We all remember our first visit to the dentist, some more traumatic than others. However, you may also remember how one little sticker made everything seem much better! You may also remember your first swimming badge or asking your Mum to sew on your first badge from Scouts or Guides!

Well it’s good to see that, despite living in a high-tech world, badges and stickers can still be used to incentivise both students and adults alike!


What’s changed?

The impact of using stickers in the classroom is well documented however, thanks to improvements in technology, the way in which we award and manage rewards in the classroom has got a whole lot better!


Digital Badges

Digital badges are online representations of skills / achievements you’ve earned. These can range from demonstrating good behaviour to accomplishing a new skill. There is a wealth of tools available to help you manage and reward digital badges. Here are just a few of my favourites:


1. ClassDojo

ClassDojo - classdojo.com - helps teachers improve behavior in their classrooms quickly and easily. It also captures and generates data on behavior that teachers can share with parents and administrators.

Teachers can use ClassDojo to award badges for behaviour and give students real-time feedback while in class. 

Open Badges make it easy to…

• Get recognition for the things you learn. Open Badges include a shared standard for recognizing your skills and achievements and helps make them count towards job opportunities and lifelong learning.
• Give recognition for the things you teach. Anyone who meets the standard can award badges for skills or learning.
• Display your verified badges across the web. Earn badges from anywhere, then share them wherever you want—on social networking profiles, job sites and on your website.
• Verify skills. Employers, organizations and schools can explore the data behind every badge issued using Mozilla Open Badges to verify individuals’ skills and competencies.

Source: OpenBadges.org

Making waves with Open Badges

One model which demonstrates how Open Badges can successfully be used to recognise and reward student achievement is Makewaves. Makewaves - https://www.makewav.es/ - is a safe social learning platform for 5-19 year olds (ideal for students and teachers). Makewaves fully integrates with Mozilla Open Badges allowing teachers to make and award badges to their students. Students under the age of 13 can earn badges through Makewaves and convert them to open badges when they are old enough. Badges are currently available from a number of organisations including Computing At School, Rising Stars, Comic Relief and the National Literacy Trust.

Where to start

• Open Badges – http://openbadges.org/ – Official Mozilla Open Badges website.
  
• Mozilla Backpack – https://backpack.openbadges.org/  – Collect badges from multiple sources, online and off, into one single backpack.
  
• Badge the UK – http://www.digitalme.co.uk/badgetheuk – Official site for the ‘Badge the UK’ project.
  

Useful links

• What are open badges – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohTsq1fWckQ – Video from Doug Belshaw (Badges & Skills Lead, Mozilla Foundation), explaining open badges.
  
• Badge Alliance – http://www.badgealliance.org/ – Network of organisations and individuals working together to build and support an open badging ecosystem.
  
• Makewav.es – https://www.makewav.es/openbadges – Website which makes it simple and safe for schools to create and manage Open Badges across a school campus, enabling teachers to create and share badges with groups, track progress, award badges, and celebrate achievement. 
  
• OpenBadges.me – https://www.openbadges.me/ – Create exciting graphics for your Mozilla Open Badges with this badge designer tool from MyKnowledgeMap.
  
• Twitter – @OpenBadges – Use the #OpenBadges to join in the conversation.
  
• Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MozillaOpenBadges – Updates and latest news.
  

Case Studies

• JISC RSC Showcase – http://www.rsc-scotland.org/?tag=open-badges – Case studies on the use of Open Badges in Scotland.
  
• Reconnecting Learning – http://www.reconnectlearning.org/case-studies/ – Set of case looking at how badges are being used in higher education, professional training, and after-school programs.
  

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Not so long ago, I mentioned a yet to be named add-in for Microsoft PowerPoint which was set to revolutionize how we create and share presentations. Well, finally, I’m now able to let you in to the little secret.


Introducing Office Mix

Courtesy of a free plugin for Office 2013 called Office Mix, you can now turn your PowerPoint presentations into interactive online lessons. So, what can you do with Office Mix?


