Exerts from Judy O'Connell's webinar "Life savers of learning".
I love this statement .. " Literacy is a passion and underpins what a TL does". Yes !!
Touched on some new topics .. Blooms Digital taxonomy, Connectivism, types of literacy,Inquiry Learning and Project - Based Learning (PBL).
Blooms Digital Taxonomy. http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/ (p.7 Bloom's Digital Taxonomy map)
A key tool for teachers and TL's, describing thinking skills, LOTS to HOTS (Higher order thinking Skills)
Collaboration is coming up again and again. Seen by Andrew Churches, not as a 21st Century skill but an ESSENTIAL !
Connectivism: using technology to reach and connect to the learning environment, because the students of today have a "cut " & "paste" mentality.
Issues of plagiarism need to be addressed.
Many types of literacy: digital, information,critical to name a few.
Inquiry Learning: many differing definitions ... a start : students use a range of skills and abilities to complete a task. Collins et al (2008) - aimed to understand how effective learning can be assisted with technology.
Students can work collaboratively with peers in their class, school, country or indeed around the world. How different is this for teachers to comprehend, yet for students so natural.teachers need to motivate learners using meaningful and real life issues... to relate to students because of this heightened technological advances.
Eduttechwiki (2010) says it is about Teachers (&TL's) formulating appropriate questions , supporting students so they can find answers. The cyclic nature of Inquiry learning links with cyclic nature of the Information Skills process.
Project - Based Learning(PBL) is an approach to teaching whereby students explore real worls problems. Boss & Krausss (2008) suggest it will turn traditional classrooms upside down b/c teachers role changes. Again teacher collaboration is stressed.Again it promotes HOTS.As a classroom teacher 15 years ago I used this idea with a 3/4/5 class of underachieving students. Although we were not having as much access to technology, it was exciting to see the excitemnet the students got from sourcing answers to their problems on a particular issue. No doubt we can all recollect incidents like this. We need to transfer these to technology.
How do we do this?
As I pondered this in my school situation I realised that I am on the way ... starting small but little steps. Collaborating with individual teachers. Hopefully others will see our successes and want to be involved. I can't push my will on others, but if they see the benefits for all involved, they may be willing to have a try.I need to shift how I think and be ready to reach out to others, buid relationships and show I have ways to contribute to the students that can impact their learning. How exciting !!! ( Kim Leeder 2011, Collaborating with faculty)
An interesting read is also "Digital Natives , Digital Immigrants. Mark Prensky (2001).
He explores the concepts that students today have always been surrounded by technology, but for mant Teachers and TL's , we have not. We are trying to talk the digital talk to kids who know it before we do ... they don't look up the manual to know how to work the latest phone ... they just use it !! Or jump online to find out how to do something. We are trying to "teach a population that speaks an entirely new language" (p.2). How true. I am learning to ask for help .. from myown chn ( 7-11 years ), students at school. It has been a steep learning curve just doing this course re technology but I have to just do it ... something our students don't batter an eye about but it can be a huge stumbling block for us !I am seeing practical links with my Uni work and being able to assist HS students with data bases. Even though out of my comfort zone I must press on. It is reassuring to know that I won't know all the answers !(Boss & Krauss 2008).
It is fascinating to begin to map my own journey as a learner. This blog is quite helpful after all !!!
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