Google Sketchup of Islay House Square

We have been using Google Sketchup for quite a while now. Here is an example of some of the work.

 

Video: Islay House Square in Sketchup

The work is all the S1 pupils from one class. The pupils split themselves into groups. They decided on what they needed to do. They got the plans of the square and shared the work out amongst them. They worked out the sizes from the scale on the plans (1:400). They asked if they could go and visit to take photo's of the elevations. Transferred the images over onto the PC's and started to edit them-They wanted to remove the people and the cars they didn't want. They took the images and used them the create the textures.

6 of the year went to the Young Engineers Conference in Glasgow last Friday and while their they took the different models of the various buildings and placed them into a single model and created the animation. They then exported the animation as an AVI file and made the video in MovieMaker.

All this before they get a hold of the UMPC's!

What do you think?

PS I am giving presentation on this at SFL (SETT)

Technorati Tags: sketchup, islay, argyll, education scotland, education, google sketchup

Other Changes - Project Afternoon's

We looked at how the whole school community could take the skills and knowledge that they were learning in the classroom and apply them.

We are removing the 'Core' lessons from S3 - S4 and making Wednesday and Friday Afternoon's Project Afternoon's.

Project proposals are being developed at the moment. All staff getting ideas together and looking at how practical they would be. We have split the year into 6 week blocks. A staff member can offer a single block of 6 weeks using either one afternoon, and offer a different project the other afternoon (12 hours) or both (24 hours), a double block etc.

My proposal is setup a media group that will produce a TV News programme for the school intranet and podcasts for the internet. I plan to run this all year but I am hoing that the group producing it will change over the year.

This is how we are approaching a Curriculum for Excellence. What do you think?

Technorati tags: Islay, education, Argyll, ACfE, school of ambition, education scotland

RCAHMS

No this not a new educational initiative. It is the Royal Commission for Ancient Historic Monuments Scotland RCAHMS

We had a big day with Brian Wilkinson and a group from the Royal Commission.

We took all S1 and S2 (I know, that's still less than 60) to see a couple of the local sites. We were suppose to split the year group into 3 sub groups and go to 3 different sites but it was wet, very wet.

S1 went first. We took a Minibus and 2 LWB Landrovers and got as close as possible to the sites. The groups moved up towards the sites along the muddy tracks. They then split into groups of 3 and they measured the remains and recorded them. They asked great questions and listened to he answers. They then headed back to the transport. We got back in time for morning break.

The S2 repeated the trip periods 3&4. Getting back for lunchtime.

S1 were in history and Geography those periods. Those teachers went with the S2. I took the S1's together and got them to work on a PC in the 3's they had worked together at the site. They tried to recreate what the sites would have looked like in Sketchup.

The team from RCAHMS seemed very impressed with what they had produced.

I would like to thank the Staff, the Royal Commission team and especially the pupils who walked in rain and mud and still had a great time.

Technorati tags: education scotland, RCAHMS, Islay, IHS