May
4
31 Day Comment Challenge
May 4, 2008 | Tagged comment08 | 10 Comments
Here is a really fun one that I would urge all TLITERs to try out. I’m only on the activity for Day two and already I’m learning SO much. It is a challenge, with prizes and all, but most importantly having people participate will help to create connections amongst the blogging community. To check it out, go to the 31 day challenge intro page where you can read all about it. There is so much info there that just checking it out is well worth it. I feel like I’m on a treasure hunt finding great info at every step of the way.
From the main page you can join by adding your name to the Comment Challenge wiki. To do that on the wiki I went into the text editor, copied and then pasted at duplicate of the last entry in the chart. Then I typed my info into the spaces where his was. If you have trouble with it though, don’t worry. There is an email address and someone else will even add your name and blog site to it.
If you decide to join, do let me know. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to come back and post a comment here.
To follow my own personal journey on this blog challenge check out my blog at Betty Online and be sure to let me know where you’re doing your blogging. I’d love to be part of building a web of connections between all us techie teachers.
Apr
29
April 19 Theme Day feedback
April 29, 2008 | Tagged Alan November, technology in education, Theme Days, TLITE | 2 Comments
Generally most of the feedback about the day was very positive. Alan November’s presentation was well received. Here’s a sampling of the comments about his presentation. If your sentiments for his presentation, or any part of the theme day aren’t included please feel free to add what you want to say into the comments for this blog included.
- Awesome. He gave us great ideas involving free resources. Some people complained about our lack of funding, but if you’re willing…there’s a way.
- Allan was wonderfully provocative, engaging and friendly. He gave us not only ideas but contexts in which to use them.
- Excellent, inspirational, well spoken and entertaining; thought provoking
- Amazing - Thank you. My brain is hurting trying to process all the new ideas and exciting opportunities. We are not limited by $$ but by our attitutes
- Can he return?? Excellent
Very adaptable to any and all questions. Lovely tone, pace and story telling. Practical applications and showing us how to. - I really enjoyed Mr. November’s lecture. His warm personal delivery was very engaign and informative. He opened my eyes to how very important it is to give students “ownership” of their learning. Excellent! I learned that BC online has great tutoring sessions for high school stuents. Thank you
- Too long, good ideas for older grades. I got a couple of good ideas for elementary but would prefer to see a speaker who spoke more to the elementary grades.
- Wow. Ideas to use now. Stimulated my creativity. Big idea — As an SFU community let’s support and share how to get tech resources and work through the paperwork.
- Wonderful. Modeling everything we want to be doing. Cool ideas, powerful and free suggestions. Surprisingly self deprecating and NOT self promoting.
- Fabulous. I have many ideas of how I will use technology in the future. I am very excited about empowering my students.
- Good speaker - however not applicable to our grade level (gr 2) . Too long.
- I loved the learning for myself— and as a teacher. I liked how it applied to all ages. So much information. I loved it! It gave me a lot to think about and more direction for the future.
- Good ideas — difficult to hear (acoustics) and see screen (too bright).
- Excellent - really appropriate. Terrible venue - hard to see, really difficult to hear. The screens were an important part of his presentation.
- Excellent! Good energy - engaging the whole time. I liked the Turkey site:tr info. BCOnline - did not know about this. Sceencasting - wow. Lots of ideas for the future. Jing will be my next exploration. Ustream - if I get time. Inspiring speaker.
- Very long, quite boring. Very scattered.
- Excellent. Very inspirational. I was part of a Coquitlam Learning Team and have seen Alan November three times through that. His online learning courses should be required for all teachers to give them a basic understanding. His podcasts should be used in ProD.
- I really enjoyed the session with Alan November. Found him both entertaining and informative. Last three keynotes have been excellent. More please.
- Great ideas, but needs to address the real financial challenges from the Ministry and school boards that limit the ability to find technological initiatives.
- Fabulous! I liked the “thinking around the problems” ideas, not relying on or being blocked by blame. (Yes the government sucks, resources are hard to come by, but make it work.) Excellent ideas; many I will try to incorportae.
