Author Archives: John Jones

The Dimensions of Change

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It’s happening. WiFi is arriving at King’s Rochester. Not just any WiFi either – we are lucky enough to be having a cutting edge, fully managed and scalable Meru Network installed over the Christmas break. The good news does not end there. We will also be the lucky recipients of 20 shared iPads and the necessary MDM required to manage and sync the devices. Considering where the school was a year and a half ago with regard to technology, it truly is a huge step forward for King’s. However, the real work has not even started yet…

The WiFi and iPads will be rendered useless if after all, they make no impact on learning. After all, the devices themselves are inanimate objects. On their own they do nothing. However, if the project is managed successfully – there is every chance that there will be a dramatic shift in the boundaries of learning and the conventions of the traditional classroom will finally be displaced. Nevertheless, it is that very change, that shift in parameters, which brings with it the project makers or breakers. During a recent NPQSL seminar, we were presented with the Dimensions of Change table you see below and this provided the perfect platform for me to reflect on our project thus far, and analyse what we were doing right -and where we will need to take action.

VISION – since starting at King’s, I have had a clear vision of where I wanted the school to be. I used my experience of establishing a 1:2:1 program in Monaco, conversations with other professionals and visits to schools with mobile learning infrastructure to hone this vision to one that matched the needs of my school. However, a solitary vision is rarely successful. Knowing this, I organised an ‘EdTech Committee’ in which the Heads of School , Heads of Computing, ICT Manager and Bursar started to meet to discuss, analyse and formulate a shared vision of WiFi and how Mobile Learning would best be deployed in each respective school. However, to avoid confusion it is essential that the vision is shared, understood and supported by all members of the school community.

SKILLS – For technology to be usefully deployed in the classroom and for redefined learning opportunities to take place, teachers need to know how to use the technology available. There have been plenty of examples of thousands of pounds being wasted on tech, as money was not spent on CPD for the teachers who were supposed to use it.  With that in mind, we have been running in-house CPD sessions for over a year now. Ranging from superb in house Teach-Meet sessions to Apple Tech breakfast workshops. However, attendance has not always been as good as it might have so it is vital that this continues. I have established Digital Leaders who I am to train on the iPads and who therefore will be available, in every class, for teachers to utilise should they feel the need. I also aim to up to the quality and quantity of iPad CPD over the coming years to ensure teachers skill levels and confidence is continually building. We have also utilised external CPD through Trilby, Solutions INC and ADE’s such as Marc Faulder, EYFS and KS1 specialist. This will be ongoing and hopefully utilised as much as possible by our staff and prevent any unnecessary anxiety.

INCENTIVES – The incentives for staff to immerse themselves in WiFi and mobile learning are hard to quantify. Pay rises or million dollar bonuses are unlikely. However, the personal incentives for teachers to develop their own practice, learn new skills and improve their lessons are immediate. Additionally, the acquisition of new technology know-how also has the added incentive of reducing workload and stress! I find it so much easier to mark and plan on a computer and deliver my lessons digitally. I can honestly say I have not used the photocopier once in 1 and 1/2 years at King’s, what more of an incentive could a teacher want? Finally, offering new redefined learning opportunities to pupil’s is perhaps the greatest incentive of all and will hopefully help to ease any resistance.

RESOURCES – The Meru WiFi network is going to be awesome. It is future proofed, holistic, fully managed and scalable. The iPads are also transformational resources and will be able to safely rely on the network to work, so in that sense the resources are going to be there. However, knowing that teachers themselves will need tech, we have also acquired some extra iPads for departments and have also started a Salary Sacrifice scheme that allows teachers to purchase tech for use at school with at least a 32% discount. However, in an ideal world, staff would each be given a device as it’s impossible to expect teachers to use the devices if they do not have access to them and without the necessary tools, will understandably get frustrated.

ACTION PLANS – Since the vision wasUntitled-1.fw originally shared back in October 2013, a clear, evolving, flexible but specific action plan has underpinned strategic development. From visiting other schools, to creating student Digital Leaders, the plan was comprehensive enough to work, but adaptable enough to change when barriers where met. For example, the original plan involved a staggered adoption, each of our three schools adopting WiFi one by one. This proved impractical and the decision was made to go whole-school all at once.

