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Shambles Newsletter for International Schools in South East Asia   (but being read by many more worldwide)
Newsletter May 2007 www.shambles.net/newsletter         aims, purpose & mailing policy
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CLICK HERE to download a summary "Word.doc" version of the May 07 newsletter (170KB)
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Index (click on the number to go down to the article)           

item one  Shamble "What's New"   item seven  A Forest of Theme Blogs
item two  Shambles Podcasts Series   item eight  Librarians and media staff
item three  International Baccalaureate   item nine  Mixed Bag
item four  Audio on the Internet   item ten  Special Educational Needs
item five  Information Literacy   item eleven  Google
item six  Shanghai Conference   item twelve  Singapore : Web 2.0 workshops
item one Shambles "What's New" www.shamblesnews.net

A new set of Shambles Theme Blogs have sprung up over the past few months
with free videos and PowerPoints embedded ... see below for more details
or visit Visit the Shambles 'Forest of Theme Blogs' ... just click on this button

| Brunei | Burma/Myanmar | Cambodia | China | Hong Kong | India | Indonesia | Japan | Laos | Macau | Malaysia |
| Philippines | Singapore | South Korea | Taiwan | Thailand | Vietnam |

 
   
item two Shambles Podcast Series www.shambles.net/podcasting

More brilliant interviews added over the last three months .... plus now you can find them in the iTunes music store (free subscriptions of course)

"Shambles TECHcasts" : www.shamblesTECHcast.info         
Conversations with International Schools ICT Coordinators, Managers and Directors

"Shambles HEADcasts" : www.shamblesHEADcast.info         RSS feed to Shambles HEADcasts http://odeo.com/channel/124881/rss
Conversations with International Schools Headteachers and Principals

"Shambles ASIAcasts" : www.shamblesASIAcast.info         RSS feed to Shambles ASIAcasts http://shambles.podOmatic.com/rss2.xml
Conversations with educators in S.E.Asia in private and public sectors ... and those supporting schools .. a mixed bag.

"Shambles LIBcasts" : www.shamblesLIBcast.info         RSS feed to Shambles LIBcasts Podcast series http://odeo.com/channel/124901/rss
Conversations with librarians and media staff in International Schools in Asia

| Podcasting General Info | Podcast Directories | Podcast Hosting | Podcasting Tools (Hardware & Software) |
| ESL Podcasts | Podcasts by Students | Podcasting and Education |

Shambles Podcasts logos

 

opportunities to sponsor shambles podcasts

   
item three International Baccalaureate I.B. www.shambles.net/ib

I.B. Conference
Information Literacy across the IB Programmes
31 March to 2 April 2007
From what I hear and the feedback listed on the IB website ... this was an event well worth attending.
Some materials are available to download at    www.ibo.org/ibap/conference

Conference Forums ...
The 2007 IBAP Teachers’ Convention featured two Forum Sessions over the three-days programme. During these sessions, participants gathered in 5 separate forum groups, representing the 5 programme strands.

- Library / Resource Ctre Mgt Forum
- On-line Learning Communities Forum
- Applied Technologies Forum
- Developing Multi-modal Literacies Forum
- Learner Profile and Information Inquiry Forum

Several questions were asked including: "The IT tsunami is not coming – it is here now! We may know how to swim … but can we surf? Are schools surfing or sinking in regard to promoting information literacy?"
To see the outcomes of these discussion download this   pdf document 50(KB)

IB Workshop Registrations Open    www.ibo.org/ibap/workshops
MYP & DP IB Asia Pacific Regional Workshops in Bangkok (21 - 23 September 2007)
PYP, MYP & DP IB Asia Pacific Regional Workshops in Singapore (2 - 4 October 2007)
PYP, MYP & DP IB Asia Pacific Regional Workshops in Beijing (26 - 28 October 2007)

IB and Web 2.0 Wiki   http://ibapteachersconvention.wikispaces.com
IB educators using Web 2.0 technologies to enhance classroom practice.

 
   
item four Audio on the Internet www.shambles.net/podcasting

Podcasting is BIG in the news ... it's a growth area as an educational tool ... there is even a special section in this newsletter and on Shambles just on Podcasting

But this might be a suitable time for a reality check .... audio has been on the internet for a long time ... just not as accessible as it is now. So this is just to remind you of other audio options which can be useful and fun ... especially if or when learning English (or other languages) ... and especially if you just want to listen for relaxation.