Record and share your presentations:

Office Mix not only allows you to record audio or video of yourself presenting but will also record your slide annotations as you speak. Office Mix will also allow you to record full screen video captures of your desktop which you can embed into your presentation at the touch of a button.


Create interactive quizzes:

With Office Mix, you can easily add quizzes to your Presentation such as true/false, multiple choice, free response and polls. Office Mix gives you full control of your quizzes including how many attempts a student can have on each question and how much time they have to complete the quiz. Mix also offers the ability to include hints and feedback based on the students response.


Embed apps and webpages:

As well as giving you the ability to insert quizzes into your presentations, Office Mix also enables you to embed webpages and interactive apps. Included in the list of apps currently offered in Office Mix are apps from the very popular Khan Academy and CK-12 Foundation.


Present and share:

Once your presentation is ready, you can share it with your class or upload it to the Office Mix Gallery and share your masterpiece with the world! Once uploaded, Mixes can be viewed on almost any device and most up-to-date browsers.

Turn your PowerPoint presentations into interactive online lessons with Office Mix.

Flipping your classroom with Office Mix

If you are new to the idea of the flipped classroom, the concept is simple – what is usually done in the classroom is done as homework and what is usually done as homework is done in the classroom (essentially reversing the traditional way of instructional teaching). The benefit of this model is that the teacher spends less time teaching the theory and more time interacting with students (class time is used more effectively to tackle problems, challenge misconceptions and explore concepts in more detail).

Office Mix is perfect for flipping your classroom – students can research a topic at home and use lesson time more effectively. With near-instant analytics, you can monitor students progress and see how well they do on your quizzes. You can even check to see if your students have actually viewed the resources you have shared with them and how long they spend on each slide.


How to get started with Office Mix

This help guide will help you with setting up your first Office Mix:

https://mix.office.com/Home/GettingStarted

In this video you will learn where to download the PowerPoint Add-In and how to get started:

Examples:

Here’s my attempt at creating a lesson on the Water Cycle using Office Mix 

Want more examples? Then why not check out the gallery: mix.office.com/Gallery

To find out more or to download the add-in, visit: mix.office.com/

Fed up with “Death by PowerPoint”? Then check out some of these great alternatives:

Slides – slides.com – is a simple but effective tool for creating and sharing presentations online. Slides greatest feature is its simplicity – no unnecessary animations or fancy effects. Instead, Slides main focus is to create simple, clean but professional looking slide presentations. Best of all, Slides uses HTML 5 so will work on a variety of devices and platforms (no plugins required).

Create simple but effective looking presentations with Slides.

Prezi - www.prezi.com - is a Flash-based online app that lets you break away from the slide-by-slide approach of most presentation software. Instead, it allows you to create non-linear presentations where you can zoom in and out of a visual map containing words, links, images, videos, and more. To see the true power of Prezi, take a look at some online examples at: http://prezi.com/explore 

3. Moovly – Moovly.com – If you haven’t used Moovly before, Moovly is a powerful web 2.0 tool for creating animated presentations. Moovly enables you to create stunning animated videos, banner ads, infographics, interactive presentations and compelling animations that you can share online. Moovly is available in three flavours: Free, Plus and Pro. Moovly also offer multi-user discounts for businesses and education establishments. Check out some examples here: http://www.moovly.com/gallery

 Create stunning animated videos, banner ads, infographics and interactive presentations with Moovly.

4. PowToon – PowToon.com – is an online business presentation software tool that allows you to create free animated videos. As well as a huge variety of themes to get you started, PowToon also features a huge library of images, effects and animated characters (Many of which are free) to help tell your story. As with most other online presentation  tools, PowToon also allows you to upload/import your own graphics. To find out more, visit: http://www.powtoon.com/

Create professional looking animated video presentations with PowToon.

