RSVPed

Imagine summer camp, on the radio, connecting with friends old and new as you tell stories around the campfire, reflecting on the year that’s been and learning a whole lot …

Imagine summer camp, on the radio, connecting with friends old and new as you tell stories around the campfire, reflecting on the year that’s been and learning a whole lot along the way.

” mweller” in DS106Radio Summer camp – the partial attention conference – The Ed Techie ()

RSVPed Interested in Attending The AI Challenge – Design Forward
Welcome to The AI Challenge, a self-paced Design Forward module created to build faculty capacity with generative artificial intelligence (GENAI). Use the module menu above or the cards below to navigate the four topics; on each topic page you will find related resources, questions, and activities.

Since this is a self-paced module, you should proceed in whatever way makes you comfortable. Feel free to take as little or as much time as necessary and focus on whatever components resonate most deeply with you and your own pedagogical value and needs.

Source: The AI Challenge

This self-paced module offers approaches to investigating artificial intelligence in education and includes a collection of resources for learning and teaching.

RSVPed Attending DAMIAN COWELL WITH HIS BAND!

Who the f*** is Damian Cowell?

Damian Cowell wrote a song called “I Was The Guy in TISM”. So there’s that. There was no Damian Cowell in TISM, but one of the masked personas’ voice and those distinctive lyrics are pretty familiar.

Since 2004 Damian Cowell has formed 3 bands, released 8 albums, been a stand-up comedian, published a graphic novel, been commissioned by MONA, produced a 19-episode podcast and created a 19-episode animated series. Now he’s back to bring you some of the best bits.

What the f*** is Damian Cowell?

Damian Cowell is a compilation album celebrating his work in ROOT!, The DC3 and Damian Cowell’s Disco Machine, plus some new things. It features a new version of”Fuck I’m Dead”, his collaborations with Tony Martin, Shaun Micallef, Celia Pacquolaand, Ella Hooper plus previously unreleased versions of songs from his 2010 lost masterpiece “Surface Paradise”.

Why the f*** is Damian Cowell?

He started out wearing a mask and pretending to be someone else. Since then he’s hidden behind the security of 3 bands. Now he’s just Damian Cowell: the social satirist, the singer, the songwriter, the band, the brand.

Who the f*** are Damian Cowell?

Damian Cowell the band features some familiar faces, like Gordon Blake, Andy Hazel and Emily Jarrett, plus some new ones. Oh, and Damian Cowell will be there too. His old friend Tony Martin may also make an appearance. To celebrate the release of Damian Cowell the album, Damian Cowell the band are touring nationally, playing selections from across his career. And even a few from you know who.

Not sure what ‘Damian Cowell’ the album is, but I am a yes whoever or whatever Damian Cowell is. Kind of feels like Cowell’s own Eras-style tour.
RSVPed Attending Book Launch: How to Tackle Your Dreams

Join us for the celebration of How to Tackle Your Dreams by Fiona Hardy, launched by Nicole Hayes.

Everyone knows that Homer loves Australian Rules football. But ever since his dad moved away and his mum was drafted in the women’s league, something…

Congratulations on Book No. 3 Fiona. A great event.

Hopefully one day your dreams of a gold encrusted house might come true.

RSVPed Attending Damian Cowell’s Disco Machine – Xmas Show

They’ve been locked away for two years like a shrivelled up inflatable Santa in a cupboard – but now they’re BACK! Damian Cowell – the master of insatiably catchy wrongness – and his party animal Disco Machine are ready to bring you Disco Christmas – a non stop bell-wiggling, floor-shaking festive dance party, featuring the snake-hipped boogaloo moves of the great Tony Martin – you’ve never seen him like this on Have You Been Paying Attention! With highlights from his mind-blowing animated graphic novel web series Only The Shit You Love, plus some Christmas classics as only he can reinvent them, Damian Cowell his Disco Machine and Tony Martin will help you forget the world, forget yourself, and have the best night out in, well, two years! Come in Disco Christmas fancy dress and win a prize! If you’ve been to a Disco Christmas, you’ll know how good this is – limited tickets so this will sell out. Don’t miss it!

A part of me wonders how much of my joy from seeing Damien Cowell’s Disco Machine live was going to my first post-COVID gig (actually my first gig since seeing Smashing Pumpkins in 2012), but whatever it was, the night left an undeniable mark.