The picture above shows our WiFi adoption timeline, which forms part of the overall EdTech Action Plan. It is based on the principles of Hooper and Reiber, and each stage had a more focused Action Plan layered underneath. I am currently finalising the Action Plan for the ‘Integrate’ and ‘Transform’ stage to ensure success and avoid false starts.

COLLEGIALITY – Defined as the ‘cooperative relationship of colleagues’, collegiality is essential for success with our mobile learning project. Staff are under no obligation to use the devices, but with the correct support available, I’m certain that teachers will see the advantages of using mobile technology in the classroom and do their best to make the project work.

The future at King’s is not what it used to be and I for one am incredibly excited about it.

Vetokele Makes a Point

Posted in Charlton Athletic by

Charlton’s unbeaten run at The Valley continued with a hard fought point against Sheffield Wednesday this afternoon. After a busy opening period in which both teams has good chances, ex-Real Madrid winger, Royston Drenthe, gave The Owls the lead after a strong run and classy finish from outside the box. Thankfully, Drenthe’s second half performance did not match his first and he was substituted in the 73rd minute.  Everytime Drenthe got the ball in the first half he looked dangerous and went past our players with ease. Jordan Cousins wasted Charlton’s best chance when he headed over in front of the 2000 or so travelling Wednesday fans, who had made the familiar journey down the M1.

It was three of those fans who caused a pretty big disturbance in the North Upper towards the end of the first half. They thought it was amusing to let the rest of the North Stand know where their loyalty lied and were marched out of the ground. However, as they made their way towards the concourse they were confronted by 100 or so angry Addicks who let them know exactly what they thought of our uninvited Northern guests… The police eventually turned up to help them on their not-so-merry way. It reminded me of a game back in the 90’s when the infamous Wednesday ‘Tango Man’ appeared in the North Stand during a cup game, although I’m sure if my memory serves me correctly, he was congratulating, not antagonising…

The fans that were kicked out missed what proved to be a very good second half for The Addicks. We went for Wednesday immediately after the whistle blew, and our pressure paid off in the 70th minute when unmarked substitute, Igor Vetokele, calmly stroked in what was (in mine and my Dad’s trusted opinion) a mistimed Rhoys Wiggins shot. Whatever the intention, the run that Wiggins made immediately beforehand was superb and justified an assist.

Both teams had chances to win, but a draw was probably a fair result. Charlton did look much better with Gudmundsson and Vetokele on the pitch, but our lack of striking options is a huge flaw in a promising squad. Vetokele is quality, but without him it’s hard to see where goals will come from. Watching Yann Kermorgant come on as a substitute for high-flying Bournemouth was a reminder of what we are missing and I’m looking forward to seeing what Roland and Bob can come up with in the transfer window. 23 points at this stage of the season is a significant achievement and with some quality additions our position may look even stronger at the end of the year. However, without further investment, points like today’s may become harder to secure as the season continues.

Jackson Steps Up Again

Posted in Charlton Athletic by

It’s been well over a year since I last blogged about Charlton. Moving back to the UK, finding somewhere to live and starting a new job all meant that blogging about football had to be put on the sidelines. However, things are a little calmer now and I thought I’d add the occasional Charlton post to my Education Blog that I did manage to keep (just about) on top of.

Coincidently, my last Charlton post concerned the 3-2 victory over Bolton at The Valley in April, 2013. In that game, Charlton were 0-2 down and relegation seemed a real possibility. However, Johnnie Jackson got us back into the game with a battling solo effort and we went on to win 3-2; Yann Kermorgant bagging the winner from the penalty spot.

