As part of the reflection activity, I was asked to share my ‘WOW’ moment of the day. The most challenging part of this was selecting just one! This [...]]]> Throughout the next week I will publish quite a few blog posts about my experiences and learning at the sensational Google Teacher Academy UK on 29th July 2010.

As part of the reflection activity, I was asked to share my ‘WOW’ moment of the day. The most challenging part of this was selecting just one! This is what I shared:

I had been talking to @Ianaddison during the morning about what our expectations were for the day. I knew I was coming down to London knowing a few things but not many! I could teach (kind of!) I could blog and as far as Google was concerned, I could search! The first item on the agenda for the day was ‘Search’! I don’t know about everyone else but I was thinking this session would be fairly basic and a good place to start the day with Google tools.

It only took 10 seconds of Lisa’s presentation for my jaw to drop to the floor! There was my WOW moment! I couldn’t search!

Lisa took us through the process of searching using the ‘Wonder Wheel’ and ‘Timeline’ features of Google search and how you could use Higher Order Questioning Skills to change the way we search and how we display the results.

Why not have a go?

Open a Google search for anything and when you have the results page, scroll down and on the left you will see ‘Wonder Wheel’. This will display the different related search terms, the if you select ‘Timeline’ from the left menu you’ll see all the results displayed in exactly that! Couple this with displaying a search to children like this you unlock a whole range of alternative learning!

Full details here.

Possibly not the most jaw dropping moment of the day however, it really was an eye opener for me as to what the day had instore for me. There I was sat there thinking ‘I can do this’ and BANG! I hadn’t a clue!

What a day! What a great bunch of people! What GREAT presenters!

Google Teacher Academy

I can’t believe that my first year as a Deputy Head has come to an end! All you people that are reading this didn’t know me before I was appointed to this position and when I tell you that I’m a totally different person now to [...]]]> I’ve been wanting to write this post for so long…

I can’t believe that my first year as a Deputy Head has come to an end! All you people that are reading this didn’t know me before I was appointed to this position and when I tell you that I’m a totally different person now to the person one year ago I know you won’t really understand. I won’t go into details – but professionally, I was at rock bottom.

What has happened to me over this year that has transformed me! Well, it comes down to one woman, a team and a network!

One woman:

You all know who I’m talking about: @DianneSpencer. Possible the most humble person I know. You’ll know her as a dedicated Head Teacher who seems to lack confidence when delving into the world of technology. You won’t know all the things I’m about to tell you about. Dianne is an expert in so many areas, some she is aware of and many she is not aware of I’m sure! Talk about righteous indignation…Dianne is in it for exactly the right reasons. Dianne is a careful, thorough, dedicated, humble, gracious, honest and loyal leader. She has the emotional intelligence of a counsellor/social worker/teacher/listener/friend all rolled into one! We are developing a strong professional relationship where the climate is just ‘right’ to be able to challenge, enquire and celebrate! Dianne has played an instrumental role in my development from Mr. Mitchell to @DeputyMitchell. As a young Headteacher, I can only imagine what brilliant things lay ahead for her!

Thank you Dianne!

One team:

Heathfield Primary School is a special place. People say that in every school you get your ‘blockers’! Not at Heathfield you don’t! A young dynamic staff who care for EVERY single child at ALL times of the day. Coming to work is a pleasure at Heathfield and meetings I have on a one to one level are always constructive and valuable due to the fact that everything is done for the good of the pupils at Heathfield. Meetings I have on a larger scale may sometimes be challenging but that is the way it should be. My school team challenge me on a daily basis from the time I see people investing in children  in their own time to coming seeing me and expressing worries or concerns about something. Each day brings a new challenge yet as a team we are linked by a common goal – the pupils!

The staff at Heathfield have made me feel so welcome, are so generous, so hard working and love their jobs just as much as I do!

Thank you!

One network:

This time last year, I had just joined Twitter and had about 6 followers! I could NEVER have imagined that just over a year later you guys would be playing such an important role in my professional and personal life. The level of conversation I have on a daily basis is just out of this world. There are no borders, no time differences, no hierarchy and no barriers. There are just too many people to thank individually but if I tweet with you or RT you or DM you or follow you, I really value the conversations on all levels! You are my search engine and I rely on you so much, possibly too much! You have been instrumental in the success of our school blogs and my pupils have got to know many of you over the year too!

