Starting the School Year

Orientation
I was thinking about how I could best start an e-Learning class at the beginning of the year. I want my students to become independent learners as soon as possible so the best way to introduce them to this is the 'Orientation Contract'
This would include

• the 'Getting to know me' form
• great way of finding out how your students like to learn
• find some things out about them that you don't know
• the Wonder Wall
• get them thinking existentially
• great starters for discussion and independent investigations 
• Tasks in the spaces with small independent investigation
• individual, peer and group tasks
• Management Chart
• students start to manage their time and track their learning
• Digital citizenship tasks
• ongoing tasks for the year
• Device care contract
• how to look after equipment
• Setting up of books standards
• ensure that high expectations are set for book work i.e use of rulers etc
• Getting to know apps and trouble shooting
• set a list of tasks that enable students to learn how to troubleshoot their devices
• introduce them to the apps they are going to be using this year
• How to work in a work station
• how to mirror
• how to turn on TVs/Projectors/Apple TVs, troubleshooting
• Using class wiki and resources

There are a lot of tasks here, but what you can do is start off with a small number of them and once completed they would open up more tasks.
If you make your wiki or site the place to go to get the tasks then students will get used to the wiki.

Developing Self Management

What has happened since last week?
Diane's class has been trying out some of the ideas from last week and the students have particularly liked the different ways of mindmapping.



Here is an example of their 'Writing on the Window'


And an example using Post-it Notes.




What did I notice today?

Students working on nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs using
Popplet on
 the computer (Individuals)
Writing on the IWB (Group)
Using Notes on the iPad (individuals and pairs)
Writing in Books.

 Comfortable Learning Zones with couches and comfy chairs.

Self managing and organising where we need to be by moving name labels to the device we are going to be using.


Sarah has the Year 7 & 8 students. She has noticed how quickly they learn new skills and then adapt them to their learning. She wants to try a flexible timetable with them where they have to self manage themselves. I noticed with their work throughout the day that some could get distracted, so we need to set up a self management continuum where students move their avatars to whichever expectation they are working at. These would be aligned to their learning goals and intentions and whatever expectations that have been set up  for the students to work from.

In my travels through lots of schools, I have noticed in classrooms when students get involved in a task, that they take no notice of time unless the teacher is prompting them '10 minutes to go!' etc. In longer tasks where they may have several days, students are used to being told by teachers where they should be up to. Recently, Sarah has been saying to the students when she has set a new task to be completed in one session, "You have 'x' amount of time, it is up to you to manage this time." She is finding that most students are improving their time management as they don't want to run out of time to finish their work.
It will be interesting to see how the 'Self management Continuum' will work, particularly as I think it will encourage students to revisit what they should be achieving in their tasks.