Exploring Learning

One of my latest projects for my MEd, required me to design a computer lab. I had a budget of $45,000 and it had to accommodate 30 learners. My total, outlined in more detail below, came in at just under budget, at $44,171.90 - and goes against the grain of the traditional lab design. Having had the luxury of re-designing and implementing a new classroom design whilst working in Singapore (see any posts regarding  The Octopus's Garden Project , and photos in posts from 2013-2014 in particular) I already had a few ideas that meant I very much wanted to move away from a traditional layout.  For more inspiration, I asked for the dream design of educators I have worked with in different countries and different schools. What was interesting to me, was those who have worked in tehnology-rich environments, where the idea of a dedicated computer lab is outdated and technology infuses everyday learning, had many more suggestions that broke the mould of lab design and fitted w...

I am an advocate of reading. I am an avid reader. Many posts and Tweets contest to such. Always wanting to improve my practice and approach to delivering reading to my learners, I recently picked up a copy of  @Donalynbooks The Book Whisperer . It confirmed much of what I do in regards reading, as sound and effective methodology, such as free-reading, and reading time every day, as well as modelling being an actual reader. The book also gave me some areas to think about and re-work, such as the ubiquitous class novel. Red Dot Book Awards We are already reading every lesson, and learners have accepted my Reading Challenge 2014 . In addition, as part of my Future of Fiction unit which explores where storytelling might be going, and how technology might help us to tell stories, I am including some reading circles, using books from the Red Dot Book Awards in Singapore. The  Red Dot Book Awards   is a student choice book awards organised  by the Intern...

In today's learning environments, we teach a huge range of diverse learners with greatly differing needs.  Those fortunate to be in 1:1 or BYOD environments can take advantage of the many software apps and extensions, such as personalised  playlists ( Sophia.org ) that exist to act as additional support for those who need it - technological teaching assistants!  One app I have recently been exploring is the  Read&amp ; Write for Google  extension. Read&amp ; Write for Google is a free* Google Chrome Web App that increases accessibility for struggling readers and writers, and can help offer assistance to EAL learners. Read&Write for Google Tool Bar Simply visit the Chrome Store and install, and a tab will appear - on Google Docs - on web sites - it will also work with KES, PDF and ePub files. Full features include text-to-speech, dictionary, fact finder, highlighting, word prediction, and Read Aloud with ...

At the beginning of the year, I took the Flipped Classroom certification course offered by Sophia.org . I have also just taken and completed the Chrome Classroom certification program that aims to teach educators "how to use technology creatively and intelligently" in order to become "a better teacher--and inspire better students!" The courses, which are endorsed and developed by Capella University , require you to watch a series of tutorials to "learn skills that help you get the most of cloud computing and collaborative technologies to seriously enhance your digital classroom". Once you put all this learning into practice to demonstrate mastery by developing a tutorial, your certification is complete! What's next - iPad Prepared Certification I guess. Why not collect the set?! :) Read about the Flipped Classroom course and Flipped Classroom teaching . Go to Sophia.org  and learn more.

Our school is 1:1 but in its infancy. It is a new initiative that will revolutionise  our learner's experience of education. However, teaching learners to manage themselves in a paperless way is posing somewhat of a challenge. Homework in particular is a problem; the recording of homework specifically, is an issue. I use Edmodo to post homework. I use Google Calendar, which is embedded in their page on my Learning Site , and shared with them to add to their own calendars. I also use the school site, which is the party line. Homework is therefore recorded for them in three places, so they have many ways to find it. Are they doing it? No, not always. Part of the problem might be the lack of transference. We know that the physical act of writing helps learning. If they are passively receiving homework instructions, perhaps they are not actively engaging with it. Ever-searching for solutions to help my learners organise  themselves digitally, I recently found out abou...