The other Charlton goal that afternoon was a towering header scored by former Addick, Dorian Dervite, who yesterday started in defence for Bolton Wanderers. Yesterday’s game lacked the excitement of the 3-2 comeback – but few games could rival that. What we did see was two very well taken goals; the first – a classy finish from Romanian striker, George Tucadean in the 28th minute. Jackson added the second in the 51st  minute – finishing off a fine move down the right-hand-side in style. However, this time round it looked more like Bolton who would stage a comeback.  Indeed, after Moxey pulled one back for The Trotters three minutes after Jackson’s goal, Charlton remained on the backfoot for the rest of the game.

Thankfully, our defensive performances this season have been superb and last night was no exception. Bikey and Ben Haim looked as solid as ever, although Wiggins made a couple of errors that appeared to suggest a few communication issues between the back four. Nevertheless, the Addicks held on and after 5 nervous minutes of stoppage time, Charlton took all three points and remain just outside the play-off positions in 7th place.

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You Won’t Know, Unless You Pi…

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Picademy

Last academic year I purchased four Raspberry Pi starter kits for school. I had read about their huge potential via blogs, twitter and indeed, the national press but to be honest, upon there arrival, I was a little disheartened. I had no HDMI monitors so had to wait until they arrived, then my network manager said he was unable to hook them up to the network, and at that point I had no WiFi so I could not even get access to the internet via the credit card sized computer that had promised so much.

I took one of them home and got it working, but after some initial excitement and progress, it soon ended up back in it’s box gathering dust.  Nevertheless, although it was out of sight, the Raspberry Pi was not out of my mind.  It was clear that the £30 computer had an awful lot of potential in the classroom and was something that many of my students would love to get their hands on. I just needed something or somebody to help me unlock it’s secrets and gain the confidence to unleash the Pi into my curriculum.

Pi Towers

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Welcome to Pi Towers!

Remarkably, my prayers were answered when I noticed a link on twitter, directing interested teachers to apply for ‘Picademy’. I duly did just that and enjoyed two days of the best CPD I have ever had the pleasure of undertaking. ‘Pi Towers’, as they are known, are situated in Cambridge and proved a great venue for the 20-or-so teachers who had been selected to attend. Day one was spent learning about the various different features of the Pi and some introductory taster activities that certainly wet our appetite for more.

Sonic Pi

Sam Aaron showing Sonic Pi

Sonic Pi now comes as standard on all new Raspberry Pi B+ devices and is really quite extraordinary. It is the brainchild of Sam Aaron (@samaaron), and is a music production programme with a difference – the user codes the music! It is relatively easy to use and also rather addictive. By entering code into a window and running the programme, Sonic Pi would respond with the music you had coded – the production sounded like the offspring of Kraftwerk and Acid House pioneers Aphex Twin – both of whom were major influences on Sam. Sonic Pi could have many uses in the classroom; from music lessons through to computing lessons and I was also particularly impressed by the ‘Live Coding‘ Sam demonstrated for us.

Minecraft Pi Edition

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Minecraft Pi Edition

Every teacher is probably aware of Minecraft. It’s a game that has had a huge effect on school children and the fact that Microsoft just forked out $2.5 billion for it, tells you all you need to know. I am not a gamer and have never played it before, but I’m open minded enough to realise the excitement a hack-able version would cause. The Raspberry Pi now comes with one! Since demonstrating this to a few pupils upon my return from Cambridge, break-times have not been the same! I have been inundated with pupils desperate to have a go.

Scratch GPIO

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Scratch GPIO

All new Pi’s will also come with a GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) version of Scratch. Admittedly, there was a lot of effort required to simply make the Sprite move across the screen by touching two paper clips together – but it was worth it! It should also be noted that as with anything; the more one practices, the more efficient one would become in their use of both the soft and hardware.

Tuesday Projects

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Pi Powered Sorting Hat!

The second day at Pi Towers was rather different. We all had the chance to build on what we had learnt on Monday, and work together to complete a project. I really wanted to learn more about Sonic Pi whilst two of my colleagues decided to focus on the Minecraft Pi Edition – therefore I provided the music and they provided the dancing block-bot within Minecraft itself! Another group created an amazing, Pi-Powered, Harry Potter sorting hat! There were plenty of other brilliant projects too and everyone seemed hugely enthused with the ideas and creativity on display.

