Wednesday, February 26, 2014

An absolutely fascinating look at what motivates us.

I was skipping through Scootle this evening and someone linked to a video about where the current system of education was born, why reforms are needed and the overall motivations for countries to change their public education systems  Another video in the sidebar caught my eye...

This is a video primarily about business but it will also help us to come to a much more enlightened view of what's happening in our classrooms.


Hmm... Time to reflect back on my classroom... and where is it relevant?
  • Why is engagement often so difficult to achieve in a regimented daily routine?
  • Why do reward systems sometimes have no effect?
  • Why does Developmental Play work so well?
  • Why are we constantly told about Student Ownership of their work?
Autonomy is a great engager,  Achievement for the sake of achievement in something you are interested in makes autonomy a supreme motivator and one of the greatest personal rewards. When addressing an area of the curriculum, while still allowing a degree of autonomy, you are tapping into a fundamental reward system that is all but coded into our DNA.  Even at the prep/foundational level it's a theory that works and has proven results many of us can relate to.

Lightbulbs come on one after another when watching this video.

This has even had an impact on my understanding of my life.  Why I chose to become a CRT, why I chose to become a CRT Network Coordinator, why I chose to become a presenter of professional development. Each of these things allow me the autonomy to challenge myself in new ways on a frequent basis.  Through these different avenues I am getting a well-rounded view of things that allows me to imagine myself on the road to mastery of at least some of them...

Great video.  I hope you enjoy it and get at least some of what I did out of it.

 

Just to make sure the above isn't a little out of context;  Too much choice can be a bad thing!  As with everything, especially in our classrooms, autonomy is ruled by Goldilocks;  Not too little, not too much.

Lesson Plan: When the Wind Changed book activity.

So let's pull something simple apart and see some of the ideals of these two videos in action:


Right Click to download!

This is a simple activity based on the book "When the wind changed" by Ruth Park.  It was designed as a short and sharp activity on facial proportions that could be delivered and completed in a short space of time (45 minutes to an hour) while keeping students on-task when they knew you weren't going to be there for too awful long (rotations, makeup-classes of students not going on excursions, etc).

When the Wind Changed is a fun book centered around "you make that facc and the wind changes you'll get stuck with it!" and making the best of bad situations in a positive manner.  As mentioned I've taken those themes and turned them towards facial proportions.  The story is engaging, entertaining and well-suited to grabbing attention and getting the students focused and in the right frame of mind.

It provides a rigid framework to work within while allowing an appropriate degree of autonomy (choice) within that framework.  This level of choice encourages creativity but at the same time does not punish conformity.

Upon completion the pictures are assembled into a book and then the pages divided into a flip book where varying faces can be made from the different faces they each created.
  • This activity produces a useful product; a book.  This allows them a sense of mastery having their own book alongside all of the other books in the classroom (and some schools I have done this in have these books in their library).  
  • This means that the final product of the activity is a fun activity in itself.  They can flip through it making funny faces (as can all students if it ends up in their library).  This provides a sense of having accomplished something with a transparent and ongoing purpose (as opposed to the abstract purpose of school which is "to learn").
While challenge is a little on the low side because of why the activity was created, it allows the right level of autonomy.  Autonomy is restricted by it being a group effort so you have to do things within certain "rules" but those rules have an inherent and visible purpose.  After that it allows the autonomy necessary to encourage creativity.  Creating a finished product of lasting classroom presence is gateway to the inherent rewards of mastery and a sense of purpose.

The act of turning the completed work into a fun book, rather than sticking it in their workbook or placing it into their portfolios, is a simple vehicle carrying them towards the inherent rewards we all strive for at any age but are so often denied within classrooms.

Quite a big difference in student ownership for the bargain-basement cost of 3-4 staples and 2 cuts in the pages ;).  Of course these effects came around a little by accident as this activity was built "on the fly" by myself and another teacher when driven to it by necessity; we were also a little surprised by the enthusiasm with which the students attacked the task.  Despite this, when looking back it's still a nice illustration of how finding simple ways to incorporate solid avenues to these ideals can have a real and positive effect on the lessons you deliver.