VideoScribe – http://www.videoscribe.co/ – lets you to create stunning animated video presentations that will wow your audience and make them think “how did they do that?”. VideoScribe is available as either a desktop version (PC & MAC), and a mobile version iPad and an Android. The desktop version is available as a seven day (fully functioning) free trial – after which you can buy VideoScribe on a monthly (approx. £10 per month), yearly or one-off subscription – Video multi-user discounts are available for businesses and education establishments. To see what you can do with VideoScribe, check out some of these wonderful: http://www.videoscribe.co/scribes

Keynote (available for Mac and iOS devices) is the Apple user's tool of choice when it comes to creating professional looing presentations. As you would expect, Keynote comes complete with all the usual features you would expect from a professional presentation such as templates and transitions but also throws in a few added extras such as animated charts. To find out more, click here: https://www.apple.com/uk/mac/keynote/ 

Haiku Deck – haikudeck.com – makes it easy to create beautiful and professional presentations both online (beta) or via its dedicated iOS app. Haiku Deck’s biggest strength is its simplicity – stripping back all those fancy animations and effects in favour of simplicity and design. Instead, you have access to a huge library of Creative Commons and Getty Images to include in your presentations – as well as being able to upload/ import your own content. To find out more, click here: https://www.haikudeck.com/about

Create beautiful and professional looking presentations with ease using Haiku Deck

Google Slides is Google’s answer to PowerPoint and is part of its Google Docs suite. Like other online presentation offerings, Google Slides is quick and easy to use and includes a plethora of templates and animations however, what sets Google Slides apart from its rivals is the ability to collaborate on your presentations. To find out more, click here: http://www.google.co.uk/slides/about/ 

Collaborate with ease using Google Slides.

At first glance, emaze – www.emaze.com – looks like another an online slide based presentation tool however, what sets this apart from other online presentation tools, is its beautiful 3D templates and video backgrounds. Just place your text in the placeholder and let emaze do all the hard work. Best of all, it uses HTML5 so will work on virtually any device / any platform (no plugins required).

Create stunning 3D visuals with ease using emaze.

You are probably wondering why PowerPoint is in a list of alternatives to PowerPoint! Well, thanks to a free plugin for Office 2013 called Office Mix, you can now turn your PowerPoint presentations into interactive online lessons. With OfficeMix, you can record and share your presentations, embed apps and webpages and create interactive quizzes. To find out more, visit: mix.office.com

Turn your PowerPoint presentations into interactive online lessons with Office Mix.

Interactive lesson on the Water Cycle created using Office Mix

It is well documented how using games in a classroom context can facilitate collaborative learning, promote problem solving and stimulate an engaging learning environment. Three philosophies which use games or game-like elements to support teaching and learning are Gamification, Game Based Learning (GBL) and Games design. Often mistakenly used in the same context, these three methods, despite sharing many similarities, use very different approaches. So, what’s the difference?

Gamification

Gamification is the process of introducing game-like elements into a traditionally non-gaming contexts to make them more fun and engaging. Gamification strategies include elements such as gamifying grading, incentivizing students with rewards and adding competitive elements such as leaderboards.

Thanks to improvements in technology and an abundance of online tools to support aspects of gamification, using game-like elements in your classroom has never been easier!

One tool that I use regularly to gamify my lessons is ClassDojo. ClassDojo allows you to reward students with badges for things such as good behavior, working well as a team or just for being on task. 

ClassDojo also allows you to provide instant feedback to your students (‘Well done Josh! +1 for teamwork!’) and is fully customizable for your classroom. Students can track their behavior from home and Parents / Carers can also view their child's progress via the ClassDojo app via a special invitation code.

Game based learning

Game based learning (GBL) is the process of using games to achieve a defined set of learning outcomes.

Games that generate data e.g. Kinect Sports and Mario Kart are great for teaching Maths and Statistics. Games that tell a story are great for developing creative writing. Puzzle games can develop problem solving and physics based games such as Angry Birds can be used to explain velocity and momentum.

