Virtual Teacher

I am from the dark ages...... not quite quill pen and ink or chalk and slate, but ....imagine a world where the internet doesn't exist, Google hasn't been invented!    Homework was something you did with Library card in hand and plain old research, the old fashioned way.

Not so for today's generation, knowledge is at their fingertips,   All today's student needs is an internet connection and a click of the mouse, no need for endless photocopied pages of the encyclopedia Britannica, coffee shops and libraries offering free wifi they have it so good!

Soooooo if that wasnt enough, let's take it a step further imagine a virtual learning platform, a place where your proximity to a learning establishment matters not!  Sure, there was Open University and distance learning before, but, lets take it a step further.  Picture this.....

Imagine a world where children or adults learn virtually, progress and accuracy reviewed and marked online, this is not a futuristic goal.... this is out there, this is happening now!  Enter Nearpod.

Let's take a look at what good ole Wikipedia has to say about all this..

"An educational cross platform app that allows teachers to create and share interactive lessons with their students.  The software provides tools for both students and teachers.  Teachers can download multimedia lessons from the Nearpod content store or create their own.  Lesson content can include previously created slides, embedded videos, audio, images, text, PDF's, twitter streams and virtual field trips.

Nearpod offers 3 primary features:-

*  Library of interacttive lessons.  The multimedia lessons align to common core standards and are authored by educators and various publishers.

*  Teachers can create Nearpod lessons on the Nearpod platform or by uploading previously created power point slides, google slides or PDF's into the presentations.

*  Teachers can share lessons with student devices and guide the interaction and pace of the lesson by selecting shared slides"

What's not to like right?  Instead of me writing about what Nearpod could do to improve the students learning experience, why don't you review the below video clip instead.

There are endless possibilities with nearpod.  Used as a tool for learning and revision, for both teachers and parents or guardians.  So who's the target audience........imagine the following scenarios:-

1.  A parent using Nearpod to carry out checks on how their child is doing in a particular subject at school.  Or simply as a revision tool before tests or exams.

2.  Teachers offering out of hours extra curricular activities.  Teachers could connect with an entire classroom on line.  Proximity to a learning establishment or school no longer an issue.

3.  A child with a long term illness would no longer need to worry about catching up with lessons on return to school.  All lessons could be uploaded using Nearpod and the teacher could review the child's progress on line and would be able to gauge where the pupil would require more or less revision or assistance.

Imagine the power of Nearpod in remote areas or third world countries, war torn areas where schools exist only as rubble..... if only we could master the art of water powered internet eh.....imagine the possibilities...... maybe one day... remember there was once a world without google.

So how about we give this thing a go...... putting together a brief lesson using nearpod.....

.Nearpod

That very basic Nearpod lesson took 4 minutes to throw together, using previously created  presntations, dragging pictures and you tube videos this is a teachers best friend.

So we know that Nearpod is user friendly, we love the concept........ but nothing is prefect right........

So let us review the negatives.........but the Pros first.  But just to be clear, Nearpod is a good piece of kit!!!

• free

• high level of student engagement

• high initial “coolness” factor

• easy to use

• available for all device types

• excellent for formative assessment

• promotes team dynamic

Cons

• Some services are available only with paid upgrade. Integrated web content is the thing I find most lacking in the free version.

• The “coolness” factor can wear off after a few exposures to the tech.

• The app doesn’t easily allow for anonymity of responses.

• There is potential for time management problems with some question types.

• If you have a slow wireless connection in your building (or a spotty cell phone network connection), you could spend time waiting for slides to load.

• team building

• informal assessment

• formative assessment

• limited response questions

• increasing engagement

Best for
ReferencesFerlazzo, L. (2014, April 14). Response: “Simply putting tech in front of students won't engage them.” Education Week . Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/index.htmlFrey, N., & Fisher, D. (2013). Teaching with tablets: How do I integrate tablets with effective instruction? Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

HAMSTER WHEEL

A self fulfilling prophecy?  

Are we setting up our prison population to fail.?  Government figures suggest not....According to the Ministry of Justice, the prison population has been relatively stable for the past 5 years.  This differs to the increasing population trend that was observed between the 1950's and early 2000's.

Lets take a look as some figures

 84, 307 prisoners in England and Wales as at December 2016

35, 842 admissions of which 21 732 were first receptions into prison.

5,584 offenders were recalled to prison in the last quarter.

Well ......according to those figures, I can see that with a little translation they read as follows:
In 2016, 14, 110 repeat offenders were admitted to prison and 5, 584 offenders on were recalled to prison for breaching their licence requirements.

In lay mans terms what these figures tell us is that last year 19 694 former inmates were returned behind bars.  so whats not working?   Why are we seeing this Recidivism?

