Sat, 27 Sep 2008 18:43:10 +1000 Chris Betcher http://www.virtualstaffroom.net Podcast Maker v1.3.8b - http://www.lemonzdream.com/podcastmaker As teachers we often have some really interesting discussions about learning as we sit around the staffroom table. The Virtual Staffroom project aims to take those great conversations about technology and learning and present them to a global audience. Conversations with leading teachers about technology in the classroom. en Chris Betcher Chris Betcher chris@virtualstaffroom.net http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/PodcastGraphic_144.jpg http://www.virtualstaffroom.net 144 144 Educational Technology K-12 education, learning, schools, podcast, web2 no Chris Betcher In this episode we chat to two teachers with a great deal of experience with cellphones for education - Liz Kolb from Ann Arbor, USA and Toni Twiss from Hamilton, New Zealand. Learning with cellphones is a hot topic in many schools at the moment. Phones are usually banned, but a few brave schools are looking for ways to leverage this powerful mobile technology. In this episode we chat to two teachers with a great deal of experience with cellphones for education - Liz Kolb from Ann Arbor, USA and Toni Twiss from Hamilton, New Zealand. Liz and Toni have been doing research into this area and have some great insights to share. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%2025.mp3 Sat, 27 Sep 2008 18:32:13 +1000 Educational Technology no 00:50:58 education, learning, schools, podcast, web2 Chris Betcher This episode is a compilation of live interviews from the Second Leading a Digital School conference in Sydney, Australia. This conference focuses on providing school leaders with the skills and mindsets needed to lead our schools into the 21st century. This episode is a compilation of live interviews conducted at the Second Leading a Digital School conference in Sydney, Australia. This conference is held every year and focuses on providing school leaders - principals, administrators, head teachers, IT managers and librarians - with the skills and mindsets needed to lead our schools into the 21st century. The conference has a broad focus across a number of areas, but the sensible integration of technology is a strong theme. For this podcast, I wandered around the conference and spoke with delegates, presenters and vendors for a snapshot of some of the ideas and thoughts they took away from the event. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%2024.mp3 Sun, 14 Sep 2008 18:50:43 +1000 Educational Technology no 00:38:43 education, learning, schools, podcast, web2 Chris Betcher Pia Waugh is the president of Linux Australia, so-owner of Waugh Partners, and a leader of the OLPC project in Australia. She is passionate and knowledgeable about the use of Open Source technologies in schools and business. Pia Waugh is the president of Linux Australia, so-owner of Waugh Partners, and a leader of the OLPC project in Australia. She is passionate and knowledgeable about the use of Open Source technologies in schools and business. In this episode Pia shares some insights into Open Source software, how it can be leveraged for use in education and talks about the One Laptop Per Child project. If you believe that software should be free, not just free as in beer, but free as in speech, you'll enjoy this episode. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%2023.mp3 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:28:30 +1000 Educational Technology no 00:53:03 education, learning, schools, podcast, web2 Chris Betcher In this episode we are joined by three highly experiences Moodle users who share some insights with us. Talia Carbin, Darrel Branson and Julian Ridden each work intensively with Moodle in three different settings and in different ways. In this episode we are joined by three highly experiences Moodle users who share some insights with us. Talia Carbin, Darrel Branson and Julian Ridden each work intensively with Moodle in three different settings and in different ways. Moodle is an amazingly competent and powerful open source learning management system used by schools, colleges and universities all over the world. It is based on the theory of social constructivism, which essentially means that people learn better in groups than they do on their own. Moodle has a powerful set of tools to support this mode of learning, and as more teachers come into contact with Moodle it becomes increasingly important to understand how to use these tools well to engage and direct student learning. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%2022.mp3 Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:15:55 +1000 Educational Technology no 00:52:08 education, learning, schools, podcast, web2 Chris Betcher Kim Cofino and Susan Sedro work to assist teachers to successfully integrate technology in authentic and meaningful ways. In this podcast we get to hear some of the wise advice that Kim and Susan have learned as they fulfill this demanding role. Kim Cofino from Thailand and Susan Sedro from Singapore get to work with other teachers at their schools and assist them to successfully integrate technology in authentic and meaningful ways. Both work at large international schools in Asia, where technology integration is taken seriously and done well, and in this podcast we get to hear some of the success stories and wise advice that Kim and Susan have learned as they fulfill their demanding roles. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%2021.mp3 Sun, 20 Jan 2008 23:53:38 +1100 Educational Technology no 00:44:47 education, learning, schools, podcast, web2 Chris Betcher Jane Nicholls, Chrissy Hellier, Allanah King and Simon Evans are leading educators from New Zealand who live and breathe collaborative technologies. In this episode they chat about topics as diverse as podcasting, Skype, Twitter and Second Life. Jane Nicholls, Chrissy Hellier, Allanah King and Simon Evans are leading educators from New Zealand who live and breathe collaborative technologies. In this episode I get to chat with them about topics as diverse as podcasting, Skype, Twitter and Second Life, and have a lot of fun in the process. Simon had a bit of trouble with Skype and only managed to make a couple of cameo appearances, but the rest of us had a great chat as we flitted from topic to topic. Although these Kiwis know how to have a laugh, there is still plenty of educational wisdom in this podcast. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%2020.mp3 Sat, 24 Nov 2007 01:19:15 +1100 Educational Technology no 00:47:44 education, learning, schools, podcast, web2 Chris Betcher In this episode Chris Betcher gets interviewed by Texan librarian Carolyn Foote. They discuss a range of issues from dealing with the restrictions of policies and filters, the use of Skype for cross-cultural learning, and anything else that came to mind! In this episode of Virtual Staffroom, podcaster and teacher Chris Betcher gets interviewed by Texan librarian Carolyn Foote. Carolyn and Chris discuss a range of issues including dealing with the restrictions of policies and filters, the use of Skype as a powerful tool for cross-cultural learning, and pretty much anything else that came to mind! Carolyn asked if we could record this chat for a librarian's research project she was working on about the use of Skype for educational purposes, and we agreed to have the chat and release it on the Virtual Staffroom as well. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%2019.mp3 Thu, 22 Nov 2007 23:37:11 +1100 Educational Technology no 00:43:15 education, learning, schools, podcast, web2 Chris Betcher Anne Wade is research project manager at Montreal's Concordia University, and her focus is on a project known as ePearl, a web based tool that enables students to gather, present and reflect upon their work and leave a learning trail as they go. Anne Wade is research project manager at Montreal's Concordia University, and her focus is on a project known as ePearl - the Electronic Portfolio Encouraging Active Reflective Learning. ePearl is a web based tool that enables students to gather, present and reflect upon their work, creating a trail of digital assets that follows them through their school life. Anne presents an overview of the system and gives some insight into the background of this project. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%2018.mp3 Sat, 03 Nov 2007 22:29:17 +1100 Educational Technology no 00:48:41 education, learning, schools, podcast, web2 Chris Betcher Jess McCulloch is an extremely enthusiastic Chinese language teacher who is turning to technology to help engage and excite her students about the language. In this episode Jess talks about some of the cool tools she is using in her classroom. A small school in country Australia might seem an unusual place to find students learning to speak Chinese, but not for Jess McCulloch's students. Jess is an extremely enthusiastic Chinese language teacher who is turning to technology to help engage and excite her students about the language. In this episode Jess talks about some of the cool tools she is using, and planning to use, in her classroom. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%2017.mp3 Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:34:15 +1000 Educational Technology no 00:36:54 education, learning, schools, podcast, web2 Chris Betcher The K12 Online Conference is an innovative approach to professional development for educators. In this episode we talk with the conveners of the event and discuss the history and philosophy behind it. The K12 Online Conference is a unique and innovative approach to professional development for educators. In this episode we talk with the conveners of the event and discuss the history and philosophy behind as well as hear from previous participants. This episode will make you want to take part! http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%2016.mp3 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:22:51 +1000 Educational Technology no 00:38:51 education, learning, schools, podcast, web2 Chris Betcher This episode comes to you directly from the Fourth National Interactive Whiteboard Conference on the Gold Coast. We wander around the conference interviewing delegates, as well as bringing you part of videoconference session with Ben Hazzard. This episode comes to you directly from the Fourth National Interactive Whiteboard Conference held at Emmanuel College on the Gold Coast. Organised by IWBnet, the conference assembled many presenters to share a huge variety of ideas, techniques, tips and advice with their colleagues. In this podcast we wander around the conference doing on-the-spot interviews with delegates, as well as bringing you part of a Skype videoconference session with Ben Hazzard from the SmartBoard Lesson podcast. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%2015.mp3 Mon, 03 Sep 2007 03:28:16 +1000 Educational Technology no 00:34:13 education, learning, schools, podcast, web2 Chris Betcher As a leading teacher-librarian, Barbara Braxton knows about information literacy. In this episode, we talk with Barbara about the information process, developing "thick questions", and creating tasks that avoid the need to plagiarise. As a leading teacher-librarian, Barbara Braxton knows about information literacy. In this epsode, we talk with Barbara about the information process, the concept of literacy in the 21st century, the art of developing"thick questions", and how to create tasks that avoid the need to plagiarise in the first place. Barbara is well respected amongst the Australian online teaching community and she has some great insights into how we get kids to use information. Oh, and a couple of political viewpoints as well.... http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%2014.mp3 Mon, 27 Aug 2007 21:28:24 +1000 Educational Technology no 00:47:46 education, learning, schools, podcast, web2 Chris Betcher Edublogs is a well-respected free educational blogging service started two years ago by James Farmer. In this episode we talk to James about the Edublogs service, where it grew from and where it's going, and some great ideas for classroom blogging. Edublogs is a well-respected free educational blogging service started two years ago by James Farmer. Since then, the service has grown in leaps and bounds, and now hosts nearly 100,000 individual blogs for teachers and students. In this episode we talk to James about the Edublogs service, where it grew from and where it's going. It's been an amazingly valuable and versatile service for the educational blogging community, and Edublogs offers one of the most cutting edge free blogging services on the Web. I'd been trying to arrange this interview with James for a while, and coincidentally we just happened to record this on Edublogs' second birthday. Happy Birthday Edublogs and thanks for sharing the love James! http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%2013.mp3 Tue, 31 Jul 2007 20:23:09 +1000 Educational Technology no 00:27:45 education, blogging, edublogs, james farmer, chris betcher Chris Betcher Adrian Bruce is an innovative Australian teacher who freely gives away his work over the Internet. After nearly 10 years of giving his stuff away, his website gets over 2 million hits every month as it distributes his work to students all over the world. Adrian Bruce is an innovative Australian teacher who freely gives away his worksheets, quizzes, posters, etc, over the Internet as a way of helping other teachers. After nearly 10 years of giving his stuff away, Adrian's website currently gets over 2 million hits every month as it distributes his work to students all over the world. A past winner of the Microsoft Innovative Teacher Award, Adrian is continually trying new things, playing with new software and thinking of new ways to integrate ICTs into his work. In this episode we get some insights into the mind of a truly creative and generous teacher. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%2012.mp3 Sun, 01 Jul 2007 19:26:49 +1000 Educational Technology no 00:51:03 education, learning, schools, adrian bruce, chris betcher Chris Betcher In this episode we talk to Simon O'Carroll and Neil D'Aguair about the Flat Planet Project. These two teachers met via the blogosphere and came up with this effective project for their students that took them much further than they ever expected. The Flat Planet Project is a remarkable wiki project run by Simon O'Carroll from Ontario, Canada, and Neil D'Aguair from Surrey, UK. These two teachers of Religious Education met via the blogosphere and together came up with a simple yet incredibly effective research project for their students with topics such as climate change, vegetarianism, air pollution and endangered species. In this episode we talk to Simon and Neil about the behind-the-scenes of the Flat Planet Project. Using the free Wikispaces service, their students worked collaboratively across the Atlantic to create an incredibly impressive joint project. Along the way, both teachers and students got far more out of the project than they expected. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%2011.mp3 Sun, 24 Jun 2007 12:49:55 +1000 Educational Technology no 01:02:04 education, learning, schools, wikis, collaboration, simon o'carroll, neil d'aguair, chris betcher Chris Betcher In this episode we talk with Rob Ruberry and Jason Hando, two Australian teachers that have a good deal of experience with such Open Source tools as Joomla, Mambo and Moodle. We discuss the pros and cons of Open Source software generally. In this episode we talk with Rob Ruberry and Jason Hando, two Australian teachers that have a good deal of experience with such Open Source tools as Joomla, Mambo and Moodle. We discuss how these tools could fit into your school and about the pros and cons of Open Source software generally. Open Source software holds some interesting possibilities for education. With some amazing products around that are generally completely free to use, it's no wonder that more and more schools are starting to look seriously at GNU/GPL Open Source as a viable alternative to the common proprietary software model. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%2010.mp3 Fri, 15 Jun 2007 22:36:50 +1000 Educational Technology no 00:50:20 education, moodle, joomla, rob ruberry, jason hando, chris betcher Chris Betcher Our guests in this episode are Bruce Fuda and Mark Harriott from Stromlo High School in the ACT. Their school is developing their own curriculum, has recently restructured itself as a Year 6-10 school, and has also been targeted as an IT-focused school. Our guests in this episode are Bruce Fuda and Mark Harriott from Stromlo High School in the Australian Capital Territory. From 2007 the ACT School system no longer has a traditional syllabus structure and instead requires schools to develop their own curriculum based on a framework derived from the national curriculum statements and profiles. As well as redeveloping its curriculum, Stromlo High has recently restructured itself to be a Year 6 - 10 school. And because the school already has a strong use of technology it has also been targeted as an IT-focused school where the use of ICT in learning and teaching is just a normal part of the way the school works. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%209.mp3 Sun, 18 Feb 2007 20:02:20 +1100 Educational Technology no 00:48:08 education, learning, schools, mark harriott, bruce fuda, chris betcher Chris Betcher In this episode we talk with Janet Barnstable from Oak Park, Illinois and Sharon Peters from Montreal, Quebec. Both Janet and Sharon are leading proponents of collaborative online learning projects. Flat Classrooms are about removing the boundaries of geography and time, and enabling students to work with other students wherever they might be in the world. In this episode we talk with Janet Barnstable from Oak Park, Illinois and Sharon Peters from Montreal, Quebec. Both Janet and Sharon are leading proponents of collaborative online learning projects, getting their students to work on projects with kids in other countries by leveraging the power of the Internet. The term Flat Classrooms derives from Thomas Friedman's book The World is Flat. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%208.mp3 Fri, 29 Dec 2006 18:15:54 +1100 Educational Technology no 00:56:40 education, learning, collaboration, janet barnstable, sharon peters, chris betcher Chris Betcher Paul McMahon talks about the sorts of planning and background issues involved in transitioning a school from a traditional learning environment to one in which students are given laptops as learning tools. In this episode we explore the issues that arise when a school starts thinking about moving to a one-to-one computing model using laptop computers, an area in which Australia has been somewhat of a pioneer. We talk with Paul McMahon, an Australian educator living in Hong Kong, about the sorts of planning and background involved in transitioning a school from a fairly traditional learning environment to one in which students are given laptops as learning tools. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%207.mp3 Tue, 26 Dec 2006 06:39:04 +1100 Educational Technology no 00:40:29 education, learning, laptops, paul mcmahon, chris betcher Chris Betcher Luc Zwartjes is a geography teacher from Belgium with a deep interest in the use of GIS/GPS. His work is a great example of a passionate teacher working with students on real-world problems using sophisticated technology to create engaging tasks. Luc Zwartjes is a geography teacher from Belgium who has developed a deep interest in the use of GIS (Geographical Information Systems) and GPS (Global Positioning Systems) with his students. Luc's work with his students using GIS is a fabulous example of a passionate teacher working with students on real-world problems using sophisticated technology to create engaging tasks. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%206.mp3 Wed, 06 Dec 2006 16:51:28 +1100 Educational Technology no 00:34:07 education, learning, gps, gis, geography, luc zwartjes, chris betcher Chris Betcher In this episode we talk with Bryn Jones and Paul McMahon about a range of ideas and issues around the use of IWBs. We also touch on the value of an IWB enabled classroom as well as a number of new IWB technologies for the future. Interactive Whiteboards seem to be a popular topic of discussion amongst teachers, so in this episode we talk with Bryn Jones from Fremantle, WA, and Paul McMahon from Hong Kong about a range of ideas and issues around the use of IWBs. We also touch on the value of an IWB enabled classroom as well as a number of new IWB technologies for the future. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%205.mp3 Sat, 25 Nov 2006 17:24:43 +1100 Educational Technology no 00:47:08 education, learning, iwb, bryn jones, paul mcmahon, chris betcher Chris Betcher In this episode we explore the use of Skype as a communication tool by hosting a group Skypecast with members of the Australian OzTeachers group. Skypecasts enable a large group of people to get together in a virtual chat space and talk in real time. In this episiode we explore the use of Skype as a communication tool by hosting a group Skypecast with members of the Australian OzTeachers group. Skypecasts enable a large group of people to get together in a virtual chat space and talk in real time. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%204.mp3 Mon, 20 Nov 2006 16:54:27 +1100 Educational Technology no 00:39:24 education, learning, skypecast, skype, ozteachers, chris betcher Chris Betcher Interactive Whiteboards are becoming a central component of a 21st Century classroom. Join John Pearce, Margo Metcalf and Mal Lee as they talk about the best ways to implement an IWB program. Interactive Whiteboards are becoming a central component of a 21st Century classroom. Join John Pearce, Margo Metcalf and Mal Lee as they talk about the best ways to implement an IWB program. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%203.mp3 Sun, 22 Oct 2006 15:22:29 +1000 Educational Technology no 00:49:36 education, learning, iwb, margo metcalf, john pearce, mal lee, chris betcher Chris Betcher What is Web 2.0 and why is it important? This episode talks with Michael Cridland, a young Brisbane teacher who is looking at ways to incorporate podcasting and blogging into his classroom. What is Web 2.0 and why is it important? This episode talks with Michael Cridland, a young Brisbane teacher who is looking at ways to incorporate podcasting and blogging into his classroom. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%202.mp3 Wed, 11 Oct 2006 07:11:46 +1000 Educational Technology no 00:32:40 web2.0, blogging, podcasting, schools, michael cridland, chris betcher Chris Betcher Our first episode features a conversation with Anne Baird from Wedderburn school in Victoria. Anne talks about the role of ICTs in today's classrooms, the changing nature of learning and the importance of the teacher's role in learning. This episode features a conversation with Anne Baird from Wedderburn school in Victoria. Anne talks about the role of ICTs in today's classrooms, the changing nature of learning and the importance of the teacher's role in learning. http://www.virtualstaffroom.net/podcast/Virtual%20Staffroom%20Episode%201.mp3 Sun, 01 Oct 2006 15:19:15 +1000 Educational Technology no 00:26:24 blogging, education, anne baird, wikis, chris betcher