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I am thankful for the two week break and the time I had to help me prepare for the next two busy months.
This past week I started taking a new course through the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. It is called "web based learning tools." As it has only been one week, we have just been introduced to the topic and have been getting to know some of the other students in the course.
My small group defined web based learning tools as:
Internet based activities that complements the curricular expectations and allow students to investigate ideas at their own pace, while assessing their understanding before moving forwards. The spectrum of optional learning activities allow the interaction of ideas outside of a classroom and facilitate the use of a wider pool of resources and learning spaces.
We will find out next week if our definition is close as we were asked to resist the urge to Google it - so far, so good!
This course has a different structure than any other course that I have taken. The course format being used is called Synchronous Learning and there are some activities which are completed through Asynchronous Learning. Synchronous learning has all students, 23 of us, on-line at the same time. We all need a computer with a microphone and speakers or headset, so that we can communicate with the instructor, other students and our "breakout groups."
I am excited by this course for a number of reasons:
- I like meeting people. Even though it is likely that I will not meet these people face to face, I have an opportunity to engage with other people about educational topics and resources.
- I look forward to learning about new resources for students and teachers.
- Online learning adds an interesting component to education. There are several different types of blended learning, ranging from traditional to completely on-line. On line learning intrigues me with its many possibilities, and honestly, kind of scares me because of its many possibilities.
- Learning spaces (where one learns), through the use of internet learning, are quickly becoming blurred with the rest of our "spaces"
- I am excited by how I can help use and incorporate new thoughts, ideas and possibilities at HDCH
Over the next few months I will try to share some of the key ideas and thoughts about the learning experience and materials from this course.
This past week I also started teaching an evening class at Redeemer University College. For many years I have been working and learning with pre-service teachers in a course called Computers in the Classroom. The title of the course is a little misleading as we spend much of our time looking at technology and its impact in the classroom upon; teacher-student relationships, learning, and some of the concerns in education. As a class we have great discussions and discover many resources. It is exciting to see and hear the energy and enthusiasm that new teachers bring to teaching and learning. We may not know what our schools might look like in the next 10 years, but, we can feel confident that we will continue to be blessed with good educators!
ICS3U - Grade 11 computers
The grade 11 computer class has been working on summative assignments since they have returned from the break. There are many great ideas for programs that the students are working on such as; word guessing games, fuel consumption and efficiency, connect-four, various text based word games and other ideas. View a more complete description of the summative assignment. The summative assignment, while challenging, allows the students to challenge themselves in their programming ability. Students also have indicated what assessment level that they hope to achieve.
BTT1O - Grade 9 computers
The past week has been exciting for me in this course. The students have been researching and defending various topics through debates that we have had in class. The topics have been about copyright laws in a digital world, the purpose and use of cell phones in schools and education, and the pros and cons of each student at HDCH having a netbook or tablet device. Students have also responded to various articles about each topic. Here are the articles that they have responded to:
If you have any thoughts on the post or the articles listed, as always, your comments are most welcome!
