Welcome to my other blog.
This is related to the Masters module ICT and e Learning in the Curriculum. I have used pages feature (the titles across the top) to set the blog out so that each section has its own area. Hopefully this will make it easier to navigate. Simply click on the page to read the posts under that section.
Setting this up you would assume would be quite easy. After several Google searches and Youtube tutorials I finally got it cracked. I just hope I can remember how to do again! Maybe I should try and include pages on my other blog!
Saturday, 18 June 2016
Podcasts
Podcasts have always been of interest but I have yet to create my own. Maybe the sound of my own voice is putting me off! A podcast is digital audio file (although they can be video or text) which is available on the internet for downloading and is often in instalments or a series. These files can then be listened to on mp3 players or online as many times as required. They also have the anytime anywhere tag which makes them ideal for students with busy lives (Nesi 2016). Podcasts have been around since 2004 and were linked into Apple's iTunes a year later. By 2007 they were being produced by a range of people and organisations. In this year over 250,000 people downloaded a podcast by Ricky Gervais. It was around about this time that Audacity was being 'pushed' into primary schools as a free piece of software to create podcasts with or capture children's spoken words as speaking and listening was a huge agenda from the government. With just a microphone, a laptop and a script audio files such as the following could be produced.
BARNSLEY POEM
Halsey, S 2007, 'Embracing Emergent Technologies and Envisioning New Ways of Using Them for Literacy Learning in the Primary Classroom', English Teaching: Practice And Critique, 6, 2, pp. 99-107
Nesi, CJ 2016, 'The power of podcasts', Education Digest, 7, p. 42.
The beauty of audio recordings is that they capture the spoken word in the same way that pen and paper capture writing. Without the recordings the words are gone forever. Allowing children to hear how they speak has proved to be a powerful tool for developing their spoken language (Halsey 2007).
The reason why podcasts have made it onto the portfolio are firstly because as previously mentioned they have been of interest for a while and secondly the ability for students to revisit them and relisten to them could be extremely beneficial for the selected purpose. The plan is to create podcasts which describe in detail and expand upon the assessment criteria for assignments. The thinking behind this is to allow the students to have a source which they can return to again and again which will, hopefully, answer their queries about assignments. Although obviously there will still be the need for assignment tutorials and students will expect these, it should mean that there will be no confusion over what the assignment expectations are. As the podcasts can be listened to online it is expected that there will be minimal technical issues with the students accessing them.
The reason why podcasts have made it onto the portfolio are firstly because as previously mentioned they have been of interest for a while and secondly the ability for students to revisit them and relisten to them could be extremely beneficial for the selected purpose. The plan is to create podcasts which describe in detail and expand upon the assessment criteria for assignments. The thinking behind this is to allow the students to have a source which they can return to again and again which will, hopefully, answer their queries about assignments. Although obviously there will still be the need for assignment tutorials and students will expect these, it should mean that there will be no confusion over what the assignment expectations are. As the podcasts can be listened to online it is expected that there will be minimal technical issues with the students accessing them.
Creating podcasts is not difficult but they are 2 key things to remember. Plan out what you intend to say and find a quiet room to record it in (Sprague & Pixley 2008). Once created the podcasts can be listened to nearly anywhere as most smart phones will play them. There are no skills set needed by me to create the podcasts as there are already acquired although some of the editing might be time consuming. Lynda.com has a 'Producing a Professional Podcast' course which would be beneficial and highlight some other potentials pathways to explore such as screen capture.
The initial plan is to create the first podcast for the Teaching Primary Mathematics module which is taught to the BA (Hons) Teaching and Learning in the Primary Phase Year 1 students. Last year there was a great deal of uncertainty about the assignment and questions were being repeatedly asked via email or in person which it is possible could have been avoided had the students had a central reference point. As this module is taught in semester one it will allow for feedback from the students to be taken before another podcast is used for other, as yet undecided modules which are taught in semester two.
References
Halsey, S 2007, 'Embracing Emergent Technologies and Envisioning New Ways of Using Them for Literacy Learning in the Primary Classroom', English Teaching: Practice And Critique, 6, 2, pp. 99-107
Nesi, CJ 2016, 'The power of podcasts', Education Digest, 7, p. 42.
Sprague, D, & Pixley, C 2008, 'Podcasts in Education: Let Their Voices Be Heard', Computers In The Schools, 25, 3/4, pp. 226-234
Tuesday, 14 June 2016
The use of Web2.0 and technology and its impact within teacher education.
I will now critically evaluate the use of Web2.0 and technology within the Initial Teacher Training sector of Higher Education (HE), focusing mainly upon my own experiences with colleagues and students. I currently teach across a range of Initial Teacher Training courses such as the 3 year undergraduate course, the PGCE route as well as the 2 year Top-Up course of which I am the course leader. Teaching mostly Primary Mathematics and Computing I have ample opportunities to integrate technologies into my sessions which I believe I do.
The use of ICT in Maths can have positive effects and although many teachers may have been inhibited by their lack of knowledge and confidence using these technologies it was still seen to have a positive effect on the level of engagement between pupils and teachers (Becta 2003). This lack of confidence that many teachers have using technologies is one of the main drivers for my integration of them into my sessions. I do not want the next generation of teachers to be left behind with their use of technology as a tool to support teaching and learning.
Things are not that straight forward though and there is the problem of the speed at which the technology is developing. Technology is ever changing and teachers will always struggle to catch up because it is in a constant state of change (Ertmer and Ottenbreit-Leftwich 2010). There is however a need for change. The education system needs to catch up with the way that technology is being embraced by society. Then students will experience an education which will help them to develop skills worthy of a 21st century workforce from an education system which is modern, relevant and customised (Simms 2014), So there is a gap between how technology is used within education and how technology is used outside of it. As Alan November spoke about when I heard him in Barnsley; children 'power down' for school that is to say they turn off their phones, iPods, and laptops as these are not deemed as learning tools by education.
However the gap may not be a large as it is possibly perceived and it certainly is one which can be bridged. Students entering higher education may be very adept at using technology but they are not placing demands upon the way that they expect technology to be used within HE which HE institutions can not reach (Jones and Shao 2011). Furthermore it is worth noting that the HE tutors are in control of the gap's size by the way in which they are integrating it into their courses (Jones and Shao 2011). From my own experience working within HE this is very varied and depends greatly upon the passions and skills of the individual tutor.
Many students now take the lead when it comes to utilizing Web 2.0 technologies within their course though. Facebook and Whatsapp groups are commonly used to communicate and update peers on HE issues as well as sharing and supporting each other around assignment time. These communities of practice are quite wide spread; I know of at least 3 examples where Whatsapp has been the primary communication method for students with its instant messaging service allowing rapid responses from an organised group wherever the students are based as well as a sharing and creating resources collectively.
