June 3, 2010
Session One Date: 20th April 2010
Venue: NQ106
How do people learn and how much sitting and listening?
The phenomenon of learning is a complex process. People can learn differently and may develop various approaches and methods as regards how they gain, process and recall information. Learning and memorization are also explained variously by scientists and psychologists. Yet, learning discloses a multiplicity of secrets and mysteries.
There are four known styles of learning depending on a variety of biological and environmental factors. Theses styles are: visual, auditory, kinaesthetic and read and write. People may not be able to recognize their learning styles easily and therefore they may need a little assistance in this regard. People also have different ways in gathering information and finding resources and materials.
In any class whether it is real or virtual; teachers and educators need to develop a variety of methods and strategies to enhance students’ learning. It is essential for educators and teachers to be able to recognize students' various levels of education and requirements to be able to enhance further learning.
To enhance further learning, it is important to consider the following:
· The use of a variety of methods such as realia and visual demonstration such as videos and tapes
· Enhancement of learning relationships with learners
· Meaningful activities and various interactions:
o Student-student interaction
o Student-teacher interaction
o Student-content interaction
· Teachers must recognize the differences between "teaching a topic and talking about it"
How much sitting and how much talking and listening is an important issue to be considered.
In my classes I always try to enhance learning rather than talk about topics and issues that students can retrieve online easily. Students want to listen when they think that they are learning. Students do not want to listen when they lose connection with the teacher as regards to learning.
I also believe that for students to learn, they must interact with the teacher, other students and the topic itself.
In my practice I always try to:
o Teach rather than talk and talk
o Include meaningful activities and interactions
o Create a positive learning environment
o Enhance confidence and my learning relationship with learners
Posted by Dana. Posted In : Learning
SOLO Toxanomy
We were required to create a SOLO question:
We were asked to post an extended abstract question on emit and explain it.
I chose the topic: Osmosis.
Osmosis is a physical phenomenon whereby water particles will escape from a medium of high concentration to a medium of low water concentration through a semi-permeable membrane. Undoubtedly, the difference in the concentration of the solute contents will provoke this type of cellular transport of water molecules. Various solutes are found in the living cells such as glucose and salt at a fixed concentration that is maintained constantly. In clinical practice and daily life, three types of solutions are found being hypotonic, isotonic and hypertonic. This classification is based on the concentration of the solute content in relation to its concentration in the cells. Table salt (NaCl), for instance, has a concentration of 0.9%. A solution is hypotonic when the solute concentration is below this level and it is hypertonic when it is above this level. It is called isotonic when it has the same concentration. Certain particles such as glucose are relatively big and can not pass through the cell membrane and consequently water molecules will escape to create a state of equilibrium in terms of solute concentration. We simply could formulate the following biological rule: wherever salt is found, water will follow. This explains why we feel thirsty when we consume salty meals.
Q: Explain why it is not advisable to drink from seawater. A: Seawater contains large amounts of salt which greatly exceeds its concentration in the living cells. Therefore, drinking seawater will induce osmosis starting from the oral cavity where the cells constituting the lining tissues will lose water causing further dryness. This will cause more thirstiness and the requirement of drinking more water. If this continues, the consequences are disastrous as water will leave the intracellular compartments to the extracellular compartments (blood vessels). This will increase the volume of the contents of the blood vessels and will lead to a considerable increase in the blood pressure. Furthermore, red blood cells will loose water and will significantly shrink and lose their functions and this is known as haemolysis and this could be fatal.
Characteristics of Adult Learners
Session Two
Venue: A302
4th May 2010
What I understood from the session: A space is undoubtedly needed for teaching and learning and it can be categorized into two main entities:
- real spaces for face to face interactions such as the classical classroom
- virtual spaces for both synchronous and asynchronous interactions such as wimba, blackboards, wikis and blogs.
To be able to deliver lessons effectively and become a competent teacher:
- engage students into meaningful activities
- enhance more student-student and student-teacher interactions
- enhance students' confidence and create a constructive learning relationship
- enhance a welcoming learning environment
What does the “80:20” rule as applied to teaching and learning mean to me?
