job, we each took a different activity and ran around getting ourselves ready for a busy day.
It was such a simple idea. An outline of a face with it divided into three parts. The top section was for the hair and eye brows. The middle section for the eyes, nose and ears and the bottom section for the mouth, beard and neck.
We walked the students through the activity without telling them about how the finished product was going to look. When each of the students finished their picture I collated it into this 'faces' book.
The students' loved seeing their faces' mixed up with someone elses. The detail that some of the students put into their pictures was amazing.
This session was simple but very effective. You could easily make it into a art lesson, a writing session or a follow up activity to the book!
Mel
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Usually a Teacher, sometimes a Student!.
Well... We all know that sourcing PD Workshops and seminars as a CRT can be somewhat problematic. PD for teachers usually has a significant portion which is aimed at full-time teachers supplying tactics that take time to implement in the classroom. Unfortunately it rarely has that much time devoted to ways in which CRTs can implement the same theories on a much quicker timeline!
This can make sourcing your own PD, which we often have to do, more than a little daunting.
Topics;
The good news? As a CRT drifting in and out of classrooms there's very little that won't prove relevant to your teaching sooner or later! Even those long setup time strategies prove useful when you take over from a teacher that is using them! You know exactly where you stand and know how to carry through on what they have set up.
While you need to pick Professional Development that improves your own knowledge and practice as a classroom teacher, it's a good idea to also keep an eye on what's going on in the schools you teach for. Keep your finger on the pulse of their PD! Being on the same page as the schools makes you far more likely to recieve work in these schools once they clue in to the fact that you can carry through on school policy and practice.
It also helps to integrate you into the school's community rather than being an outsider all the time! You understand the "policy jargon" in general conversation and the teachers you replace will be far more comfortable just to supply you with what you need to know and walk away confident that the job will get done and get done well. You begin to become an integral part of the community and will be fully recognized for your efforts and skills.
Format;
Sometimes you do need to be a little careful. We've probably all been to "one of those PDs" where the information was all technical, leaving you to try and sort out how to apply it in a classroom and sometimes even if it does. It was based on out-dated teaching practice. It was just presented in such a dry manner that regardless of how good the information was? You can't remember half of it because you were too busy doodling or watching the birds out of the window.
So what does current classroom practice teach us about our search for PD? If "hands on" and other such buzzwords play such a big part in today's schooling why wouldn't you apply this to yourself? There's such a large pool of research out there that prove that hands on learning improves engagement, the retention of information, the self-motivation of students of all ages from prep to university.
When selecting PD it is quite worth remembering that for those hours you are there you are no longer "the teacher", you are "the student". So you can take all that stuff you know about helping to teach students things and get them to retain that information and put yourself in that position for those hours.
The Presenter;
Here's an interesting little insight for you.
Go to VIT's YouTube channel. We've sent you here before but this time it's not the videos we want to have a look at, it's the channel itself.
If you look at the top 3 videos (as of right now). They have been there for 6 months. There's six views on the first, six views on the second and nine views on the third. And two each of those are from me!
Now scroll all the way to the bottom and look at those 3. These videos are from 2 years and 3 months ago (June 2010). There's 120 views on the first, 177 views on the second and 163 views on the 3rd.
Now scroll up until you see this gentleman's face (Glenn Pearsall):
These videos have been up about a year and a half (March 2011). First video? 1008 views. Second video? 543. Then 652, 369, 643 and 605 views respectively.
More than 3 times as many (on average) as the videos that have been there for an extra 9 months and more than any that follow either.
Let's face it, YouTube is voluntary. Why this guy? What's making people want to watch his video more than the others?
Watch his presentation and then a couple of the others and you will begin to understand why. While everyone on VIT's YouTube channel has something valuable to say, Glen Pearsall is a little different. He's jokey, he's dynamic, he's engaging. On top of having something valuable to say. People want to watch him in action and want to hear what he has to say because of it.
The presenter is important to a PD workshop too. A good presenter not only provides you with good information, they will engage you in the topic helping to ensure that you not only have a good time but retain as much of the information they deliver as possible and provide you with the enthusiasm which will motivate you to try these things out in the classroom.
It's that whole "I'm a student for a few hours" thing again. If you provide your students with a fun and engaging classroom they will not only learn the information faster and retain the information for longer, they will be motivated to not only apply what they have learnt but also to learn even more. You are just the same!
But....
Yes, there's always a "but". Sometimes you just really need to know something and there's not a lot of choice in the matter. You need to sit through a boring or generally non-productive PD to get those couple of things you need. There's just no way around it; needs must when the devil drives. You are better off having it at the cost of a bit of boredom or sitting through some largely unproductive information.
When you do have some choice though?
Put yourself in the shoes of a student and, knowing what you know as a teacher, pick the PD opportunity that's more likely to give you the most engaging experience on offer.
You'll learn more. You'll remember more. You'll even have more fun.
Regards,
Mel.
This can make sourcing your own PD, which we often have to do, more than a little daunting.
Topics;
The good news? As a CRT drifting in and out of classrooms there's very little that won't prove relevant to your teaching sooner or later! Even those long setup time strategies prove useful when you take over from a teacher that is using them! You know exactly where you stand and know how to carry through on what they have set up.
While you need to pick Professional Development that improves your own knowledge and practice as a classroom teacher, it's a good idea to also keep an eye on what's going on in the schools you teach for. Keep your finger on the pulse of their PD! Being on the same page as the schools makes you far more likely to recieve work in these schools once they clue in to the fact that you can carry through on school policy and practice.
It also helps to integrate you into the school's community rather than being an outsider all the time! You understand the "policy jargon" in general conversation and the teachers you replace will be far more comfortable just to supply you with what you need to know and walk away confident that the job will get done and get done well. You begin to become an integral part of the community and will be fully recognized for your efforts and skills.
Format;
Sometimes you do need to be a little careful. We've probably all been to "one of those PDs" where the information was all technical, leaving you to try and sort out how to apply it in a classroom and sometimes even if it does. It was based on out-dated teaching practice. It was just presented in such a dry manner that regardless of how good the information was? You can't remember half of it because you were too busy doodling or watching the birds out of the window.