However there are issues which need to be discussed within this area such as the access and engagement with Web2.0 tools by both the students and the teachers. There is an expectation that both will use these tools within and outside of the institution and this requires time and self-efficacy as well as a skill set. To access the information, knowledge and research which is shared through these Web2.0 tools such as Moodle, the trainee will need to develop their own learning skills or be prepared to complete some CPD to enable full engagement with the tools. Communities of practice can help greatly in this matter by sharing knowledge and expertise. Without the CoP though, the trainee is forced into a form of self determined learning called Heutagogy, which has its practice and principles rooted in andragogy, where the learners are highly autonomous and self-determined to develop their own capacity and capability so that they are prepared adequately for today's workplace (Blaschke 2012).
Alongside the issue of trainees accessing the technology there is also the issue of the teachers or tutors and how well they use technology to teach with. The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model refers to the knowledge required by the teacher to integrate technology into any content area and is shown clearly by the image below.
Teachers need to model and share effective use of technologies so that trainee teachers can learn how it can be used to facilitate learning across the curriculum. When fully integrate it into their classroom practice meaningful and skilled teaching with technology will take place (Koehler n.d.).
All of these factors are worthy of consideration but it is important that ITT courses get the balance right. Too much technology may scare some potential trainees off after all teaching children is about interacting face to face with them. Not enough and they will not be equipped sufficiently for the job as more and more resources are now present online and forums such as TES or twinkl are vital CoP for teachers and trainee teachers. The key is using research based evidence as the drivers for change to ensure that the trainees and their children get to reap the maximum potential from technologies.
References
Becta (2003) What the research says about using ICT in Maths Available at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130401151715/http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/15014MIG2799.pdf (Accessed: 13 June 2016)
Blaschke, L. M. (2012) ‘Heutagogy and Lifelong Learning: A Review of Heutagogical Practice and Self-Determined Learning.’ Oldenburg University and University of Maryland University College (UMUC) Available at: http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1076/2087 (Accessed: 14 June 2016)
Ertmer, PA., Ottenbriet-Leftwich, AT. (2010) ‘Teacher Technology Change: How knowledge, confidence, beliefs and culture intersect’. Journal for Research on Technology in Education. Vol. 42, No 3, pp.255-284. USA/Canada.
Jones, C. and Shao, B. (2011) The net generation and digital natives : implications for higher education Available at: http://oro.open.ac.uk/30014/1/Jones_and_Shao-Final.pdf (Accessed 13 June 2016)
Simms, Z. (2014) Education Needs to Change as Fast as Technology Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/techonomy/2014/05/23/education-needs-to-change-as-fast-as-technology/#116bf580749a (Accessed 13 June 2016)
The use of ICT in Maths can have positive effects and although many teachers may have been inhibited by their lack of knowledge and confidence using these technologies it was still seen to have a positive effect on the level of engagement between pupils and teachers (Becta 2003). This lack of confidence that many teachers have using technologies is one of the main drivers for my integration of them into my sessions. I do not want the next generation of teachers to be left behind with their use of technology as a tool to support teaching and learning.
Things are not that straight forward though and there is the problem of the speed at which the technology is developing. Technology is ever changing and teachers will always struggle to catch up because it is in a constant state of change (Ertmer and Ottenbreit-Leftwich 2010). There is however a need for change. The education system needs to catch up with the way that technology is being embraced by society. Then students will experience an education which will help them to develop skills worthy of a 21st century workforce from an education system which is modern, relevant and customised (Simms 2014), So there is a gap between how technology is used within education and how technology is used outside of it. As Alan November spoke about when I heard him in Barnsley; children 'power down' for school that is to say they turn off their phones, iPods, and laptops as these are not deemed as learning tools by education.
However the gap may not be a large as it is possibly perceived and it certainly is one which can be bridged. Students entering higher education may be very adept at using technology but they are not placing demands upon the way that they expect technology to be used within HE which HE institutions can not reach (Jones and Shao 2011). Furthermore it is worth noting that the HE tutors are in control of the gap's size by the way in which they are integrating it into their courses (Jones and Shao 2011). From my own experience working within HE this is very varied and depends greatly upon the passions and skills of the individual tutor.
Many students now take the lead when it comes to utilizing Web 2.0 technologies within their course though. Facebook and Whatsapp groups are commonly used to communicate and update peers on HE issues as well as sharing and supporting each other around assignment time. These communities of practice are quite wide spread; I know of at least 3 examples where Whatsapp has been the primary communication method for students with its instant messaging service allowing rapid responses from an organised group wherever the students are based as well as a sharing and creating resources collectively.
However there are issues which need to be discussed within this area such as the access and engagement with Web2.0 tools by both the students and the teachers. There is an expectation that both will use these tools within and outside of the institution and this requires time and self-efficacy as well as a skill set. To access the information, knowledge and research which is shared through these Web2.0 tools such as Moodle, the trainee will need to develop their own learning skills or be prepared to complete some CPD to enable full engagement with the tools. Communities of practice can help greatly in this matter by sharing knowledge and expertise. Without the CoP though, the trainee is forced into a form of self determined learning called Heutagogy, which has its practice and principles rooted in andragogy, where the learners are highly autonomous and self-determined to develop their own capacity and capability so that they are prepared adequately for today's workplace (Blaschke 2012).
Alongside the issue of trainees accessing the technology there is also the issue of the teachers or tutors and how well they use technology to teach with. The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model refers to the knowledge required by the teacher to integrate technology into any content area and is shown clearly by the image below.
(Reproduced by permission of the publisher, © 2012 by tpack.org)
All of these factors are worthy of consideration but it is important that ITT courses get the balance right. Too much technology may scare some potential trainees off after all teaching children is about interacting face to face with them. Not enough and they will not be equipped sufficiently for the job as more and more resources are now present online and forums such as TES or twinkl are vital CoP for teachers and trainee teachers. The key is using research based evidence as the drivers for change to ensure that the trainees and their children get to reap the maximum potential from technologies.
References
Becta (2003) What the research says about using ICT in Maths Available at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130401151715/http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/15014MIG2799.pdf (Accessed: 13 June 2016)
Blaschke, L. M. (2012) ‘Heutagogy and Lifelong Learning: A Review of Heutagogical Practice and Self-Determined Learning.’ Oldenburg University and University of Maryland University College (UMUC) Available at: http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1076/2087 (Accessed: 14 June 2016)
Ertmer, PA., Ottenbriet-Leftwich, AT. (2010) ‘Teacher Technology Change: How knowledge, confidence, beliefs and culture intersect’. Journal for Research on Technology in Education. Vol. 42, No 3, pp.255-284. USA/Canada.
