Mike's Raumati Edublog

Year 8 Leavers Awards Evening

2009-12-17T09:36:00.002+13:00

Congratulations to all of our Year 8 Students who won prizes. You can find your photos by clicking on the link below.

I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas. Look forward to seeing you all as College Students.

Take care and Good Luck

Mike Farrelly

Year 8 Prize Winner Photos

Year 8 Leavers Formal

2009-12-11T13:44:00.001+13:00

Wow what an amazing night. Congratulations Year 8 you were all stunning.

The link to your photos is here.

A Night at the Oscars!

St Edmunds

2009-10-21T04:35:00.004+13:00

Finally just a few photos from St Edmunds - I've put these in to illustrate one of the devices which seems to be quite popular. It is the HTC Advantage. The great thing about this device is that the keyboard can be removed from the screen and used separately. Or the screen can be used without the keyboard at all.

Unfortunately it does not seem to be available in NZ -there are some other models that are on offer though.

A visit to FutureLab

2009-10-21T04:23:00.004+13:00

I spent the afternoon with Dan Sutch from Future Lab. (In an amazing converted Banana Warehouse overlooking the Bristol Canal!) I could write a huge amount about what we discussed, but would not do our conversation justice.

My feeling is that visiting their website is by far the best way to get a glimpse into some stunning work that is currently underway and what is around the corner.

I still can’t get my head around 3D Imaging printers…u design it and then the printer creates it!!! And a very short throw projector which sits virtually up against the whiteboard on the floor!!! NO MORE CABLES!!

Make sure you particularly look at www.createascape.org.uk

Thanks Dan!

A BIG THANKYOU

2009-10-20T04:14:00.005+13:00

Thanks Sheila for pulling together my visits while in Bristol.

Sheila works for the iCity Learning Centre, part of ICT the support provided by the Local Authority to schools in the area.

The best comparison I can give is that they are a little like eTime for those of you who know them, but are funded by what would be our local Ministry of Education

I will attach some of the photos of the Learning Centre - what was fantastic was that local students also used this space as a place to come to Learn and work as well as Teachers!

21st Century Learning Environments

2009-10-20T03:54:00.009+13:00

I was privileged to be able to look around Brunel Academy in Bristol. (Secondary School starting at Year 7)

Brunel has recently been rebuilt as part of a British Education strategy.

Brunel featured open naturally lit spaces and a clearly understood and easily seen set of values.

Main Entrance.

They are currently looking at how Mobile Learning will be used at their school. Currently they are looking towards Netbooks as their preferred solution.

Thanks Amando for all of the time provided.

Main Corridor

Yes all students carry a swipe card! taken from the main Office area looking towards lower corridor.

You can learn many things from Harry Potter

These plaques illustrated the thoughts of the students and were located on both sides of the entrance.

Looking down on one of the open computer pods. The school philosophy on display is very evident throughout the building.

Lord knowle Primary

2009-10-19T22:49:00.007+13:00

Long Knowle is a Primary School located in Wolverhampton. Students at the school are from Reception to Year 6. They have been trialing the use of Mobile Learning Devices for approximately three years. The initial implementation was done at the Year 5 & 6 level with the programme now moving down as far as Year 3. Long Knowle have chosen to use an HP PDA as their device.

Although this particular device does have some limitations such as not having a camera, their choice fits what they believe. The device has a clear screen and is easily held and used by the students. Navigating around the PDA is straight forward and the students were confident using the devices. I watched a Year 3 student opening and closing documents and programmes very happily after only three weeks with the device.

The school has chosen programmes which are interactive in nature rather than passive. It seems that this is a very important factor when considering any mobile learning.

What they are actually asking their students to do is to be involved with their learning by using programs which they create the content for, rather than just being passive and responding to what the program tells them to do.
There is heavy use of “Pocket Slides” and “Sketchy.” (See the links previously) and the students enjoy using these.

Another lesson I observed was around the use of eBooks. The eBook reader allowed students to read the books on their devices, but more importantly let them make annotated notes and links on pages as needed.

Some observations…
• High levels of engagement for both boys and girls
• Devices used as part of the lesson – but not the point of the lesson
• Clever software which allows management of the devices in bulk
• The PDA’s were coded so that each student knew exactly which was theirs
• A swap out system was available if a student had trouble with their device. A loan one was available
• The lack of camera was worked around by having a digital camera available in the room…still a negative in my opinion. New models do have cameras, but cost is prohibitive
• Parents commit to a monthly fee over a two or three year period. This includes insurance. (Approximate ten pounds) Students then own these after the period is finished. The PDA also had the ability to act as a phone if a Sim Card was fitted. This option not available at the school
• The look of each of the devices was the same.. this means when they started them up all the software was in the same place for each device. This allowed for the teachers to be able to help and demonstrate to students by hooking up their PDA’s to the Smart Boards. Students then did not have to try and locate programmes in a different place
Thanks to all the staff and students at Long Knowle.

Huston we have a problem!

2009-10-18T06:39:00.003+13:00

Wireless technology is great until it packs a sad! I have been reduced to finding an internet cafe as my laptop has decided that it no longer wants to talk to any wireless connection. So as a result all of the work I have prepared cannot as yet go up online. I have emailed for help - so here's hoping that I can get it sorted.

Hopefully at some stage I will have the opportunity to plug in and get things up online - until then all I can do is wait!

Posting from a Distant Land

2009-10-13T07:48:00.004+13:00

Wolverhampton Learning2Go Project
Special thanks to Dr David Whyley and Sue Morris for all the time spent with me while here in Wolverhampton!

Some Background…

L2Go is a mobile technology initiative based in the city of Wolverhampton (UK). Its aims are to prepare students for learning and working in the 21st century. The project has been running for approximately 8 years with the full backing of the local education authority.

Students use handheld devices in a fun and interactive way, from recording using voice and video on location and authoring work on the spot to using pre loaded software and eBooks.

Currently the programme reaches 2500 thousand pupils and teachers with the aim to have more schools on board over the next few years. By 2011 the number of devices available to learners in the area will be over 18000.

In the early stages of the project trials were carried out using simple non connected PDA’s this has been highly effective. These devices allowed students to operate outside of the classroom with technology when and where it was needed. The benefit to the learner was that for example pictures / videos / recordings could be made while on say a school visit and quickly and easily worked on using the other programs available on the device. Once back in the classroom the devices were synced with a desktop computer for final editing if necessary. From there the final product could be uploaded to the web or downloaded to the PDA to be taken home to show to mum or dad.

The devices were initially purchased by the LEA and then rented out to parents. The contribution was equivalent to ‘a pint of beer a week!” Schools then supported any shortfalls out of their ICT budgets. Students were then able to take these devices home with them, but ownership was maintained by LEA (Local Education Authority)

The next big step!

L2Go is now embarking on a more ambitious phase. As the technology has improved, so too has the capabilities of mobile devices. The PDA has been superseded by the increasing availability of ‘Smart Phones,” The model they will use calls for a generic device to be rolled out across the trial schools rather than learner owned multiple devices.

Their reasoning for this is that only lower levels of mobile learning could take place if there was a wide variety of phones in use. In other words both students and teachers would be restricted by the capabilities of the lowest performing device.
L2Go has also decided to go with platforms which run Windows Mobile as the operating system. Windows Mobile allows the phone to be integrated with other Windows devices, including being able to be displayed via a projector onto an interactive whiteboard.

While the iPhone is the device many talk about at the moment, the problem is that the applications are not available which allow students to be authors and creators rather than just consumers. Hopefully this may change.

The devices they will use are 3G enabled so that data can be downloaded. Data costs in the UK are significantly lower than in NZ. L2Go has also worked with O2 a major Telco to develop a safe and reliable filtering process. Essentially this is a 4 stage filter. WHITE list – approved content BLACK – Blocked Content, 18+ Access for students who require special permissions to research subjects which may fall outside what is normal, this is most likely to be at University level. FULL – unrestricted access. The device can be customized through the SIM Card allowing for the appropriate filters to be activated.

Management of all the devices can be done via a nifty piece of software called “GO MANAGE.”

For anyone embarking on a trial of this type eSafety is vital. Currently in NZ, (At least as far as I know!) the technology is not available which allows the O2 type filtering.

However one simple solution according to Dave would be to use the smart phone capabilities on wifi through current school networks. This provides the filtering in the same way as other devices connected to the internet at school are subject to. The only modification to the phone would need to be the removal of the SIM card. This disables voice and data capabilities outside of the school environment. As the technology in NZ changes and prices drop for data the ability to add these back in could be explored.

Currently the first school in the Wolverhampton area is about to trial full data and voice access for their students.
Some essentials in setting up any mobile technology programme.
Device needs to be ready to go out of the box
The screens and setup (imaging) needs to be the same
Programs need to be able to be loaded quickly and in bulk! Setting up an SD card is one solution used.

Techs who know what the device is and how it works.
Tech support – you will be increasing the amount of computing power in your school, so you will need to increase the amount of time. The size of the device does not matter!
Teachers who know how to effectively use ICT tools in their lessons
Professional development
Minimum specs for your devices
A clear vision
A champion for the project
A project timeframe
Engaging the community
Policy / procedures
Infrastructure

Some interesting links....
iSTARS - eBOOKS

GO MANAGE - Handheld Device Management

Pocket Slides - Full PowerPoint for Mobile

Some Useful Links

2009-10-08T00:22:00.003+13:00

If you are interested you might like to explore the following links.

Using the Nintendo Wii in the classroom

Teaching and Learning Scotland are involved in some very innovative work. An over view of some of their projects can be found by clicking on the link.

The video is just one that can be found on their site.

Posts from a Distant Land 2

2009-10-07T03:20:00.006+13:00

It is clear that despite the distance between the UK and NZ we struggle with the same questions around Teaching and Learning. The conversations taking place could well be heard in any staff room throughout NZ and I suspect any staff room in most of the Western World! Discussions around how we challenge and engage our students and how we ensure that they and us continue to learn beyond the classroom.

One interesting topic today was around the use of mobile devices / hand held technologies in schools. not just cell phones but also gaming devices such as PSP's and Nintendo Wii's. The question was posed... Should we allow our learners to take these technologies to school?

My belief is that we should! yes there are questions around safety, security and infrastructure which must be addressed....however I believe the question needs to be "Why can we do this?" rather than "Why we can't!"

From what I can see, the use of all forms of technology can enhance teaching and learning.

Embracing new technologies can be threatening, as we sometimes do not know as much as the students do - however change is a given and these devices are heading our way whether we want them or not!

A Posting from a Distant Land

2009-10-06T01:09:00.002+13:00

WRPPA STUDY AWARD 2009

It has been interesting to note already what the definition of hand held or mobile learning actually is. When starting to look at this project my original views were centered on the use of devices such as the more traditional PDA’s or cell phone type technologies. Even at this early stage it is becoming clear that a whole range of technologies are starting to be used throughout schools in the UK.

Dawn Hallyborne the ICT Coordinator of Oakdale Junior School is using Nintendo DS Consoles in her classroom. She has the belief that children learn through play and that these types of devices are inclusive and engaging. Dawn used Dr Kawashimas Brain Training Software as part of her classroom programme.

The programme supported her numeracy teaching, with students using the DS to help them in working through problem solving mathematical puzzles and computation problems.

Baseline data was collected and then analysed against data collected after students had been using the devices over a period of time. Dawn also noted that the engagement levels of pupils were very high, including some of the more reluctant pupils.

More information can be found by visiting http://redbridgegamesnetwork.blogspot.com/

It is important to note that Teacher Involvement and guidance is still the key in the use of any of these devices.