So what does current classroom practice teach us about our search for PD? If "hands on" and other such buzzwords play such a big part in today's schooling why wouldn't you apply this to yourself? There's such a large pool of research out there that prove that hands on learning improves engagement, the retention of information, the self-motivation of students of all ages from prep to university.
When selecting PD it is quite worth remembering that for those hours you are there you are no longer "the teacher", you are "the student". So you can take all that stuff you know about helping to teach students things and get them to retain that information and put yourself in that position for those hours.
The Presenter;
Here's an interesting little insight for you.
Go to VIT's YouTube channel. We've sent you here before but this time it's not the videos we want to have a look at, it's the channel itself.
If you look at the top 3 videos (as of right now). They have been there for 6 months. There's six views on the first, six views on the second and nine views on the third. And two each of those are from me!
Now scroll all the way to the bottom and look at those 3. These videos are from 2 years and 3 months ago (June 2010). There's 120 views on the first, 177 views on the second and 163 views on the 3rd.
Now scroll up until you see this gentleman's face (Glenn Pearsall):
These videos have been up about a year and a half (March 2011). First video? 1008 views. Second video? 543. Then 652, 369, 643 and 605 views respectively.
More than 3 times as many (on average) as the videos that have been there for an extra 9 months and more than any that follow either.
Let's face it, YouTube is voluntary. Why this guy? What's making people want to watch his video more than the others?
Watch his presentation and then a couple of the others and you will begin to understand why. While everyone on VIT's YouTube channel has something valuable to say, Glen Pearsall is a little different. He's jokey, he's dynamic, he's engaging. On top of having something valuable to say. People want to watch him in action and want to hear what he has to say because of it.
The presenter is important to a PD workshop too. A good presenter not only provides you with good information, they will engage you in the topic helping to ensure that you not only have a good time but retain as much of the information they deliver as possible and provide you with the enthusiasm which will motivate you to try these things out in the classroom.
It's that whole "I'm a student for a few hours" thing again. If you provide your students with a fun and engaging classroom they will not only learn the information faster and retain the information for longer, they will be motivated to not only apply what they have learnt but also to learn even more. You are just the same!
But....
Yes, there's always a "but". Sometimes you just really need to know something and there's not a lot of choice in the matter. You need to sit through a boring or generally non-productive PD to get those couple of things you need. There's just no way around it; needs must when the devil drives. You are better off having it at the cost of a bit of boredom or sitting through some largely unproductive information.
When you do have some choice though?
Put yourself in the shoes of a student and, knowing what you know as a teacher, pick the PD opportunity that's more likely to give you the most engaging experience on offer.
You'll learn more. You'll remember more. You'll even have more fun.
Regards,
Mel.
Monday, October 15, 2012
October Inspire Magazine
Here is the October edition of the DEECD's Inspire Magazine. Clicking on the picture will take you to the online version of the magazine.
Alternatively you can download the PDF version on the following link;
Happy reading!
Mel
Saturday, October 13, 2012
New Page - VIT CRT Networks.
We have a new page up featuring an online presentation about VIT CRT Networks.
You can view this page here.
Regards,
Mel.
You can view this page here.
Regards,
Mel.
Friday, October 12, 2012
40 weeks, 40 classrooms - Resourceful CRTs.
This weeks "40 weeks, 40 classrooms!" video is up.
As a CRT it can be difficult to know what classroom resources you are allowed to use. The teacher has earmarked everything in the classroom cupboard and taking the wrong thing can throw a spanner into their works.
Here's something I find is usually a safe bet to use for those times when you have no lesson plan and have to pull out something interesting for the students to keep them engaged in your classroom activities!
Do you have any suggestions to add? We'd love to hear them!
Regards,
Mel.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
It's Thursday...
...and as promised, here's the Network's very first "Individually Unique, Together Amazing" video!
Please remember, there is no "scheduling" for these videos and they will be released on an "as available" basis through member input. We've gotten the ball rolling and will continue to contribute to the channel occasionally with videos from my "40 weeks, 40 classrooms!" YouTube channel.
After that we need member input to give us places to go! Do you have something unique that you do in a classroom that you would like to make a video about OR you would like us to make a video about and post on your behalf?
Please contact us on wodongacrt@vit.vic.edu.au.
We don't expect the monetization to bring us a fortune, just a little on the side, but the videos themselves will contribute to the Victorian (or larger) CRT community and through that our students!
Share and share alike and we can all come out winners!
regards,
Mel.
Please remember, there is no "scheduling" for these videos and they will be released on an "as available" basis through member input. We've gotten the ball rolling and will continue to contribute to the channel occasionally with videos from my "40 weeks, 40 classrooms!" YouTube channel.
After that we need member input to give us places to go! Do you have something unique that you do in a classroom that you would like to make a video about OR you would like us to make a video about and post on your behalf?
Please contact us on wodongacrt@vit.vic.edu.au.
We don't expect the monetization to bring us a fortune, just a little on the side, but the videos themselves will contribute to the Victorian (or larger) CRT community and through that our students!
Share and share alike and we can all come out winners!
regards,
Mel.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Graduating with Technology.
"Technology has become an integral part of our daily lives: we use it to learn, to shop, to pay bills, and to entertain ourselves. Not surprisingly, younger generations are heavily influenced by computers in a way that changes the way they retain information and the ways they develop opinions about culture. Today 70% of children between the ages of 2-5 can operate a computer mouse, but only 11% of them can tie their own shoes."
A while back we had an email from Hannah Edwards, a contributor to learnstuff.com, regarding an interesting infographic about technology in schools. It's an interesting look at some statistics about how technology is changing the school experience for modern students!
You can read the full article and have a look at the infographic over on Learnstuff.com.
Thanks Hannah for the heads up about this infographic!
Regards,
Mel.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
The Horsham/Wimmera Network becomes news-worthy!
During the holidays the Horsham/Wimmera Network made a newspaper appearance with it's first PD workshop!
Well done Shayne on both getting PD workshops off the ground and making it into the paper!
You can read the article in PDF format here.
Regards,
Mel.
Well done Shayne on both getting PD workshops off the ground and making it into the paper!
You can read the article in PDF format here.
Regards,
Mel.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Shepparton CRT Network Coordinator changeover.
Hello everyone!
