I really enjoyed this TeacherTube video. I thought it was a real wake up call to teachers, especially beginning teachers like myself!
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=6f2c2eba77f39993d118
I have just read a blog by Annie Agnew entitled “Some thoughts to ponder”. My favourite quote was the one by Tom Peters. It read:
I imagine a school system that recognizes learning is natural, that a love of learning is normal, and that real learning is passionate learning. A school curriculum that values questions above answers…creativity above fact regurgitation…individuality above conformity.. and excellence above standardized performance….. And we must reject all notions of ‘reform’ that serve up more of the same: more testing, more ’standards’, more uniformity, more conformity, more bureaucracy. Tom Peters Author ‘Re-imagine’.
I think this is an inspiration and motivation to beginning teachers like myself. It gives us a sense of hope of what can be achieved by us and other teachers in the future.
I have just read “The 6 Cs of Motivation” by Shiang-Kwei Wang and Seungyeon Han. The article lists the 6 Cs of motivation as:
v Choice
v Challenge
v Control
v Collaboration
v Constructing Meaning
v Consequences
I think that using the 6 C’s of motivation as a strategy is fantastic! It can increase the motivation of students just by allowing them a bit more control and choice over their work. It is important for teacher and students to work together in formulating and understanding tasks because this promotes a mutual respect and a much deeper understanding of the work.
Image: ‘Oops, Oh No! Henry shows the kids+Kid+Pix‘
www.flickr.com/photos/35034355962@N01/75853330
I just read a posting from The Fischbowl entitled “Is it okay to be a technologically illiterate teacher?” It talks about a set of proposed standards for teachers and it basically implies that it is not acceptable for teachers to be technologically illiterate. All teachers should have a basic level of technological literacy, otherwise they should not be teaching.
While, I don’t think this is a factor for leaving the profession, I do believe that teachers today should at least have some basic level of technological literacy so that they can remain a step ahead of their students. Personally, I don’t feel that I myself am so great technologically but I learn as I go and these blogs have been great in helping me get there!
I just read Scott’s blog about second life. This virtual world sounds interesting and I think it would be a great experience for school students so long as it is a safe environment.
I just watched a clip on teacherTube called “Pay Attention”. I thought it was such a powerful clip which sent out a fantastic message! It talked about students being different kinds of learner, such as kinesthetic, linguistic, spatial, interpersonal, etc but mainly about then being digital learners. The message was basically that teachers need to recognise that students are digital learners and utilise the technology that our students are used to. This is how we can create meaningful learning and understanding.
The clip was great! It actually inspired me to want to know more about how to use these technologies so that I can incorporate them into my own teaching practices. Realistically things like mobile phones and ipods are always going to be carried into classrooms, so why not use this to our and their advantage?! Use them as a teaching and learning tool! If used properly I’m sure we can create meaningful learning and understanding, not just for exam purposes, but for future use as well.
I just read Maria’s blog called “Professional Development goes Online”. It is in response to an article from The Australian entitled, “Teachers on learning curve”. I also thought it was a great article because it was from the perspective of other more experienced teachers. Teaching definitely does not entail the same job description as it once did! We are no longer the sole source of information that gets passed on to out students. As the article states, we are now facilitators of learning that must ensure safe learning and direct students to appropriate research and resources.
I just read an article on a speech given by Lee Rainie entitled “Life online: Teens and technology and the world to come”. Rainie talks about 8 realities that shape the world of young people and that will affect them when they finish school. These are:
1. Millennials (People born from 1982-2000) are a distinct age cohort, according to many measures of generational behaviour and attitude
2. Millennials are immersed in a world of media and gadgets
3. Their technology is mobile
4. The internet plays a special role in their world
5. They are multi-taskers
6. Millennials are often unaware of and indifferent to the consequences of their use of technology
7. Their (our) technology will change rapidly in the next decade
8. The way they approach learning and research tasks will be shaped by their new techno-world
What does this mean for us as teachers?
Well it seems that Millennials will be much more self –directed and less dependent on top-down instruction. We need to be able to alter our teaching strategies to allow these students to be able to explore their own insights and intelligences. We can most certainly guide them and shape their path or multiple paths, but I think they need to have a number of choices when it comes to their learning methods.
Image: ‘I am Here for the Learning Revolution‘
www.flickr.com/photos/31442459@N00/2516648940
I just read a post from Miriam Meaney’s blog entitled “Australian Teachers “Tops” at integrating technology”. I think exposing students to the use of ICT at school does benefit and assist them, not just while at school but also later on in life. For this reason, I agree with the article “Australian Teachers get top marks for inspiring use of ICT” in the idea that students should be established computer users and should be exposed to different forms of ICT throughout their school life.
Looking back at my own school experiences, I did not have much exposure to ICT or even to basic computer usage. I felt that this made it much more difficult when I entered university and suddenly had to use it for everything! These experiences have taught me that the incorporation of ICT in my own teaching practices is crucial if I want my students to succeed.
Image: ‘Sham K Rang‘
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83582442@N00/2230441918
