The+Staff+Room

The Staff Room
toc The staff room resource is here to present current educational news, edtech tools and to stimulate teaching ideas.

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include page="HTML_div_pullquoteleft_open"'Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel.' Morrieinclude page="HTML_div_close"

Current Themes
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The Secret to Raising Smart Kids
Don't tell your kids that they are. More than three decades of research shows that a focus on effort, not on intelligence or ability, is key to success in school and in life. For an educational must read, consider Carol Dwecks [|article].

How to Access Online Media Video
In addition to watching online media you can store, 'grab' and convert files that you may wish to use at a later date.
 * [[image:http://keepvid.com/images/site_logo.gif link="http://keepvid.com/"]] || [[image:http://aswarmofangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/getmiro.jpg width="227" height="73" link="http://www.getmiro.com/"]] || [[image:http://zedomax.com/image/200612/zamzar-logo.jpg width="262" height="75" link="http://btecnationalsinsport.wikispaces.com/www.zamzar.com/"]] ||

Grab youtube videos with this small application, [|YouTubeGrabber] but you will need a Flash Video Player to watch them. Or you can convert your FLV file with [|Cinema Forge]. Here a 'How To' [|video].

K12 Keynote
David Warlick, a 30 year educator, has been a classroom teacher, district administrator, and staff consultant with the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction. He is the preconference keynote speaker for the K-12 online conference. Watch / listen to his keynote presentation “[|Inventing the New Boundaries]”

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include page="HTML_div_pullquoteleftshort_open"'Sometimes Coaching has encouraged colleagues and learners to be proactive and to take responsibility for their own actions. The adoption of a coaching style by senior leaders appears to have nurtured a shared approach to leadership amongst colleagues. (National College for School Leadership 2006)include page="HTML_div_close" Coaching using the GROW model is NEW to Tauntons College staff and students. I thought staff might appreciate seeing other educators using the [|GROW model] to suppport teaching in the classroom. In additional there is a discussion forum (top of the page) where staff can share their thoughts and experiences on the process. If you would prefer read about the GROW in an educational setting then the NCSL [|Time for coaching] is a good summary document. Also provided are some useful GROW conversations.

Psychological Priming for Education
**[|Malcolm Gladwell]** highlights the study of two Dutch researchers who had several groups of students each answer forty-two Trivial Pursuit questions. Half were asked to take five minutes to think about what it would mean to be a **professor** and write it down, while the other half were asked to do the same with **football hooligan** in place of professor. The students who thought about professors ended up getting 55.6 percent of the questions correct, while the soccer group got 42.6 percent correct. The professor group wasn’t any smarter than the football hooligan group, but they were put in a “smart” mind frame before answering the questions. Priming is a process that goes on within the adaptive unconscious that can change the way you think. //You can also find Malcolm Gladweel at [|TEDtalks] as well.//

Why [|Firefox]
I am not going to dwell on this as it is a sufficiently large enough debate. However, stable, quick, slick, friendly and [|add-ons]. I will be encouraging the students to migrate (afterall winter is approaching). Even if it is only for the embedded spell checker. Another reason would be the NEW Firefox 3.

[|Common Craft]
A site that demonstrates basic webware tools.

ICTPE
[|Computer dance gets pupils active] - active PE aimed at girls. [|Watch the dance revolution class.]

See how these [|electronic pets] get you active.
 * Phys**ical **E**lectronic **E**nergisers or **Fizzees**

Also, adding to this list, [|Wii Fit].

Appetisers, Activators and Quizzes
Here is a range of ideas on how to start your lesson, ranging for the quick fire to a full lesson quiz.
 * 1) Appetizers give a taste of what is to come in the lesson that follows.
 * 2) Activators simply prime the brain for thinking.
 * 3) Quizzes somehow reveal knowledge

Thinking Skills
Having read Edward De Bono book [|Six Thinking Hats] I was wondering if applying this could help students work towards the higher grades, those that required students to analyse and evaluate? Whether the technique could help students understand the full complexity of the questions, identify the issues as well as revealing their thinking 'blindspots.'

Understanding Digital Natives
An important read, [|'Their Space,'] subtitled 'Education for a Digital Generation, is a good attempt to stand back and review the myths of Web 2.0 (the re-write web) categorised as moral panic on the one hand, and the Digital faith on the other. Published by the think tank Demos, this free report makes good reading.

What do you want from the staffroom? Post your thoughts in discussion tab above?