This concept sounded a bit different. Many lecturers did agree on 80:20 approach and thought it was very effective. Howevere, my aproach comprises a multiplicity of factors.
So what is this “80:20” rule and where did it come from?
In the early 1900, an Italian economist named Pareto found that 80% of the wealth in his country is owed by 20% of the people. Many authors and scientists experienced similar phenomena in various fields. Later incorrectly the rule of 80:20 was coined and referred to Pareto’s principle.
In the late forties, Dr. Joran, a quality manager pioneer observed that 20% of the defects caused 80% of the problems. He later coined a universal principle called “the vital few and trivial many”.
That simply means 20% of the malfunctioning or faulty findings are responsible for 80% of the total problems.
This can be utilized variously in the various fields such as maths, science and management.
This reminds me of a friend of mine who was in a management position with HNZ Corporation when he unsatisfactorily stated that 20% of his tenants took 80% of his time. Another friend of mine who is a high school teacher reported to me that 80% of the troubles and nuisances in his class were caused by 20% of the students.
In the fields of education and teaching, similar phenomenon is massively observed.
Reh, J. (2010). Pareto's principle - The 80-20 rule. Retrieved June 29, 2010, from hhtp://management.about.com/cs/generalmanagement/a/Pareto081202.htm
How could IT be used effectively in open plan classrooms?
Technology can be utilized in tertiary education in many ways. IT and technology are of high assistance in almost everything we do in the class including:
· Successfully and efficiently designing lessons
· Planning for lesson
· Delivering lessons: synchronously and asynchronously. Examples: Wimba classrooms, chat sessions, discussion forums.
· Retrieving information instantly to prove or debate a theory, discussion or an argument
· Enhancement of student’s electronic socialization through discussion forums and chat sessions
· Announcements and reminders
· Distribution of electronic versions of lessons and lectures
· Sitting computerized or electronic formatted exams
· Distribution of exam results
Something I want to work on in my teaching is… that would be:
Enhancement of my learning relationship with learners.
By the end of this course I will be able to…
Design and delivery lessons effectively.
Session Three
Venue: NQ106
4th May 2010
Describe features of the A302 learning space that are new to you
Features of A302
· The availability of multiple wide flat LCD screens and TVs
· The availability of data projectors and the ability to use more than an angle or corner of the room. This means that the space is flexible
· The room is spacious
· Students will feel more comfortable
· The room can provide a constructive learning environment
· More than an instructor or lecturer can deliver lessons at the same time
· Two or more topics can be delivered at the same time
Describe two ways to create an e-portfolio
An e-portfolio is simply refers to a selection or collection of data, information or a set of electronic evidence of a matter or an issue saved on an electronic resource or device usually online on the internet.
E-portfolios can be effectively created by utilizing a number of online tools and softwares including:
· Wikis
· Blogs
· Ning.com (online communities)
· Personal websites
· Flash drives (USBs)
· One’s own cell phone (modern ones)
Decide on a platform for own e-portfolio and give reasons for this decision
I have chosen yola.com for this purpose as it is free, easy to use, globally accessible, large capacity and space provided to utilize. Furthermore, many important functions and services are enabled and maintained for free.
How to Create an Effective Website (and E-Porfolios)
To create an effective website, there are certain criteria and principles that the designer must follow. Undoubtedly, simplicity, effective writing, quality and credibility are the key factors. Simplicity can be achieved by making the web-page clear, understandable and easy to follow. Providing the users with high quality contents is more important than the design and layout. Effective writing can be achieved by applying the following:
o Use of short and useful sentences and phrases
o Insertion of bullet points, clear headings and titles
o Use the language that suits the target audience
o Inclusion of objective materials that suit the purpose of the webpage
The following are some important factors in creating an effective webpage:
1. Targeting the audience and realization of the purposes of the website
2. Development of long-term suitability, usability and productivity
3. Easily accessibility and functionality of internal links
4. Narrowing the scope: the contents should support the purpose/s competently
5. Availability of appropriate demonstration, explanation and illustration
This may include the usage and utilization of technology, organizing the contents, proper navigation design, and inclusion of graphics, multimedia tools and meaningful interactivities.
