Filming using the iPad

For this lesson I had to go outside and film a short clip about something interesting in Wrexham.  I chose the Memorial Hospital as it is part of our College and something, I feel, that we are all proud of.  The hospital was open for over 60 years and served the Wrexham people until the new Wrexham Maelor Hospital was built.  It was an interesting experience whilst filming as I felt that I had spoken for quite a long time, only to find that my film clip was very short indeed!  I also took some photographs as part of my course.  I enjoyed doing this and it will be something which I will be doing more of with my own iPad at home.  I managed to find a really nice photograph from the old Memorial Hospital which is now our art building.  Looking at the children in the photograph one can only wonder what happened to them. 



This is such a delightful photograph and captures a different age when children were expected to stay in their cots and behave.  I have enjoyed embedding the photographs and images within my posts each week and would like to go further with this to see if I could incorporate some moving images as well.  The learning journey on this particular course is nearly at an end and I am amazed at how quickly the time has gone.  I am also surprised at how much I have learned each week and I owe this to Joy, our wonderful lecturer and guide.  Before starting the course I borrowed a book about iPads and blogging and read it through in preparation for the class.  However, I am a very practical learner and know full well that reading about something is all well and good but it is the practice which, for me, really helps to embed the skills and knowledge into my brain.  I shall miss the course, the other students and, of course, Joy who has been a real inspiration to us all.  Thank you Joy.

Blogging Holiday!

Over the past two weeks I have been away from my blogging and have not even gone into my account.  However, this evening I was able to log on without the use of my notes so pleased that obviously some learning has taken place.  I am looking forward now to starting  my  own blog in the very near future once I have successfully completed the Blogger's and iPad course.



Caring for the iPad

Today we covered a wide selection of topics including how to care for the iPad which is very important as it is such an expensive item.  We also set up an account on the iPad and sent two emails successfully.  We also had to delete the account as the iPads we are using belong to the college and not to us personally.  If we were using our own iPad then we would not be deleting the account. 

 We also had to research the advantages and disadvantages of using an iPad.  For me the serious point would be the fact that they are new technology so we are still unsure as to how long they will survive before having to be replaced - only time will tell on this one.

We have covered a lot of information this week so I have to ensure that I practise all of the skills learned over the Easter break before I forget it!



Avoiding the Blogger's Block!

How to Write Effective Blogs



I have been looking at a lot of topics on the web with regards to blogging, particularly in education.  There is a whole raft of expertise available to help and guide learners to become effective bloggers.  There are a number of points I have picked up which seem to be very relevant to education including:

• Keep The Focus - this is one which I am afraid I find hard to do.  Using the blog for ILP is very good but I find so many other things I want to include so I have to guard against straying from the point completely.  It can become almost like a diary which, for ILPs, it is not intended to be.  I know that many students also struggle with this point. 
• Avoid Filler Content.   This point obviously links to the above one.  The main advice appears to be do not be putting in irrelevant information just to fill up the page - just write as much or as little as is needed for that particular post.



How to Pick a Daily Blog Topic

This is the most difficult part for me in some ways as it is important to contribute fresh content to the blog, and not to tackle the same tired subject repeatedly. The advice appears to be that if a blogger hits the 'writer's block' then there may be some strategies which might help overcome this:


Try the "what's new" approach - trying to keep up to date with what is current in education and to write it up.

Try to respond or expand upon a recent post which has proved to be interesting.

Take a popular idea or school of thought and explain it from another perspective - always good for critical writing development.

Finally, stop struggling and walk away from it for a little while to clear the head and re-energise.  This often helps and indeed can inspire.



Posting a comment

Tonight we covered a lot of information which included putting a comment on another blog which was a useful skill to have.  This involved sharing the blog spot address of someone else in the group and then logging on and reading the current post.  I posted a comment on Sheila's blog - she had found a lot of very useful information about iPads, a lot of which I wasn't aware of so have learnt a lot from Sheila tonight.  Thank you Sheila!  We also had a good discussion about the use of blogs and the vast range of different ones which are available.  From my own experience I know that blogging takes a long time to do it well, particularly if you are using photographs.  I read a lot of craft blogs and the variation in terms of quality is tremendous.  There are many decisions to make before starting a blog including what you are going to write about, how much of yourself/family you are going to share and how often you will be posting a comment.  Some of the blogs I have read will post comments several times a week so they do take up a vast amount of time, thought and preparation.
We also looked at the use of maps through the iPad.  I use this app a great deal and find it so useful.  It is a wonderful resource to have particularly when going somewhere new.  It can reduce stress levels significantly particularly when you only have a certain amount of time to get to a destination.  We had more practise using bookmarks whilst using the maps and again, this is so useful when you might be revisiting a destination later in the year.
Overall I have gained a lot of new information from this lesson, thank you Joy!  We are nearing the end of the course and I will be sorry to leave the group but hope that there will be a follow-on from this so I can maintain and increase my iPad/blogging skills.

