CMIS Evaluation Technology Focus

Teams from around the world are participating in the 
World Solar Challenge
aiming to drive from Darwin to Adelaide using the power of the sun.

This year’s entrants include vehicles from two WA high schools –  Willeton and Leeming.
Currently Willeton’s Solar Flair is ranked 10th and Leeming’s Hammerhead is placed 18th overall.

 
You can follow the Leeming team’s progress on their blog and to find out all about the technical side of their entry.
A great video and information about Willeton’s entry can be found on the 100 People: A world Project website 

 The lead cars plan to be in Adelaide by Saturday.

On January 16 2008 flickr launched The Commons, starting with a  pilot project in partnership with The Library of Congress.

One year later, 17 participating institutions have contributed to The Commons from their photographic archives. Australian contributors include: The Powerhouse Museum, The State Library of NSW and The Australian War Memorial.

Screendump from www.flickr.com/commons

The program has two main objectives:

1. To increase access to publicly-held photography collections, and
2. To provide a way for the general public to contribute information and knowledge.

If you make use of a photo from The Commons, you are advised to read the usage rights statement.

from The Commons website…

The best way to get involved is to add a tag or two to the photos you see, and if you happen to know anything else about the subject, by all means add a comment.

*Any Flickr member is able to add tags or comment on these collections. If you’re a dork about it, shame on you. This is for the good of humanity, dude!!

For readers new to online photo sharing here is quick introduction.

Teachers and students who have read and enjoyed Jeannie Baker’s Window and its companion title Belonging will appreciate this project from the New South Wales Centre for Learning Innovation.

Through My Window is a simple and engaging email activity designed to allow students to communicate about their world through words and images. Descriptions are posted on the website and students from around the world may email their artistic interpretations back to the authors. Students may then evaluate their descriptions to see if the wording they have used has provided an accurate picture of their scenario.

In the Task Section at Step 3: Connect teachers can register with the Through my window coordinator who controls the posting of descriptions.  The activity model on the website could easily be used without registering to take part, although by registering children are given the opportunity to see their work published online (permission required).

In the Description Section examples of student work can be viewed by clicking the Stage 1 and Stage 2 buttons.  In the Archive section work from students can be seen at Stage 2 and Stage 3 including an interpretive view from another school.

Schools across Australia are invited to contribute to this on-going project and its companion project The Adventures of Ebenezer Q. Emu.

This is a creative activity in which students in the Early years of schooling use a story wizard to create an adventure using their own words, digital pictures and sound effects.Students also have the option of recording their words in English and another language. The story may be viewed on the computer and/or printed out for use in classrooms or school libraries.Completed adventures may be submitted to the website project manager for subsequent inclusion on the website.

The site includes ample planning and assessment assistance for teachers. Proformas are available for students to prepare their stories, children are encouraged to use sound files and clip art and there is a Library where completed stories are published.

Although both projects relate particularly to NSW Syllabus outcomes, the activities can be readily applied across several WA Learning Areas outcomes including English, The Arts, Technology and Enterprise, Mathematics, Languages, and Society and Environment.

Launched in 2007 the online climate change project will be even bigger and better this year. The interactive website [available through the DET portal] provides DET teachers and students with resources to fully explore the Climate Change issue. The site provides students with a safe and secure forum for discussions with other DET students in Western Australia.
Forthcoming activities include opportunities to ‘Ask an Expert’ and engaging, interactive games for students.

If you haven’t already done so, please register for access to all areas of the site.

For further information visit the portal or email SOCSinfo@det.wa.edu.au

More resources for Climate Change can be found in CMIS themes.