6. Availability of appropriate and adequate contacts such as emails, telephone numbers, etc.
7. Availability of other relevant external links
8. Inclusion of easy and quick downloadable materials and reasonable sized files or documents
9. Availability of useful options and choices such as font sizes, multiplicity of languages and translations, versions and screens.
10. Continuous upgrading, updating and maintenance
11. Promotion of co-workers, participants and designer/s if applicable
P.S. I tried my best to insert the correct APA style format, but unfortunately I have not been successful. Every time I included the right format and after submission, the format was distorted as you can notice.
References
Designing an effective website. (n.d.). Retrieved August 21, 2009, from http://www.websites.ac/websites/frameset.html?design_prin.html
ForScene. (2009). 12 Principles of an effective website. Retrieved August 20, 2009, from http://www.foresceneweb.com/blog/2-blog/93-12-principles-of-effective-website-design.html
Legal Marketing Reader. (2009). Thumbs up [Photgraph]. Retrieved August 21, 2009, from http://legalmarketingreader.com/effective_law_firms.html
Smashing Magazine. (2008). 10 Principles of effective web design. Retrieved August, 20, 2009, from http://www.smashingmagazine.com/ 2008/01/31/10-principles-of-effective-web-design/
Mistakes
Online sources display contents in different ways according to a multiplicity of factors including structure and purposes. Undoubtedly, inclusion of interactivity is more or less a common feature of many, if not all, informative and teaching electronic resources. Some websites are highly attractive and present information appropriately and effectively. However, many website designers ignore the fact that certain features should be avoided in creating a successful informative website. Below is summary of certain mistakes some web designers may make:
1. Ambiguous and vague goals
2. Unspecified target audience Improper structure, layout and design
3. Low quality contents such as irrelevant images, unclear and inefficient writing, and the lack of informative and useful links
4. improper language
5. Unorganized navigational system
6. Lack of adequate contacts
7. Lack of appropriate explanation and multimedia tools
8. Inactive links and icons
9. Outdated information (not up to date)
10. Slow loading pages and links
Text Communication in Tertiary Education
Text is simply defined as the words of a speech written or displayed in print. It can be any piece of writing and this includes chat texts, emails, letters, stories, road signs, newspapers, magazines, books, etc.
Depending on the purpose, four main types of text are recognized and used to deliver the message to readers, and they are descriptive, persuasive, instructive and informative (skillswise, 2009).
Mellors (2006) believes that “text communication services such as chat, instant messaging, SMS and e-mail are now mainstream services, but have the disadvantage that they do not provide a fluent conversation”. However, fluent conversation can not be achieved by voice chatting either, that’s simply because of the fact that end-to-end delay is a very disturbing finding.
I agree that asynchronous text-based communication is the best form of communication to support higher-level thinking for a number of reasons, including:
(The following are my own thoughts and ideas, I may be wrong, comments and feedback are appreciated)
v Written information can reflect decisive realization, perception, awareness and responsiveness.
v Convenience, portability and suitability: Time and venue are not important factors.
v Face to face verbal communication can lead to avoidance and improper knowledge delivery, considering:
· Individuals who have hearing impairment are unable to receive auditory output.
· Individual with articulation difficulties will unsuccessfully and incompletely deliver verbal information.
· People with physical disfigurations and disabilities might wish to minimize and avoid face to face communication.
· Face to face interaction might induce various levels of emotional negativism such as instant undesirable response, embarrassment and distress.
· Repetition might not be applicable when required especially when direct verbal communication is the case. Text communication can be viewed repeatedly and endlessly.
· Cultural, traditional and social aspects can be significant barriers especially when diverse ethnic groups are involved.
v Intellectually some students do better when information is read rather than heard.
v Processes of written feedback and interactions (blogs and forums) using asynchronous text communication are more convenient dueto the same factors mentioned above.
References
Availability of auditory information. (n.d.). Retrieved September 7, 2009, fromhttp://www.access-board.gov/telecomm/marketrep/guidelines/43d.htm
Mellors, W. (2006) Text Communication for all. Retrieved September 8, 2009, from http://www.hft.org/HFT06/paper06/10_Mellors.pdf
Why we do it:
Venue: NQ106
Group Charts
TERTIARY TEACHING - DESIGN AND DELIVERY (TERTST) > SESSION GUIDE > SESSION 4 > SESSION 4 "WHY WE DO IT" GROUP CHARTS
I understand that “learning” can be largely enhanced and memorization can be massively expanded and strengthened. Our roles as teachers are to enhance students’ learning and promote them to become independent learners.
