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

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      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.