It's taken me a week and a half after Res school to find the will to get started again. Memories of the last few weeks of Term one were bouncing around in my mind and had me wondering if I really had the energy to get started all over again with a new set of subjects and a new placement. And more assignments! Oh the assignments...
The trouble with procrastinating is that you not only have the stress of thinking about all the work you have to do, you also have the stress of knowing you're not getting it done and with each passing day you have less time in which to get it done!
So I'm back. I'm at my desk. I'm working through the course work. I'm planning. I'm following forums. And I've contacted my new school.
I owe a big thank you to Carolyne for this posting on another video of Sir Ken Robinson. It helped me to remember why I'm doing this in the first place. So much so that I've ordered his book, The Element, that Carolyne mentions in another one of her posts.
Today I've been reading about the importance of reflecting. In my last prac, reflecting was something I did when I got home from school because I had to. In my next placement I will use it as a tool to improve and I will do a better job of it. I think what is important to remember is that you should also reflect on what went well in a lesson - not just on your weaknesses or what didn't work. If you think about what worked well you can start to use those techniques more often and make your strengths even stronger. Plus it helps keep your mood positive which is going to be key in making it through to November 12th.
I wish all my fellow GDLT colleagues all the very best for this last half of the course.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Knowing your students
Assignments, lesson plans and being at school 4 days a week doesn't leave much time for anything else but I did want to share a success I had this week.
One of the classes I have been observing is a Year 11 Maths A class. Basically it's Maths for the students who aren't interested in Maths or want a good grade without having to do much work or have trouble with Maths. So behaviour is a big problem. In the class are 5 students who are doing PVM (Pre-vocational Mathematics) and I have been working with this group and directing them through their work. Two of them are easily capable of the work and generally do a decent amount of work in the lesson. Two of them are daydreamers, one of which will regularly do absolutely nothing during the lesson. The fifth student recently joined the group and not only does no work but wants to chat and joke around and disrupt everyone else. On a good day he might get one question done (lasting all of 2 minutes) and will then muck around for the rest of the lesson.
This week I decided to start incorporating some get-to-know-you activities and other short fun activities to try and encourage them to participate. I used one of the activities we did in one of the Monday tutorials at Uni of having them pair up, interview each other and then tell the rest of the group about the other person. I also got them to do an activity I'd learnt in a Beginning Teachers meeting designed to switch on "both sides of your brain". As well as that I needed to get them to do some revision for a test they will be doing next week.
From what I'd learnt about the students during the get-to-know-you activities, I designed a worksheet that included their names and interests in the questions. At the time I didn't think it would make much difference but it was worth a try. Yesterday I gave them the worksheet and every single one of them completed the whole three pages of questions, including the student who normally disrupts everyone else.
During my first prac so far I have learnt that it does take time to learn about your students and for them to start to trust you, but when you get to that place they are more inclined to listen and participate. Teaching can be hard and extremely frustrating at times but occassionally you have a win and realise you can make a difference.
One of the classes I have been observing is a Year 11 Maths A class. Basically it's Maths for the students who aren't interested in Maths or want a good grade without having to do much work or have trouble with Maths. So behaviour is a big problem. In the class are 5 students who are doing PVM (Pre-vocational Mathematics) and I have been working with this group and directing them through their work. Two of them are easily capable of the work and generally do a decent amount of work in the lesson. Two of them are daydreamers, one of which will regularly do absolutely nothing during the lesson. The fifth student recently joined the group and not only does no work but wants to chat and joke around and disrupt everyone else. On a good day he might get one question done (lasting all of 2 minutes) and will then muck around for the rest of the lesson.
This week I decided to start incorporating some get-to-know-you activities and other short fun activities to try and encourage them to participate. I used one of the activities we did in one of the Monday tutorials at Uni of having them pair up, interview each other and then tell the rest of the group about the other person. I also got them to do an activity I'd learnt in a Beginning Teachers meeting designed to switch on "both sides of your brain". As well as that I needed to get them to do some revision for a test they will be doing next week.
From what I'd learnt about the students during the get-to-know-you activities, I designed a worksheet that included their names and interests in the questions. At the time I didn't think it would make much difference but it was worth a try. Yesterday I gave them the worksheet and every single one of them completed the whole three pages of questions, including the student who normally disrupts everyone else.
During my first prac so far I have learnt that it does take time to learn about your students and for them to start to trust you, but when you get to that place they are more inclined to listen and participate. Teaching can be hard and extremely frustrating at times but occassionally you have a win and realise you can make a difference.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
A Reflective Synopsis
This posting is a reflective look and summary of what I have learned during my first 8 weeks of the Graduate Diploma in Learning and Teaching (GDLT), specifically about the use of ICTs in the classroom and digital pedagogies. One thing I would like to point out before I go any further is that it is not so much which digital technologies we use that is important, but that we are indeed using them. The technologies available will be forever changing and teachers will need to keep up with them. The digital technologies or ICTs I mention in this synopsis are just some examples that can be used in the classroom.
It is important not to forget what our goals as teachers should be. We need to remember that we are living in a knowledge society where technology is changing more rapidly than ever before and that the students of today need the skills in order to survive in this society in the future. Our society needs people who can create, who can innovate and who are able to learn and make value out of information with the new technologies that are constantly being introduced. In essence we need life-long learners and not just students who can read, write and perform mathematical calculations.
Digital technologies provide the framework for students to be creative and to develop their own creativity. During my first week of observations at school I have seen firsthand how disinterested students are with pen and paper. I have seen how disinterested students are with teachers writing text and diagrams on a whiteboard. On the other hand I have witnessed a classroom where each student had their own computer and were able to use a program that allowed them to draw graphics, to animate and to program instructions. The students were able to create, to experiment and try new things and to learn from each other. They consistently went beyond the task that they were presented with to discover what else they could do and what they could create.
