An effective teaching strategy I keep being reminded of, is when working with technology, ‘work as a team’. Whether it be your class, or a team of colleagues. As technology keeps being updated, there is always the need to know more, and people are at different stages of learning skills. Very few know all that they need, so put all of the heads together and the results will be impressive!
Using web-based technologies for our SIG was probably the most significant and deliberate integration for me. First of all one of our team members recommended the tool Ning, and then when we started to use it, we saw the benefits of the tool as we worked. It only took one use of collaborative technologies for me to be convinced, and we went on to social bookmarking and skype conference calls later. Using surveys also opened up a whole new way of valuable teaching for me too. I’ll be sure to have these tools in my classes next year.
My goals were to use technology to benefit my students and myself in the initial stages of the CEP course. However, while studying I have been exposed to many interesting perspectives on the use of technology, and had many opportunities to reflect on how to integrate technology carefully into education. As a result of spending so much time experimenting, learning about, analysing and evaluating tools, I have gone beyond my goals well and truly.
My goals at the moment have just been completed in my Techplan. This task helped me to synthesise my new knowledge about technology, with where I wanted to go with it. Please visit my techplan at http://fionaintokyo.weebly.com/what-is-my-vision-of-technology-in-education.html
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Saturday, 1 May 2010
Project Evaluation Blog Entry
How would you approach another project of this type differently given what you’ve learned here?
Consider the culture of my school more before doing too much planning or proposing. This involves communicating with my colleagues and Head teacher earlier on to give them time to digest my plan. I think it is interesting that when working with what could be controversial issues, more time has to be spent at the early stages communicating with parents and staff, despite student positive responses for such a resource. Starting the communication process much earlier will give time for concerns to be raised and addressed before the time scheduled for teaching the unit is over.
If I knew a project was likely to be controversial I would also prepare for meeting with those who make the decisions in my school, well prepared. This preparation would involve objectives that needed to be met, curriculum expectations, planning for all possible outcomes and challenges, solutions, and a Plan B and C, as well as my original Plan A. I received this advice from my lecturer so that issues can be addressed with minimum politics and personal values being imposed on others, which can block positive change within schools.
I would set about using the resources given to us from our lecturer and use them as a checklist to make sure my approach to the problem was thorough. I found that I became quite consumed with my project while not considering aspects such as; NETS for students, being explicit about subject population, considering if my project promotes coherent organisational change, and its adaptability for use in multiple contexts. Being able to take a step back and see the whole picture as well as prepare resources for others to use, is far more effective when creating solutions to problems, because the resources can go beyond being specific to the teacher’s situation. I liked being challenged as a professional to do this. I have kept these ‘checklists’ as valuable resource and will use them again in the future.
What are the lessons learned that others might benefit from knowing about?
Don’t try to be too ambitious about your project. If you really need to be, then have small stages you can achieve along the way that are beneficial in their own right as well as contributing to the larger project. This will give your larger project momentum and keep you motivated as you move through it.
If possible try to have a plan where it is possible to downscale if you need to, otherwise you could end up wasting a lot of time and effort, without much being produced.
Another is how beneficial it was to have others consider your ideas and give feedback. One of my group members gave me an easy solution to what I thought was a difficult problem. I was really thankful for her idea. I now wish I had shared more of my ideas with my colleagues and received feedback from them. Hopefully they can form a small group that will support you, or even if you have just one person that can encourage you and give you some ideas as you go along, as you cannot be sure of the challenges along the way, or the outcome. This strategy would have helped my project move forward considerably. In addition, my lecturer was so helpful when I came to an impass and I became quite discouraged; she helped me plan around the obstacle.
In what ways will you endeavor to do the same project again, and what will you change or not do?
I would like to try out using Ning with less controversial content. As it offers so many features that could be used to suit almost any unit. I really looked forward initially to achieving this, but now with the lessons I have learned and the familiarity I have with the tool, I can move to other content with confidence.
I will use make sure that the resources chosen or features of the site/resource selected could be used as separate parts in the classroom. For example, I plan to still use the sites on reproduction I found, in my classroom so that I can supervise student use so we can achieve our objectives without any obstacles. The resource will still allow students to independently pursue their questions, as part of our normal classes.
