Monday 27 April 2009

Feedback from 2G

2G tried the Spins out with the Bow Tie activity. What did you think, 2G?
  • What was it like using the Spins?
  • What features did you like best?
  • What didn't work so well?
When you post a comment remember to put your number at the end!

Friday 24 April 2009

Feedback from 2F

2F tried the Spins out with the Bow Tie activity. What did you think, 2F?
  • What was it like using the Spins?
  • What features did you like best?
  • What didn't work so well?
When you post a comment remember to put your number at the end!

Tuesday 31 March 2009

Feedback from 1H

1H tried the Spins out with the Bow Tie activity. What did you think, 1H?
  • What was it like using the Spins?
  • What features did you like best?
  • What didn't work so well?
When you post a comment remember to put your number at the end!

Successful first attempt

Last night I set up the Bow Tie task to run with 3 Spins. I had to load the Red5 file on to the desktop and run it from that. I'm not sure if OLM who had the Spins before me used the USBs as there is an escape folder sitting on the desktop.

Problems:
  • One Spin didn't seem to be connected to the laptop - discovered that using the autorun from the Red5 file sorted this.
  • The 'dashboard' didn't seem always to tie up with what was happening on the Spins, e.g. the connected showed question marks at times and the box task column data didn't seem to correspond with the box the 'pupils' were working on.
This was my first time running the Bow Tie (I had a been a participant in Edinburgh). It is a task, therefore that I am still familiarising myself with and having to lead a class through.

I am going live with 1H on the Bow Tie task this morning. Watch this space for feedback from the pupils.

Monday 30 March 2009

It starts tomorrow!

I've got the kit now which consists of a laptop, router and 36 Fizzbook Spins. I few weeks ago I had authored tasks for our S1 Spatula project and our S2 clock project. The main task we will be doing will be an Eco Project concerning 'Upcycling'.

The class lists were loaded in to the management system today and I am going to kick off with my S1 D&T class tomorrow using a taster activity. This will hopefully be able to be completed in one period giving an experience of the different tools and capabilities of the Spins.

I've got the laptop, router and 3 Spins home. The task has been loaded on to a USB stick and I'm off now to see if it will work . . .

Friday 27 March 2009

Where did it all begin?

The e-scape scotland project stemmed a discussion following a Research Presentation by Prof. Richard Kimbell at Strathclyde University on 19th March 2008. Could a pilot of the e-scape project take place in Scotland? To cut a long story short here we are a year later with e-scape Scotland venturing into the classrooms in Glasgow. I will try later on to fill in the blanks from the last year which include a Masters dissertation and a trip to see e-scapes in action in Northumberland. Please ask if there's anything you want to know . . .