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**"We are Educating People out of their Creativity"** Why go to all this effort? Well I think that [|Sir Kenneths Robinsons] presentation **explains** it far more creatively than I ever could, arguing that we have been educated to become good workers, rather than creative thinkers. Consequently, students with restless minds and bodies, far from being cultivated for their energy and curiosity, are ignored or even stigmatized, with terrible consequences. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Inspirational Teacher
Of course you can read his full article but here are a few points I have summarised, and funnily enough they are not that dissimilar to [|Richard St Johns]8 characterists for success; Push, Passion, Serve, Work, Focus, Persist, Ideas and Good.
 * [|What does it take to be an inspirational teacher?] BBC's education writer Mike Baker investigated.**

include page="HTML_div_pullquoteleftshort_open"'Energy, enthusiasm, humour, depth of knowledge, compassion, curiosity and the nerve to take gambles.include page="HTML_div_close" It might seem obvious, but far more important than reading their CV or looking at their pupils' examination results was seeing them teach. Baker makes essentially three key points. First that the teachers who "talk to you differently, one-to-one, not treating you all in the same way," who treat you "as if you are at the same level" gain the pupils respect, but also that these teachers could be very firm (althought rarely required to do so). Second, Baker notes an infectious, enthusiasm for their subject, Mike Baker writes, //'enthusiasm can change lives.'// The final point Baker makes is perhaps less skillfully described, but one he terms the "Eureka! moment." Where by the teacher creates solveable problems and the students take great delight in their perceived brillance in soliving it. Rather than summarising Baker expands with a list; afterall he does note from the start that the answer to the questions is //'both simple and complex.'//

Staff Inset and Resources
Just a few interesting topics for you to browse, borrow and add to. Some new, some core teaching tools from 'Cooperative Learning' to how to exploit competition in the classroom. Over 30 classroom quizzes. Assessment for learning (AFL) and 'Grade Tracking.' Grade 1 Lessons to developing creavity. Lesson strucures and questioning techniques. Quality, Improvement and Assurance (QIA) and 'What Does a Grade 1 Lesson Look Like?' And some emerging and Web 2.0 teaching strategies like IM Learning rooms, Mashing up and publishing. Please contribute your best INSET experiences.

If you are interested in practical debate then check out [|NEXTGEN] and [|classroom20.] in the NING networks. media type="custom" key="118294" More Wiki Teaching Ideas.

Course Planning
How to structure your course? Squential or grouped? What is the optimum vocational class size? Assignment expectations. EV and IV suggestions. Learning documents. How do you track the students progress or do students track their own progress? Tracking documents?

