Module 4 Activity 8 Assessment Strategy

Although I am aware that the activity did not require a reflection in the blog, I felt the need to make an entry. Using a sound assessment strategy  will no doubt benefit the students as they will be an integral part of the assessment, not only as the assessed but also as assessors.  In this way, the students will have to fully understand the work if they are to assist in the assessment process.  Further, it will make them have some ownership of the process which will enhance learning.

On a more personal note, the module is over, but what was learnt will live on in me as a teacher and as a supervisor of teachers. What we have to be more careful about however, is to ensure that we do  not demotivate our students by missing the 'little' things that they might consider to be important in life. We must ensure that when we assess, we look over everything and make sure that all students are treated fairly in the assessment process.

Module 4 Activity 6A Simple Info

Simple Info

It was quite a great experience for me as the teacher and for the students to engage in an activity that involved online search.  For me, it required careful planning and preparation especially in preparing the cache of sites for the students to use.  I had to make sure that the information needed to answer the questions was available and not too difficult for the students to retrieve. The students on the other hand, used ICT to learn as they did the online search and created their powerpoint together.  It created the opportunity for them to collaborate and appreciate the fact that other individuals have opinions and must be respected for their views. For those students who might not have been au fait with searching online resources, it acted as a learning experience for them. It was a meaningful activity which taught my students a valuable lesson for lifelong learning.

Module 1 Activity 12 Problem Solving

Problem Solving

This experience has made me realize that children enjoy finding solutions to problems especially those that directly affect them.  They take ownership of the situation and find it rewarding to work with their peers to work on problems.  Children seem to have a natural ability to find solutions and are very motivated when they can make a difference in their environment.  As teachers, we need to capitalize on this innate need to find solutions and provide the opportunities for them to do so in the teaching and learning environment.  In this way, the children will become constructivists in their learning and will take this approach throughout life. 

Module 1 Activity 11 Contrast Lesson

Contrast Lesson

The provision of contrast in a classroom can only serve to enrich the learning experience. I love to play the devil’s advocate and I did so in my Early Childhood class with my adult students.  The situation was enriching and totally rewarding for the students and me.  The students were fully engrossed in the learning due to the nature of the topic and the nature of the class (that is, students take a viewpoint and develop it via discussion). It was interesting that there were no dissenting voices apart from my own.  It would have been even more interesting if there were male students in the class.  Perhaps a co-ed class of school age students might have had a greater impact because of the diverse views that would most likely emerge. 

Module 1 Activity 10

Activity 10

This activity focused on providing opportunities for students to think, listen to others and formulate opinions. It reminded me that discussions are meaningful activities that should be used in a class to improve knowledge, understanding or judgment.  There is no right or wrong contributions and the students should be made to realize same and be encouraged to contribute to them.  It also brought home the fact that students should be given the opportunity to reflect on what transpired in class so that they can focus on ideas and put them into context.

Module 1 Activity 9 Questioning Techniques

Questioning Techniques

Questioning is a major factor in encouraging our students to become critical thinkers.  Many of our students are not capable of independent thought and teachers need to provide the opportunities for this to take place.  The reading made me focus on questioning techniques, especially the  use of open questions to encourage thinking. 

Module 4 Activity 4 Assessment Standards and Guidelines

Assessment is used to inform teacher practice and provides an opportunity to offer specific feedback to help students improve their learning. Assessment is the process of gathering and recording information about student work during a specific period of time.  Assessment may be formative or summative. In formative assessment, students monitor their own learning. They set curricular and learning skill goals, engage in learning, and reflect on the feedback from teachers and peers to help determine next steps. It is important that as teachers we do not test ICT specific skills but rather seek evidence of the students’ understanding in the presentations. I have come to the realization that it is better to assess my students ICT competence than to assess their ICT skills.

In addition, assessment guidelines are necessary to guide the assessment process whether it be through individual, self, peer or group assessment.  In my opinion, the major issue with assessment is that various methods are used and adequate feedback is given to the students.

