Twitter ye lots

I joined twitter a little while ago and at first didn't quite get it. I saw it as a version of facebook or instant messaging where you could chat or whatever. The main people I had on it were friends , who I generally communicated with using different means anyway. eg forums, or facebook.

Having been to the Bett show this weekend and more specifically Teachmeet2010 I have now realised a whole new world of possibilty for twitter as a tool to help me develop as a teacher.

I am now posting on twitter regularly. still not tons to offer myself , but having watched the presenters at Teachmeet I have now a whole list of people I am following who are posting up links, thoughts and ideas.

It's all quite exciting and rejuvenating in a way . An escape from the tedium of paperwork and assesment and the day to day thinks that can bog you down.

I am full of new enthusiasm for the class blog although I know that it will take time before the children take ownership.If I think about it,I didn't get twitter at first. The children will make their own discovery . I just have to keep it ticking over for when they do ;-)

Well I definitely didn't do much talking today as I was sent home in agony...
Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible

Very very sore gums and mouth today . It will be a miracle if i do any talking at all . Hoping the antibiotics kick in soon. Then I will be back to my sparky , genki old self...
Going to set up the materials for my ratio paint investigation first thing, so they can just get started on the activity ( they should have done yesterday). No talking I hope...



Now was that a freudian slip ha ha , I wrote pain investigation instead of paint! hmmm . What on earth would a pain ratio experiment look like. I am sure it wouldn't be allowed!

Monday done and dusted!

It was a hard day today.
I haven't been too well , so it was really hard to stick to my less talking idea.

I said to the children that I felt I talked too much and they disagreed, so maybe I don't after all ?

For PSHE we were looking at golas and how to achieve them so I had the children come up and explain some of the things people might do and if they were short term,or long term. It was a really good discussion.
After break we had to look though our reading papers that the children completed last week . There were some tears , but most children enjoyed sharing with others and making some notes about what they need to do to get better.

This afternoon was difficult. I am going to have to rethink my timetable as 2 core subjects on a Monday afternoon does not work!!
The video clip I was going to play didn't work as the new laptop, that I got to replace the one that died , doesn't have all the software that I need . It's very annoying when this happens during an afternoon when the children are already fractious
.
Oh well . Got antibiotics to fix my pain and tomorrow is a new day...
Good news is that one of my kids added a comment on the blog ...

gotta start somewhere

Monday morning

Well I am struck down with a hideous tootheache or gum infection .

Anyway this will undoubtably help my quest to speak less as I will be trembling in pain in the corner!
Lets hope the dentist is available this week !

Have just had a little play on https://voicethread.com
, I had trioed to use it befor woithout much success, but seems to be a lot easier to use today for some reason . Also pleased to have an email from a child asking for a password for the blog!

I talk too much

Tired of spending so much time waffling on and getting irritated when the children talk over me..Maybe I need to change tack?
So this week I am going to try and keep my mouth shut and get the children to discuss things as much as possible without me having to. I will keep you posted as to how this works out.
There ! that's given me a reason to blog regularly this week

Bett show 2010

So back from a very interesting weekend , taking in the Teach meet and the bett show.
Literally ran out of the door after school on Friday so I could catch the train,still didn't get there until 6.45 so the meet was well underway.
I was surprised and actually really excited to see such a large gathering of like-minded people. This was my first TeachMeet , but will definitely be coming again. I would like to share something, but first I've got to do it!

It felt great to be part of something that in my mind feels really important,this wasn't some training taking place on a school day . People had travelled from far and wide to hear and share ideas,opinions and to meet up with people previously only known as avatars in cyberspace.We all speak the same language and we all want the same things for our pupils.That is very powerful.

I feel enthused , excited and inspired after my weekend . I just need to get these ideas into my repertoire and let my kids run with them. On the day of the Teach Meet we had a conversation in class about the types of jobs they might find themselves doing in the future, we wondered what technology might look like for them.


If I think back to the Christmas my dad had bought me an acorn electron( because he thought it was important, but didn't understand computers himself)that's where it all started .From the first time I unpicked the code of a game to make amusing phrases appear on the screen,through to my 2 years living in Japan seeing technologies in Akihabara that are only just appearing on shelves here,

I am well and truly hooked on technology.