How OCT Tech advisory affects the teacher

 The Ontario College of Teachers issued a professional advisory on the use of Electronic Communication and Social Media early last year.  The advisory addresses concerns about teachers using intenet tools in class.  It is important that school boards make up policies regarding internet usage.  These guidelines not only recognize the increasing popularity of Web 2.0 tools but also give a framework that teachers can work within.  Incorporating technology in the classroom is becoming less and less of a choice as more and more students are engaged in TPACK at a level at or beyond their teachers'. 
My techonogy course at Brock University has introduced me to numerous Web2.0 tools that can be incorporated into a classroom.  This blog is one of the tools I was introduced to these last couple months.  Presentation tools like Sliderocket, Popplet and Prezi are online programs that would help to engage students in individual or group projects.
This advisory emphasizes the importance of teachers maintaining a professional image online.  Represent yourself the same in social media as you do in person. 
Maintaining this professional image is both a positive and negative point.  Most teachers do not have an online presence and wouldn't know how to start.  Others have an online presence that is not as professional and need to make adjustments to that.  Hopefully school principals will get on board and encourage professional development in using the online tools available to enhance the learning environment.
Tags: technology in the classroom, TPACK, Prezi, Sliderocket, Popplet, Blogging, OCT,

My Children's...e-book

Here's a short e-book I made on sliderocket introducing you to my three children.  I took most of the photos from my personal collection of pictures.  It's fascinating how children within the same family are so different... and there is a need to "differentiate" with each of our children.  I had some fun with the transitions from one frame to the next...


What can I do with a class?  It think children at quite a young age could do something like this.  Grade 1 and 2 could do it with a little assistance.  Starting at grade 3, students could do this on their own. 
Students would first have to think of an appropriate topic... they could present a trip they recently went on or they could talk about their family... or do a presentation on an animal they like.  They could use their own digital photos or take photos and videos from internet to support their presentation.
Sliderocket is a flexible tool that allows you to embed various media types.
It's amazing how these media tools become so easy to use once you work with them two or three times.

European Explorers of Canada

Here's a glogster I made last week. It's geared towards a grade 6 Social Studies unit for Ontario, Canada. The glogster was relatively easy to put together. I did have a problem finding the source of the pictures I used. When an image is uploaded to glogster, there is no URL address to go with it. I did a separate search on Google, found the image and pasted the URL under the pictures. The video included is a short video on how Jacques Cartier mistakenly thought that "Kanata" was the name of the country he came to. The name stuck... as Canada... I guess we are a country with a mistaken identity!
 

This glogster poster is an introduction to to some of the more famous explorers that came to Canada.

I would ask students to pick one of the explorers to make a glogster dedicated to that person. They would find out information on how these explorers view the inhabitants of Canada at the time. They could also discover what kind of background the explorer came from and why they came to Canada.

Tags: Social Studies, Canadian History, Explorers

My Philosophy of Education: Part 2

Part one of my philosophy of education focused on the importance of character development and the ethical standard.  In this part I will reflect on how we learn and what we can do to make education more effective.

The prezi below is a visual representation of this blog...

My Philosophy of Education on Prezi

Everything I believe about education is filtered through my Judeo-Christian world and life view.  

“Great gifts mean great responsibilities; greater gifts, greater responsibilities!”  This is taken from Luke 12: 48 in a vernacular translation of the Bible called ”The Message”.  (Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)

I believe this verse applies to educators… and that we cannot take our responsibility lightly.

A couple educators that have influenced my ideas on education are Vygotsky and Piaget.  I was exposed to their ideas first when I studied for my TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) certificate course more than 20 years ago.  I studied their theories again while studying for my Masters in Education degree 5 years ago… and then again this past year in my Bachelors of Education studies at Brock University.  I believe their theories, though differing significantly, offer insight into how we learn.  Piaget’s construction of knowledge through the use of schemas gives a viable explanation to how we learn.  I am, however, particularly partial to Vygotsky and the idea of learning in a social environment.  The ideas of Zone of Proximal Development and scaffolding fit well into a classroom environment.  Much of the teaching process involves a gradual release of responsibility as students apply new learning.