Podiobooks  www.podiobooks.com
Free serialized audio books, delivered on your schedule .... (don't miss this one)

Audiobooks www.shambles.net/pages/school/audiobks
A list of where to find (free and paid for) audio books on the internet.

Oral History www.shambles.net/pages/learning/History_P/oralhist/
See (listen to) what history teachers have been doing long before the internet ... although it is much easier now.

.Voices and Sounds www.shambles.net/pages/school/voices/
Where to find those great speeches or sounds ....

 
   

It's easy to get seduced (or intimidated) by Information Technology .... and even blinded by the new software, new toys, gadgets, the internet ..... when we really need to be embracing the one literacy that should become second nature and the life-line to us all .... Information Literacy.

To bring this message home (to you and students) visit the Shambles Information Literacy area and watch one or two of the presentations linked to at the top of the page .... do not miss "Did You Know" and "2014" ..... in a few minutes you'll appreciate the enormity of the task ahead.

There are also other info. lit. videos and PowerPoints at the Visit the Shambles 'Forest of Theme Blogs' ... just click on this button

exciting or daunting? ... that's your choice

 
   
item six Shanghai Conference www.learning2.net.cn        DO NOT MISS THIS

LEARNING 2.0 Beta      14-16 September 2007
Concordia International School, Pudong, Shanghai, China    www.ciss.com.cn
view this powerpoint for more information

Click to see PowerPoint promotional presentation for the event.
click to view intro PowerPoint

www.learning2.net.cn

TAG learn2cn
4 use during the event

Flickr learn2cn
Technorati learn2cn
del.icio.us learn2cn

Sponsors
Association of China and Mongolia International Schools

EARCOS:  The East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools

   
item seven A Forest of Theme Blogs www.shambles.net/blogforest

Over the past few months a "Forest of Theme Blogs" has been growing around the boundaries of the Shambles website.
Most of these contain videos and PowerPoints which play inside the Blog itself www.shambles.net/blogforest

The list is growing and will continue to do so as a resource to save teachers, students and other school community members time when searching for internet multimedia content ... topics so far include:
| Libraries and Librarians | Information Literacy | Plagiarism and Copyright | About the Internet | Internet Safety |
| Viral Videos in Marketing and Search Engine Optimization | Web 2.0 | SEO and Marketing | Blogging |
| Technology and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) | Technology History Photographs |
| The Future of Technology | Screencasts Library ... (mainly ICT and web application skills) | Podcasting |
| Teaching the Alphabet and ABCs | Nursery Rhymes | China and the Chinese | Climate Change |
| Teachers and Teaching | The Future of Education, Future Schools | Water | Volcanoes |

If you have any specific requests for a particular theme then email me and we will do the research for you.

Suggestion for use in T&L:
All the theme Blogs have a facility for visitors to leave comments under each of the resources (usually a video or PowerPoint) .... so one option for teachers is to set a task (homework) for students to review one of the topic resources and then leave a comment online .... to be seen by other students or visitors ... easy for teachers to see and assess. (remember the Theme Blogs are public).

A Forest of Theme Blogs

   
item eight Librarians and Media Staff www.shambles.net/librarian

Google Librarian Newsletter : March2007 www.google.com/librariancenter/newsletter/0703.html
Your library in Google Groups | Explore the world in books | Import citations from Google Scholar | Start your Custom Search Engines | Google Book Search by the numbers | Resource update: Google for Educators |

Redesign of School Libraries and the Role of Librarians
http://nlcommunities.com/communities/alannovember/archive/2007/02/12/118272.aspx
Rethinking Libraries of Today .... Podcast from Alan November .. 5 minutes
Based on a meeting with a librarian and an architect, Alan discusses the changing role of librarians, along with what the ‘ideal’ school library might look like given the anticipated impact technology will have on teaching and learning.

WikiSummaries www.wikisummaries.com
Free book summaries that anyone can edit! WikiSummaries.org provides free summaries of books, plays and other written documents. This complements Wikipedia, which is already an excellent source of information on authors and brief book summaries. Where Wikipedia leaves off, WikiSummaries will continue with character profiles, detailed chapter summaries, study questions, important quotes, analysis of metaphor and symbolism, etc.

