Storytelling through animation.

I've finally purchased a webcam that syncs with I Can Animate on my Macbook Pro. This has been a two year adventure. With the change of firewire ports and many if not all of the newest video cameras operating through USB and or SD cards, and the iSight cameras discontinued it has been somewhat difficult to find a reasonably priced camera that I can use with the newer Macbook Pro, that is robust enough to use with my 4 and 5 year olds in my classroom. I finally found and ordered one though (looks very much like an iSight camera and plugs into a USB port - hooray). So now that I have the camera organised for my new class in the next academic year, I'm looking forward to using this as a digital storytelling tool in my classroom.

Back in 2010 my own children and I explored animation using a raft of resources around the house, you can see the post here. In my role as ICT Facilitator working alongside Onehunga-Cuthbert Kindergarten we explored the notion of digital storytelling. (One of my many passions with reflections/blogposts here, here, here, here and here). Onehunga-Cuthbert Kindergarten were showcased on the New Zealand Ministry of Education Website spotlighting their work with animation and the power of this medium for storytelling - you can see Cassidy's digital story here.

As we are on Summer Vacation here is Saudi Arabia I gave the camera and computer to my own children once again to figure out how to use the tools. My youngest daughter was the first to give this a go, and created this mini-video:

After, the exploring side of the software and camera were sorted. The older children in our family decided to take it to another level:

I can't wait to use this process with the children in my class next academic year, it takes a whole lot of concentration and may take days or months to complete a project. I'm looking forward to exploring this longitudinal process with children. In today's society, we often expect/demand instant results - you can go and buy a meal and have it ready in 5 minutes. I'm going to be looking at extending projects with children over a number of days, weeks and months so that we can work past the expectation of instant gratification. Perhaps the long lost value of patience will rear it's head in our classroom.

Download the FREE Trial of Animate IT! and try this software for yourself.

Like magic - the information comes to you.

If you are an avid reader of online websites or blogs you will have noticed the RSS image above lingering in various places. Early on in my role as ICT Facilitator for CORE Education (back in 2006) I learned about RSS and the revolutionary way it changed how we access information.

Lee Le Fever over at Commoncraft produced a simple video that shares how the power of RSS works, and ever since then I have let the personalised information come to me.

Watch the video here

Unfortunately the Reader he refers to in this video is no longer available (Google shut this down on July 1st, 2013) but there are a number of other RSS readers that you can use on your iPad, iPhone, iPod and Computer.

I have used Net News Wire for many years, and with the new BETA version will continue to use this app. I can access my RSS feeds using this app on my computer. There are a number of reasons why I prefer this app:

• Clean interface.
• No distractions while reading - pure content rather than loud advertisements or cutesy backgrounds (personal choice).
• RSS Feeds can be organised into folders
• Looks like my email browser and lets me know how many unread posts I have.

What are some of your must-read blogs that you can have delivered to you like magic?

Nature Kindergartens

Following on from my post on Ken Robinson's korero (talk) a few days ago, a video broadcasted on the television programme Sunday looks at the NZ context of child-rearing (but most likely relevant to many other countries) and the issue of over-parenting. The video highlights a centre in Fiordland, South Island, New Zealand and their Forest School programme. The importance of risk, resiliency, the health benefits of being outside and leading healthy active lives. This video is an exciting move forward for New Zealand education, shedding light on the notion of "cotton-wool kids" and the importance of Nature Kindergartens in New Zealand.

Link to video: Raising Generation cotton wool kids

Play and Learn Early Education Centres have held the notion of  "learning beyond the walls" for nearly twenty years. Taking children on small excursions into the community - embracing the rich learning experiences that occur at the farm, the zoo, the beach, the bush and ensuring children feel a sense of belonging in their own community.

Play and Learn formally introduced "Nature Kindergartens" after sending two of their educators to the UK to be formally trained in the principles of the Forest School programme. In the first term, of being introduced there were incredible and significant benefits almost immediately. Some of these include:

* Increased fitness in children
* Less likely to be absent from school due to illness (common knowledge that germs and cold are better spread outdoors than from person to person indoors).
* Children who sometimes showed signs of shyness at the early childhood centre taking on leadership roles in Nature Kindergarten.
* Increased opportunities for conversations and oral language (we know that oral langauge is the foundation to all literacy).

Among these are many, many more examples of the benefits. So now I ponder the thought of Nature Kindergartens, and the possibility of introducing this concept to my children I am teaching at TKS? Any ideas?

Ken Robinson on escaping education's death valley.

I've been a fan of Ken Robinson and TED for many years, and posted several years ago on his most popular/earliest talks "Are schools killing creativity?". If you haven't seen this video, this is a must watch for all educators across the globe.

Seven years on from his first enlightening speech, Ken Robinson shares with us his views on escaping education's death valley. He uses his fun witty humor to engage us and take us on another journey.

As I start thinking about the beginning of the school year and my class of 15 children that will join me in a journey of learning - I am prompted to think about my goals, my thoughts and my reflections on how I can make it the best year of learning and teaching. In New Zealand, we use a term called ako - it means teaching and learning and values the role of the learner as a teacher and teacher as a learner.

This year I want to:
* listen more
* laugh more
* feel more

And the quote that's got me thinking on a practical level:

"If you can light the spark of curiosity in a child they will learn without any further assistance, children are natural learners..."

What does this mean for me at TKS?
How can I make the learning in my class engaging, relevant, challenging and significant?
What does relevant mean in the context of TKS?
At it's deepest, most raw state - what does 'curiosity' mean?

I'm looking forward to thinking more about this more over the next few weeks.

Cousera

Twitter is a fabulous tool, even when you don't visit the twittersphere as often as you would like to. A few weeks ago, my fabulous friend @hanna_fale tweeted that she had signed up for a course.

Having completed 4 weeks of our 9 week summer holiday, I figured I'd like to look further into this new found course of hers. 

Coursera is an educational technology company offering massive open online courses founded by computer science professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller from Stanford University.

In my excitement, to get re-engaged in my own learning i have signed up for a handful of courses. Keep posted to read my reflections on my short courses.

Stop, think and reflect...

Often during my online travels I come across websites, images, articles that truly take my breath away. Today was no exception.  I hope to post more of these gems on my blog rather than bookmarking them for later on. Today I'll share a list of the most impressive images I've seen in a while...

The 50 most perfectly timed photos ever, can be found here

And below are some of my favorite images from the list.

In my role as a facilitator, I would encourage teachers/students to pick an image from the vast range of images I had and invite them to share how an image they have chosen relates to an aspect of our learning. For example, choose an image that reflect how you currently feel about technology.  Images are powerful, the images on this website have prompted me to reflect on my goals in life and recharge my own camera batteries.

Skype in the Classroom

I have finally signed up for Skype in the Classroom for my K2 class next year. I really hope this leads to exciting conversations with learning communities around the world. If you are keen to Skype in and read my class a story, sing a song or share ideas please add us on Skype: k2superlearners