Pedagogy

Why school is like Monopoly

I remember sitting down with family friends on a winter’s afternoon and playing Monopoly as the wind and rain prevented anything constructive from happening outside. When I look at how the game works, it is very linear. You can only move in one direction, you can only progress when it is your turn, as soon as someone buys a property you are always at their mercy and if you get lucky you buy Mayfair and Park Lane and control the game. If you got behind and were playing ‘property purchase catch up’ the game got very boring and you wanted just to pack it in.
The similarities between this and school are quite frightening. Generally we have a system that only allows students to progress when it is their turn (i.e. using their chronological age as the determining factor). If they don’t understand the subject matter they spend a lot of time just going through the motions. If someone does gets it, others feel left behind as they now don’t have control of the knowledge and may see the ‘game’ as a pointless exercise ending when the bell rings.
Investigating gamification and how to look at learning as not necessarily linear at all times is an option that can be applied to schools. I note that most teachers want to develop learning environments where students can operate in their preferred modality. Additionally, the breadth of knowledge and wisdom teachers have in relation to their subject area is one of the best resources a school can have. Recurring comments from teachers show an enthusiasm to explore new pedagogies, but these become tainted with the uncertainty of how to bring these concepts to life in the classroom. Some see how it would work in the middle school, but predict limitations when trying to apply it to senior classes when so many assessment restrictions are enforced by external assessment boards.

the breadth of knowledge teachers have in their subject area is one of the best resources a school has Click To Tweet
By looking carefully at what aspects of a course you could ‘gamify’ (for want of a better term) there is scope to be able to apply this design model to some course work and blend it with other aspects of current practise.
The struggle we have as teachers often comes down to time; time to process the thought behind non-linear construction, time to re-think how we were taught (and taught how to teach!), time to reflect on a system we operate within and time to plan, construct, critique and produce work to maximise learning opportunities. Often with professional development we have a couple of sessions and then hit the ground running the next day, with all that we have seen and been inspired by a distant memory by the time we sit down for a cup of tea and a piece of cake at recess time.
There is value in structuring release time after professional development sessions, with a facilitator on hand to guide and encourage teachers to utilise their years of experience to create alternate learning environments for their students. Maybe a re-think of how professional development is offered is on the cards and will bring good dividends.

blended learning environments allow students to operate in their preferred modality of learning Click To Tweet
By utilising the wisdom and experience of staff and creating blended learning environments, students should be able to operate in their preferred modality of learning whilst controlling certain aspects of their learning pathway.
Some of our kids are stuck in a game of educational Monopoly, losing motivation and having nowhere to go as it is raining outside. It is our responsibility to maybe pack away the Monopoly board and introduce a new paradigm to them.

Two easy ways to foster deeper learning by using Google Docs with Drawings

Posted by: Mark Herring

A great way to make the most out of the G Suite apps is to combine them together in a simple learning flow. By embedding Google Drawings into a Doc you’re able to launch students into pre-selected websites and resources, as well as provide a scaffolded tool to record their thinking and learning.

The role of the teacher in a modern classroom is evolving fairly rapidly these days. One way to describe this change could be as moving from the role of ‘pushing’ information to students, to helping students learn the skill of ‘pulling’ that information and then making sense of it. This is explained really well by John Seely Brown in this interview from 2012.

What’s not changing is the need for the teacher to model and scaffold students to develop these skills. Here are some simple ways you can do this by combining Google Drawings with a Google Doc in a nice learning flow, and seen in this example doc.

1. Embed a Google Drawing as an editable thinking map.

In this doc, linked here, you can see how a student could click on the Venn diagram and add their thinking through the editable text boxes. This Google Drawing was added by selecting the part of your doc that should include the thinking map, and then clicking ‘insert’ and then ‘‘Google Drawing.’

Google Drawings can embedded into Docs as editable thinking maps. See how to do that here! Click To Tweet

You’ll then see the Drawing edit box open and you can add shapes such as circles, adjust the fill colour and outline and add titles and images if needed. The last step is to add a text box, adjust the size and shape and add an outline so the student can see it. Then, once you’ve copied the box, paste it multiple times for the student to edit later.

2. Create a Google Drawing as a hyperlinked PDF.

A hyperlink is a shape or text that, when clicked, will take you to something on the internet. If you start a Google Drawing from your Google Drive (another way to start a Drawing) you will be able to download it when completed as a PDF with these clickable links.

