Thursday, December 27, 2012

Apple Distinguished Educator Application

I recently applied for the Apple Distinguished Educator Programme. Unfortunately I was not accepted however I though I would share my application video. Perhaps you have some constructive criticism to offer?


Thursday, November 22, 2012

Highlights of 2012

Starting #edchatNZ
I joined twitter as a teacher almost a year ago now. Little did I know what a big role twitter would become in my professional development. Not only was there a world of teachers out there keen to talk about their jobs as much as I wanted to, there were teachers sharing their best practice, links, articles, resources, ideas, inspiration and motivation. The passion of teachers on twitter is infectious. It seemed a natural progression to start our very own New Zealand twitter chat, and so we did. We have had three successful chats now, even trending on Twitter New Zealand. If that isn't evidence of passionate teachers on twitter, I don't know what is. Have you joined the conversation yet?



Google Apps for Education Summit
Being surrounded by passionate teachers who are excited to give up their school holidays is one thing. Being surrounded by passionate teachers from all over the world, sharing what they do in their classrooms is quite another. As if I wasn't enough of a Google fan already, the summit shared some great ideas and inspired with genuine 21st century teachers who practice what they preach. They are the pioneers and leaders and span many generations of teachers.

My Year 8 Science Class
I was fortunate enough to have a fantastic year eights science class this year. They allowed me to test so many strategies in my classroom thanks to their absolute enthusiasm and engagement. Everything from having student blogs to Edmodo, Popplet and video making in the ICT department. On the other hand there was the liquid chalk on windows summaries, the study cubes, the lab safety skits, the extreme crime scene solving. They were amazing every time. Thank you Matt from the Midnight Youth.

Bringing a Rock Star to School
My school is in the midst of introducing and developing Art Costa's Habits of Mind. As a result, I was lucky enough to have the base guitarist of a very famous New Zealand band come and talk to our students at an assembly. It was absolutely amazing hearing a young, cool, musician telling our knocking the tall poppy culture kids that being called a "try hard" is cool. And that students should be proud of being a "try hard".

Support Networks
I was fortunate enough this year to have an amazing mentor who has supported me whilst taking into careful consideration my needs, strengths and goals. There are also those fantastic teachers on twitter who have motivated and inspired me.


Sunday, November 11, 2012

Favourite Tweets

Yes. 140 characters or less can be inspirational. Thanks to all the tweeps who have shared these.


Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Who needs the glass half full when it could be overflowing?


There is nothing like school holidays! Time to sleep in, to work to my own schedule. But best of all, time to load up on the inspiration and motivation needed to see myself through another term. I have been fortunate enough to attend the Google Apps for Education summit this holiday. I thought I would share some of the great tips and tricks from the summit.

Have you heard of the YouTube TestTube? These are Beta apps of YouTube tools that you may opt in to test. My favourites? Adding captions to videos or setting questions in videos before the viewer can continue! In a BYOT (bring your own technology) school such as mine, I am always trying to find new ways incorporate the use of students' smart devices in a way that genuinely enhances learning. One of the easiest ways to use both Android and Apple devices is by getting the kids to make videos; high production ones that summarise a project, or short ones where they attempt to explain a difficult test questions in a visual way. We then upload videos to my YouTube channel, I can edit them with relevant questions or captions and set them for homework. The kids love watching themselves over and over so I am really just capitalising on a bit of their vanity.

I do a lot of on line professional development. But don't take my word for it. Google offers a range of on-line courses such as becoming Google Apps Certified, becoming a Google Apps Certified Trainer or doing a Google Power Searcher course. If you want a challenge, there is always the Google Teacher Academy. Only a few people from all over the world is selected to go. Those people are selected based on a few questions in an on-line form and a one minute video. I have started experimenting with video making for this very reason. Here is my trial video, I have a long way to go though...

Of course it doesn't end there. Did you know that Google has launched a Course Builder? Or that you can build your own on-line field trip using Google maps? To be quite honest, there are too many amazing things that teachers are getting up to with Google to share here. I recommend that you head to the Google Apps for Education Summit page an look at the resource page for yourself! Of course you could always just follow along on twitter with the Google Apps for Education Summit hash tag, #GAFEsummit.