I love the surprise of hearing an unknown artist. I had no idea what to expect from Twinkle Digitz, Will Hindmarsh’s one man show, the support act for the night. When I purchased my ticket, there was no mention of a support act so there was no pre-gig Googling. Twinkle Digitz mixture of samples, voice and live instrumentation felt reminiscent of many busking gigs I have seen, such as Reuben Stone. Just can’t imagine hearing Shit Eatin’ Grin in the middle of Bourke Street Mall. One of the things that I like about the set was how even though he used program beats and samples, there was something loose about it all that made me feel that every performance was most definitely unique.

In regards to the Disco Machine, this was my first time seeing them live. Although I had heard all the albums, watched the documentary Disco ex Machina and captured a few clips online, I was still unsure what to expect. Although the set started with a crack at Christmas, for me it started with (Here Comes the) Disco Machine. When the song dropped I was hooked. I remember having a similar experience seeing Radiohead circa 2003 and having the same apprehension until they started belting out the drums for There There. It also hit home why virtual performances can not replace the physical experience of being there.

The band played a mixture of new and old tracks, including Get Yer Dag On and My Horn Plays La Cucaracha. One of the things that I was intrigued by was Tony Martin’s role. Although he took a few songs to come out, once on stage he was a central part of proceedings. I really enjoyed what Martin brought to some of the songs, such as the back and forwards between he and Cowell in All DC Wants For Christmas.

My only disappointment with the concert was how soon it felt it was over. However, I don’t think I realised how exhausting such an intense performance actually is.

One of the strange things about the gig was how It felt like close nit community, a ‘reunion party of close friends’ maybe. It kind of felt like everyone knew everyone, but then again maybe that is because I knew no one. It also still seems strange to be contemplating live music once again.

RSVPed Attending The Google Sheets REGEX Formula Cookbook

Enhance your data skills and learn how to use the powerful REGEX formulas in Google Sheets

Completed Ben Collins’ course on REGEX. As always, I appreciated the way in which Collins’ unpacks different scenarios. The only thing that I would have been interested in more discussion of using REGEX within a QUERY.
RSVPed Interested in Attending Children, Young People & the Future

Please click the link to complete this form.

Alannah & Madeline Foundation are seeking the perspectives of young people to help guide the future of the organisation:

In planning for the future, we’re commencing an exciting project that works alongside kids aged between 4 – 18 years of age to understand their perspectives, ideas and desires in order to better inform the way in which we represent and protect them today and into the future.

I remember wondering what the future of things like eSmart would be.

In planning for the future, we’re commencing an exciting project that works alongside kids aged between 4 – 18 years of age to understand their perspectives, ideas and desires in order to better inform the way in which we represent and protect them today and into the future.

I guess it starts with asking those it is designed for to help write the next chapter.

RSVPed Interested in Attending Mental Models for optimised thinking and sensemaking

An online course to help develop thinking complexity. Harness the power of situational dynamics and decision-making frameworks to help make better decisions and sense of the world we live in.

Steve Brophy has put together an online course on sense-making.
RSVPed Interested in Attending Teach-In Against Surveillance

Join us for a teach-in about surveillance, educational technologies, academic freedom, and student care — for an important cause!

Other than the fact that this is in the middle of the night for me, it looks interesting event to raise funds to support Ian Linkletter’s defence.
RSVPed Attending Assessment of Critical and Creative Thinking

In this session a range of strategies for assessing Critical and Creative Thinking will be explored. Different assessment methods will be introduced within the context of planning for assessment. Examples of student work and associated tasks from Levels 5 and 6 will be used to illustrate the discussion, however this session is suitable for all teachers from F-10.

This VCAA webinar unpacks the Critical and Creative Thinking curriculum and how to go about assessment. The curriculum is broken into three strands:

  • Questions and Possibilities
  • Reasoning
  • Meta-cognition

Some examples of activities include:

Lotus Diagram

The Lotus Diagram is a structured concept mapping activity which provides a means of assessing questioning and reasoning. What was interesting about the example provided was that there may not be an explicit way of completing the task, this ambiguity is where the reasoning comes in.

Compass Points

The Visible Thinking routine, Compass Points, is a way of not only coming up with ideas, but also to step back and help make preconceptions more visible. In regards to assessment, what matters with such as task is how a students may use a particular tool to foster their learning.