What Next? 

There has been a direct, instantaneous positive effect of Picademy on my school. Already I have built a ‘Pi Station’ for pupils to use and every break and lunch time since, pupils have spent their free time hacking Minecraft, playing with Sonic Pi and getting to grips with the basics of Python. I have met with a Sixth Form student, who wishes to complete his coursework on creating a Raspberry Pi Network, and pointed him in the direction of some of the brilliant people I was fortunate to spend a couple of days with in Cambridge. Personally, I have been constantly playing with my own B+ and building on the skills and knowledge I ascertained at Pi Towers. The Raspberry Pi people really are a great bunch who have a really positive business ideal – to create the computer scientists of tomorrow by providing them with a fantastic, engaging and fun computer that opens up a whole new computing world. If you ever get the chance to help them in their quest, then I would strongly recommend that you take it.

Being a ’21st Century Teacher’

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It is the 21st Century; so by default, all teachers that currently teach are 21st Century teachers. However, what differs across schools is how each teacher is utilising the remarkable technology we have at our disposal. Part of the job, as a 21st Century Teacher, is to best equip the learners of today for their future; therefore it is essential teachers have the necessary skills and understanding necessary to maximise the possibilities that exist in our ever increasingly digital world.

There is not an argument disputing the fact that the potential for teaching and learning in the 21st century has undergone a paradigmatic shift. However, as I have experienced first-hand, that potential is being unfulfilled in many classrooms where, in reality, not much has changed since the days of the ’19th Century Teacher’.

It is imperative, therefore, that today’s teachers understand and embrace technology. It would be incredibly unfair if we ignored the mobile learning opportunities on offer to our classrooms and overlooked the huge transformations and potential impact on education they allow. Additionally, 21st Century Teachers should not neglect the incredible resources available that help us to teach students how these devices work and how the algorithms that underpin them came to light.

21st Century teachers should ensure they have the digital skills that allow a redefinition of learning to happen. It is also imperative that 21st Century teachers adapt their teaching practices to the developing learning needs of their students. Our students have grown up in a digitally focused world in which using and engaging with technology is second nature. So, whatever we want to call ourselves – we ARE 21st century educators, like it or not, and we must adapt our teaching accordingly.

New Teaching Job? A brief guide to survival…

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This post is a year in the making. As soon as I started my new job in September 2013, I vowed that if I survived the first year at King’s, I would write and share some guidance that may prove helpful for any teacher brave enough to break the shackles of their comfort zone, and take on a new position in a different school. Therefore, throughout the year I made notes on my iPhone observing things I did right and perhaps more usefully, things I did wrong; hopefully it won’t be just me who learns from my mistakes…

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The Old Golf

Let’s establish some context first. My first year at King’s was my ninth year teaching. The first three years were spent at St Pancras Primary School in Lewes. Leaving the South Coast was one of the hardest things I ever did, but I knew to expand my experience and develop my career, a change was required. And change is what I did… I jumped into my battered old VW Golf and set off down to the South of France to take a Year Six teaching position at the International School of Monaco! Five awesome years in Monte Carlo flew by and then I was fortunate enough to be offered my current role.

Anyway – these are the notes I took, I hope they are of some use:

BE YOURSELF:

The fact you got a new job suggests that what you have already done has been pretty good! Assuming you were yourself in the interview – that also means that the SLT want you to work for them. I found this particularly difficult but give it time and you’ll be able to let your personality shine through.

BE POSITIVE

Kids thrive off positivity. They learn better knowing that you actually want to be there (Even if you don’t!) Making learning fun in the classroom is such a huge step towards success.

BE TOUGH BUT FAIR

Reputations quickly develop at school, you need to make sure yours is a good one, otherwise it can take a while to shake off. I was certainly not tough enough to start with; partly because I was so used to not having to be particularly tough in my old job – one of the attraction of the aforementioned comfort zone! You have to remember that pupils don’t have any preconceptions, negative OR positive of you – therefore first impressions count.

