Presented in my lecture this week was the concept of Managing Date and our Digital presence.
With growing technology, growing consumption of information and availability of data, we are presenting ourselves on a number of different platforms.
As well as the idea that the number of ways to gather and present data gathered through technologies such as GPS, heart rate monitors, speed/altitude trackers and so much more. The number and quality of apps which have appeared on the web is astounding, yet with so many different platforms to collect and present data, incompatible platforms are a difficulty. While some sporting codes and teams are overflowing with data and accesses to information that they just aren't using to their full possibility, other teams don't have accesses to nearly the plethora of technologies athletes in these codes often track their own data.
Interestingly Jarrod Robinson explores using a number of different technologies being used in Physical Education class which where once reserved for elite athletes in his article "Using Elite-Level Equipment in Schools." Raising a number of different technologies and their uses in the classroom. There can be no doubt that raising the use and integration of different technologies to engage students on another level and produce relevant data to dissect directly relating to the students, is yet another amazing and inventive product of the technological boom.
Tuesday 23 April 2013
Thursday 18 April 2013
Sharing and Presenting Information
HOW we share, WHAT we share and WHO we share with are all variables of astounding proportions.
The HOW can be covered in so many different ways today. While in the past students have been restricted to orals or essays, today these are mealy the beginning and websites like Prezi and Slideshare are just two of a variety of Web 2.0 technologies which have opened doors in the way in which we ask students to present information they have gathered. Not everyone is a great public speaker, some people hate essays with a passion, a variety of presenting and sharing modes offer the ability to work to every students strengths and not inhibit anyones learning. Being flexible and open to new ideas and methods places students willing to explore and experiment with the changing technological world at a huge advantage to counterparts still forced to present in a "archaic" fashion.
I've placed archaic in "" because I don't think these presenting models are archaic, but our new plugged in generations will find them more and more so.
WHAT we share, everything. Instagram seams to be the best place for people to share what they ate, what they are wearing or anything else about their lives and other people will watch!! But if it's how to change a sparkplug, to how to make silverware shine, how to build a nine person beer bong or how to disable a car alarm, today you can find EVERYTHING on the internet. It's awesome. Get amongst it.
The WHO , well it's easier if it doesn't matter who see's the information being shared or not. By relinquishing control and being fine with anyone seeing it, a lot of issues will be avoided. Otherwise, you have to look at where you are hosting the information, if people can and will find it, privacy settings and if they are appropriate.
Awesome Sharing and Presenting already taking place, give them a look;
TED Talks
How Stuff Works
DIY Network
Teacher Tube
The HOW can be covered in so many different ways today. While in the past students have been restricted to orals or essays, today these are mealy the beginning and websites like Prezi and Slideshare are just two of a variety of Web 2.0 technologies which have opened doors in the way in which we ask students to present information they have gathered. Not everyone is a great public speaker, some people hate essays with a passion, a variety of presenting and sharing modes offer the ability to work to every students strengths and not inhibit anyones learning. Being flexible and open to new ideas and methods places students willing to explore and experiment with the changing technological world at a huge advantage to counterparts still forced to present in a "archaic" fashion.
I've placed archaic in "" because I don't think these presenting models are archaic, but our new plugged in generations will find them more and more so.
WHAT we share, everything. Instagram seams to be the best place for people to share what they ate, what they are wearing or anything else about their lives and other people will watch!! But if it's how to change a sparkplug, to how to make silverware shine, how to build a nine person beer bong or how to disable a car alarm, today you can find EVERYTHING on the internet. It's awesome. Get amongst it.
The WHO , well it's easier if it doesn't matter who see's the information being shared or not. By relinquishing control and being fine with anyone seeing it, a lot of issues will be avoided. Otherwise, you have to look at where you are hosting the information, if people can and will find it, privacy settings and if they are appropriate.