Module 4 Activity 3 Diversity

Diversity

There is no doubt in my mind that I need to meet the needs of my students regardless of their varying abilities. I am aware that all students are different and they learn differently and it is my job to ensure that the experiences provided for them are meaningful to them.  This reading reminded me of the various ways in which students learn....those who are either active or reflective learners, those who are sensing and intuitive learners, those who are visual and verbal learners and those who are sequential and global learners. Teachers  need to assess the learning needs of their students and provide those experiences that will fit into how they learn.  The old way of assessing students using paper and pencil tests should be used sparingly if used at all since they cater for those students who are mainly visual learners.

Module 1 Activity 8 Piaget_Influence

Piaget Influence
This activity has reminded me of the need for teachers to be refreshed about the reasons why students learn the way that they do and made me think about what can be done to make them learn even more. It reminded me as a teacher that though students might appear to be similar in the stages of development, they learn differently at different pace, and this must be catered for in the classroom. No longer can a teacher go into a classroom and post tasks on the chalkboard expecting all students to handle all of them the same way.  No longer should the one test/exam at the end of a term decide a child's future. A good reminder for me is that all children go through these stages of cognitive development and we should not expect them to skip a stage. This means that we have to make the students naturally develop and provide the necessary experiences for this development to take place. We cannot and should not force children to develop before they are ready for that stage.

Module 1 Activity 7 - Cooperative Learning

Cooperative Learning

Cooperative learning is an approach that caters to the needs of many students and it helps in the development of their collaborative skills as they work together to complete tasks.  Students will have responsibility for their learning and the teacher will only act as a guide or facilitator in this case.  When I conducted the activity, my role was to ensure that the students stuck to task.  As a matter of fact, the students were so focused that my presence was not needed.  The students had fun learning and they will always want to repeat such activities. There is no doubt that once the students are aware that a similar activity is going to take place, I will have the full complement of students on that day.

Module 4 Activity 2 What we assess

What we Assess

This activity has enabled me to get a more comprehensive picture of what it means to assess.  I know of instances where teachers assess students in the hope of tricking them so that they can claim that the students did not study.  Assessment is designed to help students to learn and to help them in the process. Assessment as a process is critical to helping the students determine how well they are coping with the tasks so that they may be assisted if the need arises.  It creates the opportunity for fixing a problem before the end result is achieved.  Product assessment, however, deals with the end result of the process and how well it was done.

Module 1 Activity 5 Developmental Psychology

This activity has renewed my resolve to get to know my students as thoroughly as possible so that I can adequately plan for them. The more that we know about students physical, social, emotional, moral and cognitive development, the better equipped we will be in understanding the students that we teach and cater for their needs. I am reminded of the fact that all students are different even though their developmental stages are somewhat similar. I can recall the writings of Vygotski  which referred to the zone of proximal development and the need for teachers to set work that is slightly above the students' abilities to create a challenge but not too difficult to make the students lose confidence. I can definitely say that I will incorporate the information gleaned from the readings in my teaching.

Module 1 Activity 4 - Behaviourism-new_strategy

This activity proved to be an eye-opener to me. When I started teaching the adult group of ladies, I became aware that they needed more individualized attention if they were going to succeed. I am aware of the benefits of small group strategies but I felt that my hands were tied as far as space was concerned and I opted to limit my use of them.  This reading got me thinking about what I could do with my class to bring about the desired changes in behaviour and I resorted to group work. Lucky for me, the class had gotten smaller at the start of this term due to the migration and other commitments of some students. I assessed the space again and I realized that the small group method could work.  I planned it and tried it and it worked beautifully.  The students did not want to leave on those days. It was great and there were a number of lessons learnt in the process, namely:

-  Students like the idea of being responsible for their own learning
-  Students like to interact with others in the classroom
-  It is important to give students the opportunity to show their potential
-  A teacher is able to assess individual students in a small group situation like the jig saw approach
-  Proper planning is key for the effective execution of the jig saw method
-  It is important to build on the students' experiences in order for learning to be meaningful

Reading 2

Reading about the teacher's plight with her new students made me very conscious of the need to know my students and cater to their needs.  Many times we judge our students without knowing the details and without knowing it we paint all students in a class with the same brush.  Children come from diverse backgrounds.  They are socially, economically and culturally different and the teacher has to devise strategies and tactics to best cater for the mix. Another lesson learnt is that teachers cannot bury their heads in the sand and expect problems/situations to go away.  It is best to face the situation and find the best possible way to fix it. They must also remember that there are no quick fixes.