ENGAGING LESSONS

The best way to get a great reputation is simply to be a great teacher. The more that goes into planning and preparation, the better your lessons will be. In one year group, I tried a no-planning approach to see what would develop organically – bad idea…

LEARN PUPILS NAME

This may sound obvious but it should be an absolute priority. I had 250 names to learn in September and should have made more of an effort to do this quicker. Knowing names helps to build positive  relationships and certainly helps in terms of behavioural management.

BE POLITE, PUNCTUAL AND MINDFUL OF OTHER STAFF

Enough said…

TAKE TIME

Finally, take time to get used to your new surroundings. Every school is completely different, each with its own idiosyncrasies, take time to learn how things work and see how best you can compliment what already goes on.

If you are embarking on a new job, then I wholeheartedly wish you the very best of luck.

Salary Sacrifice – Tech For Teachers

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If you want technology adoption to work, there are certain things that are imperative to success; vision, purpose and infrastructure are all essential, but of equal importance is teacher expertise and confidence. However, how can you eradicate doubt and apprehension if teachers do not have access to the technology you are trying to establish in the classroom?

Cheaper-Macbook-Air-and-iPad-MiniIn both my previous teaching positions, upon arrival, a brand new computer was automatically dished out to all new teachers. Indeed, after I established a BYOD scheme at the International School of Monaco, each teacher-bound MacBook Pro was coupled with an iPad! Teachers could therefore practice using the software they were expected to use at school, in the comfort of their own homes. Moreover, many teachers took the opportunity to research and adopt new Apps and software that they introduced to their classroom. All this was then shared with regular in-house TeachMeets, a weekly section in our staff meetings and via our school blog. The de-centralisation of Edtech knowledge was in full swing.

However in September, when joining my current school, no technology was distributed to new teachers. Indeed, none of the existing staff had been provided with technology for learning either. Furthermore, it was quickly made clear that there were no plans to extend the budget to make this a possibility.

Therefore, I faced a difficult conundrum. A vital cog in the tech-revolution was missing! How could things move forward if the transformational technology was not in the hands of the very people that were supposed to be facilitating it’s adoption?

Enter the Salary Sacrifice scheme…

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In a nutshell, a Salary Sacrifice scheme gives employees the opportunity to buy equipment and pay it back directly through your Salary, but with at least a 32% discount. The scheme means you do not have to pay the 20% basic rate income tax and 12% national insurance contribution. Therefore you could purchase a £399 iPad but only pay £271.32 and spread the cost over 24 months. Furthermore, the equipment is yours to keep!

Although not the Utopia of teacher tech distribution (that would be free tech to all teachers), the Salary Sacrifice does offer a very attractive option for schools who wish to ensure that teachers can develop their tech skills, but do not have the budget to provide equipment.

Once the Salary Sacrifice scheme is underway, an on-line portal is opened that contains a list of the equipment the school wishes staff to be able to purchase for use at school. Our portal was constructed by the company we chose to facilitate our scheme – Solutions INC – and I would highly recommend their first class service. The portal remains open for a couple of weeks and once staff have had the opportunity to select their goods, it shuts and the equipment is ordered. Of course there is work to be done by the bursary to adjust pay accordingly, but Solutions offer a huge amount of assistance to ensure this was done smoothly in the background. Our first portal has just closed and we have had over 25 orders placed.

The opportunities that mobile technology has to redefine learning in the classroom are incredible. However, traditional classroom barriers and monolithic teaching methods will never be shifted without teacher expertise ( and a open-minded willingness to change).  Therefore, once the equipment arrives it is fundamental that we run regular work shops for staff so that they can learn and share their ideas with each other in order to bring their new skills to school and achieve the ultimate goal of raising standards and engagement.

I look forward to sharing our progress next academic year.

 

The Versatility of Blogging

Posted in Projects, Reflections, Uncategorized by

Blogging improves writing standards. Fact. David Mitchell (@deputymitchell) was among the first to realise the potential that writing to a real world audience has for raising writing performance. After introducing school blogging at his school, SATs levels in writing shot from 9% Level 5 in July 2009 to 60% Level 5 in July 2010. Indeed, the DofE have gone as far as too publish research on the matter.

