Magisto

Magisto is an amazing video tool I have been using to create videos for my students. I have been using it so often that I even paid for the premium version, even though the free version is plenty.

The web based software allow you to choose clips and or pictures. It then edits these into video presentation which can be shared or uploaded to youtube. The quality is amazing and it takes seconds to create. If you click 'I feel lucky' after choosing your pics/videos's, the software automatically creates an excellent video package complete with music. If you would like to choose your own music and the type of video you want, this can be done simply too.

Thanks you to Andrea Rabin for introducing this software to the Papakura High School staff at a morning briefing slam session.

Here is a video I created for our school Matariki celebrations. the video took literally 3 minutes to create once I had pictures and short clips. Using typical video editing software this would have taken hours.

Next term I intend to produce a short Magisto video to showcase Papakura High school sports teams at assembly time.

Education grassroots inititive

Last month I came across this article in the education gazettte

Digital technologies: new initiative calls for ideas

I decided to apply for 15 thousand dollars on behalf of Papakura High School. My application was based upon the work i am doing with my SPARK MIT inquiry around rewindable learning. If I am successful in my application I will have reduced teacher contact hours to work with other staff at Papkura High and also the wider Kootuitui cluster of schools, to assist in making lessons rewindable.

A massive thank you to Angela Gattung and also my principal John Rohs for their support in this application. Both assisted me in getting the wording of my application correct so I have the best possible chance of success.

In particular Angela spent hours writing up my inquiry and answering the questions that came back at me from the ministry. Thanks you Angela.

students encouraging other teachers to make learning rewindable

My colleague Troy England is also doing an enquiry into video,screencasting and rewindable learning. He received this e mail today from another teacher


Malo Troy

I need to learn how to screencastify after this busy week please. Helen talking to me how it helps her to learn better, being able to playback a lesson certainly has made a difference with her (and according to her others in the class). She actually showed me one of your videos. And now I understand how I need to get my site done.

Its great to see students enjoying the affordance of video and rewindable learning and then asking their other teachers to do the same

Student feedback

I collected in student feedback from my Level 1 and 2 class.

With each class they have had their first experience this year using google docs for work and a website for learning

The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

Mr Borland's PE site is a useful for my learning(26 responses)

Absolutely	17
Mostly	8
Not Really	1
Never	0
Other	0

Mr Borland's PE site is easy to use(26 responses)

Absolutely	16
Mostly	10
Not Really	0
Never	0
Other	0

Mr Borland's screencasts that on on his site are useful for my learning(26 responses)

Absolutely	13
Mostly	9
Not Really	3
Never	1
Other	0

Please make any relevant comments on mr Borland's website(12 responses)

It help me learning different activities..

It help me learning different activities..

It's easier for me to use!. If i was to come to class late and missed out on what we have to do, I wouldn't have to worry much because all I would have to ask him is what were on then go to the website and start working.

meh

Easy to use and find

really easy to use and is helpful

The PE site is good for knowing what to do on an assessment but learning sources on the site don't have a broad selection of information to choose from. Screen casts are very useful for recapping what happened in the lesson without having to ask the teacher, who could be busy with other students etc. Using google docs is very good because getting feedback stays on the page which is harder to forget, and it helps with going through the assessment at a step by step bases making the assessments seem less intimidating.

Pe is the only class i have that involves a website and i feel that its helped me alot in class. Pe is my favourite class because i can actually understand and do the work properly using the guidelines of the website.

it gives good information and these form things are fun to do

it okay to used for mt school work but not mostly for me

Mr Borland is a very great teacher.

Mr Borland has stepped up ever since he has met us and for his website it made it much easer then knowing what we really had to do . its worth it

Using google docs improves my work(26 responses)

Absolutely	21
Mostly	3
Not Really	2
Never	0

Mr Borland's feedback on google docs helps with my learning(26 responses)

Absolutely	16
Mostly	7
Not Really	3
Never	0

Overall I enjoy using google docs and google sites to do my work(26 responses)

Absolutely	18
Mostly	7
Not Really	1
Never	0

What does Mr Borland do well in his teaching(21 responses)

He teach us about respecting and how to follow rules.