Did you know you can bring an image to life with clickable hyperlinks for viewers to find out more? Click To Tweet

After inserting an image into your Drawing, your next step is to find the sites and resources online you want your student to use that can explore the image in more depth. In the example doc I’ve used an image of Titahi Bay Beach and created hyperlinked shapes to Wikipedia pages, the NZ History page and a local news site that gives a ton of further images, videos and information. Here are the steps to create this yourself.

– 1. Create a transparent shape (i.e. a shape with no fill) over the part of the image you’d like to hyperlink by adding a shape and changing the fill with the paintpot to ‘transparent. You can make the shape have an outline so the student can see that there’s something there to be clicked, or make it invisible, which can be an easy way for the actual image to look like it’s hyperlinked itself.

– 2. Copy the site’s URL that you want to link to using CTRL C, (CMD C on a Mac) and then click the transparent shape on the Drawing.

– 3. CTRL K will open the link box and a simple paste (CTRL V) will insert the link. You can also go to the hyperlink icon in the top menu bar and paste it that way.

When you have the hyperlinks created on your Drawing, click ‘file’, ‘download’ and then ‘PDF.’

This will save the Drawing to your downloads folder you can then upload this to your Google Drive and copy the sharing link. You can now return to your Google Doc and use the sharing link to hyperlink both a screenshot of your drawing and some highlighted text so that it opens the PDF when the students click on it.

Embedding Google Drawings into your Google Docs will help expand the content and depth of learning for your students. In some circles this could be called ‘App Smashing’ – where you combine content from one G Suite app with another. It’s a great way to amplify and augment (see the SAMR model – explained here for more) your teaching practice – it could be your next step in tech integration!

Skate Park Pedagogy

Posted by: Mike

When my son was younger, I spent many hours watching him at skate parks. Feeling quite out of my depth with the whole skate culture and being unaware of appropriate behaviours that observing fathers should take, I decided just to passively observe.

What I saw was kids taking calculated risks, developing skills and confidence, approaching daunting elements in a systematic way and, most of all, enjoying themselves. It just seemed so natural.

When we first arrived there was lots of chatter about how awesome the day was going to be, accompanied by a list of tricks with dubious names and a verbal promise of what was about to be attempted. Looking down into the depths of a big bowl on arrival, I am sure that some of the “car conversation confidence” started to wane just a bit. The unwritten rule of being with friends at a skate park is that one can’t really avoid the inevitable. So into the bowl he went. Tentative at first, but once his confidence and familiarity with the environment grew, the speed, the height and the angles which he rode the walls increased. Then stair jumping came into it and the repertoire of skills and tricks grew. Non-stop learning and enthusiasm for hours.

I also watched a bloke on a bike trying to pull off a trick. It involved him getting high in the air off a ramp (way too high for my liking, but it looked spectacular) and then whilst in mid-flight, rotating himself and his bike in a myriad of angles and then landing clean. He had multiple failures; however he would always try again. After a concentrated effort he would have a break and consult his mates. After the well-deserved rest, he would come back and try it again. The concentration shown in his eyes was mesmerising. It was like he was pulling all this information together and trying to physicalise what his head was imagining. The intensity of concentration increased as time passed. He never gave up, and would go back and break the trick down into smaller bits and practise them. After more rests and encouragement from friends, he actually nailed the trick. The cheer from his mates was fantastic. The sense of fulfilment on his face was even better.

I then thought of the typical classroom and especially Year 9 maths on a Friday afternoon. I wondered if any of those kids in the room would experience the same kind of fulfilment that the skaters did. The learning that was demonstrated in the skate park was passionate, relevant and in an environment where risks were encouraged, expected and supported.

The skate park classroom - where risks are encouraged, expected & supported Click To Tweet

Why in schools, do we seem to snuff out this natural enthusiasm? The level of concentration in the eyes of the young people trying to learn new tricks was supported by encouragement and advice from their peers. Natural collaboration, community and culture. The skaters controlled their learning, broke big tricks down into a series of smaller ones and slowly increased the level of “danger” as confidence grew. All controlled by themselves.

They saw failures as part of learning. No matter what level they were at, they all came away with a sense of achievement and a hunger to learn more.

Learning environments in schools that replicate this would be amazing. A blended learning approach based on gamifying the curriculum goes some way towards this. Students controlling their learning, freedom to try different approaches, working with others naturally and having the flexibility to use their time in their preferred modality of learning is getting close to skate park pedagogy. I struggle to see where standardised testing falls into this environment.

Controlling learning, taking risks in their preferred modality of learning Click To Tweet

When planning units of work, we should aim to encapsulate what I observed at the skate park in a manner that allows students to experience success, gain new skills, collaborate with others and have that same intense concentration in their eyes and sense of satisfaction and enthusiasm as did the young bike rider.

