I am back!
I am completing EDP4130 this semester and I need to create two resources….I thought what a perfect place to upload my ideas and drafts so that I can receive wonderful feedback from the teaching community.
I don’t have to much to report today.. but I cannot wait to share my first proposal.
I am leaving Sunday to go on a cruise for a week – so madly trying to finish a lot of course work.
Have fun!
Well it is 11.21pm and I have just finished off another assignment… I wont say successfully as its a shocker but I have tried my best which is all I can give at this point in time.
I have successfully completed prac however I have just realised my mentor didn’t sign about a billion forms I need signed…. off I go back sometime this week.. it was my fault.. I rushed out Friday and completely forgot.
Well EDC3100 is coming to an end and I know nearly all my study buddies have had an awful semester because of the assignment load .. one thing that I used this semester is Tiki Toki… it was a life saver when I had to get on track with 11 yes 11 assignments this semester.
I want to reflect back on this whole blog experience. I was dreading it at the start of the semester, I don’t mind it now, its a way to get things out that are lurking around in your head however it does have its negatives… like how much of a time waster it is…. I would love to blog in my personal life but I simply don’t have the time. I find it way easier to quickly update a Facebook status or comment on someone else’s post that has already winged about having to complete another assignment on a Friday night instead of relaxing in their pj’s with a class of wine in their hand watching whatever rubbish is on TV at the time.
Maybe when uni is over.. and I have a class of my own…
One day…..
I am currently teaching an English unit where students are learning about language and visual features of comics. There are a lot of websites that include a comic strip maker but I wanted a program where students could comment on each others or even with another class. I have come across Bitstrips For Schools. It looks amazing! I can create a class, assign tasks for certain students which will be perfect for reading groups and then I can also ask them to create their own comic strips and it provides them the opportunity to comment and view each others. I like it! I think I will definitely use this some time this week whether its a whole class or small group activity!
Well I have successfully used ICT in my classroom for two weeks now. Nothing extreme as I have very limited ICT availability. I am trying to think of ways in the last week that I can really go out with a boom! Unfortunately my class is at assessment time so a lot of the computer allocated time is for research… so I have to try and add in my ICT use in class which I have been able to do using the IWB but I feel its abit boring and abit overdone.. I wanted something exciting to put into my lessons! So I am going to have a good hard think this weekend and see what I can come up with.
Saranna has spoken in her blog about utilising powerpoint to make a quiz…. this is something I believe I could do aswell with the maths unit I am completing so I may look into how I can achieve an interactive quiz using the IWB. I would love to use the 5 ipads that we only have in reading groups however I cannot add any apps on there…. they only really have mathletics etc…. anyway off I go to think!
Hello!
Well I am on prac and in the middle of lesson planning so this will be a small post.
Today I had to do a quick activity in reading groups in front of the principal might I add – I was told last minute I was doing it so luckily I had seen it modelled previously, it was using a sheet out of KEY into inference kit.
One thing I have noticed consistently throughout all of my pracs is that students reading comprehension ranges from students who can make some inferences to some who cannot make any inferences in any sort of text. This kit is absolutely fantastic – it may not be an “ICT’ tool however if you ever find yourself in a classroom of your own and are wanting strategies to up students comprehension levels – buy the kit is it well worth it.
That is all from me for today.
When I read Amanda’s list of her strength and weaknesses it allowed me to consider my own. My last practical placement was a nightmare – not my performance but just the sheer level of expectation and workload that I was put under. I was expected to plan from scratch with no assistance three weeks worth of lessons, I was at the school from 7.15 till around 5.45-6.00 pm at night which would only leave me night time after 7pm when my daughter was in bed to plan. I was exhausted and not enjoying it at all. I never really had the time to stop and think about my teaching, when looking back this is disappointing.
With a clear goal in mind for this prac – which is strengthening my weaknesses I have decided to utilise ICT methods out there to take daily reflections of my OWN teaching.. not just of my mentor but my own. I am going to use my ipad to take pictures of tasks or instructions on the board that did work and take evidence of things that didn’t. I am also going to record myself teaching, well if my mentor will let me… I am a bit nervous about that one but I will let you know how I go!
Well I have just come home from day one of what seems like will be an amazing prac. I have an absolute hero of a mentor who has two different grade levels and some very very low students with I believe a total of 6 of them on ISP. Its going to be a great challenge for me as I have never really had much experience in the way of differentiation for such a diverse group of learning needs.
I was stressing on Friday when I went in to see the class as I believed there wasn’t much ICT that I could use… it seems I wasn’t alone as numerous people have said they are concerned about the lack of ICT in the class. Well today I had a bigger dig around and have realised that although I may not have enough to “transform” learning there is still a lot that I can use.