What can students gain from blogging?

What blogging does for students

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 Diagram from www.googleimages.com  

I have been reading an interesting piece from the website www.supportblogging.com over the weekend which talks about the benefits of blogging for learners.  I have added a clip from the website below for consideration.  It is certainly giving me room for thought when thinking about the new cohorts next year, particularly around the ILPs which they do not like doing.


Creates enthusiasm for writing and communications
It is not expected that all students will take to blogging (just as not all students enjoy writing), but it is believed that blogging has a unique ability to create enthusiasm for writing and the communication of ideas.
‍Engages students in conversation and learning
Educational Blogging is more than just being about writing, just like writing is more than just writing business correspondence or a lab report for Chemistry class.Unlike traditional forms of publication that are one-way, when the work is done at the end of the publication process, students can be engaged in ongoing conversations about their ideas and thoughts. This can be threatening for some administrators afraid of endangering children, yet, it brings a reality to the classroom that was not previously possible.
Provides an opportunity to teach about responsible journalism
Because students who are posting blogs reach an audience with their posts, whereas a personal diary can be kept private, students have the opportunity in blogging to learn about the power of the published word. Whereas they might be tempted to criticise or make fun of someone in private conversation or in a diary, they can be taught about responsible journalism, and that the consequences of these kinds of remarks in the new world of the read/write web can be serious and long-lasting.
Empowers students
Student blogging is incredibly empowering in the following ways:

1) Instead of writing as a mechanized approach to empowerment where we learn to write well enough for school and work, we learn to write for life-long learning purposes.

2) Writing and blogging and life are intertwined as difficult issues are exposed and dealt with in a transparent community of voices. Although this type of writing entails risk and trust, growth and teamwork naturally result.

3) Writing and blogging encourage students' initiative to write, to be engaged at more than just the head level. It involves writing from head and heart. Children often have not learned to do more than live from the heart, while adults have concentrated their efforts on more cerebral approaches. This means adults and children can bridge the gap that exists by writing together, creating a community of writers in their classrooms where there is no pseudo-community, only community where humans write.

Blogging in Education

The benefits of blogging in education

Richardson (2005) has identified a number of potential benefits of using blogging in the classroom.  Such benefits include the promotion of critical and analytical skills, encouraging creative thinking and enabling learners to have a combination of both solitary and social interactive opportunities.  Adult learners coming back into education often find that they worry about their ability to adapt and cope with academia and blogging could be a possible way of helping them to overcome such concerns. This is certainly an area I wish to explore further for the next cohort of the Access Health and Caring groups in September 2013.  I have realised, through my own learning journey on my blogging course that it is a wonderful way of charting my own development within a given area.  The blogging course has really unlocked many ideas about how to adapt the skills I have developed so they can be embedded in some form next September.  Thank you Joy for encouraging me and helping me to see the huge potential of blogging.   

Ref:

Richardson, W. (2005) RSS:A quick start guide for educators. http//static.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/gems/tech.RSSFAQ4.pdf

Accessed 4th March 2013

Organising My Life!

Tonight we looked at two very interesting Apps - the BBC News app which had separate sections for different parts of the UK therefore enabling the user to locate the appropriate information for their part of the world.  I was able to find two news stories from Wales which were very interesting and informative. 

We then progressed on to the contacts and reminder apps which I enjoyed using.  I had a little knowledge about these as they are the same as on my iPhone and I use them regularly.  However, I hadn't really thought of utilising them on my iPad, something which I will do from now on.  In the past I have always used a paper diary and would have been lost without it, however I am trying to wean myself off this habit and utilise the technology I have to hand.  It is much more convenient and saves on the inconvenience of always having to carry around a fairly large diary with me wherever I go.

