Afrikaans Poetry in Action
Afrikaans Poetry in Action
Many boys don’t get excited when they hear
the word ‘poetry’. The Afrikaans
department has decided on putting students in groups to create their own visual
experiences of poetry we have done in class.
This was used as a revision tool and helped the boys to see poetry from
a different perspective.
Afrikaans Radio Stations & News Programs
Afrikaans Radio Stations & News Programs
A few teachers tried this as a class
activity this year. Students were put
into groups to create their own 1) radio station or 2) news program. The radio station demanded of students to
create their own name, jingle, news reports, commercials and to find a cool
Afrikaans song they liked to include.
The news program was based on the same principle. Students had to video themselves and create
their own news channel, news reports, weather reports, commercials etc. This was an exciting assignment which tested
student’s language, vocal and presenting capabilities.
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Afrikaans Photostory
This project entailed using Microsoft
Photostory 3 and creating your own video album with short descriptions in
Afrikaans. Students could choose a theme
or a specific event which took place.
They were encouraged to use their own photos on their laptops and
Facebook to make engaging and relevant.
Students had to ensure that they used the STOMPI, Afrikaans sentence
structure, as their guiding light for their descriptions and sentences.
Afrikaans: Bishops Boys pay it forward to the blind.
Charli Wiggill, one of the Partners in
Learning Forum winners of 2012, started a WIKI for students to upload stories
they have read in different languages for blind children. A few Bishop Boys contributed their Afrikaans
stories to the WIKI. Please visit the site:
http://pay-it-forward-for-the-blind.wikispaces.com/%2A+MP3+SA+Languages.
Afrikaans: School of Rock
Afrikaans: School of Rock (Music Videos)
Gustav Labon stated that an education system is of more importance to a
country than its government. The driving
force behind our project is the need for proper and inspiring language
education.
Most educators will agree
that the reason why many learners struggle with mathematical problems, history
essay writing or long questions in general is because they do not understand
the question or because they find it problematic to organize their thought
process or express themselves using proper language.
The grade 8’s
had to create a music video by matching images to the lyrics of a song
or they had the choice to translate a song and sing it themselves. This was a perfect opportunity to be
creative, improve their comprehension, vocabulary, computer literacy, visual
literacy and be entertained while learning.
One of my main aims was to break away from those things that they were
use to in language classes. Students had to find a song the liked. Thereafter they had to
interpret and understand the lyrics.
They had to understand the words and the meaning of the song. This was followed by matching the proper
images to the lyrics and being creative or translating an English song to
Afrikaans.
Throughout the process they
were using technology to learn Afrikaans, enjoy Afrikaans and to be resourceful in
Afrikaans. The words and pictures were embedded in their minds and the project addressed their experience world every
step of the way. Suddenly their second
language became relevant to them because they were having fun and using technology at the same time.
Afrikaans Movies
Our grade 9’s must create their own movies
at the end of the year based on a fairy tale.
This year students were also allowed to base their movies on other
movies they have watched. Students must
bring their own interpretation to the table.
Students work in groups with different characters, props and
settings. This project requires group
work, delegation and creativity.
Afrikaans Magazines
Afrikaans Magazines
Magazines are all around us and play an
important role in young people’s lives.
Students were asked to compile their own short electronic magazine with
a proper front page, a well written article, news alerts, cross word puzzles,
advertisements etc. They were encouraged
to be creative and think out of the box.
Many boys chose sport magazines but there were also very interesting
compilations, from Pokemon to camping magazines.
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Creating comics in Afrikaans
Afrikaans Cartoon Strips
The grade 9’s read ‘Harlekyn’ as their
prescribed book and were asked to create their own cartoon strips based on a
circus theme. The aim was to create
flowing comic strips with interesting dialogue and storylines. They were asked to work in pairs and to also
include voice recordings for each character.
Grade 4 BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) PART I
November 20, 2012Accounting is fun!