Teachers are adapting a number of handheld and now gaming consoles for use in classrooms. It is interesting to note that this is being encouraged by many local authorities and OFSTED (The UK version of ERO)
Devices such as Nintendo DS, Play Station Portables (PSP) and Nintendo Wiis are becoming part of the curriculum.
A new BECTA report has just been published which looks at the use of games based learning or games based teaching. This can be found at http://emergingtechnologies.becta.org.uk

A few interesting snippets….
• Using a Wii Fit board with students who have control and coordination problems.

• Using a program from the Nintendo DSi to help students who have English as a second language.
Some more innovative uses in the use of Hand Held devices can also be found by visiting http://www.evolveleeds.org.uk/butterflies.php

Xtranormal.com

2009-08-31T19:49:00.013+12:00

Jo Fothergil one of our great RBS staff pointed me in the direction of this site. Free to use, it allows you to create 3D movies from your own script. Camera angles, expression and set views can also be changed.
This short movie is on Online Safety Tips and is a follow up from this weeks newsletter. Like always - parents please check out the site before allowing your child on! It does have an age restriction to sign on, at 13 years and over. You will need to make up an account for your child if they are under this age.

Click on the link to see the movie.... or watch below

Safety Tips 3D Movie

ARTS FESTIVAL 2009

2009-08-13T12:06:00.001+12:00

A little taste of just some of what happened at the Arts Festival. If you have video or photos that you are happy to share, please pass these onto our office.

Some more thoughts from Professor Art Costa

2009-06-25T21:30:00.003+12:00

Art Costa promoted these five key points around thinking.

1. Learning to think
2. Thinking to learn
3. Thinking about our thinking
4. Thinking together
Thinking long term and short term

He discussed the need to make a Curriculum Mind Shift.....

From just worrying about the right answers TO Also knowing how to behave when answers are not immediately apparent.

"To understand anything requires some form of thinking so we need to be deliberate in using and teaching this.

As teachers we need to use the correct terminology - so our students will learn the language of thinking.

Habits of Mind attend to.....

Value - choosing to behave intelligently
Inclination - deciding to use a certain behaviour
Sensitivity - Knowing when to use them
Capability - having the skills and capacity to use them
Commitment - reflecting on improvement

So.. Professor Costa posed the question.......
Why Habits of Mind?

They are TRANS DISCIPLINARY - (Used in all areas of life)
Are as good for adults as they are for students
Focused on long range, enduring, essential learning.

It is not content that gets stored in memory - but the activity of learning.

Costa asks us as educators to....
* Show we value students points of view
* Cause students to question their own learning
* Challenge
* Value student self assessment

Costa values Meta cognition - thinking about our own thinking.

T.A.P.S - Think aloud problem solving (Promotes inner dialogue - that voice inside your head!)

Thinking together - is always enhanced in social situations.

Finally THINKING BIG AND LONG RANGE
Two questions left for us....

How does what we do help students to become the kind of people we hope they will be?
Why are all these things considered essential?

James Nottingham

2009-06-25T11:46:00.003+12:00

Once I got over the fact that it was not actually Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear I was listening to, I very much enjoyed the message.

Learning to Succeed.

James Nottingham discussed the need to be aware of what Mental Models we bring into our jobs as educators.

James maintains that Mental Models are made up from your VALUES, BELIEFS and ASSUMPTIONS about the world. He argues that Mental Models are the most important consideration when looking at what you do. He warned that developing systems and structures developed before looking at what people really believe (Mental Models) can lead to failure.

When looking at school reform he posed the question, “How do you move your school on if we all think we are already doing it?” This belief can occur if we first don’t develop an understanding on what people actually think!

He maintains that before any change is made that we need to look at what will be the “absolute minimum,” and the need to develop a “Shared Language.”

The Challenge around Learning

James talked about the need to really challenge our students. He says that students operate in two zones. The PRACTICE ZONE and the LEARNING ZONE.

The Practice Zone – the area we do automatically, it is the place where no new learning takes place.

The Learning Zone is the place where we go beyond what you can do now. The place where you can succeed with encouragement.

If we want our students to be learners he suggests that we should take them to the point of uncertainty or wobble. Here they are stretching themselves. Having students do work they already know or tests where they achieve 10 out of 10 is not learning but rather PRACTICE.

The area where students WOBBLE is the place which causes them to think which in turn is the area where they will learn.

James runs an organisation called 'Sustained Success."

Some time with Art Costa

2009-06-23T12:57:00.007+12:00

To be successful thinkers we need to get into the habit!!! that was Art Costa's and co presnter Robert Swartz key message! Successful people are involved in Habits of Mind Some snippets from their presentation! 7 Original Habits of mind - BUT feels there are now more than the 16 identified. Thinking MUST become a Habit! Thinking is a complex process - two types, The thinking we do and the thinking about what we are thinking! Costa believs we need to have our students THINK ABOUT THINKING and KNOW ABOUT KNOWING! Lists of tasks related activities do not change the way our students think or learn. If we want our students to think better we need to challenge our students to do so skilfully, carefully and with depth We should be coaches of good thinking. BUT our Coaches NEED TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS! .....Be explicit in what you are loking for, give them opportunities to practice so that thinking becomes a habit! ...we need to ask our students what kind of thinking we need to do ad give them time to reflect at the end of each activity. As educators we need to take time to explore thinking skills, but only focus on a few and ask the questions..... WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? WHAT DOES IT SOUND LIKE?

Dr Howard Gardner

2009-06-23T12:25:00.006+12:00

Dr Howard Gardner the creator of the Multiple Intelligences, thinking model, spoke at the ICOT Conference yesterday. What a privilege it was to be able to listen to him in person.

25 years on Dr Gardner still believes there is so much to learn and that he is continuing to refine his beliefs around these 'Multiple Intelligences."

Gardner's approach in developing these Multiple Intelligences was to base his work on sound research. He did not rely solely on tests and decided to look at al the evidence from the different branches of science to see how the human mind worked.

From this work came the MI's that we know today. (example in brackets)

Linguistic (The Poet)
Logical Mathematical (The Scientist)
Musical (The Musician)
Spatial (The Architect)
Kinesthetic (The Dancer)
Interpersonal (The Leader)
Intrapersonal (Theability to understanding yourself)
Naturalist (Love of Nature)

Dr Gardner makes two claims...We all have these intelligences and no two people have the exact same profile.

Dr Gardner also believes it is a mistake to have Uniform Schools. (Nothing to do with School Uniforms!)

Rather - Taught, treated and tested in the same way.

His preference is for Individual Centred Education and believe the use of computers helps to enhance this style of learning. He went on to say that it is important to match students to their needs and develop environments which promote these MI's.

Dr Gardner firmly believes that the first country to adopt this style of individualised learning will be highly successful.

More information about Dr Howard Gardner can be found on his website.

Dyslexia Awareness Week

2009-06-11T15:21:00.005+12:00

Next week is Dyslexia awareness week. The school will feature in an interview on the Sunrise Show, TV3 Monday 15th June. Click on the link to view.

For more information a useful link to visit is http://dyslexia.yale.edu/

PowerPoint Presentation - Mobile Learning

2009-05-28T15:54:00.001+12:00

I prepared this presentation to support the paper for the Wellington Primary Principals association. It compares the article "Pockets of Potential," against the NZ Curriculum.

Unplugging Our Students!

View more OpenOffice presentations from fazzafarrelly.

MOBILE LEARNING PART 2

2009-05-28T15:51:00.001+12:00

Every so often a new technology comes along that challenges our thoughts about what technology is supposed to be. Handheld computers, we predict, are the next machines that will change the face of our everyday lives. Already common in the business world, these tiny devices are just now being introduced into schools. Technology leaders need to think deeply and systematically about how this new technology can be used to enhance teaching and learning.

Gerald D. Bailey (professor of education Kansas State University College of Education, Manhattan, Kansas.)
First Published; National School Boards Association. Copyright © 2001,

PDA’s function not only as computers but provide the user with a set of tools such as calculators, calendars, notepads and more recently, digital photo and phone capabilities.

The PDA's ability to send data from one device to another gives it an advantage over traditional computers. PDAs feature an infrared beaming capability, which offers opportunities for real-time collaboration and allows students to "beam" word-processing documents, spreadsheets, drawings, data, and even applications to each other without having to download and print out information or send it via e-mail. Students can send questions and assignments to teachers or send components of a project from their own PDA to other classmates. (Branigan, 2001).

Alan Branigan - Instructional Technology Consultant, School of Medicine: East Carolina University

PDA’s also have the ability to give teachers instant access to school records. These devices have the capability to have student work beamed directly to them. When using current available applications, work can be assessed and entered for school wide collection. This information can then be downloaded to a desk top and synchronised.
These small devices pack enough punch to allow users to use all of the normal applications they would associate with laptops etc on the smaller and highly mobile PDA.

Death of the University Lecture.

A university in Singapore is to replace lecture theatre classes with multimedia learning and video streaming available anywhere on campus on handheld mobile devices. Nanyang Technological University today heralded the death of the university lecture as generations of students have known it, when it opened what it claimed was the world's biggest high-speed wireless campus network. To encourage use of the new system, the university is to lend students and lecturers 1,000 mobile handheld devices known as digital personal digital assistants, and wireless adapter cards to students with their own laptop computers.
Richard Palmer “Singapore Straits Times.” 2003

Although the article title is somewhat tongue in cheek, it does illustrate that these devices can give students opportunities to learn in many different ways and, in many different environments. Future education may well see students accessing data/information from home.

Professor Anne Bauer (University of Cincinnati) and Assistant Professor Mary Ulrich (Special Education, Miami University, Oxford Ohio) have set up a research programme, looking at the effect these portable technologies have on students with learning disabilities. Both Bauer and Ulrich suggest that these devices made enormous impact on students’ learning and in some cases, health and well-being.
One student with disabilities set an alarm to remind him to take his medication.
TEACHING Exceptional Children, Vol 35, No. 2, pp. 18 -22.

The first part of their study involved a training phase, where the students were introduced to the PDA. They were asked to complete some basic work and return with them the next day. By the end of the week these students had already mastered many aspects of the technology and had begun to adapt the devices to suit their own needs.
The collected data showed some significant trends, particularly regarding the frequency of use. Students reported that they were enthusiastic towards the technology, and this also lead to increased self esteem and peer support.
Students with special needs were the strongest users of handhelds, consistently indicating daily use.
….. students supported their peers with disabilities through beaming them notes messages and prompts.
Anne M. Bauer Mary E.Ulrich - “I’ve Got a Palm in My Pocket” Using Handheld Computers in an Inclusive Classroom.

Benefit to Education.

Where to from here?
Placing the learner at centre of the education system (personalising) is a radical notion……. It’s about a flexible system where teachers, schools, communities and other groups identify the needs of learners and be provided with the tools and support to meet those needs within the broader curriculum.

……..Our challenge as we examine how to make a difference (that is how to ensure equal opportunity in education) is to reorient our system away from the organisation to the learner

Steve Maharey
Past Minister of Education
2006

One of my personal heroes is the late Clarence Beeby. The former Director of Education, Beeby was a visionary thinker and in many ways the architect of the education system that we know today.
Beeb was an advocate of the right of all New Zealand children to access good quality education regardless of their personal and family circumstances. He is also remembered for his readiness to embrace fresh and innovative ideas.

We need to ensure New Zealand continues to move forward as an innovative thriving knowledge society. Education and ICT have a fundamental role in helping to realise these aims.

Trevor Mallard
Past MINISTER OF EDUCATION
December 2003

If, as the Former Minister of Education states in the forward of the Digital Horizons document, there is a need to ensure that we embrace fresh and innovative ideas, I believe the impact of these micro technologies on teaching and learning practices, is an area which will meet the broad outlines of the Digital Horizons strategy and go some way towards solving the question of equity and economics, which many schools are continuing to face.

Where to from here? (Continued)
ICT provides our students with tools which could be said open windows of opportunity. Through ICT learning can take place in a wider range of situations and at a variety of time. Like a pencil or pen the “device” simply becomes a tool which allows students to take control of their learning.