For example, you could play part of a game and ask students to describe what they saw and what they heard. You could ask students to write a story about what happens to the character next or to create a character of their own – complete with biography. You could have a race and record the lap times and use them to work out mean, mode and median or use a game to start a Socratic debate.

One game I have used to great affect is Mario Kart. I have used it to teach Spreadsheet Skills however, the same principles can be used to teach statistics or graphs.

In order to practice spreadsheet skills, students take it in turns to complete laps using Mario Kart on the Nintendo Wii. The students then compile the raw data generated by the class and input these into a suitable spreadsheet. The students then use basic and advanced skills to improve the look and functionality of their spreadsheet. Note: You don’t have to use Mario Kart! You can use any game that generates scores or lap times. You can find copies of the lesson plans and resources for this activity here: Mario Kart Spreadsheet Challenge

Obviously, as with introducing any new technology to the classroom, game based learning requires sound pedagogy in order to be successful. Using games in the classroom can also serve up unique challenges. One of the main challenges is how to share one console with a class full of students and how do you can prevent certain students dominating the activity or the activity itself distracting from everything else. Here are some suggested strategies to support games based learning:

• Use a random name selector to choose who goes first. (Alternatively, if you don’t have access to a random name selector, you could use a hat with names in or tin full of lolly pop sticks with student’s names written on them.)
  
• Use multi-player games – This will allow more than one student to play at the same time.
  
• Schedule the game playing during a lunch or after-school session so that lesson time can be used to focus on the linked activity or learning objectives.
  
• Plan a secondary activity that supports the main activity and keeps the rest of the class engaged for example, ask students to record the results of each race/round as they happen or give each student a card with a secret task/mission written on them to complete whilst they are not playing the game.

Game design

Game design, as the name suggests, is the process of planning the content and rules of a game. It also includes the design of gameplay, environment, storyline and even characters.

A great way to engage students in a subject or topic is to get them to create a game to teach others that topic. Students don’t have to have any programming / coding skills to design the game however, game design does lend itself well to the teaching of computing / computer science. Thankfully, there is an abundance of online tools to support game design – not all of them requiring experience or knowledge of coding:

Gamestar Mechanic uses fun, game-based quests and courses to help you learn game design and make your own video games.

Game Make: Studio makes it easy to create great games without having to learn a programming language or spend a lot of time. Many tutorials and resources are available, along with a lot of help from the community.

TouchDevelop is an online app creation tool from Microsoft Research. Originally designed to develop Windows Phone 7 apps, TouchDevelop has recently been updated as a web app and now allows you to develop Windows Store apps suitable for Windows 8 touch screen devices. TouchDevelop is easy to use and works with several web browsers.

Kodu is a new visual programming language made specifically for creating games. It is designed to be accessible for children and enjoyable for anyone. The visual nature of the language allows for rapid design iteration using only an Xbox game controller for input (mouse/keyboard input is also supported).

Scratch is a project out of the MIT Media Lab. It allows users to program their own interactive stories and games with animated content. Scratch is specifically designed to make programming accessible for students (they recommend ages 8 and up). The website hosts support materials, user-created content and sample code to help you get started. The Media Lab has a license deal with LEGO to allow users to use LEGO characters in their Scratch projects.

MissionMaker allows students to rapidly create visually 3D rich worlds for first-person 'Missions' - complete with sets, animated characters, dialogue and music.

Stencyl is a free game creation platform that allows students to create 2D games for mobile devices and for the web. The software is also available in paid format. This gives you the ability to upload your finished games to the iTunes App Store.

GameSalad allows members to design, publish and distribute original games without programming knowledge, and play with others across multiple platforms, such as the iPhone, iPad, Mac and any other Internet-connected device.

Alice is a free and open source 3D programming environment designed to teach students object-oriented and event-driven programming. In Alice, students drag and drop graphic tiles in order to animate an object and create a program. Alice is great for creating an animation for telling a story, playing an interactive game, or a video to share on the web. Extensive support materials are provided.