Awesome Sharing and Presenting already taking place, give them a look;
TED Talks
How Stuff Works
DIY Network
Teacher Tube
Thursday 4 April 2013
Using Digital Media: Producing Resources
The internet has grown at an amazing rate and continues to grow. The socialisation, globalisation and mobile learning environment which has been created holds numerous and growing possibilities for educators and teachers. Providing a wealth of information at the fingertips of students and multiple possibilities for representing and presenting this information.
Yet while this globalisation has made the world a smaller place and enabled a whole new level of learning and collaboration, it's also opened up a whole new level of plagiarism and copyright issues. Which is discussed well and briefly here copyright and the internet. As well as this there is a whole issue of young people being venerable to deception and the darker side to the digital world, which is explored in greater, horrifying depth in places like Crime Library.
How do you balance this? How do you monitor this? And importantly how do you not stunt your students technological exploration and growth?
There are many different situations and questions which arise, as a result of such rapid changes and variations. Who can say where the future will lead us. It's important to take into consideration your students and what will work the best for them. After taking this into consideration there are many, many different platforms which you can use and take advantage of which can be made safer for students in the form of a closed community and strong privacy settings. Educating the youth about risks and how to be safe on the internet is a important issue in classrooms today.
Yet while this globalisation has made the world a smaller place and enabled a whole new level of learning and collaboration, it's also opened up a whole new level of plagiarism and copyright issues. Which is discussed well and briefly here copyright and the internet. As well as this there is a whole issue of young people being venerable to deception and the darker side to the digital world, which is explored in greater, horrifying depth in places like Crime Library.
How do you balance this? How do you monitor this? And importantly how do you not stunt your students technological exploration and growth?
There are many different situations and questions which arise, as a result of such rapid changes and variations. Who can say where the future will lead us. It's important to take into consideration your students and what will work the best for them. After taking this into consideration there are many, many different platforms which you can use and take advantage of which can be made safer for students in the form of a closed community and strong privacy settings. Educating the youth about risks and how to be safe on the internet is a important issue in classrooms today.
Friday 15 March 2013
Mentor-where?
Mentoring isn't a new concept at all, to me or the education/sporting community. First as a TouchFootball Refeere in my younger years, we where otften assigned different mentors from the higher level refeeres at carnivals to help us to develop as compatent refeers and make sure noone abused us!
Mentoring programs are invaluble as they allow relevant and productive information to be provided to the mentee, after observing the class/sport. Mentors can then provied pointers and ideas which can be directly applyed to the mentee's skills.
As a student teacher I am assigned a Mentor Teacher during every prac-placment which I undertake. Having completed two pracs, I have had the oppertunity to observe and work with two very different but capible teachers, with a number of years experiance. This allowed me to recieve constructive and invaluble feedback from people who are in the indestry and really know what they are talking about. Being supportid and guided by Mentors, with the continual communication and non-formal feedback, provieds invaluble experiance which prepers student teachers for the "real world". This also allows questions to be answered and discussions held on a continual basis, which is integural to teacher development. Formal feedback and assesment is also provieded by the Mentor teachers, which allows future employers to view student teachers progress and development.
This year the NSW Govenment has decided to impliment new criteries which both student teachers and mentor teachers will have to meet. Mentor Teachers will "...have to undertake accredited programs to create a more professional class of mentoring teacher..." now while this sounds like a brillient idea, making our teachers better and putting more back into the community. Being a Mentor Teacher is entirlley vollentary, yes they get paid a few bucks for taking us, but I've spoken to a number of teachers who don't think we are worth the hassle now, let alone if they have to undertake extra training to take us! Another great idea in theory, yet a stiffling difference from the reality of classroom politics. Already student teachers are forced to "cue" to recieve a placment, waiting till another is done and replacing them in the same school, I can only image the result of these new standereds on the whole procces.
New Teachers are also given a mentor teacher during first year of work(and free counsling), this is to help them develop, provied someone which they can converse about classroom probles or bounce new ideas around and give advice, as new teachers navigate the experiance of their own classrooms!