Students of today move freely between sophisticated networks and environments and traditional information sources. But to do this they must have access to a tool which will allow them to operate in the here and now, not in the “is it my go yet model!”

Today’s eLearner has access to extensive on line learning networks and it is important that we have an eLearning environment which is flexible and responsive to their needs. That is an environment where the tool is available to them at a time and a place where they need it

It is interesting to note that in the last Computer Census carried out by the MOE in 2001, that PDA’s or Hand Held devices were not mentioned or identified in any way.

If we have the desire to improve teaching and learning for both students and staff, the search for new technologies or the adaptation of existing ones must not be overlooked.

One project which has certainly caught my interest is the Learning2Go initiative. This is currently the largest collaborative mobile learning project for pupils in the UK. The initiative, co-ordinated by the e-Services team of Wolverhampton City Council, shows how successfully mobile learning can be used to give students access to ‘anywhere, anytime’ learning. Learning2Go is developing new ways of delivering exciting and motivating learning both in and beyond school.

Phase 1 of the initiative began in 2003 with 120 devices in four schools. During phase 2 of the project, launched in around October 2005, more than 1000 pupils and their teachers in 18 schools were involved.
Phase Three began in October 2006 with an additional 1000 devices across all class levels.
Phase Four 2008 saw a further rollout of over 1500 devices. This project which is now in its 6th year, provides us with a running model which would be useful in assessing the viability / pitfalls and the benefits of these devices.

Research poses a number of questions and opportunities, which merit further exploration.

 How can we make the best uses of these technologies?
 How can these devices support teaching and learning in our schools?
 What are the advantages of these devices?
 What are the disadvantages of these devices?
 How can these devices be used in classroom management?
 Do these devices put barriers in the way of teaching?
 How can these devices be used to enhance the learning of students with special needs?
 What are the issues around student safety and security, with regard to web browsing and file sharing?
 How do you manage the increased number of devices in schools?
 Do these devices really make a difference?
 What lessons can we learn from the Learning2Go Project?

With the growth of wireless networks and the Government’s push to have high speed broadband access available to all schools in the next few years, the pressure will be on to make the most of this resource.

Effective use of these devices, I believe will bring benefits not only to our students and staff, but also to our wider communities. Students who are able to communicate, organise themselves effectively and interact in an increasingly digital world will be able to fully exploit the idea of Ubiquitous Computing / Learning, as outlined by the Concord Consortium.

Professor Stephen Heppell talked at the 2002 Navcon Conference about the need to understand that learning does not only happen between 9.00 am and 3.00 pm, but more importantly, it can take place anywhere at any time.
Can one small device make a difference??? I believe it will.

As this study comes together, I want to know that these devices are able to be incorporated into existing networks easily and effectively.
It is my belief from what I have read and researched so far, that PDA’s and similar devices, which are being used frequently in business etc, are little used in education in New Zealand.

Are our students missing out? This is the question I would like to get the opportunity to study more fully and provide an answer to the question, that PDA’s and handheld computers support teaching and learning.

Bibliography
Concord Consortium: www.concord.org a non-profit educational research and development organization based in Concord, Massachusetts.

Gerald D. Bailey (professor of education Kansas State University College of Education, Manhattan, Kansas.)
First Published; National School Boards Association. Copyright © 2001,

Alan Branigan - Instructional Technology Consultant, School of Medicine: East Carolina University

Richard Palmer “Singapore Straits Times.” 2003

Anne M. Bauer Mary E.Ulrich - “I’ve Got a Palm in My Pocket” Using Handheld Computers in an Inclusive Classroom.

Trevor Mallard - Digital Horizons: Learning through ICT – A strategy for Schools 2002 – 2004. Revised December 2003

Steve Maharey – Enabling the 21st Century Learner – An eLearning Action Plan for Schools 2006 - 2010

Team C 2009. Mini Movie!

2009-05-18T09:47:00.000+12:00

Mastermind Team

2009-05-12T16:49:00.003+12:00

Congratulations to our fantastic Mastermind Team who have made it through to the finals!

Well Done we are proud of you.

A Board Members Professional Development Experience

2009-05-12T11:39:00.001+12:00

Learning@School Conference 2009

The key question a BOT needs to consider when allocating school funds is: “How will this help improve student achievement within the school?”

With this question firmly in mind, I recently attended the annual 3 day Learning@School conference with Bruce Henderson Deputy Principal, Mariee Mear Team Leader for Team A. Jo Fothergill Team B Teacher and ICT/computer specialist and Pip Timoteo, Lead Teacher in the Technology Centre.

The conference was held in Rotorua and attended by delegates from schools all over the country.

The key focus of the conference was to:

• implement the New Zealand Curriculum/Te Marautanga o Aotearoa through the use of e-learning;
• increase capability of teachers and principals to improve students' learning and achievement through e-learning;
• strengthen professional learning communities and increased collaboration within and across schools;
• increase e-learning leadership and ICT strategic planning capability of principals and teachers;
• increase the understanding of the educational contribution of e-learning in school communities.

My focus as a member of the BOT was to look at the big picture of what ICT in schools is all about particularly with the school engaged in a large building project and the phased implementation of the new curriculum.

There were a number of fabulous keynote speakers through out the conference. One that I particularly enjoyed was Wesley Fryer (USA) who has published numerous articles relating to education and technology integration. With respect to school change, he describes himself as a "catalyst for creative engagement and collaborative learning."

Wesley delivered a session entitled: The landscape of 21st century learning: Personalised and differentiated

Wesley says: Personalised, differentiated learning defines exemplary education in the 21st century. Blended learning models offer teachers and students a diverse menu of content delivery and assessment options which can be tailored to meet individual needs.

In this session he explored how a variety of web-based environments and instructional strategies are permitting educators to provide learners with choices in not only the ways they can access and consume content, but also in the ways they "show what they know" through performance-based assessment methods.

I choose breakout sessions that reflected my strategic approach to the conference. Tony Ryan whose “Thinking Keys” are well known and utilised in schools throughout New Zealand and overseas ran a great session on ‘Digital Pedagogies”. One of the key ideas that came from his session is that schools can use quite different learning strategies for different learning requirements and the core elements of what our kids need to know should drive the learning not the subjects themselves. In other words a teaching session in a particular teaching style using a particular medium can be more effective in covering aspects of several subject areas rather than being limited to using one teaching style for one subject session.

Mary Anne Mills’ was the MOE project manager for the redevelopment of the NZ curriculum and ran a session on “Using the NZ curriculum to foster long term relationships with your community”. Mary Anne asked some great questions like: “What is community consultation?”, “How can we engage all groups in our community?’, “What is a realistic expectation in terms of numbers when seeking responses to questions of the community?” and “What are the right questions to ask?”. There was great debate and sharing of ideas in theses sessions and all the other sessions I participated in.

The teachers in our group focused on a lot of hands on and classroom based sessions which introduced new teaching ideas and technologies

Here’s what they had to say about the conference:

Jo Fothergill and Mariee Mear

We (Mariee and Jo) attended the Learning@School conference in Rotorua in February along with Paul B, Bruce and Pip. We planned beforehand to attend a number of breakouts together as we felt this would be more beneficial to us both.

One breakout that we attended was the 5-frame-digital storytelling session which proved to be a very simple concept for encouraging discussion and enhancing both oral and written language. Both of us have used the ideas from this session in our classes (Y2 and Y3/4) successfully. In both classes the students came up with fantastic ideas about what was happening in the photos and this has helped them understand that people can have different ideas about the same topic/picture and that all ideas are valid.

We also both attended a breakout called "Ubiquitous Information" about the use of cell phones in classrooms. We found it interesting to hear about some of the educational uses that are being explored and some of the software available for cell phone use in the educational arena. While not particularly applicable for our levels of the school there are some great resources for the intermediate age group especially in the maths area.

Pip Timoteo

Firstly, thank you for allowing me to take part in the amazing opportunity that was The Learning@Schools Conference 2009. It was my first experience at a multi day conference and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole event.

I went to the conference with a specific focus ‘Online Teaching and Learning’. This meant that all my breakouts (workshops) were centred on this topic. This was a huge benefit as I was able to totally immerse myself in the topic and network with colleagues and other professionals with the same focus. The networking has continued on my return and I have much more planned in terms 2, 3 & 4.

The knowledge, networking and confidence I have gained has motivated me and I will be further investigating and then trialling a virtual online classroom for the Raumati Technology Centre in Term 4 2009.

I believe that the opportunities that are offered by virtual online classrooms are an exciting and innovative dimension to education in general. I would hope that other teachers, especially at Raumati Beach School, will also see these opportunities and make use of this environment and technology.

Between breakout sessions there was time to check out the huge number of trade stalls set up by providers of many products and services to schools. With RBS currently involved in a huge building project I saw this as an opportunity see what was available to help teachers in the classroom. There is a vast array of hardware software and services out there. I was surprised by how many different types of interactive white board are available.

In summing up the conference was a great opportunity to see just what is possible with all the amazing current and emerging technology and to start thinking laterally about how every day technological resources may be used. This was coupled with the caution that the curriculum should at all times drive the use of technology in classrooms. We mustn’t let technology become the focus for its own sake because at the end of the day technology in its many forms is a tool. This tool must always be focused on our core business which is “Improving student achievement”.

MOBILE LEARNING

2009-05-11T08:16:00.004+12:00

Over the past few years I have been looking at the use of Hand-Held devices in learning. Recently I have been fortunate enough to be awarded the Wellington Regional Primary Principals Study Award for 2009. This award will give me the opportunity to spend some time looking at successful mobile learning programmes. (A BIG THANK YOU to Furnware who sponsor this award!)

I thought I would share the first part of my study outline with you. If you would like more information or wish to comment please do so.

The use of PDA’s / Hand held computers in Teaching and Learning Practices.

(Unplugging our students from the desktop)

Relevance of study.

Computers make great learning tools when used effectively. Until recently, an assumption has been made by many educators that this required a fully optioned desktop model or a portable, such as a laptop / tablet PC to achieve these outcomes. For over 10 years the Concord Consortium, one of the founders of the Centre for Innovative Learning, based in Massachusetts, has been researching “Ubiquitous Computing.”

In other words; anytime, anywhere learning, here and now. Their research and development has shown that there is a place and a need for these types of portable technologies.

There is great concern that the increased use of computers in education will only drive another wedge between rich and poor, exacerbating the "digital divide." While schools struggle with this issue, the ongoing revolution in information technologies continues: computers will soon be very inexpensive and ubiquitous. Most people will own several, including toys, TVs, phones, pagers, handhelds, as well as general-purpose computers, and many will communicate through a ubiquitous network. These computers have the potential to provide much of the educational benefit of more expensive computers in an inexpensive, portable format.

However, handheld computers should be seen as not only an inexpensive way to increase equitable access to the educational benefits of desktop computers. By taking advantage of handhelds' portability and convenience, we have developed ways to use them to support new kinds of applications that are impossible with their larger cousins. This technology will soon give students full-time access to computation and wireless connectivity, while expanding educational computing to take place at home and in the field.
Concord Consortium 2004 http://cilt.org/themes/ubiquitous.html

PDA devices are changing the way people access and work with information as these devices become smaller, cheaper, better, and easier to connect. PDA’s can give students access to wireless networks, increasing their opportunity to use these tools at home, school, outside of the classroom etc.
PDAs can address an important equity issue, since handheld computing joins the power of current technology with the ease, convenience, and low cost of small portable devices-thereby offering a possible solution to access and equity concerns (Concord Consortium, 2002).

The current practice among many schools in New Zealand is one of students using a computer, sometimes as part of a group or if resources are available, in a networked Lab/ Pod or very expensive C.O.W(Computers on wheels – usually a mobile storage unit containing 8 – 12 laptops). Often this practice is not governed by Pedagogy or beliefs but rather by simple economics. A computer for every student is just not achievable, nor in many cases would it be desirable. Small highly portable devices are cost efficient and space friendly.