Quest allows you to create your very own 80's style text adventure games. Quest has a variety of uses in education, within a range of subjects and at a range of levels. Best of all, it's free. Perhaps the most obvious use of Quest is within ICT/Computing. Quest provides a gentle introduction to programming concepts – variables, functions, loops, expressions, objects, etc. – and the visual editor means that students don’t need to remember commands or syntax.

App Inventor is a great tool to teach programming to high school students. Like Scratch, App Inventor uses a drag-and-drop interface that allows you to assemble block commands and from these, build your app.

I have begun to explore the idea of using game design to teach programming and have developed a 15 week Scheme of Work to teach students how to create games for Windows phone and Windows 8 devices using Microsoft’s TouchDevelop web app.

I start by getting students to explore existing games and discuss what makes a good or bad game. Next I focus on what are the main components of a game e.g. lives, score, levels etc. I then split the class into small teams and ask them to each choose a role e.g. graphics artist, sound designer, lead programmer etc. I then ask them to come up with an idea for their game and create a storyboard. Once the students have agreed on an idea, and it has been approved by their teacher, the students start creating their game using TouchDevelop. Finally, once the game is complete, the students test and evaluate their game.

Click here to find out more about TouchDevelop or to download the Scheme of Work.

Gamification, Game based learning or Game design – which one should you choose?

It’s clear that using games and game-like elements in the classroom can foster collaboration, problem solving and critical thinking skills. They can also encourage students to work interdependently. So, which one do you choose? The simple answer is that it all depends on your learning objectives / desired outcomes. Want to modify / improve behavior? Then gamify your lessons. Have a desired set of learning objectives which you want to explore in a fun and engaging way? Choose game based learning! Want your students to make a game to use in the classroom? Choose game design. Whichever you choose, have fun and don’t be afraid to experiment!

What is a QR code?

A QR code (short for Quick Response Code) is a machine-readable code made up of black and white squares.

Example of a QR code:

QR codes are designed to enhance printed material such as: books, magazines, programmes and guides or even displays at museums and heritage sites.

Using an array of free apps and online tools, you can quickly and easily create your very own multimedia-rich QR experiences which can be triggered from a web enabled device.


Suggestions for using QR codes in the Classroom:

General:

• Create an interactive wall display.
  
• Create a QR treasure hunt in which students have to retrieve clues from strategically placed QR codes in order to solve a problem. 

Science:

• Create a QR Solar System - Gather YouTube videos, websites etc. about the Solar System and link them to QR codes. Scatter each of the codes around the room and ask pupils to put them in order. 
• Create a QR version of the Periodic Table

Geography/History:

• Create an interactive visitors centre. Students can use their favourite software to create interactive content which they can upload to the internet and link to QR codes. The QR codes can then be used to inform visitors about a local place of historical interest.
• Create a QR timeline.

Art:

• Create an Interactive Tour Guide - Contact your local Art Gallery and get your students to create an interactive tour to provide visitors with additional information about the gallery's works.
  

Examples:

What you will need for creating your own QR experience

1.   A web enabled device with built in camera (e.g. tabet, netbook or smart phone)

2.   QR creation tool

• Qrafter (iOS)
• QR Code Designer (Windows 8)
  
• Barcode Generator (Android)
  
• QR Stuff.com (Web)
  

3.   QR reader

• kwiQR (Windows 8)
  
• QR Reader (iOS)
  
• QR Reader from Kaywa (Android)
  
• QuckMark QR Reader (PC/Mac)
  

Instructions

1.   Install and load your preferred QR creation tool.

2.   Paste in the URL of the website or content you wish to trigger from your QR code.

3.   Print out the automatically generated QR codes.

4.   Install and run your preferred QR reader.

5.   Point your devices camera at your newly created QR code.

6.   Have fun!

Please let me know how you are using QR Codes in your classroom!

