Jamie Oliver is one person who is concerned about the obesity that surrounds us every day. In his 18 minute TED talk (Technology, Entertainment and Design), “Teach every child about food” (see below), he shares some concerning facts, such as students could not recognise basic foods, like tomatoes and potatoes, and how much sugar is in a milk drink. Oliver is a great ambassador for eating healthy foods.

In Australia, the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation is promoting healthy eating programmes in partner schools and is being used in many educational sites throughout our country. The site offers curriculum documents for teaching units based on topics such as “Planet Food”, “Recipes and Menus”, “People and Food”, “Fractions and Decimals”, “Measurement”, and “Garden Life”, which can be downloaded. It also offers training and events and supplies a tab for how to join.

The Australian Curriculum: Technologies is not about Information and Communication Technology; it refers to a broader sense of the word, such as Manual Arts, Home Economics,  Agriculture, Media, Business and Computing (Albion, 2014). The Australian Curriculum site divides the Technologies curriculum into Design and Technology and Digital Technology.

The Design and Technology tab includes Engineering principles and systems; Food and fibre production and Food specialisations; and Materials and technologies specialisations.

An ongoing page on Scoop.it! will be continually updated with resources that relate to Healthy Eating Education (Food and Curriculum) and can be accessed at this link.

Let’s teach this generation to look after their health and live long. Health and happiness go together!

Michelle

Animation courtesy of Dainsyng.

Ted talk courtesy of TED.

Image courtesy of Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation

Here are the links to my three Scratch activities this week. It will only take you a couple of minutes to view all three…

Colour change and drum beat

 

Magically appearing house

 

Etch-a-Sketch that changes line and colour

This last one requires you to move the arrow keys and gives the option of line thickness and colour.

 

Keep smiling!

Michelle

Animation courtesy of Dainsyng

My latest university course is on the Technologies curriculum in the Australian Curriculum. We are required to make some small artefacts using the Scratch program by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Here is my simple dance party. All I did was add ‘Dan’ to the floor and give him a couple of moves.

I forgot how much fun Scratch can be to use. With a bit of assistance, students with special needs can enjoy using this program.

Cheers!

Michelle

Dainsyng animation courtesy of wikimedia

Here is my most recent assignment for uni. I had to create and deliver an oral presentation today. I chose Prezi again and am happy with the outcome. You may prefer to click here, but you can view it in full screen if you click on the image in the bottom right hand corner. Just press escape on your keyboard to exit when you finish.

I’d like to hear what you think…

Yours cheerfully

Michelle

Animation courtesy of Dainsyng

Here is another great six minute animation from the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), about teacher performance and development in Australia.

It explains the framework to support improvement in teaching, as the “quality of teaching is the most significant in-school factor that affects student outcomes”, and has been proven through international research.

Therefore, Australian teachers now have a framework for performance and development to enhance their quality of teaching.

Great news for teachers!

Michelle

Daisy animation courtesy of dainsyng.

I saw this last year and it is so professionally done and very engaging. It is produced by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) and goes for six and a half minutes. Worth the short time to view, especially if you are a teacher. Whether you are a pre-service teacher or have been in the profession for decades, it is still applicable.

Take a look below…

More stuff to keep us smiling.

Michelle

Daisy animation courtesy of dainsyng.

I just watched this video and am so thrilled that it supports my whole philosophy of teaching. I have a strong belief in caring for our students, and this school in Louisville, Kentucky, has had a breakthrough in behaviour and learning because they have focused on teaching students social skills.

Take a look and see what you think…

I’m really smiling now!

Michelle

Animation courtesy of dainsyng.

Just before Easter, our EDC3100 examiner, David, posted a message about the Beyond the Range scholarship grants to do a rural or remote professional experience (PE). I jumped at the opportunity and got in just in time. Tomorrow, I am leaving after work to travel to my rural prac destination.

I’m so excited. I’ve been communicating with the PE teacher and Principal, and have had accommodation provided by another teacher there. As I want to get to know the school, teacher and class before I actually start my 3 week stint of pre-service teaching, I’m leaving a few days early to have some lead-in days beforehand.

The school has only about 200 students and the classes are all composite. They do have high school up to Year 10, but I will be with the Year 2/3 class of about 20 students.

If you ever get the chance to do a rural or remote prac, I highly recommend the experience, even though I haven’t left yet! Actually, I think I would probably enjoy a remote prac too. My prac teacher seems very supportive and has told me to enjoy myself and relax (?). Not sure about the relaxing side, but it will definitely be a great experience, as I’ve already done a prac in a little rural school before and totally loved it.

There is always such an atmosphere of community spirit in small country towns, and the locals depend on each other so much that they have to communicate well. It’s also a good opportunity to learn more skills as there are not so many specialists or staff available, and teachers get to do different things that they may not get to do in a regional city.

I’ll report in again after I return! If I get the chance, I’ll blog while I’m away.

Happy days!

Michelle

Animation courtesy of dainsyng.

Ever heard of the term “bucket filler”? I haven’t until today. But I have heard of biblical concepts such as reaping what we sow and doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Today, I watched a clip on YouTube, where two children read the story “Have you filled a bucket today?”, by Carol McCloud, and illustrated by David Messing. A uni lecturer from my Social and Emotional Wellbeing and Learning (SEWL) course provided it as a link.

This is such a beautiful story, which actually reflects a concept and practice that I usually do many times daily. The concept is that everyone carries an invisible bucket that can only be filled with love.

Many years ago I realised that when I spread love to others it comes back to me, so I have made it a habit and at times an effort to say and do considerate words and actions to others. It only needs to be a simple thing, like commenting how lovely their hair is, or that they have a lovely smile.

Carol McCloud’s book calls it “being a bucket-filler”. On the contrary, you could be a “bucket-dipper” in an attempt to fill your own bucket, but it never works. Try watching this short 5 minute clip of the story and see if you are a bucket-filler or bucket-dipper. I think we’ve probably all been guilty of both, but we can choose to see the good in people and fill their buckets so that the world is a happier place to live in.

There is also a second book called, “How full is your bucket? For kids”, by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer.

What do you think of this concept to teach children social aspects?

Keep filling those buckets, people! It’ll make your own overflow…and then you can’t help but smile 🙂

Michelle

Have You Filled a Bucket Today? uploaded to YouTube by Adam Chau

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBx2OC_ff2Q

How Full is Your Bucket? Uploaded to YouTube by WillowCanyonWildcats

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5R6-2m_qHk

Animation courtesy of Dainsyng

Hi everyone

I know it’s been a while since I posted but back from holidays now.

I recently began a course at uni that focuses on social and emotional wellbeing and learning. The examiner, Steve, has a Scoop.It! page, so I had a look at it. Scoop.It! is a sharing site, like Pinterest, and you can curate a page and then add stuff to it.

I decided to call my page Social and Emotional Wellbeing, similar to Steve’s, so that I could keep up my ICT skills where possible while still learning and sharing.

My first share is a YouTube clip that was published on July 8, 2013 by TEDxMelbourne. The clip is extremely inspirational and engaging, and her message is very thought-provoking. Zara Swindells-Grose talks about the need to have a balance of humour in our lives if we want to retain social and emotional wellbeing, basically. She mentions current statistics about suicide and depression in Australia, amongst other mental health issues. It’s worth the 16.33 minutes of viewing time.

It’s not just a perfect fit for the course I’m doing, but for life in general, and I have also tweeted it.

I dare you not to reconsider how much humour you use and would love to hear if you are challenged to improve the level you use! I sure was…

Now I’m really smiling!

Michelle

Animation courtesy of Dainsyng