After a visit to Parkhurst Primary School today, I really am amazed at what we can do in our class with the interactive whiteboards. I was already excited after viewing several of the presentations on You-tube, but there is so much more that we are able to do with them! I am slightly worried that they are going to be a distraction from our teaching! Once you start playing on them, you just don't want to stop! They are an incredible piece of technology to have, and any classroom that has them should feel very privileged. My classroom is fortunate to have one, and after today I just can't wait to get my hands on it! I will definitely be heading into the classroom as early as I can to experiment! My teachers have already told me that they are not overly familiar with the interactive whiteboards, so I'm hoping from what I have learnt, that I will be able to incorporate them quite a bit in my lessons. There really is endless possibilities as to what we can do!
What also was so exciting was the hand held devices that the students can use called the expressions. We also had a turn of these, and once again the classes that have these are very lucky. It is a great way to get all the students involved, and I feel this would be a great way to get students excited about the not so fun subjects like maths!! (well not so exciting to myself anyway!!) It was interesting so see all the teachers from different year levels doing their presentations, and seeing what can work for each of their year levels. The prep teacher has her student's photos on the whiteboard each morning, and instead of marking the role, they have to write their names next to their photos each morning. So the interactive whiteboards can be used for such a wide variety of areas, and are extremely engaging whilst also being so educational.
Parkhurst Primary School is in the top 20 schools for incorporating ICT's in Australia, and their dedication to the students and teachers learning has definitely paid off. They have received many awards, and bonuses for the school. I left the school today feeling so inspired, all the staff that spoke to us were so passionate. It was wonderful to be part of today, and I just can't wait till class tomorrow to experiment some more. I hope everyone else on prac enjoys the whiteboards as much as I did!
Here is an interesting article that proves how forward this school is with technology. It was published in The Morning Bulletin in November 2009.Hi-tech is child’s play at Parkhurst
Amy Formosa | 7th November 2009
HE’S only seven, but Jackson Broom already has a grasp of technology that would baffle many adults.
The year two student says he wants to engineer cruise liners and he’s going to the right school to get a head start for his ambitions.
Parkhurst State School was named the state’s most innovative school across all of Queensland, for its advanced technology, at the Showcase Award for Excellence in Schools ceremony in Brisbane, winning a total of $26,000.
The school has the most advanced range of technologies including robotics, beebots, green screening, IPODS, a music innovation centre and interactive white-boards. If you don’t know what they are – you’re probably too old.
Work has started on a multimedia building at the school incorporating a cinema, where students can develop their own movie trailers.
Jackson enjoys getting on the net to learn about geography and his maths skills are paying off as he proves to be a star beebot controller.
“We use the computer to make maps and directions for the beebot (programmable floor robot) to follow,” Jackson said.
Principle Lyle Walker said the school was leading the way in technology for Central Queensland.
“We are teaching with state-of-the-art technology students and the school needs for the future. It’s what 21st century kids deserve,” he said.
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Hi Tobey,
ReplyDeleteHope you're well and still enjoying your EPL at TSS. I too really enjoyed our visit to Parkhurst on the 19th. It was great to see just what it means to be a 'best practice' school when it comes to ICTs. I loved the idea that the prep students write their names on the IWB (instead of the usual 'role call'). It would be a great way to get them using their fine motor skills, whilst develop their handwriting and spelling.
The Activexpressions were fantastic too and you can see how they would not only support and enhance learning, but also make the teaching process more efficient for Learning Managers... if only every school and every student had the access to technology that Parkhurst has! Am glad you liked experimenting with the technology last Monday, and hopefully you have had the opportunity to experiment some more during your EPL.
Kind regards,
Karlee
GDLT - Primary