I will post the second part shortly along with a slide show presentation.

2009-05-05T16:15:00.002+12:00

Golf Classic

Help raise funds for the upgrade of the New Library for the children of Raumati Beach School

Thursday 18th June 2009

Join us for a great day of golf and fun at the picturesque Kapiti Golf Club
with some great company and celebrities in association with Pelorus Trust

Contact:
Debbie Warren
Alana Webb

Raumati Beach School Ph: 902 5596
Email: raumati@gmail.com

Don’t delay as teams are limited.

Entries close Friday 12th June 2009

Collect or email for your registration form from Raumati Beach School Office.

Website: www.raumatibeach.school.nz

or when team numbers are full.
Raumati Beach School & The Village Inn

Team D: 2009

2009-03-26T15:47:00.000+13:00

Bullying in Schools

2009-03-18T18:33:00.003+13:00

Many of you will have seen the media reports on Bullying in NZ Schools over the past few days. The report by Dr Janis Lind makes very interesting and sobering reading for all. I have included the report summary as part of this post, so that you can read what Dr Lind has actually said.

My belief is that Bullying is not a problem which can be solved only by schools or is only a school issue. The sad fact is, that this is very much a societal issue.
Without the help and support of parents and consistent messages being delivered, bullying will be an issue that continues to plague all schools.
I listened with interest to the Mother of a former Avondale College student who committed suicide after bullying incidents. The thing which struck me was how brave this person was, but also her comments regarding schools being increasingly tasked with doing the things that parents should be doing. It is hard to stop bullying when you approach parents who when challenged about their child's behaviour justify it by saying I told them it was all right to defend themselves. Granted this could be true in some cases, but it is extremely difficult to come to terms with, when their child is the one being the aggressor.

As a school we try to do our best, sometimes we will get it wrong, but when we do we learn from this and try to ensure we get it right the next time. The best thing we can all do is encourage our kids to be open and honest and seek help and support when they need it. As educators we need to take on board what is being said and not make excuses and as parents we need to support our schools and perhaps not be so fast to blame others and look at ourselves first.

Just my opinion!

Impact of Bullying on Children
Gabrielle M Maxwell and Janis Carroll-Lind
October 1997

Office of the Commissioner for Children Occasional Paper No.6
Published by the Office of the Commissioner for Children
PO Box 12537
Wellington
New Zealand

ISSN 1173-0463
ISBN 0-909039-04-6 9

Office of the Commissioner for Children Occasional Papers

The Impact of Bullying on Children

Gabrielle Maxwell and Janis Carroll-Lind

Introduction

We like to think of schools as paces where children are safe. In New Zealand, schools
are places where children are usually safe from both physical and emotional violence
from adults. However, a number of studies have shown that physical and emotional
bullying by other children is common experience for the children who attend our
schools (Kearney, 1993; Cram et al, 1995; Phelps 1995; Connelly, 1996). It is against this context that I became involved, with Janis Caroll-Lind, in carrying out research which aimed to examine the child’s perspective on what is violent for them and the impact that violent events have on their lives.

The study involved violence at home and in the community as well as at school.1 We
deliberately chose to focus broadly on violence as there is a growing body of research that suggests that the specific nature of the act is not necessarily the important determinant of the impact it has on the child. Any acts that make a child fearful and which hurt them can result in very similar negative consequences. Therefore, by understanding what hurts children or makes them fearful, we believe that it will be possible to extend knowledge of how children can be protection and what incidents deserve attention if harm is to be reduced. However, in this paper we select the aspects of the study that describe the experience of children in school.

Method

Form 1 and 2 (year 7 and 8) school children were invited to take part in the research
because this is an age group where other studies report considerable physical and
emotional bullying. Eight schools participated including four schools in a provincial
city area and four schools from a major urban area. The schools were selected so as to ensure a coverage of children from a range of socio-economic groups. A total of 259 children participated. Nearly half (44%) were in schools from an upper socio-economic area and nearly half, from a lower socio-economic area. Children were equally boys and girls and were spread across the intermediate age range of 11-13 years. Pakeha made up almost three-quarters of the sample, Maori or part Maori 17%, Pacific Island Groups 4%, and Asian groups 6%. Two thirds of the children lived with both parents and another quarter with their mother only. Most 88% had brothers and/or sisters.

The children were asked about experiences of physical, sexual and emotional violence
or abuse in the previous nine months of 1995 and at any time in the past. They were
asked about events in general and about specific events. They were asked to indicate
where the events happened and to rate the events for the impact that they had on them.

The questions were read out to them and shown to the class on an overhead projector.
However, the children wrote their answers privately on their own copy of the
questionnaire which was not seen by anyone other than the research team.

Results
Direct experiences of physical violence

Violence at the hands of other children is the most common direct experience of physical
violence at school. Table 1 describes the percentage of children reporting direct
experiences of violence at school: physical, sexual and emotional. It also shows their experiences of witnessing violence at school.

Table 1 Percentage reporting having each experience at school in the last nine
months (N=25)

Direct experiences of physical violence % Total
Being punched, kicked, beaten or hit by children 49
Being in a physical fight with children 23
Being hurt or threatened with a weapon 5
Being punched, kicked, beaten or hit by adults 2
Being punished by smacking by an adult 1
Being punished by belting by an adult 0
Direct experience of emotional abuse
Having tales told, catty gossip or narked on by children 70
Being threatened, frightened or called names by children 67
Being ganged up, left out or not spoken to by children 54
Being treated unfairly or bullied by adults 14
Direct experiences of sexual abuse
Unwanted sexual touching 3
Asked unwanted sexual things 40
Witnessing violence or abuse
Watched someone threatened, frightened or called names by children 64
Watched someone ganged up on, left out or not spoked to by children 62

Watched someone punched, kicked, beaten or hit by children 53
Watched a physical fight (a punch) by children 51
Watched other being treated unfairly/bullied by adult 15
Watched someone hurt/threatened by a weapon 4
Watched kids punched, kicked, beaten or hit by an adult 3
Watched other kids being smacked or belted by adult 1

Over half the children reported being punched, kicked, beaten or hit in the last nine
months and 71% reported having had this experience at some time in the past. Often
the children reported being gang bashed by a group. Sometimes the bullying was
persistent:

I have been beaten up by two boy’s lots of times this year. It started at the middle of the first term and has only just stopped.

Being in a physical fight was less common (reported by 23% in the last 9 months): an
experience reported three times as often by boys as girls.

School is the most probable place for experiencing violence from other children; twice as much physical violence from other children occurs at school as at home or in the community. However, some children are the victims of their brothers and sisters at home:

I get picked up and bullied by my older brothers and treated bad.
My big brother beats me up0 just about every day.
Direct experiences of emotional and sexual abuse

Table 1 also shows the frequency with which emotional abuse is reported. It is even
more common than physical violence. Name-calling and tale telling were reported as
happening in the last nine months by 68% and 59% of the children respectively and over three-quarters had had this experience at some time in their life. Boys and girls were equally likely to report this. Both these forms of emotional abuse occur at school but name-calling also happens in the community and tale telling also happens at home.

Examples are given in the quotes below:
I hate being teased for being poor.
Bad rumours went around about me and people started to hate me.
My friends tell lots of people personal secrets about me.
Being ganged up on or left out was reported in the last nine months by 41% of the
children and, at some time in their life, by over 60%. This happened most often at
school or in the community and girls were more frequently the victim of this type of
abuse than boys.

Getting the silent treatment was one of the worst things that happened to me.
I hate it when my friends reject me. People backstab. Friends hurt you mentally.
These last comments indicate the sad reality of many friendships in the intermediate
school years when children are still developing an understanding of what is involved in close peer relationships.

A very positive finding is that physical punishment of any sort appears to be an even
rarely experienced or witnessed by children at school in New Zealand in 1995. And
only a quarter of the children experienced being bullied or treated unfairly by adults in the last nine months. However, about a third of these events were reported to have occurred at school.

Yesterday we were playing water fights. My teacher said he’s sick and tired of us. He
told me that I am up myself when, in fact, I am not. That really hurt my feelings.
In some instances, the teacher (who is the most likely adult to have been responsible) may not have been aware of the effect of their actions or words. This finding may be a salutary reminder of the sensitivity of children to denigratory remarks or comments.

For the teacher these may have been made casually, soon forgotten and the harm
unintended. On the other hand, many people remember for a lifetime the hurtful
comments or unfair actions of a teacher.

Sexual abuse was the least frequently reported event for these children and it rarely
occurred at school. Experiencing unwanted sexual touching at school was reported by
only 3%.

It is not clear who was the agent but it is likely that most of these events
involved other children. Nevertheless, the impact of them is likely to be considerable so that the vigilance and response of the school when incidents are uncovered is important.

Other harmful events
Three other events seen by children as harmful were frequently school based (see Table 2).

‘Being lonely and without friends’ occurred for one in five in the last nine months
and occurred at school in 89% of cases. When it happened, it was likely to have had a
strong impact on the children; 42% rated it as ‘4’ or ‘5’ for impact on a five-point scale.

Second, feeling unwanted was reported by over a third of the children in the last nine months (37%), again usually at school (64% of reported instances). It had the same rating for high impact as being lonely and without friends (42%).

The third event that was likely to be school based was having things stolen. It occurred to 53% in the last nine months and 78% of these instances were school-based. On the other hand, the impact of having things stolen was only rated as ‘4’ or ‘5’ by 23% of those experiencing it.

It is possible that the frequency with which this occurs in classrooms has led, to it
becoming an accepted part of school life.

Table 2 Percentages reporting other harmful evens in the last 9 months that were
frequently school based; also showing percentage rating them as high
impact (‘4’ or ‘5’ 14 In last 9mths. High Impact ‘4’ or ‘5’

Being lonely and without friends 21% 42%
Feeling unwanted 37% 42%
Having things stolen 53% 23%

The impact of school violence on children
It is easy to minimise the impact of school bullying.

Single minor episodes do not
necessarily have lasting effects. However, frequent and severe episodes can have a high impact. When the children rated incidents for their impact, about a third said that the physical and 28% said that the emotional incidents had had a high impact on them (‘4’or ‘5’ on a five point scale).

After being asked about a range of specific events that might have happened, the
children were asked ‘in all your life, what are the three worst things that ever happened to you?’. Those most likely to be report as among the most worst were:

· Someone close dying: this had happened to nearly three quarters and for
half, it was among the three worst things that had happened to them.
· Being physically or emotionally bullied by other children: this had
happened to over three-quarters and for about a quarter it was among the
three worst things that happened to them.
· Watching adults fight: this had happened to about half the children and
10% said it was one of the three worst things that had happened to them.
· Parents separating or divorcing: this had happened to over a third and for
13%, it was among the three worst things that had happened to them.
The fact that being bullied was so frequently rated as one of the worst things that had ever happened was a surprise to us and is a warning that it is important not to
underrate the impact it can have on children.

Children were asked a number of additional questions about the impact of the worst
event that they had experienced. A number of surprising findings emerges from the
answers.

A summary of these is presented in Box 1.
Box 1: What is the impact of the worst event on children?
· the hurt was most often identified as emotional
· witnessed events often had more impact than direct violence
· children feel lonely and rejected as a result
· their fear can last over many years. 15

Bullying is most often hurtful, not because of the bruises and cuts, but because of the emotional impact. Being punched, kicked, beaten or hit could cause emotional as well as physical harm. Teasing and exclusion from the group sometimes caused deep hurts. And watching others being bulling can be even more frightening at times.

The result is that some children live out their school lives feeling lonely, rejected and fearful without any sense that things can change for them.

