Monday 21 January 2013
Saturday 19 November 2011
Course Reflection and Feedback
Yeah!!!! Funny - I have tried for several years to push myself to use technology - data projectors, then PowerPoints, eventually into Movie maker, wikis, delicious, etc... but as a non-digital native, it really is a push for me. The first review I ever had on "Rate My Teacher" was from someone in my religion class where the kids just knew technology was rarely my friend - I rated three out of a possible 5 stars and the comment read "thinks she's up with the technology" - well, I am not really and don't pretend to be, but if I can keep pushing myself, and if I can walk others through trying, taking risks, having a go - if i can ask a student for help when I don;t get something technical - then I am at least being human and accessible - and I am modelling myself as a lifelong learner for students and staff. I will never proclaim to be technically proficient, but I am keenly interested in and passionate about exploring ways to use technology in the classroom, particularly as it aids the top end of the Bloom's spectrum - creating, collaborating, engaging, critical reflection.
I have certainly learned new and valuable skills that I can use personally - ie the iGoogle homepage, or the interlinking of other tools - bookmarks loaded onto delicious., Google reader with links to great blogs to stimulate my thinking. I have a Twitter account now, and a blog - but most importantly have not only a few more tools, but some great links to useful sites, and to other passionate connected educators.
As Michael Fullan says, the learning is the work - it is not just the tool, or the fun, or the colour, or the play - but the learning connected to technology. As long as we ask ourselves WHY we are using these tools, as long as we plan for their use and integrate the tecnology and tools in order to enhance the learning, we are on our way.
Thanks for the opportunity!!!
I have certainly learned new and valuable skills that I can use personally - ie the iGoogle homepage, or the interlinking of other tools - bookmarks loaded onto delicious., Google reader with links to great blogs to stimulate my thinking. I have a Twitter account now, and a blog - but most importantly have not only a few more tools, but some great links to useful sites, and to other passionate connected educators.
As Michael Fullan says, the learning is the work - it is not just the tool, or the fun, or the colour, or the play - but the learning connected to technology. As long as we ask ourselves WHY we are using these tools, as long as we plan for their use and integrate the tecnology and tools in order to enhance the learning, we are on our way.
Thanks for the opportunity!!!
Module 10
Another quick one as I was introduced to wikispaces several years ago - first when I had to use it as part of discussion posts for a course through Canberra Uni - and later through Michael Pate when he shared how he used wikispaces at Emmaus for their transition program.
I love wikispaces - not as neat and clean as Edmodo, but it is quite versatile. i have now used for three year-end prorgams for year 10 both at Delany, and next week at DLSA. Also used wikispaces for a Year 7 unit of work on "Journeys" last year - student groups had their own pages, and the whole form was on the one site. Kids could see each other's work, all the course materials and links were posted, and kids could even upload their final projects/digital stories to the wiki. The fact that it can be accessed as an educational site is even better. I find wikis better in this respect that Edmodo when students are working on a project collaboratively as it is a bit like each group having their own whiteboard/creative space.
I have also used wikis for Year 12 SOR for discussion space and links/uploads, and this year introduced Year 9 RE to wikis for their iLearn project. The teachers involved mastered how to use the space quickly as well. Interestingly, a colleague of mine who was interested in wikispace for HIS yr 12 SOR introduced it - and the kids complained about why they needed to use the wiki when other teachers were using Edmodo. As I have explored various formats, and learning to discern which format is best suited to which purpose - and the interconnectedness of everything on the net makes it easy to start with one platform and provide links to another...the best of all worlds!
I love wikispaces - not as neat and clean as Edmodo, but it is quite versatile. i have now used for three year-end prorgams for year 10 both at Delany, and next week at DLSA. Also used wikispaces for a Year 7 unit of work on "Journeys" last year - student groups had their own pages, and the whole form was on the one site. Kids could see each other's work, all the course materials and links were posted, and kids could even upload their final projects/digital stories to the wiki. The fact that it can be accessed as an educational site is even better. I find wikis better in this respect that Edmodo when students are working on a project collaboratively as it is a bit like each group having their own whiteboard/creative space.
I have also used wikis for Year 12 SOR for discussion space and links/uploads, and this year introduced Year 9 RE to wikis for their iLearn project. The teachers involved mastered how to use the space quickly as well. Interestingly, a colleague of mine who was interested in wikispace for HIS yr 12 SOR introduced it - and the kids complained about why they needed to use the wiki when other teachers were using Edmodo. As I have explored various formats, and learning to discern which format is best suited to which purpose - and the interconnectedness of everything on the net makes it easy to start with one platform and provide links to another...the best of all worlds!
Module 9
Another are worth exploring. Got myself a Facebook account last year to keep in touch with friends and family in America. Have been located by a few students who have asked to friend me but I politely decline and explain the boundaries required. Has been a great place for sharing thgouhts and photos, though - our students went overseas last year for Mary MacKillop's canonisation and set up a page to record their thoughts and travels, so it was great to see that site used and shared appropriately.