I was recently lucky enough to be invited to attend the Microsoft in Education Global Forum held in Barcelona. This annual event aims to recognize and celebrate the achievements of educators who are preparing students for life in the 21st century. Each year, Microsoft brings together participants from the Microsoft Innovative Educators Program and the Microsoft Innovative Schools Program for an energetic, collaborative conference. This high profile event is attended by more than 1000 of the world’s most innovative educators, school leaders, and education leaders from 75 countries, along with government officials.

Rather than provide a day-by-day account of the Global Forum, for this you can check out the excellent blogs from other expert educators (David Rogers, David Renton, Nikki Cooper & Ray Chambers) I would however, like to reflect on what I have learnt as a result of attending the global forum and emphasize some of the key points and highlights of the whole experience.

May I start by saying that I felt honored to be chosen as one of 10 educators to represent the UK at the Microsoft in Education Global Forum and privileged to part of a 250 strong delegation of expert educators from around the world. I would also like to say, as other expert educators have expressed, that I felt humbled having met some of the other educators from around the world and having witnessed the profound impact others are making both locally and globally through their projects, and in some cases, with access to little or limited technology.

2014 Global Forum - Recap video:

Highlights

A major theme of the Global Forum was the exhibition. This gave the expert educators an opportunity to showcase their learning activities. However, If I have one criticism of the forum, it would be the lack of time to discuss with other educators about their projects.

Of the projects I did have chance to see, one of my favourites was an entry from the Ukraine called “Folk Tales”. The premise was simple - Students find out about folk tales from their region, present them in pictures or in other creative form, retell them and translate into English. They then share their creations online. Students, from other countries, then view the uploaded materials and try to reinterpret the story from the material. The students then upload their interpretation of the story to the Internet and compare it to the original tale.

Another highlight of the event was Anthony Salcito’s (Worldwide Vice President for Microsoft Education) keynote. In his keynote, Anthony reminded us of the vital role we play as teachers and referred to us as heroes and champions, in his eyes, for the work that we do to educate the young people of today!

Also in his keynote, Anthony highlighted some examples of the innovative use of technology to support teaching and learning. Probably the most memorable example was a project called “Mystery Skype”.

Anthony also used his keynote to showcase a number new tools to use in the classroom. Some of the highlights included:

Project Spark – Best described as Kodu for grown-ups. Project Spark builds on the success of Kodu by offering the same easy to use event-driven programming interface however, takes Kodu to the next level with its stunning 3D graphics and downloadable additional content. Find out more about Project Spark here: Project Spark

Un-named add-in for PowerPoint – Although I’m not at liberty to say much about this new future enhancement for PowerPoint however, what I can say is, it will completely change the way in which we use PowerPoint!

OneNote – Now available free for Mac, OneNote continues, in my opinion, to be one of the most powerful tools for educators. With OneNote, teachers can organize their thoughts or plan their lessons and access these quickly and easily via a simple search. Teachers and students can communicate with one another and collaborate on projects (Perfect for Project-Based-Learning). The teacher can also collate notes at the end of each lesson or keep notes on individual students or each of their classes. 

ClassPolicy - A free classroom management solution for Windows 8 devices. With ClassPolicy, teachers can eliminate distractions by restricting web and application access, orchestrate their classes by automating the sequence of their lessons, gauge understanding by using quick polls.

Whilst on the topic of useful tools to support teaching and learning, I must also mention our very own Stuart (App Man) Ball and his presentation on his favourite apps for Windows 8 devices. Most notable:

ChronoZoom – An online interactive timeline for visualizing history.

 

Project Siena – A Windows 8 app that lets you easily create your own Windows business apps in minutes. Click here to find out more.

CreateBook – Allows you to easily create interactive ebooks for Windows 8 devices.

 

NovaMind Mind Mapping – A complete Mind Mapping tool for Windows 8 devices.

To find out more about educational apps for Windows 8 devices, visit Stuart Ball’s blog: Windows 8 Appedagogy

Probably the most rewarding part of the week was meeting with other educators from around the world and sharing best practice. This started with the learn-a-thon.