Should students rely entirely on educators and teachers or should they reach a level where they are able to perform things thoroughly themselves?
Do students pick information ready or they need to construct it?
I truly believe that many students in the fields of medicine and nursing do require the information to be ready to pick up rather than creating it. Their role is to process the information and recall it when needed. Teachers can assist students in this regard to help students process and recall information.
The image below is a sample of what some lecturers created ordering the material about why we do what we do as teachers: "Why we do it - the thinking behind the learning".
Session Four
Venue: NQ106
18th May 2010
In a group of five including myself, we decided on a topic and we planned for a lesson. The topic was “ Consumer Code of Rights”. One of the group decided to plan for the lesson and forward it to us by email.
Session Five
Venue: NQ106
1st June 2010
At the beginning of the session, we were asked to discuss our chosen topic or lesson for 15 mints and then gather ideas and put them together on a big sheet to be discussed with the class.
We, my group, reached this conclusion that we needed to explore the size of the class, their educational background, their level and pre-existing knowledge about the topic.
Then we were aksed to apply this to our teaching. I had a small group of students and I did "Titration" with them. Below was the lesson plan
Title:
Titration
Key Terms:
Acid, base, neutral, pH, proton, weak, strong, equation, balance, reactants, products, volumes, concentration, salt, water, neutralization and titration.
Level and Size:
One hour session (in class); to be introduced and delivered to first Nursing Foundation students to support and enhance their learning.
Learning Outcomes
To support the students to learn independently to be able to:
· Describe titration briefly
· Recognize some applications of neutralization and titration
· Calculate the amount of acids/bases need to neutralize given amounts of acids/bases according to their chemical reactions
Student Group:
Location: LSC: MIT
Age groups: 18-40 years old
Diverse cultural and educational backgrounds
Part time and full time students
Characteristic features of adult learners: motivation, commitment, enthusiasm, interest, life skills, social problems, etc.
Learning Needs:
Noticeably diverse
Learning theories and Models
The main idea is that learning is an active process of constructing, rather than gaining data, information and knowledge.
The applicable learning theories in this online course are mainly cognitvism and constructivism.
Pre-existing knowledge
· Titration is about acids and balance
· Titration is a type of chemical reaction
· Acids and bases react to form water and salt
· Acids and bases neutralize each other
· Acids give H+
· bases make OH-
Begin: describe what acid, base, concentration and “titration” are using W and S approach then ask them to describe something similar to you such as NEUTRALIZATION
· give a simple neutralization equation: HCl and NaOH forming NaCl and H2O
· show them the steps and what balancing is
· give examples of what concentration is
· complete the calculations as appropriate
· make sure students follow and understand what you talk about
· ask them QUESTIONS
· GIVE THEM EXERCISES TO COMPLETE
Session 6
Venue: NQ106
15th June 2010
During this session, a number of useful activities were introduced. I did like the “post box” activity and I will definitely be doing it at some stages with my students. A visiting or guest lecturer named Pamela also introduced various methods and examples of interactivities and meaningful games. The one I liked most was the lights: Facts, interpretations and conclusions. I will always remember this and will be telling my students about it.
During this session we also were asked to think of various issues in the class and possible strategies to manage them. My group (the LSC) was given disruptive behaviours and strategies to manage them. The rest of the class had thought of many issues and suggested a number of strategies to manage them. We were able to categorize them into four main groups being noisy students, noisy devices, dominating students and lack of attendance. Noisy students included students talking too much and asking too many unnecessary questions and giggling girls. The suggested strategies were various and some of them sounded really effective such as stopping teaching and looking at them or asking them to share it with everyone. Noisy devices included cell phones, iPods and laptops. And again, certain strategies sounded really good. Dominating students included harassment, bullying and students feeling superior to the rest of the class. I believe that these issues can be really difficult to resolve as they are considered to be serious issues and many places such as MIT are harassment free educational establishment and zero bullying tolerance place.