It feels like the end of an era with Wendy, the Coordinator of the Shepparton CRT Support Network, stepping down yesterday. Wendy has provided 4 solid years of Professional Development opportunities to Shepparton teachers and I am sure everyone there appreciates her efforts!
I have assumed the role of the Shepparton CRT Network Coordinator as well as remaining the Coordinator for the Wodonga CRT Support Network. As you may also have noticed on the main blog, I have also started my own YouTube channel.
I just want to assure all of you that despite the extra work involved with these things the Wodonga Network will continue to be run in the same way as it always has been. There will only be minor changes in anything we do and the chances are that if I don't point them out you'll never even notice! The only definitive change will be a bit of the juggling of scheduling because I just can't be in 2 places at once!
We will still be holding 4 x full day PDs each year, continue offering 2.5 hour evening PD sessions as the opportunity arises and also continue holding our monthly meetings.
My dedication to all of you remains just as strong as it has always been!
Regards,
Mel.
It feels like the end of an era with Wendy, the Coordinator of the Shepparton CRT Support Network, stepping down yesterday. Wendy has provided 4 solid years of Professional Development opportunities to Shepparton teachers and I am sure everyone there appreciates her efforts!
I have assumed the role of the Shepparton CRT Network Coordinator as well as remaining the Coordinator for the Wodonga CRT Support Network. As you may also have noticed on the main blog, I have also started my own YouTube channel.
I just want to assure all of you that despite the extra work involved with these things the Wodonga Network will continue to be run in the same way as it always has been. There will only be minor changes in anything we do and the chances are that if I don't point them out you'll never even notice! The only definitive change will be a bit of the juggling of scheduling because I just can't be in 2 places at once!
We will still be holding 4 x full day PDs each year, continue offering 2.5 hour evening PD sessions as the opportunity arises and also continue holding our monthly meetings.
My dedication to all of you remains just as strong as it has always been!
Regards,
Mel.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
40 weeks, 40 classrooms!
The Wodonga CRT Support Network Coordinator has today embarked on a new tangent! As many of you realise the Network has had it's own Youtube channel for a while now, used to host our promotional and PD feedback videos.
We have always had further goals for this channel and today marks the first steps down the road to the intended improvements. Melinda is establishing a new YouTube channel of her own, called "40 weeks, 40 classrooms!", to begin to release content-based videos intended for CRTs, Tutors and parents wanting a deeper involvement in their child's education.
You will notice that unlike our regular videos, these are monetized. Over time Melinda will be donating some of her videos to the Network which will also be monetized on the Wodonga CRT Support Network's YouTube channel. The income from these donated videos will be given directly to the Wodonga CRT Support Network to help generate a little bit of extra funding to help the Network along in it's day to day operations.
This will allow us to have a little bit extra for catering at meetings and to buy supplies and equipment that the Network needs to operate. Keep in mind that the Network is volunteer run and none of it's officers or members are paid in any way for their services from Network funds! It all goes back into supporting local CRTs.
Melinda hopes to inspire other CRT's to follow in her footsteps down this road of alternative funding for the Network.
So... How will it work?
Having held meetings for over 3 years now, one thing we have come to understand is that everyone has something to offer the CRT community. Whether it be a strategy, a resource or even words of encouragement we havn't run into anyone who doesn't have something valuable to add.
If you want to plan and film a video using your camera, phone or other video device? All you need to do is get the raw video to us and we will edit it, add credits and upload it to the channel. You will get to see the video before it's released and have final approval!
If you don't have the know-how or equipment to make your own videos? We will be organizing days for those of you who wish to bring something to the table! We will organize a venue, bring our camera gear along and help you through the process!
If you are camera shy? That's perfectly OK too! We will play email tag with you about your ideas and when it's all in good shape? We will find someone to go in front of the camera on your behalf. You will recieve full credit for being the one with the ideas and putting in the hard yards, ensuring that you can claim the appropriate amount towards your PD hours should you wish to!
Why video?
Well, we set ourselves a bunch of criteria when we were deciding on which avenues we should pursue (and this won't be the only one!).
First, we wanted to give those of you that keep wanting to give us extra money a way you could give us extra money without actually having to give us money! Online monetization just seemed an obvious way to allow this to happen. Video is one of the easiest ways to go about this one! While we don't expect a huge influx that allows the Network to start funding it's own PD any time in the near future? Every little bit helps.
Next we wanted something that would spread outside of the Network itself to benefit as many CRTs and their students as possible!
We also wanted to do something that you could point to in other arenas (like in job interviews, community events and the like) and say "here's me, not just being a teacher but being an active member of my profession interested in the whole educational community".
And most importantly? We wanted these to be avenues where you could branch out on your own, independant of the Network, and build your own solid offering for the benefit of the world wide CRT community.
This is just a first step and there are places to go from here. We are attempting to ensure that the Network, it's members, other CRTs and our students all gain the maximum benefit possible out of these moves forward.
Where to go from here?
For the time being this will be it. Things like this take time to build up a following and it can be a lot of hard work to get it off the ground. We don't want to take steps that are too big to manage and see everything fall in a heap just because we rushed it like a bull at a gate!
Rest assured there are plans in place on where to go from here and we will be taking those steps when it's time! Until then? We need help to build.
Do you have Facebook? Google+? Twitter? When new videos are posted please share them! Help us get the word out and build a following for our Youtube channel. Do you have a Youtube channel of your own? Please follow us and subscribe to the Network's channel.
So when will all this start?
Soon. We are currently working on a video or two to kick off the whole process and get the ball rolling.
Do you have some good ideas for us? As always you can email wodongaCRT@vit.vic.edu.au to get in touch with us.
If you think you can beat us to the punch? The race is on, lets see who wins! Donate your video to us and we will edit it, add credits, give you some approval time and upload it if you are happy with the result. Alternatively you could even start your own Youtube channel, send us the video link and we'll give you a guest spot on the blog!
Lets get cracking!
Regards,
Paul
(Network 2IC).
** This Youtube Channel has now been added to the YouTube channels links in our sidebar! **
We have always had further goals for this channel and today marks the first steps down the road to the intended improvements. Melinda is establishing a new YouTube channel of her own, called "40 weeks, 40 classrooms!", to begin to release content-based videos intended for CRTs, Tutors and parents wanting a deeper involvement in their child's education.