So I am staying positive that I can use these to create some fantastic lessons that will engage and excite the students.
I was lucky enough to attend a PD about IWB two practical placements ago and I was absolutely astounded at all the little features it has … like turning your writing into nice and text that all students can read. My previous mentors 5 year old son would spend time in her class every morning and I asked him… yes that is right.. a prep student to show me one thing every morning. I learnt a lot! I believe it also made him feel just a bit special :). Unfortunately that was a year ago now.. and with no practise all those lessons may as well not have happened however I am hoping when I get back into the classroom it may come flooding back.
I decided to have a look on the internet for some resources that will be great to use on the board. I found the bellow
Topmarks – interactive games for all ages and by subject area.
This website has some free Interactive lessons
and
Ideal resources – Online interactive whiteboard activities, games and worksheets
In this weeks learning path we were asked to complete a table to show our understanding of some of the core frameworks and models of this course.
I must be honest… I did have to have a look back through the learning paths to ensure my understandings were correct.. I am still a tad unsure if they are,, but hey if someone spots a problem please let me know!
One of the models I am still getting my head around is the TPACK model, I understand it but when considering how I will bring it up in the written section of our assignments I am still abit confused. I don’t seem to be the only one. Check out Christine’s informative blog post about TPACK.
This is my beautiful table!
The table
| Theory | Purpose | Application to Assignment 3/Professional Experience |
| CLEM Model | Help understand how to learn about a new ICT and how to use it to enhance student learning. | If there are any new ICTs you need to use it might help your explorations.
Hence might be useful as a part of the planning process for Part B. |
| TPACK framework | The TPACK framework offers a way of thinking about the different types of knowledge required to design effective, ICT rich learning experiences. The types of knowledge required are content, pedagogical and technological. | Once I know my context and what content I will be teaching I will be able to self access what knowledge I need to gain in order to build my TPACK. |
| Backwards design | Helps plan units and or lessons based on assessment and unit outcomes. | I will be able to use this when planning lessons to ensure I use learning experiences that teach the desired outcome. |
| SAMR Model | The SAMR model helps you think about the quality of your ICT and Pedagogy and identify avenues for improvement | Will help when planning and reflecting on my lessons to consider whether the ICT used are/where appropriate. |
| TIP Model | Helps you decide what technology meets the concept for the lesson | I will use backwards design as I am more familiar with it. |
| The 5Es | Is a way of setting up lessons – mainly used for inquiry. 5 phases are Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate and Evaluate. | Use to frame lessons. |
| WALT & WILF | We Are Learning To and What am I Looking For.
A tool used to tell students what the learning objectives are and what the successful criteria is in order to prove that learning. |
Its good to write this on the board at prac so students understand exactly what is being taught and what is expected of them by the end of the learning experience. |
| Connectivism | Connectivism is a hypothesis of learning which emphasizes the role of social and cultural context. Connectivism is often associated with and proposes a perspective similar to Vygotsky’s ‘zone of proximal development’ (ZPD).
These ideas suggest that the more connections you make to different people and perspectives the more you will learn. |
I will remember this when planning my lessons and ensure to use technology that reaches a wide authentic audience. |
| Bloom’s taxonomy | A framework to help student’s use lower and higher order thinking. | Will use in lessons to ensure students are not just learning and using knowledge but also being extended. |
| Postman’s 5 things | Technology is always a trade off
Technology creates winners and losers There is a powerful idea embedded in every technology. Technology is ecological, not additive. Technology tends to become mythic. |
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| Toolbelt theory/TEST framework | Test Framework – Task, Environment, Skills and tools. Allows student/teacher to break down a task and ensure they have everything they need to complete it or what other things they can use. | Useful tool that will allow me to select the tools that may help with your student learning. |
| PKM | A set of processes, individually constructed, to help each of us make sense of our world & work more effectively
Steps of seek, sense and share. |
Yesterday I received the news on where I would be heading for my fourth placement. I am very happy with the school I was allocated. It is a very small school with just over 220 students and a high level of Indigenous and ESL (English as a second language) students. Considering I am completing this course alongside EDP4140 ESL I am so excited to be able to utilise some of the techniques that I have been learning about in both courses.
Once the excitement wore off the nerves started to kick in. I have a million questions I want answered but I am patiently awaiting to hear back from my school so that I can go in and have a meeting. As Angela mentioned,on our facebook group we have been helping each other come up with a list of questions for our mentors or things that we need to consider before starting prac.
When googling survival tips on facebook I came across this fantastic TES video on how to survive your practical placement. The video is fantastic and covers a lot of information regarding mentors, feedback, planning and behaviour management.
AMANDA CONWAY'S EDC3100 ICT Blog 