MoneySmart Teaching - Introduction in Albury.

I sent out a notice last week letting everyone know about the free ASIC "MoneySmart" parent and teacher sessions held locally on Thursday.  It was great to see some of you there despite the short notice (for which I apologise)!  Rest assured I'm following a path that will see more of you in the Hume region having access to this opportunity.

In my explorations of Scootle I came across some lessons and a link to the MoneySmart Teaching website.  I also work in a school where the MoneySmart program is being used although I've never really had much to do with it.  As I also attended both the parent and teacher sessions it's pretty safe to say that when I got wind of the sessions being run locally my ears pricked up with interest.

note:  You must be logged into scootle to view the below links.  Otherwise you will be asked to log in OR be redirected to the closest publicly accessible parent page.  We sent out an email to all Wodonga and Shepparton CRT Support Network members this week with an activation link to join Scootle through special arrangements made for CRTs by VIT.  We recommend that all Victorian CRTs become Scootle members.  Scootle offers links to Professional development, classroom resources and a community for teachers to discuss topics and share ideas (sort of like Facebook but just for those dealing with the Australian Curriculum).

We apologise to our international readers but you will NOT be able to gain access to scootle. 


Money, of course, features specifically in the Australian National Curriculum. The MoneySmart program is currently referenced against the areas of:

• Personal finance;
• Commerce;
• Economics;
• Financial institutions;
• Banking;
• Debt;
• Consumer protection;
• Money;
• Remainders;
• Rounding;
• Discounts (Price);
• Percentages;
• Loss;
• Profit;
• Simple fractions;
• Interest (Finance);
• Compound interest

It is referenced against 45 mathematics and ICT areas (primary and secondary):

http://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/viewMetadata.action?id=M007694&tabView=curriculum


All further links do NOT require scootle access ;).

It was an interesting pair of sessions and I'm glad I attended both in the end.  The two had slightly different focuses and different atmospheres even though the content was much the same.  The parent session was far more "this is what your kids will be doing in school" and more discussion based where the teacher session was a "straight down the line lets get this into classrooms" approach.  I walked away from both with two different perspectives and I consider both interesting and useful.

Although the parents were shown the MoneySmart Teaching primary handbooks they weren't really given them to walk away with.  Teachers, on the other hand, were given access to walk away with both the primary and secondary handbooks.  I should mention that these aren't little pamphlets either...  It's very nearly 4 kilograms of spiral bound goodness when you put the primary and secondary handbooks on the kitchen scales!

The handbooks contain documentation and groups of lesson plans.  The primary handbook contains 2 groups (integrated studies and Maths) and the secondary handbook contains 3 (7-10 maths, 7-8 science and 9-10 english) and I'll bring these handbooks to next Wednesday's network meeting for those interested to have a look at.  


The range of people in attendance was actually quite varied.  There were parents who wanted to see what it was all about, teachers looking for a way to back their curriculum, Hume banking staff, financial planners looking for tools to help some of their clients out of money troubles and representatives for local community groups.  The range of groups and services looking to MoneySmart as an educational tool is something you don't see too often.

It should also be mentioned that there is an ongoing trial for MoneySmart in Victorian schools the Federal government has agreed to fund MoneySmart in Australian schools for the next 4 years.  It certainly seems like MoneySmart is here to stay and worth becoming aware of both in context and implementation.


Regards,


Mel.

ICT: Too many mixed signals?

Watch this video on YouTube.

Exactly how serious is the Education system about technology?  There's an interactive whiteboard in most classrooms these days but not all teachers use them for any more than the previous generation of technology:  a whiteboard and a projector.  Some don't even go that far.  On top of that, I remember the first time I went to a CyberSafety PD and they said "Teacher laptops should not be connected to interactive whiteboards" as a safety issue but most schools force the use of the teacher's laptop as a cost cutting measure.  This has a huge impact on us as CRTs.

I walk into classrooms where the lesson plan requires the use of the interactive whiteboard and... The laptop with all of the software to drive the IWB is usually just as "away" as the teacher is or doing whatever it is they are doing.

