Where did this term go?!?

CRAZY! Somehow I have managed to get to week 7 with my blinkers on! Seriously how? lol Its been a productive start to term 3 (Start- listen to me! we're over half way through!) I have had regular meeting with the ICT team, we have been very supportive to staff by running lots of workshops. I ordered the remaining classroom mimios... yes thats right ALL teachers have a mimio. With new mimios comes PD- so the supprotive ICT team have been busy in classrooms helping teachers set up their new "toy" and show them through the basics.
Still manage to get lost in the job list- Ive realised that if I take the job list after morning tea on a Thursday before our technical support arrives- and visit teachers I can almost halve the jobs and we can finish them... for a while there it seemed like the jobs were never ending and arrows would appear all over the page to push them through to the following week!
Struggling with the admin and jobs and general demands that ICT brings- and only having half a day release make getting things finished difficult.
ICT leaders were sent to syndicate meetings with questions about how well staff utalised and enjoyed having the extra laptop in thier classroom- general response... they love it!
We have just finished maths week- so they were in great use- also I believe it gave teachers an in sight of how well they work in the maths programme. Mathletics in the school has also pushed for integrating maths on computers.
So what has been happening...
We started the term with our Cluster Expo. It was amazing. Belinda as always had planned a wonderful interactive learning evening. Great feedback about the workshops and guest speakers. Fabulous food (only I would comment on the food!) super company :-) that took care of week one
Then it was parent interviews week 2... dance evening at Elim over 2 nights week 3... Sick week 4 (Damn cough!)...senior syndicate dance evening week 5....(my dance group performed- so back to being a make up artist)... Room 20 presented assembly in week 6 oh and YAY we have reached this week!
Belinda has been running PD with the staff at BDS on define maps and solo.... My kids had previously had trouble understanding the concept... today I think I had a break through by building a house (knowledge) lets see if you get it!
1. Pre structual.... BARE LAND
2. Uni Structual.... Foundation/floor goes down
3. Multi structural.. Frame of the house goes up
4. Relational........ Walls- decor- curtains/carpet-Fill your house with all the things that make it a home and add art work, family, etc....
5. Extended abstract.. Get to know your neighbours and community!

So anyway... if the whole teaching thing doesnt work out... I could try a career in building?

So we have 4 weeks to go... 4 weeks! Oh actually I have 3- I'm in Fiji for week 9- Jealous much??? So much to do and so little time. Watch this space :-P

Until next time
B-) x

ICT Lead Teacher Day 11/08/10

What a fabulous hands on day!
The morning started with watching one of B1's famous funny/inspiational you tube clips... this week, an inspiring woman in her 100th year using an ipad... I kid you not! An ipad!
We then got into our school teams to discuss our action plan for ICT/Inquiry and review this year to date and our next steps (very productive).
We spend some time looking at the plan for our milestone 5 report in our teams which was very clear and gave us an insight of what to expect in the report and the evidence we need to collect.
We had a devine morning tea made by B1 herself (Need that recipe for the spanich and feta creaps btw) and bach into school teams to discuss the difference between Inquiry teaching and action research.... OMG we had SO MUCH FUN making a presentation. We did ours on The Big Bang Theory. Collecting photos of Sheldon typing in his journal and teaching Penny the difference between Inquiry learning and action research and being a reflective practitioner. It was great fun and really nice to do something productive with collegues and have the time to enjoy it!
Our presentation isn't quite finished... we want to tweak a few things, but i'm sure when you see it, you'll understand why we enjoyed this hands on process :-)
Thank you Belinda- You think you worked us to the bone, but you kept us busy and on task... I had a fabulous day!
Until next time... B-)