According to good ole Wikepedia recidivism is " the act of a person repeating an undesireable behaviour after they had either experienced negative consequences of that behaviour, or had been trained to extinguish that behaviour.  It is also used to refer to the percentage of former prisoners who are re arrested for a similar offence.

The term is frequently used in conjunction with criminal behaviour and substance abuse.  (Recidivism is a synonym for relapse which is more commonly used in medicine and in the disease model of addiction.  For example, scientific literature may refer to the recidivism of sexual offenders, meaning the frequency with which they are detected or apprehended committing additional sexual crimes after being released from prison for similar crimes".

Its not all bad but let me assure its far from rosy.  SO what are we doing about it?

Well, the Ministry of Justice has introduced offender management programmes working side by side with probation.  Prisoners are enrolled on accredited programmes.  A series of activities aimed at working with offenders to reduce re offending.  Everything looks great on paper....... and yet we're still seeing repeat offenders returned to prison......WHY??????

Take a look at this short Prezi presentation, review what we're doing right and what we could be doing better.

Prezi Presentation - Why is offender management failing in the UK

As I see it, there are two problem areas..... outsourcing probation to private companies was the first error.  Companies care only about profit margin and not of the offender.  In a climate where sectors are asked to do more for less this is a recipe for disaster.  The probation service is on its knees, officers are unable to keep on top of the ever growing case loads!

Second problem area is the length of sentence passed by the Magistrates courts.  They are limited and the repeat offenders are often dealt days or weeks in prison.  This term is not long enough to enrol on suitable rehabilitation and detox programmes.  Prisoners are released back into the community having served only have their term, usually without a fixed abode, clinging on to their addictions and without prospects.  The probation are indeed there to assist but with their heavy burden are unable to offer the real support that these individuals need.  Thus without the support its only a matter of time before we see a self fulfilling prophecy - the offender offends again, stealing to feed a habit or breaching their order.

For now the status quo will remain....... however I do hope that somewhere down the line we will adopt the Norwegian way.

Moving away from the judicial system and its failings, and on to the review of Prezi.  You saw a short presentation that I put together to further explain why prisoners are on the hamster wheel of the penal system.  I was a Prezi virgin, untapped territory.  Truth be told I'm a card carrying ECDL member, ensconced in all things microsoft.   My weapon of choice has always been good old power point....... but let me tell you ..... the tide is turning.

Wikipedia tells us that Prezi is a visual storytelling software alternative to traditional slide based presentation formats.  Prezi presentation feature a map like, schematic overview that lets users pan between topics at will, zoom in on desired details and pull back to reveal context.

This freedom of movement enables "converational presenting" a new presentation style in which presentations follow the flow of the dialogue.

That's all very positive and certainly Prezi is easy to use, simple to create, lively graphics, rich presentations - however does one size fit all?

Prezi is certainly not your tool of choice if your presenting budgets or structured data?  However it's ideal for waking up your audience and breathing fresh air into the classroom, its exciting and intriguing, creating informal, unstructured or creating material.

Lets review Prezi further.  Its available in 4 tiers:-

Public - Free

Enjoy - £59.04

Pro - £159

Pro Plus - £240

The free account if you haven't guessed yet, has one major draw back....all the presentations you create are viewable, searchable and useable by the public!  Forget about copwrites!!  

Collaboration akin to Google slides is an option with up to 10 collaborators being able to work simultaenously on a presentation, however, it does lack the text box feature, you would need to pick up the phone to actually to discuss changes and what you're doing.

Prezi has really been something a little different. But, if overused, I imagine the presentations and zooming in an out could become a little tiresome.  For now however as long as I'm presenting anything other than facts and figures prezi is my software of choice.

Take a look at how its really done,  Had we splashed some cash (upgraded to Pro Plus) and invested a little more time ...... here's what we could of done!

Hidden Treasure

In my day to day working environment as a prison escort officer I am always stumbling across hidden treasure........ well, treasure of sorts.  We the officers and guards need to always be lucky, the prisoner needs only to be lucky once!

I will take you by the hand and walk you through the following:
1.  Examples of what is smuggled in to custody
2. How the treasure is smuggle in to custody
3.  How we are attempting to counter the smuggling
4. What could we do better to counter the smuggling

Talking of treasure, and before we embark on the seedy world of contraband, let me introduce you to a hidden gem of the world of presentation tools that is Google slide presentation.

 Today in my blog I will not only be imparting my knowledge of contraband in the prison service and custody but also doing so with the power of Google Slide Presentation and asking whether the subject matter was better delivered as a result of this new free online technology? Is Google better than power point?  Lets see shall we....... Buckle in, you're in for a bumpy ride!

