Ok, I've had my own wiki running for a number of weeks, and I'm feeling good about my ability in creating this. Students have reacted positively towards the wiki, and most class work has been lodged on the wiki.
I've made attempts to now get parents involved by having them interact accordingly with their child's work. This is still to happen, however, ever so weary of the passive approach towards this concept.
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Wiki has been going pretty well. My focus is to move to an environment that is sharing in its thoughts and ideas for my students. Need to always keep in the back of my mind Web 1 vs Web 2.
ReplyDeleteIt's portfolio time, and I'm venturing down a road where the students will use wiki's as a way to showcase themselves. I'm hoping that we could then try some time of online interview with child and parent online, or through the wiki. Lets see how it goes.
ReplyDeleteOutside of the wiki, I've implemented the use of Photoshop for our visual language foucs, and as part of our health focus. The health focus is "drugs & alcohol". Students are creating magazine covers. The purpose:
ReplyDeleteVisual design
Language
Magazine layout
Headings to entice readers about their choosen drug.
I'm still trying to find my way, however, I do feel that students are producing some high quality covers. Check some out. Students have created these covers right from a blank page, at no time have manipulation of original covers been done.
http://8jtlt2.wikispaces.com/Magazine+Covers
I'm really starting to give any implementation more thought, more so to how it will relate and extend childrens learning. My wiki is going fine, however, I'm still just really posting work. What I need to do is work within someone from this course to ensure that we connect outside of our walls and develop a community that is truly aligned to constructivists principles. We'll see.
ReplyDeleteOk, I've done some considerable reading on "Wiki's" and I really feel alot more confident in using it. I've started, 8jtl.wikispaces.com. My initial purpose is to get myself in-line with this forum. The ultimate hope is to provide:
ReplyDelete•Open access for students
•an area where classroom learning is centralized.
•forums for open discussion on class identified issues.
•a form of portfolio for parents to interact within.
•collabrative learning.
(postings are date incorrectly as my first blog didnt pan out the way I wanted it to? novice)
Constructivism and technology. Recent readings have really challenged my personal teaching practice. Dear I say it, I've become a wheel within the wheel. So much evidence indicates the benefits of embracing technology, however ensuring that is aligned to a learning purpose. The whole wiki journey has taught me much about the tool, the challenge now is planning a way in which the tool can assist to extend and challenge childrens learning. Will it be enough?
ReplyDeleteI've really enjoyed the "TAP into learnin" reading. Understanding learning stages, patterns, is vital for me as a teacher. How and why do we, or some, get caught in the transmission model? is it simply a reality of where our education system is? What are we really afraid of as educators? So much to reflect on and so much to do.
ReplyDeleteIts been good to re-visit learning theory. A fantastic reminder of how our students learn, meaning what am I as a teacher doing as a result of this well grounded research. I would say there are aspects of constructivism within my practice, however, there are elements that could use tweaking to ensure that my students are working within their appropriate zones.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do a great of group work, I now wonder are my students getting the best of these sessions? is input geniune? How motivated are they? I'm starting to find that groups working around a sheet of paper is not as engaging as the new tool that I have discovered. Etherpad (type with me, Sync-in), are all online, real time, collaborative tools. Students can work together on one doc, with the need to administration pass. All students so far have engaged more effectively with this tool as other skills are called on to ensure they are engaged.
There are chat options, which I have used to direct the online work. It takes some getting use to, and I would encourage any user to ensure that some type of framework is put in place so that there is a consistent flow, as all students can write whenever they want. I do believe that because it is a medium with my students world, this to has added to more active engagement.
Check one out:
http://typewith.me/IuHNdTYOtq
Submission of my last assignment, where am I at? I've taken the lead from others in regards to what they are doing with their wikis, and now my students are on their journey for creating their own for portfolio's. I'm going to try and use these as a starting point for parents and child to first go over the wiki together (for those who have computers at home, fortunately for me, every member in my class does have one). Children will showcase portfolio with parent, meaning more time for parents to get an insight into what children are doing. From there, a link is created to my wiki, where parents will post two things that they would like to discuss within the interview process. A small number of my parents are unable to attend due to work commitments, I will organise a "skype" session to see if this vehicle and replace the current format for these parents. Should be interesting.
ReplyDeleteLong weekend, yeah. Got some planning to do before my student returns the following week. Working with another teacher on some interactive board stuff, and I am so glad that I have done this course. I can really see how we view ICT as technocentric. Our meeting started off with identification of tools, however, no identification of how it linkst learning. I've encouraged a format, or framework where we use learning intentions, purpose, outcomes, etc as the staring point. discussions on what would be best teacher approach be, profile our students learning styles, and then look for tools to students to power their preferred learning style towards the learning outcomes. There has been a huge shift in my way of thinking now with ICT and how I use it.
ReplyDelete