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/nsw-raises-bar-for-new-teachers/story-e6frgcjx-1226591681671
Mentoring programs are invaluble as they allow relevant and productive information to be provided to the mentee, after observing the class/sport. Mentors can then provied pointers and ideas which can be directly applyed to the mentee's skills.
As a student teacher I am assigned a Mentor Teacher during every prac-placment which I undertake. Having completed two pracs, I have had the oppertunity to observe and work with two very different but capible teachers, with a number of years experiance. This allowed me to recieve constructive and invaluble feedback from people who are in the indestry and really know what they are talking about. Being supportid and guided by Mentors, with the continual communication and non-formal feedback, provieds invaluble experiance which prepers student teachers for the "real world". This also allows questions to be answered and discussions held on a continual basis, which is integural to teacher development. Formal feedback and assesment is also provieded by the Mentor teachers, which allows future employers to view student teachers progress and development.
This year the NSW Govenment has decided to impliment new criteries which both student teachers and mentor teachers will have to meet. Mentor Teachers will "...have to undertake accredited programs to create a more professional class of mentoring teacher..." now while this sounds like a brillient idea, making our teachers better and putting more back into the community. Being a Mentor Teacher is entirlley vollentary, yes they get paid a few bucks for taking us, but I've spoken to a number of teachers who don't think we are worth the hassle now, let alone if they have to undertake extra training to take us! Another great idea in theory, yet a stiffling difference from the reality of classroom politics. Already student teachers are forced to "cue" to recieve a placment, waiting till another is done and replacing them in the same school, I can only image the result of these new standereds on the whole procces.
New Teachers are also given a mentor teacher during first year of work(and free counsling), this is to help them develop, provied someone which they can converse about classroom probles or bounce new ideas around and give advice, as new teachers navigate the experiance of their own classrooms!
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/nsw-raises-bar-for-new-teachers/story-e6frgcjx-1226591681671
Friday 8 March 2013
week5
Week 5, oh what a week. As we quickly approach the ever hectic week 7 the pressure rises to establish clear guidelines for the assignments due and how to tackle them. Continuous converstations to establish the paths I want to take and how I will succeed in getting there is my general approach. One of my units has a very airiy-fairy feel and getting the tutor to nail down what is "right" and "wrong", is as easy as catching smoke with your hands.
Unfortunately it seams that while our tutor encourages conversation, honest opinions about the University of Canberra are not welcome. I did not think what I said was in anyway offensive to my tutor or even the unit I was in, but when asking follow up questions after the tutorial I received the cold shoulder and a quick dismissal. While this would might have insighted a devious plan involving melted chocolate, mushy bananan and a robot. I have chosen the path less traveled by, it's yet to make all the difference.
Reflecting on the idea of 'Sharing and Presenting Information' I looked back on my own schooling and the many different ways which I was presented with inform. The main methods I recall are as follows; Lecture, Whole Group Discussion, Small Group Discussion, Demonstration, Role Play, Simulation, Exploration, Individual Work & Group Work.
The concept of peer-demonstration appered regularly in my Physical Education classes. Teachers would have prior knowledge of students back ground and sporting abilities, utilising these to optimise the learning experience. Ensuring that the demonstration would be the most beneficial to the students leaning process. This however needs to be monitored to take into consideration that no matter how good as student is at an action, they just might not want to demonstraite. Another point to concider is if the same student is demonstraighting all the time, this could cause jealousy and resentment within the class.
Peer learning as a whole, demonstraited or otherwise, proves to strengthens relationship between students and establishes a scense of community connection. This kind of support network can prove invaluble throughout schooling and in latter life.
