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General News
I’m Back in the Blogosphere!
After two children and a bit of a blogging hiatus, I’m back! And I have an exciting new role ahead in the blogging world. What are you up to?
The 2014 New School Year
There was a time, not so long ago, when maternity leave would mean you’re out of the ‘education loop’. Now, with blogs, Twitter and other online resources, the education community is at your finger tips.
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Looking Back, Looking Forward
This will be my last week teaching before I begin maternity leave. I’m definitely looking forward to my new adventure as a mum but know there will be a lot I will miss about being in the classroom. In packing up my classroom to make way for the new teacher, it has been interesting to […]
A New Blog Design for a New Year
As 2012 comes to an end it is timely to reflect on what a fabulous year it has been. I’m also launching a new theme to mark the start of a new year. Integrating Technology in the Primary Classroom is now called Primary Tech. The URL has not changed. Some of my 2012 highlights include: […]
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Going 1:1 – Any Advice?
While the school year is quickly coming to an end, I’m looking forward to teaching grade four again in 2013. Next year my school is introducing a 1:1 netbook program for grade four students. Early this term we held a parent information night and we are now delighted to have around 90% of families signed […]
10 Internet Safety Tips for Students
Last night I attended a presentation by former police officer and cyber safety expert, Susan McLean. She addressed many issues around internet safety, cyber bullying, sexting, problematic internet behaviour and digital reputation. Internet safety is something I try to address frequently and authentically with my students. I have found education around this issue to be […]
PowerPoint: Dead or Alive?
Since Microsoft PowerPoint was released in 1990, it has been a key tool in many classroom ICT programs and businesses. There seems to be a reoccurring theme in social media that “PowerPoint is dead”. PowerPoint has been the butt of many jokes including this infographic by SlideRocket. Wikipedia outlines a history of the “death by PowerPoint” criticism, […]
ISTE 2012 – What an Experience!
Six weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to win the Victorian Teachers Mutual Bank Outstanding Primary Teacher Award. This award has partially allowed me to attend the ISTE conference in San Diego, California and meet some of my international blogging buddies face to face. Meeting Mrs Yollis! When I arrived in the USA, my long term blogging […]
A Team Effort!
On Friday night I was honoured and humbled to win the Victorian Teachers Mutual Bank Outstanding Primary Teacher Award. This was part of an amazing night at the Victorian Education Excellence Awards at the Palladium at Crown Casino, Melbourne. The title is one thing but I am also extremely grateful to receive funding to attend ISTE […]
Evolving Parent Communcation
When I began teaching in 2004, my main forms of parent communication were: the occasional class (paper) newsletter chatting to parents at the classroom door signs on the classroom window with reminders reports and parent teacher interviews communication books for some students phone calls or notes home if issues arose While some things have stayed […]
Student Centred Blogging
Student centred learning is an theory that seems to have gained popularity in education communities over the years. Wikipedia defines this type of learning as “putting students first … focused on the student’s needs, abilities, interests, and learning styles with the teacher as a facilitator of learning. Teacher-centred learning has the teacher at its centre […]
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A Life Our Students Will Never Know
Over the holidays, while attempting to be less “connected”, I’ve been thinking about how much technology seems to be increasingly infused into our day-to-day lives. With laptops, smart phones, iPads, iPods and other portable devices becoming so common place, gadgets are no longer something we go to, they come with us. This clearly brings about […]
Kids and Online Tools: The Legal Side
There are so many free online tools out there that are fabulous to use in the classroom. These tools can potentially allow your students to create, collaborate, communicate and express themselves in a multitude of ways. To find recommendations of tried and tested online tools to use in the classroom with step-by-step instructions, visit my […]
Quality over Quantity
I’ve been thinking about how important quality over quantity often is when it comes to effective teaching and learning with blogging, global collaboration and technology. Here are some thoughts… It’s not about how many blogging buddies your class has but about having deep and ongoing connections with classes that you can learn with and from. It’s […]