My daughter's Voki

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Guiding Rhoda and Neema(my daughters) on how to create a voki and a wiki(www.thebettfamily@wetpaint.com)was an interesting experience.This was a practice session for me, so that when I teach my students next week, I would know how to go about it.What I learned was that, sometimes letting kids venture on their own with some guidance is an interesting and rewarding experience.I am not sure my teacher in primary would have preferred this teaching approach,being from the industrial age.
Personally though,learning through a different approach and then now learning to teach using different frameworks/approaches such as the problem-solving approach, means that as an learner/educator it is important for me to be flexible,willing to change and accept other methods that I may not have thought(known) would work but now find out they do.
Neema's Voki.My other daughter who would not go to sleep until she had created this.

Get a Voki now!

Wikis -Create/Great tool!

I think as teachers in the making we join the 'force' with the intention to bring or as I am fast learning to facilitate change in our learners but not realizing that in the end you experience change or are forced to change in order to achieve or even grow as an individual.
I have decided to create a wiki with my students(student-centered) input next week so as to hopeful motivate them to read and write more(something they need to work on).
I have already started implementing the action plan and after looking at my students Naplan results(last years) I now understand that they definitely need to read and write more and what better way to do it but on wiki, which will also be available to the school and parents(save on paper hence the environment-related to our topic).
I met the students two weeks ago and know that to be able to engage them, ICTs are a definite yes and in this case because we want to be able to Relate-Create-Donate and what better way than to use the wiki.The Learning Engagement theory is the best approach to be able to engage students in real authentic tasks, and as the topic is on Biodiversity we will be definitely setting a good example by being the class that is choosing to go paperless on this activity with the intention of donating also through our wiki.The other teachers and parents can follow the progress from home without receiving paper mail.Well that is my plan anyway checkout my blog next week for the update on our wiki(grade 8).
Saidah
Grade 8
Lighthouse Christian School,Rocky

Digital pedagogies in or out ?

Optional? You must be joking. I think it is in definitely, for sure .Does it work yes it does this time I am talking from experience.
As a pre-service teacher I thought the use of Information Communication Technologies was going to be a breeze as I enjoy the adventures of and on a computer,but it has been far from what I imagined. I can't believe how I have struggled to complete even the "minutest" of tasks on blogger,flicker and I am sorry to finally admit Mahara.The worst was just trying to log on,it took me up to one hour just trying to log on. Appalling and ridiculous! I am a woman but obviously I can multitask but not 'multi-remember' several user names and passwords from all the stuff I have learned. I wish as I write I can tell you I remember the password to my mahara address but I don't. I stumbled onto the page with my password on already,thank God! I was really excited when I started but now I am just taking the steps with no emotional attachments, just open to learning.My objective now is to learn.How do this ICTs work ,how can I implement it in the classroom? Flicker,Mahara, blogs(new one for me at least) piknik? Because I have been to the classroom and gee! do I need ICTs.The only time I think I was able to fully engage my students was in an activity that they had to watch a video clip.After that experience it is no laughing matter,ICTs are on for me all the way. JOKES ASIDE!!!!

Learning theory versus Connectivisim

In the knowledge economy we live in, functioning with just learning theory seems very linear and limiting now after listening to all the talks about learning styles and personalities(Felder) , Multiple Intelligences (Gardner & Goleman) and reading about Connectivism (Siemens) as an alternative. The digital age will require more than behavioral, cognitive and constructivism theories to define learning.They each have their place though. In the classroom, there is a time that different learning theories work however, with the knowledge economy connectivism helps to make sense of chaos,inter-relate networks and self organise. Connectivism allows for development in multiple intelligence,different learning styles and personalities. In our modern society,it is all about inclusion, managing diversity and inter-disciplinary connections.The statement by Siemens, 2004,that "The pipe is more important than the content within the pipe and that our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today" best summarizes the what is required to equip learners to be lifetime learners. The ability to be 'processors' able to analyse chaos to know that underneath it all, there is a pattern that can be unveiled and that there is no such thing as impossible or can't. It is making meaning that is essential.

Depending on my lessons,l would use what is relevant at the time.For example, presenting a lesson from context to concept, it would to involve the learning theory and connectivism as assess to digital media is integrated. Different theories provide ideas of what influences the process of learning in just one lesson. They also create an awareness of what is evolving in the world around us (both teachers and students) and how we can continue to learn, teach and achieve good outcomes.'Hopefully see the light'.

Relate-Create-Donate

At the language centre, we constantly used the Engagement theory,(didn't know then that there was a theory that supported that way of learning and teaching)and the students actively engaged in research, collecting data, doing surveys on different topics of interest such as fashion, food,environment and lifestyles. Students chose topics they could relate to, created an action plan and donated it to the public through publishing in the school newsletter and putting up posters on recycling for example. The picture shows a photo of the students with the final product: a hat,in which they had to think of their own design and create it in two hours.For someone learning English as a second language, this could be a great challenge but in a fun-filled environment they learned a lot as they interacted with teachers and other students.

power of inclusion

Kunc's article on Maslow's Hierarchy

To ensure all the students are ready to learn, I would get to know them as individuals and listen to what the are saying.This is because in listening one can find out where they are at,what works for them and what they love doing.In the process of listening, if I find out they don't have a sense of belonging then I would create an activity that would involve everyone in the classroom showing respect and responding to each others ideas with the intention of hopefully creating an awareness that each one is of value. In real sense our classroom should always be a place where the exchange of ideas occur amicably and with respect.
My objective is to create an environment,where children are children and as Kunc's comments "where children are given a right to belong and a right to their own diversity". A place where learning is a joy not a chore. At the language centre the students especially enjoyed 'hands on' stuff, the picture shows an activity that involved making hats,betting on horses and later strutting the students creation, with a prize won at the end of the day.