Feelings of unfairness and injustice and fears for the future stayed with many of these children long after the events that generated them. Most adults will remember the bullying that occurred during their own school years for the rest of their lives.
Commonly it is seen as being the result of certain characteristics of the victim: for
instance being fat, speaking differently, being physically disabled, being too clever, being poor at sport, being dumb and so on. But the results here show that all children can be bullied. The apparent reason is not necessarily the real one. But once someone feels an outcast, then they may become the victim of persistent bullying that can cast a shadow into their lives for many years. Recent newspaper articles cited bullying as a factor in a youth suicide, reported the serious injury of a child who attempted to intervene in a fight and reported that the mother of a young murderer attributed his actions, in part, to rejection and bullying at school (Dominion 22/10/97).

Since undertaking this work, we have been contacted by many adults who tell me of their experiences and how it affected them.

The relationship between being bullied and bullying

We asked children about the extent to which they were supervised and occupied out of
school hours and, also, about their own involvement in bullying others. We found that
those who reported being frequently bullied were neither more nor less likely to be well supervised and well occupied.

However, those who were involved in doing the bullying were not usually well
supervised and well occupied compared to those who were not. We also found that
those who were most involved in bullying were also more likely to report being bullied themselves.

Differences between schools
An important question is whether or not these events are more likely to be characteristic of some schools than others; for instance urban schools or schools in lower socioeconomic areas.

Analyses of differences between schools in different areas were carried
out. In particular the results from a rural school were compared with the results from schools in a provincial city in both higher and lower socio-economic areas.

Comparisons across schools show a surprising similarity in most percentages. There
was a trend for children in the major urban area schools to report more physical abuse and fighting and for children in the major urban and lower socio-economic area schools to report more emotional bullying.

However, closer inspection reveals some anomalies and sample sizes in particular schools were not always very large.

Therefore, firm conclusions should not be drawn about differences between the schools in different areas. Furthermore, it would be wrong to draw reassuring conclusions about the relative safety of the children in any of the schools in the sample. All schools have at least a third of the children reporting being punched, kicked, beaten or hit at school.

At least half the children in all schools report experiences of being threatened, frightened, called names, ganged up on, left out, not spoken to, having tales told about them or being the victims of catty gossip.

How can we respond

This research carries a number of messages about preventing violence and protecting
children. Schools have an important role in providing a safe environment for children
and eradicating bullying. Other research shows that the introduction of anti-bullying, a rapid response to it and responses that minimise the victim’s feelings of responsibility are essential elements (Besag, 1989; Tattum & Tattum, 1992).

Schools can supply
positive role models, encourage the development of social skills and provide support for individual children at risk. Schools cannot take responsibility for all of a child’s life. But they can recognise the impact on children of those events occurring outside of school, because children’s behaviour in school will be affected by them. The actions of schools can help mitigate these events. The characteristics of the school programme and the management of the school is more important in reducing school violence than the background of he children who attend it.

Box 2 sets out some of the important features of school programmes that can reduce violence in schools.

Box 2 The role of schools in violence prevention

Schools have an important role in:
· providing a safe environment;
· eradicating bullying;
· responding constructively to victims;
· debriefing groups exposed too violence;
· commitment to education and advocacy for non-violence.

Important features of school environments:
· consistent and fair rules;
· the recognition and acknowledgment of the impact of bullying;
· a rapid response to bullying;
· responses to bullying that minimise the victim’s feelings of responsibility;
· supply positive role models;
· encourage the development of social skills;
· provide positive and rewarding life experiences for children;
· inform parents about events that affect their children;
· assist parents respond effectively to children;
· provide support for individual children at risk.
Other research (for example, Anderson et al, 1994) has show that parents are not always aware of their child’s victimisation and, under such circumstances, are unable to assist their children. They may even unwittingly exacerbate problems by misinterpreting behaviour that is a response to distress.

On the other hand, when parents become aware of what may happen, they can act to protect their children. Furthermore, overseas research points to the opportunity for all those in contact with children to assist in increasing opportunities for positive affirming experiences and promoting skill development.

Conclusion
This study, along with the previous studies carried out in New Zealand over recent
years (Kearney, 1993; Cram et al, 1995; Phelps, 1995; Connelly, 1996) confirms the high levels of both physical and emotional bullying in New Zealand schools. Within any particular year it is likely that at least half and perhaps as many as three-quarters of children are bullied and 10% are being bullied weekly. The figures tend to be higher in some schools than others but bullying is occurring in all the schools that have been surveyed. Furthermore the figures reported for New Zealand are considerably higher than those reported by Olweus (1992) in Norway (cited in Cram et al, 1995).

This research extends beyond simply surveying the amount of bullying and asks
children about the impact the bullying has had on them. The results underline the
special vulnerability of children. They show that the hurt that is done to a child is often considerable and long remembered. An adult learns to cope with pain, fear, rejection,loss and loneliness but a child is easy to wound and often has few skills to cope.

At the same time adults often fail to notice what is happening for a child or belittle the events. It is commonly said that bullying is “simply part of growing up” or part of “the rough and tumble of childhood”. Others excuse bullying because it “happened to me too”.

Bullying is not always well handled. Sometimes adults will try to mediate
between the children as if both the bully and the victim were equally responsible.
Sometimes the token “telling off” given to the bully by a teacher is followed
immediately with another episode of bullying involving the same bully and the same
victim. Sometimes the child feels that their own failings are partly or wholly to blame for what has happened. It is little wonder, therefore, that children often do not seek help.

The way in which people around them respond to children when violence occurs can
have an important effect on them for either good or ill. Schools can change the
experiences of children. They can liberate children from feelings of powerlessness and blame for bullying. Alternatively, the neglect of bullying in schools can affect the children long after the original events. The present is still populated with the events of the past. And the past and the present affects the future confidence of children.

References
Besage, V. (1989). Bullies and Victims in Schools. Buckingham, Open University Press.
Connelly, D. (1996). Unpublished report of a Survey of Bullying.
Cram, F., Doherty, L., & Pocock, T. (1995). Bullying at School. A Manukau North
Special Education Service Survey of School Students. Draft report.
Kearney, A. (1993). A Study of the Nature and Extent of Bullying in Primary,
Intermediate and Secondary Schools. Unpublished research paper.
Maxwell, G.M. and Carroll Lind, J (1996). Children’s Experiences of Violence.
Wellington, Office of the Commissioner for Children.
Olweus, D. (1992). Bullying among School Children: Intervention and Prevention.
Chapter 5 in Peters, R.D., McMahon, R.J & Quinsey, V.L. Aggression and Violence
Throughout the Life Span. Newbury Park, Sage.
Phelps, K. (1995). Kia Kaha Research: Does the Kit Prevent Bullying? Unpublished
research.
Tattum, D.P. & Tattum, E. (1992). Bullying. A Whole School Response. In N Jones &
Baglin-Jones, E. (Eds) Learning to Behave. London, Kogan Page.

PCT Challenge 2009

2009-03-03T11:47:00.001+13:00

Congratulations to all our students who took place in this years PCT Challenge. You were awesome.

The Great Homework Debate!

2009-02-23T08:50:00.001+13:00

The Great Homework Debate

I was interested to see a report on the news about a young boy in the US stating that homework was an infringement of his rights. While I am not sure about that, it does bring up the age old question of homework. I guess it polarises people and depends very much on other time demands that you face as a family. There are as many people for homework as against it. Peoples opinions often reflect their own experiences at school. It homework was fun it is more likely that you will be for. If it brought tears, stress and a strain then it is highly likely you will be against! There are a number of very good articles on the web. I have included extracts form one I have found. I guess the best thing to do would be to read it and make up your own mind!

The Suggested Benefits of Homework
The most obvious presumed benefit of homework is, of course, that it will improve students' understanding and retention of the material covered. However, partly because this (most measurable) benefit has not been consistently demonstrated, it has also been assumed that homework has less direct benefits:
• improving study skills, especially time management
• teaching students that learning can take place outside the classroom
• involving parents
• promoting responsibility and self-discipline

The Possible Negative Effects of Homework
Probably the most obvious negative effect is the stress homework can produce in both student and parent. Homework can be a major battleground between parent and child, and in such cases, it's hard to argue that it's worth it. There are other potential problems with homework:
• homework demands can limit the time available to spend on other beneficial activities, such as sport and community involvement
• too much homework can lead to students losing interest in the subject, or even in learning
• parents can confuse students by using teaching methods different from those of their teachers
• homework can widen social inequalities
• homework may encourage cheating

What Research Tells Us
Because homework has been a difficult variable to study directly, uncontaminated by other variables, research has produced mixed and inconclusive results. However, it does seem that the weight of the evidence is in favor of homework. According to Cooper's much-cited review of homework studies, there have been 20 studies since 1962 that compared the achievement of students who receive homework with students given no homework. Of these, 14 showed a benefit from doing homework, and six didn't.
The clearest point is the striking influence of age. There seems, from these studies, to be a clear and significant benefit to doing homework for high school students. Students 11 to 13 years of age also showed a clear benefit, but it was much smaller. Students below this age showed no benefit.

In 50 studies, time students reported spending on homework was correlated with their achievement. 43 of the 50 studies showed that students who did more homework achieved more; only 7 studies showed the opposite. The effect was greatest for the high school students and, again, didn't really exist for the elementary school students.For the students in the middle age range (11-13 years), more time spent on homework was associated with higher levels of achievement only up to one to two hours; more than this didn't lead to any more improvement.

TIMSS, however, found little correlation between amount of homework and levels of achievement in mathematics. While they did find that, on average, students who reported spending less than an hour a day on homework had lower average science achievement than classmates who reported more out-of-school study time, spending a lot of time studying was not necessarily associated with higher achievement. Students who reported spending between one and three hours a day on out-of-school study had average achievement that was as high as or higher than that of students who reported doing more than three hours a day.

Two British studies found that while homework in secondary schools produced better exam results, the influence was relatively small. Students who spent seven hours a week or more on a subject achieved about a third of an A level grade better than students of the same gender and ability who spent less than two hours a week.

How much homework is 'right'?
A survey conducted by the United States Bureau of the Census (1984) found that public elementary school students reported spending an average of 4.9 hours and private school elementary students 5.5 hours a week on homework. Public high school students reported doing 6.5 hours and private school students 14.2 hours. Recent research studies by the Brown Center on Education Policy concluded that the majority of U.S. students (83% of nine-year-olds; 66% of thirteen-year-olds; 65% of seventeen-year-olds) spend less than an hour a day on homework, and this has held true for most of the past 50 years. In the last 20 years, homework has increased only in the lower grade levels, where it least matters (and indeed, may be counterproductive).

In America, NEA and the National PTA recommendations are in line with those suggested by Harris Cooper: 10 to 20 minutes per night in the first grade,(Year 1 NZ) and an additional 10 minutes per grade level thereafter (giving 2 hours for 12th grade).

In Britain, the Government has laid down guidelines, recommending that children as young as five should do up to an hour a week of homework on reading, spelling and numbers, rising to 1.5 hours per week for 8-9 year olds, and 30 minutes a day for 10-11 year olds. The primary motivation for the Government policy on this seems to be a hope that this will reduce the time children spend watching TV, and, presumably, instill good study habits.

There is some evidence that the relationship between time on homework and academic achievement may be curvilinear: pupils doing either very little or a great deal of homework tend to perform less well at school than those doing 'moderate' amounts.

Presumably the association between lots of homework and poorer performance occurs because hard work is not the only factor to consider in performance -- ability and strategic skills count for a great deal, and it is likely that many very hard-working students work so long because they lack the skills to work more effectively.

What makes homework effective?
By which I mean, what factors distinguish "good", i.e. useful, homework, from less productive (and even counterproductive) homework. This is the $64,000 question, and, unfortunately, research can tell us very little about it.