Unfortunately it seams that while our tutor encourages conversation, honest opinions about the University of Canberra are not welcome. I did not think what I said was in anyway offensive to my tutor or even the unit I was in, but when asking follow up questions after the tutorial I received the cold shoulder and a quick dismissal. While this would might have insighted a devious plan involving melted chocolate, mushy bananan and a robot. I have chosen the path less traveled by, it's yet to make all the difference.
Reflecting on the idea of 'Sharing and Presenting Information' I looked back on my own schooling and the many different ways which I was presented with inform. The main methods I recall are as follows; Lecture, Whole Group Discussion, Small Group Discussion, Demonstration, Role Play, Simulation, Exploration, Individual Work & Group Work.
The concept of peer-demonstration appered regularly in my Physical Education classes. Teachers would have prior knowledge of students back ground and sporting abilities, utilising these to optimise the learning experience. Ensuring that the demonstration would be the most beneficial to the students leaning process. This however needs to be monitored to take into consideration that no matter how good as student is at an action, they just might not want to demonstraite. Another point to concider is if the same student is demonstraighting all the time, this could cause jealousy and resentment within the class.
Peer learning as a whole, demonstraited or otherwise, proves to strengthens relationship between students and establishes a scense of community connection. This kind of support network can prove invaluble throughout schooling and in latter life.
"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." -William Arthur Weard
Tuesday 5 March 2013
Don't talk to me about O week
So it's week 4, things are heating up; assignments are looming, life is knocking on the door and insurance company youi would not stop calling me!
While I love all my mates at other unis and recognize O-week is an awesome time, I quickly lost interest in hearing all the stories and events as I put my nose to the grind stone again.
Having an interesting and full on week I wound into Friday, already wishing it was the weekend. At an ungodly 9:30am I had a lecturer who insisted on writing one thing on the slid and then saying an entirely different thing, so much fun. It didn't help that Andrew from youi decided to call me for a 3rd time in the middle of the lecture to see if I had chosen a company, seriously feeling stalked. I think I confused anyone listing to my converstation as I eneded the phone call with a "If I want you, I'll call you!"
Rolling into my SPC tut in less than the best mood, but it's just so damn hard to stay pissed with Keith as the tutor. Intrestingly enough my bi-polar coaching worked rather well to display how different people/teachers/coachs present feedfoward and the then result or lack thereof it can have on people/students/athletes.
Wow, I was sooo close to finnishing tyhis blog for the week before I got ulitmatly caughtup in the hype and crazyness of the online community. What's that, teachers sharing and mentoring online from all over the world. I HAVE to share but a sample of the great teaching blogs I found before I continue with my blog;
To Learn About It, Write About It
Teaching With Soul
Musings On Teaching...
The eLearning Buzz
SO, I really enjoyed Keith's description of Feedfoward and the difference seeing the positive possibilities of the action/activity which is being preformed. This opens the augmented information concept into a whole different light for me. While we are consistently providing our students with information about their performance and actions is this being carried out in the best way? Admittedly it would be difficult to video each individual student in a class of 25 and provide this kind of information, especially in PE classes where often you only get to spend one or two lessons on any give topic.
The question this raises for me is; how else can this information be used in teaching and the classroom? Students often learn from observation and imitation, while I may not be able to video them, what about having pre-prepaired videos of students showing the correct form and places in the action which students often perform incorrectly, allowing them to view this on someone else their age may be the thing they need to connect the dots.
The Spectrum of Teaching Styles opens up a number of discussion topics and reflection, which teaching styles suit, which ones would I like to incorporate more or less, just to name a few.
I'm sure every teacher wishes students would find their subject and material engaging enough to be "Self-Teaching", although this might put teachers out of a job! Whether students know it or not they are continuously learning, in such a connected world it has put questions and explanations just a google away. In my opinion it's important to incorporate every one of the teacher styles into the classroom, as different students and subjects require a different way of teaching. Mastering these styles, well thats a different kettle of fish!
While I love all my mates at other unis and recognize O-week is an awesome time, I quickly lost interest in hearing all the stories and events as I put my nose to the grind stone again.