Part of the Accounting Grade 10 syllabus requires that the
boys end the year with a basic bookkeeping course. Dave Russell’s class used Pastel Accounting to get some hands on experience
with industry standard tools. Aside from the of the learning that takes place and
the exposure to a more “real” experience in the subject, the boys have fun
working with the software on their laptops and can see the relevance in what
they have learnt during the year. The true benefit lies in the skills that they
acquire and a confidence to work with software in Accounting.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Internet Safety
http://learnitin5.com/Digital-Classroom-Strategies
Thursday, October 18, 2012
What a 'Mind Reader' Can Learn About Your Online Identity
Q: "When does your personal online identity become fair game to mind readers and Internet thieves alike?"
A: "When you share too much personal information irresponsibly on the web."
This point was made quite clear in recent weeks, when an Internet awareness video (above) went viral, featuring a Belgian mind reader holding court in a tent in Brussels.
The mind reader 'Dave' startled people with his clairvoyant insights into their personal lives. He told them secrets that they never would have expected to hear from a stranger about their personal lives. He told young woman about the tattoos on their lower backs; he surprised a young man by revealing the asking price of the house he's trying to sell. Another woman was shocked to hear that 'Dave' knew her bank account was overdrawn. How was he doing that?
Near the end of each person's 'mind reading,' the interior tent sides dropped to reveal a group of black-clad computer hackers working to unveil information made public by the person all over the Internet. From Facebook status updates, YouTube videos, Twitter posts and more, each person's information was displayed on large monitor screens. The people in the tent were both amazed and shocked to learn that all of the information that 'Dave' knew about them was in fact provided willingly by them on the web.
In fact, 'Dave' was an actor, a good one at that. And the point was made that hackers and Internet thieves can get to know you, through the personal information you leave behind on Internet sites. Here is the full video below. Read down further for tips protecting yourself against Internet theft.
For over a decade, identity theft has been the most reported consumer complaint in the U.S., according to the Federal Trade Commission. Internet security firm Lifelock reports that in 2011, nearly 12 million U.S. adults claimed identity fraud. This fraud cost amounted to about $18 billion in damages to consumers and businesses, according to researchers.
So how can you protect yourself against Internet theft and cyber robbery? October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and web security experts recommend the following tips to help you maintain an impenetrable online defense.
Using these tips above can help you keep your online identity away from 'mind readers' like 'Dave' and keep you personal sanity strong.
by Amy Coleman
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| http://learnitin5.com/Digital-Classroom-Strategies |
http://learnitin5.com/Digital-Classroom-Strategies
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Teaching students about their online identity
Do your students realize how vulnerable they are, when using the Internet and social media? Are you teaching them appropriate use? The guest post below, featuring the video above, is an excellent resource to share with students.What a 'Mind Reader' Can Learn About Your Online Identity
Q: "When does your personal online identity become fair game to mind readers and Internet thieves alike?"
A: "When you share too much personal information irresponsibly on the web."
This point was made quite clear in recent weeks, when an Internet awareness video (above) went viral, featuring a Belgian mind reader holding court in a tent in Brussels.
The mind reader 'Dave' startled people with his clairvoyant insights into their personal lives. He told them secrets that they never would have expected to hear from a stranger about their personal lives. He told young woman about the tattoos on their lower backs; he surprised a young man by revealing the asking price of the house he's trying to sell. Another woman was shocked to hear that 'Dave' knew her bank account was overdrawn. How was he doing that?
Near the end of each person's 'mind reading,' the interior tent sides dropped to reveal a group of black-clad computer hackers working to unveil information made public by the person all over the Internet. From Facebook status updates, YouTube videos, Twitter posts and more, each person's information was displayed on large monitor screens. The people in the tent were both amazed and shocked to learn that all of the information that 'Dave' knew about them was in fact provided willingly by them on the web.
In fact, 'Dave' was an actor, a good one at that. And the point was made that hackers and Internet thieves can get to know you, through the personal information you leave behind on Internet sites. Here is the full video below. Read down further for tips protecting yourself against Internet theft.
