Category Archives: Uncategorized

Here is the link to my school library website. http://www.hre.sd23.bc.ca/ProgramsServices/Library/Pages/default.aspx.  I have added all the information for this course under the Inquiry Based Learning tab on the bottom left hand side.  As I described yesterday, some thing have worked well, and some not so well but I really do look at this as a work in progress.  When we get back to school and I use these resources, I will see what works and what does not and adjust as necessary.  As with technology, my project will be ever changing to meet the needs of the users.

This project has been a culmination of a journey in confidence for me over the last three weeks.  When we first began, I felt that I was not very proficient with technology. I still am probably not very proficient with technology as compared to others in this class but what I have gained is the confidence to give things a try.  This can be seen in the variety of thing that I attempted to add to my website, a Pearltree, a blog, embedded video (I even tried to follow online instructions but can’t find the buttons that I have been asked to find.  Obviously this online searching can’t take the place of face to face question and answer time), and a Shelfari Widget.  I would not have even tried such things three and a half weeks ago.

We tried a great many things this course and learned about many others.  I think that as I am designing lessons, units and learning experiences, I will now think to what type of technology might supplement our objectives.  I look forward to seeing some of these resources put into practice in my teaching practice this year.

The other important thing that I have learned is that it is OK to ask. Often I think that either I should know something already or that it is too much trouble for others to help me but if everyone felt like that, nothing new would ever get done.  I have learned that there is a huge network of people willing to take a moment to help if I just ask.  Not only with my teaching colleagues, but I have also been in contact with the help desk at my district this week and they have been more than helpful.  I suppose it all goes back to me having a lack of confidence in my abilities and needing to build up the confidence to take risks even if I am not completely successful.  Thanks for a great three weeks of expanding my horizons and building my confidence.

 

This article makes me think of two things.  First, who is the person making the decision to purchase all these iPads while teachers are being laid off and second, what is the trail of money behind such initiatives.

In so many cases, I find that the people making decisions directly affecting education have no experience in the field of education.  I am fairly sure that the person who decided to spend all that money on iPads has never set foot into the classrooms we are in every day.  They have never dealt with a classroom that has six students identified, or needing to be identified, several students who come to school every day without breakfast and sometimes dinner the night before and some who are latch key kids in grade 1.  This is the reality of my school.  Am I under the impression that putting an iPad in the hands of these kids will create successful lifelong learners, no.  Being in a class of fourteen students where the teacher has the time and ability to connect with each student in a meaningful way throughout the day, often providing some much needed love and stability for the students, yes.  Smaller class sizes regardless of technology would create students better capable of coping and adapting with the changes in the world, technological or otherwise.  It makes me wonder who really is behind the surplus of funds to provide technology to the masses.

I spend time each year teaching students to assess and review website for credibility and we often talk about who is funding a site or funding the research quoted on a site.  If the research shows that drinking milk every day increases your brain power but then after digging and digging, you find that the study was funded by the dairy council, is it really a valid study?  Same with a situation such as iPads in the classroom.  If, upon digging and digging, you come to realize that an apple executive “has the ear” of someone in education decision making, is it any wonder that iPads are sweeping the nation?  Really, one must only influence a select few school boards, either the large or the influential and without fail, many more will follow.  This whole situation is just so sketchy.  We as a union, a profession, a collection of interested parties must remain connected and advocate for what we know is right (and I am not a rah, rah union person).

Create your own mind maps at MindMeister

Presentation:

 

“Learning and Unlearning”  theme of the week.

-constant process

-use prior knowledge to make new learning easier

-share what you have learned

 

Laptop- just spending time learning the machine-hard to master other technologies

-how would I as a teacher know how to work everyone’s device if it were bring your own device

 

Available technology in our school, student accessibility, bring your own device

-what about under privileged kids

-BC government has the Digital literacy framework but do we have the technological resources  to teach these and how do we access them

 

teacher understanding of technology (Pam)

 

Collaboration in our school but between schools?

-blog

-tweet

-pinterest

-shelfari

-etc.

 

Collaborative learning is said to promote higher level cognitive skills, critical thinking, metacognitive strategies, and problem-solving.

 

“District Administration Leadership Institute” site http://www.districtadministration.com/article/benefits-teacher-collaboration

published an article of the benefits of teacher collaboration

-retention of new teachers paired with experienced teachers (not happening in our district anymore)

-positive correlation in math and language arts marks

-teacher collaboration as a frequent approach to improving instruction in 35 chronically low-performing schools that achieved dramatic turnarounds (substantial gains in student achievement within three years)