Pokemon Go and geography lesson without using the Pokemon app

Posted by: Mark Herring

This Pokemon Article was produced by Mark Herring from NZ. Mark is a Using Technology Better Certified Trainer. You can find out more about Mark via his blog and on twitter @markherringnz

NOTE: If you are concerned about security and the Pokemon App, we don’t use the Pokemon game to develop this lesson – you just use the images off the internet.

There’s a Pokemon craze that is sweeping the world and you can guarantee that quite a few of your students are into it, too. People everywhere are taking to the streets to search and locate those digital creatures called Pokemons through the ‘Virtual Reality’ technology that’s becoming so popular right now!

I’m working with some teachers in NSW at the moment and recently a teacher and I decided to create a Google Map that combined her Geography learning outcomes and her students’ obsession with Pokemon Go!

She wanted to develop their knowledge of geographical and historical landmarks around their school, connect with the local history they learned about last term and also build their navigational skills. What better reason do we need for a Pokemon project and how cool does this map look? And the learning that’s involved is focussed and authentic.

Students’ obsession with Pokemon Go? Use these apps to connect your lessons (real-life experiences) like learning Geography. Click To Tweet

In the real game, Pokestops are located on a map that players hunt down and use to collect items for the game. Our Pokestop Map uses the realistic looking icons, to give it that ‘Pokemon feel’ and here is a step by step guide.

What better reason do we need for a #Pokemon project and how cool does this map look? #edtech #gafe #aussieEd Click To Tweet

Note: You need to have a Google account to do this. If your school doesn’t have Google Apps For Education, you can still do this with a free gmail.com account.

1. To access your maps, start at Google My Maps.

This will lead you to creating your own map and adding your own title

2.The next step is to add a title to a new ‘layer.’

This is where you will add your locations. It’s important that when you share the map with your students that they add their locations to this layer – it helps keeps everything tidy and together.

3. You can now add your first location by clicking on ‘add marker’

Once you have done you click on the Google map at the spot you want to place a pokestop. You can zoom in to the map to get the location as accurate as possible.

4. Next, add some information including some interesting facts, dates etc.

5. Now you can search for an image through the Google Search function.

If you have a photograph on your computer or in Google Drive, you can upload them and link the URL of the image.

6. This next step is the fun part, and the element that gives your map the Pokemon look!

Click on the paintpot icon and change the style of the icon to ‘custom.’ You can search for the Pokestop icon by using the search terms, ‘Pokestop transparent.’

The key word ‘transparent’ is a great way to search for background-less images (called PNG files) that look great layered over other images or backgrounds. You can find this in ‘color’ when filtering your image searches.

Once added, the pokestop icon is now in the custom section and can be added by anyone shared with your map and using that layer.

7. Your last step is to share the Pokemon map with your students.

You could add their account addresses here, or add it as a Google Classroom assignment. If your students don’t have Google accounts for you to share to, you can create a shortened link with Goo.gl and write the link on a white board for easy access – just make sure your share settings are set to ‘anyone with the link can access.’

Once you have created the locations the students can edit the information to include the Ws and an H (the who, what, where, why, when and how) about the landmark.

The beauty is that this connects the student’s understanding they developed from the previous term’s inquiry on local history.

If you want to engage and motivate – there’s nothing better than Pokemon Go at the moment. And when you connect an engagement tool with something meaningful – you get some super effective teaching and learning!

As a teacher we need to find ways to make learning significant and valuable in our students' lives. Click To Tweet

Blended Learning for senior students – which LMS is best?

Posted by: Mike

A guest post by Adam Vardanega. You can follow Adam on Twitter & Google Plus

The pressures of senior schooling can be challenging for many students. More difficult content, conflicting time demands, looming exams and juggling part-time work can all add-up to a stressful couple of years.

A blended learning approach can provide students with the flexibility and support they need to manage their learning more effectively.

A blended learning model encompassing viewing/reading material prior to class (often referred to as a ‘flipped’ approach) allows the students to cover and digest the material at a pace suitable to their needs and level.

It also gives them the opportunity to focus more heavily on topic areas they find most challenging, and easily catch-up on content they miss while absent.

Face-to-face time can then be utilised for the actual application of the theory, with the teacher on hand to help out.

After class, students can use worked example videos to review the theory application as they continue their private study and practice exam questions. Self-grading quizzes and prompted group discussion questions also allow for students to keep track of their progress and continue to learn from each other after hours.

Moving to a blended learning model can be a gradual journey of classroom change.

