Born in 1984

Welcome to Beijing Learning Summit 2009 and to my presentation “21st Century Teaching: Where’s Your Portfolio?”

I flew in from Japan last night really excited to be here. I’m passing around my information so that you can take look at how I have spent the last 2.5 years working with ICT and Yokohama International School. I currently work as the Elementary ICT Facilitator and work closely with the IB PYP Curriculum Coordinator, teachers, and students. Please feel free to see my Job Description and Resume on this blog.

My presentation today will focus on how you as an educator can create and maintain a presence online.

“Educators often help students prepare portfolios for goal-setting and to record progression in learning. But who is helping the teachers do the same? Are teacher portfolios a necessary part of teaching? For educators in international schools, a teacher portfolio may be the best way to consolidate teaching materials and reflect on their work as they travel the world. In this presentation we will relate and discuss student to teacher portfolios, how to get started or make your teacher porfolio better, and what things to be conscious of when sharing your work with an audience that extends beyond the classroom.

“More than a presenter, I would like to think myself as a facilitator so I would like to hear your feedback and discussion points throughout the session. I do not know much about working in China but I would like to know more about what social media or Web 2.0 can be used in the schools. Please share as much as you can and I will too. We have 1.5 hours together so I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone

Grade 2 went a zoo called Zoorasia in Yokohama. Photos were taken during the day and an MP3 recorder was used to record the children’s voices. I helped combine ICT skills for the classroom teacher by first joining the Grade 2 on field trips, recording voices, and using photos taken by classroom teachers during the day and then producing a video, photos, and audio clip in Animoto for the class. From that experience and 1:1 training sessions with the teacher, the classroom teacher produced the following podcast & Animoto on her own!

Gr2Zoos

I love zoos but I thought twice about telling the Grade 2 students that I went to the zoo after I heard their reflections on the Animoto + Podcast below. I felt a little guilty ‘enjoying’ the zoo since natural habitats are much better for animals but there I was having a great time at a zoo looking at animals in cages.

Eiken Spring 2009 is a three night stay ESL camp. Eiken Spring 2009 Students wrote stories and shared them by reading. Other pictures show team-building activities and views from Shonan Village Center, which facility is called 湘南国際村 in Japanese.

Note: All photos taken and voices recorded with an iPhone.

国際英研センターが行うSpring Campで参加した生徒は湘南国際村で３泊４日の合宿を過し、その時の写真と体験が以下のビデオで見れます。

Accompanied Grade 2 on their trip to Miraikan in Odaiba.  I tried to answer their PYP Unit of Inquiry: How does technology connect people with my photos.
 
So…How does the technology you use connect the people in your life?

See the full gallery on posterous

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Walking around Tokyo on Valentine’s Day.

The goal was to check out the new Nike Sportswear (aka. NSW) shop which had more Nike ID sneakers on display for non-purchase than for purchase. The store had 5 iMacs, 2 Macbooks, and an Apple Cinema Display.

Took pictures of the store signs in the same ‘hood that showed lots of creativity to lure customers into their store.

Walking through Yoyogi Park, within 50 meters of each other there were soccer players sweeping the turf, ballers playing pick up, and runners using the track & field. With a sign roaring on display: “Bring 2016 Olympics to Tokyo.” Hope the dream becomes alive.

See the full gallery on posterous

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In December 2008, Grade 2 went to the Ghibli Museum to see how Miyazaki Hayao (Japanese & English) shared stories in different ways as one of their PYP Units of Inquiry.

Details of production
Grade 2 students were recording audiobooks in class so after being invited to the Ghibli Museum, I really wanted to record voices for this trip. The students sketched their experiences all day. The teacher took pictures of their sketches. The students’ voices were recorded prior, during, and after the trip. The Podcast includes voices during and after the trip.

Shanel uploaded photos to Animoto and I worked on stringing the audio recordings to make a Podcast. After several attempts to edit the photo selection in Animoto and shorten the Podcast, the audio was uploaded to Animoto. See her blog entry.

Animoto allows the user to post to Facebook and export to YouTube. The video was exported to the Yokohama International School YouTube Channel. Please enjoy the video below.

I’m so much more proud of this video than the first one. In 8 minutes I got 50 shots in. I’m hoping to work up to making 100 shots in…I wonder how long that will take me!

For the photos with new kicks, can you spot the differences?

   

Note:
This here is the baller who bought me all the basketball gear.

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Beautiful freezing day in Yokohama ended with sleet. But before that there was some good basketball.

Photo 1:
After 3 Days of Rain
Road Toward Kawasaki

Photo 2:
Corn Soup Drink to Warm the Soul

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I shot 50 shots today, like I promised myself in my last entry 

Tomorrow is a practice with the high school girls. Still trying to find a women’s team that I can play with.