Ipads and teaching: a great combination!

I have been using ipads in my teaching program over the last few months with great success. With the Phase 1 ESL students I have taken them to key locations in the school and photographed these: the canteen, sickbay, office, library etc. Back in the classroom each day we are reminded of these places visually. There are also great programs where words are pronounced in English and the students can record and playback these words. Great for encouraging them to speak English confidently.
In Learning and Support, Maths and English can be done on the white board and photographed for a record. Great for students who feel daunted by trying to fill a page with numbers/words or who have difficulties with fine motor control. There is also a great App which plays back the exact pronunciation of the words you have typed in. This really helps students to self correct their spelling.
The possibilities are endless!!!!
Enjoy these photos I took in the playground recently. The birds are enjoying "their" lunch as soon as the students returned to class! This would give the students something to write about.

Enjoy life!

I have the best advice ever. Don't put off today what you could do tomorrow. Just do it! In our busy lives it's easy to say, "I'll do that one day." My advice to you is not to worry about things that don't really matter. Do what you have to do then do what you want to do. Go on....explore your inner creativity! Enjoy :)

Art from recycled materials

A trip to the local scrap metal yard and recycling the old backyard fence can create something quite unique! Inspired by the wonderful artist Rosalie Gascoigne my son created this masterpiece. Why not search your backyard shed, collect otherwise discarded materials and make something special. Actually, I scour secondhand stores for ceramics to smash and use in my mosaics. Barely costs a thing!

Ken Robinson...well worth listening to

British education expert and author Ken Robinson believes schools should place greater value on children's creativity and their capacity for innovation. “We don't grow into creativity, we grow out of it. Or rather we are educated out of it,” he says in the TED 2006 talk. In his speech he called for creativity to be given the same status in education as literacy. “We have to rethink the fundamental principles on which we are educating our children.” I think we have come a long way since 2006, but still have a journey ahead of us. 

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Sunday night inspiration...

Sunday night inspiration!!!! Another week, new challenges, new ideas!!!!!! Sydney....what an amazing city to live in :) This photo was taken from Goldfields House, Circular Quay on New Year's Eve. Stunning view. I am sure this image will be inspirational!

Make creativity happen!

I was at the Bowral Markets in the NSW Southern Highlands recently and bought some gorgeous hand made cards. So imaginative that I had to pin them to the wall of my classroom for the students to view. Likewise I have miniature art canvases and easels, streamers, miniature pencil sets, specialty papers, glitter, rainbow textas, stickers etc etc. I am currently teaching students with learning needs and weave my creativity into each and every lesson. I can't recommend more highly the the importance of stocking your classroom and home with materials conducive to creativity. Keep things like clay, googly eyes, paddlepop sticks, feathers, confetti, pine cones, coloured papers, tape, glue, scissors etc on hand and readily available. If you can provide the materials then creativity will naturally follow. Not only does this encourage creativity and abstract thinking, but it also provides opportunities for promoting teamwork through working collaboratively.