 The iPad has revolutionised life today - I can email my class representative with any information which needs to be given to the whole group - this message is picked up via the rep's iPhone and she then puts the message from to me on the class Facebook which everyone is then asked to read.  Wonderful!  In the past I would have had to email each person individually or tried to contact them by phone - very time consuming and expensive.  The downside, and there is a negative to everything in life - is that technology is just wonderful until it all goes wrong and then we have to revert back to the 'good old ways!'.

I really enjoyed the session tonight.  Being away for one week had really had an effect upon my learning and I can now really understand why learners find it so difficult to re-engage with their studies if they have been away from lessons for a while.  I am back now and ready to re-engage with my blogging studies.  My short term aim is now to complete the course successfully and my long term aims are to  progress onto the next course and eventually start my own blog.  We shall see.....................................

4th March 2013

I have been very remiss with my Blog as I have not written anything for a while - I had planned to add more posts but was unable to last week.  I did go to the Catholic Church and have recorded a short piece about the history of it which I have put on my own iPad at home.  For this week I intend to catch up with any work I have missed since last week and write three new blogs. 

Return to the Notes App

Tonight we had a revision of the notes apps and completed the exercises following this.  We had to type in some words incorrectly and then held our finger over each word.  A little message popped up and we had to press 'select' to identify the word we were trying to correct, another message then came up with suggest on which we had to press.  This then gave some suggestions with regards to the words we could use. 
I tried this several times and agreed with Joy - this is not Word so it is important to remember this when using the app.
We then went on to another part of the exercise and had to type in some text, then placed a finger somewhere on the sentence and pressed 'select all', then copy and paste.  I then used the return key to find a space under the text and pressed 'copy'.  This was successful.
We also took part in an online survey which evaluated the course we are doing.  This is part of the Learner Voice initative and we had to open a new tab to do this.  Before starting this course I had been unsure about what a tab actually was but know I have much more of an understanding and awareness of this facility.  I have seen the message 'close all tabs' many times and never understood what this meant.
My intention this week is to return to these exercises to ensure that I fully understand the different tasks I have completed this week.  I also want to complete another three blogs before the lesson next week.

Cost of iPads

For my homework I had to research the cost of the iPad and mini iPad - I had a look at Tesco and their prices are:

Mini iPad 16GB - £369.00
Mini iPad 64GB - £529.00

iPad2 16GB - £429.00
iPad2 64GB - £579.00

I am sure that if I had shopped around there might have been some better deals out there but time ran out. 

Down loading an App to the iPad

After Monday's session I wanted to set myself a target of downing loading an App to my own iPad at home.  I had a look at the App Store and found the one I wanted which was the same as the one we used in class.  Had tried it out and it works perfectly - have been translating English into Welsh.  I also taught my husband to use it translating English into German, a language he has some knowledge of.
My next target is to complete the homework set by Joy over the half term holiday and complete another post.

The New Apps

Having recently been given an iPad as a gift I am keen to get as many appropriate apps as possible in order in maximise my useage.  After the lesson on Monday - very interesting as always - I decided to think about the potential that different apps can bring.  I particularly enjoyed using the translation app on Monday so am going to see if I can download it this evening and have a trial run.  I will use this as one of my SMART targets - I have not downloaded any apps before so this will be a first.  I have learned a little Welsh in the past so will do 2-3 exercises to see just how well it works for me.  I am not so sure about the 'speakit' app as I don't think I would use it very often.  I will publish a post tomorrow after the exercise tonight.  Below is a suitable image!

Exploring even further......

Tonight we covered a whole range of exercises including iTranslate, Speak It and Safari.  I found the iTranslate particularly good although the translation from English to Welsh did not always appear to be correct - maybe something for the developers.  The Speak It was also interesting however I found it quite amusing as the speaker for my script did not pronounce latte correctly - instead using the 'word' latt - somehow do not think that the coffee shop would quite understand that one.  My favourite was the Safari and finding out the information about the Olympics.  I did discover some interesting facts that I did not know about the number of medals won by New Zealand and the sustainability achieved by the organisers.

I need to practise these all again this week as I do forget and my target for next week will be to log on at least three times and insert some interesting articles applicable to education.  I also want to start my own blog in the next couple of weeks although I am very nervous about this.  A couple of ladies I know have asked if I have started my blog yet and this is quite nerve wracking to say the least.  Half term next week but I do need to keep to my word and achieve the goals set this week.