Technology provides tools that we can use to engage our students and engaged students are students who are learning. Kearsley and Shneiderman write that the fundamental idea of engagement theory “is that students must be meaningfully engaged in learning activities through interaction with others and worthwhile tasks” (1998). Dale’s Cone and the Learning pyramid also support this theory by showing us that the average retention rate increases with group work, collaboration and peer-teaching. Wiki’s (which I discuss in this earlier posting) provide an excellent framework for engaging students in online collaborative based learning. Being web-based means that they also provide a way for students to “donate” back to the community and make their projects worthwhile activities.
Blogs are another tool that I will try to use as much as possible as a teacher and that I reflected on in an earlier posting. Blogs are a great way to encourage creative writing amongst your students. Whilst blogs are created and posted to by an individual, they do encourage collaboration amongst peers with the comment facility. I believe they also provide a platform for students to find their own voice and voice their opinion in a non-threatening environment. Students who may be too shy or nervous to speak up in class can easily do so by posting an article on a blog.
In this earlier posting, I discuss the uses that e.Portfolios can provide to teachers and students. On further reflection I believe that e.Portfolios are also ideal for project-based learning. They provide a framework for storing the resources that are collected as part of a project and in addition the tools or framework for presenting the finished product.
Blogs, Wikis and e.Portfolios all provide a framework for publishing content developed using a whole host of other digital technologies. The multi-literate society that we now live in requires us to make meaning from texts that are communicated via a range of modes and media. “The visual, gestural, audio and spatial join the linguistic as equals in text design.” (Healy, 2008, p 9). Students not only need to be able to read or make meaning from these multi-modal texts but they also need to create them. Digital technologies are necessary for students to participate in creating and communicating their ideas. One such technology that I have experienced during my own learning is the ability to create avatars that can be incorporated into a web page such as a blog or wiki. My article, Enhancing lessons with avatars, discusses them in more detail. One great advantage of avatars is that they use both audio and visual to communicate, which helps in providing for a diverse range of learning styles.
I have previously discussed the use of PowerPoint in the classroom from a teacher’s perspective in this posting. PowerPoint also provides a great tool for students to communicate what they have learned back to their classmates, their teacher and also the wider community in and outside the school. It provides a way for students to summarise and reflect on what they have learned, encouraging the third dimension of learning, Extending and Refining Knowledge (Marzano & Pickering, 1997, p. 114).
Digital imagery will be an important tool to both engage students and to inspire their creativity with the use of tools such as Flickr and Picnik, which I have discussed here. Photos can help to explain real-world problems that need to be solved and aid in creating an authentic scenario to introduce a learner-centred project. Photos and images can also be very helpful in communicating to students with special needs, such as those diagnosed with Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome, who relate much better to visual communication than verbal or textual.
The final piece of technology that I would like to mention in this synopsis is that of video. In my posting on using video in the classroom, I describe why I think it will be so important to include in the classroom and an example of how I have seen it used.
By using a range of ICTs in our classrooms in an effective way, we can start moving closer towards the learner-centred and engaged learning that will inspire the kind of innovation and creativity that our students will need to be successful in life.
References
Healy, A. (2008). Multiliteracies and Diversity in Education. South Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Kearsley G, & Shneiderman B, (1998). Engagement Theory A framework for technology-based teaching and learning, retrieved from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
Marzano, R. & Pickering, D. (1997). Dimensions of Learning. Teacher’s manual (2nd ed.). Aurora, Colorado 80014, US.
The Albiene Christian University Adams Center for Teaching Excellence. (2000). Why use active learning? Retrieved April 24, 2010 from http://www.acu.edu/cte/activelearning/whyuseal2.htm
Postings that I’ve commented on from the blogs of my peers include:
http://abbysejournal.blogspot.com/2010/04/confronting-my-fears-and-establishing.html
http://learningjourneycaro.blogspot.com/2010/04/theres-glog-in-my-blog.html
http://samslearningblog2010.blogspot.com/2010/04/apple-tree-from-flickr.html
http://samslearningblog2010.blogspot.com/2010/04/creating-powerpoint.html
http://sallyjames2010.blogspot.com/2010/04/interactive-whiteboards-student.html
http://andrewsblog2teach.blogspot.com/2010/04/embedded-professional-learnning-day1.html
It is important not to forget what our goals as teachers should be. We need to remember that we are living in a knowledge society where technology is changing more rapidly than ever before and that the students of today need the skills in order to survive in this society in the future. Our society needs people who can create, who can innovate and who are able to learn and make value out of information with the new technologies that are constantly being introduced. In essence we need life-long learners and not just students who can read, write and perform mathematical calculations.
Digital technologies provide the framework for students to be creative and to develop their own creativity. During my first week of observations at school I have seen firsthand how disinterested students are with pen and paper. I have seen how disinterested students are with teachers writing text and diagrams on a whiteboard. On the other hand I have witnessed a classroom where each student had their own computer and were able to use a program that allowed them to draw graphics, to animate and to program instructions. The students were able to create, to experiment and try new things and to learn from each other. They consistently went beyond the task that they were presented with to discover what else they could do and what they could create.
Technology provides tools that we can use to engage our students and engaged students are students who are learning. Kearsley and Shneiderman write that the fundamental idea of engagement theory “is that students must be meaningfully engaged in learning activities through interaction with others and worthwhile tasks” (1998). Dale’s Cone and the Learning pyramid also support this theory by showing us that the average retention rate increases with group work, collaboration and peer-teaching. Wiki’s (which I discuss in this earlier posting) provide an excellent framework for engaging students in online collaborative based learning. Being web-based means that they also provide a way for students to “donate” back to the community and make their projects worthwhile activities.
Blogs are another tool that I will try to use as much as possible as a teacher and that I reflected on in an earlier posting. Blogs are a great way to encourage creative writing amongst your students. Whilst blogs are created and posted to by an individual, they do encourage collaboration amongst peers with the comment facility. I believe they also provide a platform for students to find their own voice and voice their opinion in a non-threatening environment. Students who may be too shy or nervous to speak up in class can easily do so by posting an article on a blog.