Cooper did conclude that there is considerable evidence that homework results in better achievement if material is distributed across several assignments rather than concentrated only on material covered in class that day.

There is no evidence that parental involvement helps, although it may well be that parental involvement can help, if done appropriately. Unfortunately, parental involvement can often be inappropriate.

Can students really watch TV or listen to music while doing homework?
A burning question for many parents!
A British study found that watching TV while doing homework was associated with poorer quality of work and more time spent. However, simply listening to the soundtrack did not affect the quality of the work or time spent. It's assumed that it's the constant task-switching caused by looking back and forth between the screen and the work that causes the negative effect. From this, it would also seem that listening to the radio should not be a problem. It's worth noting that we become less able to multi-task as we age, and that parents' objections to their children's study environment probably reflect their awareness that they themselves would find it difficult to concentrate in such circumstances.

Reference: http://www.memory-key.com/Parents/homework.htm#benefit

Welcome Back!

2009-02-09T11:38:00.002+13:00

i thought I would begin the year by posting extracts from an article by NZ author and social commentator Gordon Dryden. It certainly is food for thought and sets out some challenges which are well worth pursuing!

Not Just a Change: A Revolution

by Gordon Dryden

For more than a hundred years the world has been locked into an outdated education system devised for a bygone age. Now the new era of instant communications provides the catalyst that will finally force a long-overdue revolution in education, schooling and lifelong learning. Since November 2002, the world's fastest Internet search engine, Google, has been able to scan more than 3 billion pages in under half a second. In another half second it can automatically sort them into graded answers to any questions. In another half second it can scan 390 million images so that students or authors can have a choice of instant, professional images to illustrate their presentations. Yet in education most of the world's 59 million school teachers every day either strive individually to create new lesson plans or, more likely regurgitate information and teaching methods that are decades out of date.

At the same time the explosion in knowledge about the neurosciences-about the incredible learning power of the human brain-means we now know how to learn anything faster, better and more effectively. And this information, too, is available almost instantly to anyone with the tools to ask. We're also living through the first revolution in history where even young children generally know more about the dominant communications technology than most parents and teachers.

At Tahatai Coast Primary School in a low-income suburb in New Zealand, with a 30 per cent "minority" roll:

* All five-year-olds do computer animation. They've even animated an orchestra performing Vivaldi's Four Seasons to illustrate an animated feature on forest conservation.

* Their six-year-olds have even devised an animated tour of their school principal's brain: to demonstrate the difference between a boring classroom and a stimulating learning environment.

* All seven-year-olds have their own individually-designed websites-and many line up to get into school each day from 7 a.m. to get on line to chat with friends around the world.

* Their eight-year-olds have won second prize in a national digital short-story writing competition, against adult competitors-using Internet links that let the "reader" construct his or her own ending.

* Nine-year-olds use digital tools to design their own school of the future.

* Ten-year-olds have produced an award-winning videotape of their own school.

In other model schools, students now have instant access to some of the world's best teachers, greatest ideas, finest libraries, art galleries and reference works. But most children who go to school often sit bored in classrooms designed for a bygone age.

It's almost as if the instant-communications revolution has left most education in a timewarp. Sure, almost every school system says it's introducing "information and communications technology". But around 99 per cent are doing it wrong-simply because they are trying to graft twenty-first century technology on to a nineteenth-century school model.

Tim Berners-Lee, the father of the World Wide Web, already plans a better one. He calls it the Semantic Web. That's "a smart network that will finally understand human language and make computers virtually as easy to work with as other humans." The ultimate goal is "to turn the Web into a gigantic brain. Every computer connected to the Internet would have access to all the knowledge that humankind has accumulated in science, business and the arts since we began painting the walls of caves 30,000 years ago."

While this new Web will start by 2005, the existing American school system is performing so poorly that 78 percent of U.S. colleges now offer courses in remedial reading, writing and mathematics.

There's even a reluctance to study, let alone follow, the dramatic examples proven every day by successful businesses. Dell, for instance - is the world's biggest-selling personal computer. It achieves annual sales above $US31 billion. And around half of them are directly through the Internet. Customers actually design their own computer, its software and accessories-from a web-based set of options.

That is an incredible model for teachers and students: to have instant access to the world's best brain-based and IT-based lesson and learning plans. But where is the international action to link all those 59 million teachers into a worldwide learning web?
Almost nonexistent.

Yet around the world we find brilliant working models of the new age:

* In Sweden, which has for 20 years had the world's widest-ranging refugee program, most migrant children have learned to speak three languages before starting school at age six: Swedish, English and their parents' own language.

* As well as Tahatai (which means "by the ocean"), New Zealand has some of the world's best elementary schools": linking ICT with new methods of learning.

* At Singapore's Overseas Family School, 2000 PreK-12 students from 60 nationalities enjoy an education around global themes. OFS is the first school in Singapore to adopt the International Baccalaureate curriculum at all ages from three years to senior high school. And all its teachers, students and parents are linked through a corporate-strength extranet.

* While "educators" around the world continue to debate the importance of the process of education versus content, rigorous academic standards, "accountability" and high qualifications, the IB curriculum is already solving the dispute in more than 1,300 schools in 110 different countries. It effectively combines all these elements-and more.

* In Finland, the Government has engaged 5,000 students to teach their teachers how to use computers and information technology.

* In St. Louis, Missouri, the teachers at New City School have collectively written an entire book, on how they're teaching every subject, at every grade, by catering to all different types of intelligence. The opportunity now exists for the world's brightest teachers-and their students-to actively create and share similar resources.

* In Sydney, Australia, students at Beverley Hills High School have learned to speak fluent French by compressing a three-year course into eight weeks-using revolutionary do-it-yourself learning methods.

* In Hastings, New Zealand, 11-year-olds up to five years behind in their reading are catching up in eight to 10 weeks through a "tape-assisted reading program", where each child chooses books related to his or her own interests-and reads them while listening to the words on tape. A typical gain in that time is 3.3 years.

* In Arizona, high-school teacher Leo Wood-using accelerated learning methods-has lifted his students' achievements in chemistry from 52 percent getting A, B and C grades to 93 percent.

* In Alaska, students at Mt. Edgecumbe High School at one stage ran four pilot companies, and earned $600,000 selling smoked salmon to Japan-- as they studied marketing, business, economics and Japanese.

* Cramlington Community High School, in northern England, has reinvented itself as a school combining the world's best information technology and the world's best accelerated learning methods. In a country where the national school inspection authority has strongly criticized the "waste" of £1.8 billion (around $US2.7 billion) on school information technology, the same authority has lauded Cramlington as a highly successful model for all high schools. The school's principal, Derek Wise, and learning coordinator, Mark Lovatt, have even written a book on Creating an Accelerated Learning School.

* In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University has spent $US50 million building America's best online campus. But its purpose is NOT to put boring lectures online. "Among CMU's digerati," says Business Week, "public enemy No. 1 is the old-fashioned lecture, where a scholar stands before hundreds of snoozing students and drones on for an hour or two. For them the chief role of technology is to help end boredom." And it quotes Professor Raj Reddy, the former longtime dean of CMU's School of Computer Science: "In the future learning will come from doing. You abolish lectures, and you don't just read about history, you participate in a simulation of it."

* In Singapore again, Nanyang Polytechnic runs as "a learning factory"-where students learn by doing. And learn creativity by creating. Significantly, the Polytechnic's founding CEO was formerly head of human-resource planning for Singapore's Government development agency: the body that has helped attract 3200 international companies to set up in the southeast Asian island state.

Those examples may look like isolated facts. Yet they typify what many see as the most important revolution in human history.

Combine all these trends, and some of the models for education, schooling and learning become clear:

* Start building a complete new worldwide learning web, to revolutionize schooling and learning, in the same way that the World Wide Web has revolutionized communications.
* Form the core of that new Learning Web from the world's 59 million teachers. If business trends are followed, 2 percent of those teachers (1,180,000) are already trend-setting innovators and 13 percent (7,670,000) of them are early adopters of new methods. That is an enormous talent base for sharing interactive learning models.
* Then tap into the talents of the world's 2 billion-plus students. The best are already showing us how to use interactive technology to create an entirely new future. Share that message with all, across all cultures and countries, as the new Semantic Web develops.
* Build simple online learning templates: linking the world's finest subject teachers and the world's best multimedia learning-games experts -so that every learner in the world has the opportunity to build on those models the same way students currently play Nintendo or Sony PlayStation. (Remember: learning is more effective when it's fun.)
* Provide all that information free on the Internet-just as the computer scientists of the world already share their talents. That is the basis of the scientific method: openly share, test and improve.
* Provide worldwide professional-development programs for those teachers who are not normal innovators or early adopters: what Silicon Valley calls crossing the "chasm"-which others might call "the fear barrier" to the world of the future-as we learn to marry the digital world of the network to the most amazing computer of all: the human brain.
* Plan to involve entire families, entire communities, in the total process. Again, the world's most brilliant learning technology can now be stored for all on the World Wide Web-not cluttering up every PC in the world. And it can be made available either free or at very low cost to every Internet user in the world.
* Slash the cost of computers and software-specially to developing countries-by abolishing the need to store all that expensive software on every computer.
* Then transform international aid programs, to concentrate not on handouts but on how to learn a living. The poor don't need handouts. They need competence. For competence brings income and pride.

This is challenge of The Learning Revolution. If not now, when? If not us, who?

Year 8 Leavers Photos

2008-12-12T08:49:00.003+13:00

These have now been taken off line. Year 8 Prize Winners photos are available.

Tips for no stress SUMMER FUN!

2008-12-12T08:32:00.001+13:00

School’s out…..now what? The summer months can be full of fun opportunities for travel, camps and time with family. It can also be stressful for families, especially with too many (or not enough) things to do and places to go.

1. Plan Ahead for Summer Activities
Summer fun activities and an endless array of sports, dance, activity and academic camps are available in most communities. However, parents need to keep in mind that advance planning is key to getting in, as many of the most popular activities fill up quickly. Check with your city recreation departments, local attractions and libraries for starters to find out what the offerings are and what costs may be involved. Ask your kids what they really want to do with their time ... both for individual enrichment and as a family. Then don't wait; sign up while you still can!

2. Create A Budget and Stick With It
A big stress for families over the summer months is spending too much money. After all, costs for entertainment, food, travel, and even admissions to local swimming facilities can really add up. Parents should budget their summer fun dollars, and then advise kids (as age appropriate) that there is so much money for activities. Of course, with a little creativity and searching, you might be delighted in how many activities can be enjoyed for free and these can take priority over those that cost.

3. Don't Over schedule Children During Summer
Special interest activities are wonderful, but beware of over planning your kids' days over the summer. If a parent is home, sometimes sleeping in, taking a walk around the block, planning a bike ride or watching a movie together can be more enjoyable then rushing around meeting appointments.

4. Consider 'No-Plan' Times
Keep an organized calendar that lets family members easily keep up with plans (such as swimming lessons or visits). On that same calendar, schedule in some "not-to-be scheduled time." And stick with it. Part of summer's fun is to have BBQ’s, lazy days reading, etc., and block regular times out on the calendar that are dedicated to family only. Let your kids be bored so that they learn to find something to do with their time. Learn to relax

5. Set Limits for Neighbour Play
Of course, you want the neighbourhood children to come over and play with your children. Children can spend hours together having backyard adventures and enjoying either others' friendships. However, be careful to avoid feeling taken advantage of and feeling that you are feeding all the neighbourhood children or are responsible for their entertainment on a daily basis. If necessary arrange times when you alternate whose house children play at or make other mutually agreeable arrangements. Set expectations with your own kids in advance to avoid any misunderstandings.