Jones, C. and Shao, B. (2011) The net generation and digital natives : implications for higher education Available at: http://oro.open.ac.uk/30014/1/Jones_and_Shao-Final.pdf (Accessed 13 June 2016)
Koehler, M (n.d.) TPACK Explained Available at: http://tpack.org/ (Accessed 14 June 2016)
Simms, Z. (2014) Education Needs to Change as Fast as Technology Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/techonomy/2014/05/23/education-needs-to-change-as-fast-as-technology/#116bf580749a (Accessed 13 June 2016)
Friday, 10 June 2016
Socrative
The next Web2.0 tool to be reviewed is Socrative. Socrative is an online assessment and student response tool. The newest version of it was released in July 2014 and it is a device agnostic tool which means that it is independent of any machine. On a practical level that means that students can accessed it through a range of devices such as tablets, smart phones or iPads. Many teachers are discovering that smart phones are very versatile and useful in supporting students learning as students use them well and they encourage independent and collaborative learning (Kolb 2011). The teachers would probably access Socrative in the more traditional way of using a web browser.
In a way Socrative is the next step from earlier classroom voting systems such as Promethean's Activote or SMART's Response. Having worked with both of these systems and supported teachers to use them, Socrative is much easier and quicker to set up. Both the Activote and Response were quite time consuming and initially unintuitive for teachers to use. These meant that teachers were less likely to use them without support. In fact in one Barnsley school they become nothing more that very expensive dust collectors!
Socrative is very intuitive and the latest version has a very simple and easy to access interface, and it's free.
The reasons for the selection of Socrative are :
As can be seen from the dashboard navigating the site is very straightforward. Creating quizzes is also easy to do just enter the title and the site guides you through the different types of questions you can create either multi choice, true/false or short answer. It really has been simplified to make it very user friendly and quick to set up.
Early class voting sets were not all bad and major positive that was noted when supporting schools with Activote and Response was the increased level of student engagement that they generated. The students found them appealing, fun to use and it gave everybody the chance to answer the question (or you might say it forced every one to answer the question posed). Socrative has been found to engage and motivate pupils in the same way and it made students aware of their knowledge and thinking (Méndez Coca & Slisko 2013; Deichman 2014). The discussion generated from either the immediate feedback or teacher led feedback create excellent opportunities for the students to become actively involved in dialogues about their answers or opinions.
Recently Socrative was used with a small group of undergraduate QTS students who had recently completed their second teaching placement. It was used to firstly demonstrate the resource and how easy it was to use but also to capture their knowledge about the current computing curriculum in primary schools. From the answers given, the initial input was then able to be pitched at the right level, any misconceptions quickly clarified and all the students started from the same knowledge base. This was very beneficial for both the tutor and the students. Further opportunities to do these quick initial assessments would only strengthen the argument for all taught sessions to use this tool. It could also be used at other times of the session to capture the learning and bring to the surface any misconceptions especially when the students become withdrawn and quiet.
Potential drawbacks of the tool are students not having a smart phone with them (which is highly unlikely but still a possibility), the internet connection being lost or other technical problems. Obviously poorly phrased questions would not help gather any relevant information, and it would be the tutor's job to ensure that the quiz was appropriate for the taught content.
References
Deichman, J 2014, 'Socrative 2.0', Knowledge Quest, 43, 2, pp. 72-73, Education Research Complete
Kolb, L 2011, 'Adventures with Cell Phones', Educational Leadership, 68, 5, pp. 39-43, Education Research Complete.
Méndez Coca, D, & Slisko, J 2013, 'Software "Socrative" and Smartphones as Tools for Implementation of Basic Processes of Active Physics Learning in Classroom: An Initial Feasibility Study with Prospective Teachers', European Journal Of Physics Education, 4, 2, pp. 17-24
Ozdeniz, DM 2012, 'Apps for Learning with iPads', Perspectives (TESOL Arabia), 19, 3, pp. 28-30, Education Research Complete.
In a way Socrative is the next step from earlier classroom voting systems such as Promethean's Activote or SMART's Response. Having worked with both of these systems and supported teachers to use them, Socrative is much easier and quicker to set up. Both the Activote and Response were quite time consuming and initially unintuitive for teachers to use. These meant that teachers were less likely to use them without support. In fact in one Barnsley school they become nothing more that very expensive dust collectors!
Socrative is very intuitive and the latest version has a very simple and easy to access interface, and it's free.
(screen capture of the teacher dashboard from Socrative)
The reasons for the selection of Socrative are :
- detailed feedback from students responses
- ease and simplicity of use
- motivation and engagement of students
- opportunities to develop active learning (Méndez Coca & Slisko 2013).
The detailed feedback can very quickly by displayed on the screen for the teacher to analyse (see image below) and it clearly shows how successful in the answering the questions the students have been. The student's names can be hidden as well which is a very handy feature to limit the potential embarrassment for some quieter, less confident students. The scores can also be exported as MS Excel files. Activities can be either teacher-paced (for use during a class discussion) or student paced (for use as a more traditional quiz). As well as these settings there is also an immediate feedback option for the students so that they can assess how well they have done individually (Ozdeniz 2012). The 'Space Race' feature allows teams of students to compete against one another to launch rockets into space. This feature can help to promote competition and collaboration within the class as well (Deichman 2014).
(screen capture of the student's score)
As can be seen from the dashboard navigating the site is very straightforward. Creating quizzes is also easy to do just enter the title and the site guides you through the different types of questions you can create either multi choice, true/false or short answer. It really has been simplified to make it very user friendly and quick to set up.
Early class voting sets were not all bad and major positive that was noted when supporting schools with Activote and Response was the increased level of student engagement that they generated. The students found them appealing, fun to use and it gave everybody the chance to answer the question (or you might say it forced every one to answer the question posed). Socrative has been found to engage and motivate pupils in the same way and it made students aware of their knowledge and thinking (Méndez Coca & Slisko 2013; Deichman 2014). The discussion generated from either the immediate feedback or teacher led feedback create excellent opportunities for the students to become actively involved in dialogues about their answers or opinions.
Recently Socrative was used with a small group of undergraduate QTS students who had recently completed their second teaching placement. It was used to firstly demonstrate the resource and how easy it was to use but also to capture their knowledge about the current computing curriculum in primary schools. From the answers given, the initial input was then able to be pitched at the right level, any misconceptions quickly clarified and all the students started from the same knowledge base. This was very beneficial for both the tutor and the students. Further opportunities to do these quick initial assessments would only strengthen the argument for all taught sessions to use this tool. It could also be used at other times of the session to capture the learning and bring to the surface any misconceptions especially when the students become withdrawn and quiet.
Potential drawbacks of the tool are students not having a smart phone with them (which is highly unlikely but still a possibility), the internet connection being lost or other technical problems. Obviously poorly phrased questions would not help gather any relevant information, and it would be the tutor's job to ensure that the quiz was appropriate for the taught content.
References
Deichman, J 2014, 'Socrative 2.0', Knowledge Quest, 43, 2, pp. 72-73, Education Research Complete
Kolb, L 2011, 'Adventures with Cell Phones', Educational Leadership, 68, 5, pp. 39-43, Education Research Complete.