See you next time!

Mel.

Microsoft Skydrive is now "OneDrive".

Hello everyone,

Microsoft, following it's current "we need new "trendier" names for things" policy, has renamed Skydrive to "OneDrive".

We've changed the name of the tab at the top of the page to reflect this but nothing has really changed.  Everything is still on our OneDrive that used to be on Skydrive and, in fact, they simply moved everything with the new name.

Like the Hotmail change to Outlook, all of the old weblinks still work.  If you've bookmarked anything on the Skydrive the link will still work just fine.

Regards,

Mel.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

'Quenching Crankiness'. Finding professional reading articles in unlikely areas.

I took my son to the local GP last week for a check up and while sitting in the waiting room I found something that grabbed my interest.  This clinic was putting out a two page patient information leaflet addressing different medical conditions and general health advice.  I read through the first leaflet (they even had a cross word to complete with all the answers contained in the articles in this edition) and wow, this was great.

I could even go to the doctor's office and gain some Professional Reading time!  I scanned the front of the leaflet again and found that I was reading December's edition.  There was more?

We were called in by my son's doctor at this stage and the leaflet was pushed to the back of my memory until we were back out at the desk paying for the appointment.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw the mother-load.  There were three piles of leaflets for the last three months (Dec 2013, Jan 2014 and this month's, Feb 2014).  I made sure I picked up one for each before we headed for the door.

I have since read each leaflet cover to cover, taking in the information on offer.  Professional Reading and lesson ideas can sometimes pop up in the most unlikely of places.  I just wanted to remind you to keep your eyes open, wherever you are, and you might be amazed at what you sometimes find.

The link below is to one of the articles from the January 2014 edition on water and how important it is for all of us to drink.  Am I cranky in the classroom because I forgot to have a good drink?  Are my students cranky from forgetting to have a good drink after a stint in a hot and sunny playground?  Of course it's not telling me anything that I don't already know but a solid reminder to put us back on our toes is a good thing every once in a while!


https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=D641AD8750D17A5%211913

This article could also be used in the classroom in literacy, mathematics. health and physical education too!

Mel

Friday, February 21, 2014

New CRT booklet!

Hello everyone,

For the past few months Network members and ourselves have been putting the final touches on the creation of a new guidebook for CRTs.  It is mainly aimed at those new to CRT work who might not yet have an avenue to experienced CRTs to question on the various topics.  The idea is to help you short-circuit the sometimes arduous journey from being a new CRT to being a desirable one being offered work on a frequent basis; to make the task of establishing yourself as easy as humanly possible.

The booklet is designed to help you integrate into the profession with advice on how to make sure you leave a positive impact in every school and classroom you walk into. 

The topics covered:
  • Who do you want to be as a CRT?
  • Basic Work Ethics.
  • Starting with the basics.
  • Professional Development and Collegial Learning.
  • Appropriate collegial opportunities.
  • High maintenance areas of learning.
  • Specialize in something useful.
  • Planning as a CRT.
  • Your "CRT Toolkit" or "Bag of Tricks".
  • Don't be on the outside looking in.
  • Using professional Development.
  • Be open to change.
  • It's not your classroom.
  • Be Proactive.
  • Summary;  Being a desirable CRT.
  • Victoria specific information (local version ONLY)


 Other related topics are also included as "side notes".   All in all there is 15 pages of down-to-earth adivice (not including the cover page and topics list) from about 30 contributing CRTs.

The local version (which is complete and has additional Victoria specific content) is designed to be freely available to ALL Victorian CRTs.  We are currently exploring avenues to make this part of the plan happen.

Outside of Victoria the booklet will be on sale through my personal Teachers Pay Teachers store.  All profits from the sale of the booklet will go right into the Wodonga and Shepparton CRT Support Networks in order to continue providing professional development/learning opportunities for Hume region CRTs.  This not only helps us maintain our registration but also raises the professional profile of CRTs and benefits the 1000's of Victorian students which we teach.

