Archive for January, 2007

ICT Register: “Here Miss!”

When I was at school, I used to have the day dream (I am sure everbody used to have it… didn’t they?!) that I was the Six Million Dollar Man. (Oh go on…be honest! Who hasn’t secretly done “in-head commentaries” as they puff their way breathlessly around a school playing field in an ill-fitting M&S tracksuit… or was that just me?!) Well, it was with flashbacks (and that’s not nylon against dralon sparks!) to those glorious pseudo-athletic days that I navigated my way around the impressive Loughborough University complex to find the venue for the ICT Register Showcase. (“Here comes the small but perfectly formed, neat yet not gaudy and only slightly balding athlete, Rylands, representing England at the Witter Olympics!) What a remarkable establishment.

I was also reminded of my trip to Cyan (the minds behind the Myst games) and their offices in Spokane, last August. There, the front entrance has been “ripped away” from the main building and placed the other side of a small bridge. At the venue yesterday, we entered via a long drawbridge across a lake. Very Myst-like.

I enjoyed meeting up with Sian Bloor, a student teacher who is investigating the power of computer games in the classroom. It always a pleasure to talk to people with a passion for their subject and Sian is one of those. A perceptive and enthusiastic soul, who will make a very valuable member of the teaching profession. I wish her luck in her studies.

Another great find was the folk on the Mathletics stand. Shane, Alice and the rest of the team showed me my first looks at, what seems to be an impressive, web-based environment for motivating children’s maths skills. I am keen to find out more.

My presentation was slightly marred by the venue’s sound system being almost as mute as the swans on the lake outside. I would like to thank the audience for a warm and generous response. Thank you to all those at the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and the ICT Register for inviting me to speak at a great event. It was a delight to meet up with them all beforehand too.

I have been fortunate enough to do some work with Scott Wilson, and the staff of the Bristol Sensory Support Service, on finding ways of using the visual literacy ideas, and the audio from the games etc, with the children they work alongside. It is something I am being asked to become involved in more often now as people are aware of the huge potential these simple ideas have for motivating all children.

Today’s link is to a really useful page on the RNID website, which is their Fingerspelling Tool. With it you can learn how to finger spell letters, words or indeed whole sentences that you type in to a text box.

To follow the link, just feel how warm my hands are after attempting to sign through this post!

Now THAT was fun!

I always enjoy days where I get invited to a school to do a series of demo lessons with colleagues observing. It is an enjoyable challenge to detect the needs of a group of children and stretch their expectations of themselves. Today, at Longleaze school in Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, that challenge was made even more fun by a delightful set of children and an equally delightful set of teachers. It has been my pleasure to travel around this country and meet a huge range of people. I am constantly surprised by the humour and imagination of children and the creativity and dedication of colleagues in all areas. Today, again, I saw nothing but SMILES! Thank-you.

I even picked up a new word thanks to “R” in one of the classes. I am going to nick it as a piece of “creative plagiarism” if that’s O.K. with you “R”

When we were discussing descriptive phrases, I asked what it was called when you compare one thing to another e.g. “the gravel path is like an apple crumble” A forest of hands went up and the word “Simile” was confidently offered. “O.K. What about when you say that the gravel path IS an apple crumble? In other words that it IS rather than is like. (if anybody emails to correct my description of these two devices, please remember it has been a long week. ) “R” put his hand up, enthusiastically, and said “I don’t know the word, but how about a SAME-ely?!” Delicious, and something I will quote for years to come I am sure.

The afternoon session, with two classes of year five and six, wasn’t even thrown by the school’s projector going blank half way through. “In my writing I’m going to “close my eyes” for a moment because the scenery is “all too much” Mr Rylands.

Thank you to Rachel, for organising a tremendous day, and to all those that kept me supplied with toast throughout the day! The expression that I picked up from the team in Huntingdon applied today too. “No wangy toast here!”

Now that’s a great quote. So today’s link is a store of some of the best:

http://www.brainyquote.com/

Over the bridge, again.

I had a thoroughly enjoyable day over the bridge in Newport today. My Welsh connections continue to grow. Monmouthshire, Newport and others, invited me for a day of exploring visual literacy ideas, mainly focused on the use of games. EVERYBODY was up for a challenge and it was great to spend the day with so many smiling faces. Thanks to all those who sent thoughtful, encouraging (and very …prompt!) emails. I look forward to a return visit to Monmouthshire already booked for later in the year.

Congratulations must go, at least, to Frances, for conducting a mini masterpiece to go with another roller-coaster ride. I was impressed by some truly inventive ways to play standard percussion instruments too. A gloriously controlled cacophony. I will post pictures when I get them. Thank you to Karen, Frank, Penny and all those involved in the organisation of a fun day.

A recurring theme of today was the balance that is needed between planning what you want to achieve in lessons, and flying with ideas. Children can lead in many of the game based sessions, but you do need to have a clear idea of objectives and intended outcomes. However, I do feel that it is important to take the brakes off and fly a bit as well.

It is really crucial to explore game environments in a structured, but not overly planned, way initially. e.g. to have an idea about what kind of things you can cover but not predetermine a route or how long you are going to spend in each location. It is important to become familiar with the games yourself at first. Then, when you begin explorations with a class, to be prepared to cover less physical ground than you might expect. You may only “move” one “pace” but the children will be able to see how a new paragraph can begin with just a turn of the head, or reaching out to move a lever. Standing outside a door is a classic example of how tension and expectation can be built within a readers mind.

I was asked where to find sound effects.

A useful little site is appropriately called just that, “findsounds”:
http://www.findsounds.com/types.html