Consider the culture of my school more before doing too much planning or proposing. This involves communicating with my colleagues and Head teacher earlier on to give them time to digest my plan. I think it is interesting that when working with what could be controversial issues, more time has to be spent at the early stages communicating with parents and staff, despite student positive responses for such a resource. Starting the communication process much earlier will give time for concerns to be raised and addressed before the time scheduled for teaching the unit is over.
If I knew a project was likely to be controversial I would also prepare for meeting with those who make the decisions in my school, well prepared. This preparation would involve objectives that needed to be met, curriculum expectations, planning for all possible outcomes and challenges, solutions, and a Plan B and C, as well as my original Plan A. I received this advice from my lecturer so that issues can be addressed with minimum politics and personal values being imposed on others, which can block positive change within schools.
I would set about using the resources given to us from our lecturer and use them as a checklist to make sure my approach to the problem was thorough. I found that I became quite consumed with my project while not considering aspects such as; NETS for students, being explicit about subject population, considering if my project promotes coherent organisational change, and its adaptability for use in multiple contexts. Being able to take a step back and see the whole picture as well as prepare resources for others to use, is far more effective when creating solutions to problems, because the resources can go beyond being specific to the teacher’s situation. I liked being challenged as a professional to do this. I have kept these ‘checklists’ as valuable resource and will use them again in the future.
What are the lessons learned that others might benefit from knowing about?
Don’t try to be too ambitious about your project. If you really need to be, then have small stages you can achieve along the way that are beneficial in their own right as well as contributing to the larger project. This will give your larger project momentum and keep you motivated as you move through it.
If possible try to have a plan where it is possible to downscale if you need to, otherwise you could end up wasting a lot of time and effort, without much being produced.
Another is how beneficial it was to have others consider your ideas and give feedback. One of my group members gave me an easy solution to what I thought was a difficult problem. I was really thankful for her idea. I now wish I had shared more of my ideas with my colleagues and received feedback from them. Hopefully they can form a small group that will support you, or even if you have just one person that can encourage you and give you some ideas as you go along, as you cannot be sure of the challenges along the way, or the outcome. This strategy would have helped my project move forward considerably. In addition, my lecturer was so helpful when I came to an impass and I became quite discouraged; she helped me plan around the obstacle.
In what ways will you endeavor to do the same project again, and what will you change or not do?
I would like to try out using Ning with less controversial content. As it offers so many features that could be used to suit almost any unit. I really looked forward initially to achieving this, but now with the lessons I have learned and the familiarity I have with the tool, I can move to other content with confidence.
I will use make sure that the resources chosen or features of the site/resource selected could be used as separate parts in the classroom. For example, I plan to still use the sites on reproduction I found, in my classroom so that I can supervise student use so we can achieve our objectives without any obstacles. The resource will still allow students to independently pursue their questions, as part of our normal classes.
Sunday, 18 April 2010
Techquest Implementation
After implementing the first part of my techquest I have some things to share with you. It went really well. Have a listen...
Sunday, 11 April 2010
Internet Research for TechQuest Project
When originally planning this task I wasn’t too sure about how to store the information and how students would be able to access it. I thought a basic website could be appropriate but I am now wondering if it still will be. Working with Weebly helped me realise the limitations of this site; it was a good tool but possibly may not be appropriate for what I have planned.
I received some really helpful feedback from both my lecturer and a member of my class that helped me to imagine the next step on from identifying the problem and outlining a very basic plan. My lecturer’s ideas about using a Learning Management System helped me understand that there will be many facets to what I am hoping to achieve and I need to select a package that will manage these effectively. So to start I may follow her recommendation of a 2 step process. This is to initially create a website, until I can meet with the IT management team at my school to see if we could consider using an LMS. Then, if the IT team are in favour of me using it, I can then transfer my resources across to the LMS. This seems to be the best way to hand pick and organise resources, unless I find something else along the way when I am doing my research.