Collaboration is also a key element to enhance learning in the classroom. If a teacher is faced with a situation and she is not sure how to handle it, she may speak with other teachers who may be facing similar situations.

Learning 1

Having read quite a few comments from my colleagues on that special moment in their lives as teachers, I realize that many individuals had similar beginnings....not really interested in teaching at first but opted to do it because of positive influences of others.  There are those who had to find their way amidst the stumbling and falling to get a grip on something that was totally new to them.  Others knew what they wanted and went after it and are still working on perfecting their skill in teaching.  Whatever the circumstances are, we are all teachers striving to make our students become critical thinkers, active learners and constructivists in their approach to learning. The following is a summary of the powerful lessons learnt from my colleagues:

Consider the needs of your students and cater to those needs
Teachers can also learn from the students they teach 
Keep abreast of educational happenings by reading journals etc

-          Participate in professional development sessions

-          The need for introspection and reflection as teachers 

-          Utilize various strategies and knowledge of others to be able to teach 

-          The need to be open minded, to listen in order to learn new ideas 

-          Sharing best practices and experiences

-          Reflective practice

n     

      It would appear that they have captured the essence of this noble profession called teaching and are aware that teaching should be student centred rather than the teacher centred. It means that classrooms have begun to change and the way students learn should also begin to change. With teachers embracing the new paradigm shift, the future of our students will be secure.

Module 1B 3 Activity 5 Integrated Approach

In the integrated approach, the emphasis is on using the computer for learning rather than just learning computer skills in isolation. This makes it different from the idea of computer literacy since the skills learnt in the integrated approach will be done in meaningful contexts. In regards to the challenges faced when integrating ICT,  the teachers will have to ensure that the curricula cater to the needs of the students.  This means a total reorganization in the way things are done in the classroom during the teaching/learning process. Teachers will have to change the classroom environment from a teacher-centred one to a student centred one. Finally, I truly believe that it is the responsibility of all teachers to teach ICT so that the specific learning needed for the specific subject areas may be adequately dealt with.

Module 1B3 Activity 9 School Readiness

The STaR document is one that may be used to determine a school's readiness for ICT integration while the Mankato scale looks at the readiness of teachers. For any school to progress in ICT integration it is imperative that they know where they are so that they can decide where they need to go.  Too often, schools embark on technology projects in an ad hoc manner simply because they were given some computers by donor agencies or because they have discovered some new technology that may not necessarily fit into their level of technological development.  There must be a strategic plan to chart the way forward for ICT integration in a school and it begins with the readiness assessment......that of the school and that of the staff.

2A4 Activity 11 Personal Learning Network

This task entailed setting up my PLN and I had to do what was necessary to get it started.  It took me a while to start this activity due to the fact that it seemed somewhat insurmountable after the first reading. I thought about it for quite a while and did the necessary readings in the hope of getting some ideas. I had a facebook account which I felt was a waste of time and I did not use it much.  I thought of Twitter and I figured that it was somewhat like facebook. I finally stumbled upon a social network that I particularly liked mainly because it deals with educational issues. It is called Classroom 2.0 and I know that I will maintain my PLN for a very long time.

2A 4 Activity 7 Spreadsheet as a Learning Tool

This activity focussed on using spreadsheet as a learning tool unlike self activity which used the spreadsheet for administrative purposes.  This activity had me thinking about incorporating spreadsheet into a lesson with the view of encouraging learning. It brought to the fore the idea of just in time learning which speaks to teaching a skill as it is needed to help with the learning rather than to teach a skill for use later. I am an advocate for the just in time learning because I have been a victim of the just in case learning.  I learnt a skill because it seemed like a good thing to do at the time even though I had no immediate need for it.  I never got to use it anytime soon, but when the opportunity arose, I had to learn the skill all over again. Learning ICT skills should be done in a meaningful way and not in isolation.

The idea of using spreadsheet in a lesson in a class with only one computer for approximately 40 students had me thinking of the situation that is quite likely in many of our schools especially when the computer lab is not available. The teacher would have to find innovative ways to teach the lesson and ensure that all the students learn the concepts being taught. The key is to this situation is to use the limited resources that might be available to get the job done effectively.