You will notice that unlike our regular videos, these are monetized. Over time Melinda will be donating some of her videos to the Network which will also be monetized on the Wodonga CRT Support Network's YouTube channel. The income from these donated videos will be given directly to the Wodonga CRT Support Network to help generate a little bit of extra funding to help the Network along in it's day to day operations.
This will allow us to have a little bit extra for catering at meetings and to buy supplies and equipment that the Network needs to operate. Keep in mind that the Network is volunteer run and none of it's officers or members are paid in any way for their services from Network funds! It all goes back into supporting local CRTs.
Melinda hopes to inspire other CRT's to follow in her footsteps down this road of alternative funding for the Network.
So... How will it work?
Having held meetings for over 3 years now, one thing we have come to understand is that everyone has something to offer the CRT community. Whether it be a strategy, a resource or even words of encouragement we havn't run into anyone who doesn't have something valuable to add.
If you want to plan and film a video using your camera, phone or other video device? All you need to do is get the raw video to us and we will edit it, add credits and upload it to the channel. You will get to see the video before it's released and have final approval!
If you don't have the know-how or equipment to make your own videos? We will be organizing days for those of you who wish to bring something to the table! We will organize a venue, bring our camera gear along and help you through the process!
If you are camera shy? That's perfectly OK too! We will play email tag with you about your ideas and when it's all in good shape? We will find someone to go in front of the camera on your behalf. You will recieve full credit for being the one with the ideas and putting in the hard yards, ensuring that you can claim the appropriate amount towards your PD hours should you wish to!
Why video?
Well, we set ourselves a bunch of criteria when we were deciding on which avenues we should pursue (and this won't be the only one!).
First, we wanted to give those of you that keep wanting to give us extra money a way you could give us extra money without actually having to give us money! Online monetization just seemed an obvious way to allow this to happen. Video is one of the easiest ways to go about this one! While we don't expect a huge influx that allows the Network to start funding it's own PD any time in the near future? Every little bit helps.
Next we wanted something that would spread outside of the Network itself to benefit as many CRTs and their students as possible!
We also wanted to do something that you could point to in other arenas (like in job interviews, community events and the like) and say "here's me, not just being a teacher but being an active member of my profession interested in the whole educational community".
And most importantly? We wanted these to be avenues where you could branch out on your own, independant of the Network, and build your own solid offering for the benefit of the world wide CRT community.
This is just a first step and there are places to go from here. We are attempting to ensure that the Network, it's members, other CRTs and our students all gain the maximum benefit possible out of these moves forward.
Where to go from here?
For the time being this will be it. Things like this take time to build up a following and it can be a lot of hard work to get it off the ground. We don't want to take steps that are too big to manage and see everything fall in a heap just because we rushed it like a bull at a gate!
Rest assured there are plans in place on where to go from here and we will be taking those steps when it's time! Until then? We need help to build.
Do you have Facebook? Google+? Twitter? When new videos are posted please share them! Help us get the word out and build a following for our Youtube channel. Do you have a Youtube channel of your own? Please follow us and subscribe to the Network's channel.
So when will all this start?
Soon. We are currently working on a video or two to kick off the whole process and get the ball rolling.
Do you have some good ideas for us? As always you can email wodongaCRT@vit.vic.edu.au to get in touch with us.
If you think you can beat us to the punch? The race is on, lets see who wins! Donate your video to us and we will edit it, add credits, give you some approval time and upload it if you are happy with the result. Alternatively you could even start your own Youtube channel, send us the video link and we'll give you a guest spot on the blog!
Lets get cracking!
Regards,
Paul
(Network 2IC).
** This Youtube Channel has now been added to the YouTube channels links in our sidebar! **
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
And more newspaper articles!
I would like to thank Shayne, Co-ordinator of Wimmera and Horsham CRT Network, for continuing to send newspaper articles out through email. I have uploaded all of the September articles to the Skydrive and backtracked through my emails to make sure all the articles are now accessible from the Skydrive.
Use the link below to have a look at our growing collection;
https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=0D641AD8750D17A5&id=D641AD8750D17A5!1655
You will also notice that I have put articles into their months, hopefully making it easier to find the newest articles or ones you have missed.
If you would like to contribute to this collection, please email Mel at wodongacrt@vit.vic.edu.au
Happy reading!
Mel
Use the link below to have a look at our growing collection;
https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=0D641AD8750D17A5&id=D641AD8750D17A5!1655
You will also notice that I have put articles into their months, hopefully making it easier to find the newest articles or ones you have missed.
If you would like to contribute to this collection, please email Mel at wodongacrt@vit.vic.edu.au
Happy reading!
Mel
Some holiday reading.....
Alternatively you can download the PDF version on the following link;
Alternatively, you can download the PDF version on the link below;
http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/inspire/inspiresep2012.pdf
Happy reading,
Mel
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Advanced technology has simple uses!
As a CRT I find technology in schools sometimes out of reach. As a result I find that I don't tend to incorporate technology into my lessons, I'm simply denied the opportunity to innovate through lack of access. I am often very happy forgetting these things are even in the room.
The reality is that technology is everywhere and I need to innovate to keep up with the students.
So I bit the bullet 6 weeks ago and bought an iPad. The majority of schools I work in have iPads so it was a natural progression. I didn't really know how to use the ipad properly before this time apart from playing a couple of games and listening to stories being read.
Over the last couple of days I have been taking my iPad into the classroom. I have always been a believer in celebrating every student's success, no matter how small it is. I started taking photos of students working and completing activities, and showing it back to them as a whole group, asking students what they were completing, thinking and where they were heading next.
We then had a mother bring in a couple of day old guinea pigs for her child to show the class. Again I snapped away but this time I printed them up in document size and had the students write about the baby guinea pigs. We started with a Y chart to get the decribing words flowing in the areas of what they felt like, what they looked like and what they sounded like. The students got right into this activity and wrote some great adventures for these guinea pigs!
I also used the iPad when I was taking a biscuit 'face' decorating session with 30 odd kids. I was trying to work out how to introduce the ingredients without having to juggle them on my knee or on the floor when I remembered something Sue King had mentioned at a PD workshop; some visuals used with kids with Autism are photos of the items being used. So I decided to use this strategy to introduce the activity. I took photos of all the ingredients and instead of printing them up, I used my ipad to show the students.
