I am very interested to see how the survey goes and even more interested to see how honest teachers will be with the questions that I provide; I will be sending the survey to teachers that I know will be honest!
Thursday, February 23, 2017
LE 3 Begins...................
LE3 has begun and the first task is to look at how the staff are working within the technological environment at your school. It is definitely a subject that is close to my heart; one of my main complaints about the lack of technology being used in lesson planning and delivery.
I am very interested to see how the survey goes and even more interested to see how honest teachers will be with the questions that I provide; I will be sending the survey to teachers that I know will be honest!
I am very interested to see how the survey goes and even more interested to see how honest teachers will be with the questions that I provide; I will be sending the survey to teachers that I know will be honest!
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
LE #1 and LE #2. Thoughts and Reflections
One of the most significant ideas that has come to mind for me is the need for schools to back up their initiative about 21st Century Learning and using technology to engage the modern day learner.
There are so many gaps in the education, training and exposure for teachers to technology. A lot of teachers (new and experienced) are still a little hesitant to use technology completely in all of their lesson planning and delivery.
The amount of release time and any training provided to help with the steep learning curve is minimal and I think the school boards need to back-up their policy initiatives with money to put into helping teachers attain adequate proficiency and to keep current with the ever changing world of technology.
With that in mind, I want to express how excited and scared at the same time that I am about using technology going forward. There is so much software/hardware and programs that are out there to help a teacher engage the students and also help special needs students, it can be quite overwhelming. I have learned so many new things during the first 2 parts of the course, so far.
Voicethread, Google Docs, Skype, Clickers, all the software programs and web tools have changed my attitude and way of planning to teach. My discussion groups on Twitter have allowed me to discuss current issues with like-minded people and has changed my perspective on education completely. So many of the articles that I have read and researched have also helped me open my mind up to new ideas and strategies.
Now I am making sure that I think of as many ways of engaging the student with technology and applying it to my lesson planning and delivery. I am definitely thinking more now about my special needs students and how I can help them find a better, easier, more engaging way to learn that suits their needs or challenges. I have definitely become more aware of some of the gaps that I have when it comes to special needs planning.
Collaborating with fellow teachers and asking for their input on lessons and my planning, has allowed me to learn more quickly and realize how talented my fellow teachers are. The ideas that some of them come up with amaze me! The collaborations I have allow me to realize how committed they are to students and the impact they have on the students' learning.
The professional knowledge that teachers have demonstrated has been extraordinary! The teachers have exemplified their passion towards learning and have taught me how amazing the profession of teaching is and is becoming. From curriculum standards to adapting to engage each and every learner, and their commitment to keeping current, amazes me every day. I try to share and give back as much as I am taking and learning from each and everyone of them.
Collaborating and observing special needs students (ASD and GLD classes within my school) has allowed me to see what strategies and tools the teachers use for assessment of special needs students and some of the assessment can be used for the mainstream students, as well. Miscue analysis and other types of assessment that I had never heard of, can now be tried and tested within my learning environment. Through dialogue, inquiry and reflection my strategies now include how to improve in my assessment criteria and overall lesson planning and delivery.
Online forums such as Twitter and the hashtags associated with what type of discussions I wish to choose, including other discussion groups, has enlightened me and will continue to form a part of the educational community that I belong to and will help me keep professionally informed. Although it can be quite time consuming, in the end the teaching practice becomes well more rounded and current.
Throughout LE1 and LE2, it has become apparent to me how important it is to stay current in teaching and taking AQs is part of that learning curve. Learning about new software/hardware and studying about new programs available using technology all pertains to the teaching standard of ongoing professional learning. I am hooked now!
In conclusion, I am quite excited about what lies ahead in my learning curve, but realize that it will be up to me to put in the effort to achieve the professional level that I want or require to pass on this learning and impact each and every student that I teach.
Here's to the learning more and especially from this course!
Bring on LE3 and LE4........................................................
There are so many gaps in the education, training and exposure for teachers to technology. A lot of teachers (new and experienced) are still a little hesitant to use technology completely in all of their lesson planning and delivery.
The amount of release time and any training provided to help with the steep learning curve is minimal and I think the school boards need to back-up their policy initiatives with money to put into helping teachers attain adequate proficiency and to keep current with the ever changing world of technology.
With that in mind, I want to express how excited and scared at the same time that I am about using technology going forward. There is so much software/hardware and programs that are out there to help a teacher engage the students and also help special needs students, it can be quite overwhelming. I have learned so many new things during the first 2 parts of the course, so far.
Voicethread, Google Docs, Skype, Clickers, all the software programs and web tools have changed my attitude and way of planning to teach. My discussion groups on Twitter have allowed me to discuss current issues with like-minded people and has changed my perspective on education completely. So many of the articles that I have read and researched have also helped me open my mind up to new ideas and strategies.
Now I am making sure that I think of as many ways of engaging the student with technology and applying it to my lesson planning and delivery. I am definitely thinking more now about my special needs students and how I can help them find a better, easier, more engaging way to learn that suits their needs or challenges. I have definitely become more aware of some of the gaps that I have when it comes to special needs planning.
