Exploring Learning

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.

My Year 11 class are working on informal writing. As part of their IGCSE assessment, they have to to be able to write using appropriate register and style. This involves their being able to interpret the question in order that they are able to identify the correct language to use. It means they also have to have the language ability to choose the correct diction, tone and formality level. Last week, we worked on PAT - Purpose (why), Audience (who) and Text Type (what) and they had a go at identifying these three things in a number of different tasks. This means they have some skills at begin able to unpack a task and make decisions about how to format their answer as well as the kind of language they need to use. Informal letters are a common assessment task in the IGCSE exam. Planning backwards from this final outcome, I designed the following lessons. Build vocabulary: I found an image of a beach with plenty of things going on and asked learners to label it. After a ...

This seems to be a recurring theme. Ironically, I have been writing this post for over a week and have to keep coming back to it as I have so much else to do. The only way I can catch up with myself is because I am at home, in bed, with a dreadful cold :( The last week was hectic to say the least. I have written many Blog posts in my head - as I am running, cooking, reading, sleeping, talking to colleagues and learners - but have not had the time to sit down to actual type them up. I did manage to find the time this (now last) weekend to pass my Google Apps for Education exams though. I had 'Docs' and 'Other Tools' to go and sat them both on Sunday. It was awesome to get them over and done with - though on sharing with my DP, I was 'shoved' in the direction of applying for 'trainer' status. Which of course I will - there are, at least, no exams for this, which is something I believe more and more strongly against as time goes on. Sitting these ex...

So far, so good... Not bad considering I just moved house, countries and jobs in the past month. Hope I can keep it up :)

The first of my (brief) summer holiday PL commenced today, two days before the end of term. The transition between my school in Malaysia and my new school in Singapore has not fallen in my favour in terms of holidays, and my year long anticipatory list of things to do, try and learn has been sacrificed somewhat. However, I cannot waste the precious two weeks I do have and so, every new course I found that appeared to be of potential benefit, I signed up for. Google Power Search was passed to me, as many PL ideas are, by my colleague Abena. It started out today with an introduction to how Google Search works - cool little animation about how their 'spiders' search out what we need for us, the myriad decisions they make and refinements they crosscheck - in the blink of any eye. Or quicker! It reviewed search parameters, the importance of keyword choices, word order and even how to hone the search when on a webpage. I am hoping the knowledge I gain from this course will be of be...

Last week I read through all the training documents for the Google Apps for Education Certified Teacher course. I am not one for assimilating what I read without 'doing', so I am glad I have a few months experience of using most of the Apps already or most of what I read would not have made sense. This morning I took the first exam - I chose 'Sites' as this is where I feel I have really developed and learned this year. I do not like the exam format however; the time limit pressurised me even though I finished well within hour an a half allowance. I do not like multiple choice either - it all seems so false, and I am Libran who finds it difficult to choose when faced with too many options :). If the exam asked me to 'do' the tasks rather than choose from a list of possible ways to do the task, I would feel more confident. The removal of myself away from the interface made it really tricky to think about in an abstract way, as I operate on a intuitive level and...