Free email account with address username@internationallibrarian.info
http://www.internationallibrarian.info/
Would you like a free email account with the domain name @internationallibrarian.info
If yes then just send me an email with your first name / last name / and the username you would like and I shall create it for you. The actual email engine being used for this is Google's gmail .. so very reliable, confidential and trustworthy.
After I've created the account for you then just log in at http://mail.google.com/hosted/internationallibrarian.info to send and read email ........ ONLY for librarians and library staff.

video
Introducing the Book
Video : Introducing the Book
click the image to view video
http://tinyurl.com/255yut


 

   
 Mixed Bag

Web 2.0 Coming of Age www.shambles.net/web2/comingofage
The second edition of the Web 2.0 publication is still fermenting .... there is now a supporting social network at : http://comingofage.ning.com

Teachers in Australia interested in Web 2.0 www.edna.edu.au/edna/go/help/workshops
If you are a teacher in Australia then EdNA is running workshops across Australia in the next two months with lots of Web 2.0 content ...
"The purpose of edna workshops is to spread the word about edna's features and to provide training in the use of online services and collaborative tools. Workshops also provide opportunities for networking with the edna team and other education professionals."
They are either free or low cost ...

ICASE Asian Symposium
http://www.il.mahidol.ac.th/ICASE/
     DOWNLOAD flier (pdf 308KB)     email: directil@mahidol.ac.th
6th to 9th November 2007, Jomtien Beach Hotel, Pattaya, Thailand
“Science Education for All : Towards Sustainable Development Regardless of Resources”
Designed to support ... School teachers, University staff, Science educators, Administrators, Graduated students in Science/Technology, Education Science popularizers.
ICASE Asian Symposium 2007 is intended to be an international forum to share their research results,experiences and innovations for learners at all levels and all socioeconomic status. Self-sufficiency, sustainability, creativity and innovation in education are emphasized.

International Essay Contest for Young People www.goipeace.or.jp/english/activities/programs/0702_00.htm
UNESCO and the Goi Peace Foundation are inviting young people under 26 worldwide to enter their international essay contest (deadline: 30 June 2007).
The theme is: “The role of media and information and communication technologies in building a peaceful world”.
Essays must be 800 words or less, typed or printed in English, French, Spanish or German.
The winner of the first prize will receive a cash award and a trip to Japan.

Calendar for Schools 2007-2008:   www.shambles.net/calendar
A3 School / Academic Year calendars in 'Word/.doc' format are available to download again from Shambles ... at the moment there is a completely blank one and one with Hong Kong public holidays on it. These are not locked ... so you can add your own events, term dates etc.

PreK-12 Educator Web Site: PBS TeacherLine:   http://teacherline.pbs.org/teacherline/
PBS TeacherLine is a resource offering professional development courses online to individual PreK-12 teachers and districts. Trained, certified facilitators lead over 100 top-quality, standards-based courses that span the entire curriculum.
As a program funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, PBS TeacherLine is committed to helping educators acquire the skills they need to become—and stay—the highly qualified teachers needed to prepare students for a successful future.

Secrets of Aging:   http://www.secretsofaging.org/
... and for those retiring at the end of this term ... I hope you have a long and healthy future.
There is also a brilliant 20 min talk about aging online at www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/39

What do we mean by "Curriculum":   www.qca.org.uk/17180.html
I'm very clearly a visual learner ... give me a picture anytime over a page of text ... I immediately warmed to this brilliant "Curriculum Big Picture" published in January 2007 from the UK QCA to "to reinforce the concept of curriculum as the entire planned learning experience of a young person." ... well done QCA.
An excellent resource if you are ever involved in designing or reviewing a curriculum.

Coming of Age
Information about free web 2.0 booklet for teachers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click for the larger verson of the curriculum big picture from QCA UK
The Curriculum BIG Picture

   
item ten Special Educational Needs www.shambles.net/sen/

Podcast with Dr Jadis Blurton in Hong Kong     www.shambles.net/podcasting
Last month I interviewed Dr Jadis Blurton who has been in Hong Kong for the past 12 years and Heads up 'Therapy Associates" a team of professionals offering SEN support to all age groups.
I asked Jadis about the SEN support provision in Hong Kong and also for her advice to families moving to HK who had SEN children .... click on the link above or listen here

CPD for SEN"    www.shambles.net/pages/learning/sen/seninset
Continuing Professional Development opportunities for teachers, list on Shambles

FOCUS: conference on Learning and Attentional Disorders    www.focus.org.hk
Hong Kong 29th February to 1st March 2008
FOCUS (Focus on Children's Understand in School) is the non-profit organization in Hong Kong holding this conference to cover topics which include dyslexia, ADD and AD/HD

Designed for educators, medical professionals and parents, the conference, titled “Unleashing Potential – Helping Youth Cope with Learning and Attentional Disorders,” will feature keynote addresses by internationally acclaimed experts as well as a range of practical workshops.
Facilities for simultaneous translation in Cantonese and Mandarin will be available.