Collaborating with fellow teachers and asking for their input on lessons and my planning, has allowed me to learn more quickly and realize how talented my fellow teachers are. The ideas that some of them come up with amaze me! The collaborations I have allow me to realize how committed they are to students and the impact they have on the students' learning.
The professional knowledge that teachers have demonstrated has been extraordinary! The teachers have exemplified their passion towards learning and have taught me how amazing the profession of teaching is and is becoming. From curriculum standards to adapting to engage each and every learner, and their commitment to keeping current, amazes me every day. I try to share and give back as much as I am taking and learning from each and everyone of them.
Collaborating and observing special needs students (ASD and GLD classes within my school) has allowed me to see what strategies and tools the teachers use for assessment of special needs students and some of the assessment can be used for the mainstream students, as well. Miscue analysis and other types of assessment that I had never heard of, can now be tried and tested within my learning environment. Through dialogue, inquiry and reflection my strategies now include how to improve in my assessment criteria and overall lesson planning and delivery.
Online forums such as Twitter and the hashtags associated with what type of discussions I wish to choose, including other discussion groups, has enlightened me and will continue to form a part of the educational community that I belong to and will help me keep professionally informed. Although it can be quite time consuming, in the end the teaching practice becomes well more rounded and current.
Throughout LE1 and LE2, it has become apparent to me how important it is to stay current in teaching and taking AQs is part of that learning curve. Learning about new software/hardware and studying about new programs available using technology all pertains to the teaching standard of ongoing professional learning. I am hooked now!
In conclusion, I am quite excited about what lies ahead in my learning curve, but realize that it will be up to me to put in the effort to achieve the professional level that I want or require to pass on this learning and impact each and every student that I teach.
Here's to the learning more and especially from this course!
Bring on LE3 and LE4........................................................
"Necessary for Some, Good for All."
Assistive technology has become a new tool to help special needs students adapt their learning and help them use an array of software/programs as a way of enhancing their particular challenges and easing their ability to learn. The impact on their learning can be monumental.
The technology can help the student become more independent, empower them and build their confidence. It allows them to be more integrated in the learning environment and can increase their aims and objectives. It gives them choices about how they can or want to learn. It helps the student feel included in their classroom environment and gives them more tools to help self-manage and self-reflect.
The intended or unintended result of using assistive technology not only helps the special needs students, but also gives the teacher tools to help all students collaborate. Assistive technology becomes a collaboration tool available for all students in the classroom and helps nurture a philosophy of co-operation and inclusion.
The technology can help the student become more independent, empower them and build their confidence. It allows them to be more integrated in the learning environment and can increase their aims and objectives. It gives them choices about how they can or want to learn. It helps the student feel included in their classroom environment and gives them more tools to help self-manage and self-reflect.
The intended or unintended result of using assistive technology not only helps the special needs students, but also gives the teacher tools to help all students collaborate. Assistive technology becomes a collaboration tool available for all students in the classroom and helps nurture a philosophy of co-operation and inclusion.
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
LE 1 Reflections Part 2
Developing a 2 year Learning Plan made me more aware of what courses and what conferences are available especially in North America. I had no idea how many conferences I was interested in! Here are some links to some global conferences and some in our continent:
http://www.celea-aceel.ca/Global-Conferences
http://educationconference.info/
http://10times.com/canada/education-training/conferences
I also realized how many different programs and workshops are ongoing and the amount of learning that is possible. Talking to fellow teachers, the only thing that is problematic is the release time. Each school differs on how much release time they allow you, and in my school over the last 5 years, I have been allowed one or two seminars that lasted a day.
When I was given a new Smartboard, there was no training provided and I literally had to go on YOUTUBE and learn myself. This was difficult as I did not have the software to install on another computer (was only on the school provided laptop that came with the Smartboard) and I had to wait to get to school to practice. It is such a huge learning curve to become efficient with a Smartboard.
In conclusion, I have definitely 'woken up' to the fact that there are many different types of technology that are available to be used in a classroom setting and it is just up to the individual to become proficient in using them and then delivering them as part of a lesson. It can be a little frustrating trying to figure out some software and programs, but the pay-off is that you will engage the students 100% more and the lessons will be so much more interesting to plan and deliver for you as the teacher, also. In my opinion, that is a win-win situation.
http://www.celea-aceel.ca/Global-Conferences
http://educationconference.info/
http://10times.com/canada/education-training/conferences
I also realized how many different programs and workshops are ongoing and the amount of learning that is possible. Talking to fellow teachers, the only thing that is problematic is the release time. Each school differs on how much release time they allow you, and in my school over the last 5 years, I have been allowed one or two seminars that lasted a day.
When I was given a new Smartboard, there was no training provided and I literally had to go on YOUTUBE and learn myself. This was difficult as I did not have the software to install on another computer (was only on the school provided laptop that came with the Smartboard) and I had to wait to get to school to practice. It is such a huge learning curve to become efficient with a Smartboard.
In conclusion, I have definitely 'woken up' to the fact that there are many different types of technology that are available to be used in a classroom setting and it is just up to the individual to become proficient in using them and then delivering them as part of a lesson. It can be a little frustrating trying to figure out some software and programs, but the pay-off is that you will engage the students 100% more and the lessons will be so much more interesting to plan and deliver for you as the teacher, also. In my opinion, that is a win-win situation.
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