Monday morning again!

I managed to log successfully this morning so am pleased that I am starting to find my way around the blog.  Had hoped to do more on the blog this weekend but unfortunately spent most of the time marking scripts........hopefully next week during half term I will really try to get some work done on it.  I really want to start my own blog soon but need to be able to feel really confident about what I am actually doing - this always helps!  Looking forward to the session tonight with Joy as she always has a lot of interesting things for us to do and the time just flies by.

 Guardian Education Blog - Mortar Board

I found this interesting article on the Guardian education blog - Mortar board.  It raises some serious thought about the diversity of thinking within education.  If I relate this article to my own learning I know that a few years ago I attended a short Introduction to Welsh course.  The tutor was a Yorkshire lady who was also a primary school teacher and she inisted on rote learning.  I did find that I enjoyed this style of teaching and retained a lot more information than I have on other Welsh language courses.  It is food for thought!

 

Why China learns its lessons off by heart

Children at a Chinese primary school recite rules for being a good student. Photograph: China Photos/Getty Images

It's 7.30am and the walk to class takes me past scores of Chinese students reciting English in preparation for a constant stream of tests and exams.

I only recently arrived to study in China, but it doesn't take long to observe that here memorisation is paramount. Remembering rather than understanding appears to be the principal goal of the education system – and that seems archaic to the Western eye. However, the Chinese believe memorising provides a route to understanding.

Professor An Ran, dean of international education at South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, explains: "Whereas Westerners see memorisation and understanding as mutually exclusive, Chinese tend to see them as related phenomena."

International studies show that China is among the most successful education systems in the world, which would seem to validate this approach.

Given that functional literacy in China requires a knowledge of 3,000-4,000 characters, it is easy to see why repeating and remembering is so important.

At UK universities, the ability to apply understanding is the primary goal. Dr Amanda Sives, politics lecturer at the University of Liverpool, says: "University is not about memorising dates, remembering quotes, or learning narratives. It involves understanding ideas and concepts and being able to use them to develop relevant, evidence-based arguments."

In China, the focus on memory begins early – and the three years spent in high school are almost solely dedicated to preparation for the gaokao, or university entrance exam.

A former student at my university, Xiao Yu, tells me that for these three years he studied eight hours a day, Monday to Friday, and then a further six hours on a Saturday. This only increased when he went on to university, studying biotechnology, almost entirely in English.

So important is the gaokao, that students have reportedly resorted to using intravenous drips to extend the time they are able to spend studying.

Of course, both education systems have strengths and weaknesses; I am not here to pass judgment on a system I have barely two months knowledge of. What is interesting though, is how education in China prepares its young people for the future.

Xiao says teaching methods heavily influence the subjects students go on to select. Years of rote learning create an inherent preference for science, maths and business subjects, while the arts are largely ignored.

This is not a coincidence, as China looks towards becoming the major world power in the 21st century. It is already creating a generation of scientists, engineers and business leaders, with the skills vitally needed in a rapidly developing nation.

Studying for the joy of learning and the expansion of our knowledge is one of the great freedoms we enjoy in the UK. At the same time though, my experience so far has allowed me to appreciate how well memorisation as a learning method is working for the Chinese

Inserting images

Just wanted to see if I could add a picture to my blog - found this one on Google images and thought it was very appropriate.

Logging on solo

I was able to log on solo today without getting lost in the system which I am pleased about.  I have been using some of the exercises we had on Monday with my iPad, in paricular, using the notebook which I am finding very useful.  I need to move away from writing everything in my diary to putting information into the notebook.  It will be far more convenient for me and will hopefully enable me to become much more organised. 

Managing without my file

I wanted to log on today as I had set myself the task of making three new posts this week.  Our files had to be handed in last night so I just made a note of my details so that I could ensure that I completed the actions set yesterday.  I know from past learning that I need to practise on a regular basis otherwise I begin to lose interest and do not engage as fully as I should.  I can see how it happens with my own learners so I am keen that I should not go down the same route.  My goal at the end of the course will be to create my own blog and the course with Joy is giving me an excellent opportunity to gain the skills I will need to be able to do this.