Although those are all great resources, the one thing that makes events like this worthwhile is the inspiration. For example, @markwagner who shared the great idea to post his university work on-line for feedback before asking his supervisors. Great idea right? I might not be a Ph.D student yet, but maybe you are interested in my social media for education report or maybe my proposal for e-learning professional development implementation?

Seems like Google not only has amazing, free, on line tools and resources, but they have amazing people too! I hope our governments learn from Google. Amazing results require amazing people. 

Thursday, October 4, 2012

The 3 "C"s of e-Learning Pedagogy


Teachers and Pedagogy go (or should go), hand in hand. I know that there are hundreds, if not thousands of teachers on twitter and the blogosphere who expertly use ICT as part of their pedagogy, allowing students deeper and wider understanding than what would ever have been achievable without technology. Those are the teachers we should be talking to about implementing ICT in our schools because they understand that ICT should not substitute traditional methods of teaching, it should be integrated in teaching in such a way that student learning is improved. We should be teaching our students to be innovative, creative, and entrepreneurial.

As a self proclaimed learning junkie, a university e-learning paper I recently completed took me through some of the factors that influence e-learning in education. The emphasis, across the board seems to be that the lack of ICT uptake in schools is largely based on a need to shift the pedagogy. I bet the teachers on twitter would have guessed that anyway  ICT integration is not students who do research using their smart device. ICT integration is where students do the research, share it, analyse it, critique it, collaborate in critiquing, and then produce a new product using the research. If you want a classroom where students critique, collaborate and create, a shift to the student centred classroom is necessary.

The question then becomes, how do we support our colleagues to make a shift towards the collaborative, critiquing  creating classroom?


Saturday, September 8, 2012

Social Media in the Classroom


I bet Facebook is banned at your school. However, did you know that Facebook was originally designed for university students and was then opened to schools? Ironic, if you think that a tool used by so many people, a tool that is so integrated in so many people's lives in and outside the workplace, at tool that is used extensively by businesses, a tool developed for students to connect, is the tool that we ban our students from using. 


Without question, social media has impacted our world in ways that we could never have anticipated. It has changed the way news spread, the way companies do their marketing, the way friends communicate and they way we learn. Web 2.0 and the new generation of internet users are active contributors, sharing and collaborating over thousands of miles on projects and learning. Within education too, social media has begun to make an impact. Teachers from all over the world collaborate on a daily basis for professional development purposes. They help their students become part of a global classroom, they give their students opportunities to communicate with real audiences and they show students the value of sharing, contributing and collaborating. As a result, without question, the educational literature available on the subject of social media in education is overwhelmingly positive. In addition, OFSTED, the Office for Standards in Education (equivalent to ERO in New Zealand) have even commented on the positive effects of social media in schools.

Perhaps the biggest limitation towards the successful incorporation of social media in schools, is professional development. There is often a major generation gap between policy makers, senior managers, teachers and students. Students understand the content driven environment that requires active contribution rather than passive observation, where many ‘adults’ have been left behind to the point of not even understanding the purpose of these tools. The risk however, of schools that fail to incorporate this technology, is that teachers and schools may appear to become out of date as they will not be preparing students to write for the new types of media that is being used for publishing and communication.

Social media is a fantastic tool, its value clearly demonstrated by teachers, rather than governments who have instigated the inclusion in their classroom and schools. The tool will however only be as effective as the teacher, as in effect, social media is about communication. Teachers who are not able to communicate clearly using this medium, or who are not able to teach their students to communicate clearly using this medium, are ultimately obsolete in the 21st century classroom. Whether educators choose to embrace social media or not, our students are living and will increasingly live in a 21st century world. It is after all, our job to prepare our students. 


Are you using social media in your classroom? How effectively?

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Should We Be Using ICT in Education?





 Why should teachers bother to include technology in their teaching practice? Why should governments support the incorporation of technology in school when schools will never be able to keep up with technological advancement in the industry? Why should we train students to use ICT if the technology will have changed by the time they leave school? How can we accurately measure the impact that technology has on learning? Does the ease of access to learning outside the classroom mean that more learning is actually happening outside the classroom?


I recently read an article by J Wellington. The article titled, "Has ICT come of age" suggests that the above are some of the questions we should ask to assess the use of technology in education. Now I am sure Mr Wellington is far more experienced than I am, both as an educator and as a researcher, but I wonder whether he, and so many other educators out there appreciate the direction that ICT has taken since the rise of smart phones and web 2.0. I ask this not because I doubt the importance of the questions he raises, but rather where the emphasis of the questions fall. We absolutely must evaluate the use of ICT in education, just as we should evaluate our textbooks, teaching techniques and our teachers. My own criteria for the evaluation of ICT in education is a little different to those questions raised above...

