|
VT's FREE Newsletter for Educators - Insight, Inspiration and Ideas that Work!
LISTEN to WHAT THE KIDS SAY
They will learn what they love.
|
|
 |
Hello Everyone,
It's been an incredibly busy couple of weeks. Sports Carnivals, Special Days, and Education Week. I hope you all survived.
I have also had some amazingly illuminating moments with kids. When they have themselves explicity spoken about how they learn and what they like.
If you listen they will tell you what they need and how they learn best.
this from a future artist Graphic Designer.
"I need to draw first to get the ideas."
Who would have denied Picasso his right to draw.
|
|
Spread the Word about VT, email this newsletter to someone you think might love it.
Have a great fornight.
|
I have forced myself to contradict myself in order to avoid conforming
to my own taste. -Marcel Duchamp, artist (28 Jul 1887-1968)
Folks seem to be chatting a lot about differentiation this week. I love activities that have different entry and exit points so that all students are challenged but also weaker students are accomodated. Focusing on just the graded content doesn't cover it, different learning styles also need to be considered. One of my students, a brilliant illustrator, struggling reader and mathmatician profoundly said:
"I need to draw first to get the idea."
He knew how he needed to learn.
So we have set him up with a clipboard, as he listens he illustrates.
"Once upon a time, the animals decided they must do something heroic to meet the problems of "a new world".
So they organised a school.
They adopted an active curriculum consisting of running, climbing, swimming, and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects.
The duck was excellent in swimming, in fact better than his instructors; but he made only passing grades in flying and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to stay after school and also drop swimming
in order to practice running. This was kept up until his web feet were badly worn and he was only average in swimming. But average was acceptable in school, so nobody worried about that except the duck..............."
I have always loved this Fable.
|
SEABOARD GRAND
Inspiration at your fingertips
The Seaboard GRAND is a radically new musical instrument that
reimagines the piano keyboard as a soft, continuous surface and puts expression back at your fingertips.
|
iPads SMASH APPs Google Earth, Explain Everything and the iPad Camera.
I have had a great time this week working on measuring, area, and visualisation.
the kids loved it.
1. Use the trundle wheels to measure the school. Measure the
basket ball court, the football field,
the size of the buildings, the
toilet block, the distance from your classroom to the
toilets? the hall
and anything else you want to.
2. Record your results in metres. 3. Zoom in on your school using google earth
(or google maps) and take a screen shot on the iPad
4. Open Explain Everything and load the image of your school, set it as a background image.5. Add lines and measurements and labels to your image.
6. Take a photo of yourself and your partner use the lasso tool to crop yourself
out of the background.
7. Press the record button in Explain Everything and Explainhow you did it, move the pictures of yourself and your partner around to help you explain.
And what did the kids say - Fabulous.
They were motivated and engaged and helping each other. |
I do answer all emails so send them along with your questions ideas and great sites.
Hi Cathy
I just wanted to say well done! I have only just begun as a subscriber to your web site. For many years I have been a subscriber to many OS sites but your's is truly Aussie. Great work and thank you.
Maria
Thanks Maria
|
|
This Newsletter is not free, despite the misleading advertising above. The Fee is now due. Each week you must help one colleague on the Internet who has less knowledge than you.Help that person even if you have to visit their classroom or do a little research and get back to them. Trust me, this will help a lot of people get their computer classrooms running better. OK I'm trusting you!!!
|
|
1. GOT SOMETHING TO SAY - Send in your Questions, Questions will be published with Answers, send in your Answers, if you have expertise to share.
2. NOMINATE A BRILLIANT SITE for review and inclusion in this newsletter.
3. NOMINATE A FANTASTIC SCHOOL WEBSITE site for review and inclusion in this newsletter.
4. MAKE CONTACT with other schools using fantastic programs.
5. WRITE and innovative article for this newsletter.
6. TELL 2 COLLEAGUES about this newsletter.
7. BECOME A VT SUPPORTER CLICK HERE $5 per year, and keep a good thing going. Your name + a hyperlink if you, like will appear on our supporters list.(unless anonymity is requested)
Announce your support for innovation and change in Education.
|
The opinions expressed here are purely those of the editor, Cathy Brown. All other small print clauses apply. Such as: Use at your own risk. Nothing in life is guaranteed. If it doesn't work for you send an email or tweet me.
Editor: Cathy Brown cathy@virtualteacher.com.au
|
|
Delivered FREE to your e-mail box. If you have been lucky enough to get this Newsletter from a friend, press this BUTTON to subscribe. And get your FREE FORTUNE COOKIE XX
|
|
Reach a growing audience of teachers, by advertising in the Virtual Teacher Newsletter or on the Virtual Teacher site. For more information goto Virtual Teacher Sponsors or contact, cathy@virtualteacher.com.au
For information about inservice and training contact me at
cathy@virtualteacher.com.au
|
|
|  | |