2A 4 Self Activity 4 Recordbook

This activity involved working with spreadsheet to do a number of administrative activities.  Though I had some knowledge of spreadsheet, this exercise opened a world of spreadsheet that was new to me especially that section that dealt with the IF function. It was very rewarding seeing the results after stating a particular criterion. I truly believe that if administrators were to use spreadsheet as part of their regular duties, their lives at school will instantly become easier. I definitely enjoyed doing this activity.

2A4 Activity 3B Integrating the Word Processor

This activity focused on the use of the word processor as a tool for learning in a lesson. When used, it can make learning effective and at the same time a fun activity. This proved to be quite true as I watched the students having fun during the execution of the lesson. In a similar lesson without the word processor, the students would be complaining about the length of the lesson or would show signs of fatigue.  That was not the case with this lesson because the students were engaged in doing a learning activity on the computer which they enjoyed doing.  It means that as teachers, we must make the teaching-learning activity more student-centred which will make the learning more meaningful to the students.

Module 1B3 Activity 8B Curriculum Delivery

As teachers, we need to be proactive rather than reactive as far as the strategies used in the classroom are concerned.  Long before ICT integration in schools, teachers need to begin examining how they teach....the methods used, the actual delivery of the content and how the students are expected to deal with their learning. It is not enough to put everything on pause because it is believed that the school is not 'ready' for technology. If teachers were to take this route, their students will be left behind.  To keep abreast with ICT, course materials will need to be revised to accommodate online learning and students will need to be guided into using ICT for ‘just in time’ learning rather than ‘just in case’ learning. The teacher will have to prepare students for the 21^st century and this can only be done effectively if she changes her approach from one of teacher centeredness to one of student centeredness with ICT integration at the helm.

Module 1B3 Activity 8a Teaching Spaces

The advent of ICT is changing the way teachers teach, the way students learn and the way in which teaching spaces are configured.  Teachers will have to determine the types of classroom spaces that they deem best to work with in keeping with what they have to teach.  It is important that today’s classroom be equipped with the latest technology so that students can have access to a number of resource persons and other resources from within their classrooms.  Having classroom spaces configured for ICT will make students responsible for their own learning. The thrust of ICT integration is for students to have access to information resources at anytime and anywhere to assist them with learning.

1B-3 Activity 7 School Staff Development

Staff development in ICT should be one that is seen as a need by all so that they may have ownership of the progamme.  Cooperation of staff will play a major role in the success or failure of the programme.  Another factor to bear in mind is the need for appropriate resources and the opportunity for staff to practice.  Of utmost importance is the need for skills that are taught to be integrated into different subject areas rather than to teach the skills in isolation.  Time lines should also be set to execute different aspects of the programme in order for it to be realized. For any school staff to move forward into the 21st Century, they have to be trained to integrate ICT into their subject areas and make its use a way of life at their school.

1B-3 Activity 4B Minimally Invasive Education

The minimally invasion education piece advocates that children will learn once exposed to stimuli for the learning and will even assist their peers with their learning. Of significance to me is the aspect of cooperative learning where children work with their peers to accomplish tasks. In doing this type of learning, the weak students will learn from the strong ones and the strong students will be able to add to their knowledge. The collaborative environment encourages students to share the process of constructing ideas instead of working alone on tasks.

As far as ICT is concerned, students are able to learn to use the computer and internet on their own even if they are from diverse backgrounds.  The implications for classroom teachers are endless, but it can be said that once teachers carefully plan what will be done in the classroom combined with the students experiences, the students will be able to construct their own learning and will enjoy learning at the same time.

1B-3 Activity 4A Spontaneous Learning

Spontaneous Learning is one aspect of student learning that we as teachers need to build upon in the classroom.  Students are continuously learning from their experiences and the activities that they do and the skills that they employ in using the computer are no exception.  Students always seem to have a fascination for computers and this fascination would lead them to explore, investigate, experiment and use the computers for a number of tasks although they have not had formal training in its use. It is important that as teachers we decide what needs to be learnt, how it should be learnt and at what stage of the child's development it should be done. Spontaneous learning and scientific learning should be the two sides of the same coin.