digital technology can't do everything!

Don't expect computers to do everything for you! teachers remain the most important part of the process! both as educators discussing what is on the computer with children and accessing peripherals to maximize engagement, as participants in the decisions about what should be on the computer, and continuing to capture the teachable epiphany in the format most accessible to the learner, her peers, and her family. Here's the challenge!

ICT to make learning more complex.....

here's a synopsis of some of the research results undertaken by the then team of Pukerua Bay Kindergarten into ICT, teaching and learning. These are the signposts the kindergarten identified as common behaviours in their learning stories showing some ICT inclusion in some part of each episode as contributing to better learning outcomes.... a result not to be sneezed at. Self review with qualitative data....

Multiple ways of knowing....

I had occasion to hear Julia at an Auckland Conference a few years ago- she delivered a full day programme that was truly inspirational and has a lot to say about leadership. Here she has a lot to share about learning being trans-formative for teachers and children if they own it. This is of particular significance for us in our project - if there is only one or two teachers leading anything (ICT included)then the potential for it to fall over is significant. Team approaches rule! I also like her thoughts about ICT adding another way of knowing...... children express their interests and investigations in many ways if they can if our learning environment and routines timetable is conducive..

Photostory as a way to assess and articulate...

Here's a photostory covered under Permissions from the Ministry  ECEICTPL project  ( 2006-2009) where a group of children revisit some representational artwork they did after some exploration. After  using books, internet and digital microscope photography to document their interest in small creatures, they used art media to experiment some more, and then used photostory to express/revisit the process they followed. 

Discovery artists....

Thanks to the team at Discovery Kindergarten who have allowed us to put a photostory into our blog showing a group of 4 year old children using their Mimio interactive whiteboard. Today they have been using 'Artrage' free demo software to create large scale work.

using the tools as the vehicle for exploration as well as reflection

Well done to Plimmerton Kindergarten...... using video clips from the digital camera to create video footage that allows a group of dancers to revisit what they have been involved in as well as plan new adventures.....Thanks also to the parents of the children for allowing this clip to be shown. After the original clip documenting children's interest in hip hop dance genre was made, they revisited it on the children's computer and chatted at length. Some of the children began journeys choreographing dance sequences. It was great to be able to show the clips of themselves on a big screen dancing to their favourite songs to be able to provoke further engagement . It certainly provoked more dance!  It seems the interest is performance art- the choreographic work supports this supposition and also the joy in using a microphone to support this exploration.... I look forward to what  the future of this planned project brings...... Here's some of the documentation..... and a disclaimer that we don't have any rights to the soundtrack the children are dancing to and 'covering' in song.....

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rewindable learning

These ponderings are about a keynote at a 'learning @school' conference e by American Kevin Honeycutt... check it out here... I  liked Kevin's discussion about 'rewindable learning'. Through a series of stories about himself, his students and of his own son, Kevin talks about the value of technology in enabling a much more personalised approach to learning. He cited his own experience in learning the guitar, having to hide it from his father, and of learning it one note at a time as he memorised music in sections from the sheet music in the music store – eventually teaching himself to play Les Zepplin's Stairway to Heaven. He then told of his son who wanted to learn to play the guitar, but declined to have his father 'teach' him. Instead he locked himself away in his bedroom and learned the same tune from a 6 year old who had posted his videos on YouTube. The key to this learning here was being able to re-wind the learning, to watch the one piece over and over, with no criticism or judgement, until mastery is achieved.  Once teachers ( and for us programme highlights ) are rewindable, children can make decisions to be involved in the 'rewindable experience'   and by so doing get as many chances to learn as they need.


He calls himself a 'digital dumpster diver'  as he sifts and sorts and decides on useful ICT tools  to help teach children - and isn't a techy- telling us he is a '12 o'clock flasher'  ( sounds dodgy!) - which means all the technology in his house is flashing '12' over and over because he can't set it.  But he is keen to emphasize that learners for the now need to be able to learn, unlearn and relearn.... not what we did which was learn once and perhaps know because knowledge and jobs wouldn't change for a really long time.

....................................rewindable learning is something I have seen time and time again in ece where the ICT set up is accessible to children and they have agency over the equipment ( within reason!). Not at the whim of  teacher who can get the computer out of the office during the day at times suitable to them...... the amount of children who ( for example) have revisited a favorite story using digital clips to supply soundtrack and visual cues as well as props to support this investigation such as puppets and books.... over and over until they are satisfied and have explored using a whole range of strategies! I've also seen it at home when I found three of my four sons lined up in front of you tube reminding themselves step by step how to tie a tie for a formal family occasion....! :)