Each and every one of you – Thank you!

Venue – Mumtaz Resaurant Bradford, the map below shows both the restaurant and the manned car park just up the road.

Time/Date: 7:30pm on Wednesday 21st July 2010

View #TeachEatCurry in a larger map

As you will know form my previous posts, HeathfieldCPS have been involved in a Blogging project called ‘Blog The World Cup’

HeathfieldCPS [...]]]> …And what a 28 days it has been We have seen 100 countries visit in this time and from some countries that I never knew existed! Here is the flag counter from the blog:

As you will know form my previous posts, HeathfieldCPS have been involved in a Blogging project called ‘Blog The World Cup’

HeathfieldCPS were given the Germany team to blog about, please see the blog here: Germany Blog Our Year 6’s as you may probably be aware have taken to blogging like @Dughall and @Joga5 have taken to presenting! They have produced a sensational blog this year. I left working with Year 6 after SATs and began to work with our Future Year 6’s. I wanted to get the Year 5 pupils really enthused with blogging and then this project appeared!

From a teacher’s perspective, I took a risk, a big risk! I scrapped all my final half term planning 24 hours before the term began and decided to throw myself and my pupils into the project. If everything flopped then I knew I would have my original planning to go back to. I have also been empowered by my Headteacher to take risks!

So, the process began of linking Numeracy areas/topics and Literacy genres to Germany and the World Cup. This was really fun, I felt like the chains were off! From this moment, I embarked on the best 4 weeks of teaching and learning in my career!

Highlights

There have been many highlights in this 4 weeks and here are some of them:

We had 2 visits from the German Embassy in London. Cord Meier-Klodt left two messages for our pupils and what comments they were too!
1st comment
2nd comment

We used Wallwisher twice, once at the start of the project to allow people to tell us where they had been to Germany:

The 2nd time to gauge people’s reactions to Germany’s thrilling victory over Argentina:

We used Voicethread 5 times, this one was used to collect people’s thoughts and feelings after Germany beat England:

This Voicethread is still work in progress and is currently being used to reflect over the whole topic:

We have used Coveritlive twice during Germany football games to enable the children to chat to each other and help them write their match reports:
Germany v Ghana:

Germany v Spain:

We have used Photopeach to display various pieces of work:

We used PrimaryPad to write a collaborative non-chronological report on Germany:

Overall, this has been a Web2.0 extravaganza and the learning has been just great! I can’t think of a better project that could have prepared our Year 5s for their blogging journey in Year 6!

The PrimaryPad is below to register your name and general chat about this starstudded event! lol.

Where would you like to eat on the 21st July for [...]]]> The masses have spoken and decided on Mumtaz! I have booked a table for 7:30pm under ‘Mitchell’ for 13 people initially. I will need to confirm this on the day.

The PrimaryPad is below to register your name and general chat about this starstudded event! lol.

I didn’t need to tell myself that this country was just brimming with people that are really pushing the boundaries with motivation and learning, I just have to see what happens each evening on Twitter to see this for myself. [...]]]> Well, I don’t know if it was a mistake but I got the nod from Google!

I didn’t need to tell myself that this country was just brimming with people that are really pushing the boundaries with motivation and learning, I just have to see what happens each evening on Twitter to see this for myself. I can hold my hands up and say that I honestly NEVER expected to be successful in my application to the Google Teacher Academy. I found myself waiting impatiently on Friday just waiting to hear if I knew anyone that had been successful.

I am still shocked that little old me put forward an application that was accepted and deemed good enough!

My application was based around the work I had done with Web 2.0 technology inside blogs and what impact this could have on learners particularly now that budgets will be sliced! I am no less than excited about the opportunities cuts may bring for us to be creative in our thinking behind getting value for money. I’m really hoping that the next 12 months will bring new ideas, opportunities to share and learn from one another, and above all a deep learning experience for me.

I plan to expand on these initial thoughts but for now, I’m over the moon and still think that I got my acceptance email by mistake!