Comments for I Should Be Marking http://happyhippy.edublogs.org IT in education and the myth of the work-life balance Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:01:41 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 Comment on Big Ideas, Big Problems by Ben Wilkoff http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/2009/11/19/big-ideas-big-problems/comment-page-1/#comment-1188 Ben Wilkoff Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:01:41 +0000 http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/?p=323#comment-1188 I would definitely try to do this with moodle. Moodle acts like glue in a lot of ways. It allows you to stick together anything that you want. You want web conferencing, there is a free DimDim plugin that allows full integration within a course for up to 20 participants (including recording and everything). You want single-sign-on to wordpress or Google Apps... there are pre-built plugins to do both. You want to tie it to your active directory login system that you may already be using with kids... that is pretty easy too right out of the box. I believe that many other LMS/CMS products are quite good, but the only one that I have really found to have the community to sustain all of the things I want to do is Moodle. I have seen some pretty sweet hacks of the moodle theme as well, but I think that you would be adding a lot if you were able to put flash and a few other things in and then share out the ideas on how you did it. Talk to you soon. I would definitely try to do this with moodle. Moodle acts like glue in a lot of ways. It allows you to stick together anything that you want. You want web conferencing, there is a free DimDim plugin that allows full integration within a course for up to 20 participants (including recording and everything). You want single-sign-on to wordpress or Google Apps… there are pre-built plugins to do both. You want to tie it to your active directory login system that you may already be using with kids… that is pretty easy too right out of the box.

I believe that many other LMS/CMS products are quite good, but the only one that I have really found to have the community to sustain all of the things I want to do is Moodle.

I have seen some pretty sweet hacks of the moodle theme as well, but I think that you would be adding a lot if you were able to put flash and a few other things in and then share out the ideas on how you did it. Talk to you soon.

]]> Comment on New GCSE ICT Specifications by Steve Brook http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/2009/07/02/new-gcse-ict-specifications/comment-page-1/#comment-1187 Steve Brook Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:36:02 +0000 http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/?p=293#comment-1187 Would agree completely with the comments about Edexcel. We currently do Edexcel and will not be going anywhere near their new spec. It is all designed to sell resources such as the awful Active teach cdroms. Would agree completely with the comments about Edexcel. We currently do Edexcel and will not be going anywhere near their new spec. It is all designed to sell resources such as the awful Active teach cdroms.

]]> Comment on More thoughts on e-Books by Jeanette McLeod http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/2009/09/27/more-thoughts-on-e-books/comment-page-1/#comment-1186 Jeanette McLeod Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:01:19 +0000 http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/?p=307#comment-1186 Great post Mark. It is great to see teachers exploring the possibilities of e-books for encouraging children to read more. When games/internet/media so readily available for kids it can be hard to get them reading. Depending on the age group you are talking about we could make our multi-media books available to you for your trial. No special device needed just a PC. They are aimed at young/emerging readers, feature read along to the text as the words highlight, or click on unfamiliar words to hear them spoken, as well as animated illustrations. There is also a comprehension quiz at the end of each book & auto-turning pages. Just let me know if I can help. Great post Mark. It is great to see teachers exploring the possibilities of e-books for encouraging children to read more. When games/internet/media so readily available for kids it can be hard to get them reading. Depending on the age group you are talking about we could make our multi-media books available to you for your trial. No special device needed just a PC. They are aimed at young/emerging readers, feature read along to the text as the words highlight, or click on unfamiliar words to hear them spoken, as well as animated illustrations. There is also a comprehension quiz at the end of each book & auto-turning pages. Just let me know if I can help.