6. Keep Food Choices Simple and Light
Parents sometimes fall in the trap of too-much takeout and fast food, and overlook the scrumptious and health offerings that come with summer. Load up on sandwich meats, fruits, vegetables, yogurt and healthy snacks and grill outdoors whenever possible. Summer presents a good time to encourage healthy-eating vs. calorie-laden snacks. And, while you're at it, use summer meals to encourage the learning of proper eating etiquette and table manners!

7. Keep Safety on Top of List
The lazy, long days of summer create the opportunity to let your guard down. But safety must be kept as a high priority at all times. Summer fun means outdoor adventures, swimming, and explorations, which can also mean opportunities for sunburn, heat exhaustion, drowning and insect bites, if you're not careful. Be sure that all elements are considered before heading outdoors or on holiday!

8. Don't Use Just Any Babysitter
Lots of college-age students are available for babysitting jobs in the summer, but that doesn't mean they are qualified or right for the job. Before you entrust anyone with your kids, be sure to check out references and make sure that a potential babysitter really likes to be with kids and isn't just looking for easy money. Summer days can be long and present opportunities for health and safety concerns if kids aren't supervised and cared for with a loving heart and attentive eye.

The Legend of the Vampire Queen

2008-11-26T08:33:00.003+13:00

A big congratulations to Room 12 for their awesome performance. It was fantastic to watch. Well done Mr P! Awesome direction.

Kapahaka Hui

2008-11-14T18:27:00.004+13:00

Congratulations to all our wonderful Kapahaka performers. You are amazing and your performance at todays Hui did the school proud! A huge thank you to all the staff involved...Charlotte,Kath,Michelle and Linda. The performance reflects your commitment!

Tina Cross

2008-11-03T14:21:00.004+13:00

We were fortunate to have Tina Cross visit us to work with our Senior students. Two very successful sessions were held. The funny thing was most students had no idea who she was, but a number of stff were wandering around just a little start struck! Our band were also lucky enough to spend some time with Tina and get a number of very helpful hints!

Enrolment Zones – what are they???

2008-10-23T11:05:00.002+13:00

For many parents shifting schools or enrolling children for the very first time can be stressful. Especially if they are faced with having to cope with, the added complication of school zones. The Ministry of Education has some very good information on their website www.minedu.govt.nz .
Enrolment zones are designed to ensure that local children can attend their local school. Sometimes schools grow due to such things as new subdivisions springing up where there was once farmland, birth rate spikes or the perception one school is offering something that another local one is not. The MOE also uses Enrolment Zones to peg back building costs by ensuring that all schools are being used to their potential. As a result you can sometimes see zones coming on and off depending on what is happening in an area. The school zone boundaries are decided by the Board of Trustees in consultation with the Ministry and parents. Once an enrolment scheme is in place, the school has some strict guidelines which it must follow. Parents can apply to a school for an out of zone enrolment. The number of spaces that will be available is decided by the BOT after looking at what potential in zone numbers are likely to be.
Why then do some schools have enrolment schemes?
An enrolment scheme is a means of limiting the roll to prevent overcrowding at the school and enabling local students to enrol. The Ministry of Education is also able to make best use of the current accommodation at schools in the surrounding area.

What does the legislation have to say about enrolment schemes?
Schemes should:
• as far as possible exclude no more students than necessary to avoid overcrowding;
• enable the Ministry to make best use of the existing networks of state schools;
• ensure that the selection of applicants for enrolment at the school is carried out in a fair and transparent manner;
• enable students to attend a reasonably convenient school;
• as far as possible not exclude local students.
How does zoning work?
Each enrolment scheme must contain a home zone with clearly defined boundaries. Students who live within the home zone have an absolute right to enrol at the school.

What if I live outside the home zone?
A school with an enrolment scheme may have the capacity to take students from outside their home zone.
In this case the school is required to advertise the availability of places and the application process including dates.
'Out of zone' students may then apply for enrolment. If there are more applicants than places available, a ballot will be held.
Applications for enrolment will be balloted in the following order of priority:
(a) students accepted for enrolment in a special programme run by the school;
(b) brothers and sisters of current students;
(c) brothers and sisters of former students;
(d) children of board employees;
(e) all other students.

What if I am unsuccessful in the ballot?
Your name will be drawn and you will be placed on a waiting list. The school will advise you of your place on the list.

How do you define living in the "home zone"?
If your usual place of residence is within the home zone, you may apply for enrolment. When you enrol, the school may require proof of residence e.g. tenancy agreement, certificate of title or utility bills, etc. If the school finds that you have given false information, the school may refuse to enrol the student or annul the enrolment.

What can I do if a school tells me that it cannot enrol my child?
First of all, contact the school and ask whether the school has an enrolment scheme. If it does not, the school should not be declining any enrolments.

If the school does have an enrolment scheme, check to see whether you live in the home zone. You will be able to see a copy of the scheme at the school or visit www.schoolzones.co.nz. If you do not live in the school's home zone, then there will be another school that is reasonably convenient to your home that your child could attend.

Virtual Art Gallery

2008-09-23T14:51:00.000+12:00

Stick with you!

2008-09-23T13:54:00.000+12:00

RBS ROCK

2008-09-23T13:51:00.001+12:00

Another assembly movie to enjoy.

What are you going to do when you grow up?

2008-09-16T12:56:00.001+12:00

Helping your child choose a career.
When you child thinks about a career, they do not act alone. Career development begins in childhood where ideas about roles and work are based on the adults they identify with, the communities they grow up in and media images.

Some key ideas…
•Relationships (Parents, caregivers, grandparents, and other family members) play a key role.
•Talk to children about what interests them.
•Encouraging your children to get the most out of their education, introduce the idea of life-long learning.
•Talk about…. Your own experiences.
•Value differences.
•Develop their knowledge about work, especially concepts about careers, new career options and how to find jobs.
•Give them opportunities to make decisions.
•Talk about stereotypes.

Just to expand a little on one of these…
Lifelong Learning.
Changing patterns of employment mean that employees are required to continually update their skills and knowledge to stay current. The need to continue learning, is necessary to have a successful career. Remember though, it is not just about formal education, learning also takes place out of school and often life skills and other activities are just as important.

Staying Safe Online.

2008-09-01T08:19:00.003+12:00

Late last term I had a number of conversations with parents, who spoke to me about “Social Networking Sites,” (BEBO, Facebook, MYSpace etc) and their unease about these. They have found that their children have signed up at home (Our school filters do not allow students to access these sites) and have been a little concerned, when they saw what was not only on their own Childs site, but on others as well.

From these concerns, I wrote a short comment in our school newsletter. I thought it might again be useful to share what I said to them. I am certainly no expert but these steps might help you before a situation arises. This is not about censorship, but rather Net Safety. The best NZ guide for any help or advice can be found at www.netsafe.org.nz

The reality is Social networking sites will continue to grow and become even more popular. They are the way many of our children, teens and adults now communicate.

Some Tips!
• Talk to your children about what they are doing on line.
• Find out if they belong to any Social Networking Sites.
• Discuss the dangers of passing personal information through the internet, the reality is you do not always know who you are talking with and that they are not always, what they say they are.
• Have a look at sites yourself to get a feeling for what is going on
• Set up some rules / guidelines for their online involvement in these sites. For example….
 The types of photographs you will allow
 Information which will limit unsolicited contacts
 The type of safe personal information which they can / cannot provide
 The time they can access and work on their site
 Knowing that you will look at their site(s)
 Know who your Childs online “friends” are

Raumati Beach School Golf Classic

2008-08-14T07:35:00.003+12:00

Hummer Bar & Grill Golf Classic
in association with Pelorus Trust

Help raise funds for a much needed playground for the children of Raumati Beach School

Thursday 28 August 2008

Join us for a great day of golf and fun at the picturesque Kapiti Golf Club with some great company like
Christen Cullen and other celebrities

Don’t delay as teams are limited
collect or email for your registration form
from Raumati Beach School Office Today!
(Cheques payable to Raumati Beach School)
Entries close Friday 22nd August 2008

Contact: Debbie Warren or Alana Webb: Ph via Raumati Beach School
Raumati Beach School: Ph (04) 902-5596 or email raumati@gmail.com

We would love your support. Entry forms should be up on our website www.raumatibeach.school.nz shortly

Some Useful Maths Sites

2008-08-07T12:09:00.002+12:00

The Internet has some great "free," web sites, which are fun for students and also help to reinforce maths concepts.

I have linked some that I have found, which might be useful.

Kaboose.com

King Math

Surf Net Kids

Fun Brain

Enjoy!

1B5

2008-07-29T17:04:00.003+12:00

1B5 started life after an approach by a Senior Student to me. He asked if he could form a school band. After getting the initial OK, he set about getting quotes for the instruments, which included obtaining some very good discounts!

After this auditions were held...American Idol had nothing on these!! The rest as they say is history. Well done Isaac you've done a great job!

Thinking about the clutter?

2008-07-20T18:19:00.000+12:00

Towards the end of last term, I spent some time at the NZ Principals Conference in Christchurch. One of the presenters Malachi Pancoast talked about the need to reduce the clutter of our work and focus on what really matters – which is the teaching and learning. Some of his ideas were really quite challenging, particularly around the way a Principal should work and I know that his ideas stimulated much discussion among colleagues.

It did get me thinking about teaching in general and the extra activities that can some time surround the task. Just sampling some of the programmes which schools deliver really makes you think about what do we need to focus on?

Currently schools can be involved in……
• Healthy eating programmes
• External Physical fitness programmes - such as jump rope for heart
• Religious Education in schools
• Programmes for external groups such as Dyslexia, Diabetes,
• Dance and Arts Splash
• DARE
• Keeping ourselves safe
• Life Education
• Sports coaching clinics
• EOTC activities

The list can go on! All of these programmes offer something to our students and we need to ensure that our children get the opportunity to excel in all areas of the curriculum.

The challenge is ensuring that core subjects are delivered effectively and that these other programmes are scheduled in to add to the richness of our own school curriculum. Something that we will be looking at next year, as we start to look more deeply at the new curriculum document.

In the meantime I will start by tidying up my desk!!! Small steps!

Another "World Famous in Raumati," Assembly Movie

2008-06-24T17:55:00.002+12:00

Here is another chance for RBS students to see last weeks assembly movie and a first look for those interested.

School Staffing - How it all works!

2008-06-23T17:37:00.000+12:00

School staffing is based on a Ministry of Education formula which is applied to all State Schools throughout NZ. This formula can depend on Decile Rating but is generally consistent for schools within a Decile band.

On March 1st and July 1st every year the MOE take a snap shot of the school roll. At this time we are also asked to predict, what we believe our roll numbers to be for 2009 and 2010. They use this prediction, along with historical data to come up with a staffing figure for the school. This figure tells us how many teachers we are entitled to. As the roll increases and we reach our staff / pupil level, the school begins to get extra staffing.

The BOT can decide to use Operations Grant to pay for an extra full time or part time teacher. However given the tightness of school budgets, this is very difficult. (See my explanation on School Budgets) Often schools that do this use a targeted parent levy to pay for increased staffing

The next task is to take the entitlement and work out how we can structure our school. We look at the number of junior students currently at school and expected new enrolments. The government have implemented a 1:18 ratio (soon to be 1:15) for junior classes. However if there are large bulges in other areas, this may mean that these class sizes can be larger than this, to ensure other classes do not end up being in too large.

Often schools have composite (mixed level) classes. This is done to ensure class numbers remain reasonable. A composite class usually contains students who are in two year levels, e.g. Year 3 and Year 4. But at some schools classes could contain 3 or even more levels. Often these are referred to as “Whanau,” groupings. It is more usual to find this arrangement in smaller rural schools, but some larger schools also do this.

Teaching a split level class does not generally make a difference to the teacher, or impact the students. The way we teach, is to look at individual student needs and group accordingly. It is possible that a teacher teaching a straight year level class, could have a wider spread of abilities / groups, than a teacher teaching a composite class.

