Early+Shoots+at++Malfroy

**Early shoots... what we were doing last year to grow into C21st learning.** This time last year there was an awareness that things needed to move forward, but how was the question. Our Professional Learning Group started to look at what we could do to kick start our development. Chris had managed to equip his room with a number of secondhand computers. Jo, Gay and Annemarie had interactive white boards installed. Each classroom had at least one good computer. Teachers were experimenting with some tools; games on the server were the biggest use however. Firstly we put together a curriculum statement  for our school. In this we identified that one first step was to empower teachers. We started on the road to getting a cluster contract. Nicky, our principal, saw that we need to get every teacher onto the TELA laptop scheme. If each teacher was empowered, then they would have the means to experiment and take on board any new developments. (See our presentation to the BOT on the Malfroy's Potting Shed page.)

**Using C21st Tools For Our Admin ** We have a Smart Net server, but not all the available tools were being used.media type="custom" key="6115295" align="right" We instigated: As time goes on, we're getting more and more teachers on board.
 * use of the Daily Notices
 * web calendars
 * greater use of the email function
 * user bookmarks
 * a more up to date front page for our intranet

media type="custom" key="6159525"

**Room 8 - Wendy** Wendy embraces ICTs and is ready to take on any PD she's offered. She's one of those people who will give it a go. Her passion rubs off on her children. Wendy has been particularly excited by tools like [|Tut Pup] and [|Weebly] because they get the children hooked into learning.

**Room 10 - Chris** "After working with a range of ICTs in my role as a Resource Teacher of the Deaf, where the students were not only engaged in their learning but relied heavily on these technologies for their day to day communication, I quickly saw the potential to hook in our at-risk boys and re-engage them due to their fascination with computers and technology in general.

Having a low computer:student ratio limited the momentum of the tasks and learning opportunities I was able to set up in the room. I decided that the best way to reduce my low computer ratio was to ask businesses who had a high computer turn-over for their old computers. The computers were old but definitely adequate for my purposes.

The next problem I faced was the number of power outlets in my room. I had two, one at the front and one at the back. I went to the Principal and explained what I intended to do; he was intrigued by my plans and asked me to provide him with a rationale for the class. Shortly after, my classroom was fitted with five four-way outlets.

My thinking around ICT and student engagement is constantly being challenged. I have a very supportive group of people around me, who have since established the ‘e-learning’ Professional Learning Group (P.L.G). Now 2 years on I find that it is only my imagination that really holds things up. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Establishing student mentors within the school showed how successful this form of supportive skill development could be. The natural progression from this was to create mentoring teams with the staff to help those who are less confident in their computer use and skill level. This has seen a big jump in the overall usage of ICT within the school by both students and teachers alike.

It is a credit to the forward thinking of our ICT P.L.G that has seen such a huge increase in the profile of ICT / e-learning at Malfroy School."
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">[[file:Rational for Digital Emphasis Classroom.doc]]

Room 12 - Jo ** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 96.8%;">Jo has been making the most of her interactive whiteboard and her students are right into blogging on [|Classblogmeister].



<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">** Room 16 - Annemarie ** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 108%;">Annemarie arrived at Malfroy in Term 2 2009, fresh from another cluster. She has been keen to share her understanding of C21st pedagogy and her skills. "What I don't know I just have a go at until it works!" The first thing she did was introduce <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">[|Classblogmeister] <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 108%;">.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 108%;">"We are reminded that it's good to have a purpose in mind when you start a blog. Mine is a window - no, a doorway to the world. I've called it 'Explorers' for that reason. It's a jump point to see what others are doing and for families and the world to see what we're doing. It provides a platform to share work and to try things out, like how to embed photos, or slideshows. It's amazingly empowering for a student to see that a number of people have 'hit' their last 'post'.

'Wow - someone's reading my stuff - I better write more!'"



<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 160%;">**Montessori** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Diane embraces the web as a learning tool and has used her blog for individual study and home tasks.



<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">**Go to next page - Early Bloomers**