Transformation Teachers Programme

Okay, just tried to upload some of the stuff I’ve done (imovie, comic life) but I get a message saying file type does not meet security guidelines??

Finally managed to save the imovie as an avi. I just need to upload now. Can’t get googlevideo here so may have to do that at the CLC.

I made a very short imovie using crazytalk last week based on an A2 philosophy topic about artificial intelligence and whether computers/machines can be regarded as having minds. It’s very brief and not high quality, more an experiment. It doesn’t really work having my voice for 3 different characters, (plus my colleagues listening in thought I’d totally lost it) but it’s definitely the sort of thing I can see small groups of students working together to produce as a way of summarising key points/positions of this topic.

Finally I completed the imovie on feminsim. It’s taken a long time and  there are still lots of ways I’d like to improve/develop it.

 I’ve managed to save it as a .mov but can’t remember how to save it as .avi

This week has gone too fast and I haven’t done as much as I hoped. So, plans for the next few days are to finish the examples of work started and get on with creating some learning pathways.

I’d be really interested to try some blogging with students in September so yes setting up a hub would be good. At this stage I can also work on integrating some of these ideas into my schemes of work so it’s the perfect chance to think about which bits of this technology fit in with different bits of the syllabus.

It was great to work with Judy on Wednesday and get answers to lots of my questions (and more!). I’m looking forward to finishing off some of the bits and pieces I’ve started (comic life, crazytalk etc) and uploading some of it on Fronter.

Feeling a bit more positive about blogging now that the page looks a bit more cared for, and looking forward to experimenting with blogging with my students in September. I can see it being useful as a self-reflection tool when students are working on a big project.

It was also good to hear Judy’s thoughts about linking up with other colleges via blogging or even using Skype in lessons!

Just an update really. I feel that I turned some kind of corner last week, not in my skills necessarily but in my confidence about using some of this new stuff. I’ve managed to make a couple of things in comic life for philosophy AS- one on Cartesian doubt and one on Berkeley’s idealism. I probably wouldn’t really use these for tecahing (’presenting’) on a regular basis but they’d be great things for students to produce to show they’ve understood the theories and conflicts between different philosophers.

 I’m  also working on an audio project based on attitudes towards feminism (an A2 module for politics). So I’ve recorded 4 different people talking about what feminism means to them and am adding some pictures (in garageband). I wanted to do it in imovie but can’t get the soundtrack to appear. It’s been a bit of a frustrating few days trying to edit without losing recordings that I actually want to keep etc etc. I feel I now have empathy with media studies students! The final product in no way reflects the hours of work I’ve put in, so that feels a little depressing. On the other hand, I’m sure the students would be able to do it more quickly than me, and with most of this technology I see them as using it to create their own stuff rather than me creating lots of stuff to present to them (apart from a bit of modelling of course).

 I’ve finally managed to get onto a wireless network at work although I still can’t get the mac side connected so can’t upload yet. Watch this space.

 And I’m still not quite into blogging regularly as you can see. I’m not sure who or what it’s for and a slow internet connection at home is a disincentive. I’m not sure if blogging helps me or not. I’d probably rather spend the time it takes to write this just reading someone else’s, but then if everyone said that……..

Yes, a project is a good idea. I’m just trying to familiarise myself with all this new stuff at the moment. It’s exciting, frustrating and time-consuming. I’ve been on crazy talk and am up to the stage of getting Sarte’s lips to move. Next time I blog he will have said something.

I’ve been meaning to blog for days, nay weeks!! Not quite in the habit yet, and my slow dial-up connection at home doesn’t inspire me. I can’t get the internet on the laptop at home which is a shame. There seem to be about 4 or 5 different wifi connections I could pick upon if only I had a key code and wanted to get into trouble with the neighbours.

I’ve been using the camera a bit. I did some short bits of video on a friend’s afternoon birthday walk round Walthamstow/Hackney marshes last Sunday. I’ve put it into imovie (very badly) -  well, it was experimental. Hopefully not my finest piece of work (not holding my breath for a BAFTA) but good to get started.

Next stop is Fronter. Before next week I’d like to have a go at garageband, comic life and crazt talk. And write one more entry in the blog. Oh, and start thinking more seriously about using this fantastic stuff for the sixth form. We’re probably going to try and incorporate it into some innovative work on developing ’thinking skills’ resources. Just need to work out how.

Great, some goals to work towards over the next few days!

Finally I’ve got to the right page for blogging.  

Yesterday was frustrating just trying to do simple things like finding the blogging bit and setting up a Flickr account. This had to be done at home with a slow dial-up connection as the site is filtered out at work (under the heading of ’match making’).

 I’m getting used to the camera but have only scratched the surface of what it can do. I have a few photos for teaching but not much else. How many hours left till the homework deadline….??