The Educated Kiwi
Richard van Dijk
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Homepage: http://tek.net.nz
Posts by Richard van Dijk
Google Search with Updates
Aug 29th
Often when something is going wrong or there is breaking news traditional sources can be a bit slow. Now Google Realtime search indexes Twitter, which might not always be a good thing but in the case of http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com/ it’s a handy addon and I’ll be interested to trial it in class during a major event like the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
This new service can be accessed from the left-hand side of Google’s main search results page under “Updates,” or directly through a different URL: google.com/landing/realtime
Google is currently running limited tests of the function, which is said to be one of “50-200 experiments” operating simultaneously on the search engine.
New Geography Standard for 2011 may kick off the use of GIS, finally
Aug 25th
Geography 1.8 Apply spatial analysis, with direction, to solve a geographic problem
For next year we are looking at adopting the new Geography standard 1.8 which will allow us to do amongst other things use data in ways such as:
• measuring
• layering
• changing the symbols used
• sorting and editing a table
• querying the map
• using coordinate systems
• displaying a graph based on the map.
I order to do this I have been looking at a few resources. Initially Arc Gis explorer, which is an awesome resource (here is a Link to the iLearn blog with more information) I am currently using this with my Junior classes to test the use of Silverlight from behind the proxy at school and how it goes bandwidth wise as opposed to Google Earth. I have also started looking at Open Street Map. Mark initially reminded me of this with the following TED video:
Having now created an account I have used Motion X GPS To start doing some edits. Would be interesting to see a Geography field trip where the students can actually contribute to a real Map. My only problem is the ease of using the basic Garmin Etrex I have and using the serial converter to get the data off, as opposed to my phone which simply emails the data in .gpx and .kml format already. Still some issues to look at but I am very keen to continue.
Google Sites Back Up
Aug 21st
Backing up a google site is reasonably easy within a domain. When you would like to have it backed up you can then use the Google sites liberation tool which you can download from here. Then you run the Java app filll in the fields as I have below and then Export your site. Once this is done you have a backup and you can also then reverse the process to a new site.
Google Wonder Wheel and Time line
Aug 20th
Having been introduced to Google Wonder Wheel I am again shown that despite something being right under my nose I had not seen it before. Introduced in May of last year as well. I’ve been using this with my History classes to guide their research on NZ History. We have also enjoyed using the Timeline tool where we can search by posts from a specific date which further increases the accuracy of the information to first hand accounts.
Extensions for Safari, Finally
Jul 29th
Hopefully this is the beginning of something useful. I’ve installed scribefire, which I am writing this in as well as little snapper. Maybe I’ll start using Safari again after having been on Chrome for a while although I will miss the unibar which allows you to type in the urlbar and have it search. But change is as good as a holiday for me and it might make things easier for teachers who are used to Safari to use some more powerful features
Auckland War Museum Cenotaph Database Great for research
Jun 17th
On Monday we took our Year 11 students to Auckland to visit the War Museum as a part of our NCEA 1.1 and 1.2 assessments where they have to research a person from the 20th century and create a poster with a brief bio/timeline and the relevant historical ideas that apply to that person.
The Scars on the Heart Exhibit always gives them plenty to look at and I only wish we were able to spend more time there. For now we will make do with our local information.
While there I was kindly reminded about the Cenotaph database
The cornerstone of our military information system is Cenotaph, a biographical database of New Zealanders who have died in the 19th century, from the New Zealand Wars and South Africa, through the First and Second World Wars to Korea, Malaya and Vietnam.Cenotaph started primarily as a roll of honour of those who died as a result of war service. Now it includes many personnel who have died since war service. Virtually all those who served in World War One are included.
The database already consists of over 122600 records, many of which include a portrait taken from published sources or supplied by family members. We draw information from a range of published sources and from the Museum Library’s manuscripts collection and references to personal items on display in the Scars on the Heart galleries.
It’s an excellent resource and one I’ve been trying to get the students to look at to see their own family history.
Facebook Apology
Jun 17th
I have to say after watching this video I did feel a bit like the complaining about privacy is a bit rich considering that people pay nothing for Facebook. We all like privacy but then you can’t blame the company for wanting to make more money can you?
Byline-an iPhone app to get started reading blogs again
Jun 10th
A few days ago I downloaded and installed Byline which now has a free ad supported option. I don’t know why but it just seems nicer than google reader and has got me started reading through my education blogs again and finding out some new ideas which has to be a good thing. This from the website
Simply use your free Google Reader account to subscribe to websites you’d like to keep track of. Byline will automatically bring you new content, putting thousands of RSS and Atom feeds at your fingertips.
Reading your feeds has never been so fast and frictionless. When you’re ready for the next article there’s no need to scroll down or stab at tiny buttons — just swipe to move between pages in one fluid motion.
Browse offline
Even when you have no internet connection, Byline gives you instant access to complete web pages. Perfect for flights, subway journeys, and (if you’re an iPod Touch owner) those long dry spells between Wi-Fi zones.
Byline automatically analyses your feeds so that it can cache the ones with truncated content. This means all your news is there in full when you’re offline, and blazing fast to load when you’re online to boot. It’ll also cache your notes, so you can save any website you visit for offline browsing.
