So Much to Learn...So Little Time

TGStv takes off

TGStv has started with a bang.

We have 4 films available for download over on TGSi: Sports Day, Health Fair, P7 Parents Evening and House Assemblies.

Enjoy.

The Gordon Schools Television

...now known forever as TGStv.
What do you think of the logo...just thought it up on the spot now.

So of you may be aware of my adventure into internet radio with school this last session (TGSi.) Although we didn't get as many "listeners" as I would have hoped I thought the quality of broadcast that went out was pretty high. A lot of good work was done by quite a small team. This next session I am looking at moving on from that into the realms of "TV",  or vodcasts to be more precise. I would like to produce a monthly news programme featuring two anchors and reporters reporting from various TGS events on video which then by the miracles of Garageband can simply be turned into a video podcast.
I also want my more senior students to help create resources which can be accessed by the younger ones. I have a secret yet cunning plan to produce a  kind of soap opera which will back up the vocab guides. We shall see.

Izzy, wizzy lets get busy

This week I have been doing mostly everything...and getting it all done.
I'n't study leave great.

No I'm not trying to make up an educational version of The Fast Show.
Very busy but extremely productive week so far. I have...

• recorded and (almost) edited 5 new vocabulary guide podcasts for the homework blog
• organised, planned and arranged our tree planting ceremony to celebrate both World Environment Day and our Connecting Classrooms Partnership (the Welwitschia partnership)
• made a good start on the above mentioned partnership's wiki page
• done all the wonderful and really necessary paperwork for Friday's activity day (we are going out into Huntly to make a film...)
• taught some good lessons (for once)
• got the car repaired
• had a filling done
• checked and submitted our partnership plan and budget for Welwitschia
• almost decided on some resources for the department to use during Refugee Week.

Now all that remains is...

• get my trip to Graz organised
• attend markers meeting
• mark tons of scripts before 21st June
• tweak my Welwitschia presentations for assemblies at school
• ditto for staff meeting
• muck around with my kids
• RELAX.

Just the average working week then.
Had to laugh at myself when I decided to try to fill in my CPD record. 35 hours logged before end of first term, and I wasn't even busy then.

Ho Hum.

New and Improved In Service Podcast with free extras

  Here's the souped up version of the previous post's podcast.
It includes screenshots of my slides, url links to the relevant web pages and some music.
I recorded this presentation using a Griffin lapel mic connected to a Griffin iMic, connected to an Apple PowerBook G4 and Garageband 3.

Download aberdeenshire_and_city_modern_languages_in_service_day_may_2007.m4a

Notes to accompany presentation:

Promoting School/Departmental Activities
Resource bank / homework details
AifL/Peer Assessment
Reflection
Enterprise Activity
Collaborative Blog

What is a blog?
What is a podcast?
Typepad blogging tutorial
How to make a podcast

audacity download
audacity users guide
audacity tutorials

garageband 3
garageband tutorial

a good starters usb microphone

griffin imic / lapel mic

Some useful sources of information:
Joe Dale's ICT in Modern languages
Ewan MacIntosh
Ollie Bray
John Johnstone@Sandaig Primary
The Ashcombe School
MFLE blogs and podcasts
eggdeutsch

MFL Blogroll (courtesy of Joe Dale...thanks Joe)

This is a great list of links to MFL themed blogs from all over.

• A ship in the country
• Campo's Corner
• Edgehill College Spanish
• Eggdeutsch
• Ewan McIntosh
• Facing the currently unknown
• Inchinnan Primary
• Kirklandneuk Primary
• Langwitches
• Leanne Simmonds
• Lynne Horn
• MFL Innovations and Ideas Bank
• MFLE
• Montrose Academy
• Northgate High
• Partners in Excellence
• Rate my Mates
• Spectacularspanishandfabulousfrench
• Steph Hopkins
• TES ICT Blog
• TGS MFL HW
• Two Stars and a Wish
• Woodhill Primary
• York MFL PGCE

In Service 18th May 2007 (Blogging, Podcasting, Digital Video...in 30 mins.)

Blogging and Podcasting for busy teachers.
As promised here's the podcast of my performance today. This is just the basic recorded version. I'm going to link it with the powerpoint so the slides will show at the appropriate moment.

Download Inservice.mp3

Film Workshop

Another great day.

Another thing I started up this year was a filmmaking club. After a hesitant start it is going along quite nicely, with Bob's help. Just recently I managed to secure funding from ATP Huntly to enable the club to get some decent equipment and pay for some training. Yesterday the guys from the Aberdeenshire media unit came along to deliver a workshop on documentary filmmaking techniques.

Unfortunately for me due to class commitments i couldn't attend much of the workshop but I got down at regular intervals to see what was going on. And once again the pupils of TGS impressed me. They were taking all these new skills on board working really hard and, most importantly producing something they could see, namely a wee film about the life of George MacDonald when he lived in Huntly.

They got to go out and film on location. They filmed weird dreamy sequences, voiceovers, pick ups backgrounds etc. They also produced the script themselves. They also arranged with the Bishop no less to film inside the church.

I'd very much like to thank the students for taking part so whole-heartedly and also Robin, Paul and Gary from the Media Unit for their patience and expertise.

The challenge for us now is to get the last 10% filmed and edit the film and broadcast it to the wider world.

To my mind activities such as this are essential in schools as they give students experience of real, practical productive skills  and they  also show how some of the stuff they think is boring in the classroom transfers into more interesting relevant activities.