This year we had an ICT staff development day - and on that day, a young second year out shared with us here experiences using Edmodo to engage student in her classes, and keep them linked in with documents and presentations. It looks very much like Facebook, so the teachers and kids took to it really quickly. We then ran an info night for parents to show them how we were using Edmodo and to help them get connected to their children's learning with parent accounts. We only had about 11 parents turn up, but they all appreciated the opportunity - and we plan to continue this process next year as a means of better engaging parents in their students' learning.
This year we had an ICT staff development day - and on that day, a young second year out shared with us here experiences using Edmodo to engage student in her classes, and keep them linked in with documents and presentations. It looks very much like Facebook, so the teachers and kids took to it really quickly. We then ran an info night for parents to show them how we were using Edmodo and to help them get connected to their children's learning with parent accounts. We only had about 11 parents turn up, but they all appreciated the opportunity - and we plan to continue this process next year as a means of better engaging parents in their students' learning.
Module 8
Can cheat a bit on this one as I was fortunate enough to be working with Daniel Sandral the other day and showed him how as a result of this course I had set up an igoogle homepage. He suggested adding google reader as a gadget - so he walked me through the steps, and I now have three feeds coming through - Hey Jude (Judy O'Connell), Bluyonder (Greg Whitby) and my own!
I must admit that over the past week since I've had the google reader feature on my homepage, I have enjoyed flicking to the two blogs and reading what these respected educators have to say. Good brain food!
I must admit that over the past week since I've had the google reader feature on my homepage, I have enjoyed flicking to the two blogs and reading what these respected educators have to say. Good brain food!
Module 7
Happy days - nearing the end here. Even though I have been a big user of delicious for four years now, courtesy of our teacher-librarian, I found it useful to have a look at the new features. Also took the challenge of importing my bookmarks to delicious, so now I won't loose them (wish that feature was there a year ago when I changed schools and computers!)
Found Melinda Nunn's blog and had a look at some of her reflections - a great way to see what other teachers are doing/learning reflecting on.
Delicious is one of the tools I recommend to students in year 10 as they undertake their preparation for year 11/12 - a great way to not only store all their own suggested sites, but a great starting point for searches as rather than searching all of the net, they can search through delicious and find things others have already found useful enough to save. I make the kids get their own delicious accounts on the spot. Our TL also used to encourage the teachers to link to her delicious and she had a library delicious account set up so kids could go through library homepage and access suggested links forwarded by their teachers - makes for a great course reference from year to year as well.
Found Melinda Nunn's blog and had a look at some of her reflections - a great way to see what other teachers are doing/learning reflecting on.
Delicious is one of the tools I recommend to students in year 10 as they undertake their preparation for year 11/12 - a great way to not only store all their own suggested sites, but a great starting point for searches as rather than searching all of the net, they can search through delicious and find things others have already found useful enough to save. I make the kids get their own delicious accounts on the spot. Our TL also used to encourage the teachers to link to her delicious and she had a library delicious account set up so kids could go through library homepage and access suggested links forwarded by their teachers - makes for a great course reference from year to year as well.
Module 6
Flickr and Copyright/Creative Commons. Have got myself a Flikr account and actually uploaded a few photos that have no people in them, and are my own just for a go. From a trip to Melbourne earlier in the year.
This was actually a great module given the work we will be doing with Year 10 in the next week or two (All My Own Work, especially the copyright section). The creative commons "get creative" video was good as I have heard the term "creative commons" often, and even put links to creative commons materials on wikis before when kids were doing projects, but I didn't really understand how it worked. Now I do - a bit better, anyway. And given what I have explored this afternoon, I'll be able to run that session more effectively. Would also be good to get our teacher librarian involved. When the boys do their research and prepare their presentations, I think we will require at least two items in their final presentations taken from creative commons sourced material, and require appropriate bibliographic referencing/attributions of course.
Don't know if I will use Flickr myself for publishing photos (or maybe just not yet) but knowing how to locate items on Flickr will be great, especially when getting boys to create their own works. This module was quite useful!
This was actually a great module given the work we will be doing with Year 10 in the next week or two (All My Own Work, especially the copyright section). The creative commons "get creative" video was good as I have heard the term "creative commons" often, and even put links to creative commons materials on wikis before when kids were doing projects, but I didn't really understand how it worked. Now I do - a bit better, anyway. And given what I have explored this afternoon, I'll be able to run that session more effectively. Would also be good to get our teacher librarian involved. When the boys do their research and prepare their presentations, I think we will require at least two items in their final presentations taken from creative commons sourced material, and require appropriate bibliographic referencing/attributions of course.
Don't know if I will use Flickr myself for publishing photos (or maybe just not yet) but knowing how to locate items on Flickr will be great, especially when getting boys to create their own works. This module was quite useful!
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