Méndez Coca, D, & Slisko, J 2013, 'Software "Socrative" and Smartphones as Tools for Implementation of Basic Processes of Active Physics Learning in Classroom: An Initial Feasibility Study with Prospective Teachers', European Journal Of Physics Education, 4, 2, pp. 17-24
Ozdeniz, DM 2012, 'Apps for Learning with iPads', Perspectives (TESOL Arabia), 19, 3, pp. 28-30, Education Research Complete.
Thursday, 9 June 2016
Web 2.0 Potholes - Gamification
Reading the Web2.0 Potholes Direction pages made me reflect back to my previous role as a Local Authority School Consultant. One of the projects I was involved in was working with a team of colleagues from across the service and outside organizations to create a MUVE (multi user virtual environment) called Barnsborough. This was designed to act as a stimulus for raising boys' writing attainment. The project was aimed at engaging children, especially boys, in learning to write using a fun, engaging games based environment.
Overall the project was a success although there were many barriers which we had to overcome initially such as major technical problems getting the browser to work across the tightly locked down schools networks, teacher's concerns about the resource and lack of confidence using the environment.
The children absolutely loved it and wanted to use it all of the time. So much so that they tried to access it at home. Some claimed to have found it on the internet which lead to widespread panic about e safety issues as the children could potentially be chatting to anyone of the internet unsupervised. The children could not access the environment at home as they needed to install a browser which was only available to schools. However they could access the Active World browser and access other MUVE online. We also had incidents of inappropriate text chatting taking place in the world and so we set up a 'bot' to record all of the chat as a monitoring system.
It was interesting work with Professor Guy Merchant from Sheffield Hallam University on the project as he was very interesting in the way that children used the MUVE to communicate. He commented to me that it was shame that the system had to be so locked into attainment and that it was not apply to be used in a much more creative and improvised way. He published an interesting paper called Literacy in virtual worlds on the project in which he discussed many of the issues such as esafety and how the traditional lesson was transformed as well as highlighting the need for a considerable amount of time teachers needed to become confident with the environment rather than feeling exposed by their lack of knowledge (Merchant 2009).
References
Merchant, G 2009, 'Literacy in virtual worlds', Journal Of Research In Reading, 32, 1, pp. 38-56
Overall the project was a success although there were many barriers which we had to overcome initially such as major technical problems getting the browser to work across the tightly locked down schools networks, teacher's concerns about the resource and lack of confidence using the environment.
The children absolutely loved it and wanted to use it all of the time. So much so that they tried to access it at home. Some claimed to have found it on the internet which lead to widespread panic about e safety issues as the children could potentially be chatting to anyone of the internet unsupervised. The children could not access the environment at home as they needed to install a browser which was only available to schools. However they could access the Active World browser and access other MUVE online. We also had incidents of inappropriate text chatting taking place in the world and so we set up a 'bot' to record all of the chat as a monitoring system.
It was interesting work with Professor Guy Merchant from Sheffield Hallam University on the project as he was very interesting in the way that children used the MUVE to communicate. He commented to me that it was shame that the system had to be so locked into attainment and that it was not apply to be used in a much more creative and improvised way. He published an interesting paper called Literacy in virtual worlds on the project in which he discussed many of the issues such as esafety and how the traditional lesson was transformed as well as highlighting the need for a considerable amount of time teachers needed to become confident with the environment rather than feeling exposed by their lack of knowledge (Merchant 2009).
References
Merchant, G 2009, 'Literacy in virtual worlds', Journal Of Research In Reading, 32, 1, pp. 38-56
Ted Ed
The first Web2.0 tool to be reviewed and reflected upon is Ted Ed. Ted Ed is the educational initiative of Ted (Technology, Entertainment and Design) and it was launched in 2012. Ted Ed's aims is to share the ideas of teachers and students around the world and how it hopes to achieve this is through an interactive platform where videos can be used as the focus for online lessons created freely. The videos can be paired alongside questions in a range of formats to allow students to create and share thoughts and discussions online. The lesson creator can also guide the student to extra videos or reading through the supplementary information or dig deeper section. The image below shows what a typical lesson may look like.
Ted Ed builds upon the flipped learning concept which is a type of blended learning and was originally piloted by 2 high school chemistry teachers in 2007 (Bergmann & Sams 2012). Flipped Learning is a teaching approach which reverses the traditional lecture and homework elements so that the student is guided by the teacher to study in individual learning spaces, often their home, rather than in a group situation. It is often simpified to 'school work at home and home work at school' but it is much more than that.The following video gives a overview of how a flipped classroom can work.
So there are 2 main components to a flipped lesson; the interactive group activities within the classroom and the computer-based individual study activity outside the classroom however for the session to be truly flipped it must include The Four Pillars of F-L-I-P. These are
F - Flexible Environment
(flexible learning spaces where the students chose where and when they learn as well as flexible expectations with regard to timelines and assessment of learning)
L - Learning Culture
(a learner centred approach where the classroom is spent exploring the learning in greater depth)
I - Intentional Content
(where the teachers determined what content the students explore on their own and what they need to teach)
P - Professional Educator
(during the classroom time, students are observed, provided with feedback and have their work assessed by the teacher (educator))
(Flipped Learning Network 2014)
Having previously used video clips from Ted Talks in sessions, it appeared logical and a natural progression to try out using some video clips in a more structured way. The intention is to use create a lesson each week for the Maths Subject Specialism module which is taught for the Year 2 and 3 QTS undergraduate course. The same lesson will be created and shared with both cohorts as they will both be quite small groups of between 8 and 10 students.
Ted Ed is very easy to use and setting up a lesson only takes as long as watching the video and thinking about some questions and /or discussion points. The lesson is then shared via a URL as below.
https://ed.ted.com/on/QGwBmlYR
This is the first lesson which will be shared where Professor Edward Frenkel talks about why maths is not loved and how we can change people opinions about. Two questions have been posed about the video followed by a discussion about it.
With the student able to watch the videos on a range of devices such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops or traditional desktop PC, the aim is that they will do so some time between the sessions which are on a Monday morning. They will then be the focus for a discussion at the start of the session. One of the great features of Ted Ed is that videos from other sources such as YouTube can be added very easily in to the lessons. Having used a range of video clips on YouTube this opens up an extensive range of mathematical video clips such as lesson observation, calculation procedures or mathematical problems which can be integrated in to the Ted Ed lesson to create a more flipped learning approach.
Some of the potential benefits of using Ted Ed include developing the use of informal learning (Downes 2010). As the students have mobile devices to access the content they might watch it whilst on a bus or train or whilst relaxing at home. Informal learning, which is learning that takes place as a result of daily activities related to work or home life, is more likely to be successful if Web2.0 characteristics such as collaboration and communication are available (Song & Lee 2014). As Ted Ed has discussion features included it allows for collaboration and communication. For some students using Ted Ed may help them to develop some vital ICT skills which will also assist them to access a range of other instruction content through the internet.
