DNA: the secret of life & Baboons on the prowl

And now for something completely different – YouTube is such an amazing source of fascinating videos.
The first is a truly amazing video that shows how DNA copies itself. It is from a PBS program entitled “DNA The Secret of Life”.

The second is video of an incident a week or so ago. The still pictures [...]

Twitter study

Why do we use twitter? I had a couple of conversations with students about Twitter over the last week. We (at least I) discussed how it could be a useful tool. “Tool” being the operative word – the old saying “A tool is only as good as the person using it” – seems to be in play here. [...]

Connecting our students to Reading

I like reading, which is just as well in the job I do. I like to encourage our boys to read. I have always preferred the longer novel but I use all sorts of things to get the boys to read. They must read because the written word is still a major form of communication. Whether [...]

PLP final reflections

Today we signed off on the PLP program and had our last Elluminate session. It has been an amazing past 15 months. Three of our team began the journey by taking part in the SLAV Web2.0 program. Here we had a few months to learn about the some of the different technologies that were becoming [...]

Useful Links (weekly)

How to Create Simple Digital Stories A summary of the digital storytelling process.Offers some step-by-step advice of the process and links to online tutorials and resources

Video Cameras in the Classroom | Clif’s Notes Great ideas about different ways to use your flip video camera in the classroom

LearnHub – Study Abroad, Test Prep, Career Counseling LearnHub [...]

Interview with SLAV executive officer – T/Ls today

Another Advocacy coup for teacher librarians. This morning  the SLAV executive officer, Mary Manning, spoke about the role of teacher librarians in an 11 minute interview on the Radio National program LifeMatters. The interview can be listened to or downloaded from the Lifematters site.

Whilst you are thinking about Teacher librarians and their role in the 21st [...]

Flip(ing) video cameras – we have some for use

We just purchased some flip cameras for the library. In the past I have had to beg and borrow digital video cameras from other faculties (not steal!) Finally I got one just before our semester holidays and I found it such a neat little device. I wanted something that was simple and easy to use in [...]

Useful Links (weekly)

Half an Hour: Standards for Pedagogically Relevant Learning Environments – Where Are we? Stephen Downes: standards for pedagogically relevant learning environments.Where are we? 

Google For Educators – Web Search These Search Education lessons were developed by Google Certified Teachers to help you do just that. The lessons are short, modular and not specific to any discipline so you [...]

Progressive Pedagogy and 21st Century Tools.

Chris Lehmann’s post about the publication by ISTEVision of his presentation at NECC – on Progressive Pedagogy and 21st Century Tools. Chris Lehmann is the principal of the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a very forward-thinking school administrator, from the US.
The official program description of his session was: In our hurry to learn “What’s new,” we can’t lose [...]

Internet filtering – Censordyne: the GetUp campaign

If you have been reading this blog you would have read posts (esp Dec 2008) about the many things wrong with, and ineffectiveness of, blanket filtering plan that the Australian Commonwealth Government is undertaking.
If you are also concerned about our Commonwealth Government’s Internet Censorship plan, worried that things have gone too quiet and opposition case is not being heard, [...]