Another week on

We covered such a lot this evening.  One thing I have really learnt is that I must, must practise each week. Last week was so busy and I did not find the time to look over my file and practise working on my blog and iPad.  I must find time to do this on a regular basis.  We all uploaded our photographs for our blog and then printed a copy of the blog. We also practised changing settings which was useful.  Exercise 6 consisted of using the QRCode App and I was able to view information on Hilton Hotels.  This is such a useful thing to do and one I will practise next week.  We then carried on to use work on the notes app and created two different notes.  It really brought home to me how useful this will be when planning my work.  Exercise five consisted of using the virtual keyboard and notes app.  It was much easier to use in landscape rather than portrait.  Everything is saved automatically and deleting notes was fun, watching them disappear into the little bin at the bottom of the page.  We located the three virtual keyboards and split these. However splitting the keyboards really made them a little too small to manage effectively so we took the keyboards back to their original size. 
It was a challenging evening but enjoyable as always as Joy maintains a really good pace to the lesson.  My challenge to myself for this week is to practise using my blog and using my iPad at home to create a notebook.  I intend to write three posts this coming week and practise using the QRCode App at home.
Joy thank you for a really super lesson once again, you are inspiring.  I am hopeful that I will have my own blog in the not too distant future thanks to your course.

The Second Lesson

Time really flew tonight as we all got acquainted with the iPad.  Joy taught us some really useful tips to help us really understand how to make the best use of our iPad.  I particularly liked the five finger grasp which took the screen back to the original one.  I was able to label the different components on the iPad and then we went onto the BBC website to review a blog.  I chose the Panorama blog which was very interesting with lots of current topics to read.  We then went into the App Mousefish and created some weird and wonderful creatures and saved these into our Photo App.  We then set up slide shows using the different transitions which were all very interesting.  We then deleted the photographs and then started to delete some of the Apps on the App Tray.  It was wonderful to see them 'jiggle' when we held one down.  A minus sign appeared on the jiggling Apps so they could be easily deleted.
We covered a lot of information this evening so I need to go and really practise everything I have learnt this evening, otherwise I will have forgotten it by next week.  Practise, practise, practise is the key to me learning how to use the iPad effectively and efficiently. 
A really enjoyable session tonight Joy, thanks so much, you are a 'joy' to work with.

Trying to fly solo!

I left my file at college on Friday so wasn't able to access my notes.  Tried to get on to my blog on Friday at home and again at the weekend.  However I wasn't successful and when I looked at my notes this morning I realised where I had been going wrong.  I had put my name into Google thinking it would just bring up my blog.  We are putting in a photograph in class later on today but I am not sure that I have one which is suitable - will have a look before class.

Logging on without notes!

I thought I would try to test out my memory and log on without using the notes I had made in class on Monday.  I had a few problems and couldn't find my blog anywhere so had to revert to my notes to check I was putting in the correct information.  I was doing this correctly but couldn't understand why I couldn't find my blog.  I eventually found it but still am at a loss as to what I was doing wrong - I went through Google as I did yesterday but my address was not recognised for some reason.  I will check this out with Joy on Monday.  However, I have eventually found it and am glad to be checking in again today with a post.

Blogs in Education

Back again!  When I was logging on a little while ago I noticed a facility for adding blogs to my reading list and thought it might be useful to have a go at this.  I had a look at Google and found a website called Blogs in Education which looked interesting and gave me some insight into how blogs might be useful for students and lecturers.  I haven't had time to read much of this information as yet but will have a look at it later when I have more time. 

Logging in for the first time

Well I decided to be brave and log in today whilst I had a few spare moments.  I was really glad that I had taken notes and had Joy's handouts to guide me through this process.  It only took a few minutes and I was pleased that I was able to find the appropriate place to write a new post today.  I am going to try and log in on a regular basis so that I can really start to feel confident in finding my way around Blogland.  Well, going to sign off now until tomorrow.

My First Blog

Really excited about starting the course tonight.  Joy made it all very easy and already feeling much better about what we are going to do.  A really lovely group which makes such a difference to the experience.  I have already learnt how to create a Gmail address and password.  Set up my blog and am writing my first post already!  In order to increase my confidence I need to practise on a daily basis which will hopefully enable me to pass the course and maybe even progress on to the next level.  The time has passed extremely quickly and I am looking forward to next week. 
One of my New Year's resolutions was to learn how to blog successfully so I am pleased that I have made a start on this so early on in the year.  It will be interesting to see how far I have travelled on my learning journey by the end of the programme.
Enjoyed the tea and biscuits - thanks to Joy and Lynne.