The Learn-a-thon

The idea behind the learn-a-thon was to unite expert educators from different countries and challenge them to develop a project which addresses one of three topics (Sustainability, poverty and gender equality) and which encapsulated the concepts of 21 Century Design. Our project was on sustainability and involved students creating apps and online community (blog / wiki etc.) encouraging others to recycle and conserve our natural resources! Although I was a little skeptical at first, I found the process very rewarding. Not only did I learn the true power of Bing Translate for resolving the language divide, I also made a few new friends.

The sharing of best practice was epitomized when David Rogers kindly offered to host a European TeachMeet in which, over a few light refreshments, educators from all over Europe showcased how they are using technology to enhance teaching and learning. This wasn't the first time I heard of the idea of TeachMeets however, this was the time I had attended one. I can honestly say that I really enjoyed the experience and will be investigating the possibility of arranging a TeachMeet in my area in the near future!

Key reflections

As well as the usual meeting and greeting, there was also opportunity to hear keynotes from respected and influential educators from around the world. Here are some of the key points:

“It's OK to let student's fail!” – As educators, it is OK to let our students fail however, we must also ensure that we enable our students to reflect and learn from their mistakes.

“Teachers are control freaks we need to let go of the control and let students lead with technology”. – It is easy to underestimate the ability of our students and have pre-conceptions of what they are able achieve. If there is one thing I have learned as a result of my project, it’s that, as teachers, we sometimes need to stake a step back and allow our students to take ownership of their own learning – try, you might just be amazed at what your students are really capable of if you give them the chance!

“Learning has changed - Your students are learning without you”. – With the Internet being more accessible than ever and with an abundance of online tools and resources to support independent learning, our students are learning outside of the classroom. This is no more evident than in the teaching of computer science with many students learning to code online using online tutorials such as those found on YouTube. As educators, we can take advantage of these resources and use them to flip our classrooms. To find out more about the benefits of flipped learning or learn how to flip your classrooms, visit my blog: Make the most of your lessons – flip your classroom

“Collaboration is key!” – Whether you are an educator or a learner, collaboration is an important aspect of learning. If you are new to the idea of collaborative learning or don’t know where to start, start by forming a collaboration with another teacher in your school. This could be a small project or a team teaching exercise. Once you have mastered the art of collaboration in a safe / familiar environment, initiate a collaborative project with a neighboring school or, if you’re feeling really adventurous, try collaborating with another educator online. Social networking tools such as Facebook, Twitter and Edmodo are great places to find other educators with similar interests / ideas. Why not also find out where your next / nearest TeechMeet is. TeechMeets are not only a great place to find new ideas and resources, they are also a place to meet other like minded educators in your local area.

“Don’t make technology the star, make it a tool to create amazing learning experiences.” – A message I echo from Anthony Salcito. Pedagogy must come first, technology second. With the appropriate planning, technology can transform teaching and learning however, what technology cannot do is conceal poor planning / teaching!

Things I would have liked to have seen!

1. More student representation. There was lots of talk about a student centred approach to teaching and learning however, what disappointed me was, a lack of representation from students. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that the whole idea of the Global Forum is to celebrate and reward the innovative work of educators from around the world however, I would have liked to have seen more students celebrated for their part in making many of the projects a success! It was great however, to see the UK leading the way with Saltash.net and their young Digital Leaders (@Offperts). I would also like to congratulate Scott Wieprecht from Saltash and his team of Offperts who received the prize for 2nd Runner up in the cutting edge use of technology category. I would also like to say that the Offperts students were a credit, not only to their school, but also to the UK!
   
2. Greater opportunity to talk to other expert educators about their projects! Maybe for the next global forum, those experts picked to represent their country collaborate on a project (in a similar fashion to the learn-a-thon) before the event and submit the learning activity as a group entry. That way, during the judging and presenting of the learning activities, each team member could take it in turns checking out the other projects whilst the rest of the team attend to their own stand. – Just a suggestion!
   