Having an interesting and full on week I wound into Friday, already wishing it was the weekend. At an ungodly 9:30am I had a lecturer who insisted on writing one thing on the slid and then saying an entirely different thing, so much fun. It didn't help that Andrew from youi decided to call me for a 3rd time in the middle of the lecture to see if I had chosen a company, seriously feeling stalked. I think I confused anyone listing to my converstation as I eneded the phone call with a "If I want you, I'll call you!"
Rolling into my SPC tut in less than the best mood, but it's just so damn hard to stay pissed with Keith as the tutor. Intrestingly enough my bi-polar coaching worked rather well to display how different people/teachers/coachs present feedfoward and the then result or lack thereof it can have on people/students/athletes.
Wow, I was sooo close to finnishing tyhis blog for the week before I got ulitmatly caughtup in the hype and crazyness of the online community. What's that, teachers sharing and mentoring online from all over the world. I HAVE to share but a sample of the great teaching blogs I found before I continue with my blog;
To Learn About It, Write About It
Teaching With Soul
Musings On Teaching...
The eLearning Buzz
SO, I really enjoyed Keith's description of Feedfoward and the difference seeing the positive possibilities of the action/activity which is being preformed. This opens the augmented information concept into a whole different light for me. While we are consistently providing our students with information about their performance and actions is this being carried out in the best way? Admittedly it would be difficult to video each individual student in a class of 25 and provide this kind of information, especially in PE classes where often you only get to spend one or two lessons on any give topic.
The question this raises for me is; how else can this information be used in teaching and the classroom? Students often learn from observation and imitation, while I may not be able to video them, what about having pre-prepaired videos of students showing the correct form and places in the action which students often perform incorrectly, allowing them to view this on someone else their age may be the thing they need to connect the dots.
The Spectrum of Teaching Styles opens up a number of discussion topics and reflection, which teaching styles suit, which ones would I like to incorporate more or less, just to name a few.
I'm sure every teacher wishes students would find their subject and material engaging enough to be "Self-Teaching", although this might put teachers out of a job! Whether students know it or not they are continuously learning, in such a connected world it has put questions and explanations just a google away. In my opinion it's important to incorporate every one of the teacher styles into the classroom, as different students and subjects require a different way of teaching. Mastering these styles, well thats a different kettle of fish!
Tuesday 26 February 2013
Planning, that might help
Week 3.
A friday which made me think I shouldn't have gotten out of bed was made remarkably better after an active and engaging SCP tutorial. Attending an early tutorial also made it possible for me to be involved in the Duke of Edinburgh weekend with a few Canberra College.
Having already packed the truck and bought all the dehydrated food packs that would be needed I headed to one of the Colleges to assist with packing the support vehicles and students on to the busses before heading out, admittedly an hour behind schedule. The drive took us past Coma, beyond Adaminaby and into the Kosciuszko National Park. Arriving after dark made the experience of getting 46 students organised enough to set up camp a little more difficult then normal, most knew what they where doing, luckily. There where two students whom it appeared hadn't bothered to ever set up their tent before and so as a result the crumpled mess which I approached didn't much resemble a tent. After some helpful comments be older students of abandoning the tent and just climbing in with anyone else, we managed to work out where they had gone wrong (tying the guy-ropes to the tent poles) and set up.
 |
| Coolamine Homested (But wetter)- Kosciuszko Huts Association |
A super early start was needed to get through the Nav and mud maps, which meant I got to run around camp at 6:30AM screaming "ZOMBIE INVASION!!" I'm sure the students appreciated it. Ensuring each hike group knew the bearings they would be following, terrain they would be covering and knew the emergency procedures should anything go wrong we released them into the wild.