For over a decade, identity theft has been the most reported consumer complaint in the U.S., according to the Federal Trade Commission. Internet security firm Lifelock reports that in 2011, nearly 12 million U.S. adults claimed identity fraud. This fraud cost amounted to about $18 billion in damages to consumers and businesses, according to researchers.
So how can you protect yourself against Internet theft and cyber robbery? October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and web security experts recommend the following tips to help you maintain an impenetrable online defense.
Maintain High Security
Many companies offer online security fixes for your PC and mobile devices. Use them frequently and keep them updated. Internet theft prevention companies like Lifelock recommend that having the latest security software and opting in for an online monitoring service are your best defenses against viruses, malware, and other online threats.Limit Password Sharing
Create and remember unique password settings for all of your devices. Don't share these passwords with strangers. Keep an offline record of your passwords. Limit the numbers of persons with whom you share information.Passwords
Experts suggest using both capital and lowercase letters combined with numbers and symbols for more secure passwords. Use different passwords for each account you own online.Secure Web-Connected Devices
Along with computers, smart phones, gaming systems, and other web-enabled devices also need protection from viruses and malware.Be Smart About Wi-Fi
Don't check your personal bank accounts at local coffee shops. Be smart about using public Wi-Fi access. Some suggest that using your phone's 3G or 4G network is safer than public servers.Using these tips above can help you keep your online identity away from 'mind readers' like 'Dave' and keep you personal sanity strong.
by Amy Coleman
Turn wired students into great Digital Citizens
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators
Get all the tools you need with our FREE Digital Literacy and Citizenship Curriculum and Parent Media Education Program. The relevant, ready-to-use instruction helps you guide students to make safe, smart, and ethical decisions in the digital world where they live, study and play. ...
read more
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| Common sense Media - Digital Literacy Programme |
Use our new Scope & Sequence tool to find the lessons that are just right for your classroom. These cross-curriculular units spiral to address digital literacy and citizenship topics in an age appropriate way. Browse by grade band or click a category to highlight the lessons that address that topic. You can download a PDF of the new Scope & Sequence here. Read more about the recent updates to the curriculum in our blog.
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| Online Resources for Educators |
Thursday, 8 November 2012
Learn it in 5
In "Learn it in 5" you will learn about and find ways in which to use Web 2.0 technology in a digital classroom.
It contains a powerful library of videos that guide you and your students on how to create classroom strategies for today's 21st century digital classrooms.
Examples of such tools are blogs, social networks, podcasts, interactive videos, wiki's, slide sharing and more.
Read more: http://learnitin5.com
It contains a powerful library of videos that guide you and your students on how to create classroom strategies for today's 21st century digital classrooms.
Examples of such tools are blogs, social networks, podcasts, interactive videos, wiki's, slide sharing and more.
Read more: http://learnitin5.com
Monday, 5 November 2012
Google Sketchup for Design Technology
Our Design Technology teacher's take on Sketchup.
"SketchUp is wonderful and the boys love it. Bishops afforded me the opportunity to attend a course at the BHC School of Design (situated at the old biscuit mill in Woodstock) last year which really kick-started it all. A number of architects whom I met at the course were very impressed at how quick and easy it was to create 3D drawings. SketchUp also allowed them to import CAD files – they would typically import a plan for a house, by way of example, and then use the push/pull function to pull up the walls and then change/render the drawing etc...
We purchased the Sandbox licences for all the grade 9 boys in June which has enabled us to work with terrain too.
There are a number of self-paced tutorials in Trimble which are freely available."
A extract from an email received from one of our parents in response to her son's Sketchup lessons.
"I am not sure how you have taught your boys sketchup but I must say I am completely amazed at what my son, produced for me this week.
As an architect in private practise I was moaning I did not have the skill or ability to quickly produce some 3D images for a client and that it would cost me R15 K to get someone to do it.
My son said he was happy to do it which I largely dismissed. This is a child who has not EVER done a single day of studying architecture. Anyway he seemed unfazed by the challenge and so I handed him a full set of plans, sections and elevations of my design.
To my complete amazement , he produced an extraordinary 3D presentation working out all angles, details and roof intersections with little more than a few questions.
