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Australian Blog Honour Roll – What Would The Criteria Be?

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As I was checking my Twitter account, I followed a link leading to an EdTech’s (Must Read) K – 12 Blog Honor (sic) Roll.’ ‘ Here it is.
I looked at a few of the blogs on the list and they are amazing but with a definite North American view.
It really started me thinking. Firstly do we have quality EDTechies blogging to create an Australian Honour Roll? Of course we do!! While I love the enthusiasm of the USA blogs, I would prefer blogs relevant to me, to my teaching and most importantly based on the Australian Curriculum.
So I tweeted to ask just that question and within minutes had my first reply!:

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I next thought about what criteria I would consider to be of value to someone like me; i.e. a practicing teacher. What would I find of value to read about in blogs?
Following are the dot points I came up with:
-Australian
-High focus on using technology to support Australian Curriculum
-current practicing teacher or one who is working with teachers
-focus on global learning
-creating digital citizens
-grappling with the Australian Curriculum
-A Languages & Culture focus (would be awesome!)
-Great ideas on how to achieve all of the above

So maybe if I am searching for such a blog, others are too? Could this be the direction this blog could head in because surely I am not the only (Languages) teacher out there searching for blogs that include all of the above dot points! While I am in no way an EDTech guru, I am happy to share my explorations but would love to share with others at the same skill level but more importantly would love to read blogs from those with more EDTECH skills and knowledge and working in the classroom.

Any other ideas to add to my list of criteria? Add a comment!!

Write, Draw, Pass

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This idea could word well with the prepositional language I am planning to introduce this week to uper primary students! as well as reviewing classroom objects. Imagine a picture of “pena diatas lem”

Martina Bex's avatarThe Comprehensible Classroom

This is one of my favorite party games, which Ashley VanHemert so brilliantly reminded me to use in the classroom! She heard of the idea from Amy Wright at UAF. This is an excellent activity for Preferred Activity Time.

STEP ONE: Give each student one side of this form (I put two forms/page to save paper):

Write, Draw, Pass *Updated on 03/26/2012

STEP TWO: You have several options. In Box #1, in the target language, …

  1. Have students write a creative, descriptive sentence (ex: a fat dog with big eyes runs to the store).
  2. Have students write a descriptive word image (ex: a pretty girl with long hair)
  3. Write (1) or (2) for students so that they don’t have to think of them. Here are some that I recently used in one of my classes:

**Make sure students only include colors if you are planning to use crayons or colored…

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More journaling ideas

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This post makes me think how asking students to write a review as an end of term assessment would make an awesome post and a good opportunity for them to review and evaluate the unit of work from their perspective. Wish I had done this last term actually!! A few hiccups last term with students using ipads inappropriately was disappointing but was also a valuable opportunity to reiterate iPad usage rules and expectations!

marishawkins's avatarMaris Hawkins

I have been plugging away on my blended class for next year.  I have planned some more journaling ideas for my students. These could be used for a blog or a paper journal.  I always give my students the option to write about any topic that is important to them as well.  I want to help those that need a little inspiration each time.

  • ¿Te gusta viajar en avión?  ¿Por qué?
  • ¿Cuáles son tus preferencias cuándo viajas en avión?  ¿Te gusta hablar con las personas durante el viaje?  ¿Te gusta ir por el control de seguridad?  ¿Cuál bebida bebes en el avión?  ¿Dónde te gusta comer en el aeropuerto?
  • Mi película favorita es…
  • Yo pienso/no pienso que hay extraterrestres (aliens) porque…
  • Estoy contento/a cuando…
  • Si eres un animal en el zoológico, ¿cuál eres? ¿Por qué?
  • Cuando no dormiste una noche, ¿qué hiciste (did)?
  • Si puedes vivir en Antártida, ¿quieres?  ¿Qué…

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Sepak Takraw: Soccer or Volleyball? Neither.

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sepak takrow would be such a great topic, so here I am collecting more resources!!

Indonesiaful's avatarIndonesiaful

“While walking through campus at SMAN 7, Kendari in Southeast Sulawesi, it’s difficult not to notice the sprawling scissor -kicks and diving headers of the students playing Sepak Takraw.  Sepak Takraw, meaning “kick ball” in Malay, is not a competition for the uncoordinated and inflexible.  The game is played similarly to volleyball, with a single-point system, rectangular court and elevated net; however, unlike volleyball, a player cannot use their hands.  Thereby, the three participants on each team have to relay the ball over the net (without it touching the ground, or going out of bounds) using a combination of feet, legs, chest and head.” 

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“The ball used in Takraw has a circumference of 17 inches and is woven out of a material called rattan.  The rattan ball has a hard surface, but is very forgiving with its lightweight and hollow center.  The game begins when a player on the serving team…

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Poverty in Kupang

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A fantastic piece of writing about education in NTT.

Nick Hughes's avatarIndonesiaful

Nick_SMAN3 entrance The main entrance to SMA Negeri 3 Kupang, one of the best public schools in the city.

It’s a common sight in Kupang—a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy collecting fare money from uniformed school children as they pile out of his crowded bemo. The boy, like many others his age or even younger, works as a konjak, riding around on the bemo (minivans that serve as Kupang’s public transit system) that buzz around the city, hanging out the open side door, collecting fares from passengers, and trying to cram as many people into the vehicle as possible.

These konjak perform their duties with great enthusiasm. They shout at idle pedestrians as their bemo speeds past, jump out of the still-moving van to usher passengers inside when they call for a ride, and show hesitant customers where the few inches of free space are on the deluged benches inside the car…

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6-Word Memoir

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what a great idea to use with any middle or upper class that knows how to use a language dictionary or even as part of a lesson learning how to use one. has lots of potential. love the matching idea too by the comprehensible classroom. great revision.

Using Memes in Spanish

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What a fantastic idea! I think this is a great idea and would work very well with upper primary students.

spanishplans's avatarSpanishPlans.org

What’s the most important thing in a foreign language class? To give students comprehensible input and show them the language in context. When you can accomplish this and entertain the kids at the same time to keep their interest, you’ve got yourself a win-win situation. During the Food Unit, we decided to google image search some vocabulary words/terms and we found some delicious memes.

Google Image Search is such an easy way to show students differening vocabulary. Want to compare the word “tortilla” in Mexico and in Spain? Google Image Search “Tortilla” and “Tortilla española”. The students can clearly see the difference directly from the pictures. Can same comparisons with “torta” and “torta de chocolate”

Anyway, we found some great memes incorporating the phrases “Tengo hambre” and “Estoy lleno”.

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Prezi Again

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Today i experimented with Prezi again.
Tried to set up a keluarga prezi using the app and was getting somewhere when i minimised the screen and then when i went back to it, nothing was there. So frustrating. Did i do it the first time on the iPad or the desk top? The iPad app looked totally unfamiliar!
I remember there being more on the screen. But then again, i used a preset template. Maybe i should have done it that way again. I tried adding words to a photo of a family tree.