Kick the Can
Over-the-Back-Fence
Project
Update: 1:5
December 5. 2013
1.
Reflection:
OtBF
is now two years old! It has been quite an incredible journey to date. At the
Rosmini College end, over 350 students have taught at least one lesson out to
an OtBF classroom. We estimate that approximately 30 primary age students have
broadcast at least one lesson to another OtBF classroom, and broadcast close to
500 students have received our
lessons by video. This year around two-hundred and twenty-five lessons have
been taught to NZ classrooms, and another 85 have gone outside NZ. These
estimates paint a remarkable picture of resilence and collaboration.
Some
lessons were great, others not so good, but a culture of planning ahead, of
being prepared to make information relevant and fun is growing among our
students. The students have also learnt that technology has it’s ups and downs
and frustration comes when we
cannot do what we set out
to do.
As the 2013 school year closes, we see that the one essential ingredient in the mix that has enabled OtBF to hang in there is the classroom teachers who have co-operated with us to make this work—the one handed typists when the microphone was not working, the moderators, the rebooters, translators, and prompts.
We want to give a BIG THANK YOU to the teachers for helping us bring OtBF further up the ladders of innovation and opportunity. As you will see below, OtBF continues to grow and evolve. With your help it will have the solid foundations of a truly worthwhile and trusted service learning project that promotes thinking and global collaboration.
2.
OTBF blog – Check it Out!
Check
out http://rosminiboys.blogspot.com/
We will post programme information, Kick the Can and other stories at
this blog. We would like to have your stories and photographs (no names, non-
identifiable or with written permission to publish) for posting at this site.
3.
Feedback:
Thank
you to those OtBF classroom teachers who sent me feedback on OtBF 2013. If you
have yet to share your thoughts on the programme/lessons, the highs and lows,
we would appreciate receiving them soon in order to make next year’s programme
better.
4.
IMPORTANT NOTICES ABOUT NEXT YEAR:
a. Continuation? We would like to know if your classroom will be continuing in 2014. The schedule is starting to fill.
b.
2014 Schedule: If you plan to continue next year and if there is another
classroom that you would like to register, please send your preferred times
(from the list below) to gwood@rosmini.school.nz.
* Note: Some slots have been allocated for.
Strike
through: These times have been allocated.
NZ=Available
for only a NZ classroom
IS=Available
for only an International classroom
• Lesson
times for 2014 (all times NZ time)
Monday 9:15(*IS), 9:25, 9:35, 11:20, 11:30,
11:40, 12:10, 12:20, 12:30, 12.40
Tuesdays
9:15(*IS), 9:25, 9:35, 2:25, 2:35, 2:45
Wednesdays 10:00, 10:10, 10:20, 10:30, 1:40, 1:50, 2:00
Wednesdays 10:00, 10:10, 10:20, 10:30, 1:40, 1:50, 2:00
Thursdays
9:15, 9:25, 9:35; 2:25,
2:35, 2:45
Fridays
9:15(*IS), 9:25, 9:35
c. International school
schedules: Would
non-New Zealand schools please send us a copy of their 2014 school calendar as
soon as possible. Having this information in advance will help us develop a
master calendar so we don’t, as we found this year, have our students without
contact for extended periods of time.
4.
New Schools joining OTBF 2014:
Several
NZ schools have already registered their intention to continue OtBF in 2014 and
several have booked their broadcast times. We are looking forward to adding
four more classrooms from outside N.Z., and shortly to soon confirm classrooms
in two more Pacific nations.
5.
Technical Issues:
Connectivity
still is a barrier to restful nights.
A
BIG THANK YOU TO Zofia P and to Skype in the
Classroom
who
have allocated 30 SKYPE premium service subscriptions to the programme to help
us improve the quality of the connections and to reduce the number of missed
video/share screen or end-point connections. We will continue to work with
Zofia and the SITC team to make this work.
BROADCAST
HINTS:
a. Turn off your video
camera when you don’t need it.
b. Reduce the number of
files open on your desktop
c. Use a computer that
has the least amount of information cached on it.
d. Choose times (or
remind others that you will using
that time) so least amount of internet
use
(particularly video based activity) is taking place.
e.
Where possible try not to have students silhouetted in front of windows.
f.
Reduce all background noise as much as possible.
g. If
showing an object/picture to the camera, keep that object stationary for at
least 5
seconds, or else it becomes a blur.
seconds, or else it becomes a blur.
6. Year
7 Transportation Safety Project:
Five
Year 7 classrooms collaborated on-line in their Wikis for a Transportation
Safety Project. The project findings were presented at a
Transportation Safety EXPO on October 22. The EXPO was highlighted on the front
page of the NZTA Educational Resource Newsletter:
https://education.nzta.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/45432/NZTA-Education-Portal-Newsletter-issue-16-November-2013.pdf
7.
Highlights of This Past Term—there were so many, but these were ours:
a. Ohura Valley School (Taranaki) – Ware (Massachussets, USA) Special recognition must be given to Madison, Brendon, Devon and Sarah who collaborated to share their traditional New England THANKSGIVING DAY with the students in Ohura. Connectivity unfortunately ‘bombed on us’ and this week we hope to reconnect and see what we did miss. Thank you Ware for putting your best efforts into trying to make it happen.
b. Kuoppanummen Koulukekus (Nummela, Finland) – Rosmini College. Pirjo N. and Sue V’s classes connected last week to share their culinary skills and a little bit about Finnish and New Zealand culture and holiday traditions.
c. Emily Penn (UK) Nabua Sanatan (Fiji), Omoka (Cook Islands) and Rosmini College share on the environmental health effects of plastics in our oceans.
d. Mangatawhiri (Waikato) – John Smith (science @ Rosmini College) talking about bones.
8.
HAPPY TRAVELS: Best wishes to Reporoa teacher Renee who is heading out
on travels and will not be with us next year. We appreciated the feedback Renee
and Rm 1’ students provided the
programme. Happy Travels, Renee!
9. THANK
YOU to the
following educators who have helped make the Over-the-Back-Fence project work and grow:
Robert D, Rex W & Catherine E (our pioneers who respectively bounced the
initial idea); Meidy I., Erika B., Diana L., Anthony S., Leslie W., Jessica B.,
Theresa C., Ramona E., Phil OC (all who have been very patient with me and
sustained our collaboration); Rick W., Tracey S., Jess B., Jarad C., Kath J.,
Anne K., Tim F., Rebecca S., Rex W., Renee H., Melinda B., Elaine D., Stewart
S., Rochelle J., Robert M., Kristina C., Emanuel K., Dasha S., Wallis E.,
Nicola T., Pauline S., Pirjo L., Jodie D., Andre B., Farzan Q., Derek W., Eddie
R., Ian T., Lawrence B., Andrew C., Tyronne, Julie F., Bindu S., Christina R.,
Nathan T, Anna F., John S., Sue V., Mojito J., Javed Y., Simione T.,
Siu P., Zofia P.,
Skype in the Classroom and about 350 Year 12 students at Rosmini College who have
all contributed to help get the moss out from under this project. Continued special thanks to Rachel
Roberts (Matata--e-principal VLN-Primary) who continues to provide support and
guidance on this journey.
On
behalf of the Rosmini College OtBF students --
THANK YOU and SEASONS
GREETINGS!!
Geoff. Wood, Over the Back Fence
Project, Rosmini College, Takapuna, New Zealand
gwood@rosmini.school.nz Skype: Overthebackfence
December
5, 2013, No1, Issue 5