However, the power of  school blogging does not end there. The versatility of blogging is of equal appeal and the fact that a whole multitude of content can be published means that using genuine audience and purpose to boost standards should not be limited to writing, rather it should be used to encourage the raising of standards across the whole curriculum. Indeed, the opportunity blogging provides for student reflection and self/peer assessment is completely cross-curricular and on our fantastic King’s School Blog Site superb examples of work and interactivity are starting to appear. I’d thought I’d share a few examples of the versatility of blogging with you:

Challenge Based Learning

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CBL or PBL can take many different forms but using a blog to post the outcomes adds real value to student work. For this project, the students created interactive revision guides for other students to utilise as exam season approached. They created podcasts, popplets, revision notes and films about specific curriculum areas and then compiled them using the awesome ThingLink. The blog then proved the perfect place to share their work; providing an easy place for other students to access their work and help with revision. This is a good example of redefinition of learning using the SAMR model; computer technology allowing for new tasks that were previously inconceivable.

Computing

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I’m new to teaching computing but have found that having a blog to publish content has proved motivational for students and great for reflections and feedback. Students have used blogs to publish Photoshop portfolios, GIFs, Scratch games, animations etc and have found the interactivity highly rewarding.

 

 

 

 

Podcasting

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Using an easily embeddable podcasting App like Audioboo makes publishing audio content incredibly easily. As long as you have some headphones, students love listening to podcasts and commenting on them. It is also useful for students to listen to their own podcasts

 

 

 

Film Making

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Students love making films and they encourage creativity. Moreover, what is the point of making a film if you don’t have an audience for it? Filmmaking and blogging go hand in hand. The easiest way to put your film on a blog is to upload it via either Youtube or Vimeo. The main difference is that you can password protect your Vimeo films. It’s worth setting up a school account (links above) and make sure that all films produced are uploaded to the official account as the administrator can monitor and control comments etc. Once your video is uploaded, you can embed on your school blog and make your film available there. This also means viewers will not be distracted by other options on YouTube or Vimeo.

CPD

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At King’s we have recently established a CPD blog. Teachers are now posting ideas, presentations, TeachMeet details, reflections etc. which is allowing other members of staff the opportunity to access what is going on across the school and beyond. It is very rare that we get to meet as a whole staff and therefore using a portal such as this to share good practice is yet another great use of a school blog.

 

Presentations

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The point of a making a presentation is having an audience to present it to. However, I am still amazed by the amount of students who are told to make a presentation (invariably on PowerPoint) and then it never makes it further than the school server. Really, what is the (power)point? Having a blog solves this problem! Presentations can be easily embedded and then actually presented or even simply shared with whomever one desires. Feedback on your presentation can then also be gathered form the whole entire planet!

School Clubs

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Got a school club? Why not blog about it? Blogging provides the perfect platform to share whatever you are doing with a global audience whilst providing a platform for conversation, sharing ideas and reflection. Take for example our new school running club blog. By embedding the GPS mapping of each run, the interest of participating students has soared. They can see where they ran, how far they ran, how many calories they burnt etc. Additionally, by taking pictures and video footage whilst running it is easy to then embed short films of our activities!

In conclusion the versatility of blogging is endless. Whatever is going on in your school, there will be a way to blog about it. It makes learning fun and interactive and encourages conversation, feedback and reflection – all of which are invaluable life-skills. Tomorrow sees the dawn of the final half-term of 2013-14 (where did that year go?) and with the World Cup less than a fortnight away I am currently thinking of ways to combine the magic of our school blog to the wonder of the greatest show on Earth. The power of blogging is as limitless as the creativity of those that use it.

Bridging The Digital Divide

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Communication Shakedown (1)

Over the past decade, the growth of social media has been quite remarkable. Global citizens have embraced new ways to communicate which have, quite literally, changed The World. Text messages and emails are fast becoming a thing of the past as new and innovative social media concepts continually spring up and pave new ways for communication and sharing. Just the other day, I was conversing with a friend of mine, @hallboy10, via Garmin Connect; a social media for runners and cyclists to share their exercise statistics and comment on achievements. It dawned on me that I was using at least 5 different mediums with which to communicate with the same person depending on the context!