In this earlier posting, I discuss the uses that e.Portfolios can provide to teachers and students. On further reflection I believe that e.Portfolios are also ideal for project-based learning. They provide a framework for storing the resources that are collected as part of a project and in addition the tools or framework for presenting the finished product.
Blogs, Wikis and e.Portfolios all provide a framework for publishing content developed using a whole host of other digital technologies. The multi-literate society that we now live in requires us to make meaning from texts that are communicated via a range of modes and media. “The visual, gestural, audio and spatial join the linguistic as equals in text design.” (Healy, 2008, p 9). Students not only need to be able to read or make meaning from these multi-modal texts but they also need to create them. Digital technologies are necessary for students to participate in creating and communicating their ideas. One such technology that I have experienced during my own learning is the ability to create avatars that can be incorporated into a web page such as a blog or wiki. My article, Enhancing lessons with avatars, discusses them in more detail. One great advantage of avatars is that they use both audio and visual to communicate, which helps in providing for a diverse range of learning styles.
I have previously discussed the use of PowerPoint in the classroom from a teacher’s perspective in this posting. PowerPoint also provides a great tool for students to communicate what they have learned back to their classmates, their teacher and also the wider community in and outside the school. It provides a way for students to summarise and reflect on what they have learned, encouraging the third dimension of learning, Extending and Refining Knowledge (Marzano & Pickering, 1997, p. 114).
Digital imagery will be an important tool to both engage students and to inspire their creativity with the use of tools such as Flickr and Picnik, which I have discussed here. Photos can help to explain real-world problems that need to be solved and aid in creating an authentic scenario to introduce a learner-centred project. Photos and images can also be very helpful in communicating to students with special needs, such as those diagnosed with Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome, who relate much better to visual communication than verbal or textual.
The final piece of technology that I would like to mention in this synopsis is that of video. In my posting on using video in the classroom, I describe why I think it will be so important to include in the classroom and an example of how I have seen it used.
By using a range of ICTs in our classrooms in an effective way, we can start moving closer towards the learner-centred and engaged learning that will inspire the kind of innovation and creativity that our students will need to be successful in life.
References
Healy, A. (2008). Multiliteracies and Diversity in Education. South Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Kearsley G, & Shneiderman B, (1998). Engagement Theory A framework for technology-based teaching and learning, retrieved from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
Marzano, R. & Pickering, D. (1997). Dimensions of Learning. Teacher’s manual (2nd ed.). Aurora, Colorado 80014, US.
The Albiene Christian University Adams Center for Teaching Excellence. (2000). Why use active learning? Retrieved April 24, 2010 from http://www.acu.edu/cte/activelearning/whyuseal2.htm
Postings that I’ve commented on from the blogs of my peers include:
http://abbysejournal.blogspot.com/2010/04/confronting-my-fears-and-establishing.html
http://learningjourneycaro.blogspot.com/2010/04/theres-glog-in-my-blog.html
http://samslearningblog2010.blogspot.com/2010/04/apple-tree-from-flickr.html
http://samslearningblog2010.blogspot.com/2010/04/creating-powerpoint.html
http://sallyjames2010.blogspot.com/2010/04/interactive-whiteboards-student.html
http://andrewsblog2teach.blogspot.com/2010/04/embedded-professional-learnning-day1.html
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Using video in the classroom
After a full week of observing lessons in the classroom I am now even more aware of how important it is to engage your learners. When students are not engaged they become bored, they start behaving badly, they don't pay attention and they cease to learn or care about learning.
Most of the lessons I have observed have been standard chalk and talk lessons, however one lesson stood above all the rest and this was a lesson performed in one of the school library rooms that had an interactive whiteboard.
I had previously witnessed this class in a standard classroom with a whiteboard, copying things down from the whiteboard and answering questions. The teacher spent a large proportion of her time managing behaviour and there was a great deal of bad behaviour to manage.
In the room with the interactive whiteboard the students had two videos to watch on the whiteboard. The teacher paused the videos at particular points to highlight important definitions or points. When I finally realised that I should be watching the students and not the videos I realised that every single student was watching the screen and genuinely seemed interested.
I taught my own lesson for the first time this week on navigation and unfortunately had a standard classroom with rows of desks and a standard whiteboard that was in no way interactive. There was no projector and no way of showing video. I made the most of what I had and took in a globe of the world instead.
When I am able to have more control over my lessons and do not have to fit in with a mentor teacher I will do whatever I can to use video in the classroom. I found the following video on YouTube that quite nicely explains latitude and longitude and would have been a great way to start the lesson and a great way to save my voice.
Students need technology. If you're not using technology in your classroom they are finding a way to introduce it themselves by listening to their iPod or sending SMS messages when they are not supposed to be. Teachers need to be using technology to focus the students on what they need to learn and avoid the students focusing their attention elsewhere.
Most of the lessons I have observed have been standard chalk and talk lessons, however one lesson stood above all the rest and this was a lesson performed in one of the school library rooms that had an interactive whiteboard.
I had previously witnessed this class in a standard classroom with a whiteboard, copying things down from the whiteboard and answering questions. The teacher spent a large proportion of her time managing behaviour and there was a great deal of bad behaviour to manage.
In the room with the interactive whiteboard the students had two videos to watch on the whiteboard. The teacher paused the videos at particular points to highlight important definitions or points. When I finally realised that I should be watching the students and not the videos I realised that every single student was watching the screen and genuinely seemed interested.
I taught my own lesson for the first time this week on navigation and unfortunately had a standard classroom with rows of desks and a standard whiteboard that was in no way interactive. There was no projector and no way of showing video. I made the most of what I had and took in a globe of the world instead.
When I am able to have more control over my lessons and do not have to fit in with a mentor teacher I will do whatever I can to use video in the classroom. I found the following video on YouTube that quite nicely explains latitude and longitude and would have been a great way to start the lesson and a great way to save my voice.
