Exhausted!

I think it's time for an update on how I'm getting along at my new school. A couple of images have come to mind and have been bumping around my head.

I'm not a very strong swimmer. When I try to do laps at the pool, I can get through a few, but I struggle to pace myself. I seem to think that the only way I'll stay afloat is if I keep moving. So, I go through a few somewhat frantic laps and then pause for a break before going at it all again! That's how I'm feeling about school at the moment. My weekdays are frantic as I try to do it all, swallow a little water, and finally make it to the end. I take a quick breath over the weekend, and then it's go, go, go again.

Another image that I can't get away from is that of a jigsaw puzzle. It feels a little like I am faced with a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. At a quick glance I can see a few pieces that look familiar, but I can't see how they will all piece together. As I'm going along, I am starting to see more and more familiar pieces, and as I clip them together, things are starting to make more sense. Every now and then I get a new piece of information, and know it connects with something else I've seen or read, but then I have to remember what that was and link it up.

I'm finding it both challenging and rewarding. I'm aware that it is a lot of hard work at the moment, but at the same time, I know that a puzzle always gets much easier once you near the end, as does swimming with practice and training!

Tech Tips Tuesday

Two more simple uses for iPads in the classroom 

As I am becoming established in my new school, I am starting to work out the processes for borrowing and using ICT equipment. This week I made use of iPads for a couple of simple tasks, mostly just to get into the swing of using technology with my students. So, here are a couple of simple tips for this week:

Teach doubles with Photo Booth

Students set out some counters and take a photo using the mirror setting in photo booth. They can then count the counters in the image to work out the doubles fact. These can be printed out for students to glue into their books and label with the number sentence.

Student created clip art for class notices

Why not have students create the clip art for class newsletters, the class blog, or a secure web environment? You can use any drawing app and have students draw with or without a stylus. Save the images, crop where necessary and use as required. Always remember to give credit to the student/s who created the images, and check whether they are happy for their work to be used in this way. This helps students to appreciate the rights of others, and understand their responsibilities when it comes to using images.

For more simple uses, you might like to read: Three simple uses for iPads in the classroom