Look at what you want to do THEN look at what technology does that
We do a class introduction to the ‘Technology’ class in first year.
The question for the thought time, pair and share is
What is technology?
The definition we base our classes on is ‘Something which is made by humans to solve a problem’.
That definition has lots of problems but it puts the reason for it as being the solution for problem not a solution looking for a problem.
Technology must be appropriate to what your trying to do.
PS the first piece of technology we learn to use is a pencil

Thanks for linking to our site (I think). One of the things Web technology is good for is for sharing a little fun. Not everything has to have a serious purpose.

That was the intent when we first created the Make-a-Flake application. We had a little time on our hands and were experimenting with Flash. One of our Flash developers was playing with symmetry and created this fun little application. We decided to make it the centerpiece of our holiday greeting for our clients.

The site became a viral smash hit. In four years, over 13 million snowflakes have been made by people all over the world.

We frequently get emails from teachers and parents thanking us for adding a little fun to their students’ and kids’ lives. Many people report experimenting with designs online, then replicating them offline. So rather than replacing a hands-on activity, Make-a-Flake seems to have enhanced it.

Not that we set out with that purpose, mind you. We really only created it to have a little bit of fun, and we seem to have created something that other people have found fun too. 13 million snowflakes can’t be too wrong, right?

Best Regards,
Mark Logan
Barkley
http://www.barkleyus.com

Thanks for commenting Mark – it is great seeing fun things on the net, and as you rightly point out, the online activity has encouraged others to try things hands on as well. I think you just got me on an ‘off’ moment! Thanks for redressing the balance.

No worries. I’m happy to have the chance to discuss. That’s another thing Web technology is brilliant for. How else would technologists from Argyll and Kansas City connect?

I must say that I find the interactive whiteboard a fantastic tool in the classroom. In particular I like the set up we have with a scanner next to the laptop. Its great to scan a map or a photo and run a lesson where the kids get involved at varying levels but the whole class or group can also see. I can only see its uses growing. I do feel that software developers need to look at what can’t be done easily in class unless you use a IW.

I was particularly impressed with historical software being made by Heehaw Publications in Edinburgh. They have managed to make several Scottish based projects really come alive for the kids and save me, as teacher, a great deal of time and effort. It would have been fairly difficult to recreate the battle of Bannockburn in the classroom, although sometimes it feels like it.

I still have a bag of £5 worth of mixed coins (real ones, not plastic) in my desk. I regularly use them with the kids and not one penny has gone missing.

But Dick
Isit the board that does that or the projector?

Just thinking about the coins though, surely there is a place for both. The real coins for hands on and the software to demonstrate, being able to use the board to physically move coins around to show different combinations. I like the interactivity of the whiteboard that shows things physically moving, great for verb endings etc from my point of view.

Teaching time today I used an online interactive clock, in the past I used a toy clock, but not everyone could really see it that well. Whilst we were demonstrating the class made their own clocks out of scissors, card and glue (the power of cutting out and pasting should never be underestimated with junior classes!), following the example my S6 study buddy was making on board using smartboard software at the same time. Next time we’re going to go to playground to play more physical clock games suggested by maths and PE teachers. Definitely room for new technology and the older ways to work side by side.

Thanks Dick – I think all my own comments recently have been apologies! I know you saw good stuff at SETT too, which I should really have mentioned.

I wasn’t really trying to ‘dis’ technology with this post (although it reads like it!) – I was merely trying to point out the perhaps we need to think more about when it’s best to use technology. If it were up to me, the world would be digital (and before anyone comments, I don’t really mean that…)

My class loved the snowflakes!

Ian, the interactive element is really the icing on the cake. We were doing a lesson on the local area. A quick scan of a map and then I got one of the youngsters to come up and use the blue pen to trace the line of the river, green pen to show where the coniferous trees are, red where the main road goes etc. Using the unteractive element online is excellent though I do admit that you could just project it and get the kids using the thouchpad on the laptop and get broadly the same result – but it is more fun to do it on the big screen.

No need for any apology Andrew your comment was on the button.

Following on from Ian’s comments – you could get the same results projecting onto a normal whiteboard and using coloured pens to trace the line of the river etc. We have been spending a bit of money recently and have been trying to get departments to really justify the interactive use of the whiteboard – I stilll think, at the moment, it is better to get more classrooms with ceiling mounted projectors and then think about IWBs

I couldn’t agree more Graham – there are other (cheaper) ways to add interactivity, and for many staff they are not ready for an IWB anyway. Without the IWB, you are not limited to the size of the image which can be really beneficial. A bluetooth graphics tablet can add the interactivity you need, without having to stand infront of the projected image, and it can work from anywhere in the classroom. We tried the Wacom Graphire bluetooth graphics tablet, which I really liked and would heartily recommend – Mac and PC compatible.

GP I made an offer on your blog ages ago. We are no longer using the Bluetooth Tablet we have ……… but you never replied

You could get the same results but quite frankly it doesn’t have the same clarity, you can’t save it, you can’t print it, you would need loads of different colours of white board markers, you can’t record what you’ve done and give it out… It’s really not as exciting or the same at all.

Sorry Lynne Do you mean that you couldn’t do any of those things with a Tablet?

Well I don’t know as I’ve never tried, but what I’m saying is you can also do them with an interactive board and I like that. Different things suit different people and I happen to like the board.

Although just thinking I was saying you couldn’t do them with a normal white board and projector, replying to Graham’s message above.

I’m having a bit of a technology meltdown – the projectors in both classrooms having died within the last few days. One is the oldest projector in school at around 6 years old, but the other has only been on the go for a year.

The main point I was making that with limited financial resources I would say it was more important to equip as many rooms as possible with projectors before you go down the line of adding in IWBs. I agree that IWBs can can a number of features – but are they features which are worth over a grand per room – thats where I have my concerns.

Hi Andrew,
Joining this late, but the original snowflake idea could be useful in teaching some basic ICT skills, that effort was a bit late in the year and not many kids finished the process, but the children learned a lot and practiced skills that will hopefully help them use the technology transparently on more ‘educational tasks’.
Mind you I am going to let them loose on GraffitiCreator soon;-)

I’m doing one of those “me too” posts that you don’t like. Sorry! My kids have enjoyed the snowflake activity for 3 winters now. (Could it be 4?) Many children (P3,4 & 5) were stimulated by the online activity to try to recreate the flakes for real.

It’s good to have an online activity that you can “compare and contrast” with the hands on one. And yes, it was fun!

As for counting coins, how easy it is to demonstrate so that everyone can see, and for everyone to join in the lesson if it’s on the IWB, compared to chasing 1ps and 2ps over the floor while you try to teach 16 P2s each with their own collection, and trying vainly to check that they’ve all “got it”? Of course, after the group teaching part, they’ll go off with their own stash of real coins to work, but at least everyone’s had the learning experience first. Handling coins is a different skill from “Make 7p with these coins” isn’t it?

The clock is another one that’s just brilliant on the IWB because both hands move! And rolling dice. And the egg timer…using the IWB involves everyone easily.

It shouldn’t replace hands-on activities, but I think many children are more confident to try things on their own after they’ve all been able to see clearly what’s going on in the first place.

Dorothy – this isn’t really a “me too” – the fundamental difference is that you shared . My problem with “me too” posts is that almost always, all they say is “me too”. What you have done here is give your own example, which is worth so much more imho.

Thanks ab