Students need technology. If you're not using technology in your classroom they are finding a way to introduce it themselves by listening to their iPod or sending SMS messages when they are not supposed to be. Teachers need to be using technology to focus the students on what they need to learn and avoid the students focusing their attention elsewhere.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Teacher's Log - Day One
After meeting my two mentor teachers (MT) yesterday, today was my first day of prac or of being a Beginning Teacher, as my MT likes to call it. I now have my own desk in the staffroom with one of my MTs and I should have a logon for the computer network by Monday. Plus we have my timetable all worked out.
Today I observed an ICT Year 9 class for periods 1 and 2, followed by a CMS (combined maths and science) Year 9 class in periods 3 and 4. I had periods 5 and 6 free as well as the two breaks so in that time we finalised my timetable and I met with the Maths HoD. I also walked with my MT on his playground duty (PGD) for 15 minutes in the first break.
The school is big, with 700 odd students. I need to remember to sign in and out every day and have a visitor’s pass to wear. The roll call is all electronic and there are photos of all the kids. The roll also involves a uniform check.
For the next 31 days I’ll be following one MT for 3 classes (Maths Years 10 and 11, ICT Year 9) and the other for CMS Year 9. The Friday afternoon maths class, year 10, is not fun! My MT warned me that the last 2 periods on a Friday are not a good time for maths class, plus it was raining, plus it was Maths A which is basically the easy maths and therefore the kids who are not interested. At least 4 of them were on behaviour management plans, there was a lot of swearing and bad behaviour and very little learning or concentrating. I did get an apology from one of the students for his particularly bad behaviour and the stuff that was aimed at me, so I guess that’s something.
Apart from the ICT class where the kids all have a computer, with internet access, there didn’t seem to be many technological resources available. There was talk of an electronic whiteboard somewhere in the school but not in any of the classrooms we have and no-one seemed to know how to use it anyway.
This school will be challenging and definitely sort out whether or not I should be a teacher. The positives are that I am blessed with 2 really good mentor teachers and I know I will learn a lot from them.
Today I observed an ICT Year 9 class for periods 1 and 2, followed by a CMS (combined maths and science) Year 9 class in periods 3 and 4. I had periods 5 and 6 free as well as the two breaks so in that time we finalised my timetable and I met with the Maths HoD. I also walked with my MT on his playground duty (PGD) for 15 minutes in the first break.
The school is big, with 700 odd students. I need to remember to sign in and out every day and have a visitor’s pass to wear. The roll call is all electronic and there are photos of all the kids. The roll also involves a uniform check.
For the next 31 days I’ll be following one MT for 3 classes (Maths Years 10 and 11, ICT Year 9) and the other for CMS Year 9. The Friday afternoon maths class, year 10, is not fun! My MT warned me that the last 2 periods on a Friday are not a good time for maths class, plus it was raining, plus it was Maths A which is basically the easy maths and therefore the kids who are not interested. At least 4 of them were on behaviour management plans, there was a lot of swearing and bad behaviour and very little learning or concentrating. I did get an apology from one of the students for his particularly bad behaviour and the stuff that was aimed at me, so I guess that’s something.
Apart from the ICT class where the kids all have a computer, with internet access, there didn’t seem to be many technological resources available. There was talk of an electronic whiteboard somewhere in the school but not in any of the classrooms we have and no-one seemed to know how to use it anyway.
This school will be challenging and definitely sort out whether or not I should be a teacher. The positives are that I am blessed with 2 really good mentor teachers and I know I will learn a lot from them.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Flickr photo sharing
This is my first Flickr photo which I uploaded as part of a set. I found the uploading quick and simple to follow. Whilst in Flickr I chose to edit the photo and was taken to Picnik where I "auto-fixed" the photo and added a frame. I didn't do a lot of manipulating of the photo as I have done a lot of that in the past when I was designing web sites. However it's the first time I have edited a photo using an online site instead of special graphics software installed on my own computer. It is very useful and empowering to know that you can easily edit photos from any computer on the internet without special software.
Flickr and Picnik are another set of extremely useful and engaging technologies that we can add to our "toolbox" of resources that we have at our disposal and will help with answering question 4 of the eight learning management questions (Lynch, D 2006). A slide show of photos, along with a piece of inspiring audio would be a great way to "hook" your students into the lesson.
Flickr and Picnik are both tools that could aid with planning lessons that follow Kearsley & Shneiderman's Engagement Theory of occurring in a group context and are project based with an authentic "real world" focus. Consider a set of lessons where students work in groups and use a Wiki to document their project. Photos can help bring the real world into the classroom and the students could use Picnik to jazz up their photos before including them in their Wiki. The opportunities are endless.
References
Kearlsey, G. & Schneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved March 2010, from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
Flickr and Picnik are another set of extremely useful and engaging technologies that we can add to our "toolbox" of resources that we have at our disposal and will help with answering question 4 of the eight learning management questions (Lynch, D 2006). A slide show of photos, along with a piece of inspiring audio would be a great way to "hook" your students into the lesson.
Flickr and Picnik are both tools that could aid with planning lessons that follow Kearsley & Shneiderman's Engagement Theory of occurring in a group context and are project based with an authentic "real world" focus. Consider a set of lessons where students work in groups and use a Wiki to document their project. Photos can help bring the real world into the classroom and the students could use Picnik to jazz up their photos before including them in their Wiki. The opportunities are endless.
References
Kearlsey, G. & Schneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved March 2010, from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Your Amazing Brain - a powerpoint presentation
This took me quite some time to put together. Not only because I haven't used PowerPoint in quite some time, but also because I was researching for the information to put in it! I imagine that once you become familiar with PowerPoint AND you have all the information on hand for your presentation, then it shouldn't take long to create an interesting and engaging presentation. I can see presentations providing many benefits in the classroom.