There is also evidence that flipped learning modules have raised student performance and interest in their learning when video podcasts and pre and post course surveys have been 'flipped' (Pierce & Fox 2012; Chen & Summers 2015). The hope is that the Ted Ed sessions will promote discussion, collaboration and develop an interest in finding out more about mathematics and the teaching of it. The students have chosen the Maths Subject Specialist module because they have an interest in teaching maths and learning about it. These inter-sessional activities will kindle that passion for the subject as well as help them develop a CoP. If the lessons on Ted Ed prove to be successful within the Maths Subject Specialist group, as YouTube clips can be incorporated into them, lessons will be created for other groups and modules as a meanings to develop communication, collaboration and subject knowledge. After the initial session using Ted Ed, feedback would be taken from the students about how they liked or disliked the activity and any ways which they could see that it could be improved.
(Taken from http://www.inhabitots.com/ted-ed-clubs-encourage-students-to-become-the-next-generation-of-public-speakers/ted-gordonville/)
Concerns about using the lessons on Ted Ed would have to be that no-one accesses them and so they are created for no users. Access may also be last minute for example late on a Sunday evening before the session on Monday so not allowing any thoughtful discussion to take place. The discussion may go off topic and the discussion section simply becomes a sounding board for other course related issues. Another consideration is the access to technology that the students have. There is an assumption that they are able to access the internet although most of our students do have an multitude of devices which they can access the internet with, this could affect some groups of learners more. Considering other groups of learners, especially younger learners, pushing the learning into the time at home might not be viewed too favourably by some people and could eat into the precious family or friends time. However with the students all being used to Web2.0 social media, there is a strong belief that it will be successful.
References
Bergmann, J., & Sams, A. (2012). Flip your classroom: reach every student in every class every day. Washington, DC: International Society for Technology in Education.
Chen, H-S., & Summers, K. (2015) Developing, Using, and Interacting in the Flipped Learning Movement: Gaps among Subject Areas International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 16, 3, pp. 41-64
Downes, S. (2010). New technology supporting informal learning, Journal of Emerging Technologies in Web Intelligence, 2(1), 27-33
Flipped Learning Network (2014) The Four Pillars of F-L-I-P(TM) Available at: http://flippedlearning.org/cms/lib07/va01923112/centricity/domain/46/flip_handout_fnl_web.pdf Accessed: 16 June 2016
Pierce, R., & Fox, J. (2012) Vodcasts and active learning exercises in a 'flipped classroom' model of a renal pharmacotherapy module. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 76(10) Available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3530058/ Accessed: 16 June 2016
Song, D, & Lee, J (2014). 'Has Web 2.0 revitalized informal learning? The relationship between Web 2.0 and informal learning', Journal Of Computer Assisted Learning, 30, 6, pp. 511-533
(Taken from http://www.coolhunting.com/culture/ted-ed)
Ted Ed builds upon the flipped learning concept which is a type of blended learning and was originally piloted by 2 high school chemistry teachers in 2007 (Bergmann & Sams 2012). Flipped Learning is a teaching approach which reverses the traditional lecture and homework elements so that the student is guided by the teacher to study in individual learning spaces, often their home, rather than in a group situation. It is often simpified to 'school work at home and home work at school' but it is much more than that.The following video gives a overview of how a flipped classroom can work.
So there are 2 main components to a flipped lesson; the interactive group activities within the classroom and the computer-based individual study activity outside the classroom however for the session to be truly flipped it must include The Four Pillars of F-L-I-P. These are
F - Flexible Environment
(flexible learning spaces where the students chose where and when they learn as well as flexible expectations with regard to timelines and assessment of learning)
L - Learning Culture
(a learner centred approach where the classroom is spent exploring the learning in greater depth)
I - Intentional Content
(where the teachers determined what content the students explore on their own and what they need to teach)
P - Professional Educator
(Flipped Learning Network 2014)
Having previously used video clips from Ted Talks in sessions, it appeared logical and a natural progression to try out using some video clips in a more structured way. The intention is to use create a lesson each week for the Maths Subject Specialism module which is taught for the Year 2 and 3 QTS undergraduate course. The same lesson will be created and shared with both cohorts as they will both be quite small groups of between 8 and 10 students.
Ted Ed is very easy to use and setting up a lesson only takes as long as watching the video and thinking about some questions and /or discussion points. The lesson is then shared via a URL as below.
https://ed.ted.com/on/QGwBmlYR
This is the first lesson which will be shared where Professor Edward Frenkel talks about why maths is not loved and how we can change people opinions about. Two questions have been posed about the video followed by a discussion about it.
With the student able to watch the videos on a range of devices such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops or traditional desktop PC, the aim is that they will do so some time between the sessions which are on a Monday morning. They will then be the focus for a discussion at the start of the session. One of the great features of Ted Ed is that videos from other sources such as YouTube can be added very easily in to the lessons. Having used a range of video clips on YouTube this opens up an extensive range of mathematical video clips such as lesson observation, calculation procedures or mathematical problems which can be integrated in to the Ted Ed lesson to create a more flipped learning approach.
Some of the potential benefits of using Ted Ed include developing the use of informal learning (Downes 2010). As the students have mobile devices to access the content they might watch it whilst on a bus or train or whilst relaxing at home. Informal learning, which is learning that takes place as a result of daily activities related to work or home life, is more likely to be successful if Web2.0 characteristics such as collaboration and communication are available (Song & Lee 2014). As Ted Ed has discussion features included it allows for collaboration and communication. For some students using Ted Ed may help them to develop some vital ICT skills which will also assist them to access a range of other instruction content through the internet.
There is also evidence that flipped learning modules have raised student performance and interest in their learning when video podcasts and pre and post course surveys have been 'flipped' (Pierce & Fox 2012; Chen & Summers 2015). The hope is that the Ted Ed sessions will promote discussion, collaboration and develop an interest in finding out more about mathematics and the teaching of it. The students have chosen the Maths Subject Specialist module because they have an interest in teaching maths and learning about it. These inter-sessional activities will kindle that passion for the subject as well as help them develop a CoP. If the lessons on Ted Ed prove to be successful within the Maths Subject Specialist group, as YouTube clips can be incorporated into them, lessons will be created for other groups and modules as a meanings to develop communication, collaboration and subject knowledge. After the initial session using Ted Ed, feedback would be taken from the students about how they liked or disliked the activity and any ways which they could see that it could be improved.
(Taken from http://www.inhabitots.com/ted-ed-clubs-encourage-students-to-become-the-next-generation-of-public-speakers/ted-gordonville/)
Concerns about using the lessons on Ted Ed would have to be that no-one accesses them and so they are created for no users. Access may also be last minute for example late on a Sunday evening before the session on Monday so not allowing any thoughtful discussion to take place. The discussion may go off topic and the discussion section simply becomes a sounding board for other course related issues. Another consideration is the access to technology that the students have. There is an assumption that they are able to access the internet although most of our students do have an multitude of devices which they can access the internet with, this could affect some groups of learners more. Considering other groups of learners, especially younger learners, pushing the learning into the time at home might not be viewed too favourably by some people and could eat into the precious family or friends time. However with the students all being used to Web2.0 social media, there is a strong belief that it will be successful.