Journaling

Showing your thinking in Mathematics provides a means of making your logic and reasoning visible. As a process, this could involve focusing on processes or digging into particular errors.

If students are not being challneged, then they are just practicing what they know

This reminds me of Back-to-Front Mathematics.

Tiered Success Criteria

Sometimes the biggest challenge is getting all students to push themselves further. One method for doing this is using the SOLO Taxonomy to create tiered success criterias to help students managing their own learning and thinking.


My take-away from this session is that from an assessment perspective, a stimulus can provide many different opportunities for assessment. What matters is the lens that you use. I was also reminded of the work of the ATC21s team and the work done to develop assessment methods for collaboration. So often it felt that the process was a subplot to the product of learning.

The VCAA have collected together a number of samples to demonstrate what is possible.

RSVPed Interested in Attending Research-Engaged Practice Network

This post-project event will coincide with the launch of the virtual exhibition, during which we will share what we learned. This will be of interest to any school leaders who are interested in thinking differently about the role of data in schools, the kind of data that might support professional dialogue, and the potential for creative visualisation as a form of communication and reflection on data.

RSVPed Attending EAL program: What is Plurilingualism?

This presentation will explore plurilingualism and the ways it can be used to enhance the teaching of EAL students.

This webinar offered by VCAA walks through the concept of plurilingualism and its implications. Plurilingual is about the languages inherent within the individual. This is different to multilingual which is about the various languages spoken within a community. Plurilingualism sees efficincy as something that is a combination of all languages, not just the mother tongue. With this in mind, it needs to be noted that proficency in mother tongue may in fact vary, especially in regards to written forms that may not be fostered as much.

This was a useful presentation as I am not sure I had ever properly thought about plurilingualism. It really has me rethinking ways in which I support learners. The challenge is to be aware of this and make it an active process. Associated with this, there needs to be an effort to promote a more positive perception about achievement. Rather than students struggling, they are on a developmental pathway. In the end, this all highlights the ways in which literacy not static, but something that is ever evolving.

RSVPed Interested in Attending Digitally Literate Educator

This open, online course is designed to familiarize educators with the best ways to build the knowledge, skills, and processes educators need to embed technology in a meaningful way in their classrooms from Pre-K up through higher education.

Ian O’Byrne has put together a course for designing a technology infused unit of work.
RSVPed Interested in Attending Agency and Professionalism Reconsidered

The work of teachers is public work: it takes place in the public domain and should, in principle, be orientated towards the public good rather than serve private interests. This not just suggests an intrinsic connection between teaching and democracy, but also makes a particular case for teaching as a profession. In my presentation I will explore the ways in which teacher professionalism has changed over the past decades, with a particular focus on the democratic dimension of teacher professionalism. I will focus on [1] the relationship between teachers and students; [b] the question of accountability; and [3] the role of knowledge, values, scholarship and research. With regard to each I will suggest that what may look like a democratisation of the teaching profession actually has turned into its opposite, which has much to do with technicist conceptions of education and with the role of measurement and data. I will conclude with some suggestions about the push backs that may be needed, and what this means for teachers’ agency.

RSVPed Attending DLTV Talks Leadership Session 1 Steve Brophy

In this workshop, Steve Brophy asks important questions then provides an avenue of ideas for a way forward due to the increased workload the pandemic has wrought on leaders. How do we as leaders lead when we ourselves are struggling to deal with the bandwidth overload that is our current existence? In this interactive webinar, learn practices and frameworks that will enable you to build a robust toolkit for thriving in tumultuous times.

  1. Putting on your own oxygen mask first: A personal survival toolkit designed to decode your body and enable optimal performance
  2. Counteracting screentime: Using nature to balance the scales
  3. Making sense when nothing makes sense – Frameworks for navigating complexity

One of the points that really stood out to me was:

Human beings need stress, they just can’t live with perpetual stress.

RSVPed Unable to Attend A Domain of One’s Own Meetup | July 23, 2020

I’ll be hosting a Domain of One’s Own meetup on Thursday, July 23, 2020 at at 10:30 AM Pacific / 1:30 PM Eastern / 7:30 PM CEST. Everyone who is interested in the topic is welcome to attend. We expect there will be students, teachers, designers, web developers, technologists, and people of all a…

Thank you Chris for the invite, but 3:30 in the morning is a bit difficult. I am also really terrible at catch-ups and events. Sadly, much of my time on such tasks is stolen, rather than planned.