The rest of the class had different issues and matters and they also had suitable strategies to manage them.
I believe the session was extremely useful and contributed largely to my knowledge and I believe that I have gained a great deal of experience.
Session Seven
20th July 2010, Venue: NQ106
At the beginning of the session we were given some paper sheet and asked to describe and record down what we knew, what we wanted to know and what we learned in terms of reflective practice. A lecturer suggested that we should use learnt instead of learned.
I personally recorded that I was fully aware of certain learning theories in real practice and I had been applying SOLO and 80:20 principles. Then we were asked to describe and record down what we had been doing in terms of teaching, learning and education as a quick write.
A number of significant ideas and thoughts were produced by the various lectures and many of them were recorded on the white board to be reflected on. Below are some of the concepts and ideas:
Wikis and blogs, eMIT, SOLO, 80:20, e-portfolio, interactions and activities, rapport and relationship, active learning, rewards, food, sense of humour, teacher power sharing, trying new strategies and teaching techniques, organization and time management, engagement, questions, and many more.
Then we were asked to categorize items that are closely related or relevant.
I personally recorded down that I had been working on the following:
· Building constructive learning relationship with learners
· Enhancing learners’ confidence
· More interactions
· Applying SOLO principles
· Getting to understand and know more about 80:20 principles
· Trying to properly plan for my lessons
· Trying to properly design my lessons
· Gathering feedback from students
Later we were introduced to a guest speaker from AUT who was highly experienced in the fields of education. His main focus was on asking questions being the key to teaching effectiveness. A number of interesting questions were raised by the students in this regard.
Kate later retrieved a video presentation about an individual named Matt who had travelled to 42 different countries performing a dance. The title of the video was “Where the hell is Matt?”
Kate asked us to write down in what ways Matt’s achievement was like our development in designing lessons-or not?
I really liked and enjoyed the video. As a matter of fact Matt instantly provoked and triggered a number of thoughts and ideas. My reflections were as follows:
· Equality and inclusion
· Meaningful activities
· Sense of humour
· Sense of belonging
· Sense of community
· Enhancement of confidence
· Have fun and make it fun
Session Eight
3rd August 2010, NQ 106
During this session a number of interesting events took place. At the beginning we were asked what we could remember from last session. Kate Slattery introduced a new activity. I really liked it. She asked us, the whole class, to create a queue or line. She asked us if we were positive about what we could remember of tasks and events from last session largely and confidently should stand at the begging of the queue (near the door), and those who did not remember things confidently or did not attend the class should stay in the other end.
It was a great fun. We all stood in one line, one end being occupied by the person/s who remembered most of what we did last time and the other end being occupied by those who did not attend the session. The middle of the line was occupied by students according their confidence and levels of what they could remember. I was quiet certain that many students (including myself) could remember lots of things competently and confidently but did not want to be at the very begining in the queue .
Later she asked us to pair up from both ends, who could remember things clearly with who did not attend from the other end of the queue. I was paired up with Veraneeca as she did not attend the last session. We were asked to talk for one minute about what we could remember and then swap and the other person tells what they remembered and understood from the first one who talked for another minute.
Then Kate asked us to create groups of four and repeat the same activity. I was then grouped with Veraneeca, Dennis from the library and a lecturer from School of Sport.
We were asked about the advantages of this activity and I believed that there were a number of advantages including:
· Sharing of knowledge
· Enhancement of confidence
Kate later retrieved some materials from last session being:
· Reflective…
· Responsive….
· Engaged…
· Engaged…
She, later, accessed youtube and displayed a video of Frank McCourt and asked us to reflect on the video. I personally could put some ideas together as follows:
· Be yourself, don’t act
· Have confidence
· Have faith in yourself
· Be proud of who you are
Others thought of other ideas such as:
· Drop the mask
· Cut the rubbish
· The best acting is not acting
· Tell the truth
Later we were asked to do another activity which was also new. We were asked to write down “on pieces of paper” the answers to the following:
· Who had an impact on your learning?
· What did they do that engaged you?