The graphic on the left was made using Piktochart and demonstrates how the methods by which I communicate have changed since the 1980s. I have never been the first to utilise a social media, and until 2011 was pretty sceptical about most of them. However, I pride myself on being open to new ideas and after hearing the praises of Twitter being sung by HGJohn during his visit to The International School of Monaco, I gave it a go and have not looked back.

However, not everyone who grew up in the 60s, 70s and 80s has taken the plunge into the murky depths of social media, many preferring to skim the surface or indeed avoid getting their toes wet altogether. A consequence of this however, is the emergence of a digital-divide. Our children are growing up in a world where communication via social media is the norm and in many cases parents, guardians and teachers have no real idea about what these services provide, what there terms and conditions of use are, how they differ from each other and what their children are doing on them.

However, burying our heads in the sand is simply NOT an option. Social Media is not going away. Screen Shot 2014-05-01 at 20.12.02In addition to the very clear data presented in my line-graph, there are some stark statistics that give further insight into the revolution that is happening on screens large and small across the globe:

  • 6 out of 7 people on the planet have internet access
  • 72% of all internet users use social media
  • 89% of 18-29 year olds use Social Media
  • 93% of marketers use social media for business

So, social media is here to stay, but what can be do to ensure we are comfortable that our children are using it responsibly and are aware of its dangers? I think a sensible, open minded and informed approach is best. Children are far more likely to take advice from someone who knows the difference between Snapchat and WhatsApp than someone who still thinks Instagram is a quick form of measurement. Furthermore, simply removing a device will not solve the potential problems. In fact, I believe this could be counter productive as children will still have access to social media via friend’s phones and as we know, those who are less educated in matters tend to be the ones who do or say the daftest things. Embracing the changing digital world, whilst being fully aware of (and sharing) its potential pitfalls, will most likely have positive outcomes.

Teachers, therefore, must make it an absolute priority to intertwine digital literacy within the curriculum wherever appropriate, whilst projecting a positive yet cautious approach to social media. The benefits of the internet far outweigh the negatives, but children need to be aware of the harm a damaging digital footprint can leave. Furthermore, the tragic consequences of cyberbullying should never be overlooked and positive strategies for avoiding/dealing/preventing it should be made as coherent and as accessible as possible.

Using digital leaders to promote e-awareness and responsible digital citizenship could be another idea, and one that may have an effect on those less likely to listen to a “boring old teacher”.  Developing a school blogging platform also provides an opportunity for children to learn about digital literacy and use social media in a secure and authentic environment. Involving parents in both these initiatives is another way of bridging the digital divide whilst also providing a more significant audience and purpose for any published content.

Finally, as we prepare ourselves for whatever the future of digital communication may hold, holding a workshop with parents will also lead to a more knowledgeable, informed and progressive approach towards social media by all those in the school community.  If you do decide to do this then please feel free to utilise this SOCIAL MEDIA PREZI that was successfully used to walk concerned parents through some of the basics of popular social media. It contains links to sites and user terms and conditions which will hopefully prove useful.

 

Vsauce: An Amazing Condiment For Learning

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The YouTube channel VSauce is not exactly a secret. It’s main channel has over 7,000,000 subscribers, whilst it’s sister channels Vsauce2 and Vsauce3 regularly attract 2.5m and 1.7m viewers respectively. So, what is all the fuss about? What is it about the channel, originally a video game review show, that makes it one of the most engaging, thought provoking and informative channels out there? I originally discovered Vsauce during a class discussion at The International School of Monaco. It was one of those amazing whole-class conversations where we crossed random tangents, until I was asked “What would happen if you got pulled into a Black Hole?” Of course, I had no idea how to answer this so turned to the internet for some ideas. My research led me to a Vsauce video titled “Travel INSIDE a Black Hole” and without previewing it, I took the gamble to show it to my class. It was a gamble that paid off unequivocally as both I, and many of my students, have been both informed and entertained in equal numbers ever since.