On a different day, another teacher and I had the remaining year 2 students after their year 3 class mates were attending an overnight camp. These students came from four different classes and I was stuggling to learn all the students names. We finished the day with icy poles for a small treat and celebration of their wonderfully positive behaviour. The other teacher was tidying up from lunch and so I stepped in to take on this task. Earlier in the day I had snapped photos of all the students with their decorated cupcake they had cooked earlier in the day.
With my ipad in hand, I explained to the students that I wouldn't be calling students up by name. They looked confused at me. I turned the ipad around and straight away the group yelled the name of the student who's photo was showing. Blindly I put my hand in the box of icy poles and pulled out one, handing it to the student.
The group of students were now all leaning forward to see who was the next student to receive an icy pole, eyes on the ipad. I flicked the picture to bring up the next photo and away we went. A smile would come across every students' face when they saw their photo, they stood and received their icy pole and happily left the group. There were no complaints about someone getting it before them or even what colour they got and they got to have a look at how other students decorated their cupcakes.
You don't have to be a whiz at these sorts of classroom technology to innovate your teaching style and ability. Even just doing things in a different way, regardless of how simple, becomes an engaging experience for the students. It can be as simple as snapping a few photos and having a hand-held screen to show them back on and I assure you that snapping a few photos doesn't need 3 classes and an instructor to learn how to do!
The reality is that technology is everywhere and I need to innovate to keep up with the students.
So I bit the bullet 6 weeks ago and bought an iPad. The majority of schools I work in have iPads so it was a natural progression. I didn't really know how to use the ipad properly before this time apart from playing a couple of games and listening to stories being read.
Over the last couple of days I have been taking my iPad into the classroom. I have always been a believer in celebrating every student's success, no matter how small it is. I started taking photos of students working and completing activities, and showing it back to them as a whole group, asking students what they were completing, thinking and where they were heading next.
We then had a mother bring in a couple of day old guinea pigs for her child to show the class. Again I snapped away but this time I printed them up in document size and had the students write about the baby guinea pigs. We started with a Y chart to get the decribing words flowing in the areas of what they felt like, what they looked like and what they sounded like. The students got right into this activity and wrote some great adventures for these guinea pigs!
I also used the iPad when I was taking a biscuit 'face' decorating session with 30 odd kids. I was trying to work out how to introduce the ingredients without having to juggle them on my knee or on the floor when I remembered something Sue King had mentioned at a PD workshop; some visuals used with kids with Autism are photos of the items being used. So I decided to use this strategy to introduce the activity. I took photos of all the ingredients and instead of printing them up, I used my ipad to show the students.
On a different day, another teacher and I had the remaining year 2 students after their year 3 class mates were attending an overnight camp. These students came from four different classes and I was stuggling to learn all the students names. We finished the day with icy poles for a small treat and celebration of their wonderfully positive behaviour. The other teacher was tidying up from lunch and so I stepped in to take on this task. Earlier in the day I had snapped photos of all the students with their decorated cupcake they had cooked earlier in the day.
With my ipad in hand, I explained to the students that I wouldn't be calling students up by name. They looked confused at me. I turned the ipad around and straight away the group yelled the name of the student who's photo was showing. Blindly I put my hand in the box of icy poles and pulled out one, handing it to the student.
The group of students were now all leaning forward to see who was the next student to receive an icy pole, eyes on the ipad. I flicked the picture to bring up the next photo and away we went. A smile would come across every students' face when they saw their photo, they stood and received their icy pole and happily left the group. There were no complaints about someone getting it before them or even what colour they got and they got to have a look at how other students decorated their cupcakes.
You don't have to be a whiz at these sorts of classroom technology to innovate your teaching style and ability. Even just doing things in a different way, regardless of how simple, becomes an engaging experience for the students. It can be as simple as snapping a few photos and having a hand-held screen to show them back on and I assure you that snapping a few photos doesn't need 3 classes and an instructor to learn how to do!
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Study of history and racism in the new curriculum
Sarah, the Coordinator of the Clifton Hill CRT Support Network, has put up a very interesting post.
This post is well worth a read!
http://cliftonhillcrtsupportnetwork.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/study-of-history-and-racism-in-new.html
Regards,
Mel.
With the new Australian curriculum comes a focus on areas for which some teachers do not feel adequately prepared. One such area is that of the cross-curriculum priority 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures'. The priority will provide "opportunities for all learners to deepen their knowledge of Australia by engaging with the world's oldest continuous living cultures.
This post is well worth a read!
http://cliftonhillcrtsupportnetwork.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/study-of-history-and-racism-in-new.html
Regards,
Mel.
Feedback Video and Report - ASD and Visual Resources with Sue King 2012
Apart from a couple of problems with the venue we have been working on fixing for a while now, the workshop finished up with a very positive reaction from those who attended!
Comments in our videos are taken directly from feedback forms left by participants so it's easy to see the kind of response that Sue King is able to generate in a Workshop. As you can see in the video, Sue King has a knack for making a highly educational day something that's also fun. The bubble blowing and sign language sections proved particularly enjoyable for the participants!
Comments in our videos are taken directly from feedback forms left by participants so it's easy to see the kind of response that Sue King is able to generate in a Workshop. As you can see in the video, Sue King has a knack for making a highly educational day something that's also fun. The bubble blowing and sign language sections proved particularly enjoyable for the participants!
We
had a lot of new faces again this time which was great to see! We hope you
all enjoyed and benefitted from our presenter selection and organization
of the day. We also hope all you travellers, some who travelled a very long way, made it home safely!
Estimated Cost per Head value: $225.00 - $355.00 (based on similar commercial PDs)
Cost per head we paid: $61.78
Cost per head for CRTs? $10.00
Cost per head we paid: $61.78
Cost per head for CRTs? $10.00
Offering this PD would not have been possible without some help. We'd like to thank:
- Sue King for her wonderful presentation.
- The Wodonga South Primary School for the venue.
- The DEECD for the CRT Professional Learning Support Initiative and the funding it provides
- VIT for starting and helping to maintain 24 CRT Networks across Victoria.