He teach us about respecting and how to follow rules.

explains how to play games well.

He encourages us all to do our best, he also pushes us to strive for the best without giving up easily. he always pushes us to complete all task in a self reasonable way .also sharing good experience from his life to make us realise the real world and to help us to learn from our mistakes and not to be able to go back and redo the mistakes that we deleted from our life's and the past.

commenting on your work to help complete the work.

The sport we play in P.E is fun and a good teacher in the classroom

he's good at explaining things when it's hard and very good at talking

good at explaing

Makes assessments seem like less work giving it out in steps which are easy to follow because of the website. Lots of praise which gives the atmosphere of the classroom a great learning environment.

gives frequent feedback about my work

he uses words that are in my vocab lol, easier to understand mr borland then other teachers.

explaining what I have to do and write about more easier for me to understand

talks a lot

I like how he guides us through each step of our learning in order for us to achieve

Explains what we need to do clearly

Everything

he demonstrates things to us and tells us our rights and wrongs.

it all right teaching some times it not

he helps us

Explain about his knowledge and activity that we were playing.

having us trying our very best to succeed in everything we do ,.

How could Mr Borland improve his teaching(16 responses)

By using his knowledge about something that make us response.

By using his knowledge about something that make us response.

I don't know yet. ?

Stop saying the "its your fault" quotes alot it gets annoying sometimes.

Create a bond with all students so we all get along

getting to know every single student in the class well and build a strong bond with everyone.

Maybe harsher criticism in giving feedback to help improve work quality.

become less stressed, it reflects on the class and its hard to work in a stressed environment.

dont be awkward

NIL

he doesn't really need to improve.

by having more confectioner in us

He doesnt need too.

idk

By using all his skills and body language.

nothing because what ever he has done , is what a teacher should also be doing , he can be hard on us students but it always gonna be for a reason , I think mr Borland is one good teacher .

Making learning rewindable using video delay

In my PE classes I am now regularly making the physical skills rewindable. I do this by using an I pad app called BaM. It stands for bust a move. This provides video streaming but in delay. The delay can be from 2 seconds too 2 minutes

Next use apple TV to mirror the Ipad onto the 70 inch TV that is installed in our Gym. The video can now be viewed by the entire gym. It creates an instant reply like situation. I would like to thank the board of trustees of Papakura High for their support in the installation of a TV

The result is students viewing and watching their movements. The teacher can prompt them and discuss with them what they are doing. It saves the teacher from trying to use words to do this. Now the learning and evaluating is visual

NCEA results term 1

Level 2 NCEA results term 1

Level 1 NCEA results term 1

With term 1 results just in its a chance for me to reflect on how digital technology has affected results.

What I have found is exactly what I experienced at Tamaki College when Google apps were initially used for teaching an learning

The disengaged students were still dis-engaged. They spent most of the time on Facebook and game and little time engaged in learning. They quickly found proxy servers to navigate around the teacher dashboard highlights.

On the positive side, engaged students learning has been accelerated. Many students gained merits and excellences. This was above national averages.

This graph enough reminded me that new initiatives don't always work immediately. Sometimes you have to take a step back to go forward. At Papakura High until the staff become confident users and change their pedagogy, as well as the students being mature in their use of the web and its distractions, things may well go back before they go forward

The important thing is that we realise the bigger picture and the long term benefits to digital enablement

Rewindable learning for staff

At morning briefings at Papakura High we have created a two minute slam session time where staff can share their digital tricks and tips.

Staff who have something to share book themselves in on a google doc.

In conjunction with this presentation I have set up a site to make this learning rewindable. On the site, the staff that share are asked to provide an overview, screenshots and better still a  screen-cast on how to use the digital feature. This makes the learning rewindable to staff. when they come to use the feature they can go back over the steps involved in using it.

So far we have had presentations on a wide range of digital features including sites, gmail, Hapara, and bookmarks


Click on the link below to view the Papakura High school 'How to site'

Site