Your Amazing Brain
SlideShare.net seems like it will be a very valuable site. Once your presentation is uploaded you can then view it from anywhere that there is an Internet connection. After reading the blogs of some of the other students I knew that animations would not come through on the SlideShare version of the presentation, which did cause me to alter the presentation somewhat. Knowing that in advance can save you a lot of time fiddling around with the animations in the first place.
How do I think that presentations will help in the classroom? PowerPoint presentations provide a great way to communicate to the student using a range of media. Instead of writing boring sentences on a blackboard (or whiteboard), in a PowerPoint presentation you can easily introduce colour, sound, video and humour with the simple click of a button. It also frees the teacher up to concentrate on the students instead of wasting time by writing things on the board.
SlideShare.net seems like it will be a very valuable site. Once your presentation is uploaded you can then view it from anywhere that there is an Internet connection. After reading the blogs of some of the other students I knew that animations would not come through on the SlideShare version of the presentation, which did cause me to alter the presentation somewhat. Knowing that in advance can save you a lot of time fiddling around with the animations in the first place.
How do I think that presentations will help in the classroom? PowerPoint presentations provide a great way to communicate to the student using a range of media. Instead of writing boring sentences on a blackboard (or whiteboard), in a PowerPoint presentation you can easily introduce colour, sound, video and humour with the simple click of a button. It also frees the teacher up to concentrate on the students instead of wasting time by writing things on the board.
Please tweet with me...
The following video is about a professor history in Dallas, Texas, using Twitter to encourage the students in her classroom to participate in discussion.
I found it really interesting how well the concept has taken off in her classroom and the fact that it has engaged students who would not normally participate in classroom discussion for whatever reason. Students also do not need a computer, they can use their mobile phones to post comments. If students had neither of these they could still write notes and a TA (technical assistant) would type up their comments for them onto the twitter site. With one of our main objectives as a teacher being to continally strive for inclusion and student engagement I believe that Twitter is a tool that we should not ignore.
After a bit more research I found a site in the UK, Teaching News, where I discovered that teachers were using Twitter as a mechanism for sharing resources, tips and information on teaching.
So as we embark on our first term of prac teaching I thought it might be an idea to start our own community of tweeting teachers. By using it ourselves we can start to see how we might be able to use it in the classroom (if at all), but also it might be a less formal setting to communicate with peers and help each other out. I've added a Follow Me button for Twitter to the right or you can click here to go to my Twitter page.
I found it really interesting how well the concept has taken off in her classroom and the fact that it has engaged students who would not normally participate in classroom discussion for whatever reason. Students also do not need a computer, they can use their mobile phones to post comments. If students had neither of these they could still write notes and a TA (technical assistant) would type up their comments for them onto the twitter site. With one of our main objectives as a teacher being to continally strive for inclusion and student engagement I believe that Twitter is a tool that we should not ignore.
After a bit more research I found a site in the UK, Teaching News, where I discovered that teachers were using Twitter as a mechanism for sharing resources, tips and information on teaching.
So as we embark on our first term of prac teaching I thought it might be an idea to start our own community of tweeting teachers. By using it ourselves we can start to see how we might be able to use it in the classroom (if at all), but also it might be a less formal setting to communicate with peers and help each other out. I've added a Follow Me button for Twitter to the right or you can click here to go to my Twitter page.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Engaging with a Wiki
I recently used Wikispaces to create my own Wiki. It took me a while to decide what theme/subject to use for my Wiki as I wanted it to be an authentic task. I chose health and fitness, specifically how it relates to learning and education.
Announcing The Fitness Project wiki!
This is not my first experience with starting a Wiki. At my last job I was the one and only technical support consultant in Australia for a small company called DigitalRez. The head office was in Canada and they had a much larger tech support team with years of experience. The difficulty I had was with the time difference. When I really needed their help they were asleep. During my time there (3 years) I had to basically figure most things out for myself which led me to creating a Wiki as a knowledge base (wiki.digitalrez.com.au). Initially I created it with the view that it would just be for internal tech support staff but it actually became a quick and easy way of supporting some of the customers if they rang to ask a very common question.
Reflecting on that past experience, I found it really hard to get other members of the tech support team (i.e. the Canadians) to contribute to the Wiki. They used the information that was on there but very rarely added anything themselves. I think one of the main reasons might have been that I came up with the idea for the Wiki, created it and then presented a well-established product to the group. I may have had more success in leading the group to decide that it would be a really useful resource to have and working on it as a group from the start.
I believe that Wikis could be a great way of engaging students in a classroom setting in a group exercise. As long as they are introduced in the right way and each group member is encouraged to participate. A difficulty could be in one bright or committed student taking over and setting up the whole thing, leaving the other students feeling like they don't know what is going on or understanding what they should be doing. As long as you monitor the activites to make sure that doesn't happen, a wiki is an excellent way of encouraging students to engage in and outside of school.
Announcing The Fitness Project wiki!
This is not my first experience with starting a Wiki. At my last job I was the one and only technical support consultant in Australia for a small company called DigitalRez. The head office was in Canada and they had a much larger tech support team with years of experience. The difficulty I had was with the time difference. When I really needed their help they were asleep. During my time there (3 years) I had to basically figure most things out for myself which led me to creating a Wiki as a knowledge base (wiki.digitalrez.com.au). Initially I created it with the view that it would just be for internal tech support staff but it actually became a quick and easy way of supporting some of the customers if they rang to ask a very common question.
Reflecting on that past experience, I found it really hard to get other members of the tech support team (i.e. the Canadians) to contribute to the Wiki. They used the information that was on there but very rarely added anything themselves. I think one of the main reasons might have been that I came up with the idea for the Wiki, created it and then presented a well-established product to the group. I may have had more success in leading the group to decide that it would be a really useful resource to have and working on it as a group from the start.
I believe that Wikis could be a great way of engaging students in a classroom setting in a group exercise. As long as they are introduced in the right way and each group member is encouraged to participate. A difficulty could be in one bright or committed student taking over and setting up the whole thing, leaving the other students feeling like they don't know what is going on or understanding what they should be doing. As long as you monitor the activites to make sure that doesn't happen, a wiki is an excellent way of encouraging students to engage in and outside of school.