Question 1: 
Does ICT make your life easier? The whole point of ICT, smart phones, web 2.0 and technology as a whole, is to make life easier. By using ICT in the classroom, are you making your life easier? Are you making life easier for your students by using ICT in the classroom? I can think of various examples of educators who will answer with a resounding yes. If your answer is no, then perhaps it is time to assess how you use ICT, rather than if you use ICT. Looking for ways to make life easier? perhaps ask those teachers hooked on Edmodo
Question 2: 
ICT is about increasing accessibility to information. If I miss a day or so of school, is my best chance really to copy another students' work from their book? What if there was a discussion or an experiment? Technology can allow access to events and experiences that a textbook will never be able to do. The question to ask yourself then, are you making learning more accessible to your students inside, but also outside the classroom? Can they see what they missed in science class today by watching the videos on their smartphone? Can they listen to the character discussion from English because their group recorded and emailed it to them? Or in the future, did your students know to record the discussions in their university study groups so that they can later reference them whilst studying? Or listen to explanations on the bus home? Our students can not use the technology effectively if the teachers have not provided the content for them. Have you given your students access? 
Question 3: 
Do you remember that ICT is about communication? Information communication technology. How well are you communicating? But more importantly, with who are you communicating? The Internet has had a few birthdays in the public eye, finally coming to the ripe age of 2.0. Web 2.0 is about connecting not only with those people in your life, but those that would in the past have been out of reach. Educators from all over the world collaborate on a daily basis. They support, give feedback, provide resources and perhaps most importantly, provide inspiration for each other through blogs and twitter. Their classes collaborate on projects across countries and across the world. For example, the Rocketeers from one school used Skype to video call various classes all around the world, learning about their cultures and their schools. Or what about the Pass the Blog  project where various classes from all around the world collaborate and contribute? Have your senior classes followed the musings of their favourite authors on twitter? Or asked a question of Brian Cox? Are you a twenty first century communicator? 

ICT is a tool. Just like a hammer is a tool for building a house, a boat or a play ground. Now I am no history buff, but I feel relatively certain that the use of a hammer in building was never contested or questioned. Yes we should question what type of hammer we use, when we use the hammer and especially how effective the  hammer wielder is. My argument hence, is that ICT is just a tool. Educators, whether they are lecturers, teachers or senior managers are simply not always using the tool effectively. Builders and physicists know that where you hold the hammer when hammering the nail will make you more or less effective. Your grip on technology, will do the same. 


To answer Mr Wellington's question. Has ICT come of age? I think it has. I suspect however that it is simply just a matter of all the builders not being able to wield their hammers properly. The question is no longer if we should use ICT, but how we should be using ICT. 

Sunday, May 27, 2012

BYOT for Teachers


Made with Skitch for iPad
As part of a generation who remembers dial up but already had high speed internet access before I left high school, technology is firmly part of my every day life. As a result, I didn't even think twice about  the integration of BYOT (bring your own technology). BYOT seemed a natural progression. Of course, I realised the challenges. You can see the draft department analysis I did here.

The use of BYOT in schools have been discussed at length - see herehere and here or here. Or talk to the teachers on twitter at #BYOTchat about it. In light of all the recommendations and advice for BYOT and despite the advice against it, our school has officially supported a bring your own technology policy for five weeks now.  Students are encouraged to bring their smart devices, big and small, to school. The teachers are encouraged to provide opportunities for students to use the devices in class.

I firmly believe in leading by example. As a result, before BYOT, I would never ever have brought my phone to class. With BYOT, I feel that I need to be a role model, showing students how to use their equipment to gain maximum use out of them. I also strongly feel that I need to model the social etiquette that is required when you are constantly able to transport yourself to a different world at the touch of a button. Half a term since the formal inclusion and my favourite part of BYOT is not what I expected at all.

I started using Edmodo with my students a few months ago. I can set an Edmodo quiz or assignment for homework. When I see them next I can log on to the free Edmodo application whilst in class to see who has done their homework and how well did the students do. I can immediately give help to the students who I know is struggling without having to mark their homework first. The feedback is instant.