- Officeworks Wodonga for their sponsorship of our network
- and everyone who attended for the wonderful atmosphere they provided!
Please note; For those of you who have requested it, anonymous posting has been enabled!
Regards,
Melinda Lichnovsky-Klock
Wodonga CRT Support Network Coordinator.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
The Cycle of Professional Learning.
The upcoming National Professional Standards for Teachers looks a lot more complicated than the current Victorian Standards of Professional Practice for Full Registration. Much of it though is pretty much the same.
Under standards 6 and 7 there's a new focus, professional networks, which we covered here.
We have been working away industriously to come up with a visual aid to help show how all of this is expected to slot together to create one big cycle of professional learning.
If you havn't driven Prezi before, simply click the arrows to go forward and backwards through the frames or use the left/right arrow keys on the keyboard. If you click the "more" button you can opt to view the prezi in fullscreen (but autoplay is unsuitable!). If you are viewing through your iPad you can visit the Prezi Website to download the free Prezi Viewer app.
For those of you not attending tonight's meeting this presentation forms part of the activities we have organized.
We will be suggesting that our members include this in their PD submissions under "Standard 7: Teachers develop organizational and administrative skills to manage their non-teaching duties effectively" as a starting point for the group reflection.
It will take you 25-45 minutes to go through the presentation depending on how many of the videos you watch in full. Don't forget to add your reflection time to your Professional Development submission!
In the next few days we will also put together a blog post containing a summary of the discussions and suggestions centering around the National Curriculum and also the classroom uses of Prezi for CRTs.
Regards,
Mel.
Under standards 6 and 7 there's a new focus, professional networks, which we covered here.
We have been working away industriously to come up with a visual aid to help show how all of this is expected to slot together to create one big cycle of professional learning.
If you havn't driven Prezi before, simply click the arrows to go forward and backwards through the frames or use the left/right arrow keys on the keyboard. If you click the "more" button you can opt to view the prezi in fullscreen (but autoplay is unsuitable!). If you are viewing through your iPad you can visit the Prezi Website to download the free Prezi Viewer app.
For those of you not attending tonight's meeting this presentation forms part of the activities we have organized.
We will be suggesting that our members include this in their PD submissions under "Standard 7: Teachers develop organizational and administrative skills to manage their non-teaching duties effectively" as a starting point for the group reflection.
It will take you 25-45 minutes to go through the presentation depending on how many of the videos you watch in full. Don't forget to add your reflection time to your Professional Development submission!
In the next few days we will also put together a blog post containing a summary of the discussions and suggestions centering around the National Curriculum and also the classroom uses of Prezi for CRTs.
Regards,
Mel.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Free online PD video - Dawn Colcott.
This is the second time we have posted these videos but we have moved them to a new home! They now have a permanent page of their own to ensure they remain easy to find!
They have been re-edited since the last time to clear up Audio for laptop users!
In August 2012 the Wodonga CRT Support Network was lucky enough to host Dawn Colcott, VIT's Manager of Professional Learning, as a guest speaker in a specially convened member meeting.
They have been re-edited since the last time to clear up Audio for laptop users!
In August 2012 the Wodonga CRT Support Network was lucky enough to host Dawn Colcott, VIT's Manager of Professional Learning, as a guest speaker in a specially convened member meeting.
The topic was Registration and Professional Development dealing with the 2012 changes to the registration process and requirements.
From 2011 onwards, September 30 became a significant date in the teaching profession calendar. The time frame has changed for payment of annual fees and renewal of full registration.
Full registration requires all teachers to maintain their professional practice and suitability to be a teacher through the renewal of registration process.
To be able to teach effectively for student learning, a casual relief teacher should have current professional knowledge and practice.
The Institute recognises that CRTs sometimes have less opportunity to know about and engage in professional development activities.
You can find the rest of this presentation here:
http://wodongacrtsupportnetwork.blogspot.com.au/p/rego-and-pd-video-dawn-colcott.html
This is a full 60 minutes of video!
For those of you still looking for a little guidance:
This will be "teacher identified" PD and no Pdi PASS code is offered.
You can start by referencing this against Standard 7:
This marks the first step towards a fuller utilization of our Youtube channel to bring it more in line with our original intentions behind creating it. While we have used it mainly for promotional and PD Workshop feedback videos up until now, it has always been our intention to use YouTube to bring PD to Victorian CRTs.
We hope to build it into a solid bank of learning potential for CRTs!
Regards,
Melinda Lichnovsky-Klock
Wodonga CRT Support Network Coordinator.
http://wodongacrtsupportnetwork.blogspot.com.au/p/rego-and-pd-video-dawn-colcott.html
This is a full 60 minutes of video!
For those of you still looking for a little guidance:
This will be "teacher identified" PD and no Pdi PASS code is offered.
You can start by referencing this against Standard 7:
Teachers develop organizational and administrative skills to manage their non-teaching duties.The Wodonga CRT Support Network gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Dawn Colcott and the Victorian Institute of Teaching that made it possible to bring you this online PD opportunity!
This marks the first step towards a fuller utilization of our Youtube channel to bring it more in line with our original intentions behind creating it. While we have used it mainly for promotional and PD Workshop feedback videos up until now, it has always been our intention to use YouTube to bring PD to Victorian CRTs.
We hope to build it into a solid bank of learning potential for CRTs!
Regards,
Melinda Lichnovsky-Klock
Wodonga CRT Support Network Coordinator.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
What do YOU want from Professional Development
...and is what you want necessarily what you need?
We all know what VIT wants. VIT wants you to have 20 hours of relevant PD per year to maintain your registration (or 100 hours in 5 years of course). That's a no brainer. Other states and countries have their own requirements.
We recently started a side project where we invited feedback from a large number of people, both CRTs and others who could provide valid insights into the activity. This project involved a Network activity and our reflections on why it was necessary. While this is still in the works it has raised an interesting side-topic that I've been meaning to get around to for a while now.
One comment in particular sums it up neatly:
I know I often see CRTs both sides of the border and tell them about the network, however many don't seem to think much about PD until registration is due.
