ICT+Emails

For SHGC Staff

Hi all,

Could all staff please complete the following ICT survey. This is used to both monitor the effect of the contract and will be also used by out Lead teachers to understand the needs of their faculties in terms of ICT professional development and support. As last year there will be an ** amazing ** prize randomly selected for those who have completed the survey by Fri, 18th of February.

Link to the survey **[] **

Many thanks

Mike

Hi all,

Today I am going to start my weekly emails sending around some cool websites or activities and a skills challenge, all to do with ICT. Today’s will be 3 videos on you tube that you can watch if you like in your own time. When we get the website up and running you will have an opportunity to share interesting websites or resources you would like to share.


 * 3 Videos**

[] – =Father Guido Sarducci's Five Minute University =

[] – Have you been paying attention?

[] – 20 Minutes long but a fantastic TED talk on creativity in schools.

Skills challenge


 * What I recommend setting up now is a folder in your email for ICT resources. Your first skills challenge is below. **


 * You do this by: **


 * 1) ** Open Microsoft Outlook (the email software) **
 * 2) ** Click on FILE then NEW then FOLDER – type in ICT PD as its name. Click OK. This makes a new folder in your inbox. **
 * 3) ** A folder (yellow box) will now be part of your inbox. If you cannot see it click the + sign beside the inbox label. **
 * 4) ** Left click on this email and drag it into the ICT PD folder. **
 * 5) ** Now this will have saved your email into the folder. **
 * 6) ** You can make folders for everything, e.g. parent contact, departments… **

Any problems see me or Kathleen. In the future your departments ICT lead teacher will be the one to go for help.

Thanks

Hi all. I hope everyone has had a good weekend.


 * This weeks ICT resources are **

1. [] Toni Twiss's Blog. I think Toni has some excellent thoughts in regards to ICT use in teaching and I often go and read her blog. Well actually her RSS feed gets sent to me, but that’s for another week. If you are not familiar with blogs I recommend going to have a look and start clicking on links (you cant break anything)☺.

2. [] or even more powerful the new beta version [] - This is a website I use all the time to make brainstorms and mind maps. It takes a while to get the hang of but produces some good results. Students pick it up instantly – good for those “visual learners” to summarise a whole topic.


 * This week’s basic skill - Making favorites more accessible in your browser. **


 * I am using internet explorer today as I think the majority of you use it however Firefox follows basically the same instructions. **

Key words - Browser - the software you open to look at the internet. Favorites bar – the bar along the top of your browser below the URL box and menu bar. If you cant see it right click on the gray section at the top and make sure there Is a tick beside ** favorites bar **.



So what am I talking about when i say "make your favorites more accessible"? Well I like to easily go to websites I use all the time. Most browsers have a great bar at the top to show a "quick link" but most people don’t use it.


 * Step 1. **

At the moment you probably have the favorites bar like it is when internet explorer/firefox is first installed. Step one is to remove all these links (red circle below). Right click on each one and click DELETE. Click YES when it asks to send to recycle bin.





** Step 2. ** Now it should be a gray empty space. Go to a website you use all the time. Im using [] When the site loads you will see beside the URL a small picture called an icon. Each website has its own one of these.



** Step 3. ** Left click and drag this picture to the favorites bar. Now you have a quick link so every time you open the browser you only need to click on the box you have created to go to the website. Repeat that for all the websites you use all the time.

If you know of something cool or a tip you would like me to cover in the next email just reply back.

Thanks


 * Week 3 ICT email.**

2 Weeks to go until the holidays, now that’s scary.


 * 3 Challenges this week. **


 * ICT PD Teacher only day. ICT challenge 1: **

The challenge is easy this week. All you need to do is click the link below and choose what sessions you would like to do during the teacher only day, **this is compulsory for all teachers** as we need to know numbers so we have rooms with enough computers. Make sure you click **submit** at the bottom (:

[]

Challenge two. Use the skill we discovered at the start of this week of saving web sites to the Favorites bar and save the following website to it. Have a look around, it’s a bit empty at the moment though this will change.

https://elfacluster.wikispaces.com/ - yes it’s the wiki for elfa!

// And for ICT masters, challenge 3: First 5 people to create an account and post a message in the “prize forum” will get a prize. For everyone else. This will be covered in the future emails so don’t panic (: //


 * This weeks cool resources **

WIKI Schools edition [] Now wikipedia has its positives and negatives but this is designed for students to use and they say its peer reviewed. I think its great. A good place to start investigations.

EDtalks Take some time in the holidays to catch up on the EDtalks latest videos. This website offers current, edgy and some often provocative video-bites featuring educators talking about learning. There’s plenty to keep everyone happy -John Hattie talks about the National Standards, DK founder of MediaSnackers in the UK discusses barriers and benefits of Social media, or get a student perspective on ideas for improving learning.

And finally []

TKIs software for learning website. This is useful. I will be spending another email in the future going over this.

Thanks

=ICT Email 4=

Thanks for everyone choosing their options for Friday. There are still a few who have not completed their selections and this must be done asap. I will be finalizing the session numbers tonight and they will be posted on the ICT noticeboard by Wednesday. Link below for those still to complete.

[|https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&pli=1&formkey=dDZpQUJsZ0VBRWUtdzh3dXRGXzU1eGc6MQ - gid=0]


 * ICT Skills (attached)** – Some basic Word skills today. The first worksheet is about using images in Microsoft word and the second worksheet is about putting images into auto art. This will just help those who struggle with pictures when designing tests or worksheet. See attachment.