I also love Splice. This free video editor allows me to splice together videos that we make in class, edit them quickly, and upload them to YouTube. Not even once going near a computer. This is all done on my phone within minutes.

Each of my classes also have their own class blog. This is where we post notes, photos, diagrams, practice questions, homework or anything else relevant. I use blogger for this. When we have drawn particularly good diagrams on the board or we have done an exciting experiment, I can take a photo and upload it straight to each class' blog in a matter of minutes.

The standard iPhone voice recorder lets me record conversations with students during individual feedback on their tests. The voice recorder also lets me record the class discussions so that we can keep them, play them back to analyse our learning or even post it on the class blog for the students to listen to when they are trying to study.

Since New Zealand teachers are now required to have a portfolio of evidence that demonstrates their teaching practice, I am able to record video, audio and photographs with my phone, I can save these to Evernote  which is also free - using my phone! This means that my evidence is safe and sound in the Evernote cloud, searchable by tag, title or notebook until I am ready to file it into My Portfolio as required by our school. I know I am not the only one who records my activities at school since recently whilst on duty I watched as the principal and another staff member stood around a lunch time school concert, recording the student response through photos and videos on their phones. They blended right in between all the teenagers who already had their phones out, recording the experience for personal use or Facebook.

There is also Skitch for iPad which lets me make drawings, export them or email them straight to students when they want an explanation of something. It means I can annotate photos of science experiments or show maths problems based on photos. It means I can make notes with one student and then email/share them with the whole class or save them to Evernote.

Being completely hooked on my iPhone, an upgrade was due. My two week old iPad has already proved its worth with Numbers allowing me direct data entry onto an electronic grade book. This means that when it is time for reports, I am able to generate averages for my students - who did their homework (Edmodo exports to Excel files), who completed their starter activities without being asked, who had their equipment, who had a good attitude or any other notes, all documented in one place. This of course can also be linked straight into my electronic portfolio.

Half a term into the formal incorporation of BYOT with more and more schools going down a similar path. Can you imagine what the future could hold for teachers? I expected great things for students with BYOT. Instead I found great things for teachers.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Project Based Learning - Phase 1 Complete


Late last year, I joined Twitter with a teacher account. Initially this was simply an afterthought. Something else to add to my personal website. The personal website having been an idea that someone suggested to improve my chances of getting a new job. As it turned out, I discovered a world (literally) of connected educators, excited to share, communicate and who were talking about their job as often as I want to. As well as all the new acronyms I now know (GBL, BYOD, BYOT, STEM), I learnt all about PBL (problem based learning) from the outstanding collaborators that roam the PLNs (personal learning networks). And so, I thought I would try this project based learning idea that everyone was raving about. I 'tweeted' that I was hoping to do this and whether anybody had some advice for me. The tweeting teachers did, and sent me some great ideas and readings such as this from Miss Noor.

I let the ideas simmer for a week or so, designed my own PBL task, and then, set it for homework.

I gave the students a goal: Evaluate whether using as much as possible renewable paper combats or aids the effects of global warming. Their assignment then had four parts, each with a different due date: I broke the assignment up into four parts. Part 1 - research the learning objectives, Part 2 - Class discussion, Part 3 - 200 word judgement of the situation in their own words and Part 4 - Designing a promotional item to educate the public on this matter. (For the whole assignment click here) and for the facilitated discussion help cards click here

My thoughts were that at least if this trial fails, then the class time wasn't wasted. We continued with normal science lessons at school; experiments, videos and activities, however, where appropriate I identified the links to the assignment. We also had one whole lesson as a facilitated discussion about our assignment.

PBL wasn't intended to be completed for homework however considering the excellent returns I got and how much I learnt about my students' abilities, I will (and have already started to) do it again. Of course giving the assignment for homework meant that lots of students missed the first due date. However, I am not worried about the missed due dates at all. Only a very small number of students did not return part four, the rest however, completed part one, two and three by the end of term. In addition, over an informal coffee, a colleague at a different school mentioned that her students didn't know anything about global warming despite having just completed a whole assignment about it. She said that all the students did was "copy and paste". Having heard the discussions and arguments my students had about global warming, having seen the opinions they formed in their "200 word judgement" and seeing some excellent presentations, I KNOW that my students learnt something. What's more, each and every one of my students had a newly formed opinion about global warming, each backed up by a different combination of reasons from their research and from our class discussions. I even had written proof of this!