Conclusion

Despite the long days and limited supply of coffee, I can honestly say that I have returned home, not only with a plethora of new ideas and resources but also with a renewed enthusiasm. I have also made some new friends along the way, not forgetting of course Stuart Ball who, along with the rest of the UK team, I wish to thank for all their support!

I would like to finish with a quote from Satya Nadella (Microsoft CEO)

“I truly believe that if you are not learning new things, you stop doing great and useful things.” 

Planning a session for Internet Safety Day 2014? Here are some great resources to get you started!

These videos provide a great starting point for discussing the issues related to Staying Safe Online

Consequences - Suitable for 11-16 year olds

Jigsaw - Suitable for 8-10 year olds but can also be used with 11-13 year olds

Use these videos to discuss the risks of posting information online

Some great starter videos for discussing online risks

Virtual Global Task Force - Great for demonstrating that people aren't always who they say they are online.

Where's Klaus (English) - Great for discussing about who you are letting in online.

Joe's Story - This film shows ways in which cyberbullying can occur, who it involves, how it can affect different people, and what can be done to prevent it and respond to it. (Suitable for 11-16 year olds)

Talent Show - Cyberbullying Prevention Commercial

Safer Internet Day 2009 - Use this video to explain to students how they can report cyberbullying.

Think U Know - Games, videos, advice and resources illustrating the dangers of cyberbullying.

Standing up, not standing by - A free cyberbullying toolkit for educators from CommonSense Media.

Cyberbullying lesson plan - Lesson plan from BeatBullying (Suitable for all key stages).

There is a wealth of free resources available online which can be used in the classroom. Below is a selection of my favourites. 

Websites and Blogs are increasingly being used in education by teachers and students. Having a classroom website or blog can benefit everyone involved including the students, the teacher, and the parents. 
 
Classroom websites are great places to post news, pictures, homework instructions and teaching resources. Blogs can provide a communication tool that teachers can use with students to develop writing, share ideas and reflect on work being undertaken in the classroom. Free online tools such as 'Weebly' (www.weebly.com) allow teachers to create secure student blogs, or classroom websites, with little or no prior technical knowledge! 

For instructions on how to create a website or blog using weebly, click on the links below:

how to create a blog
how to create a website

Padlet - www.padlet.com - (formerly WallWisher) is a free online collaboration tool. Described as a virtual sheet of paper, Padlet allows you to share images, videos and documents on virtual post-it notes.

How to use Padlet

• Make lists e.g. ingredients, keywords, or apparatus for the next lesson
  
• Brainstorm ideas
  
• Collect resources for a topic
  
• Create a collection of useful web links
  
• Facilitate a discussion
  
• Plan a project or event
  
• Gather feedback
  
• Create an online noticeboard

Create a virtual timeline with Padlet.

I was recently introduced to Blendspace (formerly Edcanvas) - https://www.blendspace.com - via a recommendation on edmodo and it has already changed the way that I teach! This powerful web 2.0 tool allows you to organize and share content such as videos, images, documents and text using its intuitive drag and drop interface. The tool also allows you to create online lessons by embedding content from popular sites such as YouTube, Google, Vimeo, Flickr etc via its built-in search tool. You can also upload content from your computer, Dropbox or Google Drive. 

Blendspace is ideal for flipping your classroom – students can research a topic at home and use lesson time more effectively. As a teacher you can monitor students progress and measure students understanding with the built-in quiz creation tool. You can even check to see if your students have actually viewed the resources you have shared with them. Blendspace is also great for Project Based Learning (PBL) or differentiating learning.

eSafety lesson created using blendspace 

How to get started using blendspace:

This teachers guide will help you with setting up your first lesson and adding students

http://www.ncksec.net/docs/certified/examples/Edcanvas.pdf

This YouTube video will help you get started

YouTube video: Getting started with blendspace - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ_Mg3lSoew