Monday, March 29, 2010
I've add some new pages...
When study and/or life is getting you down, click on my Fun Stuff page for some light relief.
I've also started on a Teaching Acronyms page so I've got them handy instead of trying to find the folder in which I filed Rickie's handout.
I've also started on a Teaching Acronyms page so I've got them handy instead of trying to find the folder in which I filed Rickie's handout.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Enhancing lessons with avatars
voki.com allows you to create free avatars to represent yourself or some other character which can then be embedded in a web page, a blog like this one, or even emailed. You can create avatars for free as long as you don't mind a bit of advertising shown at the bottom.
I see avatars as a great way of engaging children. Children have grown up in a digital society and to expect them to come to school and "power down" to read a text book is ridiculous when you think about it. We need to engage them using the multimodal texts that they are used to in life outside of the classroom. These texts are not just linguistic but also include the visual, gestural, audio and spatial (Healy, A. 2008. p9).
Above is an example avatar I created with my free voki account. As you can see avatars do not need to be human - you can use all sorts of characters.
Perhaps another use for them would be for students to create their own and use them to publish their opinion on a particular topic. This could be a way of engaging students who find getting up in front of the class very nerve-racking.
References
Healy, A. (2008). Multiliteracies and Diversity in Education. South Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Oxford University Press.
I see avatars as a great way of engaging children. Children have grown up in a digital society and to expect them to come to school and "power down" to read a text book is ridiculous when you think about it. We need to engage them using the multimodal texts that they are used to in life outside of the classroom. These texts are not just linguistic but also include the visual, gestural, audio and spatial (Healy, A. 2008. p9).
Above is an example avatar I created with my free voki account. As you can see avatars do not need to be human - you can use all sorts of characters.
Perhaps another use for them would be for students to create their own and use them to publish their opinion on a particular topic. This could be a way of engaging students who find getting up in front of the class very nerve-racking.
References
Healy, A. (2008). Multiliteracies and Diversity in Education. South Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Engaging with Mahara e.Portfolios
I had a pretty rough idea of what an e.Portfolio in Mahara would be like but after starting work on my own and watching Scot's YouTube tutorial videos I can see how useful and powerful Mahara can be for both teachers and students.
Firstly on an individual level it's a great location for storing all of your teaching resources - lesson plans, videos, images, etc that you can then access from anywhere by simply logging onto the Internet.
Secondly, it's a great way to collaborate with other teachers to share good ideas, advice, lesson plans and units of work. Mahara provides a Groups facility, Views, a Friends facility and discussion forums - all which can be included in your e.Portfolio.
And finally, what a great way to engage students! Mahara could provide the framework for a unit of work for the students. Using views you could create a series of lessons, on any subject, to comprise a unit of work. Students could be given a secret URL, for example, for each lesson. This could then help free the teacher up to spend time with individual students. In addition the students could create their own e.Portfolio to respond to their tasks that make up the unit of work. Each lesson students could gradually contribute more and more to their e.Portfolio and by the end of the unit of work, create a view in their e.Portfolio to submit an assignment or assessment task. They could also be used to encourage or facilitate group work.
Again, another great tool for engaging students.
Firstly on an individual level it's a great location for storing all of your teaching resources - lesson plans, videos, images, etc that you can then access from anywhere by simply logging onto the Internet.
Secondly, it's a great way to collaborate with other teachers to share good ideas, advice, lesson plans and units of work. Mahara provides a Groups facility, Views, a Friends facility and discussion forums - all which can be included in your e.Portfolio.
And finally, what a great way to engage students! Mahara could provide the framework for a unit of work for the students. Using views you could create a series of lessons, on any subject, to comprise a unit of work. Students could be given a secret URL, for example, for each lesson. This could then help free the teacher up to spend time with individual students. In addition the students could create their own e.Portfolio to respond to their tasks that make up the unit of work. Each lesson students could gradually contribute more and more to their e.Portfolio and by the end of the unit of work, create a view in their e.Portfolio to submit an assignment or assessment task. They could also be used to encourage or facilitate group work.
Again, another great tool for engaging students.
Reflections on Blogging
Since leaving University many years ago, most of my working life has been in the I.T industry either providing software support, programming or technical consultancy. I think of myself as a "techie" although not one of those geeky ones with no social skills and who spend all their free time playing Internet games like Dungeons and Dragons or whatever the latest one is (please pardon the stereotyping). Amazingly, in all that time I have not used blogs - at all - until a few weeks ago. I really didn't get them. They seemed to be a bit of a waste of time and I thought that important and useful information could very easily get lost in the other not-so-necessary information posted.
And I still had that opinion until just last week, although I was beginning to see how much fun creating a blog could be. I was still finding it frustrating having to read and comment on other people's blogs when I had so much other Uni work to try and get through and here I am in Week 5 still not ahead in the work like I had planned to be.
Then I watched this short video:
I have now started using Google Reader as my RSS aggregator and now I finally get it! This is so cool! I now have a little Google Reader gadget on my home page (iGoogle) so that every time I open a new Internet window I can quickly see if there are any interesting new posts to read. One of the first things I do when sitting down at my laptop is to check Google Reader. Then I check to see if there are any more followers on my own blog. I've now even created another personal blog for a project my partner and I have just embarked on, calliopeadventure.blogspot.com. And I feel like conducting a little lecture with all my friends so that they understand what it is to blog.
So, I have to say, I am engaged. Kearsley & Shneiderman believe "that technology can facilitate engagement in ways which are difficult to achieve otherwise" (1999) and I would have to agree from this experience. In their article on Engagement Theory, Kearsley & Shneiderman discuss the three components of Learning Engagement Theory, Relate-Create-Donate and that they imply that learning activities should:
1. occur in a group context (i.e., collaborative teams)
2. are project-based
3. have an outside (authentic) focus
(Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999)
I believe that blogs cover those three criteria very well. I have seen videos of how blogs might be used in the classroom and cannot wait to try it myself.