The way the system is set up simply isn't conducive to being able to deliver a reliable ICT experience.  The same can be said for 1:1 iPad or laptop rooms.  Lacking reliable access to these devices with the same software installed simply prevents CRTs from having adequate access to classroom ICT equipment to become familiar with everything they need to become familiar with to effectively deliver many lessons that are left by classroom teachers when they involve ICT.

In my tutoring I'm also running into another issue.  Students having problems with their education because of ICT.  They either come from an ICT heavy classroom into one that isn't or vice versa.  They have a sudden change in environment and their learning strategies don't match that new arena.  We see that the ICT savvy are taking up this technology quickly and becoming believers while others just aren't.  And there's not really a lot of cooperation between the two camps and sometimes the relationships between them are downright hostile on a few fronts.  There's very little cooperation.  Each camp thinks they are right and doing well in their classroom but a lack of cooperation means the shift between the two can be very difficult for students.

I think we also sometimes forget that despite the heavy focus on classroom ICT in the media and teaching pedagogy, the technology itself is still in it's infancy.  It's still changing and evolving at a rapid rate with new studies causing shifts in "best practice" and the format of apps and other electronic teaching/learning tools.

The last one is that access to ICT outside of school isn't as prevalent as many seem to think it is.  Flip Teaching for example relies on students having adequate access to ICT outside of school.  It can be a heavy burden on low income families who are already paying more than they can afford to keep their children in school.

There's no cohesive approach and bouncing from classroom to classroom, from teaching strategy to teaching strategy, is placing a heavy burden on many students.  Each teacher is following the path they consider best in the absence of a standard framework, navigating a minefield of mixed signals where the next step could be the one that explodes.  It's creating tension to the point where I've sat in staffrooms and overheard 2 skillful teachers who use ICT each telling the other that what they are doing couldn't possibly work; despite both classes doing well.

This, to me, says that the education system overall is somewhat at the same stage as schools in the video rather than being all that serious about technology in education.  Promoting up-to-date teaching practices regarding ICT is all very well and good but without having a stance on what those "up to date teaching practices are" makes it hard to create an adequate structure for schools to operate within.  Even if they do?  The technology and pedagogy surrounding technology in the classroom is still in a state of rapid evolution.  What works well this year might not work so well next year or even after the next reliable and valuable piece of research comes out.

So we move onto the second issue in the video; does it really stifle my creativity as a teacher?  Well, having had a serious think on the subject, no.

The way my husband explained it to me is this:  "Do I have a mobile phone?"  The answer is "yes he does" but he goes out and buys a new pre-paid sim when we go on holidays.  As soon as we get home he pulls out the sim card, throws it in the bin, packs away the phone and puts it into the cupboard.  He is firmly of the opinion that he has a phone plugged into the wall to make and receive calls, a computer for the internet, a tablet for the internet if he wants it while sitting in the back yard with the kids.  Why does he need another way to make a call or get on the internet unless he's out on the road on holidays?  In the context of the conversation what he was saying was "just because it's there doesn't mean you have to use it or even that it's actually needed considering the other options placed before you".

ICT in classrooms is engaging and effective, there's no arguing with that.  It belongs there, like my husband's mobile phone it serves a purpose and is great when that purpose needs addressing.  The thing is, I can certainly choose not to use it when I see another way to do the same thing. As long as the education I provide is as engaging and effective without it there's simply no reason to treat it as any more important than any other teaching tool.  I have to use it at a certain level to make sure my students are prepared for what's coming if they hit an ICT heavy classroom in following years to be sure but even the "experts" acknowledge that classroom technology isn't as crucial as many believe it to be.

In fact I feel I would be robbing my students if I didn't focus on other creative classroom tools too.  It's the creativity of my students that would be stifled and I'm far more worried about that aspect.

It's 100% true that ICT can be a very creative tool.  Making audio and video files, creating games and apps and even drawing and modelling things in image programs.  One thing we must never forget is that there's limits.  You can design the perfect paper aeroplane but what you can't do is reach into the screen, grab it and throw it across the room with your friend.  Technology can't let you do everything.

So no.  I don't feel like my creativity is being stifled in the slightest.  Classroom technology isn't the teacher, it's a tool for the teacher to use when the situation calls for it.  Just like any other tool in your arsenal as a teacher.