Four Chord Song
Jun 10th
A little light relief. Australian comedy group ‘Axis Of Awesome’ perform a sketch from the 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Footage courtesy of Network Ten Australia.
See http://www.axisofawesome.net/ for more details of the comedy trio including Jordan Raskopoulos, Lee Naimo, & Benny Davis.
iPad first thoughts
Apr 15th
Well thanks to the Tauranga Apple Centre I had a brief play with an iPad today. I even got to take it home to see what Mrs van Dijk thought of it. My thoughts- I was really excited by the idea of the iPad largely for my daughter, at three she already uses the mouse and loves reading books and generally playing on the computer. The iPad seemed more natural for her as she is very happy with Dr Seuss on my iPhone. Alas apart from native iPad apps most of the sites my daughter like to use like starfall are flash based.
This is a huge minus for the iPad and would stop me getting one personally as i’m quite happy reading things on my phone and the lack of flash on a smaller device is not so noticeable. It makes me think that Apple is expecting people to spend the money on iPads and the app store. Now if only they released a model for schools that was flash enabled. Then I could see us getting a few as alternatives to laptops.
New job new Moodle busy busy
Feb 17th
TBC Moodle
So it is that I have started my new job at Tauranga Boys’ College. I am now a teacher of Year Nine and Ten Social Studies, covering New Zealand history at the moment and Year 11 Geography and History.
One of my year Ten classes is a laptop class, 29 students with nice shiny Macbooks. This week we have been charting the voyage of Captain Cook to New Zealand which we have done with iStopmotion, a great little piece of software and also meant we could familiarise the boys’ with the machines again after the holidays and reintroduce some of the software changes from the holidays.
I’ve also been working on our school Moodle site at moodle.tbc.school.nz. bringing the previous moodle sites into one and adding a link to google apps with single sign on has been exciting especially as we have had a number of network issues that we thought were our fault but in fact were out of our control. So I look forward to the challenges of the coming months both in my classroom and digitally, Not to mention the impending arrival of our second child next week.
Virtual haircut
Oct 30th
Nat came home today and told me about the virtual haircut well worth a look. It had me reaching out to see if there was someone there. I can only imagine what this will do for gaming and the movies some day.
IQ Games for Geography and History
Oct 11th
On my return from ulearn09 we spent some time as a family playing the two games I brought at the conference The Great New Zealand Moa Hunt and the Terrific Tuatara Trail. Both were great for some basic New Zealand facts and figures and also got us discussing some of these thing with Rylee who despite only being three was enjoying collecting eggs and saying the place names.
There are a number of other games on the site including the Amazing Mammoth Hunt which is world geography as well as an interesting NZ investment game that might be good for economics. Have a look at IQ Ideas.com for their full range. I have to say this one is going to cost my department but it will be money better spent than on another set of textbooks.
And to think this was the first thing I blogged after an ICT conference, I might finally be getting this 21st century learner thing. Multimedia.
Albany Senior High School
Sep 26th
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nznationalparty
Last week we had the privilege during our ICTPD home group meeting of visiting a number of Auckland Schools. I will try and put down my thoughts here so they stay fresh in my mind. I guess the one that stood out the most was Albany Senior High School, ASHS as it is known is a year 11-13 college on the North Shore. In fact the school does not exist in the google images and it is being built further down the road.
There are a number of development that make the school quite different from our own. Among these is the fact that the school only has students from years 11-13 (with only year 11 at the moment). This alone makes it much more flexible. The school runs in 100 minute blocks during the day and each subject is given two 100 minutes blocks a week. On Wednesday morning after a sharing session students are given time to complete an impact project of their own development. This project is not assessed presently for national qualifications but I’m sure as it develops more cross curricula credits will be brought in.
Also interesting was the treatment of the students as young adults. There are no separate staff and student toilets, students address staff by first names and the learning spaces are very flexible in their design to allow for more movement and remove some of the rigid methods we are forced into with traditional classroom design.
As far as students addressing staff by first names I guess this further moves the teacher from the front of the classroom to beside the learner. I have also noticed that this is a trend of society as a whole. As a child I remember calling any adult Mr or Mrs and it wasn’t until my late teens that I called any of my friends parents anything different. The only exception being my rowing coach. Odd how I recall this now but I am Richard to most young people now, I almost feel I’ve missed a stage.
The toilets is interesting as well, Warren pointed out that there are no toilets in malls for under 18s and maybe this would stop vandalism and smoking in the toilets if students knew teachers went in to the toilets regularly. A small point but very different from the norm.
And I guess the impact project and the class times are the ones that should be given the most thought but I think I will leave that until another visit so as not to be premature in my judgement of what seems risky for teenage boys especially but with big benefits as well.
I say good luck to the team as ASHS and I look forward to following their developments.
( I have not written about their decision to be an open source school as thats been both covered and a whole new post.)
Exam Room Cricket
Sep 12th
And so we come to the time of the year where we have to supervise exams. You can’t do marking, you can’t surf the internet on your phone, what’s left? Well being stuck in the hall again I have decided on cricket. The international rules are as follows:
Happy Examining
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