Mind you, a good half of the replies raise the same issue one way or another and it's something I see quite frequently. New member joining the Wodonga CRT Support Network because they are pushing against VIT's deadline for PD submissions and their hours have come up short. Don't get me wrong, this is a natural turn of events and it's a large part of the reason why we are here! People start looking for solutions to their problem when the problem presents itself and coming up short for PD is going to be a trigger that sets people off searching for solutions.
But what other reasons are there for PD and should you really stop at VIT's (or your own registering body's) required amount?
There's some really interesting things to look at in the VAGO Report on CRT Arrangements. Not only what it openly says but also what's there in an implied way. It's a document mainly intended to identify the value of CRTs to the Victorian Education System, point out flaws in current arrangements and make recommendations on how to go about finding solutions to identified problems. Today I'm not really worried about it's purpose so much as the sources it used to determine it's findings and the general overview they provide.
I've had a look at similar reports from other states and overseas. The percentages often change but the basic story frequently remains the same. By pulling the Report apart into it's implied facts a picture is painted. Today's point?
"While the overall number of CRTs should be sufficient to meet government school needs, demand is increasing and regional variations in CRT supply and demand make it hard for some schools to hire suitably skilled and experienced CRTs."This implies a few very important things but the part I am interested in this time is the distinction that's made. It's not just CRTs, it's "suitably skilled and experienced CRTs".
The only way they could know this? By getting feedback from schools which is exactly what they did. There's more than one reference to "Audited Schools" in the report too. So by implication we can see how schools think in regards to CRTs. They don't treat all CRTs with the same outlook. They are observed, evaluated and given preference for hiring based on their levels of skill and experience.
The next fact to throw into this equation is that VIT requires each teacher to obtain 10 days of practice and 20 hours of professional development per year to remain registered.
What they never really say is that these requirements ares the bare minimum that you need to obtain to remain a teacher. All fully registered CRTs are hitting this mark to remain registered just like any other Teacher. It was still considered necessary to make the distinction between CRTs and "suitably skilled and experienced CRTs".
So we know, in black and white that's supported by evidence, that schools understand full well that being registered doesn't provide a level playing field. The question is, just how much of a slope do they think it's on? The answer to this question is in the VAGO report too.
Audited schools used less than half of the CRTs on their list regularly and removed poorly performing teachers from their lists.Schools manage these lists carefully and your performance counts. The audited schools used less than half of their CRTs regularly. You need to get yourself in the upper half of that list if you want regular work.
Putting this together? Your 10 days + 20 hours isn't even a passing grade. They only use half of the CRT's on their list, they remove some from their list too and so less than 50% of CRTs get work in a manner that schools consider "regular".
This report gives us a clear-cut reference to say the following;
Just qualifying for registration isn't enough.
VIT only decides whether or not you are allowed to teach. They don't have any say in whether or not schools are going to pay you to do it.
So this begs the question "is just satisfying VIT's requirements the best way to go about deciding how much PD I should be getting"?
That, of course, is up to you to decide but there's definitely compelling evidence out there that says the answer is "no".
Regards,
Mel.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Poetry in the Classroom - Jo Hinchliffe
I received an email recently, from Jo Hinchliffe who is a Teacher who has a love of poetry.
Jo already runs a website with many things on offer;
http://johinchliffe.com/
Recently she contacted me about an exciting new facebook page called "Poetry in the Classroom". Jo says this page is "an interactive poetry site for teachers to receive ONE POETRY FORM each week to model to their students and a facility for sharing of poems on this page."
Again, this facebook page is very new but we can expect more wonderful examples as time goes on.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Poetry-in-the-Classroom/401055643287540
Regards,
Mel
"Over the past 20 years, I have specialised in the genre of poetry. I have visited hundreds of schools all over Australia conducting writing workshops for children in the classroom and poetry P.D. sessions for teachers."
Jo already runs a website with many things on offer;
http://johinchliffe.com/
Recently she contacted me about an exciting new facebook page called "Poetry in the Classroom". Jo says this page is "an interactive poetry site for teachers to receive ONE POETRY FORM each week to model to their students and a facility for sharing of poems on this page."
Again, this facebook page is very new but we can expect more wonderful examples as time goes on.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Poetry-in-the-Classroom/401055643287540
Regards,
Mel
Monday, August 27, 2012
The Autism Enigma.
"Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the fastest growing developmental condition in the western world. There is no typical case and there is no accepted cure for it. Fifty years ago it was considered rare, affecting one in 10,000 children. Now the number of children being diagnosed with ASD in the United States is one in 90. The incidence is also rising dramatically in Australia."
Full article: http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2012/08/23/3574441.htm
This program will air tonight (Monday 27th August 2012) on ABC 1 at 8.30pm.
Thanks to Shayne Keenan, the Horsham/Wimmera CRT Network co-ordinator, for the heads up!
We'd also like to remind upper Hume CRTs that our "Autism Spectrum Disorder and Visual Resources" professional development workshop with Sue King is open for booking!
Regards,
Mel.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
The wheels on the bus go round and round..
Recently, while wandering through my duties as a Teacher and Network Coordinator, I had reason to revisit Dawn Colcott's paper, "The Professional Identity of Relief Teachers".
It opens with this;
"Teachers working in casual relief and emergency positions (CRTs) struggle to establish an identity within the profession. The nature of their work and professional isolation often means that they are marginalised by their colleagues and perceived to be a ‘lesser’ group of teachers. While this view of CRTs may have been justified in the past, CRTs deserve to be respected, as members of the profession because all teachers registered in Victoria are now required to meet and maintain professional standards."This paper is from 2009, a few years ago now, so why does this strike me as worth commenting on now?
As a CRT I am frequently given feedback by the Teachers and Aides I replace or work alongside. All too frequently many of us receive little feedback from schools directly other than the fact that they keep hiring us (VAGO report on CRT Arrangements, "Findings"). The other day I got some feedback as the Wodonga CRT Support Network coordinator;
The activities of the Wodonga CRT Support Network were credited as one of the main driving forces behind this improvement and I was heartily encouraged to 'keep on doing what I'm doing'. This was a great piece of feedback for me to receive and made me as pleased as punch. All my efforts were having a positive and measurable effect on the local school community. Sometimes though, I wonder whether the credit for all this makes it as far as it should go.