You might just start with a few pre-lesson videos, or an after-class discussion topic and build your approach and material from there. Regardless of how you start out, an online learning and collaborating system is usually a key part of the blended learning model.

Choosing one which best suits both your and your students needs can help make the journey simpler and more effective.

An online learning and collaborating system is a key part of the blended learning model, but which #LMS is best? Find out at Click To Tweet

Two popular learning management tools are Edmodo and Schoology.

The great thing is that they are both free to use in your classroom. When I first embarked on a blended learning approach with my senior Chemistry students, I chose Edmodo as the class learning and collaboration platform.

The product had a great social learning focus, with a friendly and simple interface that made it easy for students to ask questions and share their knowledge and findings. Edmodo was popular with my chemistry students, so I also expanded my use of it to some of my junior classes.

This year, I decided to move my senior students to Schoology. In addition to the social learning tools, I found Schoology had other features more suited to the needs of my VCE course. The platform is more structured and organised, making it easier for my students to find and access their coursework.

It has richer progress tracking and statistics, and I’ve got more control of when students can access materials. Overall, Schoology is a more mature system. It is suited better to mature students (I continue to use Edmodo with my junior students) and is great preparation for the types of LMS they will likely use if they continue on to tertiary studies.

There are also other learning management and collaboration tools that you can explore for use in your own blended classroom. Many Google Apps schools utilise Google Classroom, Google+ or Google Sites. It’s even possible to design a great combination solution using a few different tools.

I’ll be sharing my ideas and showing participants how to set up an effective LMS to support blended learning at the Using Technology Better Conference.

In my ‘Learning management made easy’ session, you’ll have the opportunity to play with each of these tools and discover which Learning Management tool best suits your needs.

How can an understanding of Pedagogy and Andragogy help you teach better?

Posted by: Mike

We have all heard the the phrase pedagogy. But what about its bigger brother Andragogy?

Andragogy is the method and practice of teaching adult learners; adult education.

Pedagogy and Andragogy — Does this image depict a Pedagogical or and Andragogical approach to learning?

For teachers, we often call andragogy professional learning or professional development. Lately I have been thinking about the differences between andragogy and pedagogy and what that can teach us about learning.

How to use podcasting to transform your classroom into a thriving, connected, community

Posted by: Mike

In this UsingTechnologyBetter Show, we talk about about Podcasting and using Technology to transform your classroom into a thriving, connected, learning community Below you will find the recording of the video and the show notes. If you would like to receive an email invite to our next UsingTechnologyBetter Show click HERE.

Why school is like Monopoly

Pedagogy

Why school is like Monopoly

Two easy ways to foster deeper learning by using Google Docs with Drawings

1. Embed a Google Drawing as an editable thinking map.

2. Create a Google Drawing as a hyperlinked PDF.

Skate Park Pedagogy

Pokemon Go and geography lesson without using the Pokemon app

1. To access your maps, start at Google My Maps.

2.The next step is to add a title to a new ‘layer.’

3. You can now add your first location by clicking on ‘add marker’

4. Next, add some information including some interesting facts, dates etc.

5. Now you can search for an image through the Google Search function.

6. This next step is the fun part, and the element that gives your map the Pokemon look!

7. Your last step is to share the Pokemon map with your students.

Blended Learning for senior students – which LMS is best?

Moving to a blended learning model can be a gradual journey of classroom change.

How can an understanding of Pedagogy and Andragogy help you teach better?

How to use podcasting to transform your classroom into a thriving, connected, community

Podcasting and using technology to transform your classroom recording

What our clients say about us

Are you a beginner, intermediate or advanced G Suite or Office 365 user? Our skills checklist will help you find out.

Are you at a beginner, intermediate, or advanced level? This skills checklist will help you find out.

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Why school is like Monopoly

Pedagogy

1. Embed a Google Drawing as an editable thinking map.

2. Create a Google Drawing as a hyperlinked PDF.

1. To access your maps, start at Google My Maps.

2.The next step is to add a title to a new ‘layer.’

3. You can now add your first location by clicking on ‘add marker’

4. Next, add some information including some interesting facts, dates etc.

5. Now you can search for an image through the Google Search function.

6. This next step is the fun part, and the element that gives your map the Pokemon look!

7. Your last step is to share the Pokemon map with your students.

Moving to a blended learning model can be a gradual journey of classroom change.

Podcasting and using technology to transform your classroom recording

What our clients say about us

Are you a beginner, intermediate or advanced G Suite or Office 365 user? Our skills checklist will help you find out.

Are you at a beginner, intermediate, or advanced level? This skills checklist will help you find out.