The last thing I wanted to mention about blogging is that to post an entry on a blog really requires you to think and have an opinion on a subject. It facilitates moving into the 3rd dimension of the Dimensions of Teaching - Extending and Refining Knowledge. (Marzano & Pickering, 1997).
In conclusion, I love it!
References
Kearlsey, G. & Schneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved March 2010, from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
Marzano, R. & Pickering, D. (1997). Dimensions of Learning. Teacher's Manual. (2nd Ed). Aurora, Colorado 80014, US.
And I still had that opinion until just last week, although I was beginning to see how much fun creating a blog could be. I was still finding it frustrating having to read and comment on other people's blogs when I had so much other Uni work to try and get through and here I am in Week 5 still not ahead in the work like I had planned to be.
Then I watched this short video:
I have now started using Google Reader as my RSS aggregator and now I finally get it! This is so cool! I now have a little Google Reader gadget on my home page (iGoogle) so that every time I open a new Internet window I can quickly see if there are any interesting new posts to read. One of the first things I do when sitting down at my laptop is to check Google Reader. Then I check to see if there are any more followers on my own blog. I've now even created another personal blog for a project my partner and I have just embarked on, calliopeadventure.blogspot.com. And I feel like conducting a little lecture with all my friends so that they understand what it is to blog.
So, I have to say, I am engaged. Kearsley & Shneiderman believe "that technology can facilitate engagement in ways which are difficult to achieve otherwise" (1999) and I would have to agree from this experience. In their article on Engagement Theory, Kearsley & Shneiderman discuss the three components of Learning Engagement Theory, Relate-Create-Donate and that they imply that learning activities should:
1. occur in a group context (i.e., collaborative teams)
2. are project-based
3. have an outside (authentic) focus
(Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999)
I believe that blogs cover those three criteria very well. I have seen videos of how blogs might be used in the classroom and cannot wait to try it myself.
The last thing I wanted to mention about blogging is that to post an entry on a blog really requires you to think and have an opinion on a subject. It facilitates moving into the 3rd dimension of the Dimensions of Teaching - Extending and Refining Knowledge. (Marzano & Pickering, 1997).
In conclusion, I love it!
References
Kearlsey, G. & Schneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved March 2010, from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
Marzano, R. & Pickering, D. (1997). Dimensions of Learning. Teacher's Manual. (2nd Ed). Aurora, Colorado 80014, US.
Friday, March 26, 2010
The Reading Report
(Literacy & Numeracy Week 4)
As part of my course work for Literacy & Numeracy this week I have been reading a report on Teaching Reading by the Australian Government, Department of Education, Science and Training. (2005, December).
One quite alarming statistic quoted in the report, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 1997 was that 20% of Australians between the ages of 15 to 74 had 'very poor' lilteracy schools. With a further 28% likely to have difficulties with reading in everyday life.
So as teachers in training it sounds like we'll have a job to do along with the rest of the teaching profession. It won't just be primary school teachers teaching reading - secondary teachers will need to be involved as well.
The report made a number of recommendations. This was the second one:
"Recommendation 2 The Committee recommends that teachers provide systematic, direct and explicit phonics instruction so that children master the essential alphabetic code-breaking skills required for foundational reading proficiency. Equally, that teachers provide an integrated approach to reading that supports the development of oral language, vocabulary, grammar, reading fluency, comprehension and the literacies of new technologies."
After reading the evidence and studies outlined in the report I think I would have to agree with this approach. The evidence seems to suggest that first and foremost children at an early age need to be taught direct, explicit and systematic phonics instruction. Without these basic skills all the other strategies for teaching reading will not achieve very much and not achieve the learning outcomes. But along with the necessary basic reading skills, other reading instruction (the whole-language approach) should be integrated to create a balanced reading program.
As part of my course work for Literacy & Numeracy this week I have been reading a report on Teaching Reading by the Australian Government, Department of Education, Science and Training. (2005, December).
One quite alarming statistic quoted in the report, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 1997 was that 20% of Australians between the ages of 15 to 74 had 'very poor' lilteracy schools. With a further 28% likely to have difficulties with reading in everyday life.
So as teachers in training it sounds like we'll have a job to do along with the rest of the teaching profession. It won't just be primary school teachers teaching reading - secondary teachers will need to be involved as well.
The report made a number of recommendations. This was the second one:
"Recommendation 2 The Committee recommends that teachers provide systematic, direct and explicit phonics instruction so that children master the essential alphabetic code-breaking skills required for foundational reading proficiency. Equally, that teachers provide an integrated approach to reading that supports the development of oral language, vocabulary, grammar, reading fluency, comprehension and the literacies of new technologies."
After reading the evidence and studies outlined in the report I think I would have to agree with this approach. The evidence seems to suggest that first and foremost children at an early age need to be taught direct, explicit and systematic phonics instruction. Without these basic skills all the other strategies for teaching reading will not achieve very much and not achieve the learning outcomes. But along with the necessary basic reading skills, other reading instruction (the whole-language approach) should be integrated to create a balanced reading program.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Sailing the high seas and teaching
Back in 2005 I was a sailing instructor for the Hamble School of Yachting in the UK. The sailing industry is very male dominated and sorry for this generalisation, but many wives are treated appallingly by their husbands when out on the water. Which in turn usually makes them hate sailing and lose all interest. So Hamble School of Yachting decided to run some Ladies Only sailing courses and I was privileged to take 5 ladies for a week's course. Some of them were doing the entry level "Competent Crew" course and a couple of them doing the next level up which was "Day Skipper".
Over the week all the women on board definitely came out of their shells and had a great time. For me it was one of the best weeks working as a sailing instructor. Here are some shots from the course.
Over the week all the women on board definitely came out of their shells and had a great time. For me it was one of the best weeks working as a sailing instructor. Here are some shots from the course.
Sailing past the Needles on the Isle of Wight - heading for Poole.