I had a look through the Moodle package, as well as Blackboard. It seems the activity modules and resources sections include the things that I want to do through Moodle. Before meeting with the IT team I will need to further investigate other features of Moodle so I am thoroughly prepared and have researched the resource as much as I can before the request. I plan to visit the site demo.moodle.org to see what I can really do. Three things I like about Moodle are; so many groups are using it already, so it’s is well established, it’s commitment to collaborative learning, and it is Australian – YEAH ! And free- I forgot to mention that part.
I have envisioned quizzes, lessons, collaborative rooms for questions and answers, so I will need something that supports the different nature of each of the learning activities. Two suggestions that were made were the idea of including a social bookmarking page, which I would like to do, and also include a space where students can ask questions anonymously. Great ideas Sue and Katy - thank you for your feedback !
I approached my Headteacher about the project and he is supportive of my ideas. He also acknowledged a need for a resource such as the one I intend to create. It was great to have that feedback from him as now I feel more purposeful.
Since looking at the resources I have found so far, despite the fact that they are almost exclusively aimed at an adult audience, I realised that they have quite a bit to offer so I think it will be prudent to include a parent’s/teacher’s page.
I also used some of the search engines recommended by Valenza in our readings for this session, for example http://www.rollyo.com and http://clusty.com. Through these I found great sites such as “how stuff works” see http://www.howstuffworks.com/human-reproduction.htm and http://www.livescience.com/reproduction/ as well as many other sites that would be helpful for students, who are my target audience. Now I have plenty of resources for them, I’ll need to sort through the resources and see how I can make the learning as interactive as possible and package the resources I have found so it is interesting and informative for everyone who visits the site.
I received some really helpful feedback from both my lecturer and a member of my class that helped me to imagine the next step on from identifying the problem and outlining a very basic plan. My lecturer’s ideas about using a Learning Management System helped me understand that there will be many facets to what I am hoping to achieve and I need to select a package that will manage these effectively. So to start I may follow her recommendation of a 2 step process. This is to initially create a website, until I can meet with the IT management team at my school to see if we could consider using an LMS. Then, if the IT team are in favour of me using it, I can then transfer my resources across to the LMS. This seems to be the best way to hand pick and organise resources, unless I find something else along the way when I am doing my research.
I had a look through the Moodle package, as well as Blackboard. It seems the activity modules and resources sections include the things that I want to do through Moodle. Before meeting with the IT team I will need to further investigate other features of Moodle so I am thoroughly prepared and have researched the resource as much as I can before the request. I plan to visit the site demo.moodle.org to see what I can really do. Three things I like about Moodle are; so many groups are using it already, so it’s is well established, it’s commitment to collaborative learning, and it is Australian – YEAH ! And free- I forgot to mention that part.
I have envisioned quizzes, lessons, collaborative rooms for questions and answers, so I will need something that supports the different nature of each of the learning activities. Two suggestions that were made were the idea of including a social bookmarking page, which I would like to do, and also include a space where students can ask questions anonymously. Great ideas Sue and Katy - thank you for your feedback !
I approached my Headteacher about the project and he is supportive of my ideas. He also acknowledged a need for a resource such as the one I intend to create. It was great to have that feedback from him as now I feel more purposeful.
Since looking at the resources I have found so far, despite the fact that they are almost exclusively aimed at an adult audience, I realised that they have quite a bit to offer so I think it will be prudent to include a parent’s/teacher’s page.
I also used some of the search engines recommended by Valenza in our readings for this session, for example http://www.rollyo.com and http://clusty.com. Through these I found great sites such as “how stuff works” see http://www.howstuffworks.com/human-reproduction.htm and http://www.livescience.com/reproduction/ as well as many other sites that would be helpful for students, who are my target audience. Now I have plenty of resources for them, I’ll need to sort through the resources and see how I can make the learning as interactive as possible and package the resources I have found so it is interesting and informative for everyone who visits the site.
