End of Year Mass 2016

It was a privilege to collaborate in the organisation of the end of year mass and awards ceremony for St Mary's Catholic Primary School, North Sydney.  In the spirit of thanksgiving, the mass combined the talents of all colleagues, students and the parent community. (Photos: Meghan Bassett)

How to copy and convert a document from Microsoft Word to Google Docs.

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Register Now: Google Account / Bring Your Own Device Nights

Tim Butt will be running two informative sessions on Tuesday 26th July 7.30pm-8.30pm or
Wednesday 7th September 7.30pm-8.30pm. 

These will be "hands on" events and you are encouraged to Bring Your Own Device. There will be many resources on the night for you to look through. By registering, Tim can prepare an email list and share resources prior to the evenings.

If you can come along, please RSVP on the link below (if you can’t make it, there is no need RSVP).
http://goo.gl/forms/wNOrbOAxqGEVtOZD3

For some great tech tips, See our BYOD website that has many tips, interesting articles and website centered around student learning.
Tech Tips
http://stmnsbyodd.blogspot.com.au/search/label/TECH%20TIPS
BYOD
http://stmnsbyodd.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/register-your-device.html

Authentic Learning through the Performing Arts Film Project

Teachers across different schools filming other colleagues teaching, students filming learners learning. Students and colleagues reflecting on the process, the film makers (teachers and students) communicating this learning to a wider audience. How authentic and purposeful...

It was invigorating to be involved in a film project recently. The CASPA team invited me to collaborate with a team of students to film how teachers and students embedded arts in their learning. We then edited the film as an example of how to embed the arts for the Sydney Catholic Schools Authentic Learning Toolbox.



Science (Light) - My colleague Annie and her Stage 3 class from St Ambrose using music to deepen their understanding of concepts. This involved writing lyrics and actions for their music clip! Students learnt skills in music and audio production and connected scientific concepts in a humorous and entertaining way. Watch the student's reflections!



English / Drama - The story of Cinderella was adapted and retold by a Year 2 class from St Raphaels through drama, using freeze frames. My colleague Gabriel showed how this helped her class deepened their understandings of the story and helped the students with talking and listening and their writing.



My film making colleague, my student Patrick commented:
"Thank you so much for the opportunity to film the students at St Ambrose. It was an amazing experience for me."
They were very impressed they were in the credits as wrell


Authentic Learning Videos Website


At the Authentic Learning Syposium today, Mark Treadwell's keynote speech explored the power of video for learning in his post "the end of reading and writing".

https://mtreadwell.wordpress.com/2016/03/12/the-end-of-reading-writing/

GRADE 1 AND 5 MASS - SUNDAY 5TH JUNE, 2016

Even with the wild storms, Grades 1 and 5 came together for Sunday family Mass last Sunday. Thank you to all students, teachers and families for their preparation and attendance - even in the extraordinary weather!

Bring Your Own Device Website can foster links between school and community

Bring Your Own Device Website can foster links between school and community. The website contains regular updates for parents, students and teaching colleagues.

http://stmnsbyodd.blogspot.com.au/

St Mary's School celebrates our Battle of the Artz Finalists

We are delighted to announce that three St Mary's films made it into the finals of the Battle of the Artz Film Competition in 2015. The theme was "Jump Up and Down for Kids" in support of children held in detention centres. Stage 3 students entered the competition as part of their learning around the topic, embedding media arts as part of their English studies.

"Yes I Do Want Freedom" - Social Media Campaign, St Mary's NS

"Don't Just Stand There Do Something" Social Media Campaign, St Mary's NS 

"Reflecting on Freedom, A Student's Concept" - Social Media Campaign, St Mary's NS 

CREATING OUR BATTLE OF THE ARTZ ENTRIES

Students creating their Battle of the Artz entries recently. Our team collaborated on a flipped classroom website featuring resources for making films. The theme of this year's challenge is "Jump Up and Down for Kids".

https://sites.google.com/a/syd.catholic.edu.au/difference-and-diversity---battle-of-the-artz/

North Sydney council video highlights community and student involvement in a local sustainability project.