References
Bergmann, J., & Sams, A. (2012). Flip your classroom: reach every student in every class every day. Washington, DC: International Society for Technology in Education.
Chen, H-S., & Summers, K. (2015) Developing, Using, and Interacting in the Flipped Learning Movement: Gaps among Subject Areas International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 16, 3, pp. 41-64
Downes, S. (2010). New technology supporting informal learning, Journal of Emerging Technologies in Web Intelligence, 2(1), 27-33
Flipped Learning Network (2014) The Four Pillars of F-L-I-P(TM) Available at: http://flippedlearning.org/cms/lib07/va01923112/centricity/domain/46/flip_handout_fnl_web.pdf Accessed: 16 June 2016
Pierce, R., & Fox, J. (2012) Vodcasts and active learning exercises in a 'flipped classroom' model of a renal pharmacotherapy module. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 76(10) Available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3530058/ Accessed: 16 June 2016
Song, D, & Lee, J (2014). 'Has Web 2.0 revitalized informal learning? The relationship between Web 2.0 and informal learning', Journal Of Computer Assisted Learning, 30, 6, pp. 511-533
Wednesday, 8 June 2016
Dan Brown's Rant
I enjoyed looking at this video and found many of the points that Dan raises interesting. I will expand on these now.
The comments about memorization of facts are valid and what is the point of learning facts if they can be so easily found via the internet, which is now accessible very easily. Perhaps it is interesting to note at this point that the new National Curriculum, which was introduced in 2013, has been seen by many as a step backwards. In an article on the BBC website by Sean Coughlan, Alex Kenny, from the NUT, compares the curriculum to pub quiz in the way that information is learnt by the pupils and they are passive learners of information and knowledge (Coughlan 2013). In a world where so much information is available at our finger tips, surely education is better focussing upon how to access this information, teaching learners how to verify its accuracy and how to use it appropriately.
On another point I sympathise with him for his experiences in University as I had similar experiences when I started a degree course in Engineering at Nottingham Trent University. Having experienced this I am very aware of the need to make my taught session interact and create opportunities for discussion and I make a conscientious effort not to use PowerPoint as I feel that it can place a structure which is not flexible enough to go with the students thoughts during the session.
References
Coughlan, S. (2013) 'Pub quiz facts curriculum' opposed Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-21985441 (Accessed: 8 June 2016).
Tuesday, 7 June 2016
'Incorporate a mish mash of different pedagogical styles that fit in with our own ideaologies and beliefs'
The title taken from the Pedagogy 2.0 - Gathering Speed is a quote from this section and it has again made me reflect upon my own pedagogical approach to my college sessions. Do I use technology appropriately? I feel that I try to exploit the technologies at my disposal such as SMART boards to model effective classroom practice. Possibly an aspect which I need to develop is the use of more Web2.0 tools such as Padlet, Mentimeter and Socrative into my practice so that the next generation of classroom practitioners are confident and have a range of (Web2.0) tools at their disposal. After all these technologies are not going away.
Perhaps one of the best ways to support teacher change is by providing opportunities for them to witness how the change benefits their students. Hopefully the students I teach will see the benefits of these tools and become the key drivers for change in the schools they work at. Only then might other teachers' fixed mindset be shifted and classroom pedagogy changed.
Perhaps one of the best ways to support teacher change is by providing opportunities for them to witness how the change benefits their students. Hopefully the students I teach will see the benefits of these tools and become the key drivers for change in the schools they work at. Only then might other teachers' fixed mindset be shifted and classroom pedagogy changed.
Connectivism
Research about how people learn best online is still developing especially how students learn most effectively in higher education. The use of the internet and Web2.0 for learning and teaching is less than 15 years old and because of its infancy its application is still developing. There are however established learning theories which provide the principles that can be used to design online instruction.
One theory with clear links to the use of Web2.0 is the connectivism learning theory which is based upon the idea that knowledge is shared and connected via technology across networks which are formed and ever developing. Knowledge then becomes a network product. As Siemens describes in the video below these connections take place on a very small scale inside our brains and on a much larger, potentially global scale, across the internet via social media.
The advantages of this network based learning theory are undoubtedly huge and I am only just starting to reap the benefits of social media such as Twitter to develop my knowledge base. How much of this learning theory is used in my current pedagogical approach? Very little if I'm honest. Hopefully some of the Web2.0 tools which I am incorporating into my practice will change this. My practice is based firmly in the social constructivist approach where I try to include a great deal of collaborative and social learning activities. Is the connectivism approach theory only the same but based across the internet rather than the table the group are sat around? Well no I suppose because connectivism allows the learner to make the connections at their own rate, they chose who they connect and share with, whereas working on a table the group (network) is limited and prearranged. Something to think about though, how can I include a more connectivist learning approach in my sessions or how can I encourage it?
Monday, 6 June 2016
Reflections on McLoughlin and Lee article
(taken from http://project.handsonict.eu/2015/05/01/a-list-of-web-2-0-tools-for-the-handson-toolkit/)
Do we as a college encourage enough active collaboration and production of content rather than the students being merely consumers of it in a more passive role? The 'wisedom of crowds' and use of collective intelligence is happening but only at pivotal parts of the course such as assignment deadlines time when students harshly instant message each other for clarification of assessment criteria.
Like the article says there needs to be more careful planning of how these tools are used across the course and subjects. Some subjects exploit these tools much more that others due to tutors own passions and drivers. Opportunities need to be highlighted so that these tools can be fully integrated into the sessions with the aim of highlighting their potential and place in current classroom pedagogy. I feel a summer holiday job coming on here :)
My learning journey into Web2.0 (edited highlights)
This journey started quite a time ago. As previously mentioned in a past life I supported schools to develop their use of ICT and so I was involved in a range of projects looking at new technologies. Voicethread was a resource which was highlighted to me after a interesting conference in Manchester around 2006 or 2007. The presenter, whose name I can't remember, was very enthused about the use of it and demonstrated several examples of how it was being used to support children's learning. Following on from this conference I organised a meeting to demonstrate to primary schools the potential of it as can be seen from the meeting notes below.
Meeting notes (dated December 2007)
Unfortunately the issue of e safety came up and many schools decided it was best not to trail it just at the moment because of their concerns.
A couple of years later I was involved in small project which looked at how a VLE called Studywiz could be used as a transition aid between primary and secondary schools.
Meeting notes (dated December 2007)
This site allows the use to upload images, add annotation,
narrative and text to them to create a multimedia presentation. This presentation can then be viewed by a
limited or potentially unlimited audience who can add their comments.
