Explanation of PD 2010

1. Ultranet Lead User Training - 10hrs - Delivered by Bruce Barton introduction of the Ultranet to lead users. Initial thoughts are not that easy to use unless lots of practice given. Should create a stronger link between student and teacher.
2. Delivered Personal Studywiz/Smartboards - 20 hrs -Delivered personal training to individuals.
   
3. Delivered Studywiz PD - 4hrs - Delivered training to large groups on how to use and integrate learning tasks with Studywiz.
4. VITTA VET Interactive Digital Media Day - 11hrs - Held at Melbourne University, the staff of VITTA demonstrated and discussed the approach to assessment task for the new certificate. Found the prepare video assets most useful.
5. PMA - Digital Life Expo - 4hrs - Visited the PMA Australia Digital Life Expo. Viewed many cameras, computers, printers, various hardware and software. Particularly interested in the Drobo back up solutions and how it would be appropriate for the Multimedia and Photography industry in relation to backing up clients work.
6. Wordpress Website Maintenance and Training - 3hrs - Provided by web designer Jin Wang to run and update Hawthorn Secondary College website. Information and training will be very useful in discussing templates, html and updating websites within Interactive Digital media.
7. Self directed Dreamweaver and Flash Training 6hrs - Searched and watched online youtube and vimeo clips looking at CS4.
8. Alfred Stieglitz- the Lake George Years in Sydney The Art Gallery of New South Wales 1hrs- Visited The Art Gallery of Sydney to specifically see this show. The show was excellently laid out and the explanations of the artworks were easy to read. Stieglitz work of personal nature contrasted by some better known explorations of the city. I liked the idea of continually shooting and exploring a place or subject.
9. Paths To Abstraction - The Art Gallery of New South Wales 1hrs - An excellent introduction to early abstract work up until the 1980’s. Noticed a lot of works were borrowed from the NGV.
10. Heide’s Educators Forum: Photography 7hrs - Natalie King, curator of the Up Close – Carol Jerems show spoke of her experiences of organizing such a show. Interesting to hear how far research can go.
11. Up Close - Carol Jerrems with Larry Clark, Nan Goldin and William Yang Heide Museum of Modern Art 1hr - An excellent show combining artist of similar genres. Nan Goldin’s multimedia slide projector piece was excellent for students to see the narrative and relationship to music.
12. Timelines exhibition NGV International - 1hrs - From the catalogue “The camera’s ability to depict ‘a moment in time’ - to stop the clock for a brief moment – gives photographs a unique capacity to direct our consideration towards the mechanics and poetics of this pervasive and mysterious cosmic force.”
13. Re_View Photography Exhibition NGV International - 1hr - Interesting to see what photographs the NGV has in its archive.
14. Ricky Swallow Exhibition The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia - 1hr - Ricky Swallow is an Australian sculptor (born in San Remo, Victoria in 1974), who lives and works in Los Angeles. He creates painstakingly detailed pieces and installations in a variety of media, often utilizing objects of everyday life as well as the body (bones etc.). From wiki www.rickyswallow.com/
15. Mystery Tour -The Boulevard- E5 - 5hrs - Staff PD day held at The Boulevard. Focused on E5 initiative.
16. Weekly PIC staff meetings - 84hrs - Attended weekly meetings discussing the general running of PIC Photographic Imaging College.
17. SoundHouse meeting with Peter Wakefield 3hrs - Attended meeting discussing current training package and timetable.
    

Ultranet Plans

Plans for August 9th.

Looking into the Meeting schedule to deliver information that passwords will need to changed.
Staff will need to register on the IDAM. Maybe this can be done on the same day to avoid wasting time on August 9th.

Jennie interested in putting together a powerpoint.
The staff to be split into 2 groups.
F1 and F2 to be used.
The most important part we felt of the training was letting us play around. We would like to emulate this.
Using the laminated cards to set people on some small simple tasks in the morning.
The treasure hunt task we completed would be good for the afternoon.
Minh should be available for technical problems on the day.

Areas of focus.
The eXpress spaces good for engaging initial contact.
Tasks could include:
Understanding applications.
Changing profile.
Control Panel.
Finding people.
Writing a blog.

Design space
It would be good to find excellent examples to show staff. At the moment this is the most valuable part of the Ultranet.


Beyond August 9th.
No student access until staff have had adequate training.
This is not a race and the DEECD have told use we are to make out own decisions implementing.

eCurriculum Matters Term 2

Seems like there is so much going on this term and I can't quite get in top of it.


Recently we had our Studywiz updated. Apparently it was many versions behind. There is still a few issues we are dealing with.
Studywiz is currently over capacity with the amount of user inputted into it.
My technician is receiving error messages that we have emailed the Studywiz support team.
Staff are finding Activities from past teachers that they cannot delete nor can I.

The ultranet is coming. Unfortunately, I'll refrain from blogging about it until more information has come about. There are many things that may come from this, including extra work for different people.

We have asked the staff to complete ePotential. There is some people who cannot access it.

On the PIC side things are traveling along ok.

2010 - Back into it the swing of it.

The mystery tour was held The Boulevard. The morning consisted of PD. This is a PDF outline of the instructional Model called E5 which it seems the Department is introducing. It reminds me of how we teach VET subjects, such as Multimedia and the photography classes at PIC. The model has 5 Domains: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate. Each Domain then has a set of capabilities then, for progressive level of skill. I found the discussion some what useful as it does seem to be a good way to discuss and describe particular parts of practice.

After lunch, and I must say the food was very good, a few brave souls headed out, onto the golf greens to embarrass themselves for the greater good. Led by our courageous PE teacher Rick, we all preceded to bash the golf balls in every direction. It was good fun, expect for the small amount of sunburn I realized I had later on that evening.