Exploring Learning

I was the event manager for a Google Bootcamp in October 2017, which was hosted at my school, ACS Doha International School. Marketing asked me to cover the event and I wrote this article for a magazine, Qatar Today, published November 2017.

Here is a reflection on a hypothetical district and how the ISTE and NETP standards can be applied. It analyses the current state of educational technology and the implications these standards have on thinking about professional learning.

Here is an infographic I created for my final project. It is based on THIS essay . Create free infographics with Venngage

To What Extent Does a Successful BYOD Programme Affect the Engagement and Motivation of Secondary School Learners?  This paper outlines current research into Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programmes in schools based on the experience of institutions currently employing the system. It explores the impact BYOD programmes have had on the engagement and motivation of secondary school learners, as well as the affect on achievement in tests and assessment in comparison to students not utilising mobile technologies in their learning. The experience of both private sector businesses and schools informs guidelines and advice for the successful implementation of a BYOD programme. SEE INFOGRAPHIC OF THIS ESSAY HERE Whilst some see technology in education as a “democratizer”, as a way of allowing “students from all backgrounds to access the same resources and tools”, to others, it potentially causes “great harm, widening an already substantial achievement gap related to issues of equity...

This term, I am researching the use of Assistive Technology (AT) in classrooms around the world. AT is anything that assists learners who require additional support in accessing their work and being successful. I included a video in the form to explain what AT is to help my audience. As I work in a school where technology has yet to be introduced fully, the people I can consult are limited. In addition, my previous schools have all finished for the summer already. To combat this dilemma, I created a Google Form that I was able to share on Twitter for anyone to be able to complete. I felt this broadened my chances of getting some information from people who had experience using AT. My form can be accessed HERE  and my paper regarding these results will be published here soon. If you have, or know of anyone who has, experience using AT in the classroom, please share and complete this form to help a life-long learner with her research. Thanks.

snapguide.com Explain Everything is an app I downloaded onto my iPad probably two years ago... I had a tendency to get very excited by new tools and not allow myself the time to trial them properly - this was one such victim of my over-zealousness. But, now, I have the opportunity and a great excuse to have a proper play! I found that I had to refer to the tutorials and help quite a lot to do what I wanted to do - which meant, perhaps, it was not particularly intuitive. It also took me about an hour to create a seven-slide presentation, which I am sure would become quicker with time. I do like how I can customise and add handwriting etc., and there is so much more potential to it than a regular presentation, so I think it is something I will continue to explore. I have recorded my presentation for you to see - however, the microphone on my iPad Mini was not picking up sound effectively meaning I need to send it to my MacBook Air to add the audio, or use and external microphone...

For the current module of my MEd., I have to identify six Web 2.0 tools that could be used in my classroom to enhance student learning. I have searched the Internet and resources provided by my professor, and have made a preliminary list, which includes:- Zunal TED Ed Pinterest TiddlyWiki Bubbl.us Grammerly Explain Everything My focus is going to be on my Media Studie students, as this is a subject I have the fortune to be teaching again. They have to be able to gather and organise a lot of information and present their learning on a blog. I am interested in finding ways to help them manage this work flow and build a successful multi-media coursework blog. Over the next two weeks, I will explore these tools and think of ways they can enhance the learning experience of my Media Studies students.

I have not posted for a long time! Shame on me. One of the reasons is having moved, a) job, b) house, and c) country! Aren't these some of the most stressful things you can do? Anyway, to cut a long story short, the past 12 months have been very stressful and trying, but all is ok for now and we are settled and I am ready to start writing again.  Fortunately, I have just started a new module of my MEd, and part of it focuses quite strongly on Blogging - which is an excellent motivator to get me back on track!  Over the next few weeks, I will be exploring and posting about Web 2.0 tools that could be suitable for use in my classroom. I will include: 1) The Name of the Web Tool and, 2) Discuss briefly why and how the tool could be will used in the classroom with reference to how it will enhance student learning. Stay tuned for more frequent postings :)

… what we have loved, Others will love, and we will teach them how (Wordsworth, 1888). This quote embodies my belief about reading and is at the top of my Books 2014 page, which charts my attempts to read 100 books this year. It also heads my latest essay documenting my research into the impact daily reading can have on overall achievement in middle-school learners. ***** I have always believed that reading has a significant impact on our understanding and appreciation of the world. As both a life-long passionate reader and an experienced English Language Arts teacher, I have witnessed first-hand the impact that reading has on the ability of learners in terms of comprehension, grammar, empathy, confidence, vocabulary and expression. This has however , only ever been phenomenological through informal observations in the classroom, and in an effort to incorporate sustained silent reading (SSR) as a regular, valid and essential practice, I have embarked upon this resea...

Almost a year ago, I wrote a post about Split Screen, as a way of making notes from online reading. This involved having one screen as notes and the other as the source material. Recently, I have been using it in my role as Project Manager of Global Youth Debates , a Flat Connections project (read more about this  here ). In Global Youth Debates, teams from all over the world take part in an asychronous debate about a current issue - this year's theme is Global Peace and Security and the topic is, 'Revolution a Justifiable Means for Global Peace and Security'. Using Voicethread , learners record their arguments in stages; the opposing teams can then listen and respond, recording their opposition in the same place. Part of my job is to organise the brackets - who argues against whom - in each round. To monitor the progress of each team, I have been using Split Screen as a management tool: Tracking Debate Progress On the left is each bracket's Voicethread,...