 * This weeks cool resources**

Educational Software and Web 2.0 Wiki - Lots of links to explore

Digital Literacies & Emerging Educational Technologies - A Wiki - Learn more about the latest Web 2.0 educational technologies and where to find them on the Internet.

[|Lets make a hangi] - Interactive activity that allows students to assist in the construction of a hangi.

[|Write a Blog] - Do you want to have a class or personal blog? This website will get you started.

Hi all,

The Lead teachers will be introducing themselves and their roles during your next faculty meeting. To make there job easier below is a survey we would like you to complete feeding back to your lead teachers where you are in the use of ICT at the moment. This information will be used buy your lead teachers to have an overview of what the skills are in their departments and what would be the areas that PL would benefit you. Thank you


 * Link to Survey – click below **

[]


 * This weeks ICT resources. **

[|www.commoncraft.com]. Three-minute videos to help educators and influencers introduce complex subjects. Excellent site!

[] Make your spelling words into games

[] - Hectors world as was talked about at yesterday’s staff presentation by Netsafe.

[|Sites for Teachers] - Websites for teachers ranked by popularity.

Hi all,

Have you filled out the survey for our lead teachers? Below is the link. If you are having trouble filling this out, please see your lead teacher. Well done those who have answered so far. I will be taking a random name from those who have answered by 5pm today and they will receive and **//amazing ICT prize//** (:

[|CLICK HERE TO TAKE SURVEY] Ctrl + Click opens


 * Toni Twiss **

Toni Twiss will be in for departmental or individual help. Her focus is on modifying units of teaching to better incorporate ICT. If you want to make use of her expertise book through KAMAR at least a week in advance (her name in kamar booking has been shortened to ToniTwis - which is not a typo). Refer to Sue’s email on how to do this.


 * These weeks’ resources **


 * Story books ** (year 9 and 10) – attached as word file – students need to access this electronic version


 * __ Instructions __**
 * Insert 6 clipart pictures which are related in some way and can be used to tell a story.
 * Arrange a text box under each picture ready for a story to be written.
 * Check your layout. The page must look good and be balanced.
 * Save your work
 * When the preparation is complete, you will swap work with another group and write a story about their pictures.
 * When you understand what to do, delete these instructions


 * ICT in the classroom **

The MOE has a place where teachers write how they are using ICT in their teaching successfully. If you have free time I recommend having a look at the link below.

[|Link to stories] Ctrl + Click opens


 * Weekly ICT emails.**

PD on Tuesday. This week was put aside to spend time working on updating and working on your Moodle communities. Also this is a good chance to have a play with the new interactive projectors in the Computer labs.

Room 202 – MWI, LAN + Lead teachers ** – Intermediate/ Basic Moodle support ** Room 203 – SWA, TMO, CCH + Lead teachers – ** Advanced Moodle **

Of course you can work on E resources as well.


 * This weeks challenge. (Moderate to advanced skill level) **
 * RSS Feeds in Outlook Express (the email program) **

Outlook express has inbuilt rss feeds. //Whats an rss feed you say?// Well most updated websites and blogs now have a rss link. When this is clicked on and set up the new stories from that blog/ website are sent as emails to your inbox like an email. You don’t need to look at the website so see if it has been updated. This can be done for multiple web sites and is even built into Moodle. [] explains this even better!


 * How **

If you are new to RSS, or want to add to your collection of RSS Feeds, you can discover new RSS Feeds in several ways. On some Web sites, you might see, or,. When you click these buttons in some Web browsers such as Microsoft Windows Internet Explorer 7, you can subscribe to the associated feed.

Lets do it!

[] is a link to a Blog of your guessing it… Derek. Derek has some excellent ideas and posts about ICT in education. You can use this example to practice on.


 * 1) Go to his site by clicking the link above.
 * 2) You are looking for a RSS feed – I have circled it below, click on it.
 * 1) Now you are in another page, click on the View Feed XML – it will add the feed to Outlook. All done.
 * 2) [[image:file:///C:/DOCUME~1/MWILSO~1.SHG/LOCALS~1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_image010.jpg width="275" height="176"]]

You will now have one RSS feed linked.

With many you will look like below (this is the newer version of Outlook express)

I am going to start sending these as RSS feeds in a couple of weeks from the ICT wikispace so next weeks ICT PD will be based around setting these up and being part of the Elfacluster wikispace.

Thanks

Hi All,

This weeks PLD session is in Faculties and will be run by your lead teachers in your normal meeting places. Also to help them please bring/show one electronic resource you can share. This could be a handout, website or powerpoint or even showing how you are using Moodle in your classes.


 * // This weeks challenge. //**

I have included two handouts which are attached. Both are explaining different ways to download photos from a digital camera. If you have any troubles with this please talk with your Lead teacher.


 * // Cool resources. Thanks to those who have emailed me links to resources. I am going to start compiling them on the Wiki. //**

[|Reading How Not to Talk to Your Kids. The inverse power of praise.] Ctrl + Click to open

[] Got a free hundred hours? Didn’t think so. Here is a database of New Zealand teacher blogs with a focus on learing and ICT. Happy reading.


 * // Digital Table mat. //** Print it in colour, laminate it and use it for a mat for your Weet Bix. If you would like a pdf in higher quality I have uploaded it to the wiki in higher quality.

Mike.