The simple fact is that what I do is probably not even half of the story. That sounds odd to many people who know precisely what I do:- organize presenters for PD workshops, a venue for the meetings, catering for both, maintain a blog etc. All that is, in the end, is providing an arena for things to happen in.
None of it works unless our members are genuinely interested in Learning. Because of our membership "policies" there are a lot of CRTs taking advantage of the opportunities we provide to various levels.
What we are noticing though is that there is a lesser and lesser focus on the PD hours required to maintain registration with each passing year. There is more and more focus on being good teachers.
This is a short section and can be covered with one observation
We get presenters in from across the state to provide Professional Development for CRTs. A common feedback comment is they really enjoyed themselves because the atmosphere is boosted because everyone seems to want to be there. They counterpoint this with stories of other presentations where they have gone into a school to present and...
many of the participants just don't really want to be there. They aren't disruptive, they dutifully learn what they are intended to learn. They are quiet and reserved, more passive in their learning, and are the first to pack up and step out the door.
With our Network they notice something very different. There are relatively few who are quiet and reserved though there are still those who head for the door. The tables turn in a special way though. The ones who head for the door aren't usually the ones who were quiet and reserved. Apologies fly as they leave too! The ones who were quiet and reserved hang back to discuss the workshop with the presenter, their colleagues or myself.
The presenters often comment on the difference in the atmosphere and the much higher level of the participant's general thirst for knowledge.
Presenters and the Wodonga Network.
This is a short section and can be covered with one observation
We get presenters in from across the state to provide Professional Development for CRTs. A common feedback comment is they really enjoyed themselves because the atmosphere is boosted because everyone seems to want to be there. They counterpoint this with stories of other presentations where they have gone into a school to present and...
many of the participants just don't really want to be there. They aren't disruptive, they dutifully learn what they are intended to learn. They are quiet and reserved, more passive in their learning, and are the first to pack up and step out the door.
With our Network they notice something very different. There are relatively few who are quiet and reserved though there are still those who head for the door. The tables turn in a special way though. The ones who head for the door aren't usually the ones who were quiet and reserved. Apologies fly as they leave too! The ones who were quiet and reserved hang back to discuss the workshop with the presenter, their colleagues or myself.
The presenters often comment on the difference in the atmosphere and the much higher level of the participant's general thirst for knowledge.
They have felt left out in the cold for so long, lacking easily accessible avenues to the same types of PD opportunities as their full-time counterparts, but instead of being content to remain on the bottom rung they are eager to seize every opportunity to catch up with the rest of the Teaching community.
s the driver of the bus you need those willing passengers to make it worth leaving the parking lot.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
More Newspaper articles for the archive!
We got an Email through from Shayne Keenan yesterday, Coordinator of the Wimmera Horsham CRT Network, with his periodic distribution of Newspaper articles.Thanks again Shayne!
Newspaper stories -
- Sun newspaper 19th August 2012 school funding.
- Schools beg for aid 17th August 2012
- Gonski response from Age 19th August 2012
- 3000 schools face funding cuts sun newspaper 19th August 2012.
As usual you can find these articles on our Skydrive.
Regards,
Mel.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Prezi Presentation Software
Recently, at Caryl York's PD workshop, she recommended Prezi presentation software. After seeing it in action during her Workshop we thought it was well worth a look!
First of all, Prezi is available for free as long as you are willing to edit online. The basic package is somewhat unsuitable for Teachers because it lacks the ability to make your presentations private. The good news is that if you have access to an edumail account (or any email address with .edu in it) they offer a free upgrade to teachers and students.
We remind all CRTs that the DEECD has encouraged schools to supply CRTs who work for them on a semi-regular basis with an Edumail account so they can receive announcements and gain full access to Ultranet. Please visit the school you work for most and ask for them to supply you with one. If they are unaware of this memo (it went out a little while ago so newer members of staff may not be aware) you can find reference to this in the VAGO report, section 3.3. Please remember that schools are encouraged, not instructed, to supply you with an edumail account.
Free is always a bonus but we all know how "free" often works. It's a reduced-function copy of a premium piece of software aimed at the people who just can't pay 100's of dollars for the good stuff. The end result takes longer to produce and isn't as polished as the commercial version would be.
All of which isn't that good for teachers, let alone CRTs. You spend enough of your time on preparation as it is, the last thing you need is to stretch that out, and as a CRT you often need to be able to knock something out that's engaging and polished at a moment's notice.
So here's the good news!
Having never used the software before we took an opportunity to watch the basic tutorial videos on the Prezi website. We then selected one of the templates they offer, threw in a bit of text and 15 minutes later we had produced the above Prezi presentation!
Not only that but you'll notice that we were able to embed the presentation directly into our blog through their supplied embed code. You can also send links to Prezi presentations that you have set to Public for online viewing on the Prezi website. If you have a .edu email account, you can also download the presentation to run sans-Internet with the free education package.
The only "drawback" is that you must be online to create or edit your Prezi presentation.
Upgrading to the paid option for Educators ($59.00 US per year - 30 day free trial) upgrades your online storage to 2gb, gives you premium support and also lets you use Prezi Desktop to create and edit Prezi Presentations when you aren't connected to the Internet.
The web-based Prezi editor works on our Windows computer and our Android tablet through a browser and on the iPad (through the Prezi viewer app). Prezi Desktop is available for Windows, MacOS and Linux operating systems. We have also played back Prezi presentations on our Windows computer, on android devices (through the standard browser) and also on an iPad (using the free Prezi viewer from the app store). It is a pretty versatile tool for your toolbox!
Just what can you do with Prezi?
A very intriguing tool.. I can't wait to set it to task in the classroom!
It's free and highly functional tool that's actually pretty easy to use. The flow you can get out of a presentation makes it a lot more engaging than a "slideshow" too. Very well suited to CRTs who often have to be more engaging than a regular teacher just to keep the kids on side and behaving well.
In our opinion it's well worth a look and you can check it out at http://prezi.com/index/
Regards,
Mel.
It's free and highly functional tool that's actually pretty easy to use. The flow you can get out of a presentation makes it a lot more engaging than a "slideshow" too. Very well suited to CRTs who often have to be more engaging than a regular teacher just to keep the kids on side and behaving well.
In our opinion it's well worth a look and you can check it out at http://prezi.com/index/
Regards,
Mel.
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