The project also gave me an excellent sense of students understanding of research methods, their ability to process research, how well they manage their time, their presentation and organisational skills, but most of all, how much support students needed to feel comfortable expresssing their own opinions about academic material, not just the opinion that was expected of them.

All in all, a successful trial. Now, can you imagine the power of PBL in the hands of an experienced teacher? Or in my case, with a bit more polishing, tweaking and development?

It seems I have become and advocate for PBL. 

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Parents, Progress and Technology



There are a huge range of articles floating around about the use of twitter in the classroom. See here, here and here for some of my favourites. Teachers are using You Tube in the classroom. We are using Google apps, and we are using blogs like this, this and this (see my class' blogs here, here and here). Some classses are even involved in quad blogging. We are using mobile phones and other smart devices in the classroom like this. My kids are also using sites like Edmodo and Socrative.

I have watched my students collaboratively write scripts for their science documentaries using google documents or completing SWOT analyses about cyber safety and M-learning. Students then filmed their documentaries using their smart devices. Students look up answers on their smart devices instead of using textbooks and they generate answers from interactive on line simulations like this one about transpiration. My students also email me homework and study questions. They listen to their music whilst doing maths and then listen to explanatory videos when they get stuck. We can also record our class discussions and post them to the web.

For many of my students who already have Facebook accounts and literally thousands of followers on Twitter and Tumblr, the above is nothing new. For other students, I have had to send emails to their parents to explain why their child would like to bring their ipod touch to school. For others, I have had to explain why we are using smart devices in maths (hello, chicken coop fractions!). As an avid tweeter myself, I wanted to get my maths class tweeting support/help/homework/tips/reminders to each other as well as tweet their progress on a school wide maths treasure hunt (think school blue print with measurement problems as the clues). However I encountered some serious resistance to this idea from parents because they did not see the need for social networking in maths. (Granted, this is an outside of the box idea). Most of us might be able to do maths out of textbooks but after 10 years of this without success, is it time to try a new approach for some students? One of support and communication where they are reflecting and thinking (read tweeting) about maths outside the classroom?

The tools and resources that are available to education is enormous. But are parents ready for the progress that education is making? Are they aware of the technological demands that are placed on people in the work place today? Our school has introduced My Portfolio and had many teachers panicked and stressed because they do not have the skills to use it effectively. Graphic designers, photographers even those in marketing and leadership require e-portfolios and even twitter accounts to show their work or influence. Yet some of the older students in my classes are not allowed to use their computers at home for anything other than research. Web 2.0 has infiltrated on so many levels of education, but are parents aware of the progress? The importance? Or the effectiveness? By no stretch do I believe we should use technology for everything we do. Only where it enhances or improves the end product. Technology is however enhancing the possibilities and the range of students that teachers can reach and engage.

Lots of teachers, governments and definitely students might be ready to embrace the benefits of technology in education, but are parents ready?

Monday, February 27, 2012

The Homework Stalker

The school year is now thoroughly into the swing of things. My students' first assessments are rolling in. The first step of my first PBL trial is due tomorrow. Operation google docs collaboration is under way. Project Edmodo begins tomorrow. My kids are tweeting and emailing me homework questions. Ladies and gentlemen, if I didn't know any better, I'd say I was a technology teacher! But more than that, I am a homework stalker...



  • The class trialling my first homework PBL (project based learning) has their own blog  where I have posted the assignment sheet, as well as all the notes, activities, videos and any extras we have covered in class. The first part of their assignment is due tomorrow. Just look at the google stats for today! 



  • For another class I have used their blog to guide them to share google documents with me where they are completing their homework questions in. I can see when they last accessed the homework, leave comments for them, and if I catch them at the right moment, I can even see as they are typing.
  • This same class will be introduced to Edmodo tomorrow. In Edmodo I can set quizzes for the students and have their results directly collated and recorded on my own Edmodo account.
  • I also set 'leave a comment' on today's blog post as homework for another class. My smart phone lets me know the second they leave a comment so I can moderate them on the spot. 

Moral of this story? Tech savvy teachers no longer have to 'fly blind' until the due date. 
Tech savvy teachers remind our students that their homework is due because we can see they haven't looked at it yet!




