Thursday, July 24, 2008

A New Term.


Teacher Day 25 July


Mathletics


This is all go for this term. Please make sure you have your teacher login so that you can print off the usernames and passwords for your class.


You should also spend a bit of time familiarising yourself with the teacher interface so that you are able to keep an eye on what your students are doing. I'll run you through an introductory session this morning.


Logon to Mathletics here!


Remember that Mathletics provides you with some detailed reports of what your students have been doing. It's worth spending a bit of time here.


Intranet


The new Wellesley website is due to launch on 4 August. Sneak preview:






From that date the existing website will be gone and the school network computers will point at the new public intranet page. The link to this page is below. This page will be available anywhere (not just at school) and has a initial list of links which will be refined and updated. It's not much to look at yet but it will be refined in the next couple of weeks.


http://wellesley.knowledge.net.nz/index.php?page=home


You will also see a school calendar which is a public version of the school calendar we all know and love. The plan is that this calendar will become the planning calendar which we currently use. Calendar items will be entered or edited by any staff members, and when you enter the item, you will need to decide who should view the item. Some may be for teacher view only, some may be student and/or parent as well.




Logging on to Knowledgenet (the intranet / Learning Management Site will give you a staff version or student version of the calendar, depending on who you are.


You will also see a notices section. Again, this is a public notice view, logging on will show you a student or staff version of these notices. Notices can be placed by any staff member for any group – whole school or class.


This all means that the calendar and notices can be prepared with the audience in mind. Students will only see student notices.


Logging on to Knowledgenet will also provide:



  • E reflection area


  • Booking Calendars:


    • Mobile Trolleys

    • Technology Room

    • Hall

    • Van

  • Personal web page/ work area

  • Digital Learning object repository

  • Collaboration areas

Library Development




The architect has prepared some basic drawings. Jane, Warren and I like the hall/ library/ICT area combo the best, but this will also be the most expensive.




Student Management System


This will be accessible from within the intranet as long as you are at school through a web browser. I am installing the web access to PCschool during next week. Again you will get a username and password – I'll try to integrate the usernames and passwords as far as possible! I hope the first stage will be to complete the roll through this. I would expect this to be under way during this term. Then we'll be able to provide access to assessment data like PAT and STAR. After that.......


I'll run a training session as soon as it's up and running.


ICT Prof Dev Cluster


We have completed a proposal to form an ICT Cluster for 2009 – 2011. This would mean ICT continuing to be a major focus during these years.


General


From the Google Blog:
Our Googley advice to students: Major in learning
7/15/2008 05:48:00 PM


Management guru Peter Drucker noted that companies attracting the best knowledge workers will "secure the single biggest factor for competitive advantage." We and other forward-looking companies put a lot of effort into hiring such people. What are we looking for?

At the highest level, we are looking for non-routine problem-solving skills. We expect applicants to be able to solve routine problems as a matter of course. After all, that's what most education is concerned with. But the non-routine problems offer the opportunity to create competitive advantage, and solving those problems requires creative thought and tenacity.

Blog Competition Winner for Term 2:


Darren's efforts in the sport area:


http://wellesleyhockey.edublogs.org/


http://wellesleype.edublogs.org/


http://wellesleycoltssport.edublogs.org/


Judges comment was that this was not an easy task!