Update Friday 22nd May 2009

Since last update we've had a little accident with one of the UMPC's, it was dropped on the floor whilst loading back into the safe and the shock has damaged the screen beyond repair.
I've been busy chasing my participants for outputs and I feel sympathetic due to the end of year workload.
Plans for next week are to get Tony anf Yvette to answer some questions on video ready for the final report and also get some input from the various SMT's in the same way.

MoLeTV

We've been busy producing pod and vodcasts with (and for) the equipment we purchased with the project funds. We have obviously been on a steep learning curve with regards both the software and the actual capturing of the footage. Got 8 vodcasts now uploaded onto MoLeTV which I am very please about.

Have also spent a number of weeks worrying about one of the partners falling behind on the project with regards to material output but I think we are now getting somewhere.

Our UMPC's have also flagged up a few issues in the last seven days which have needed to be sorted. A teacher highlighted that there was a unit missing, which was soon recovered with no recurring issue. However, upon auditing the devices the following day we soon realised that one of the devices had actually managed to migrate from one safe to another. We have re-affirmed the booking and usage policy to all those using the facility and hope that we solved the issue.

MoLeTV

Had specialist mentor with us today at Moulton, we covered Senteo voting system training and several aspects of podcasting, including using photostory to help staff and students publish to the web. Found the tuition with regards to MoLeTV especially useful. Thanks to everybody who attended.

http://www.moletv.org.uk/rss/RSSNewiTunes20.aspx

MoleNet news from Northampton

Smartphones used to access My Maths website with level 1 electrical installation learners at Northampton. Access slow over the 3G network, however some learners found them really useful. Learners were enthusiastic about idea of taking the phones home over the Easter break to continue Maths work, they will be issued next week after parental permission forms are returned.

Update on Tree Survey

Photos are available - Danni, James etc if you need MOODLE accounts just get in touch.

http://moodle.moulton.ac.uk/mod/slideshow/view.php?id=16474

Hi Andrew

Thanks for inviting me onto the molenet blog. I look forward to contributing in the future

Tree Sampling Exercise

Exciting oppertunity to evidence the use of the UMPC's in one of our farms small woods. Students used the UMPC's to log the different species and number of into a spreadsheet they had developed on the devices. Took pictures which turned out really well.

After a month..........

The devices are performing really well. We have a booking system in place and we have opened up access to all the safes. We have a few minor teething problems one being that the safes have all been supplied with the same key so staff can get the booked allocation mixed up if not fully awake! Also we've had one of the keys temporarily mislaid which opened up a whole can full of worms! We didn't loose any devices but we will amend the booking sheet to try raise staff awareness of the possible problems without presenting hurdles for use. We have also requested a new "range" of locks from the supplier and attached the keys to lanyards to help the staff!

Tony has been battling with O2 re filtering and it sounds like he's almost there - hopefully he will add his own comments to the blog shortly.
Phil is making great progress with the action research and we are really grateful to Carol for her support on this.
Yvette seems to have mobilised the troops at Tresham and we are seeing progress being made which is great news.

Device Testing

Okay, so today went very well, it was also very exciting! (need to get out more!)

Giles and I took 10 of the UMPC's from the lapsafe and took them to the main plumbing workshop. Our aim was to test the devices on the Wifi network with the students. Martyn McDonnell provided the 10 learners (Thanks Martyn) who powered up the devices and then logged on with their own individual Moulton Learner Accounts. They then fired up the internet explorer and accessed MOODLE. The whole test was very positive, the learners loved the devices and seemed really engaged, as did small crowd of staff that formed around the test.

Thanks to Giles and his team for getting us this far. Thanks also to Paul Mawson who drove the College camera capturing the process.

Post Script

Just been discussing with Giles and we should have brought the camcorder and voice recorder also as the students made some really encouraging comments. Will do so the next time!

Snow stops play!

Big shame but the College has obviously been hit, like everybody else, with this bad weather. The impact on the project is that the first podcast was postponed and the mobile device trial was also missed. Rescheduling today for next week.

Device & Network Testing

Very pleased to say we are now in a position to begin live testing the wireless network married to the UMPC's. We have a class of students ready to use the UMPC's on Friday morning (6/1/09- 09:00). They will be using the devices, logging on with their personal student account (thats their Moulton account - user name is the learner ID No)accross the new wireless network. This, if successful, will launch both the devices and the network for use with the project. Very pleased to have reached this point.

This session will also provide us with a very good picture of what the learners require in the way of device training.

Note to self - must add staff development list to agenda for forthcoming management group meeting in order to book John Whalleys.

Action Research Meeting

Whilst I am not a full part of the day but rather Phil is, the meeting with Carol is happening in the Ecton Office, I am still finding that being a 3rd party to the discussion is very useful and extremely enlightening.

Equipment

Preparing today for the first podcast recording we have taking place this coming Thursday morning. Got to say I am very excited at the prospect!

Also the RF ID animal tagging is looking like its going to be something quite special with regards to mobile learning. The equipment to tag the sheep is here and we will be using the eee pc's to help us to do this. My plan get the learners involved in tagging the sheep to use the new video equipment as a form of evidence capture. The lecturer concerned is coming to see me today to discuss how best to go about this.

MoLeNET - James CLay Sessions

I know it sounds like a John Peel rip off but its not, honestly!

Listened / took part in three webcasts with James today. Really enjoyed them all and will, without doubt, refer back to them in the next week as we start our first vod and podcasting sessions with the project. The new kit for casting arrived today, 2 x flash card camcorders plus the audio only devices. We are scheduled to record a lesson next week and will cast it out.

Also today we have a management meeting. We are meeting at Tresham to review the questionnaire and disucss the formation of the teaching groups. The questionnaire is ready just in time for the researchers visit next week and meets the deadline of the end of the month.

LSIS - ecpd

1/2 way through the ecpd event 29th Jan, finding the facilitated discussion to be very useful. Im sat in a group with Tony Jewson so we are having discussions that are really useful. Really liking the card exercise. More later.......

RSC EM - Quick and Easy Video Event

Quick piece of reflection following the mornings session. I attended this event hoping that I would gain some useful tips to help me improve the quality of some of the basic video work we've started doing already. Ben opened the event and got us using moviemaker instead of what I normally use which is pinnacle. During the session I also spent time researching vodcasting and some of the free packages that can be used to help produce them. Really enjoyed the chance to play with moviemaker and research some of the most recent publications on pod and vod casting. Have some good ideas that I will get take back and use with Peter J and Mark W which will benefit the project. Also tried logging into MoleTV following my registration last week but didn't want to let me play, will follow this up tomorrow.

Captain's Log - Stardate 22 January 2009

Review of project progress from mid November 08 to now