In summary….
• Staffing is based on actual roll numbers
• Staffing is a formula applied by the MOE
• Deciles have an impact on staffing
• Composite classes are the “Norm,” throughout NZ
• Class size depends on the number of students at that level

Assembly Movie # 2

2008-06-15T10:50:00.003+12:00

Here is the second assembly movie. The music is Funky Town, by a group called..."Pseudo Echo." Also this track was used in Shrek. Both movies are available on YouTube as well.

Assembly Movie

2008-06-08T17:51:00.002+12:00

Life at RBS!

Speed Stackers

2008-06-08T16:37:00.001+12:00

Rooms 24 & 25 are about to become Speed Stackers. So I have included a small clip to show you what it is all about. I hope to put up our own Speed Stacker Video at some stage!

How are schools funded??

2008-06-08T16:01:00.003+12:00

School funding is always one of those topics which come up in the news from time to time. I thought it might be useful to explain how schools are funded and where the money goes.

Schools in NZ are funded based on two main criteria. One, obviously being size and the other, Decile weighting.

Deciles are otherwise known as Socio-Economic Decile Bands which gives you some indication of what they are all about.

A decile is a group into which similar schools in New Zealand are placed.
Schools are grouped in a way that reflects the average family or whanau situations and socio-economic backgrounds of the students at that school.

In other words the decile rating a school is given relates to the economic and social factors of the community immediately surrounding it.

There are ten deciles starting with decile one and moving through to decile ten. A decile is a statistical term, meaning that a group or population has been divided into ten equally sized groups, giving ten deciles.

Schools in decile one, have the highest proportion of students from low socio-economic backgrounds. Statistically schools in decile ten have the highest proportion of students from high socio-economic backgrounds.
What factors make up the decile?
There are five specific factors that are taken into account when deciding on the decile rating of a school. These are:
• Household income - percentage of households with income in the lowest 20% nationally.
• Occupation - percentage of employed parents in the lowest skilled occupational groups.
• Household crowding - number of people in the household divided by the number of bedrooms.
• Educational qualifications - percentage of parents with no tertiary or school qualifications.
• Income support - percentage of parents who received a benefit in the previous year.
So poorer communities with fewer qualifications and lower incomes are likely to be in Decile One, while wealthier communities with more qualifications and higher incomes are likely to be in Decile 10.

Some FAQ’s
Why are schools grouped like this?
Schools are grouped into deciles for funding reasons. Deciles allow the Ministry of Education to allocate funding in an equitable way. The lower the school’s decile rating the more funding it will be given.

The greater amount of funding given to lower decile schools allows them to cover the increased learning needs of students who attend their school.

Does the decile of a school tell me anything about the quality of the education at that school?
No. Deciles are for funding only.

Are there any other Implications of Deciles for Parents?
The major implication will be the amount of funding given to the school by the government. As a general overview, more money per child will be provided to Decile 1 schools, than to Decile 10 schools. As a result, you will often find that parents of children at higher decile schools will be asked to contribute more in terms of donations, time and equipment.
(Extracts from kiwifamilies.co.nz)

So….. R.B.S is a decile 9 school each year the MOE work out a Gross Entitlement based on our decile and potential maximum roll size. This funding is paid to us in 4 instalments. The MOE will take money off the school, if the role has not met the initial calculation. Unfortunately this money is always taken at the start of the year and so the school has to budget for this loss, even though the role will be growing. As the school role increases subsequent instalments will pay back some of this funding!
So what does the grant cover??
• School insurance
• Relieving teachers
• Property
• Special Education
• Heat, Light, Water
• Staffing other than teachers (Administration, Caretaking, Cleaning, Teacher Aides etc)
• Resources
• Technology Centre
• Communication Expenses
• ICT (Computers etc)
• Audit Costs / Bank Costs
• Rates / Local Government Charges / ACC / Copyright
• Repairs and Maintenance
• Depreciation

So as you can see a lot to pay! Schools then ask parents to pay a donation to help supplement the shortfall which occurs and help them to offer activities which they could otherwise not afford. Some of these at R.B.S include….
• Extra learning support
• Gifted and Talented programmes
• Sports programmes and equipment
• Language Lab programme
• Maths Extension
• Literacy Extension
• Kapa Haka
• ICT Infrastructure
Plus many more!!! I hope that this helps a little.

School Band Makes The Stage.

2008-05-30T15:26:00.002+12:00

Congratulations to 1B5 our school band who performed for the first time today at our assembly. Look out for more of them over the coming months. I hope to get more video of them and put it up on YouTube at a later date.

And not forgetting Team C!!

2008-05-22T20:05:00.004+12:00

I know you are doing a unit on sound at the moment! Let me introduce you to the "Blue Men Group!" They do some amazing things with some very strange instruments!
Enjoy! (You can also click on the Blue Men link to go to their official site!

So just what is this new curriculum stuff??

2008-05-22T19:54:00.003+12:00

A number of parents have asked just what the new curriculum is and how it all works? I will attempt to give the quick version of what it is about and I will include some links for you to follow, if you would like some more information.
What’s different?
The aim of the updated curriculum is to support today’s students to learn in a way that will prepare them for the world of tomorrow. Many of us remember our own schooling experiences, but unfortunately times have changed and if we continue to teach students in the same way many of us learnt, we will not be preparing them for the challenges ahead. The 5 year olds at school now, are preparing themselves for multiple careers, in areas we cannot even comprehend!!
So what’s in it?
• includes a set of common values
• places more emphasis on themes relevant to today’s society
• contains five key competencies for students
• raises the profile and status of learning a second language
• raises the profile and status of statistics within mathematics
• makes the Treaty of Waitangi explicit in the overview, purpose, principles and values
• recognises the need for schools to work closely with communities to design relevant learning programmes.
(NZ Curriculum online)

The New Zealand Curriculum includes…
• The vision for young people who are confident, connected, actively involved lifelong learners.
• The principles that guided the curriculum’s development: high expectations, Treaty of Waitangi, cultural diversity, inclusion, learning to learn, community engagement, coherence and future focus.
• The values that will be developed and modelled through teaching and learning: excellence; innovation, enquiry, and curiosity; diversity; equity; community and participation; ecological sustainability; integrity and respect.
• The key competencies – the capabilities people need in order to live, learn, work, and contribute as active members of their communities. They are: managing self; relating to others; participating and contributing; thinking; and using language, symbols, and texts.
• The eight learning areas: social sciences; arts; technology; science; mathematics and statistics; health and physical education; English; and learning languages. The new curriculum explains the rationale and the structure of each of these learning areas.
• Effective pedagogy, reinforcing the importance of effective teaching and learning and providing guidance for teachers.
• The designing and planning sections to provide guidance to schools on working with their communities to design and implement the curriculum.
Over the next 12 months we will be starting to explore the new curriculum and begin to reflect on our teaching programmes. For us, the challenge will be to get more technologies throughout the school, to help us implement these new ideas and allow students learn in new and exciting ways.
Watch this space!
If you want to find out more about the NZ Curriculum, just click on the links.

Now Something for Team D

2008-05-11T18:54:00.003+12:00

This might be useful as part of your weather work.I found this great experiment about air pressure, you might like to look at. BUT if you want to try it, make sure Mum or Dad are there!!!

Also, there is a rather neat Tornado in a bottle you can make.

Ancient Egypt

2008-05-11T18:33:00.002+12:00

I know Team B are currently looking at Ancient Egypt, as part of their studies at the moment. Here is a video I found on YouTube, about the construction of the Pyramids. It is quite a clever animation.

New Kids On The Block!

2008-05-11T18:15:00.006+12:00

Well Week 1 is over and what a week it has been. It was wonderful to finally start at Raumati Beach School and finally get to meet all the students and the rest of the staff! Learning nearly 600 names is a huge task, but one I am enjoying. The students are quite happy to come up and introduce themselves. It really has become a bit of a game, with them giving me hints and clues. I am surprised how many names have actually stuck!! The funniest moment was when one of the junior school boys not only gave me his name but insisted that it was also important that I learn his phone number as well!!

It is amazing that you can do the same job at another school, but it can still be so different. I am really looking forward to getting to know what makes RBS tick!

Hopefully in the next few weeks I will start getting some photos up on the site and this will add to the writing. But this will have to wait until the ERO review. For those of you who are unfamiliar with ERO, it stands for the Education Review Office.

ERO visit schools as part of their regular reporting process. Schools identify an area where they would like the review team to focus on. This time we have selected Reading and Writing. The reviewers will be in the school for a period of two weeks, a little unusual, but due to the size of the school they need this amount of time. While there they will visit classrooms, look at planning, assessment, school procedures and policies.

ERO then prepares a report which identifies areas of good practice and areas for review. The school then uses these recommendations as a guide for their strategic direction.

If you would like to know more about ERO then visit their web site.

Welcome to my Edublog

2008-04-29T19:43:00.002+12:00

Thanks for looking. I initially created this blog to support a presentation, which was part of my application to the R.B.S Principals position.

Now that I am starting at Raumati Beach, I thought I would use this blog to provide you some information on what's happening in Education and hopefully answer some of those questions you may have about teaching and learning at R.B.S. Pleas note the views expressed in this are my own and do not necessarily represent those of Raumati Beach School.

The BOT presentation further down, is from the PowerPoint used during my interview. Unfortunately it doesn't contain my notes, but if you are interested, I would be happy to talk with you.

The topic, "What will ICT look like in the next 5 years," was certainly an interesting one.

I invite you to view my presentation and visit some of the links which I have included within the blog. I will update it on a regular basis. I'll also try to put in some quirky material as well, because this blog is also about entertaining!

I hope you enjoy reading and viewing the material

Mike Farrelly

2008-04-28T20:02:00.001+12:00

I found this great video on Derek Wenmoths's Blog. It certainly poses a number of very good questions and certainly challenges my thinking.

Visit Derek's Blog. It is certainly well worth the time!

Education Acronyms!

2008-04-28T18:34:00.004+12:00

Yes there are plenty of them, but what exactly are they and what have they got to do with my child's learning? Hopefully you will find the following useful. This is just a small sample of some of the more common ones. I know there are more, but lets start with these for now.

P.A.T - Progressive Achievement Tests.

Designed to help classroom teachers assess students ability

Each test can be used at multiple year levels

Achievement on each test can be reported on a common measurement scale so teachers can assess students against similar results for class and age levels on a national basis.

Multi Choice format

Tests include; Reading Comprehension, Vocab, Listening, Mathematics, Information Skills

Schools choose which test or tests most suit there needs

Tests can be administered to students from Year 4 and above

STAR - Supplementary Test of Achievement in Reading

Used by teachers as another assessment tool. Provides information such as word recognition, sentence comprehension, paragraph comprehension, vocabulary range

CRT - Classroom Release Time. CRT is provided to all classroom teachers by the government as part of the Teachers settlement. This time is used by staff to work on tasks such as administration, assessment etc which will directly benefit teaching and learning in their room. Teachers are given the equivalent of 2 days per term. This can be taken as full days of part days depending on what the school has decided.

E.O.T.C - Education Outside the Classroom. Outdoor education is the most common term, but this area has grown to include those activities which fall outside the usual camp situations. For example, horticulture, field trips / visits

ICT - Information Communications Technology. To many this is better known as I.T, but as part of the review of the new curriculum and the governments e learning strategy, Communications was added in recognition of the desire for students to part of a more global learning environment.

Interested in finding out more on the curriculum? www.tki.org.nz/e/tki/for_parents/

You can also try... www.teamup.co.nz/default.html

The ICT Challenge

2008-04-28T16:22:00.000+12:00

Here is the online version of my presentation to the Raumati Beach BOT. The presentation looked at how ICT might develop and what sort of infrastructure may be needed to support this. The slides on "What Kids are doing today," are attributed to Derek Wenmoth. His presentation is referenced at the end of the slide show.

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