We are all completely shocked in the office. There is no way I could produce this, as an architect for 20 years and someone who taught Autocad at UCT. My son said he has only done about half of the detail that he could do but I only gave him 4 days to do it in and as he was busy, as always with AV, this is the best he could do in a few days!!
Really quite extraordinary. How on earth did you teach these boys to be some knowledgeable."
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
Use SketchUp to design your dream golf hole!
Mervin Walsh's technology class used SketchUp PRO and SANDBOX tools to design and draw their dream
golf hole.
The
golf hole included the following components: a tee box with a small hut (stamp
tool) alongside; fairway (drape tool); green (drape tool); a hole on the green
with a flagstick in it; bunkers; water hazard and trees (trees to be imported
from 3D warehouse).
Marks
were allocated for the layout design, creativity, use of colour and textures
and profiecency in the use of SketchUp SANDBOX.
Sensible Internet Advice: LO programme
A rock in the hands of a monkey is either a
tool (to crack open nuts) or a weapon (to crack open the head of another
monkey) or a toy (to roll or toss for amusement)! Our focus in the Life
Orientation department at Bishops is on the “monkey” and not the rock….. While
we may naively believe that students use technology primarily to aid their
education, reality may be that they use it far, far more often as a toy or even
a weapon.
The internet and technological gadgetry in
general, provide a particular danger to young men. The exploitation and abuse
of girls via the internet has received a fair amount of publicity, and schools
and parents routinely coach girls in preventative action and the dangers of
meeting “people” in chat-rooms or via websites. Little, if anything, is done to
address the unique problems of young men. They may no longer be first targets
of pedophiles, and they are probably big enough to defend themselves from
physical threats which may arise from ill-advised contacts made via the
internet. However, their very own personality and make-up is often their
greatest source of danger. The irresistible attraction of competitive games,
the sweeping storms of hormonal changes and their lack of emotional awareness
conspire to make them victims in an entirely unexpected way: they often, inadvertently, perpetrate grave misdemeanors
as a result of their tendency to recklessness, or in the heat of the game or as
a result of perceived threat to their ego. An otherwise sensible and kind young
man may suddenly find himself guilty of the distribution of child pornography,
when he forwards a picture or video he thought “funny”. When crossed or
betrayed, his instinctive reaction may be anger and revenge and, before he
knows it, he has made comments or threats he can no longer retrieve. All his
young, ill-considered adolescent trials and errors are indelibly printed
somewhere out there in the ether, and any hope of redemption of his image is
lost, as it “goes viral” and spins out of his control.
The second category of dangers lurks about
in his still-forming value system. It is alarmingly easy to cheat with
technology. Answers are bbm-ed. Assignments are cut and pasted. School “work”
is churned out at a speedy rate – without ever having passed through his brain
and thought processes. Google has become the new Oracle of Delphi, and our own
attempts to solve problems and create novel solutions have been hijacked by the
plethora of opinions available at the press of a finger. Who would struggle
through the process of thinking when a few finger-clicks can have a wonderfully
neat “task” ready for the English teacher in a flash?
The last of the IT Horsemen of the Apocalypse
is the one called Addiction – to gaming and to pornography. Increasingly
research is showing that these two addictions are far more prevalent and
dangerous that we had hitherto considered.
As a school which insists that our boys use laptops in the classroom, I
feel strongly that we therefore have a burden of responsibility to provide a
clear moral compass and an awareness of the inherent dangers of this choice, as
well as the IT skills needed to make maximum educational use of the medium.
In grade nine we take a term to look at
these issues in the following ways:
- We use interactive webpages to show boys how to manage their on-line brand and social media presence
- “Tagged – what you do online can tag you for life” is a valuable video, with interview clips from the characters, discussing the implications of hasty posts
- The boys create a poster of Top Ten Tips regarding an aspect of internet safety – emotional and reputational
- Nick Hall, a lawyer, visits each class individually to discuss plagiarism and legal aspects related to internet use
- Each boy does an audit of his time spent on the computer or gaming, including a discussion on the opportunity costs of this
- We take a brief look at transferable cognitive skills (or the absence of them!) and the necessity of a reality-based conceptual framework to the development of maturity and appropriate relational skills.