Tips and Notices

 * 12.12.07. || Simple bubble captions to images, [|bubblesnaps]. Staffroom fun, student learning / emotions. ||  ||
 * 26.11.07 || Text to speech, could be handy. [|spokentext.net]. ||
 * 26.11.07 || http://fileurls.com/ ||
 * 25.11.07 || Dont forget Prism. Direct to browser. ||
 * 18.11.07 || [|Spresent] - Animated online-slides ||
 * 17.11.07 || Thinking [|story cubes]. ||
 * 16.11.07 || [|Spellmaster] for MFL ||
 * 14.11.07 || Twitter / Tumblr / soup.io accounts to communicate with students ||
 * 12.11.07 || Widget box. Found an online puzzle maker here. http://www.widgetbox.com/widget/jigsaw-puzzle ||
 * 05.11.07 || Create anagrams of key terms. [|Online Anagram maker]. ||
 * 01.11.07 || [|dailyme] allows you to construct your own newspaper. ||
 * 31.10.07 || [|loudtalks] Loudtalks is a little application which allows you to talk to your friends or collegues instantly with a single touch of a button(F7). It's an online walkie talkie. ||
 * 31.10.07 || [|www.visuwords.com] I like this - thank Tom Barrett ||
 * 28.11.07 || [|Tagcrowd] allow you to create thought clouds from text files. ||
 * 12.10.07 || http://www.visualthesaurus.com/ a 3D thesaurus, you only get three goes, but hopefully you only need on answer. ||
 * 12.10.07 || Windows button and D - straight to desktop ||
 * 12.10.07 || Visual news, I was very impressed http://marumushi.com/apps/newsmap/newsmap.cfm ||
 * 29.08.07 || http://www.chinswing.com/ Voice discussion threads ||
 * 15.08.07 || Learn something NEW today in just [|5minutes.] ||
 * 1.09.07. || [|rubistar] This site helps set the parameters for student work. Drop down menus create rubics in super fast time and withl real ease. Great for vocational guidance. ||
 * 31.08.07 || [|whos.amung.us] Maps, counters and graphs. Very quick and very easy. ||
 * 07.08.07 || Add to that another FREE video conferencing room [|mebeam]. ||
 * 07.08.07 || It could not be easier to create a chat room than [|chatmaker]. Really you have no excuse no to engage learners through syncronous discussions. ||
 * 25.07.07 || [|cooltext] a range of tests for wikis and other basic documents. ||
 * 19.07.07 || http://www.getmiro.com/ Worth a look? ||
 * 19.07.07 || Record straight to your PC with FREE [|Camstudio] ||
 * 17.07.06 || [|xtimeline] Timelines for you to create and share. ||
 * 11.07.06 || [|Wink] is a free screencast software that allows you to create HOW TO guides. ||
 * 08.07.07 || Use [|scribd] to upload file and then embed files into your wiki. A handy way to present files within the wiki. ||
 * 08.07.07 || [|zamzar] can convert files and convert files from URLs ||
 * 06.07.07 || Did you now you can have two word windows side by side. Simply hold down CTRL and right click the "document window" panel at the bottom of the page. This will give you a cascade option. ||
 * 22.06.07 || Classwall displays using [|__http://homokaasu.org/rasterbator/__]. ||
 * 06.06.07 || Reports, progress report, references. This [|Report] writing tool is simple and easy to use. ||
 * 05.06.07 || [|Yackpack] as presented by Alecia, our Washington DC based friend. ||
 * 02.06.07 || [|Jotform] - I like this tool. Its a form compiler, but a bit more than Survey Monkey. I will keep you posted. ||
 * 01.06.07 || [|toondoo] yes, simple cartoons, but the best site of its kind I have found so far. ||
 * 30.05.07 || For a fun way to leave reminders on your wikispace, try [|gizmoz]. Upload a pic, record audio and there you go. Automated message service. ||
 * 28.05.07 || [|Trailfire], I was not really sure how I was going to use this resource but here's a [|wiki teaching trail]. Let me know what you think and how it could be used in your teaching. ||
 * 28.05.07 || [|Desktop-messager] is a useful and funny application that lets you draw or write texts on your desktop. Thank Joe Dale. ||
 * 24.05.07 || [|mojiti] Edit and annotate your favourite movies. PS [|musicovery] music to suite your mood, is excellent. ||
 * 14.05.07 || [|flashmeeting] Vidoe conferencing and recording. ||
 * 11.05.07 || NEW AND IMPROVED poll creator. Visually strong, [|vizu] gets the job done. [|Easy-poll] is not bad either. ||
 * 11.05.07 || [|bighugelabs] offers you the chance to create your own professional looking magazine cover, or motivational posters. Plus other activities. ||
 * 10.05.07 || [|Netvibes] and [|protopage] penable you to personalising your web experience where ever you go! In addition it have great planning and organising tools. ||
 * 07.05.07 || Not sure how to use this yet, but [|Voicethread] enables you to add voice to images. Maybe for those who find presentations more difficult? Maybe for more analytical or evaluative tasks? Heres an excellent review of voice threads [|potential.] ||
 * 07.05.07 || Right a real gem! [|quizlet] allows you to create very simple learning and quizzing activities and add some much needed kineasthic learning on your wiki pages. [|purposegames] is a simple tool by which you can add markers to an image. Its against the clock and very competitive. ||
 * 06.05.07 || [|swivel] online data [|instacalc] online calculater. ||  ||
 * 05.05.07 || NEW AND IMPROVED. More online audio recording at [|clickcaster] It would appear more advanced than studioodeo but I will let you be the judge of that. ||
 * 04.05.07 || If you are interested in all that is social networking and education, check out http://nextgen.ning.com/ Here you will find like minded professionals plus a way to create your own networks. ||  ||
 * 01.05.07 || Record discussions in class using a Powerpoint slide either pros and cons or general.[[file:Discussion Box - General.ppt]][[file:Discussion Box - Pros and Cons Slide.ppt]] ||
 * 27.04.07 || Try [|bubbleshare] to help your students express thoughts and develop ideas. Add captions or bubbles to existing images to complete a storybook. You can also create a 2D scrap book in [|scrapblog]. ||
 * 17.04.07 || Class blogging with [|21classes]. Get your student blogging in a controlled environment. ||
 * 14.04.07 || [|Businessballs] I visited this site many moons ago, so much information, be creative and you will find so much for your teaching. From [|posters], to ice breakers, to [|quiz and questions] to [|team building games] and [|maxims and more]. ||
 * 12.04.07 || Hold the Alt key down while pressing Print Screen to capture only the active window. ||

Tips and Notices Archive

Teacher Contacts
You can contact other members via members email, the discussion forum of if you are both online, the IM Teachers forum below.


 * **Name** (RealName) || **Institution** || **Email** || **Telephone** ||
 * Kristian Still user:KristianStill || Tauntons College || stillk@tauntons.ac.uk || 02380 514731 ||