Claire Amos

Source: http://novemberlearning.com/educational-resources-for-educators/books-on-educational-technology/ Interestingly, when it comes to teachers not really adopting and embracing technology it often isn't technical skill or lack thereof that is the problem, it is the teachers need to maintain power and control in the classroom. You hear the panic, the running joke that BYOD stands for Bring Your Own Distraction. Well I hate to break it to you, but if the students are distracted by the technology (particularly after the novelty of access to the Internet has worn off) the problem ain't the technology - quite possibly your/their teaching and the students lack of ownership of their learning is. *lobs grenade and ducks for cover*

Content vs. skills Face to face vs. online Rote learning vs. deep thinking Individual activities vs group activities Sage on the stage vs. guide on the side Teacher led learning vs. self directed learning Closed classrooms vs. flexible learning commons Discreet curriculum subjects vs. an integrated curriculum Is it just me or are all wrestling with this concept of "the right balance"? Is there even such a thing as a right balance? And right for whom exactly? One thing I do know is, is that if we want to shift from a "traditional" to a more "future focused pedagogy" this involves a shift in this balance. A shift to skills over content, a greater mix of face to face and online, deep thinking over rote learning, more collaborative group work, more guide less sage, self-directed over teacher-led with all of this taking place in a flexible learning space and with a more integrated curriculum model. But even if I can get my head around this, the mor...

Some rights reserved by nicolasnova Future-proofing English by harnessing the power of writing online By Claire Amos Director of e-Learning at Epsom Girls Grammar School (this article was originally written for English in Aoteroa , Issue No.75, October 2011) When we consider how we can best future-proof a curriculum area as central, universal and as diverse as English, it is impossible not to consider the increasing role that ICTs and e-learning will have in that future. Whilst it is interesting to explore the ways we can use ICTs in English, it is also important to consider the evidence suggesting why we should use it! I would like to add a note here. At no point do I suggest that all students must use ICTs in English, I am firm believer that it is actually about differentiating for preferred mode, and offering it as a choice for those who see working online as a more engaging and useful way of working. I am a passionate advocate of e-learning, but more i...

I really like this. Screenr is free, quick and simple to use online screen capture video tool. You can record up to five minutre videos, which are then instantly published to Twitter (although you can choose not to publish on Twitter) or can be published to YouTube or embedded in your own website, wiki or blog. The potential educational uses are limitless. First up, I want to develop a library of "Handy How Tos" for teachers, but I think it could be great for students as well - particularly with getting them started online. Ultimately, I want to get my students creating them for each other (and me!). One of my many plans for 2011!

This is a really thorough one hour webinar introducing teachers to Google Sites. A great way to teach yourself everthing you might need to know to create and use a Google Site with your class! One of the many useful videos on the Google Apps channel on YouTube.

Moodle 2.0 was officially launched on 24th November 2010. If you are interested in checking out how Moodle 2.0 differs from earlier versions of Moodle, check out the official release notes here or link to specific notes below! 1 Major new features 1.1 Community hubs 1.2 Repository support 1.3 Portfolio support 1.4 Course completion and prerequisites 1.5 Conditional activities 1.6 Cohorts 1.7 Web services support 1.8 New blocks 1.9 Plagiarism prevention 2 Major improvements to existing core features 2.1 Backup and restore 2.2 Blocks 2.3 Blogs 2.4 Comments 2.5 Enrolment plugins 2.6 File handling 2.7 Filters 2.0 2.8 HTML editor 2.9 Messaging 2.10 My Moodle page 2.11 Navigation 2.12 Ratings 2.13 Roles and permissions 2.14 RSS feeds 2.15 Themes 2.16 Translation system 2.17 User profile pages 3 Major improvements to activity modules 3.1 Lesson 3.2 Quiz module and question bank 3.3 Resource 3.4 SCORM 3.5 Wiki 3.6 Workshop

Great overview of Google Apps for Education! A little cheesy at times, but definitely informative!

In this workshop we looked at Facebook Groups - how to create them and what you need to consider as teacher. Introduction to Facebook groups for teachers View more presentations from Claire Amos . Possible uses Online discussion Provide a space for students to ask each other for help Post useful links, resources Email reminders to students with new Facegroup email functionality!

Learning Over Lunch This week’s session was on ‘Introduction to student’s collaborating on Google Docs’. Check out the online version here . I am also in the process of putting together a one page handout for staff and students which will provide step-by-step instructions on how to: • Create a Google Document • Upload a document to Google Docs • How to share a document • How to comment on a shared document • How to view a revision history of a document Next week’s Learning Over Lunch session will take place on Wednesday (available online Thursday) Topic: ‘Introduction to creating a quiz or survey on Google Docs’ Professional Viewing Recommendation K12 Online 10 Over last few weeks and next week there is a completely free ICT PD conference taking place! K12 Online invites participation from educators around the world interested in innovative ways Web 2.0 tools and technologies can be used to improve learning. This FREE conference is run by volunteers and open to everyone. The 2010 confe...

The slide show below is designed to provide some basic tips and strategies, encouraging teachers to welcome laptops into the classroom! Welcoming laptops into the classroom View more presentations from Claire Amos . You might also like to check out this article recommended by Catherine Lee. "I used the ideas in Jamie McKenzie’s article . The one about turning all screens away works well when not using, or when working in groups with just a few netbooks in use. His most recent article also has a few ideas for when less is more…"

The aim of this workshop is to provide a very basic introduction to the Google Docs environment and to provide teachers with an opportunity to learn how to upload (or create), share and collaborate on a document. Introduction to google docs1 View more presentations from Claire Amos . Want to learn a little more about Google Docs? Watch the video below. Potential uses in the classroom? Shared writing of class notes Jigsaw writing activities Collaborative stories Collaborative presentations Shared study notes Peer feedback Online bus stop activities Your ideas?