Sharing Innovation

A new school year and it is time for Windows 8 and Office 365 and computing innovation at Hartsbrook E-ACT Free School!

Having just put my action plan together for the year ahead I will be focusing on facilitating the on-going professional development of our staff and implementing an e-safety program within the school. I have shared my action plan below in case there are teachers and subject leaders who are in similar positions to me and are looking for ideas to build technology and learning in their school.

Action plan

Last year saw the development of my Year One students’ technology skills including the use of a range of Windows 8 apps, Office 365 and SharePoint. At only 6 years old, their ICT skills were parallel to many adults out there; with most of the children going home to teach their parents. This year it is my responsibility to cascade the teaching and learning of technology to the staff through training, mentoring and coaching on the integration of Windows 8 and Office 365 into our curriculum.

As a Microsoft Innovative Expert Educator (M.I.E.E), I am able to deliver Microsoft training to teachers and schools. So to kick the new year off with a bang, next week I will be putting Hartsbrook staff through their Windows in the Classroom Badge. This workshop provides teachers with the tools to improve students’ learning by delivering more powerful and engaging learning experiences. We will be looking at the research undertaken by Innovative Teaching and Learning Research, exploring Windows 8 in more detail and trying first-hand at planning a lesson using a Windows 8 app!

As you can see from my action plan, this is just the first step towards developing staff capacity in ICT to positively impact on children’s learning experiences and to move towards innovation throughout the school, not just in one classroom. I will be keeping you updated on our progress.

If you or your school are interested in any Microsoft training for your school, please do get in contact at beckhursteducation@gmail.com  or tweet @CharBeckhurst

Top 10/20 Windows8 Apps as chosen by M.E.E.

Here are the Top 10/20 Educational Win8 Apps recommended by Microsoft Expert Educators. During day one of M.E.E training, we earned our first badge; Windows 8 in the Classroom. As a group we split into two groups and each came up with the Top 10 Win8 Apps for the classroom! It was declared a tie, although we both know who really won.

You will find these Top 20 Win8 apps are a mix to suit both primary and secondary with many spanning across both, such as Flip Boom Lite and the QR Reader/Generator. They have the capability to enhance the teaching and learning taking place in both Literacy, Numeracy and other subject areas.

Each App will shortly be available on www.pil-network.com with a learning resource to accompany it written by M.E.E.ks. Check them out to get some great ideas for your classrooms!

1. Movie Edit Touch
2. Music Maker Jam
3. Flip Boom Lite
4. National Zoo
5. QR Code Generator
6. Animal and Bird Sounds
7. Nsquared Herding
8. Abc phonics
9. Fresh Paint
10. Time Lapse
11.  Puzzle Touch
12. Physamajig
13. Paint a Story
14. World Explorer
15. Brain Pop
16. Sequencer
17. Play and Grow
18. Win TED videos
19. My Study Life
20. My Baby Piano

 

Check back in for regular updates on these apps, lesson ideas and reflections on teaching and learning right here and on twitter.

Geek to M.E.E.k

The idea of a GEEK, these days is changing. It is now more trendy, cool, maybe even ‘hip’ to be a Geek. Being ahead in the world of technology is something to aspire to, a place where we want our students to be, something which is usually just out of our reach as before we know it technology has changed, advanced and become even more innovative.  I am a bit of a GEEK not your stereotypical geek but the more recently found chic geek or rather in my case I am the new ‘ChicMEEk’.

Writing this blog has been something in the undercurrents of my thoughts for a while and finally I was able to concentrate on M.E.E and put my thoughts into action. It is time for to hear all about my journey with M.E.E. Thus Geek became M.E.E.k.

That’s the Microsoft Expert Educator program. An exciting new program for a select group of teachers to be trained up by Microsoft new technologies such as Windows8 and Office 365. Who, while undertaking a series of badge completions, will be responsible for creating and developing innovative practice within their school and classroom to engage ever student at their own pace and in a way to achieve their greatest potential through using technology. Not only that but these people will be sharing their practice to build capabilities of other educators worldwide. And I am thrilled to say that this includes ‘me’.