Regards,

Mel.



August Meeting page is Up!

Hello all,

The next Wodonga CRT Support Network meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 21 August 2013, 4.00pm - 6.30pm.  We will be looking at 'thinking differently'.

Wodonga CRT Support Network Meetings are an arena for Collegial Learning.  It is the intention that we bring our ideas to the table, discuss them and all come to a better understanding of the topics.  You are free to either bring your ideas, strategies and resources or just come along to participate and learn!

You can find full details about the August meeting here.

Please remember if you would like to attend, email Mel at wodongacrt@vit.vic.edu.au.  This is not "required"!  You can still turn up if you haven't sent through an RSVP!  It just lets me know how many nibbles to bring along etc ;).

Regards,

Mel Lichnovsky-Klock
Wodonga CRT Support Network Co-ordinator

Affording tablet computers as a CRT.

"iPads aren't cheap..."

I've heard this so many times from CRTs who would love access to something like this to use in their classroom.  Unfortunately the "powers that be" have decided that the iPad is the tablet to go for and they are the standard in Victorian schools and, believe me, this isn't without it's share of controvercy.  It's not just the price either, there's a range of technical issues as well.  the "powers that be" have simply decided that the iPad is a better source of educational apps (which is again a little controvercial).

For CRTs of course, being part time workers, the price can be a very big issue.  Many just don't have the money to be lashing out on things like iPads.

http://store.apple.com/au/buy/home/shop_ipad/family/ipad

The cheapest on offer is $539 (or $679 is you want to be able to have mobile internet).

Of course there's also the iPad mini which is significantly cheaper.

http://store.apple.com/au/buy/home/shop_ipad/family/ipad_mini

$369 looks a lot more inviting ($509 for the cheapest with mobile internet).

So how did I get my iPad then?  Well, I simply got one on a "plan" the same as a mobile phone.  I signed up on a contract and am paying the iPad off over time.  This made it far more affordable for me by being able to pay it off over time.  Many phone companies are doing the same and it makes it a whole lot easier to be able to afford something like this.  It's the first affordable point of call as far as I am concerned.

What can you do if this is still out of reach for you?  It's becoming more and more clear as time goes on that Android devices are rapidly putting tablet computing into the hands of just about everyone.  Of course we are teachers and iPads are what's primarily used in Australian government schools so...  How do they check out for us?

A while ago now I posted that I made a move to tablet computing. Most of what I say there still holds true even though I have since also bought an iPad for various reasons.  I still feel that for teachers in general it's "still not enough" to have just a tablet and you also need a laptop or home PC.  Tablets are pretty much still about convenience in the the classroom though things have certainly gotten better (with my husband currently trialling an ASUS TF300T android tablet for general use).

This means apps and Tablets as a tool for you to use in the classroom are the more important aspects after price as far as I am concerned but there's still plenty on offer for your students with Android apps.

Some apps for the little ones!

• Kids Numbers and Math Lite: Educational game maker Intellijoy offers this free game to effectively teach preschoolers numbers, addition, subtraction, and more without sensory overload.
• AniWorld: A look at animals covering what they eat, where they live and their growth cycles..
• Kids ABC Letters Lite: Another offering from Intellijoy, Kids ABC is a "trace me" game with letters, numbers and shapes.
• Learning Letters for Kids: This is a straightforward app for teaching children the alphabet.
• Kids & Toddler Puzzle Puzzingo: A BestAppsForKids award winner, Puzzingo is an addictive yet educational game to engage the mind of toddlers with 25 professionally illustrated puzzles.
• Kids Pedia – Color Magician: Language learning, science, geography, art, math, health, and more all rolled into one with games designed by professional educators.
• Kids Piano Lite: Don’t neglect your child’s music education! This app reproduces those little toy xylophones in the bright colors kids love.
• 123s ABCs Handwriting Fun: Children learn basic handwriting by tracing letters, hearing them spoken, then shaking the screen to erase and repeat.
• Pepi Bath Lite: It’s never too early to start teaching your toddler hygiene education, and this app is a great tool for that.
• 0-10 Numbers Baby Flash Cards: Toddlers might as well get used to studying with flashcards. This app uses them to teach them the first 11 numbers.