Create – upload images.
Comment – record a narrative, add text, add annotation
Share – email the presentation to a group
Voice thread ideas (dated December 2007)
Voice thread
Use DJ names….
Post a picture – discuss thoughts about it
Describe the setting
Presentation about D and T / instruction writing / processes
/ procedures
Explain mathematical concepts – perimeters, how to solve a
word problem
(teacher loaded up shapes and got children to workout online
and explain how they calculated the perimeter)
Picture of science experiment – describe the process
School Trips – images with annotated dialogue
The project aims are below
The
aim of the project is to:
- help raise ICT
attainment for Y7 children by building on their Y6 learning
- strengthen links
between Kirk Balk and the
- develop
resources which can be credited against elements of secondary ICT
qualifications such as GCSE or ITQ
- exploit the
potential of Studywiz as a vehicle for independent learning
Like the project before the uptake from schools was poor due to lack of understanding of these tools and a reluctance to try out the unknown. Some of this may be explained by reflecting upon the Dimensions of change model below. This was introduced to me during my training as an ICT Mark Assessor and I still think it is very good and can be used to explained many issues relating to change management. Considering the projects previously mentioned there was probably a lack of skills which lend to anxiety about the change; the teachers did not feel comfortable with the technology, they could see the potential (the vision) and the incentives (higher pupil engagement, better links with secondary schools), the resources were there (on the internet) and the action plans were provided for them.
I suppose I have always been quite comfort using Web2.0 tools such as VLE, blogs or discussion boards. Starting here at Bradford College allowed me for further develop my usage of these tools such as Padlet (or wallwisher as it was), Mentimeter and Socrative. These have been integrated into my practice since I have started here the college.
Most recently I have started using Dropbox as online storage which has proved to be very beneficial for sharing documents and collaboration. It also means that I can access documents on a variety of devices including my phone, work laptop, personal laptop and any device contacted to the internet (as long as I can remember my password!)
The Web2.0 tools which I have decided to focus upon are Ted Ed, the use of podcasts placed on Moodle and Socrative. Ted Ed which I discovered through Ted Talks looks like it has the potential to try out some flipped learning and hopefully get more quality academic discussion with my students. Podcasts have been a long standing favourite of mine and I am keen to try them out with students with particular focus around assessment criteria for assignments. Finally Socrative I have used in many of my sessions as an initial assessment tool for capture thoughts and opinions about the session. Like podcasts I believe it has a greater potential than I am currently exploiting.
Sunday, 5 June 2016
Blogs, CoP and Reflective Cycle continued
Tomorrow I am teaching the undergraduate QTS Year 2 students for a session on Blogs and Web 2.0. All of them I am sure will be comfortable with the Web2.0 stuff, after all they are the social media generation
(image taken from http://blog.marketing.org.nz/2014/07/07/generation-z-consumers-implications-marketers/)
It will be interesting to see how familiar they are with some of the 'relatively new to schools' Web 2.0 stuff like Mentimeter or Socrative. Having previously done this session with others year groups it always fascinates me how old fashioned they think blogging is and how limited it appears beside Facebook and Twitter. To some extent I guess they are right but it still has a vital rule to play in establishing home - school communication and sharing children's learning journeys with parents and carers.
After much procrastination I have decided to use Kolb's Learning Cycle is the reflective cycle for writing my blog. We will see how this goes.
(image taken from http://blog.marketing.org.nz/2014/07/07/generation-z-consumers-implications-marketers/)
It will be interesting to see how familiar they are with some of the 'relatively new to schools' Web 2.0 stuff like Mentimeter or Socrative. Having previously done this session with others year groups it always fascinates me how old fashioned they think blogging is and how limited it appears beside Facebook and Twitter. To some extent I guess they are right but it still has a vital rule to play in establishing home - school communication and sharing children's learning journeys with parents and carers.
After much procrastination I have decided to use Kolb's Learning Cycle is the reflective cycle for writing my blog. We will see how this goes.
Thursday, 21 April 2016
Thoughts on the JISC Funded Project Learners' Experiences of eLearning findings
The JISC project raises some interesting points which although the project is dated, 5 years now, the findings are beginning to be realised. For example 'Learners are creating their own learning spaces, blending virtual with face-to-face, and formal with social. Informal collaboration is widespread, often facilitated by technology that is under learners' ownership and control.' I know that students are using technology very effectively to support each other with assignments; Facebook and WhatsApp groups are used by students to discuss assignments and post questions which the group will answer. This can lead to some confusion though when students have differing opinions or interruptions of the assignments however my feelings are the positives out weight the negatives quite considerably.
Another point raises the issue of tutors use of technology and how the students expect 'tutors' use of technology for learning to be pedagogically appropriate and skillful'. Unfortunately I believe we have pockets of this practice but there are still tutors whose use of technology is lacking and potentially limiting the learning experience of the students. I try to integrate Web2.0 applications such as padlet or mentimeter into my practice not only to capture thoughts and feedback but also to demonstrate the potential of such technology and how it could impact on pupils' learning. The point about the internet is true with students being dependent upon Google for the answers to all their questions. This links in beautifully to the original Shift Happens clip which asks who did we ask all the questions to B.G. (before Google).
The issue of students' use of technology is another well made point. Although students are very adept at using their own personal technologies (smart phones, iPads) they do sometimes lack the skills to use technology to support their learning. It has amazed me how many students were not using the online library facility (Discover) to search for articles, e books or journals about their assignments.
This is not the video which I have previously used with teachers but it has the same messages and I think it gets them across well. If this is the way that students are accessing technology, we as educators need to work harder to integrate it further into our practice so that we are meetings their needs.
Another point raises the issue of tutors use of technology and how the students expect 'tutors' use of technology for learning to be pedagogically appropriate and skillful'. Unfortunately I believe we have pockets of this practice but there are still tutors whose use of technology is lacking and potentially limiting the learning experience of the students. I try to integrate Web2.0 applications such as padlet or mentimeter into my practice not only to capture thoughts and feedback but also to demonstrate the potential of such technology and how it could impact on pupils' learning. The point about the internet is true with students being dependent upon Google for the answers to all their questions. This links in beautifully to the original Shift Happens clip which asks who did we ask all the questions to B.G. (before Google).
The issue of students' use of technology is another well made point. Although students are very adept at using their own personal technologies (smart phones, iPads) they do sometimes lack the skills to use technology to support their learning. It has amazed me how many students were not using the online library facility (Discover) to search for articles, e books or journals about their assignments.
This is not the video which I have previously used with teachers but it has the same messages and I think it gets them across well. If this is the way that students are accessing technology, we as educators need to work harder to integrate it further into our practice so that we are meetings their needs.
Wednesday, 13 April 2016
Blogs, CoP and Reflective Cycles
Why do I blog?
