Mobile Leba box with iPads

Our school got last week mobile Leba box to charge and restore iPads. With this box we can also download applications to devices.

You need one "master" computer to
synchronize other devices and buy needed applications. You can synchronize and charge 16 iPads together at once.It is quick and easy.

Leba box includes also Airport Wifi system, that we can use it outside of school. It is really mobile system and we can use it for example in camps and different learning environments.

By the way this post is made in summer cottage,so we are living in the mobile world !

Teaching II World War and dictators via Facebook and blog

I am teaching history course called International Affairs (History 3) in Muurame Senior High School. Course lasts 6 weeks and after that we have exams. We wondered how would be nice to use modern tools and technology. We chose three simple tools to made more like Flipped Classroom idea.

First we founded course blog in Blogger. It was the easiest way, because we have 17 iPads in class. I put lesson material to our blog and students do their homework mostly via blog. It was easy to check their homeworks in one sight. And we had more time to discuss and have dialogue in lessons. Students wrote their "mini-essays" also in our blog. http://muuramenlukio.blogspot.fi/

We try to discover every hour one new iPad app. Students or teacher can present one if they have founded a great one. So far we have checked Blogger, Wolrd War II, QRReader, HistoryMaps, Popplet etc. There are plenty of good free educational apps available in AppleStore.

Then we founded Facebook profiles to "great dictators". In our closed Facebook group there are Stalin, Mussolini, Hitler, Franco and Lenin. Students have attached fotos, videos, national anthems, stories about their characters. Teacher is sending all the time good questions to dictators to guide them to the right direction. It is marvellous dialogue with students. Everything is linked to real history events like:

-Europe after I world war
-early 1920's
-Great depression
-rise of  the right wing and facism
 -happenings before II world war
-dictators ruling their countries
-II word war itself and peace
-collapse of nazis and facists

Our dictator persons follow us three weeks and after course we vanish them. This has been new perspective to history. Students have to think and act like dictators in real life during those miserable times. And students might understand why it was earlier really (his)story when men ruled to world.

Display recorder and Crest tutorial for iPad

Semi-mobile class ! Designing new project and team class.

We are planning totally new learning environment in our school. This semi-mobile project class includes new technology and ideas of flexible space. We prefer bright and inspiring colours like orange and movable Fatboy chairs. Our sustainable and environment system likes green and lot of plants. Our students named this new class as "Kenno". Here is a list of some technology devices used :

-12 Samsung Client -computers without hard drive
-12 iPads
-1 eBeam smartboard
-Airport printer
-AppleTV

QR codes in principal's office

Security and safety plan

Security and safety plan

View more PowerPoint from Muuramen lukio

How to teach entrepreneurship at school? Via school’s own company.

Our school’s company is called Kisälli. It means medieval trainee and the logo symbolizes three “holy” things : schools, communities and companies. They three must work together ! We founded our school’s own company Kisälli 9 years ago (2003). We created our own small co-operative company with students and teachers. In the beginning students have to create name, logo, rules, branch, brochures and legislation issues and paperwork with authorities. This was real learning by doing with community and society. Why cooperative company? In Finnish legislation cooperatives are very equal and cheap. Every member of the company has only one vote. We thought that our business will also confirm democracy education. Starting costs were very low and school’s budget did not suffer. Cooperatives are easy-going platform for learning both coaches and students. Students run their own company Operative board consist only students. We have CEO, economical leader, secretary, marketing manager, project manager and lot of workers. One year more than 40 % of our 3rd graders worked in the company. Operative board pays the bills, salaries, taxes and make contracts. They have very responsible work to do and they have learnt a lot. Annual sales has been between 10 000-30 000 €/year. Our turnover and profit margin has been brilliant. Students work in different areas : -websites for companies -social media consulting -selling different goods -summer cafeteria -car washing -dog/cat sitter -snow removing -cleaning houses etc. Benefits Our students need more positive experiences from entrepreneurship studies and companies. This comes naturally in their own company. Working experiences is crucial also among high schools students. If you get know better different jobs, you never overlook any profession. Of course students get salary and get paid. We know that youngsters love some extra money. Obviously they understand better the value of money after they have earned the money themselves. Our youngsters need lot of information in economic issues in their own lives. How to spare and how to consume reasonable? It is very important to understand where the money comes and how we pay taxes. There is no free dinners and tax-free salaries !