I should be writing reports

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I can not see the above document.

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Enhanced Learning using Technology

http://www.enhancelearning.ca/This is a site for teachers - yet another. But this one made me go WOW. It is a well organised site and it is, IMHO, right up the ally that we are heading in at my school.

Its focus is on enhancing learning using technology and it does this by integrating constructivism and HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills) The site contains lots of very useful and well organised materials and links to heaps of other relevant information.

The origin of the material is Canada and so there is some referencing made to their curriculum frameworks that is not so useful for us here. Judging by the time stamps, the site is being kept up to date and improving.

The main organisational categories are

• Changing Attitudes
  
• Learning Strategies
  
• Teacher Resources
  
• Integrating Technology
  
• Integrating Outcomes
  
• Exploring Projects
  
• Sample Lesson Plans
  
• Planning Projects
  
• Thinking skills
  
• Developing Web Pages
  
• Assessing
  
• Tutorials
  
• Questions
  

This site then led me to another
This particular link took me to the tutorial section about the 'Brain and Learning'.

The tutorial is presented using a variety of media (multimedia) which is a pleasant change from all of the text based stuff I usually see on these sorts of teacher sites. Other tutorials at this site (but I have not looked at) include

• Character Education
  
• Classroom Management
  
• Constructivism
  
• Curriculum Integration
  
• Differentiating Instruction
  
• Environmental Education
  
• Inclusion
  
• Mentoring
  
• Multicultural Education
  
• Multiple Intelligences
  
• Performance Assessment
  
• Problem-Based Learning
  

Both of these are bookmarked and tomorrow when I get to work I will be putting more paper into the recycle container.

Auto-deleting pigeon hole

http://www.weblogg-ed.com/discuss/msgReader$3907
I’ve been toying with this for a while and Will and the comments on his posting say it well. I’ve felt quite angry and despondent of late. All of these opportunities and ideas and all I seem to hear is “We’ll put together a booklet”. I guess that I am going to have to be patient and keep just having fun myself.

Today I took down my pigeon hole sign (refer previous posting)

I got this idea last night for the ‘auto-deleting pigeon hole’. It’s the paper equivalent of message filters. Insert a piece of polished ply wood into pigeon hole so that it slopes up from the lower front edge to the upper rear corner. Place a paper recycle container below the pigeon hole.

Electronic publishing paradigm shift

A Tale of Technology & Two Organizations: CNN vs Education

We still print a lot of material or offload this printing to students-- we do not "think"/"operate" primarily in digital, and much of what we do digital is the digital equivalent of print.

http://jade.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/cdb/2005/09/05/cnn-vs-education/

'Electronically Enhanced Conventional Publishing' phase http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/EC/Bled97.html particularly caught my attention. My scenario has staff using word processors, DTP and to a lesser extent spreadsheets and databases to enhance paper based (traditional publishing) distribution of information. Photocopiers are used extensively to copy work prepared with a computer. Email is used in a few cases to support collaboration in the document development stages but more commonly the draft is still printed and people contribute by writing on the paper and passing it back.
The following two links are to diagrams that make the point that the traditional methods of publishing uses paper to produce more paper. Digital publishing can involve paper at the output stage but there are other options for digital publishing. It also makes the point that there are more options for getting feedback and using more than just text and images

• Publishing Process Model - Paper versus Digital - http://ariel.adgrp.com/~ghb/talks/950216_LES/Publishing.html


• The Shift to a Paperless World - http://ariel.adgrp.com/~ghb/WIP/paperless/paperless.html

We have a guideline – staff should try to check their email at least once a week. We are all to check our pigeon holes at least once per day. What does that say?
My pigeon hole has a sign on it.

I try to check my pigeon hole at least once a week.

• I get so much junk in it and it takes too much time to work out what is junk and what isn't.
  
• I get distracted, leave the stuff somewhere and then I can't find it again.
  
• When I put it into the bin it is too hard to get out again and I can't back it up.
  
• It is too hard to search the pile of papers on my desk and in my drawers, folders and bin.
  
• It is too hard to use information from my pigeon hole to produce new information.
  
• I can only check it from one place in the school.
  
• It's too heavy to put into my school bag and take home to sort out.
  
• Responding often requires the use of a pen and I get writers cramp signing my name.
  
• Having a full pigeon hole makes me think I am important and I have lots of friends.
  
• Paper cuts hurt and as I get older they are taking more and more time to heal.

I am trying to make a point. What I got was two reams of paper stuck into my pigeon hole. Some else is trying to make a point too. :-)