With the senior students running the show and the hike well under way I proceeded to sweep after the last group with a number of other adults. Surprisingly none of the groups where drawn in by Devils Influx and they toughed threw the tea-tree, making it to the second checkpoint roughly on time. We cut back to main camp and then proceeded down to the gully, which should of provided no real problems to the groups, two hours latter and no one had reached checkpoint three... awkward.
It hasn't been on the news so needless to say we found them roughly 3Km off track and quickly turned them around. Eventually all the groups arrived at our second camp site for the night. After debriefing the groups there was more then enough time for a quick walk down to the water holes for a chill out and bit of a cave exploring. I have two more days of hiking and student misdirection which I could continue to talk about. Yet the weekend as a whole worked in nicely with the week three topic, Planning Programs.
Mainly because myself and several of the other adults expressed our disappointment to the Teacher in charge at the lack of planning and participation which was present during the weekend. We felt under used and more like a check off the insurance list. A lesson, excursion or weekend away can be made a much easier and more effective process with planning. Not only are many issues and problems solved before they actually affect the learning environment, but this allows teachers to have a reference point to look back on and work off.
Plans don't mean nothing will go wrong or that everything in the plan is right, but a plan allows us as educators to take a step back from what we are teaching, to view the lesson which we wish to impart and then take a look at the students which are in our care and tailor the programs to better suit the individual learning needs of our students. Teacher Education, provides a great look at why planning is so important for teachers and the difference it can make in the classroom- Effective Planning.
Reference List;
Kosciuszko Huts Association
Coolamine Homestead
Burton, J.
Effective Planning
Creative Commons Licencing
All Photographs on this website are published under the Creative Commons - Non-Commercial - Share Alike Licence.
Saturday 16 February 2013
SMART Goals, Big Doubts.
Week Two.
So after skipping week one I admit to feeling a little nervous about attending the lecture and lab. Despite these reservations I made sure I was in the lecture theatre early, which was a great idea until this tall guy sat in front of me, thanks jerk.
So leaning ever so obviously to one side I engaged in the lecture and was interested in the concepts being discussed and the use of IT! This Keith guy proved that just because people are a certain age (young or old) doesn't mean you can pigeon hole their technical knowledge and skills. The only problem was not being able to write as fast as he was flicking through the slides, which never seamed to pause on what I needed but always on what I didn't.
Covering the goals, I was reminded of the S.M.A.R.T goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timed) and how useful and encouraging making both long and short term goals can be, when made SMART.
As a result I reevaluated some of my own goals;
1) Go Skydiving. Well, I have paid for a jump already! So halfway there.
2)Travel More. No money and The University of Canberra have messed this one up for the near future.
3)World Domination. This is advancing very nicely.
4)Dominate Uni. Behind in readings already, this one is a need to do!
5)......
I came away from the lecture in a much better mood, but still hesitant. Was this just going to be ANOTHER
Well it's only Week two, so we shall see.
Entering the Lab I was initially totally confused by the concept of blogging in this class. Yes I've blogged before, yes I understood blogging and what it normally was accompanied by but no I didn't understand the links to the class. Ohh an e-portfolio, a concept covered in 'Education Foundations' and 'Learning With Technology'. The concept bought out something frightening, no paper CV's in the future, bosses following your virtual footprint and a range of other ideas. Who's to say what will happen, all I know is that I can blog and I can reflect, so hopefully I'll pass. :)
So I skipped the first week, big deal
Week One.
Decisions appear in life every single day. To get out of bed, what to wear, how to behaviour, who to interact with, what lesson to teach, what students to assist, which students to
Reflecting on Week One means I have to own the fact that I did not attend the first week of SCP, this was a decision, baised on my lease ending on the Saturday of week one and the huge effort which cleaning up after three boys is. While I know that I placed my education in second string, this was an informed and highly considered option. Without the sacrifise of my time and energy the impact may easly have cost me my bond money or worse my housemates respect and friendship.
So while I regret every impact which real life has on my learning experiance, real life IS learning. BOOM.
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