VSAUCE

Michael_stevensVsauce itself is hosted by Michael Stevens; a captivating Kansan who seems infinitely wiser than his 28 years. He exhibits intelligence and humour in equal abundance and has a unique broadcasting style that is hard not to warm to. The production costs of each Vsauce episode are relatively small, but Stevens uses subtle, trademark presentation techniques to continually draw viewers in and ensure they stay tuned in until the end.

You can expect a new, 8-12 minute episode every 2-3 weeks and although the content of each show varies greatly, the one thing that they all have in common is that are thoroughly riveting and normally have a scientific slant. Often, episodes are titled with a question and frequently they have been questions that have nagged at me for years. Watching titles such as “What if Everyone Jumped at Once?“, “What Colour is a Mirror?” and “What if The Sun Disappeared?” has been like scratching a lingering itch. As these questions suggest, scientific concepts and ideas are discussed frequently but the channel is by no means unique to it. “Why Did The Chicken Cross the Road” for example discusses, among other things, the history of jokes.

VSAUCE2

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Vsauce2 is hosted by the engaging and humerous Kevin Lieber. It differs from Vsauce as there are a number of different series within the channel that contain more specific content. The longest running is Mind Blow which already has over 80 episodes; each is a 5 minute insight into the latest remarkable science and technology developments. Lieber races through between 8-15 topics in the allotted time frame, and the pace and variety of information makes the show irresistible for the inquisitive mind. I have seen how you can “Drink Your Face”, “Swing off the Edge of The World” and even learnt a “New Way To Eat”.  There really is some amazing content in every episode that leaves you in awe of the humanity and The World that we live in. The consequential discussion points are endless and cannot fail to capture students imagination. Mind Blow also reveals just how much we have come to rely on technology and gives a real insight into where the future of technology may take us.

Another favorite series within Vsauce2 is FAK (Facts and Knowledge) and in contrast to Mind Blow, each FAK focuses on one subject area such as “Deadly Plants”, “Wierdest Houses” or “Prisons”. Lieber’s style is infectious and once more the pace of each episode means that they whiz by whilst you digest some amazing and useful facts on some truly fascinating topics.

There are three other series that run within Vsauce2 and all worth checking out:

  • LUT > Awesome stuff to buy for geeks and cool kids
  • Grub > Incredible food from around The World.
  • BiDiPi > Build It. Draw It. Play It. Your home for the coolest creations from everyday people.

VSAUCE3

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The host of Vsauce3 is Jake Roper, and his presentation skills are equally as entertaining as Lieber’s. Similarly, Vsauce3 also has a variety of series within the channel that have different focal points. Most popular is Fact Surgery where each episode has focused on different games consoles and correlating amazing facts. So far the Playstation, Xbox, Dreamcast, NES and Playstation 4 have all been fascinatingly analysed.

Headshot is another series featured on Vsauce3 and each episode focuses on a question that combines the fictional world with the real world. Questions such as “What if Superman Punched you?” and “Could We See Star Wars?” are answered in a light hearted, but scientifically grounded manner, and the enthusiasm and knowledge Roper has for his subject matter is contagious.

Perhaps though, the most interesting Vsauce3 series is DONG – ‘things you can Do Online Now Guys’. Each episode is meticulously researched to bring all the latest from the amazing world of the internet. It features new sites, games, activities and concepts. Many of which are incredibly useful for the classroom. For example, I have learnt about the Google Art Project; an amazing resource that lets you virtually tour some of the World’s greatest galleries and museums. Not all the DONG’s are useful but most are interesting and every now and again, a real gem pops up.

In conclusion, all three Vsauce channels are chock full of  relevant, factually accurate, intellectually stimulating and educationally valuable subject matter; presented in a format that appeals to learners from upper Key Stage Two onwards. The three presenters are all highly amiable and their humour, intelligence and passion for what they do emulates toward the viewer and contribute to Vsauce’s lofty position among the best YouTube channels in existence.