From these two theorists, I will move on to Marzano’s 9 which is a list of nine teaching strategies that, through research, have shown to reap the best learning results.  It is interesting to note that these strategies fit in well with both Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s theories on how we learn.   I have numbered these nine strategies in order of effectiveness.  The number one strategy, recognizing similarities and differences, applies well to Piaget’s idea of schema and how we adjust our schema as we learn new information.  I have also used this teaching approach effectively in a social environment when groups create venn diagrams or T-charts.

Understanding theories on how we learn and methods on how to teach still leaves a gap in effectively reaching students in our classrooms.  In our commitment to student learning, we must engage our students.  How?  Recognize student learning styles, cultural backgrounds, and world views.  Gardiner’s theory on multiple intelligences can help to identify and plan for lessons that appeal to and incorporate students’ diverse interests.  Understanding and sharing the cultural backgrounds and world views of our students can foster a caring community in the classroom. 

How we view our world is intimately connected to the technology around us.  Teaching students how to use technology in a responsible and meaningful way needs to be part of our education philosophy.  Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, podcasts and wikis are powerful teaching tools in the classroom.  Teach students how to take advantage of what is available on line. 

This is only a taste of what I would like to present as my philosophy of education… highlights of an ongoing learning experience.  I’m sure there will be adjustments to my ideas as I continue to grow in the great responsibility I have as an educator.

My Philosophy of Education, Part 1: Ethical Standards

I had the priviledge of initiating a character education class in the last school I worked at in China.  I told my students that real success is not measured by how much money you make or what position you attain in your work but by what kind of influence you have on others. 
When I think about what education is to me... I think of the importance of modeling good character.  The Ontario College of Teachers ethical code include the pillars of care, respect, trust and integrity.  These four points highlight the importance the high standards that identify an effective teacher. Without strong character, all the knowledge and education you can get...or teach, has little lasting value.  My faith in God and and the message of the Bible confirm the importance and gravity of being a teacher role model.  I interpret my world through the truths expressed in this book...

James 3:1-2

^1-2Don't be in any rush to become a teacher, my friends. Teaching is highly responsible work. Teachers are held to the strictest standards. And none of us is perfectly qualified.  (The Message, Eugene H. Peterson, 1993)

Whether you are a Christian or not, a teacher needs to carefully consider the influence of your character on your students.  How are you going to impact the people around you?  What will your legacy be?  This video highlights the positive impact that anyone can have... whether you are a cancer survivor, former drug addict, Sunday school teacher, or police officer, nurse, doctor...




Can I be a teacher that can be an example of good character and motivate a child to succeed as role model for others?

Titus 2:7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity...  English StandardVersion (2001) 

The standards of practice highlight the ethical standards a teacher should exemplify.  This aspect of being a teacher is most important in developing character in children. 
Character development has the potential of making all students successful... regardless of their academic ability.  It is truly inclusive.  It has the kind of impact on children that will help them to leave a legacy worth remembering.

Creating an Edublog

Edublogs are fantastic learning tools for your students.  Learning about and writing an Edublog is one of the most useful Web 2.0 skills I've learned.

Edublogs are an engaging way to involve students in class materials. They can be used either in class to support the lesson plan or used as an extension of learning, where students can log on the edublog outside of class and leave their comments. The interactive aspect of edublogs is the most attractive part of them. These blogs can include questions to respond to... and your students can leave comments on each page. Their comments can lead to other students commenting... and expanding on what the other student began. The blogs also give quieter students or students that take longer to respond a chance to have their voice heard.

Disadvantages... not all schools or even students have ready access to internet. It may be difficult to incorporate edublogs into a school that lacks the technology necessary.
This is my blog... have a look! my Grade 5 blog

My TPACK Journey

This is my TPACK journey Sliderocket presentation... Where was was I before TPACK?  I had an e-mail account.... was able to make power point presentations... surfed the net.  Now I can do much more with internet technology.  I used to think that only a "techy" could use these applications... I can too!  (With a bit of practice... a lot of practice!) 
A lot of the process was uncomfortable... I did it bit by bit, which was necessary.  There's no way I could have done it all at once... or at least I would have been really frustrated in the process.  The learning happened as I worked on each aspect of the process.  Much of it was independent... through experimentation and trial and error... some of it was through collaborating with classmates.
What I found most difficult?  Incorporating the audio was a little difficult.  I needed to see the process a couple times before I did it on my own.
I'm excited about the possibilities of incorporating the things I've learned into my classes.  Getting my students motivated to use Web 2.0.