- We introduce the mechanics of process addiction.
Next year I plan to add ways to avoid “brain drain” and to encourage discrimination when choosing content. Plagiarism remains a perennial problem to be addressed. In short, we must aim to foster an appreciation for human dignity and reinforce the benefits of creativity and original thought, while building a solid moral and value framework within which to use the ever-present technological gadgets which have become so fundamental to our lives.
Bev Kemball
Head of Department: Life Orientation
Learning French in fun new ways
Contrary to many critics, comics can be beneficial to learning in the classroom and not a fun art-enrichment activity. Comics provide narrative experiences for students learning a new language such as French. Students follow story beginnings and endings, plot, characters, time and setting, sequencing without needing sophisticated word decoding skills. Images support the test and give students good contextual clues to word meaning. Comics act as a scaffold to student understanding.
Stephen Cary, a second language learning specialist says "Comics provide authentic language learning opportuinites for all students....The dramatically reduced text of many comics make them manageable and language profitable for students".
Here is one example of what the boys created using Comic Life.
Stephen Cary, a second language learning specialist says "Comics provide authentic language learning opportuinites for all students....The dramatically reduced text of many comics make them manageable and language profitable for students".
A trial version of Comic Life is a freely available, but licensed versions do come at a price.
Our French Grade 8 class used this application to create their own comics describing their daily routines and the key benefits of engaging through creating, thinking, comprehension were all evident during the process.
Here is one example of what the boys created using Comic Life.
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
It's all about Teaching and Learning
Our challenge as teachers today is to not only to prepare our students to be digitally savvy and information literate, but also to help them create, communicate, collaborate and connect so that they can become responsible and contributing citizens in the future.
Whether we like it or not, technology is here to stay and we as educators need to do everything we can to empower out students for their futures.
Technology will never replace a good teacher, however take good teaching practice and equip it with the advancing technology that is now available to us, and we have a powerful combination of ingredients to take to our students.
Whenever one attempts to plan and create a lesson or classroom experience using some form of technology, one must always focus on how the technology can be used to enhance the learning experience for the students, and assist them in applying the 21st Century skills such as collaboration, creativity, organisation, critical thinking etc and not just on the technology itself.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes. So often, despite the best planning, a technology-based lesson can go awry. Always ensure that you have a backup plan should the technology let you down.
Our students are such confident users of technology. Don't feel that you have to know everything or more about the technology than your students! They will show you the way!
Whether we like it or not, technology is here to stay and we as educators need to do everything we can to empower out students for their futures.
Technology will never replace a good teacher, however take good teaching practice and equip it with the advancing technology that is now available to us, and we have a powerful combination of ingredients to take to our students.
Whenever one attempts to plan and create a lesson or classroom experience using some form of technology, one must always focus on how the technology can be used to enhance the learning experience for the students, and assist them in applying the 21st Century skills such as collaboration, creativity, organisation, critical thinking etc and not just on the technology itself.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes. So often, despite the best planning, a technology-based lesson can go awry. Always ensure that you have a backup plan should the technology let you down.
Our students are such confident users of technology. Don't feel that you have to know everything or more about the technology than your students! They will show you the way!
Monday, 29 October 2012
Teaching with Twig
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Contact
Shanni Thomas
Cape Town
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URL: www.twig-world.com
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About Twig:
On-line resource for Physical Science, Chemistry, Geography, Mathematics and Biology; Includes quality video; Can be hosted locally; Comes with worksheets and quizzes – available online or via download.
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Purchasing: 4 different subscription options
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Classroom Use:Fabulous resource for flipped classroom scenarios |
Tube Chop: chop 'n share from any YouTube video.
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Teachers are using this to chop the relevant sections from a YouTube video and share it. http://www.tubechop.com/ |
| Four easy steps: | |
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Learning Meiosis hands-on!
Cell division in Life Sciences is best learnt by getting students to 'recreate' the stages of the process in a practical, hands-on way.