Friday, 26 March 2010
Techquest proposal
Reproduction is a topic that some Middle School/Upper Elementary teachers can find challenging. Students either seem to be inquisitive with endless questions or too shy to admit to their curiosity. Unfortunately, the shy/embarrassed ones can often over influence the classroom climate, which can limit learning opportunities. In a previous school I worked in, I thoroughly prepared a unit for students in Grade 5. This was the first time I had done this and at the end of the course the students had developed very healthy and respectful attitudes. As I am an International school teacher, I travel from country to country and am not able to take all of the resources I need. I end up keeping the great ideas, but not having enough backup to expose students to the issues, attitudes and thinking that I would like to so they can be mature and responsible with their new learning. I find this lack of resources directly affects student learning negatively. The need is to provide interactive resources for end of Elementary/Middle School to independently explore reproduction, sexuality and healthy relationships at a basic and appropriate level. A more useful tool to use school wide, would be aiming at something for Grades 5-8. The resource would need to cover broad objectives in the subjects of Science and Health.
Some of the reasons why addressing this issue with technology will make a significant difference are: parents can talk through issues related to the topic at home, teachers can inform parents of the content, parents could peruse the material before the course starts and voice any concerns. The most important goal though, is for students to have access to information to answer questions they have, so that they can lower their anxiety about changes and be informed about their choices in the new stage of life they are moving into. If the resource is appropriate and has been thoroughly investigated, then teachers and parents can feel confident about the content, and allow students to learn at their leisure what they want to know. The reality for most young students is they are often under exposed to helpful information and attitudes, and over exposed to inappropriate sites for their age. This problem creates a vacuum for unsupported learning about very significant issues.
In looking at the 4 common areas:
There would be a need for mentoring both teachers, students and parents through the use of the new technology, as well as how to use it in the context of discussion so it is not used as a stand alone resource. This would be counter productive to the goals of the topic. Teachers could use a guide on the side, or sage on the stage approach, depending on how comfortable they are with the content and technology. Planning group work would be very beneficial for students to learn to discuss content appropriately and respectfully; setting norms for healthy lifelong discussions. To generate conversation about the new technology we could use a blog, however knowing the parents who are mostly people people and are not so familiar with technology, they would probably prefer a face to face evening where they could raise issues, ask questions and be taken through how to use the technology.
The pedagogy would hopefully be from multiple angles. I would be looking for a resource that allows investigation, and didactic teaching, and possibly idea based teaching if I can find some as I believe this would be very effective. The teaching would mostly occur through the resource, set in the context of class discussion and some didactic teaching initially from the teacher so as to reduce the embarrassment for students and model inquisitive, positive attitudes to reproduction, sexuality and relationships.
Students would have access to computers in the classroom, during discussion sessions and at home. Parent are wealthy and all have computer access at home. Many have more than two computers at home, so access will not be a problem for students. The teachers, administrators, parents ands students in our learning community all have positive attitudes to using technology, but differing levels of comfort with it. As long as the use of the technological tool has a strong beneficial justification, our community would be happy to try it out.
Learners would be somewhat familiar with accessing information through technology, however their prior experience with interactive programs would be difficult to determine, so a user friendly, and possibly self guiding one would would be the most helpful. Demonstrating during class how to use the technology, and possibly having a time of practise would support students in their use of the technological tool. I believe from past experience that all students will be motivated to learn the content and the technology. Tools that are interactive (bodily kinesthetic response) in visuals (for visual learners) and include voice and sound will cover the majority of learning styles. If possible, some music that included helpful lyrics would be beneficial too.
I cannot seem to find any resources to purchase but I intend to keep looking, as I am dissatisfied with the free ones on the internet because they don't seem to be aimed at students; they are very adult friendly but the language and content would inhibit student access.
http://www.avert.org/ is a site who's focus is averting hIV and AIDS. It is particularly interesting it has an international perspective which is very useful in my teaching context. It also has lots of easy to use tabs to find information. However it looks a little adult for my intended audience.
The parents of the school are mostly Muslim or Christian and so may have conservative approaches to this content. Added to this, the school is British and so after speaking with the Headteacher and other staff I found that they are more reticent to discuss this subject matter than I have found in previous schools. I have found an interesting website that discusses pertinent issues to our community. These would be worth raising with parents.
http://www.advocatesforyouth.orgindex.phpoption=com_content&task=view&id=450&Itemid=336
The resource center tab would be especially helpful. As I investigated the resource, this had a section for homeschooling, but again it was all through the parent/teacher so students cannot freely access the information they want to know.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ448260&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ448260 is a site that shows student feedback about the usefulness of sites so this will broaden my perspective. www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/fysb/content/.../06122007-153424.PDF gives a parental perspective on programs.