The lecturers have produced different ideas and thoughts. My group consisted of four, Marlene, Bruce, another lecturer from Carpentry and myself. Bruce believed that Education is the key factor. He believed that Bill Gates would not have been the richest person in the world if he weren't highly educated.
I believe that my father and mother played a major role as regards to my learning. They always encouraged and rewarded me for positive achievements and warned and alerted me to the negative consequences if discounted studying. Physical punishment and emotional deprivation are negative aspects and should be avoided.
Later we had dinner. Even diner was different. We were served rice, chicken, potatoes, fruits, and drinks.
After dinner we were introduced to John Hancox and Marg MacIver from school of Social Sciences.
I had already known John from Counselling, who is a highly educated person and I greatly respect his approaches and attitudes.
He introduced a number of interesting ideas and thoughts. He also delivered a new activity which he called “Elephant in the Corner”.
Later we watched a video about an interview with John Hattie titled seeing through the eyes of students.
Session Nine
17th August 2010
Venue NQ 106
Classroom Behaviour Management
During this session we were engaged in a number of useful activities. We were first asked to participate in an activity named “Bus Stop”. Kate had considered four questions as regards to “Classroom Behaviour Management”. We answered the four questions as appropriate. The questions were as follows:
1. Can I develop strategies that will improve the learning behaviour of my classes?
2. What impact does the way I manage my class have on what the students learn?
3. What would happen if I ignored bad behaviours and focussed only on my teaching practice?
4. How effective are my current methods of managing my classes?
We have provided a variety of answers and a number of concerns were developed. A lecturer from the School of Sports asked how could we do these activities with students who may not be cooperative?
Kate believed it was a good question and wanted answers and methods of implementing this activity.
Kate later retrieved a slideshow titled “PMI”. PMI stands for plus, minus and Improvement.
Plus: what have you done well throughout the year that had a positive impact on the learning environment of your class?
Minus: describe an incident or a time that was difficult for you to manage the classroom behaviour of your students. What could you have done differently?
Improvements: What can you set as target for yourself in terms of improving your responses to poor classroom behaviour?
Time to think
We were asked to pair up with someone (who does not do the same subjects) to discuss an incident that was difficult to manage the classroom behaviour of your students and what we could have done differently.
I chose Samson Mudapakati to be my partner for this activity. We were asked to give one and get one, one minute each.
He started first. He mentioned that there was a student who kept asking irrelevant questions that he did not like. He mentioned that approached the student very politely and asked him to ask the questions (as many as the student wished) after the class. Samson believed that he could solve the issue and managed the situation successfully.
Then it was my turn. I mentioned that one day I was delivering a workshop to a class of students who were not interested in the topic at all. Furthermore, many showed that they were willing to leave the class instantly and expressed physically that the session was boring. I realized that I needed to do something urgently before I lost my students. I retrieved a PowerPoint presentation which contained a number of interesting interactions that many students in the past loved a lot. I did my best to link the new topic with the original topic I was doing. I was able to get them engaged and involved in a meaningful activity. I was then able to deliver the workshop very successfully and students displayed interest and appreciation.
Later we were introduced to a gust speaker, E. Catherine Dicky. She retrieved her presentation named “Leaving no one behind”. I really liked her approach and I was really interested in the topic.
First she mentioned that technology had contributed largely to delivering and designing lessons effectively. She also mentioned that we should have a clicker, a remote control, to be able to control and manage the class more effectively. The main reason is that we could move freely in the class without being stuck in one location behind the computer or somewhere around. Then she gave an example of how to get students involved and make topics more interesting. She gave the example of “APA” being an important academic requirement and relatively hard to comprehend by many students. She stated that APA was mainly about punctuation, fullstop, coma and semicolon. She gave three simple musical instrument to three students in the class and had put up a reference in its APA format and asked the student to play the instrument according to the feature they were assigned for.
It sounded interesting indeed. I was thinking that if I were the lecturer I could have made this topic more interesting and more engaging by showing them how to include proper APA referencing style properly using Microsoft Word 2007 and newer versions. As a matter of fact using this function will enhance more learning and will provoke more interactions. Adding to that it saves time and effort.