Most of these work just fine on an android phone and it's a great way to check out what you'll have access to before buying a tablet!

As usual I've tried these out on my daughter (now 4 yo) and it's a little hit and miss but the apps do their job as well as any iPad app.

Note:  I got this list from here as I'm out of touch now that I have an iPad.  All up there's 50 apps currently being used in schools the world over going further up the chain of education including higher grade levels and educational organizations (national geographic, NASA, TED talks and others).

I also have to mention:

Kid Mode from Zoodles.  You're taking your own personal device into a school so you need some way to protect everything you don't want younger students (or your own children) to have access to.

Kid Mode is a combination "child safety lock" and "kid safe games organizer".  You also get periodic reports about what's being played, the curriculum areas they cover and more.

Click here to go to the Education section of the Google Play app store (includes free apps).

The conundrum.

You can't buy an android tablet for every student and to stay current with what schools are doing you need to be familiar with the iPad.  In some respects this means that iPads are still the "go to" tablet in some ways.  Unless more schools start accessing what Android tablets are offering it's not going to be a "major tool" as far as apps for students are concerned but more of a sideline.

The thing is, tablets aren't all about the students so I'll recap on a point I made earlier this year.  Although I've shown this video in a previous post it belongs here too:

(Watch this video on youTube)

Cameras are standard features on tablets and the larger screen is a lot more appropriate for showing things to a class than a phone.  It doesn't really matter what type of Tablet you have (iPad, Android, Windows) most of what's described in this video is perfectly suitable to any of them.

When I go to iPad workshops this is something that I feel is all too often ignored in favour of apps which you can use in the curriculum.  Of course this is understandable in many ways as teachers have access to other classroom technologies as standard so it's not a "popular" subject in many ways.  Especially in schools that don't make it easy for CRTs to use the Interactive Whiteboard, tablets make a really good (and sometimes better) classroom tool for you as a teacher.

In this department, Android tablets will still serve you very well and I don't think CRTs should balk at doing a little bit of research on them and seriously consider getting themselves one.

Although the DEECD only has iOS and Win8 based tablets in it's "Curriculum Tablet Authorised Suppliers", there are already Victorian schools deploying Android Tablets and their use is bound to get more widespread.

A small word of warning though, buy from a reputable supplier and avoid online purchases from "fly by night" operations.  It's one of those things where the cheapest you can buy is usually cheap for a reason...

Saving some money on Internet capable tablets:  

If you already have a smart phone with 3g/4g and a decent data allowance, you can set up your phone as a "wi-fi hot spot" to connect to the internet.  You can secure this connection with a password to prevent everyone from accessing it.  You can then let your Tablet use your phone's existing internet connection saving you some money on buying a tablet with it's own 3g/4g modem and SIM card.  It does tend to use your phone's battery pretty heavily though so it's a good idea to have your charger handy when doing this!

This means you can save yourself some hard-earned dollars and avoid a more expensive mobile internet capable version of a tablet and yet another SIM card to pay for.

At home, of course, you can use your wireless internet connection just like you do for a laptop.

A starting point:

Added on edit:  Sorry, Harvey Norman no longer offers this document as it has integrated more features into it's website to help make the choice.

To help you get off the ground it's a good idea to have a look at the Harvey Norman Buying Guide for Tablets.  It will help you understand some of the things you are looking at if you aren't so technically minded!

Regards,

Mel.

CRT Pay Increase for Victoria.

We have just received the good news that the Education Minister has signed the Ministerial Order that covers the conditions and pay rates of casual relief teachers working in Victorian Government schools.  Starting from 29 July 2013 (a few days ago!) CRTs in Victoria have received their pay increase!  This takes the form of a staggered increase until 1 August 2015.

Hourly Rate	Maximum Daily Rate	% Increase	Effective from:
$45.13	$270.80	2.641%	29 July 2013
$45.60	$273.60	1.034%	1 February 2014
$47.22	$283.30	3.545%	1 August 2014
$47.32	$283.90	0.212%	1 February 2015
$48.88	$293.30	3.311%	1 August 2015

We would like to thank the Minister for Education, The AEU and everyone else who helped bring about these results.

Regards,

Mel.