To find out more about what parents would like their children to know I could use this site as a resource. It would be worthwhile discussing with parents their ideas and possibly bringing in the information from the site. http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2004/01/What-Do-Parents-Want-Taught-in-Sex-Education-Programs
Faith based settings are addressed in http://www.fhi.org/en/Youth/YouthNet/ProgramsAreas/FaithBased/index.htm so this resource would be helpful again for preparation for the technological tool.
I am not sure what I will end up finding, already just with this time given to finding resources, I was able to find some very helpful ones. It may be the case that I have to create one myself, which would be much more time consuming than finding an appropriate technological tool. So at this stage of the task, I am not sure how long it may take to complete the project. If I was to find the resource today, implementation would take a few weeks at the very least because I want to discuss it with my Headteacher, especially if it has a cost. I would also like to introduce it effectively in the context of the unit to students as well as give parents time to feel they understand and feel confident about the tool before we introduce it to their children. The timeline for implementation and finding/creating the resource, could very well extend beyond the course.
Some of the reasons why addressing this issue with technology will make a significant difference are: parents can talk through issues related to the topic at home, teachers can inform parents of the content, parents could peruse the material before the course starts and voice any concerns. The most important goal though, is for students to have access to information to answer questions they have, so that they can lower their anxiety about changes and be informed about their choices in the new stage of life they are moving into. If the resource is appropriate and has been thoroughly investigated, then teachers and parents can feel confident about the content, and allow students to learn at their leisure what they want to know. The reality for most young students is they are often under exposed to helpful information and attitudes, and over exposed to inappropriate sites for their age. This problem creates a vacuum for unsupported learning about very significant issues.
In looking at the 4 common areas:
There would be a need for mentoring both teachers, students and parents through the use of the new technology, as well as how to use it in the context of discussion so it is not used as a stand alone resource. This would be counter productive to the goals of the topic. Teachers could use a guide on the side, or sage on the stage approach, depending on how comfortable they are with the content and technology. Planning group work would be very beneficial for students to learn to discuss content appropriately and respectfully; setting norms for healthy lifelong discussions. To generate conversation about the new technology we could use a blog, however knowing the parents who are mostly people people and are not so familiar with technology, they would probably prefer a face to face evening where they could raise issues, ask questions and be taken through how to use the technology.
The pedagogy would hopefully be from multiple angles. I would be looking for a resource that allows investigation, and didactic teaching, and possibly idea based teaching if I can find some as I believe this would be very effective. The teaching would mostly occur through the resource, set in the context of class discussion and some didactic teaching initially from the teacher so as to reduce the embarrassment for students and model inquisitive, positive attitudes to reproduction, sexuality and relationships.
Students would have access to computers in the classroom, during discussion sessions and at home. Parent are wealthy and all have computer access at home. Many have more than two computers at home, so access will not be a problem for students. The teachers, administrators, parents ands students in our learning community all have positive attitudes to using technology, but differing levels of comfort with it. As long as the use of the technological tool has a strong beneficial justification, our community would be happy to try it out.
Learners would be somewhat familiar with accessing information through technology, however their prior experience with interactive programs would be difficult to determine, so a user friendly, and possibly self guiding one would would be the most helpful. Demonstrating during class how to use the technology, and possibly having a time of practise would support students in their use of the technological tool. I believe from past experience that all students will be motivated to learn the content and the technology. Tools that are interactive (bodily kinesthetic response) in visuals (for visual learners) and include voice and sound will cover the majority of learning styles. If possible, some music that included helpful lyrics would be beneficial too.
I cannot seem to find any resources to purchase but I intend to keep looking, as I am dissatisfied with the free ones on the internet because they don't seem to be aimed at students; they are very adult friendly but the language and content would inhibit student access.
http://www.avert.org/ is a site who's focus is averting hIV and AIDS. It is particularly interesting it has an international perspective which is very useful in my teaching context. It also has lots of easy to use tabs to find information. However it looks a little adult for my intended audience.