Catherine later introduced a new topic named “Withitness’’. I really liked this topic. I did enjoy it and I agreed with everything mentioned. Later we were asked to create a group of five and discuss certain features of a good or effective teacher. My group consisted of Chris Wearing, Kamla Prakash, Marelene, myself and another lecturer from the School of Business. Chris started first and suggested a number of important features. I was the last. I truly believe that to be an effective teacher you need to have 16 features. The features are as follows:
1. Teachers accepting students for who they are
2. Teachers making lessons fun
3. Teachers having a sense of humor and friendly attitudes
4. Teachers having a thorough grounding in their topic
5. Teachers being able to teach effectively rather than talking needlessly
6. Teachers understanding learner needs and requirements
7. Teachers encouraging students to answer questions
8. Teachers being humble and honest
9. Teachers being able to guide and advise
10. Teachers being able to communicate with learners effectively
11. Teachers being able to include all students in meaningful learning activities
12. Teachers being learning counselors
13. Teachers being able to enhance equality and eliminate discrimination in the class
14. Teachers being able to enhance confidence
15. Teachers being able to play a role model
16. Teachers being able to be there for students
Session Ten
31st August 2010
This session was entirely interactive and totally different to all the previous sessions. During this session we were introduced to the era of technology energetically and very fruitfully.
At the beginning we were given tags to wear. The tags contained a number, a shape and a letter. I was given the tag: 4 B Square.
Then we were asked about the best teaching or learning practice or experience we ever had and to explain why and how.
Personally I believe that the best learning experience I had was when I was taught organic chemistry clearly in one hour. We were then asked to give it to some and take his/her one.
Fred received my note and I received his.
We were then asked to reveal what other people experienced. It was a nice activity. Naidu later mentioned that he had learnt this activity just recently.
Nuddy Pillay later asked us what we thought of the activity in terms of advantages. People gave him a number of thoughts including:
· Less detailed thoughts
· Sharing of experiences
· Better than raising hands
· A safe method of expressing
· Building confidence
· Meaningful inclusion of learners
Later we were grouped into four groups of four each and asked to discuss our blog progression in connection with reflection, personal and professional development and critical analysis.
Nuddy Pillay asked us how far we were. My group consisted of five and one lecturer said that she had completed 25% of the blog and she mentioned that she was busy and just did not have time. Another lecturer mentioned that he had completed 75% of the total work.
Then they asked me how far I had gone. Well, according to their description of progress and reflection, I thought I had done 100% and of course that would not be perfectly right as no work can reach this level. However, they thought that I was the only one who was able to complete the blog to this level. They might be wrong anyway.
Ben from School of Sport was the leader of my group and I truly believe he is a very nice man and very polite.
Nuddy Pillay assured us that no one was going to fail this course and he also mentioned that he had taught for a long time and no had ever failed his courses. He mentioned that he was proud of that and indeed that is a priceless achievement.
Nuddy Pillay later mentioned that if a student fails his course that means he is responsible and would simply reflects his bad teaching (or something like that).
He later clarified the criteria for the assessments being the following:
1- Personal and professional development
2- Critical analysis
3- Teaching practicum
4- Professional conversation group
Later after dinner, we were grouped into groups according to the shape of our badge. We were asked to evaluate our current learning space design from our perspective and learners’ perspective.
My group consisted of Murray Clark, Marlene and myself. We were the group of the square. Murray suggested that we should talk about the current space we use for our teaching purposes. He thought that the space he was using was really small and did not enhance lots of interactions and activities. He summarized his findings into five main findings as follows:
1- The space was not comfortable for sitting and learning
2- Teachers could not move freely in the class and would not have control over the class
3- The space was only good for small group students, 3-5 no more
4- Not too many facilities such computers. He mentioned that it only contained three computers.
He also mentioned that from his students' perspective, they simply do not care.
We were later asked to go to NR109 to use the computers and utilize online tools to initiate a group discussion about the previous question.
Nuddy did a great job. He well organized and controlled the class and successfully created a page on wiki Pbworks. He named the page as mitwikiners and can be accessed at http://mitwikiners.pbworks.com/FrontPage?show_all_comments=1
It was great to see lots of students-students, students-content and students-teacher interactions.