Me with the crew, I'm the one near the helm without the matching t-shirt.
Me with the crew, I'm the one near the helm without the matching t-shirt.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Literacy & Numeracy Week 3
Activity 1.5 - Literacy and/or Numeracy demands of Mathematics
What good does it do to be able to solve a maths problem if you can't read and understand the problem in the first place?
According to Thelma Perso, "Being numerate requires a certain degree of literacy skill as well as being able to perform the mathematics."
Mathematics requires both literacy and numeracy skills. In order to solve a maths problem you need to be able to read and comprehend the problem. This requires both code-breaking and comprehension skills (i.e. literacy). Of course to solve the problem you also need the necessary numeracy skills such as multiplication, algorithms and adding and subtracting.
References
The Free Library. (n.d.). Cracking the NAPLAN code: numeracy and literacy demands: Thelma Perso examines the literacy demands of NAPLAN test items and provides advice about the explicit teaching of code-breaking and comprehension skills that are essential to numeracy. Retrieved March 20, 2010, from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Cracking+the+NAPLAN+code:+numeracy+and+literacy+demands:+Thelma+Perso...-a0210224587
What good does it do to be able to solve a maths problem if you can't read and understand the problem in the first place?
According to Thelma Perso, "Being numerate requires a certain degree of literacy skill as well as being able to perform the mathematics."
Mathematics requires both literacy and numeracy skills. In order to solve a maths problem you need to be able to read and comprehend the problem. This requires both code-breaking and comprehension skills (i.e. literacy). Of course to solve the problem you also need the necessary numeracy skills such as multiplication, algorithms and adding and subtracting.
References
The Free Library. (n.d.). Cracking the NAPLAN code: numeracy and literacy demands: Thelma Perso examines the literacy demands of NAPLAN test items and provides advice about the explicit teaching of code-breaking and comprehension skills that are essential to numeracy. Retrieved March 20, 2010, from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Cracking+the+NAPLAN+code:+numeracy+and+literacy+demands:+Thelma+Perso...-a0210224587
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Will I be teaching or learning?
This morning I have been going through Topic 3 and the start of Topic 4 for Supportive Learning Environments and had my own assumptions, stereotypes and prejudices challenged. I have never thought of myself as having any prejudices but when considering what characteristics I associate with Indigenous Australians I was shocked and horrified to find that the first things that came to mind were negative. Where has that come from? Firstly, I believe that it’s been mainly due to a distinct lack of education about indigenous people and culture in Australia. At least I didn’t learn much about Indigenous people, culture or their history when I was at school. Secondly, the media and how the rest of society has acted/talked about indigenous people. And finally, experience. Perhaps not living in Australia for 10 years hasn’t helped, but I’ve had virtually no experience with indigenous people. Ashman and Elkins (2009, p.21) suggest that “Experience is the essential prerequisite for success because it is the primary source of the individual’s storehouse of knowledge.”
So then I went on reading and thinking. Understanding how stereotypes and then prejudice develops. Thinking about all sorts of groups – boys versus girls, different religious beliefs, children from broken families, children that live in poverty. As teachers I think we need to take a good, hard look at our own values and beliefs before we inflict them onto children. I would like to be thought of as someone with an open mind and slow to judge and hopefully any students I have will see me in that way. To achieve that, I think I have a lot of learning of my own to do and will probably do a lot of that in the classroom!
While not wishing to force any personal religious belief on anyone, I can’t help now thinking about this scripture, “The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:31). Wouldn't it be great if we just all naturally did that?
So then I went on reading and thinking. Understanding how stereotypes and then prejudice develops. Thinking about all sorts of groups – boys versus girls, different religious beliefs, children from broken families, children that live in poverty. As teachers I think we need to take a good, hard look at our own values and beliefs before we inflict them onto children. I would like to be thought of as someone with an open mind and slow to judge and hopefully any students I have will see me in that way. To achieve that, I think I have a lot of learning of my own to do and will probably do a lot of that in the classroom!
While not wishing to force any personal religious belief on anyone, I can’t help now thinking about this scripture, “The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:31). Wouldn't it be great if we just all naturally did that?
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Teaching with technology
Shaun Longstreet, from the University of California in Irvine, discusses things to consider before deciding to include technology in a lesson:
Monday, March 8, 2010
Educating for the future
This video by Sir Ken Robinson says it all.
We need to engage all students - not just those who can sit still and behave. The students who are fidgeting or don't seem interested could just well be the greatest minds of the future.
We need to engage all students - not just those who can sit still and behave. The students who are fidgeting or don't seem interested could just well be the greatest minds of the future.
University Discussion Forums, the digest option
Instead of receiving one email for every message that is posted to the discussion forums, it's possible to choose to receive a daily summary message instead. The email will show the subject and author of each post, with a link to take you straight to that post if you're interested in reading it.
Here's how to switch on that digest mode for the forums...
1. Edit your profile. One easy way to do this is to login to one of the courses in Moodle and you will then see your name at the top right of the window as a link. Click on this link.
2. Click on the Edit profile tab. Under the "Email digest type" heading select the following option from the drop down list:
Subjects (daily email with subject only)
3. Go right to the bottom of the page and click the Update profile button.
And you're done!
Here's how to switch on that digest mode for the forums...
1. Edit your profile. One easy way to do this is to login to one of the courses in Moodle and you will then see your name at the top right of the window as a link. Click on this link.
2. Click on the Edit profile tab. Under the "Email digest type" heading select the following option from the drop down list:
Subjects (daily email with subject only)
3. Go right to the bottom of the page and click the Update profile button.
And you're done!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Day One
After a week of the Residential School last week I'm slightly overwhelmed by the amount of work involved in becoming a teacher, but at the same time very excited at the whole thing. It's been 14 years since my first experience at University and I'm finding CQU extremely refreshing and the lecturers very passionate about the course.
This is Day One of getting stuck into it.
This is Day One of getting stuck into it.
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