Regards,

Mel.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Free Online PD opportunities updated and Ballarat's new Wiki

Over the last week, I have updated the list of free online PD in tthe right hand column.  This list will hopefully continue to grow as free online opportunities avaliable.

We have also updated the Ballarat CRT Network Blog to their new Wiki.  You can find their new Wiki link in the right hand column under Network Blogs and Wikis.  Ballarat Network has also started a pinterest page to support their CRTs.  The link to their Pinterest page under the name of their co-ordinator is below; http://www.pinterest.com/annedevilliers/

Mel

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Documentary: Kids on Speed?

KIDS ON SPEED? is a hybrid of observational documentary, factual intervention and social experiment. Working together for the first time, a team of experts, led by dynamic Clinical Psychologist Professor Mark Dadds, put 4 families with 5 children suspected of having ADHD, through a cutting edge evidence based 9-week intervention program. The stakes are high. The families are at the end of their tethers having been everywhere for help to no avail and the experts are putting their reputations on the line, as they seek a new treatment gold standard for one of the most stigmatized, misunderstood and misdiagnosed disorders affecting children today Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

The first of the three episodes was aired on ABC1 last Thursday night.  But don't fear, you are able to watch the episode through ABC iview for the next 12 days.  Each episode runs for about 57 minutes.

The second epsode is airing on ABC1 this Thursday night (13 February 2014) at 8.30pm and the last the Thursday after that.

Well worth the time to watch.  Thank you to Shayne from Horsham/Wimmera CRT Network for letting us know about this documentary.

Mel

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

VIT PRT Seminars 2014

VIT have scheduled PRT seminars to run throughout Victoria in Terms 1 & 2 this year.  Below are the locations and dates of the PRT seminars closest to Wodonga.

Term 2
Shepparton
Thursday 1 May 2014
Quality Hotel Parklake

Wodonga
Wednesday 21 May 2014
TafeSPACE

Format of Seminars
Registration and afternoon tea: from 3.30pm
Victoria Teachers Mutual Bank - Financial Literacy: 4.00pm
Victorian Institute of Teaching: 4.30pm - 6.30pm

To register, follow the steps below
1. Access MyVIT via the following link: https://my.vit.vic.edu.au
2. Log in using your account number and password
3. Access 'My Events' from the left hand navigator on bar.  Provisionally Registered Teachers sessions will be listed here.
4. Select the seminar you wish to attend and click on 'Proceed to Register'.  At the top of the next page click the 'Register' button.

You can find full details here:
http://www.vit.vic.edu.au/teachersupport/Pages/Support-to-become-a-fully-registered.aspx

Regards,

Mel

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Monthly Meetings page updated and February Meeting 2014 details

Hello all,

Welcome to the start of another busy year.  We hope you have had a lovely relaxed holiday seasons.
A couple of things have been updated today on the blog and more will be updated over the next week or so.  We are also gathering information on different seminars that are of interest to our CRTs.  These details will also be posted.  To get things kicked off for the year, we have put details up on the AEU Kick Start PD running next week in the post below and updated the details of the monthly meetings run in Wodonga up until June, so you are able to put these dates into your diary.

Our first scheduled meeting is set for Thursday 20 February at Wodonga South P.S Library from 4.00-6.30pm.  All are welcome.  We are looking at Icebreakers to get things moving in the classroom in Term one.  Please find full details at the FEBRUARY MEETING 2014 tab at the top of this page.

We look forward to seeing you and hope you have a smooth start to this very hot 2014 year.

Regards,

Mel

AEU Kick Starter PD for CRTs

The Victorian AEU have announced their first PD for the year and it is aimed at CRTs.

Details
Wednesday 5 February 2014
9.30am to 3.30pm with catering provided.
AEU Conference Centre, 112 Trenerry Cresent, Abbotsford
Cost will depend on if you are an AEU member or not.

Attendees receive a certificate, 6 hours of Professional Learning all linked against the VIT Standards.

For full details, go to www.aeuvic.asn.au/crt_kickstarterflyer2014.pdf

To register go to www.tln.org.au/kickstart

This is a great opportunity for CRTs so you will need to be quick to get a seat.  Seats are limited.

Regards,

Mel