I am boring.  

Despite the fact that I have years of experience teaching in classrooms across Ontario...despite the fact that I am an 'Educational Technology Specialist'...and despite the fact that I am up-to-date on the most recent pre-teen trends in music and fashion...I am boring.  

My students don't come to my Computer Lab each week hoping to hear my deepest thoughts on the newest technology-focused educational paradigms - they come to my Lab (they come to OUR LAB) to communicate with each other.  

They come to work with tablet and desktop computers to help them communicate with their peers at our school and around the world.  

With this in mind, I have created my first web tutorial.  I have spent three hours at home creating a three-minute video that MINIMIZES my talk-time in front of my Grade One and Grade Two classes - so that they can spend as much time possible working and sharing with their friends while they're in the Lab.

When Grade One and Two students come to the Lab

• They'll watch the short video tutorial I made.  
• They'll work on the project I've assigned during the tutorial.  
• They'll have the opportunity to view and review the tutorial during their work period to make sure they're on track.  
• They'll share their work - what they're proud of, and what they could have done better.
• They'll share what they liked and what they didn't like about the instructional period.

Let's see if this format is an effective means of instruction.  My goal is to make video tutorials so concise and so useful that my students have almost no questions as to what they should do during their work period - so that they can get down to the business of sharing and learning as soon as possible.

As my students work, I'll circulate to provide one-on-one instruction.  My ultimate goal is for my Grade One and Two students to create their own tutorials to teach their peers how to perform basic tasks in the Lab (e.g. - how to print a document, how to search for a particular website, etc).

More to follow.  In the meanwhile, here's my first video tutorial for Grade One and Two students...

Six Emerging Technologies in Education

Welcome to Rose

St. Box Town: Learning About Our Community Through Recycled Material and Class Trips

Rose and Regent/Duke of Kent iPad Teacher Training Feedback

Hi Teachers!

Please fill out this form:


Let Julie or Roxy know if you've got questions or problems!

Technology and Health Mini Unit

* right click, open image in a new tab, and click to enlarge *

Students as Film Makers

Our class has always hosted a great collection of excellent Teacher Candidates.  Every year, between two and five student teachers from one of the Faculties of Education in Ontario, Canada come and share a little piece of their lived experience with us.  It's wonderful.  I could preach the benefits of hosting student teachers all day long:  They enable students to see adults as learners; they provide an alternate type of role model to children who don't necessarily connect with their regular classroom teacher; they offer fresh perspective.  

Today is the last day for one of our favorite student teachers.   In appreciation, my students filmed some stuff and I edited it together.  Since I had nothing to do with the filming (and didn't even see the kid's work until I was editing), I was surprised to see the unique perspectives and insights of some of the class members.  The kids spoke to the camera with brilliant honesty - devoid of the typical power dynamic that exists between teacher and student.  There's something to this.  The gears in my head are turning.  I'm sure I'll post more about video in the classroom, but for now here's our most recent creation... 

Teacher Inquiry: Educational Technology Specialist

*click to enlarge*

Fall Teacher Candidate Workshops

*Workshop One - Friday, November 25th - Click to Enlarge*

 *Workshop Two -  Monday, November 28th - Click to Enlarge*

November Newsletter

*click image to enlarge*

High-Tech, Cheat-Proof Assignments

*click image to enlarge*

iPad Rules for the Elementary Classroom

I wrote these rules after using iPads with elementary students for a month and a half.  I wanted the rules to be concise enough that they'd be remembered, but comprehensive enough that they'd cover major areas of concern.

*click image to enlarge*

iPad Lunch & Learn for Rose Staff and TCs (25/10/2011)

*click image to enlarge*

Building Student Independence: Setting Up Learning Centers

*click image to enlarge*

A Vision of the Classroom

*click image to enlarge*

iPads at Rose - October 2011 Staff Newsletter

*click images to enlarge*

Assessing Strengths and Weaknesses of Analysis Surveys

*click image to enlarge*

September 6, 2011: First Day in Room 210!

September 6, 2011: First Day in Room 210!, a set on Flickr.

We used our iPads on the first day of school. Fun!

Happy New Year

I don't understand New Year's Eve.  For me, the New Year always begins in September.  This year, my New Year's resolution is simple:

I will.

iPads At Rose

In ten days, the staff of Rose will be meeting to discuss our iPad implementation.  I sent this list of questions to our Mac trainer.  It's nowhere near exhaustive...but it's a beginning...