]]> Comment on Encouraging literacy by happyhippy http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/2009/09/18/encouraging-literacy/comment-page-1/#comment-1184 happyhippy Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:42:37 +0000 http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/?p=304#comment-1184 In response to Dai, I agree whole heartedly with the idea about the hook being the device. The idea came about largely because I use my smartphone (HTC Touch) as an ebook reader and go through about a novel a week. I love the fact that it is smaller than a book, stores dozens upon dozens of texts and is always in my pocket so I can sneak a quick couple of pages while in a queue, shopping with the missus, etc. Because of that, it is entirely possible that my ideas are too subjective - in that they sound wonderful to me, but might well be a total disaster in the classroom. By admission, I'm a reading addict and what works for me might well be the polar opposite of what might work for more reluctant readers. In response to Kate, I agree that reading for reading's sake is important. I would rather my son read the back of a cereal packet than nothing at all. Keeping things on topic, if we did go down the route of buying devices, students could load up a range of texts, not just books. In response to Dai, I agree whole heartedly with the idea about the hook being the device. The idea came about largely because I use my smartphone (HTC Touch) as an ebook reader and go through about a novel a week. I love the fact that it is smaller than a book, stores dozens upon dozens of texts and is always in my pocket so I can sneak a quick couple of pages while in a queue, shopping with the missus, etc.

Because of that, it is entirely possible that my ideas are too subjective – in that they sound wonderful to me, but might well be a total disaster in the classroom. By admission, I’m a reading addict and what works for me might well be the polar opposite of what might work for more reluctant readers.

In response to Kate, I agree that reading for reading’s sake is important. I would rather my son read the back of a cereal packet than nothing at all. Keeping things on topic, if we did go down the route of buying devices, students could load up a range of texts, not just books.

]]> Comment on Encouraging literacy by misetak http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/2009/09/18/encouraging-literacy/comment-page-1/#comment-1183 misetak Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:28:53 +0000 http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/?p=304#comment-1183 Al the talk of technology is interesting, but why do they have to read books, whether paper or electronic? If you are looking for their ability to analyse a piece of writing, why not get them to read newspaper articles, technical magazines or even blogs!! Just a thought. :-) Al the talk of technology is interesting, but why do they have to read books, whether paper or electronic? If you are looking for their ability to analyse a piece of writing, why not get them to read newspaper articles, technical magazines or even blogs!!
Just a thought.
:-)

]]> Comment on Encouraging literacy by daibarnes http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/2009/09/18/encouraging-literacy/comment-page-1/#comment-1182 daibarnes Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:04:25 +0000 http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/?p=304#comment-1182 Good idea in principle Mark, but I imagine it would take a long time to bed down, dispel the wow factor, keep them on task on the device etc. It will become more accepted at some point as more devices flood schools and children's lives. Reading your post and comments I can't get the idea of poetry out of my head. Three people find a poem, read aloud, and then the class vote on favourite? Also, maybe, could this ever replace the book? Speed of access in a 15 minute slot? One of the hooks about eReaders is that the device, like a phone, belongs to the reader who can control it's flexible content at their convenience. Handing them out only makes sense when the time scale and activity demand it. Soon enough buying a device for each child every three years is going to be cheaper than buying the many class sets of text books that we do at the moment. Maybe, if someone did the maths, we'd see that this time might be upon us already. Just needs a Headteacher/LA with the gumption to try it. Good idea in principle Mark, but I imagine it would take a long time to bed down, dispel the wow factor, keep them on task on the device etc.

It will become more accepted at some point as more devices flood schools and children’s lives. Reading your post and comments I can’t get the idea of poetry out of my head. Three people find a poem, read aloud, and then the class vote on favourite?

Also, maybe, could this ever replace the book? Speed of access in a 15 minute slot? One of the hooks about eReaders is that the device, like a phone, belongs to the reader who can control it’s flexible content at their convenience. Handing them out only makes sense when the time scale and activity demand it. Soon enough buying a device for each child every three years is going to be cheaper than buying the many class sets of text books that we do at the moment. Maybe, if someone did the maths, we’d see that this time might be upon us already. Just needs a Headteacher/LA with the gumption to try it.