Sunday, February 26, 2012

Mini goals 3 - Do they care about the right reasons?

Teacher unions, governmnets, teachers, middle management, senior management, curriculm heads, parents. They all have a lot to say about education. The internet is lit up with education reform talks. Parents think teachers don't know what they are doing. Teachers who got left behind. Teachers who think they are brilliant but are not. Teachers who really are amazing. Governments who argue about more tests. Governments who argue about less tests. Teacher unions who argue against merit pay. Teachers who moan about middle management. Management who micromanages. Managments that don't do enough. Schools that sell themselves as excellent. Schools that really are excellent.

There is so much politics in education, on the small and large scale, that I am starting to wonder how many of the decision makers make their decisions based on the students and how many have ulterior motives. It is for this reason that my mini goals this week are as follows:
  1. Ask the students how they would like to learn about a topic. Work with their ideas to show them that their voice matters.
  2. Provide those students who clearly struggle to write in their books with an alternative method
  3. Encourage students to make mistakes. As is so typical, most students will leave an answer blank rather than guess, and then wait for me to put the answer on the board so they can make sure they got it 'right'. I need to encourage my students to learn from their mistakes.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Mini goals 2

This week has been the week of blogs. I have set up a class blog for my classes and so far it seems the kids (and the other staff) are intrigued enough to show some interest. It has resulted in a busy online week though. And reflection has occurred under a hot shower and on the drive to school. So my mini goals this week...
1. Flipped class trial 2 - too many online issues this week. I will need to try this again. I perhaps have a backup plan as there are still a few students who struggle to get internet access.
2. School involvement  - I need to know the kids well to be able to connect with them. Find that extra curricular activity...
3.  Plant a super lesson - Throw something at each class once this week that they never would have expected. Show them that science and maths breaks the boundaries.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

A Week of Why

I am trying to make my teaching more relevant. It is a work in progress. I am trying to choose examples that kids will actually use. I am trying to choose projects that apply to their lives. I am trying. Last week Simon Sinek inspired me to sell the why. That is, "people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it".
I am a work in progress. This week I have had a 'why' part to every lesson, I have even added a 'why' part to the top of my task sheets and maths exercises. As a result, I have started to question every part of my lessons. Why does it matter what I am doing? Why am I doing this activity? Why Why Why. I even dreamt in why this week. It has been a brutal week under my own personal scrutiny. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Or in the case of teachers, bad grades and unhappy, disengaged students. Why does matter, but once you have sold the why, the how and what takes the place, and even if you have the right goal in mind, you need to deliver the goods. So now, I am not only asking myself why the work is relevant and important for the students to know, I am also asking myself what and how can I best present the information so that they see the relevance and learn the content. All of this whilst still keeping to the curricullum. I started this week on a high. I finish the week with a reality check. I need a great product to sell with a good marketing strategy to sell it with. Let the hard work begin.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Considering that there are 7 billion people on earth currently, and how many more before us, there are very few people who really change the world, whether it be for the better or the worse. Simon Sinek might not have changed the world, but in 18 minutes he changed mine. For my personal goal of making my teaching more relevant, this is just what I needed. It's all about the WHY.



I have a dream.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Mini Goals and Reflections - Week 1

*FLASHBACK*
Maths class 1995-2005 x5 lessons per week x40 school weeks in the year x12 years of school
Step 1: Come into class
Step 2: Copy theory
Step 3: Listen to explanation
Step 4: Complete practice questions
Step 5: Do homework

We need notes to remind us of what we have learnt. We need to practice questions to check our understanding . We need homework to ingrain what we have learnt. But does it have to be about Susie who went to the market to buy oranges with her pocket money? Why couldn't I use my own pocket money to buy the stuff I actually want and then see if I was more interested? I rather like the way Mr Meyer thinks in this video. Make the students watch as that water tank fills up, let them role their eyes at how long it is taking. Who wouldn't want to know the shortcut?

Goals for the week:
  1. Get students set up on either twitter (for maths class) or blogspot (for science class) - add links to easy to manage lists for future use. Elaborate about netiquette and safety by doing a SWOT analysis with class.
  2. Trial one flipped lesson. That means give students a short video to watch for homework and a simple activity to complete that relates directly.
  3. Get to know the students. Learn every name and two other things about each students' interests.