For more details download this flier (34 KB Word doc) or email info@focus.org.hk

Dr. Blurton is the founder and Clinical Director of Therapy Associates.

F.O.C.U.S. is a Hong Kong based non-profit organization whose mission is to promote public awareness of learning disabilities and attentional disorders

 

   

Google for Educators:   www.google.com/educators/index.html  
Here, you’ll find a teacher’s guide to Google Tools for Your Classroom, as well as a number of additional tools.
And to spark your imagination, you'll find examples of innovative ways that other educators are using these tools in the classroom.

Google Teacher Center Newsletter:
http://groups.google.com/group/Google-Teacher-Center/
     second edition of newsletter  
"We know the site hasn't changed much since you first saw it.
That's going to change in coming months -- we're going to be updating the site regularly with added tools and teaching activities -- so please be sure to check in with us often. We look forward to continuing to help you access the information and tools you need to give students the best education possible, and as always we invite your comments and suggestions"

Google for Educators Discussion Group: http://groups.google.com/group/google-for-educators
"We'll be using this group to keep you updated on Google's K-12 Education initiatives, but our real hope is that this will become the home of a vibrant community of educators. We encourage you to use this space to start discussions with fellow teachers. Talk about anything you'd like.
Share ideas about innovation in education; ask questions about where to find teaching resources; tell your colleagues about curricula you've created that have worked really well."

 

 

 

 

 

   
item twelve  Web 2.0 Workshops for Teachers & Schools in Singapore www.synergyst.com

The workshops I ran in Singapore last March were well attended (sigh of relief) you can see details at the Blog      http://singaporeworkshops.blogspot.com

I shall be in Singapore again on 4th and 5th June running more public sessions on mainly Web 2.0 ... including blogging, podcasting, social networking. Download FLIER (pdf 239KB)

Session are being coordinated again by the Singapore company, Synergyst who are also setting up some other events, not just web 2.0 ..
... see their website for details. www.synergyst.com

If schools or other organisations would like to use me during this (or other) visit then contact Cheng Fun at Synergyst chengfun@synergyst.com

Having a local Singapore coordinator for visits makes it much more cost effective for schools to use my time as some of the expenses are shared.

So if you are looking for support related to all aspects of ICT across the curriculum in k-12 and are in Singapore then this is another option for you. ePortfolio at www.shambles.net/csmith

For a list of some available workshops from Chris visit www.shambles.net/csmith/workshops
Workshops from Chris Smith (a selection)

Inservice
opportunities
for teachers
and
schools
in
Singapore

ICT
across the
curriculum

including
Web 2.0

 

   
 Advertising on Shambles www.shambles.net/advertising

Surprisingly not many schools have taken up the advertising options on 'Shambles' : we get over 10,000 visitors and over 20,000 page impressions each day during term time.

'Shambles' is a free service because of sponsorship and advertising ... your support would be appreciated .. details at www.shambles.net/advertising


Support Shambles with a donation (through PayPal) if you feel suitable - many thanks if you do  .... Chris
   
   
 
Support Shambles with a donation (through PayPal) if you feel suitable - many thanks if you do  .... Chris
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Chris Smith
ICT Consultancy

available for
consultancy work
in schools
related to ICT
Computer / Technology
school reviews / audits
development planning
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parents sessions

mainly
Use of ICT across the curriculum and
use of the internet
I also speak
at conferences
and run workshops

Workshops from Chris Smith (a selection)

 

If your school is a
member of EARCOS
then why not apply
for the (up to) US$3,000
grant to invite me
to work in your school
on Web 2.0?

CLICK for Grant details

 
 
 
 
you can listen to
an audio version
of this newsletter
read by Chris
in 3 minutes ONLY
.. click on this icon

listen to an audio of Chris talking about the newsletter
 
 
 
 
 
 

Shambles Puzzles
If you have received any
of the Shambles Puzzles
then some solutions
HERE

 
 
 
   
 
 
  STOP PRESS (last minute items)
 

Science Experiments and Demonstration Videos Online www.planet-science.com/scicast/about.html
This is a new initiative for all science teachers to keep an eye on ... to encourage and support teacher and student made videos of science experiments and demonstrations to be made available online.