I have being blogging on a fairly regulat basis since December 2006. I started it when I got a new phone which tempted me to 'blog this' after I took a picture. As soon as I need this a blog was set up for me. After initially using it to capture events I soon realised that it would be a great way to record the events around the birth of my first son which happened in August 2007. It did not really bother me that there was no audience for the blog, occasionally family members would read it, as I really wanted it to be read in the future by my son(s) as a record of their first years. Hopefully it will still be in an accessible form when they are older! So I suppose the blog is very much for personal satisfaction.
CoP
Reading the section made me think about the work that I do at college. Is the Maths team a CoP? Is the Primary team a CoP? Are the lunch time discussions similar to those of the nurses mentioned in the article? We, the Maths or Primary team, certainly had a shared goal/pursuit and we do share our knowledge and experience. The structure is very formal but it is very clear what the impact has been. With regard to the Maths team there is much more drive to change the practice, a clearer goal about where we need to go and a positive open sharing of knowledge and experience.
Previously I have ran Learning Networks for teachers where I would act as the facilitator when teachers would meet with a common shared interest. I ran ICT subject leader meetings, Assessing Pupil Progress networks and Maths SATs workshops. The opportunities for teachers to network and share their practice was always greatly appreciated and often led to smaller more localised CoP setting up outside of the formal meetings.
I have being blogging on a fairly regulat basis since December 2006. I started it when I got a new phone which tempted me to 'blog this' after I took a picture. As soon as I need this a blog was set up for me. After initially using it to capture events I soon realised that it would be a great way to record the events around the birth of my first son which happened in August 2007. It did not really bother me that there was no audience for the blog, occasionally family members would read it, as I really wanted it to be read in the future by my son(s) as a record of their first years. Hopefully it will still be in an accessible form when they are older! So I suppose the blog is very much for personal satisfaction.
CoP
Reading the section made me think about the work that I do at college. Is the Maths team a CoP? Is the Primary team a CoP? Are the lunch time discussions similar to those of the nurses mentioned in the article? We, the Maths or Primary team, certainly had a shared goal/pursuit and we do share our knowledge and experience. The structure is very formal but it is very clear what the impact has been. With regard to the Maths team there is much more drive to change the practice, a clearer goal about where we need to go and a positive open sharing of knowledge and experience.
Previously I have ran Learning Networks for teachers where I would act as the facilitator when teachers would meet with a common shared interest. I ran ICT subject leader meetings, Assessing Pupil Progress networks and Maths SATs workshops. The opportunities for teachers to network and share their practice was always greatly appreciated and often led to smaller more localised CoP setting up outside of the formal meetings.
Thursday, 24 March 2016
A brief introduction
My e learning journey began quite a long time ago I guess. Whilst I was studying to become a primary school teacher I bought a PC with Windows 3.1 on. Even without the internet it transformed the way I worked. Assignments were word-processed and printed off; the difference in the presentation quality was amazing. But I did not just used it for assignments I would play! Spend hours just messing about with it trying to work out how to do stuff....learning and developing my IT skills all the time.
By the time I got my first teaching post I was confident enough to be supporting the majority of my colleagues with their ICT lessons. In fact when the dreaded NOF (New Opportunities Fund) training took place I quite often supported the trainer! I enjoyed ICT and enjoyed sharing my skills with the children and staff. When an opportunity arose in a local education authority for a Primary ICT Consultant's post I leaped at the chance to support schools to develop their use of ICT across the curriculum. Unfortunately this first post wasn't to be successful; I only had 2 years teaching under my belt but after a move to another school and a few more years experience I was successful in gaining a similar post with another LEA.
For several years I worked as a consultant supporting schools to develop their use of technology initially the interactive whiteboards but then other media such as digital video and audio as well as a great project involving a multi user virtual environment called Barnsborough as a stimulus for writing. The project was a big success engaging pupils and teachers, raising attainment in writing and demonstrating that these new technologies had a place in schools. Guy Merchant from Sheffield Hallam University was part of the planning group and presented at many conferences about it as well as producing an article in Educational Research about it.
During this time I was fortunate enough to go to many conferences and as result able to organise a conference in Barnsley for Alan November to talk to primary and secondary school headteachers about e learning and digital literacy. These conferences and training days were instrumental in exposing me to new Web 2 sites like voicethread and highlighting the 'Shift Happens' agenda. I used the original Shift Happens clip to create a regionalized version for Barnsley schools which was used as a stimulus to for discussion about how the curriculum in schools needed to change. Another video which was pivotal in developing my thinking was the Vision of Students Today which again was used to sway people higher up the food chain in the LEA that things needed to change.
As my career developed I organised a local film competition for primary schools called the BOSCARS which ran for 5 years and is now carried on by schools. I also became an accredited SMART Board trainer and an ICT Mark Assessor.
Since working at Bradford College I have been involved in teaching both ICT and the new computing curriculum to the teacher trainees, also primary mathematics and have tried to promote both the effective use of interactive whiteboards and other technologies within my practice.
By the time I got my first teaching post I was confident enough to be supporting the majority of my colleagues with their ICT lessons. In fact when the dreaded NOF (New Opportunities Fund) training took place I quite often supported the trainer! I enjoyed ICT and enjoyed sharing my skills with the children and staff. When an opportunity arose in a local education authority for a Primary ICT Consultant's post I leaped at the chance to support schools to develop their use of ICT across the curriculum. Unfortunately this first post wasn't to be successful; I only had 2 years teaching under my belt but after a move to another school and a few more years experience I was successful in gaining a similar post with another LEA.
For several years I worked as a consultant supporting schools to develop their use of technology initially the interactive whiteboards but then other media such as digital video and audio as well as a great project involving a multi user virtual environment called Barnsborough as a stimulus for writing. The project was a big success engaging pupils and teachers, raising attainment in writing and demonstrating that these new technologies had a place in schools. Guy Merchant from Sheffield Hallam University was part of the planning group and presented at many conferences about it as well as producing an article in Educational Research about it.
During this time I was fortunate enough to go to many conferences and as result able to organise a conference in Barnsley for Alan November to talk to primary and secondary school headteachers about e learning and digital literacy. These conferences and training days were instrumental in exposing me to new Web 2 sites like voicethread and highlighting the 'Shift Happens' agenda. I used the original Shift Happens clip to create a regionalized version for Barnsley schools which was used as a stimulus to for discussion about how the curriculum in schools needed to change. Another video which was pivotal in developing my thinking was the Vision of Students Today which again was used to sway people higher up the food chain in the LEA that things needed to change.
As my career developed I organised a local film competition for primary schools called the BOSCARS which ran for 5 years and is now carried on by schools. I also became an accredited SMART Board trainer and an ICT Mark Assessor.
Since working at Bradford College I have been involved in teaching both ICT and the new computing curriculum to the teacher trainees, also primary mathematics and have tried to promote both the effective use of interactive whiteboards and other technologies within my practice.
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