Technology For, As, and Of Learning Assessment for, as, and of learning, is a phrase often heard and discussed in and by the educational community. Assessment for, as, and of learning, is a continuous circle of learning (Earl, 2006). Arising from the learning facilitated by the many MET courses that I have taken to date and [...]

The vision of digital possibilities in mathematics creates further turbidity in the mathematics waters at this time. During this era of disagreement between teachers, between parents, between teachers and parents, and with the publication of and ensuing conversations from such articles as Maclean’s  ” Why is it your job to teach your kid math ?” (Reynolds, 2012), in [...]

I teach in a rural school district. I also teach teacher candidates who are specializing in rural education. For our students there are limited opportunities to visit museums, aquariums, theatres, and cultural events. We live in an area of British Columbia in which elk, osprey, and sturgeon are common wildlife but polar bear, emu, and ocean [...]

This past week’s assignment enabled me to collaborate with a colleague whose path I had crossed multiple times during our MET journeys. Both of us are near to the end of this learning adventure. The opportunity was greatly appreciated.  Just as it is for the learners in our classroom, the opportunity to work collaboratively resulted in [...]

This week’s activity and reading concentrated on T-GEM a learning design in which technology (T) is integrated in a student process of Generate – Evaluate – Modify (GEM). To date there are 240+ posts in our Chemland Forum. Of all the posts that I read (the majority), not one post provided a negative perspective. This [...]

I was intrigued when reading Edelson’s work, Learning for Use: A Framework for the Design of Technology -Supported Inquiry Activities. The parallels between the current push for reform in the teaching of mathematics and the apparent push for reform in the teaching of science were startling.  Edelson (2005), impressed upon the reader that “integrating content and process [...]

At first glance, WISE (the web-based inquiry science environment),  has all the components of a 21st Century learning program. It appears to address many of the learning concerns of the day. WISE is attempting to make good use of the internet, increasing computer availability for students, and the possibilities of professional learning communities working together to share [...]

The Jasper Series certainly provided for lively and varied discussion this past week. C.A. themed his discussion thread around improving the Jasper Series and D.B. suggested in her thread that the series was in need of modernization. The improvements that are required of the Jasper Series are superficial. The Jasper Series was, is, will be of [...]

I am not trying to earn extra marks here. It’s just that I believe instructors/teachers should be given feedback when learning activities and products designed for demonstration of learning are particularly good or particularly  . . . not so good?  The recent Framing Issues Assignment was wonderfully crafted. The journey through Module A created a strong [...]

The instructions for this post included the warning that we try to suspend judgement in regards to the Jasper series. At first glance any hands on, project based, problem solving, math teacher is enthralled and feels his or her pulse quicken. Ah Jasper. Wouldst I have known of you when my daily interactions with eleven and [...]

How might I design a technology learning space? When pondering this question on my drive home tonight, I was simultaneously thinking about questions posed to me by twelve teachers that I had brought together as a numeracy learning group. During the first of six sessions, several teachers asked, “How do I use manipulatives to help my [...]

It was in another MET (Masters of Educational Technology) course in which I was asked to pen a definition of educational technology. At that time I chose to define technology not educational technology.  I defined technology as the ever changing array of digital tools, programs, internet capabilities, social media opportunities, that are available for all to make use of [...]

As we approach the end of our fourth week of the course my thoughts and understandings as to the celebrations and challenges of using technology in the math and science classroom are becoming better defined. I still have many questions and issues though. One might think that the more I read, engage in discussion, and use [...]

  JB is a grade 7 teacher working in Trail British Columbia. She has thirty plus years of teaching experience in elementary and secondary classrooms and schools. She has spent many years delivering special services and also spent some time as an elementary vice principal and later as a secondary vice principal. She returned to [...]

In the math and science learning environment good use of technology is purposeful use of technology. (We have all been lulled into a comatose state by a power point presentation.) A teacher must always consider what the intent/purpose of the lesson or project. Working with the end in mind, a teacher then decides which tool best [...]

Thirty-five years ago my boyfriend would disappear each lunch hour to a small room attached to the biology lab. That room housed two computers. My boyfriend (the coolest of the uncool) along with his buddies would “program” the computer to do goodness knows what. They could actually enter information into the computer and hole punched cards [...]

My world seems to revolve around learning. In the last decade learning to parent, learning to teach adults, and learning to harness the potential of technology tools has seemed to dominate my world. My professional heart is in the classroom but for the time being my professional path has led me to working with teachers and teachers [...]

Our school district Cultural Coordinator has shared many resources with me over the years. One of the most recent was the book,  Anishnaabe World: A Guide for Building Bridges between Canada and First Nations written by Roger Speilmann. This is an enjoyable and  humorous read. Written in 2009 this survival guide includes chapters such as “Everything You [...]

With the country’s and world’s attention on the Attiwapiskatt reserve, do you feel that we are at a tipping point? How can we sustain the attention of our citizens and government to the issues of these struggling communities. Now that the Red Cross has moved in to one of our own communities in absence of [...]