]]> Comment on Pavlov’s Dogs by Suzi Bewell http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/2009/07/09/pavlovs-dogs/comment-page-1/#comment-1181 Suzi Bewell Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:15:08 +0000 http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/?p=296#comment-1181 I am in the process of reading NLP for teachers and came across a chapter very similar to what you are saying and have been experimenting at home with my young children and also in class. It is fair to say that the ignored child then often craves the attention even more but starts to focus on doing something right / praiseworthy. "CATCH EM DOING SOMETHING RIGHT!" There is an interesting section on peripheral vision and praising to the left and right of the offending child thus focussing the attention in the direction of but not at the "naughty" / attention seeking child. Interesting stuff. thanks for the post :) Suzi Bewell I am in the process of reading NLP for teachers and came across a chapter very similar to what you are saying and have been experimenting at home with my young children and also in class. It is fair to say that the ignored child then often craves the attention even more but starts to focus on doing something right / praiseworthy. “CATCH EM DOING SOMETHING RIGHT!”
There is an interesting section on peripheral vision and praising to the left and right of the offending child thus focussing the attention in the direction of but not at the “naughty” / attention seeking child. Interesting stuff.
thanks for the post :)
Suzi Bewell

]]> Comment on Encouraging literacy by happyhippy http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/2009/09/18/encouraging-literacy/comment-page-1/#comment-1179 happyhippy Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:56:43 +0000 http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/?p=304#comment-1179 I'm also not sure that the classics is the way to go. Some of my strongest beliefs are that reading a cereal packet is better thn reading nothing, and forcing a particular book on someone is the best way to put them off reading. . A colleague of mine in the English department is keen to look at the project and while I know many who much prefer paper themselves - I'm sure they'd prefer to see kids reading on their mobile devices than not reading at all. I’m also not sure that the classics is the way to go. Some of my strongest beliefs are that reading a cereal packet is better thn reading nothing, and forcing a particular book on someone is the best way to put them off reading. .

A colleague of mine in the English department is keen to look at the project and while I know many who much prefer paper themselves – I’m sure they’d prefer to see kids reading on their mobile devices than not reading at all.

]]> Comment on Encouraging literacy by dominic_mcg http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/2009/09/18/encouraging-literacy/comment-page-1/#comment-1178 dominic_mcg Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:47:13 +0000 http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/?p=304#comment-1178 At my school the students have a weekly reading lesson (SQUIRT Sustained Quiet UnInterrupted Reading Time) in which they are supposed to read for 20 minutes. Some of them won't and some of them would read all day if I let them. I like the idea of listening to and following a text, something I do in Modern Languages but mainly to improve pronunciation rather than reading skills. The DS has a 100 classic books cartridge available which seems like it might be fun. It's certainly easier to carry a DS than 100 books, but would the students want to read classics? I'm not so sure. Reading is a tricky subject anyway. Nobody wants to be told to read a book. It 's something to encourage and nurture in our students, but will they ever enjoy it? I don't think my colleagues in the English department would like the idea of pupils reading anything other than good old paper books. But if any of your ideas work, I'd love to know. Dom. At my school the students have a weekly reading lesson (SQUIRT Sustained Quiet UnInterrupted Reading Time) in which they are supposed to read for 20 minutes. Some of them won’t and some of them would read all day if I let them.
I like the idea of listening to and following a text, something I do in Modern Languages but mainly to improve pronunciation rather than reading skills. The DS has a 100 classic books cartridge available which seems like it might be fun. It’s certainly easier to carry a DS than 100 books, but would the students want to read classics? I’m not so sure.
Reading is a tricky subject anyway. Nobody wants to be told to read a book. It ’s something to encourage and nurture in our students, but will they ever enjoy it?
I don’t think my colleagues in the English department would like the idea of pupils reading anything other than good old paper books. But if any of your ideas work, I’d love to know.
Dom.

]]> Comment on 10 Things I have learned from Twitter by Doug Belshaw http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/2009/06/10/10-things-i-have-learned-from-twitter/comment-page-1/#comment-1174 Doug Belshaw Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:27:27 +0000 http://happyhippy.edublogs.org/?p=271#comment-1174 Great to know you can feel like you can let off steam to myself and others in your network. We're here to share the highs and the lows! :-) Great to know you can feel like you can let off steam to myself and others in your network. We’re here to share the highs and the lows! :-)

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