All our classes have class blogs and we have been dabbling with Student blogging for a few years.  I began the students with KidBlogs and think it is a wonderful introduction – very easy to manage from a teachers perspective and easy to use from a student’s view.  There are enough features to introduce them [...]

My short introductory presentation at TeachMeet Melbourne 16 Feb 2012 I would like to set the scene as to where our gathering today  fits in to a much larger picture. 1. The concept of Teachmeet is not new – the earliest mentions I found seemed to be around 2005 and associated with Ewan McIntosh from [...]

Day Two of the 2012 school year, 55 senior primary students, class teachers and support staff  jumped in the deep end – collaborating, connecting and creating.   Firstly, we took the opportunity to participate in World Safer Internet day activities.  Beginning with an on-line ‘Blackboard Collaborate’ session presented by Greg Gebhert from ACMA and arranged by [...]

Thoughts on the beginning of the school year. We hear the phrase “information overload” and think about the wealth of resources and information available to us in this age of the internet.  As the new school year approaches with increasing speed, I am experiencing “ideas overload”.   Browsing Twitter, websites and blogs and talking with my [...]

Reflecting on the year at our school, a major theme would have to be CONNECTING. A few examples follow … In the past week, I have watched our classes finish up for the school year – the usual gift giving, carol singing, graduation ceremonies, packing, moving classes and reminiscing. This year our classes had not [...]

Last week I attended a two day ‘conference’ at Ravenswood school in Sydney.  The dynamic Summer Charlesworth (@edusum) had arranged for Alec and George Couros to be part of the school Travelling Inspiring Educators Program.   There were many ‘take-aways’ from this feast of ideas and challenges.  I have struggled to synthesise it since, so [...]

Do you remember when you were in Prep/Kindergarten?  If it was anything like my experience, we sat in rows, recited and learned by rote.   Personally, I have very few memories but there is no doubt that we learned to read and be numerate.  We began our schooling with a strong sense that education was given [...]

What makes 40+ teachers give up an afternoon of their precious holidays and come from all over town to talk ‘shop’?  I guess the answer is that there are a variety of motivations.  Yesterday, I shared a few hours with such a group: our first Melbourne Teach Meet.  I wrote about the beginnings in a [...]

We are in the midst of a term break from the regular school activities, but that has not stopped some of my colleagues from consulting with each and collaborating on school based matters (and a few non-school based ones as well). After a gentle reminder of the potential of Yammer by @HamishCurry from The State [...]

We are often asked to consider what evidence we have to prove that our teaching initiatives are working towards positive outcomes for our students – sometimes it is easier to identify than others. I am currently beginning a Professional Learning adventure – expanding my horizons and participating in the Professional Learning Flagship Program: Leading Curriculum [...]