Welcome
“If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob
our children of tomorrow.”
John Dewey
“The need to know the capital of Florida died when
my phone learned the answer. The students of
tomorrow need to be able to think creatively:
they need to learn on their own, adapt to new
challenges and innovate on-the-fly.”
Anthony Chivetta – High School Student
Today I’m showing you part of an
ongoing project that had its beginnings
back in 2002.
It grew as a result of an observation I
made and it began with a very basic
page of web links.
Useful Web Sites
This is a piece of
my original web
page, first built
in word and later
updates were
made in
FrontPage.
It looks clunky
and a rather ugly
but a lot of it still
works today.
(great site for photograph examples)
www.photo.net.
www.photosig.com
www.pixiport.com
(photography information and advice)
www.photographytips.com
www.home.fujifilm.com/mini_guide/index.html
www.scphoto.com
www.webphotoschool.com/newschool/dealer/default.asp?dealer=photoflex
www.photo.net/learn/
(composition, lenses, the light meter, exposure control)
http://photoworkshops.biz/class1.htm
http://www.fodors.com/focus/focselect.cfm?catid=9
(Action / Motion Photography)
http://www.photo.net/sports/overview
http://www.fodors.com/focus/focselect.cfm?catid=8
(composition info)
www.photosoc.wellington.net.nz/articles
http://asp.photo.free.fr/Composition/photoProgramCompMainClass.shtml
www.scphoto.com/html/tech.html
www.risd.org/schools/phs/clubs/ponyexpr/photoj/composi/framing/framing.htm
www.linkdirectory.com/paulillsley/photography/
http://www.risd.org/schools/phs/clubs/ponyexpr/photoj/composi/
http://www.northnet.org/jimbullard/COMPOSE.htm
(digital infrared, panoramic photography, stereoscopic photography
and heaps of useful links)
http://www.pauck.de/marco/photo/infrared/ccd/
http://www.echeng.com/photo/infrared/
http://www.pibweb.com/ross/IR1.htm
http://www.pbase.com/frankl/infrared/
To see where the project is
today we firstly need to put
2002 into context.
• In 2002 ‘Google’ was less than 2 years
old.
• MSN messenger was the social
networking tool of choice.
• ‘Myspace’ had not been invented.
• ‘Facebook’ was two words that had
very little in common.
• When we used the internet we used
search engines such as –
‘dogpile’, ‘askjeeves’ and ‘webwombat’.
• The internet was sllllllow.
• A 20gb harddrive was huge.
• Thumbdrives had not been invented yet.
• Neither had the iPhone.
• In the world of photography a 1.5Mp camera
costs $2400.
• A cheap digital DSLR camera with 6mp costs
$7000.
• We still used film here as the medium of
choice.
• We processed photographs here in a wet
darkroom.
• Photoshop version 5.0 is the latest update.
• In this room I had 8 student computers
and 1 A4 printer. It was great at the time.
• There was no teacher computer.
• I had never heard the word ‘Smartboard’.
• I had no idea how to make a webpage.
2005 Term 1
• The school had purchased 2
‘smartboards’ in 2003, that for the most
part were just sitting around.
• So I asked if I could take one, set it up
and see what I could do with it.
2005 Later in the year
• The ‘smartboard’ is a huge success.
• I love the concept and the students love
the concept.
• I enthusiastically develop more resources
to run on our school intranet.
• My webpage skills are not great.
• I use ‘FrontPage’ because it’s easy and
similar to word.
• I see huge potential in this approach.
• It starts to occur to me that I can move
from a paper driven curriculum to a
largely paperless curriculum.
2005-2007 Teacher Designed Schools Project
• I work with a fantastic group of people
that look at the concept of -
‘Building Powerful, Positive Learning
Environments’
• This was a ‘light bulb’ moment that helps
me to realize the vision I have for my
classroom.
The Vision
• I want to create a 21st century learning environment
that is exciting to learn in and teach in.
• I want it to have the tools and technologies that the
students of today know and don’t know.
• It must be relevant.
• It must be a place that students want to come to.
• It must be a space that is rich with opportunities and
possibilities.
• It must be a place where students are excited and
eager to get involved in learning.
2008
• I attend a conference in Sydney that
focusses on using technology in the
classroom.
• World renowned educators are the
keynote speakers.
• They paint a concerning picture about
student learning and outcomes, unless
there is a realization and action.
• Approaches to teaching need to adapt to
meet the educational needs of
generation ’Y’.
• Teaching as we did in the 1980’s and 90’s
is no longer appropriate or relevant.
2009
• I work along side of Steve, Glen, Ben and
Gavin on a project to rebuild and launch
the ‘college intranet v2.0.’
• I take all of my content and rebuild it into
the new format. My version 3.0
• The new intranet works brilliantly (in my
opinion) and for the first time students can
access the content via the internet from
home.
• I continue to adapt, create, review and
build resources to enrich the teaching
and learning opportunities for
photography students.
2011
• I’m on leave for a year.
• The intranet project whilst brilliant is not
being actively taken up and used by staff,
for many reasons.
• I’m concerned that that the intranet may
be turned off.
Late 2011
• I know that I never want to, or could go
back and do my job without the tools
and technologies that I use today.
• I decide to set up and manage my own
hosted website.
• So I rebuild my web for the 4th time (100+ hours).
• In late January 2012 I turn it on.
2012
• www.blueskyclassroom.net is a great success.
• Students are actively using it.
• By the end of 2012 it has received 183000 hits.
• Student grades are up.
• I continue to develop, tweak and review.
• My web skills are better but not brilliant.
• During term 3 Catherine presents staff with an
opportunity to propose an ICT project.
So now we need to step forward to see
where technology is today?
• Today film technology has all but
vanished.
• A 12mp DSLR camera costs $600 and a
24mp camera costs less than $2000.
• Photoshop has been updated 8 times
over 10 years.
• Almost everyone has smartphone that allows
you talk, text, surf, buy sell, learn, listen to
music, watch a movie, skype, collaborate etc.
• The internet is available almost everywhere
and it’s much faster.
• MSN messenger has been closed down.
• ‘Myspace’ has been and gone and come back
again.
• The iPhone is up to version 5
• Hard drives come in terabytes.
• We can save data to a cloud.
• Tablet technology is common place.
• Google is the second richest tech
company in the world.
• Technology is changing at a faster and
faster rate.
• ’Touchscreen’ technology is everywhere.
On our phones, tablet pc’s, in banks,
planes, supermarkets and in our cars.
• This is now the technology that students
are familiar with.
• This will be the foundation of my ICT
proposal.
• So I put forward a project proposal in 2 parts.
• Part 1 - Seek out, install and integrate a large
touch screen as a replacement for my
projector based smartboard.
• Part 2 (later date) - explore how a tablet device
could be integrated, to encourage students to
become more actively involved with
curriculum materials during lesson delivery.
The results to date shortly
Ultimately, the idea is for the
touchscreen technology to compliment
the aspects of my long term project
that are already in place, whilst also
providing a platform for new resources
to be designed and built, that will
continue to realize my vision.