The Prison Service - A Little Background

The government has long accepted that its service is in turmoil!  Justice secretary Liz Truss recently announced that £1.3bn investment is required in UK prisons.  But how do you convince the private sector ( The G4S and GeoAmey companies for example) to plough back monies into a service that will depleat their profit margin?  

What we see instead, in an age of delivering more for less, the slashing of prison budgets whilst warehousing even greater numbers of inmates in prisons that are overseen by fewer and less staff.  This is no way to transform rehabilitation.  Add to that the slashing of salaries resulting in experienced guards tendering their resignations opening the doors for young more inexperienced staff to take up the slack.  This does not bode well.......

Why take the Risk?

Prison contraband is big business.  The prison drug market is estimated at 60 million.  An ounce of marijuana worth £150 on the outside will rocket to £2 800 inside.  A £10 mobile phone will be worth £250 on the inside, whilst an iPhone can be worth in excess of £1000.  It's a lucrative business!!!!

Who Takes the Risk?

There is a whole cast of players and this I will cover in greater detail in the below presentation but something you may find surprising is that its not only the convicted that have a part to play ...

One modus operendi is the use of  "A neworker", someone on the outside that inmates can contact.  A networker will meet with dealers on the inmates behalf.  The networker will then pass drugs (or contraband) to a mule who will then pass it on to the inmate.  Surprisingly, prison officers are acting as "mules".  Just searching the internet for "prison officer and illegal smuggling" brings up a host of convicted officers - the centre for social justice says that this is due to blackmail!  Sadly its usually to make money, a way to bolster a lowly salary.

Historic Examples of Foiled Attempts

1.  An attempt at Dublin's Mountjoy prison with high grade heroin concealed in a baby's nappy was thwarted by a sniffer dog.

2.  One woman risked life and limb to smuggle a grenade into a Colombian prison.  Hiding the explosive in her vagina she made it in as guards are unable to inspect visitors genitalia.  The grenade later exploded killing 3 people and injuring others.

This is madness, a hidden world that I a prisoner escort officer am part to daily!  With the aid of Google presentation below I will share with you the ingenuity and methods that I stumble upon daily.  I will attempt to share the difficulties I encounter and how I suggest we can improve and go forward from here.

There you have it, a brief insight into life behind bars and my role within it.  Sadly much needs to be done to improve the status quo but without funding its nothing more than a pipe dream! Excuse the pun!  Take a brief look at this video to see what we are truly up against on a daily basis.

So what of this Google presentation as a means of getting my point across.  Lets review it:

According to Jonathan Blum in Entrepeneur on line magazine, "Google docs has improved its collaboration features and has added more editing tools.  Unlike Microsoft - google never stops tinkering with its google apps"

I ask is this really a good thing?  Always tinkering always changing?  My supermarket always does this, always moving stuff around, sometimes I just want to pop into store pick up my jar of pickle and exit stage left...... but the aisles and contents are always moving changing - this is frustrating stuff.  Surely the same applies to software.  If someone is up against the clock and needs to put a presentation together quickly they don't want to be stumbling around the new interface... wondering how to? and which button now does what?

Granted, Google docs is great for collaborative work and perfect for editing documents, multiple users can now be in the same presentation simultaneously and watch changes made as they happen.  Built in chat supports user communication and a revision history function shows the user what changes have been made and lets users revert to an earlier version. Positive stuff but does it rival others?

We must sing the praises of the built in chat and real time editing feature enabling groups distanced by geographic locations to work together collaboratively.  The auto save feature - even if youre presentation is inadvertently deleted it will be saved automatically.  Google Presentation opens popular file formats and supports common presentation making formats.

Well thats the good....... what about the not so good???

The draw of paying more for better.  Granted, the basic google presentation service remains free however akin to the majority of online service products, google encourage the use of "Google apps for business" which will set the user back circa £50 per user, per annum.  Not great for small business making every penny count.

Here's the big draw back.....Internet access is a must!  Consider having to present to a small community in the sticks without broadband or 3G....... what then?  Revert to Microsoft me thinks!

Annoyingly due to regular upgrades, the user is unable to automatically upgrade historic presentations.  Currently users must manually import and copy and paste old slides into the new editor - time consuming and annoying to have to re do old work.

Spell check is not automatic and neither is there a way to automatically number pages - boring but an important point!

Bottome Line

For small businesses starting out, or teams distanced from each other geographically who need to work together to deliver a presentation or product - Google presentation is a solid platform.  The basic software is free whereas power point is not.  Does it rival the competition?  For the sole presenter I would have to say no, I prefer my free wps presentation software, however for online collaborative work this is the future.