La Biche by Maurice Rollinat (1846-1903)

The Boy Who Sometimes Loved Hats

Creative Blogs for the Classroom

1. http://paperforest.blogspot.com/

I have followed this blog for a few years now and it still continues to amaze me. It can be used across all three stages just for the sheer diversity of things represented that have all been folded, cut or constructed out of paper. I have used it extensively with stage 2 and 3 during an investigation into the nature of paper as a material. Its visuals, links and downloadable templates are fascinating as it seems to manage to present basically anything  and everything known to mankind in a paper version. Kids love it!

2.http://theartblog.org/

There are dozens of art blogs out there but this one offers Stage 3 students a little more in the way of virtual exhibitions, debates about art theory and access to the world and concepts of contemporary art. It acts and looks like an online art magazine that provides students with images of how artists worldwide are grappling with the issues of life. One post I have used with a stage 3 class involved the work of artists who combine art and mathematics through graphing and statistics. From links to 'zines' or art galleries both major and regional, the 'artblog' is a true treasure of visual references and discussion no matter what the KLA. 

Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears

Above are two text innovations on Emily Gravett's book picture book "Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears'. The book is essentially about various phobias and their contexts. The text innovation calls for student s to use their knowledge of etymology of words to describe particular fears and in some cases a certain amount of creativity in linking invented phobias and words. Students are also asked to elaborate on the particulars of their invented or perhaps real phobia.

Copyright In The Classroom

Can I copy material from the internet for research?

 

Yes you can copy material from the internet for research purposes however you should first check the website for copyright statements. This is also only possible as long as it is for research or study and is within the guidelines of what constitutes fair use.

 

What constitutes research and fair use?

 

 ‘Fair’ use of text material published in electronic form states that only 10% of the number of words or one chapter may be printed or downloaded.

‘ Research or study’ refers to the ‘acquistion of knowledge, as by reading, investigation or reflection” (Macquarie Dictionary). This method of investigation should require a degree of skill and analysis to acquire. Copying for research cannot be used for  commercial purposes.

Can students ( university or school ) use music in videos that they make?

Primary and secondary students can make certain video and audio recordings of music through the joint licence agreement with AMCOS and ARIA (http://www.apra.com.au) . Students will be able to dub music however generally they will need permission to use music in videos. 

Top Three Ideas For New Generation Teachers

1. Visual representations of vocabulary words where students can use word processing, drawing and music to produce a single document (Barone & Wright, 2008, p295)

2. Book Blogs for class book clubs. Students review the class texts and respond to other students’ ideas and suggestions. (Barone & Wright, 2008, p297)

3. Student blogs of shared science experiments and ideas about environmental science. Schools and communities around the world can share ideas, response and solutions.

Pericles, K. (2008). Happily blogging @ Belmore South. SCAN, 27(2), 4-6 http://www.curriculumsupport.educati on.nsw.gov.au/schoollibraries/

Wordle’ Clouds

Wordle.net, a website listed in the Callow (2007) reading, is self-described as a “toy for creating word clouds’ (Wordle.net). I immediately entered a favourite poem to see what “cloud’ would appear, tweaked the fonts, layouts and colour schemes to be rewarded with an interesting poetic image which I imagine could be useful as a thematic stage 3 literacy backdrop. Words can be enlarged and emphasized through repeated typing. As a teacher Wordle can be safely used in the classroom as it is possible to configure an institution's "site-blocking" software to keep Wordle safe for classroom use. You can print your creations by taking a “screen shot’ and then use then on fabric, postcards, business cards, posters etc. It has multiple uses across all KLAs as students can create their own ‘word clouds’ based on subject vocabulary or texts.

The Visual Generation

The knowledge that we are preparing our students for jobs and sometimes whole occupations that do not currently exist has been around for some considerable time now.  The educational philosophy that has emerged as a result is that we need to teach our students to be independent learners, to be fluid and flexible, and to work collaboratively and co-operatively.  This is a high ideal but one that as teachers we can work towards incrementally by considering the ‘changing landscape of communication’ (McDougall 2007) particularly in regards to literacy for the ‘visual generation’.

 

The current Critical Literacy approach to teaching English emphasises skills in both appreciation and expression.  Our students must be able to identify linguistic techniques and evaluate their effectiveness and then judiciously apply them to their original texts.  Consequently, we need to provide our students with a variety of learning opportunities to analyse and create meaningful and effective texts. Inherent in this approach is an acknowledgement that as teachers we won’t have all the answers and that we won’t always agree; however our goal is to explore what being literate means for our students in recognition of the multimodal nature of communication and texts in today’s learning environment.

 

McDougall, J. (2007). Engaging the visual generation: some Queensland teachers come to terms with changing literacies. Screen Education(46), 130-137 

New Literacies

Learning in the 21st century requires both teachers and students to reflect on a changing mindset towards technology as it permeates all areas of life and learning. New literacies require educators to broaden their perspectives on what is significant and how learning is to be transferred using technologies that reach beyond the classroom to bring the world and all its possibilities back in. New literacies are based entirely on the  sharing of information through endless linkages and possibilities for learning. The interconnectedness of these new mindsets require educators to re-examine current curriculum practices but at the same time to also be ever vigilant in questioning the relevance of sources. New literacies are about continually exploring the world from the personal to the local to the global. 

Callow, J. (2008). New literacies, New York & Web 2.0: a little knowledge is a helpful thing! SCAN, 27(4), 13-16

Illusion or Dellusion

Hoax websites such as the "Great Lost Tree Octopus" bring to light the frightening facts of unreliable resources being used and left unquestioned by a large proportion of critically unaware students. Educators are calling for more support to develop students' critical digital literacy since students are increasingly unable to decipher which online resources are accurate or reliable. Reading on the web is unlike reading in print and students have no critical literacy for determining what information is relevant. Educators need more development on how to assess students critical literacy of digital media. They need to know how to develop students ability to ask critical questions when researching online such as what are the underlining values of what they are reading, who is the intended audience and who has ownership over such information? New technologies have managed to create classrooms connected to the world however not all of these virtual environments are positive learning avenues for teachers and students alike.