winter festival farewell

A friend commented recently on the fast learning curve that we undertake on becoming a parent. Minus the handbook, we are immediately thrust into situations that no one can really prepare us for, as parent and child, being unique individuals, become part of a synergistic experience.
Becoming a class guardian in a steiner school is a similar experience. One that, until undertaken can never be explained, but similar to a parent in that, when our students are ready to step out into the world as conscious, participating young adults we can feel a great sense of satisfaction
The dragons (2006) in "the flight of the phoenix", a potent symbol of transformation.

concept map

The latest and last field trip for the class of 2006 (computer willing?)


Field trips provide for: Social experiences - team work, boundaries for the group and individuals, environmental and life experiences etc.
Cultural experiences - exchange, history,customs, disease eg high incidence of malaria in Vanuata, diet, housing, traditional dress, language etc.
Scientific _ geography, geology, marine, social, ecological, environmental, biology etc.

student graph

useful tool for keeping students marks readily available and adjustable according to tasks given.

maya animation

a technological tangent, strange, weird but fecund with potential as a tool for learning.

a glimpse of "country"

The site, "digital songlines" has the potential to be of great interest for Australians and overseas visitors. Digital technology is being used as a vehicle to assist in the preservation of knowledge of the Aboriginal history and culture. By involving custodians, elders and communities in this movement to bring past into present and on into the future, their songlines could not only be disseminated in a manner which maintains respect and cultural sensitivity for individual tribes but also provides an edgy modern day medium for aboriginal youth to find their way to marrying their unique culture with the 21C.

blog spot and friend

BLOG SPOT!! Ever been in one? … I wonder if Alice felt like this before she took the plunge? I just took a walk, although plunging was imminent, and in I went, into the world of inspiration, creativity and great examples of

copy paste..... copy paste..... copy paste..... copy paste.....

to the abode of a fellow blogger … ?

hmm … fel / ogger?

And so there I found myself, with my blog SPOT, which was still hanging about, but now I was teetering on the edge of “the zone” [of, proximal development], and her doorstep.

My blog SPOT = I was trying to see where I imagined I could go (read, analogue refugee e-challenged and therefore artistically and creatively frustrated), but, I had a blind SPOT. Similar to driving an old Chevy that wasn’t retrofitted with the latest software. Both SPOTS possess the potential to hinder the freedom of movement in our fast moving technological age whether on the road to Dunedoo or on the road to new and exciting realms. But there’s nothing like the imminent end of semester exam to move a SPOT or two.

Cognitive tools to help us navigate our way around a blind SPOT:

SUBJECTIVE TOOL
1. (a) Look in rear view mirror, can’t see. Look over ones shoulder, can’t see. Put on the blinker and move cautiously to the [L] or [R] as indicated. Still can’t see but here goes. Meet with smooth transition to next lane. Cool!
(b) Horns blasting, tyres screeching and aussie superlatives being flung out of windows as fingers gesture and arms flail about... hmm
(c) Or, a bit of a bang. Not cool!
2. Wide-angle rear view mirror that, in theory has been created to eliminate those pesky SPOTS, but could still place one in an awkward situation. See 1.

OBJECTIVE TOOL
3. Computerised sensing devices that warn the intrepid traveller of 1. thus allowing a smoother [read safer] transition and avoidance of such interruptions.
4. Total computerisation ie, autopilot which, theoretically, will eliminate all human error including all our SPOTS!!

So, back to my blog SPOT - which had only recently revealed itself as my brief window of opportunity to blog had finally arrived. You know that window? The one that says now you can move, change lanes, try something different etc. Well there it was, and I couldn’t see clearly where or how I had to go, as quickly and smoothly as possible because of SPOTS on my window. More hmmm…
I had the cognitive tool ..... computer..... lacking ……
a collaborative and distributed work environment.

Now, back to doorstep teetering. There’s Alice”, Z.P.D. in one hand and the doorknob in the other, ready (actually excited, because “friend on the floor" is cleaver, creative and a perfectionist) to plunge headlong into the world of blog where artist writer researcher creator explorer analyst activist …. can play.

And there she lay, stretched out on the floor, papers strewn about, thoughts in multi colours - glyphs/writings - moments thrown out and captured before they escaped… to possibly be collected and carefully placed together as a snapshot of THAT part of her learning.

I can imagine the smile on Vygotsky’s face as friend and I set off on a journey together. Social interaction was prolific. There were discussion with house mates and phone conversations about blogs and potential creations. We were all in our Z.P.D. ready to assimilate something new into our pre existing cognitive structure and we established the scaffolding which would provide us (actually, that was more for me) with tools to allow for different possibilities of expression. We explored other bloggers sites and commented on what worked or didn’t .eg. some blogs may have been literally interesting but for those with a predominant visual intelligence there was little on offer to entice them in (Gardner: Multiple Intelligence).

I left, Z.P.D excitedly held in one hand and walked home to add another blogging moment to cyberspace.

field trips, another exciting opportunity to be in "the zone"...

ACTION RESEARCH… in action Class field trips are a very obvious and accessable example of action research. The think, talk, plan, act cycle is used by the teacher to research and establish a program suitable for the students age and pedagogical requirements. Desired outcomes, budget, time constraints and subject area are all taken into account to provide an extremely effective distributed learning environment for both students and teachers / supervisors. The teachers / supervisors often then adopt the role of facilitators and or students as both planned and unplanned experiences are presented to individuals and the group. Previously organised guides adopt the role of teacher and unexpected experiences are to be expected, particularly when there are so many individuals travelling as a group An excellent learning experience for all. A great example of this is our year 9, 2003 “desert trip”. Our class journeyed approximately 14,000ks in one month. We left the north coast of N.S.W. heading NthW, or so we thought. Actually, we were no more than 1hr along the Pacific Highway when we discovered that the foul, burnt rubber smell we were noticing was coming from our hired trailer. Brand new but evidently never road tested. The left side had collapsed enough to allow the wheel hub to rub on the tyre. So, our dawn start and fabulous pre planned, systematically organised packing of the trailer was soon tossed out the window and into the car park of the nearest shopping centre.

So, the best laid plans were changed, and instead of having 7hrs of white lines and landscape behind us we had 3 attempts at packing and unpacking the trailer only to change it for a smaller, less efficient but tried and true one. We left Brisbane around 1pm.

..where was that amenities block?

a storyteller from the bush

... a little bit of fire and a little bit of stick...

... insect.

no sunburn for this girl.