Using playdough, each stage of meiosis can be modelled, annotated and then photographed. These images can then be imported into Photostory or Movie Maker and then edited. Narration, effects and music can be added to complete the digital story and the project saved as a movie file. Editing the timing of each digital image can create an animated sequence representing the stages of this type of cell division.
This type of activity supports visual learners and can be a wonderful way in which to reinforce concepts and enhance understanding. It also means that the completed movie can be shared, uploaded to a blog and used for revision purposes in the future. Collaboration, creativity, organisation and critical thinking are all 21st Century Skills that can be effectively implemented in this excercise.
The videos below are examples of the movies that were created in this way.
Using playdough, each stage of meiosis can be modelled, annotated and then photographed. These images can then be imported into Photostory or Movie Maker and then edited. Narration, effects and music can be added to complete the digital story and the project saved as a movie file. Editing the timing of each digital image can create an animated sequence representing the stages of this type of cell division.
This type of activity supports visual learners and can be a wonderful way in which to reinforce concepts and enhance understanding. It also means that the completed movie can be shared, uploaded to a blog and used for revision purposes in the future. Collaboration, creativity, organisation and critical thinking are all 21st Century Skills that can be effectively implemented in this excercise.
The videos below are examples of the movies that were created in this way.
Using Digital Storytelling to learn Xhosa Vocabulary
Learning Xhosa vocabulary in a linear fashion may not be the most inspiring or effective way of teaching a second language so we decided to put a different spin on the theme of Churches and Ceremonies for the Grade 10 Xhosa class.
The boys were asked to take photographs of various items in the school chapel using whatever technology they had available and to source other pictures from the internet that supported the theme.
Using these downloaded resources, and PhotoStory 3, the boys created a narrated picture story in Xhosa and saved the final product as a movie.
Photostory works by organising a series of digital images into a sequential order. One can then add various effects to each of the images, insert text, music and even record your own voice. It is a Microsoft tool and freely available for download off the web. Photostory projects can easily be uploaded into Classroom blogs without having to going through YouTube.
This made their learning experience more visual, fun, creative and contextual and also supported an active learning environment.
Here is an example of one of the movies created by the boys.
The boys were asked to take photographs of various items in the school chapel using whatever technology they had available and to source other pictures from the internet that supported the theme.
Using these downloaded resources, and PhotoStory 3, the boys created a narrated picture story in Xhosa and saved the final product as a movie.
Photostory works by organising a series of digital images into a sequential order. One can then add various effects to each of the images, insert text, music and even record your own voice. It is a Microsoft tool and freely available for download off the web. Photostory projects can easily be uploaded into Classroom blogs without having to going through YouTube.
This made their learning experience more visual, fun, creative and contextual and also supported an active learning environment.
Here is an example of one of the movies created by the boys.
St Cyprian's School Technology News
Cyber safety resources for parents and teens
October 1, 2012
With so many new devices, emerging technologies and increased access to the internet, it is important that we consider and manage the risks involved. We will always endeavour to provide state-of-the-art safety and security for students using school computer facilities, but with an increase in the number of personal devices that often do not connect to the internet via school wireless and use for example 3G, it impossible to effectively restrict the sites they visit, what they post and who they talk to. Online safety is a collaborative effort
Online safety can only be effective if we employ a collaborative approach between the school and parents. Say for example the school blocks certain websites, restricts time spent on the internet and will not allow students to post pictures or other personal information about themselves online. At home, however, they are allowed unrestricted access to the internet for as long as they wish with no adult supervision. This can be a potentially dangerous situation and it is vital that parents and their children decide on what is acceptable for their family regarding internet rules and behaviour. The only safe solution is vigilance, especially in the case of younger children.
Potential issues
There are a number of risk factors to consider when discussing internet safety with your children. Some important topics are:
- Cell phone usage and safety
- Cyber bullying
- Emails and chat rooms
- Revealing personal information online
- Social networking sites
- Online predators
- Inappropriate content
- Sexting
See also: Facebook and MXit tips
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