Nuddy Pillay is indeed an effective teacher. He has a lot to offer. He is very friendly and approachable. He has a very special approach to teaching and attracting learners’ attention. He is highly experienced and always would like to share his knowledge and experience with us. He is a very generous teacher.
Session Eleven
14th sept. 2010
Session Eleven
14th Sept. 2010?
Session eleven was a very interesting session and perhaps the most interactive session we had ever had since we started this session.
Veraneeca and I arrived a little bit late. Nuddy Pillay Kindly expressed that it was nice to see Veraneeca again. I responded in a very comic and friendly manner, it was nice to see me too. Nuddy Pillay Replied and said it was always nice to see me. He is a very lovely person and I respect him a lot.
At the beginning of the session we were given a sheet to include our responses to four questions as regards to the wiki designed for the class in terms of strengths, weaknesses and how well it was. I personally thought it was well organized, well formatted, fun to do and was a new learning space for the class. My colleagues provided similar feedback.
Later we were asked to respond to an activity which was the most interesting learning activity I had ever experienced.
We were divided into six groups and were asked to respond constructively and demonstratively to a scenario about a group of students who have just come out of a class and are excited y the way in which their teacher teaches them.
My group consisted of Veraneeca, Dennis, Fred and myself. Veraneeca is a very good actress. She acted out her role brilliantly.
We agreed on a topic and it was APA. We acted out the scenario under Veraneeca’s directions and instructions. She is an amazing person. She is just a character. She led the role of the student who really liked the librarian who conducted the session. The scenario simply was about Fred, a librarian delivering a lesson about APA. Veraneeca seemed very excited and enthusiastic about the scene. I was playing the role of this student who still did not have any idea about what APA was and thought it was AVA. Fred then corrected me and ...well I am not going to talk more about the scene as it has been recorded and Nuddy will upload the films soon.
Later we were asked to comment on an article titled: Giving control to students: But will they pick up the ball and run? …….
My group thought that 20% would be “yes” and 80% “No”.
Yes due to:
1- Young students find it fun
2- Students want to pass especially if it is a requirement
3- Some students would like to follow up on the others
No: supported by the following thought:
1- Lack of time
2- Lack of interest
3- Lack of motivation
4- Laziness
5- Lack of access to the internet
Later we were asked to identify two issues and reflect on our acting I terms of learning and teaching or design and delivery relate aspects.
My group had identified a multiplicity of negative issues and a number of positive findings.
Negative findings:
1- Disruptive attitudes
2- Noisy students
3- Lack of interest
4- Lack of pre-existing knowledge
5- Lack of student-stent interaction
6- Lack of learning activities
7- The use of difficult terms (language barriers)
Positive findings:
1- The librarian having sense of humour
2- The use of realia
3- The librarian having tolerance and patience
4- Positive learning attitudes (the librarian: Fred)
5- The use of a multiplicity of visual demonstrations
6- The use of technology to enhance learning such as computers and smart screens
Session Twelve
During this session we had two interesting events, a video presentation utilising youtube and brief teleconferencing utilising skype. The youtube presentation was really engaging and triggered a number of thoughts, concerns and questions. The presentation was At GoogleTalks: Leading@Google by Ngahi Bidois. Ngahihi is an indigenous native Maori from New Zealand and the author of “Ancient Wisdom: Modern Solutions”. “Ancient Wisdom: Modern Solutions is the inspirational story of one man's journey. It is a very intimate account of the life of Ngahihi o te ra Bidois recording the highs and lows as he joined the ranks of the unemployed to relearn the language he'd once spurned... reconnected with his Maori heritage, and finally made the life-changing decision to receive the gift of ta moo from his ancestors. Now sharing his people's ancient wisdom, Ngahi can finally say - "for this I was born"”. (Google Books).
In the video, Naghihi emphasised that it is critically important to remember your people, culture and language. He also stated that at some stages of his life he turned his back on his people. He also expressed brilliantly what leadership means in the Maori culture. He talked about proverbs, people and influence. …..More.
The videoconference was mainly focussed on the use of technology in blended learning.
Nuddy was able to get the class connected virtually with a lecturer from Australia who talked about advantages and disadvantages of IT tools in teaching and learning.
About Me
Lecturer/Academic Advisor
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