Sharing our scientific learning on Monster Storms recently

Photos by Meghan Bassett

Animation and Dance - Authentic Learning through the arts

Facilitating an animation workshop for the students at the Arrowsmith School was a great opportunity to bring the arts into learning. The challenge was to create a stick animation dancing in google slides and create music. Students will be able to transfer these skills to their own original presentations.

The link to the class blog after the workshop

http://arrowsmithceosydney.blogspot.com.au/

Graphical timeline is a great way to keep a record of your work history and is less boring for someone else to read!

St Mary's Science project - Soon to be released video by North Sydney Council captures teaching and learning process

A video soon to be released by North Sydney Council features St Mary's Primary School student's innovating sustainable environmental change. The video will be shown to other schools to inspire them about the possibilities that real world learning can provide - benefiting everyone from students, local government, parents and the whole community.

Student environment leaders become change agents following earth hour breakfast meeting recently

Student environment leaders attended an earth hour breakfast with local schools in March. One of the students organised a follow up interview with key speaker, Tim Cotter an environmental psychologist. Tim applies psychology to sustainability and the student team hope to use ideas from their interview to produce an environmental plan for their school.

The breakfast sparks enthusiasm

Science Showcase video produced will show authentic learning process in Year 2

North Sydney Council have commissioned a film maker to document Year 2’s involvement in the water catchment environmental grants recently. This could be used by schools in the future to imagine learning pathways around grants and how the experience can be embedded into the curriculum.

#authenticlearning   #networkcommunity   #contentandteaching

QR codes - a great way to share student videos

At a community day to celebrate and showcase our science unit “Catching Water”, my Yr 2 students shared their innovations and videos via qr codes at their science stall. Visitors watched videos on both large screens and on ipads as they walked around the stalls. Many students, parents and reps from North Sydney Council environmental team took the take away codes home to watch later.

#networkcommunity #learningenvironments #contentandteaching #authenticlearning

CASPA award of excellence received for commitment to professional learning

At the 2014 CaSPA Annual Awards, I received an award for commitment to professional learning. This followed my attendance at a Performing Arts Bootcamp. Here I was able to learn from the CaSPA team. This bootcamp enabled me to transfer film making as an authentic product for my student's learning.

Making it Mobile - a 2 day conference with practical ways to incorporate contemporary learning

Spending two days with the team at NBCC was a great experience, a showcase of ideas to  merge digital and contemporary learning spaces.

#mim14 Re-imagining learning in spaces with a matrix at making it mobile scil 14. Student centred, student choice, technology and lo tech combined. Can’t wait to share this with colleagues!

https://plus.google.com/112430692304624851350/posts/Zc3VAwoAhwg

Making Films in the classroom, A short Learning Story narrated by Year 2 St Mary’s North Sydney
I know that making films is an authentic way for children to learn.
During our yr 2 unit on cultural identity, I gave the class choices on how to present their work. What i didn’t expect was all 8 groups the whole class, to choose film. Students made 8 films five different genres, and it created an excitement for learning that engaged my students and parent community beyond the school gate.


Early on i signed up For The caspa teams film boot camp for teachers, Providing workshops in sound, framing shots and editing. I was able to take these skills back to the classroom. I have had many film workshops from the  Learning Exchange as well, all great building blocks for my professional learning.


I was approaching filming day and having a lightbulb moment rather panic attack I rang, Iris who suggested she and Roger came to St marys to support us with blocking scenes for film. It made such a difference, I handed over my 34,  8 year old charges (not all at Once) to Roger. He was like a superhero simplifying storyboards into scenes, photographing the starting and end points of every shoot and voice coaching. Iris and Roger were with so good with the children and as a result each filming day was seamless. Our wonderful parent community, my colleagues and leadership by Principal Mrs Bev Coffey offered practical support every step. And last but not least, my understanding wife Lenore during a few weekend shoots and post production. I’d like to congratulate all my class on their films, and celebrate our film finalists Anzac heroes and Chinese zodiac race for their wonderful mini masterpieces. Thank-you Caspa team for your great contributions to our projects and all films in the battle of the artz.


Choice is important, Now film is a regular choice for products as students. They are transferring their skills to new projects such as products for religious education assessments and their current project 13 science documentaries as part of a report to North Sydney council.


This short narrative which tries to capture our class film project.

https://plus.google.com/112430692304624851350/posts/g7pjyU3RbtW