Alexandra Teachers Field Trip Fun

In Module 8 (a field trip), the teachers of Alexandra High School were privileged  to explore the Sci Bono Centre in Newton, Johannesburg. During this strategy,they had to work together to unravel a range of clues that took them on a scavenger hunt, interacting with all the exciting exhibits on display, covering a range of scientific subjects. Some of the clues were embedded in a QR code thus exposing the teachers to the use of QR codes in the classroom.

As internet access is always a problem,the clues were text based which made it possible to scan without needing connectivity.They could however access the internet for assistance with their own data. Some of the clues were just for fun in order to create team spirit, while the others involved keen observation and collaborative teamwork. 

Apart from getting some serious exercise frantically collecting evidence and answering the activity clues, the animated discussion during the assessment proved to be most entertaining!! The room  was abuzz with the sound of learning!!

To see all the fun that was had, click here or on the photo below: https://goo.gl/photos/r4V8eGsbLoGgyax9A

For a detailed explanation of how to organise and create a field trip scavenger hunt Click here:

https://goo.gl/ajvT8z 

Report back storify from our Field trip and gallery walk

The winning team at the Train the trainer session

During our  Field trip preparation, which I facilitated, we had to go through the activity sheet to see if all the items in the scavenger hunt activity sheet work out well. All our activities have a gamification element to it, we had to do peer assessment among all the teams to establish a "winner". It turned out to be an extremely lively discussion with some heated arguments. Who said peer assessment has to be boring?

A tweet from the session which shows that we can use peer assessment to unpack concepts.

#ict4red #fieldtrip this is what assessment looks like!! Jaribaaaa pic.twitter.com/xTLRoow7nG
— Maggie Verster (@maggiev) February 7, 2015

This is the winning "rat" team celebrating their success!

Module 8 Virtual gallery walk Activity 3

You have experienced a physical gallery walk where you set up exhibits against the wall and use stickies to comment on the various scenarios that you were presented with. Sometimes we are not in the same physical location but needs to work together and share ideas. A virtual gallery walk is just the thing!

Another advantage is that we can build a great professional and personal learning network by collaborating and sharing within a virtual environment. In the next exercise you will summarize your thoughts for every exhibit and share it using blog comments.

Instructions:
Let every member of your group choose an exhibit and go and participate in the exhibit discussion by leaving comments on that specific exhibit blog e.g.
Member 1: Exhibit 1: Digital identities
Member 2: Exhibit 2: Phishing
Member 3: Exhibit 3: PLNs pr PLCs
Member 4: Exhibit 4: Online safety

You can consult your notes/wall stickies from your physical walk for ideas. Feel free to go and comment on the other exhibits as well if you have time left during the session. You can also carry on the discussion whenever you have internet access at home or at school.

Using Mobile devices to do field trips and gallery walks

Module 8 Virtual gallery walk Activity 3

You have experienced a physical gallery walk where you set up exhibits against the wall and use stickies to comment on the various scenarios that you were presented with. Sometimes we are not in the same physical location but needs to work together and share ideas. A virtual gallery walk is just the thing!

Another advantage is that we can build a great professional and personal learning network by collaborating and sharing within a virtual environment. In the next exercise you will summarize your thoughts for every exhibit and share it using blog comments.

Instructions:
Let every member of your group choose an exhibit and go and participate in the exhibit discussion by leaving comments on that specific exhibit blog e.g.
Member 1: Exhibit 1: Digital identities
Member 2: Exhibit 2: Phishing
Member 3: Exhibit 3: PLNs pr PLCs
Member 4: Exhibit 4: Online safety

You can consult your notes/wall stickies from your physical walk for ideas. Feel free to go and comment on the other exhibits as well if you have time left during the session. You can also carry on the discussion whenever you have internet access at home or at school.

Module 8 online discussions: Exhibit 1: Digital identities

Digital identity refer to how people can view who we are and what we do or represent,  in an online or electronic environment.  We have to constantly ask ourselves if what is known about us online is positive and won’t harm our reputation. Our students can also say bad things about us online and we need to know how to deal with this as well as help them to become responsible digital citizens. In this exhibit you will explore a few online teacher profiles and decide if you would like them as part of your Professional Learning Community. Feel free to consult your Module 8 resource folder for articles and videos that can help you understand this exhibit.

Study the following 4 different profiles and comment on the value of having the person as part of your Professional Learning Community (PLC) in the comments below.  As you do this think about:
• Is this person authentic?
• Will you follow/friend/connect to/like them and why?
• What can you learn from them that will help you grow as a lifelong learner?