"Reflective thinking turns experience into insights"
"Reflective thinking turns experience into insights"
I am writing this blog to help me process all the information and discussions that are happening weekly at the Mindlab Postgrad course in Digital and Collaborative Learning.
a shift in Learning culture (teacher centred to student centred) Intentional content (evaluate what needs to taught directly usually by video- focussed and to the point) Professional educators
Blendspace
Blendspace is an easy-to-use platform for creating multimedia lessons that can be accessed online. Using a drag-and-drop interface, can organize videos, text, links, images, and quizzes into cubes, then organize them to create lessons, or "canvases, " for your students to complete independently. Can be shared with colleagues
Ted-ed Tools
There are four elements, Watch, Think, (teachers can create multiple choice or short answer questions), Dig Deeper, (provide more information), and Discuss (prompts for online discussions).
Action by many people working collectively across the institution to build leadership capacity in learning and teaching.
Distributed leadership is the knowledge of the crowd
Wicked problems
Unsolvable, unstoppable, eg poverty
In class task: To discuss solutions to out chosen 'wicked problem' and present on G+.
The final presentation was done on Mac Pages. This was a new tool and I was really pleased with the final format. Unfortunately the photo is just a screenshot so not as clear as a published copy would be.
What makes a good leader?
Good listener, effective communicator
Integrity, transparency
Visionary, future focused
Supportive, encouraging, fair
Content knowledge, special skills, strengths
Delegates, seeks help from others
Acknowledges limits and weaknesses
How do you 'naturally' behave as a leader?
According to the leadership challenge quiz my highest scores
I didn't have a strong leadership style. I think that I move between different styles depending on the situation. Leadership varies from procedural in the classroom to participative when working with colleagues. What is Laissez Faire?
A leader who is not formally recognised (or an assigned leader who sits back and observes the group) advising, participating, counselling.
Connectivism
Connectivism suggests that "learning only really takes place in networks"
Connected learning draws on the power of technology to bring together
peer culture (participation, feedback, social media)
academics (abundant resources, online platforms, academic success, supported in school,home,community)
6 Design Principles Of Connected Learning
1. Interest-Powered
Interests foster the drive to gain knowledge and expertise. 2. Production Centered
Connected learning prizes the learning that comes from actively producing, creating, experimenting and designing. 3. Peer-Supported
In their everyday exchanges with peers and friends, students contribute, share and give feedback. 4. Shared Purpose
Social media and web communities provide opportunities for caring adults, teachers, parents, learners and their peers to share interests and contribute to a common purpose. 5. Academically-Oriented
Connected learning recognizes the importance of academic success for intellectual growth, where learners flourish and realize their true potential. 6. Openly-Networked
Connected learning environments and online platforms can make learning resources abundant, accessible and visible across all learner settings. (from the Connected Learning Alliance)
In class task:
Design your partner's learning network / personal learning environment, using a tool of your choice. I learnt how to use a new app Piktochart. The poster does not contain a lot of information but that was because I was mainly learning how to navigate the site - choose colours, text, move graphs, clone graphs. With a bit more time I think it would be very useful for infographic posters. From a Statistics point of view many of the graphs could be visually deceiving which would also be interesting for students to consider. I would like to challenge my students with a similar task - collect data and present it using an infographic app such as Piktochart, Easelly or PowToon. How could we design learning for learning networks (rather than formal lessons only)?
I would like to involve more parents in my classroom. Could I invite them as 'learning assistants'?
Continue to incorporate more peer/group inquiry learning, real life problems solving/ investigations
Join parents/whanau up with students learning via Seesaw app. In this way whanau can give feedback to student effort and results/products via electronic portfolio.
Focus on my listening skills- to understand students interests, motivations and what they care about.
Computational thinking involves algorithms, putting in logical order, a process rather than a way of thinking. Coding is just one part of computational thinking.
Using Scratch
Being fluent in logical computational thinking (rather than coding)
Computational thinking is a way humans solve problems
Collaboration is the buuilding of knowledge together - collective
Constructionism - learning by making
Constructivism - based on a type of learning in which the learner constructs
Group Task:
Create a musical instrument from a Scratch software and a makey makey board. Play a composition to the group after 45 minutes.
This was a bit frustrating at first when we had no idea where to start. After getting the idea though more possibilities blossomed. We ended up with quite a barnyard of sounds with a rooster, owl, and wolf howl! I'm not quite sure where I would use it in the classroom?
It would be a fun activity for Year 9's to use the Scratch program to make logical steps in a sequence.
