room9

May- LT used the coaching program again but this time to show how to put easi speak and photos onto powerpoint. The teacher intends to use this for a reading powerpoint to encourage fluent reading. While the children were all keen and wanting to do this once Sue was not in class our "experts" couldn't remember what to do. Sue confirmed that I was expecting a lot of them!

I have been keen for the children to be using the computers in the class as part of our writing programme every day. I talked with Sue about how best to go about this. May-June We have had the three computers on every day and have a list with each computer as who is going to be next, the person on the computer shows the next person what to do. This worked well but seemed a bit purposeless, yes the computers were all being used and a variation of the coaching model was also working - which did make me feel better as twice it has been introduced in my class and both times the whole class didn't get through it!! The children are much more able to solve their own problems rather than come to me, and all children are keen for their turn and are much more comfident with simple things such as turning the computer on, and saving their work. We have just saved the work in one document on each computer.

Sue has come back and shown the whole class how her class has made a powerpoint during writing time and that the children are able to read it at reading time. The holidays will interferr with us using this, but hopefully some will remember what to do.... the last week of school, we didn't have much luck though and many were seeking me out to sort out problems!!!!

As I have become more confident with the technology that I can use and access from class it has been easier to plan and incorporate it in to my teaching, an example of this has been that we can print to the photocopier. So now when the children finish writing on the computers we can print it off and stick it straight into their draft writing books. They love nipping over to the photocopier to get it and sticking it into their books. We have also used the internet to find music to listen to as part of our music appreciation, although I need to have this arranged so I know exactly where to go etc before we need it - as some of what the kids have suggested has had linited appeal!!!

During weeks 8-10 I used a web site on the internet called multiplication.com as a rotation in my maths programme. The children worked in pairs and rotated around three multiplication and division activities. I booked and used the laptop pod, it was great to have the pod in the middle block. the kids loved the programme and many went home and played it at home too.

Term 3. Week 1 - Went to the maths synposium in the hols and an excellent workshop on the NZMaths web. I feel much more confident using this site now and I have explored this website so that I could use it with the kids. Found a great game on multiples that I wanted to play with them using the data projector and then have them use it eg with the pod but couldn't get it to work at school. Very frustrated - managed to get it onto the laptop, - accidentally! But then not onto the other classroom computers asked a few likely experts around school. But no-one came back with the answer so ended up spending an hour after syndicate meeting solving it. We are now using it everyday!!

LT- class teacher has been solving ICT problems on her own which shows a big increase in confidence levels. She helped another teacher move her computers sorting out wires and leads. this increased confidence in having a go and perservering with problems will rubb off on the students as they see that tech is not a fuss and problems are overcome.

July - recaped with class how to problem solve with power ;point stories so a virtual book can be made to alos use in reading program. I have tried to get the power point stories going. I can see the value of the kids writing them so that they read them as part our reading programme. The kids while willing to do this forget to remind me when it is their turn, and unless I say 'whose on the computer today' they don't. I do have a class list by the computer but the kids just don't seem that keen and fired up to really be begging me to be using the computer during writing time - not sure why not.... maybe we don't use computer to read off at reading time, need to look at reading rotations to make it part of what we do.

Aug- Power spoint story books havent taken off. the purpose wasnt there as it wasnt going to be used as a book in reading. It is important to keep the purpose behind any ICT. Giving that LT showed how to track changes using word. Goal to have students using class computers and track changes each writing session.

Aug - Tried again to get kids inspired and purpose driven - thought we could use the computers to take photos and write about key comps.....using the power point stories. I had computers all on before school so kids could see and read previous days entries etc....had kids work with a buddy, one take the photos, both write etc. Keen to have camera on their desks but very few photos taken without my prompting..... Because the kids have finally got the idea of using the power point, when Sue came in to show us how to track changes you need to use a word doc so that meant that they couldn't use power point. So kids now use one computer to write on power point stories and other to work on a word doc and track changes. The kids like that they can print to the photocopier anda put their copy into their writing books. I am reminding kids everyday to use computers. The kids really like me using the data projector and we use it in all subjects. It is a great tool and I wouldn't want to go back to teaching without it!

Sept - We are once again using the laptops as a maths rotation to play a fractions game. They are learning about how big different fractions are and learning to order them. They are very keen to use computers and it is great to hear them discussing which fraction is bigger or smaller. Nz Maths website and digistore are also favourites and we play some of the games as a class. We have also together up-dated our class wiki and I think that we will continue to have a shared writing slot timetabled in to continue to add to our wiki. they were very keen to be involved in this and had heaps of ideas about what we could do. Maybe adding to our wiki could be a way of getting them to use the computers at writing time...... End of term 3. Sue patiently came back and showed some experts how to add stuff to our wiki and we started having a shared writing spot on a friday where we talked about what we could add and began adding stuff. The kids were much more excited and felt keen to add to the wiki BUT I got a bit side-tracked with the picaso photo programme which mucked up the photos and ended up everywhere I didn't want it to be which made it hard for the kids to find the photos that they wanted and transferr them on. But I hope I have this sorted and we will continue on with this next term,the kids had heaps of ideas about what they want to add, talked heaps about what they had been learning and how it would be good to share it. They have real purpose! Our other success was "just in time" teaching (probably re-teaching!!!) by Sue of how to use the easy speak. We made a class power point of whether we agreed or disagreed with a new coal mine as part of our topic and when we successfully completed this decided to add sound using the easi-speak. Sue trained up our experts and away they went! Yay everyone participated and was involved and had their SAY!!! They proudly presented it to their parents in our celebration of learning evening. This is when I feel great about ICT, and what's even better I knew nothing about how to do it and the kids solved all their own problems.

End of Year Comments:- It has been a steep leaning curve but not one that I would have missed!! Thank you so much Sue for your patience as I often needed stuff shown to me over and over rather than just once or a sheet of instructions, and also the gentle nudges (big pushes) to feel confident enough to let the kids loose with the new technology! The kids have no fears and are right in to it and it is great to learn along side them and for them to be the experts. I love the way that the kids are totally engaged when they have the laptops in the room, how they work together and take turns and talk about their learning, they are in charge of not only what they need to do, but also willing to take the next steps for themselves.It has been wonderful to have that techy expertise right next door and to have mine or the kids problems solved generally on site straight away. Having the data projector and using the internet has really brought the whole world right into our classroom. The successes that I have personally experienced make me feel good about trying new stuff and being willing to follow the kids and see what they can achieve when purposefully working with ICT.