6th mLearn Conference
www.mlearn2007.org
The 6th international conference on mobile Learning 
16-19 October 2007 Melbourne Australia
The MLearn 2007 Conference presents an opportunity for researchers, educators, students, technologists, practitioners and industry professionals to come together to share knowledge and experience, engage in global perspectives and contribute to development and progress in mobile learning technology.


From Web 2.0 to Education 2.0 http://mis.cite.hku.hk/events/default.asp?eventid=SEM07/0017
Hong Kong University : 26th May 07 14:00 - 16:45
Seminar on " From Web 2.0 to Education 2.0: Opportunities and challenges for teachers, trainers and information professionals "
"Advances in information and communication technology, especially the rapid developments in social technology such as wikis, blogs, social bookmarking, etc. have opened up new opportunities as well as challenges to education in schools as well as human resource development and training in public and business sectors.
In the seminar, a group of experts will introduce recent developments in learning technology and how these have been applied in different educational and human resource development contexts internationally and locally.
Emphasis will be placed on contemporary developments that make use of as Web 2.0 technology, digital media, mobile learning, and the role knowledge management can play in supporting human capital development. Opportunities will be given to participants to interact with speakers, ask questions and contribute with ideas."


International Language Teachers Association (Bangkok) : BLOG http://i-l-t-a.blogspot.com/
The International Language Teachers Association (ILTA) is a Bangkok-based association of modern language teachers whose mission is to provide leadership in promoting the highest ethical and teaching standards of the profession in Thailand and the region.
The association’s members are composed of teaching professionals and school administrators.
Visit the Blog to get the latest news about events ... and links to other individual modern language groups.


Computers in Classrooms : a free ezine www.ictineducation.org
Terry Freedman's newsletter designed for those who teach or manage information and communication technology (ICT) in schools. (k-12).
I thought I put in a lot of time into this Shambles newsletter ... but I was put to shame when I received Terry's last newsletter as a pdf attachment to an email received ... lots of worthwhile content.


Basic Guide to Acing Any Teacher Interview
www.thebusyeducator.com/adam-waxler.htm
OK ... so the job seeking season is coming to an end ... maybe just files this away for next year.
One of the Shambles Podcast series is with School Headteachers and Principals, one of the questions I usually ask is about advice for teachers being interviewed and also their favourite interview questions ... an excellent resource for when you are next applying for a new teaching job.
At "The Busy Educator" www.thebusyeducator.com Marjan Glavac recently interviewed Adam Waxler, the author of the book "Your Basic Guide to Acing Any Teacher Interview" .... in this free 30minute Podcast you can listen to Adam offer tips, advice and questions that could help you prepare for that next job application.
You can listen at www.thebusyeducator.com/adam-waxler.htm


Free email account with address username@internationalteacher.info

http://www.internationallibrarian.info/
Would you like a free email account with the domain name @internationalteacher.info
If yes then just send me an email with your first name / last name / and the username you would like and I shall create it for you. The actual email engine being used for this is Google's gmail .. so very reliable, confidential and trustworthy.
After I've created the account for you then just log in at http://mail.google.com/hosted/internationalteacher.info to send and read email .... ONLY for teachers in international schools.


Every Parent Matters http://tinyurl.com/yozk3q
"This 54-page DfES report sets out for the first time in one place what the UK government is doing to promote both the development of services for parents as well as their involvement in shaping services for themselves and their children."
Published April 2007 .... you will need to register on the website (free)

.. and while here why not listen to some music,
use this mini-browser

   
Shambles Poster for Staffroom Noticeboards : Full of I.T.
www.shambles.net/about/fliers/fullofIT.doc
It would be appreciated if you could download and print out this A4 notice for your staffroom noticeboard.
download Shambles A4 size poster for staffroom noticeboards

 

That's IT
The next newsletter will be 1st November 2007

Feedback
www.shambles.net/feedback

Any feedback you can give about this newsletter is always appreciated
.... especially ideas or contributions for future editions ...

If you know of any new international schools opening in the region - Brunei Burma/Myanmar Cambodia China Hong Kong (HKSAR) India Indonesia Japan Laos Macau Malaysia Philippines Singapore South Korea Taiwan Thailand Vietnam - then please let me know csmith@csmith.info

 

It would be appreciated if you could tell
colleagues about the Shambles newsletter

and the special promotion code for this edition is
"Bad Fat Queen"

email Chris Smith

csmith@csmith.info
ePortfolio at www.shambles.net/csmith

If you know of any commercial companies or organisations that might be interested in sponsoring a future newsletter then please feel free to forward this newsletter to them .... many thanks.

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