How and why do I use computational thinking in the classroom? In Maths quite a lot of computational with algebra, calculus, and algorithms Daniel Pink - Motivation Extrinsic or Intrinsic
Growth Mindset
Mindset is a mental attitude (video of unlearning how to ride a bike)
Celebrate effort
Next week - more info about the assignment
Change Initiative that you have been involved with.
Preferably digital and collaborative
A style is how you present something or how you do something.
A theory is an analytical tool for understanding, explaining, making prediction
A learning theory is a theory about changes in observable behaviour.
Knowing is not enough; We must apply, Willing is not enough; We must do. Goethe
What do these research terms mean?
1.Research led
Curriculum based on research interests of teachers
2. Research orientated
The process of learning is as important as the content
3.Research based
Curriculum based on inquiry-based activitites
4. Research informed
Consciously draws on the teaching and learning process
What is the difference between leading a teaching team and leading a research group?
Different context and application
Use same tools, respecting all team, both need purpose, ownership and vision. clarity
Tip of the night: Stopclock : Snag a countdown from Youtube
Using Mendeley for storage and referencing
Class Task
In groups create a stop-motion video demonstrating one of the education theories.(drawn from a hat) Our group was given the progressive theory of learning.
I really enjoyed making this video. It was truly a collaborative project with everyone in the group suggesting ideas and making and moving various features of the stop-motion. I think what we ended up with was a better creation than any of us could do individually. Lots of fun!
At the start of the session we were thinking of jobs that will still be there in the future.
We thought of old age carers, nurses,educators
computer programmers,coders, ministers, counselors
Looking at the website http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-34066941 some of the jobs least at risk of disappearing were publicans, Senior professional at educational establishment, Health services and public health manager or director,Psychologist, Therapy professional ,Social services manager or director, Speech and language therapist, Education adviser and school inspector, Publican or manager of licensed premises, Hotel and accommodation manager or owner.
What are some 21st century skills? 16 skills are outlined here by the World Economic Forum. These skills are not only important for employment but fostering lifelong learning.
Something new I have learning:
A 21st Century skill :Adaptive Competence
This is produced by innovative ideas and practice.
It involves a capacity to respond and apply learned knowledge and apply skills creatively and flexibly in different situations
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality
AR- augments the reality around you overlaying the real world eg augmenting the reality with a 3D image such as Quiver Vision, AR Books eg Dragon Riders, Microsoft Hololens
With the Enchantium app small photocopied discs could be augmented to appear as if they are glowing magical jewels.
We thought this could be useful as badges/awards and could be useful for gamification in the classroom.
Th Anatomy 4D app made images pop out of the page and then by clicking on the side menu different parts of the anatomy were highlighted or became animated. Very cool for science or health subjects.
Virtual Realityis the computer-generated simulation of a 3D image or environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way by a person. This seems like you are going into the computer, or you are an avatar and can interact with others in a digital world - No limits to your personality, no physical disabilities eg VR Google Cardboard Oculus Rift, Minecraft,
Aurasma (like a QR code but personalised trigger image)
Possible uses of Aurasma:
Create artwork and view the process
Who am I -digital mihi
Check out Richard Wells
http//:eduwells.com2013/09/28bring-schools-to-life-with-aurasma-app/
Models for implementing technology in the classroom
SAMR is a framework through which you can assess and evaluate the technology use in the classroom.
TPACK is a framework that identifies the knowledge teachers need to teach effectively with technology
Creating Adaptive Competence
Top of pyramid -Generative confidence
Adaptive competence in the middle (innovate but meet predictable outcomes)
Delivered Competence - Process and fixed tasks
How might SAMR or TPACK help me in planning for DCL1 assessment?
My DCL1 assessment involves designing and developing a digital learning experience which builds 21st century skills. The SAMR model helps me evaluate how I am using technology. Is it just substituting for a way that I would normally teach the lesson and therefore not building 21st century skills. I would really like the incorporation of technology to be at the transformation level so that students are developing 21st century skills such as creative innovation and collaboration.
In designing a classroom activity I can also use the TPACK model. It is a framework that helps me understand three different kinds of knowledge areas (pedagogy, content and technology) that I need for an effective activity.
What is Innovation?
using something in a new way
putting ideas to practice in the real world
conveying ideas to people outside the classroom context
has value beyond a classroom exercise
has a real audience or others who can benefit from the innovation
An innovation for me may not be for someone else- eg google docs, aurasma
Innovation is more entrepreneurial than being creative
Hatching ideas is creative, bringing them to life in a new product makes a raw idea an innovation. Tucker
."What is innovation?" Video
This week's task:
Google Maps
Our Group Idea would be to run An Amazing Race
The students would answer a question and when correct be told to go to place using a riddle.At the next place they would get another riddle and have to continue until there is a winning team.
