TaLe has created an excellent resource called Laptop Wraps. Basically they are self-contained interactive lessons, which I think are perfectly suited to PDHPE theory lessons and the vehicle that is the DER laptops our kids now have.
Last week I tied to run a lesson from our Moodle site. The kids had to use some separate resources to create something new. It was probably a reflection of my primitive Moodle awareness, but the kids had trouble bring all the resources together for the job. The beauty of the Laptop Wrap is that the kids can download the zipped file to their laptop, open it and away they go. Internet access is required for links, but all other resources are on the “C” drive, ready to use.
(As an aside, I can see the Wrap becoming a tool that students can create resources with – they won’t just be the target of the resource, but partners in its use – exciting times. Students become teachers – who would have thought it?)
To start, you need the Adobe suite of software to edit and modify the blank template, in particular Dreamweaver and to a lesser degree Fireworks. I have them on my DER laptop, but I’m having issues with the screen and keyboard (they are too bloody small!), so I work on my desktop at home with the Adobe Master Collection I bought through the DET. (A KVM switch will take care of the small screen issue soon)
You can download a template from here. I won’t bore you with a step by step on how to build one. There’s plenty of tutorial information in the template itself, along with support on the TaLe site itself. Take the time to walk through the “How To’s”. There are some useful PDFs in there as well that make great training manuals.
Instead I’m sharing an example that my faculty will use with this years Year 10. Get it from here
I started off thinking that entire units could be handled by the Wraps, which is likely but probably a giant step too far at the moment. I went for the “small chunks” approach, and we will create “topic Wraps”, with smaller amounts of content. Too much information too soon seems likely to run the risk of burning the kids out before they get the hang of it and appreciate the potential of the Wraps.
Feel free to download the file open it up and have a play (probably only of interest to PDHPE teachers).It is my first real crack at putting one together, so Quality Teaching may not be at dizzying heights just yet, but continual improvement is our goal.
Post Script – sharing this Wrap created quite a bit of discussion regarding copyright, and who actually owns the product. Debate raged as to whether it was a DET/Federal Govt/ personal ownership issue. I’ve slapped a Creative Commons note on my blog and on the Copyright notice in the Wrap itself as a way to manage this gray area.
