Wednesday, February 22, 2017

IT Security in ITGS

The 11th grade ITGS students were learning about security issues this past week as well as how to avoid them and how to deal with them. They were asked to put a short video together to explain these concepts and did so over the course of two lessons.

The first step, after deciding on a focus was for them to identify key terminology and language they planned on using. Next,  they wrote short scripts and began their recordings. It was great to observe the variety of methods and applications they chose to produce their videos.

Here are three out of the many examples, compiled into one video. In these cases the students opted for Powtoon, whiteboards, and drawings, as well as presentation videos, in that order.

Enjoy!


Monday, February 20, 2017

A Better World 2017



Each year our 6th grade students take part in the A Better World Project, an ABCICT global initiative.

During the project, students explore global issues, learn about the UN SDGs and engage in research activities, while fine-tuning their research skills. They learn search strategies, evaluate websites and learn how to take notes.

As the project progresses, the students apply their learning in a variety of creative ways.
They choose one global issue per pair and collaboratively write rap songs. Later, they mix music tracks on the iPads and record themselves singing using Garageband.  They create music videos using singing avatars created in Tellagami, Chatterpix and CrazyTalk,  and also record a few live shots, usually in front of a green screen. All of this footage is finally compiled in student produced, music videos. They use both DoInk's Green Screen App and iMovie on the school iPads to edit and render their videos.

All of this work is uploaded at certain stages,  throughout the process,  to student Google Sites and reflected upon.

The project is now winding down for the year, the plan being to have students finish off their sites and reflect this week.

Here is a preview of two student rap songs that we are quite proud of.

Do check back in a few weeks, to view the final project list for 2017.

Friday, February 3, 2017

STEAMing Along on Our Way to STEAM Fest 2017

This year's STEAM Fest is going to be bigger and better than last year's in a variety of ways. 

The number are in and the response has been overwhelming, from our  6th grade to 12th grade students.  Close to 100 students, from across Secondary have now formed teams and volunteered to plan and develop a STEAM project for this year's event. 

This doesn't take into account teachers, nor does it include the hundreds of  Primary students who will be working diligently in their lessons, on their projects as well. Upper Primary will present one final project per class, as well as several ICT projects, at this year's event.

The Logo Competition

Several students from both Primary and Secondary challenged themselves to design a new logo for this year's STEAM Fest, based on our new Motto which is: MAKEe a Difference, Think Globally, Act Locally!  The Logo Competition winners have been chosen and we have two of them.

The design below was created by combining both winning logos. These were selected from a collection of submissions as the ones that best illustrated our new Motto. 

BTW: You may recognise the last part of that motto. It isn't our own, in fact, we have borrowed it. If you would like to know more about this interesting quote you may want to start with this interesting  Wikipedia article about it.

Here is the winning announcement which will go out to students and staff this today.



The Mini Maker Faire: as mentioned previously, was a great success. 
Here is a short video and the link to our photo gallery on Flickr.