The parents of the school are mostly Muslim or Christian and so may have conservative approaches to this content. Added to this, the school is British and so after speaking with the Headteacher and other staff I found that they are more reticent to discuss this subject matter than I have found in previous schools. I have found an interesting website that discusses pertinent issues to our community. These would be worth raising with parents.
http://www.advocatesforyouth.orgindex.phpoption=com_content&task=view&id=450&Itemid=336
The resource center tab would be especially helpful. As I investigated the resource, this had a section for homeschooling, but again it was all through the parent/teacher so students cannot freely access the information they want to know.
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ448260&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ448260 is a site that shows student feedback about the usefulness of sites so this will broaden my perspective. www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/fysb/content/.../06122007-153424.PDF gives a parental perspective on programs.
To find out more about what parents would like their children to know I could use this site as a resource. It would be worthwhile discussing with parents their ideas and possibly bringing in the information from the site. http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2004/01/What-Do-Parents-Want-Taught-in-Sex-Education-Programs
Faith based settings are addressed in http://www.fhi.org/en/Youth/YouthNet/ProgramsAreas/FaithBased/index.htm so this resource would be helpful again for preparation for the technological tool.
I am not sure what I will end up finding, already just with this time given to finding resources, I was able to find some very helpful ones. It may be the case that I have to create one myself, which would be much more time consuming than finding an appropriate technological tool. So at this stage of the task, I am not sure how long it may take to complete the project. If I was to find the resource today, implementation would take a few weeks at the very least because I want to discuss it with my Headteacher, especially if it has a cost. I would also like to introduce it effectively in the context of the unit to students as well as give parents time to feel they understand and feel confident about the tool before we introduce it to their children. The timeline for implementation and finding/creating the resource, could very well extend beyond the course.
Sunday, 14 March 2010
A reflection on the work and growth achieved through CEP 811.
When I look back at my growth I can see it on two levels. The immediate growth; the new skills/knowledge I use day to day, and the skills/knowledge I aim to use. I have noticed changes in each of these areas, and I know and have seen the movement of one leading to another.
One goal that I developed during CEP 811 was to consider effective teaching strategies when integrating technology. I gained a new understanding of choosing to use technological tools and varying teaching strategies to achieve objectives, and to work hard to consider whether knowledge of the tool will be too time consuming or a distraction to learning objectives. Not doing the same thing always has stuck in my head thanks to Dr. Bell and pushed me out of my comfort zone ! So now I look at content from multiple teaching strategy perspectives. I have done a lot of thinking as we have gone though this class and the selection of excellent readings given and the explicit mention of these two issues helps me to keep reconsidering and practicing my new thinking as I work through tasks. I also developed a new understanding and awareness of copyright, creative commons, and ethical use of the internet. I also realised that due to time restraints I was not making the most of the resources and opportunities, so I have spent a little time here and there saving ideas. I will continue to do this as the resources and tips and strategies shared and taught are so valuable.
I think the tasks given to evaluate and plan for using web based technologies were really beneficial. I did most of my deep reflecting and learning on integrating them while I was completing those.
One goal I have is becoming more comfortable with discussion sessions. These are really valuable and the feedback given is helpful. I’d like to be more active in this area next subject. For me, face to face contact is vital and my preferred way of communicating, but … I am trying to transition by increasing the frequency of visits to the discussion rooms. Another new goal I have is to keep an open mind about upcoming units I am teaching. I want to reflect on the technological tools I have learned and consider how they can be implemented at the core of the learning, rather than looking at small ways to include them and sometimes feeling dissatisfied with the result.
My long term goals are to share with others what I have learned, students and colleagues and leaders ! alike. The more I study the more I am becoming excited by re-packaging learning through technology as it has so many benefits, in addition to achieving technology outcomes. I would also like to be able to look at the curriculum I teach and see that choices I have made to include technology and teaching strategies, are varied and well-informed. Developing this knowledge to make excellent choices is important to me and something I want to keep updating and maintaining.
