Updates on Projects
Things are slowly moving forward with the Digital Leaders projects.
Finally, after a Senior Leadership Team meeting last Friday I have the go ahead to create and get the pupils and staff to add to a school Twitter account- to network the school with the wider world, community and families and enable pupils to 'micro-blog'. However it has to be with a 'trial' group of 6 of our Cafe catering pupils- I have to invite their parents in to discuss and get their permission and also I have to run it all past head of Child Protection at CCBC. So that'll take two months to sort at least.
The video project is finally starting- the Head Boy and Girl and deputies will be making a 'Welcome to Trinity Fields' video all on their own- with one support staff as a guide. Aiming for Christmas finish for this- only three weeks away really! I'm glad that someone on the staff team is running with this and I know they will do a good job and I hope they all enjoy doing it.
I've also been put/volunteered on a Post Grad Course in Educational Leadership at the Caerleon campus of the University of South Wales- had four lectures 4-6pm so far and have to do an essay on implementing a project- luckily I'm running an Eyegaze one as part of my Performance Management and as part of my Professional Learning Community so it should fit in nicely and give me that extra push.
I was delighted today to look through some videos of a young girl using the eyegaze this week- she has come on so much since I initially got her on it in 2012- she's now achieving her yearly targets using eyetracking video evidence. Luckily we got the funding for another two eyegaze units which brings us up to five now.
http://eyegazesen.wikispaces.com/
The eyetracking project is entering it's second phase with our ASD pupils, results on the first phase are in and here:
http://eyegazesen.wikispaces.com/Eye-Tracking+Cognition+Project+at+Trinity+Fields+School
Also taking video evidence for a Video Analysis system we are trialling (like they use in sports at the moment). I went to the other lead school in Salisbury yesterday for a great meeting and have got another one in Cardiff Met soon- it's all going to get really running in the new year.
http://videoanalysissen.wikispaces.com/
and we're BETA testing some new eyegaze software, a new Kinect program, I got sent a Kinect V2 from Microsoft after a slight beg and am awaiting a super dooper laptop to run that and the Oculus Rift, and oh, we're also getting a Neurosky device to give EEG brainwave control of computers a go and the Xbox Kinect One is ready to go with a class as well with two games which may be suitable.
But for now that's it, I'm full up on projects for a while now- say till 2015 at least! I'm trying to keep up with my pupils too- we're starting our Christmas Sensory Story next week so I'm planning activities for that and some nice Christmas cooking activities and also getting video evidence for their ASDAN modules and their IEP records too, unfortunately one of them is really unwell again at the moment so we're all missing him and hope to see him again soon.
Looking forward to our next Digital Leaders meetings as well in the New Year.
Anthony Rhys
Trinity Fields School and Resource Centre
Wednesday, 26 November 2014
Monday, 10 November 2014
Computer Science
Janine and I attended a meeting today on Computer Science, on the proposed changes to the curriculum. It was held in a local high school and was led by a hard-working and well-meaning Computer Science teacher, and I certainly don't mean this blog to be some kind of professional character assassination. I won't be putting this post on my public blog for that reason. Having said that...
The Head of Computing (not ICT, you notice) had turned the KS3 ICT curriculum on its head, and devoted 90% of the teaching time to a computing based scheme of work, throwing a few token pieces of recognised NC work in year 9 for levelling purposes. The reasoning behind this was to better prepare the 20 or so learners that opted to study GCSE CS; that the remaining 120+ learners were being given a curriculum diet that was wholly unsuitable was ignored, not for lack of me trying to point this out.
As an ICT professional I was just flabbergasted by this approach. The Digital Leaders scheme has revitalised my love of teaching this subject. and believing I can make a meaningful difference to the lives of my pupils; this meeting sucked the life out of me.
I spent the morning at the SWGFL launch, and it showcased some fantastic resources and tracking tools (though I did take issue with their high regard of internet filtering systems, and took the opportunity to debate this with them). This afternoon was complete anathema to the idea of creating responsible and erudite digital citizens. If a Computing based KS3 curriculum is indeed on the middle-term horizon for Welsh schools, I may have to re-think my career plan.
The Head of Computing (not ICT, you notice) had turned the KS3 ICT curriculum on its head, and devoted 90% of the teaching time to a computing based scheme of work, throwing a few token pieces of recognised NC work in year 9 for levelling purposes. The reasoning behind this was to better prepare the 20 or so learners that opted to study GCSE CS; that the remaining 120+ learners were being given a curriculum diet that was wholly unsuitable was ignored, not for lack of me trying to point this out.
As an ICT professional I was just flabbergasted by this approach. The Digital Leaders scheme has revitalised my love of teaching this subject. and believing I can make a meaningful difference to the lives of my pupils; this meeting sucked the life out of me.
I spent the morning at the SWGFL launch, and it showcased some fantastic resources and tracking tools (though I did take issue with their high regard of internet filtering systems, and took the opportunity to debate this with them). This afternoon was complete anathema to the idea of creating responsible and erudite digital citizens. If a Computing based KS3 curriculum is indeed on the middle-term horizon for Welsh schools, I may have to re-think my career plan.
Sunday, 9 November 2014
Online presence
I've finally got around to creating my website for my online professional presence. Believe it or not, this is actually the first website I've ever created and uploaded, so yes it's basic, no there aren't any bells and whistles, but it is a start!
I've enlisted the help of a friend with a much better eye for colour and layout than me, so hopefully that'll make it look a little nicer!
mrlewisict.com
I've enlisted the help of a friend with a much better eye for colour and layout than me, so hopefully that'll make it look a little nicer!
mrlewisict.com
Monday, 27 October 2014
Thursday, 23 October 2014
Reflections on Day 5
Reflections on Day 5
I thought that some of the videos that we watched were very valuable and could easily be used in the classroom (for pupils and staff). I especially liked the video that looked at the impact of social media and the statistics that accompany its use Socialnomics. It seemed to suggest that we have to learn to use social media effectively because it is everywhere. The choice isn't if we use it, but rather how effectively we use it. This video would be a really good starting point for discussion in many subject areas.
The Sugata Mitra TED Talks video about children learning through enquiry - school in the cloud was also powerful. In the light of his findings, do we try to teach too much? Should we put more effort into allowing pupils to learn? I loved the idea of bringing communities together through the Granny scheme (or was it Nana). We undervalue the elderly in our society and they are a tremendous source of knowledge and, in this case, encouragement.
There were so many ideas that were suggested by the group. The challenge is how do we reduce them to a more manageable number and put them into practice? We need to have an overarching plan and need to continue to share ideas and resources and encourage each other.
I thought that some of the videos that we watched were very valuable and could easily be used in the classroom (for pupils and staff). I especially liked the video that looked at the impact of social media and the statistics that accompany its use Socialnomics. It seemed to suggest that we have to learn to use social media effectively because it is everywhere. The choice isn't if we use it, but rather how effectively we use it. This video would be a really good starting point for discussion in many subject areas.
The Sugata Mitra TED Talks video about children learning through enquiry - school in the cloud was also powerful. In the light of his findings, do we try to teach too much? Should we put more effort into allowing pupils to learn? I loved the idea of bringing communities together through the Granny scheme (or was it Nana). We undervalue the elderly in our society and they are a tremendous source of knowledge and, in this case, encouragement.
There were so many ideas that were suggested by the group. The challenge is how do we reduce them to a more manageable number and put them into practice? We need to have an overarching plan and need to continue to share ideas and resources and encourage each other.
Wednesday, 22 October 2014
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