One goal that I developed during CEP 811 was to consider effective teaching strategies when integrating technology. I gained a new understanding of choosing to use technological tools and varying teaching strategies to achieve objectives, and to work hard to consider whether knowledge of the tool will be too time consuming or a distraction to learning objectives. Not doing the same thing always has stuck in my head thanks to Dr. Bell and pushed me out of my comfort zone ! So now I look at content from multiple teaching strategy perspectives. I have done a lot of thinking as we have gone though this class and the selection of excellent readings given and the explicit mention of these two issues helps me to keep reconsidering and practicing my new thinking as I work through tasks. I also developed a new understanding and awareness of copyright, creative commons, and ethical use of the internet. I also realised that due to time restraints I was not making the most of the resources and opportunities, so I have spent a little time here and there saving ideas. I will continue to do this as the resources and tips and strategies shared and taught are so valuable.
I think the tasks given to evaluate and plan for using web based technologies were really beneficial. I did most of my deep reflecting and learning on integrating them while I was completing those.
One goal I have is becoming more comfortable with discussion sessions. These are really valuable and the feedback given is helpful. I’d like to be more active in this area next subject. For me, face to face contact is vital and my preferred way of communicating, but … I am trying to transition by increasing the frequency of visits to the discussion rooms. Another new goal I have is to keep an open mind about upcoming units I am teaching. I want to reflect on the technological tools I have learned and consider how they can be implemented at the core of the learning, rather than looking at small ways to include them and sometimes feeling dissatisfied with the result.
My long term goals are to share with others what I have learned, students and colleagues and leaders ! alike. The more I study the more I am becoming excited by re-packaging learning through technology as it has so many benefits, in addition to achieving technology outcomes. I would also like to be able to look at the curriculum I teach and see that choices I have made to include technology and teaching strategies, are varied and well-informed. Developing this knowledge to make excellent choices is important to me and something I want to keep updating and maintaining.
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Using online experiences with my students…
The table at the bottom of the first reading was most helpful. I am used to using these sorts of grids to justify my use of activities, so seeing this and understanding the reasons for the choice of characteristics, really brings using technology straight into my planning. Consolidating and reflecting on the strengths and areas for improvement, as well as showcasing newly learned skills and knowledge, are beneficial for learners of all ages. The e–portfolio gives a structure for success in achieving this goal.
With the recent introduction of PELTS (Personal Learning and Thinking Skills) into the UK curriculum, developing these provides a framework for describing the qualities and skills needed for success in learning and life.
See http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/key-stages-3-and-4/skills/plts/index.aspx
The PELTS cover aspects of education that step outside of the academic curriculum and into the development of the whole child. This curriculum is taught parallel to the academic and is valued highly in the UK.
In addition, the International Baccalaureate emphasises the expectation that the individual is responsible for her/his own learning. It places even more emphasis on the whole child than the UK. The Learner Profile is actually their mission statement. To see this fascinating and streamlined ideal please visit http://www.ibo.org/programmes/profile/
Whether I teach one curriculum or the other in the future, the e-portfolio is the link between the academic and the whole child when wanting to communicate meaningful learning experiences.
Using an inductive approach where students are given a selection of samples and asking them to work out some of the best features/purpose etc would allow them to judge the most communicative techniques to use in an e-portfolio. To collect the different samples of work we would have to make sure all of the software we had used was readable and accessable to the storage tool and this could be challenging.
With the recent introduction of PELTS (Personal Learning and Thinking Skills) into the UK curriculum, developing these provides a framework for describing the qualities and skills needed for success in learning and life.
See http://curriculum.qca.org.uk/key-stages-3-and-4/skills/plts/index.aspx
The PELTS cover aspects of education that step outside of the academic curriculum and into the development of the whole child. This curriculum is taught parallel to the academic and is valued highly in the UK.
In addition, the International Baccalaureate emphasises the expectation that the individual is responsible for her/his own learning. It places even more emphasis on the whole child than the UK. The Learner Profile is actually their mission statement. To see this fascinating and streamlined ideal please visit http://www.ibo.org/programmes/profile/
Whether I teach one curriculum or the other in the future, the e-portfolio is the link between the academic and the whole child when wanting to communicate meaningful learning experiences.
Using an inductive approach where students are given a selection of samples and asking them to work out some of the best features/purpose etc would allow them to judge the most communicative techniques to use in an e-portfolio. To collect the different samples of work we would have to make sure all of the software we had used was readable and accessable to the storage tool and this could be challenging.
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