- I like the concept of shared learning: scribo, delicious, screen casting, students watching students’ videos before learning. In a nutshell: I love new ideas.
So as I said, a sampling. I’ve tried to include anything different but also some kind of representation of the wide range of feedback. I invite you all to respond to any of these.
More on the rest of the day to come.
Jan
24
More on the January 12 Theme Day - What about those Play Sessions?
January 24, 2008 | | 1 Comment
The Play sessions had more mixed reviews. Most often groups suggested that facilitators in each of the rooms would have helped. That came out loud and clear from the feedback and so we thank you all for that. The next time we try doing “play sessions” we’ll definitely work them so that there is some kind of facilitation. I was intrigued though by that part of the day and I’d like to share my curiousity about it.
I spent the afternoon wandering about the facility. Initially I was trying to poke my head into every room to see what was going on in each. I also decided to try to get Brian’s wiki url up on the white board in as many rooms as possible. What I observed was that there were a few people in many of the rooms. In some, people were working quietly; in others, people were talking and sharing ideas. In still others smaller groups of people were working. In a few rooms first year mentor groups were “jumping the gun” and having their mentor meetings early. I ran into several different people in the hallway and often stopped to chat and/or answer questions. Back down in the foyer, there were several clumps of people at tables. Some groups were clearly “mentor groups” moving as a unit. People were talking, laughing, sometimes grouped together looking over shoulders at a single computer. I saw people (often in mentor groups or pairs) coming back from lunch, going out to lunch. I didn’t see anyone doing nothing or not engaged. No one asked “what are we supposed to be doing?” I did have one person stop me in the hall to say that there was no one in the room he wanted to work in. I suggested he go work there anyways. Maybe someone would join him. Generally all day I saw people networking, sharing ideas, talking, fiddling with computers and showing each other stuf, albeit sometimes fun or funny stuff. It all looked good.
Then this flood of feedback that says we needed facilitators…
- just to get things going;
- [because the play sessions] seemed “unfocused” making it hard to decide which to attend;
- to know that someone would be available in advance to answer questions would have been helpful;
- to provide a more guided time together;
- to give more structure;
- so they could share info/demonstration;
- to welcome people, answer questions so it feels more stable;
- to be beneficial;
- to provide some direction.
Hmmm, clearly we need facilitators or presentors for “how to” workshops and some people wanted those. I get that. But I’m left with a question about PLAY. What does it look like for adults? Were people “playing” today or was that something else? Is it educationally valuable? Does play have to be structured? Must it be facilitated to make it be educational? By setting topics did we offer too much structure?
I’m not sure but I’m thinking about all this. Definitely we’ll move back to offering a bit more structure at Theme days in the future, but I don’t want to give up on this completely and so maybe we’ll keep on squeezing in a play room at each upcoming Theme day. I hope you’ll watch for them and think about this yourself. Can you play and learn at the same time?
For me as a teacher I learned two important lessons from the day. The first is that with respect to my comment to the second year group about how beautifully the media camp that Maple Ridge hosted last year worked I would like to publicly acknowledge the amazing job that Bob Schnider did at facilitating that event. Bob is truly an expert in masterminding the role of facilitator without ever declaring himself as such. Second, I also underestimated the need for scaffolding based on my own learning style. Because I prefer to learn in a very self-directed style I assume sometimes that it is an easy thing for others to do. The day was a good reminder to me about the need to pay attention to that in planning such events. All good food for thought.
Posted by Betty Gilgoff
Jan
12
Using New Media in Education
January 12, 2008 | | Leave a Comment
Brian’s presentation at our TLITE theme day today was definitely a highlight and a real success. Feedback comments included the following:
- Presenter was entertaining, engaging, relevant, and timely. Useful info! For future TLITE events: Brian Lamb - Part 2!
- Keynote was fantastic! (echoed several times)
- I enjoyed the critical thinking lecture in regards to Facebook/Privacy.
- I could have listened to him all day. He knew what he was talking about, had great resources, etc.
- Have the keynote speaker come back anytime as everyone enjoyed his presentation.
- Good to learn about Creative Commons licences
- Guest speaker passed on good sites and resources.
- Liked the way the speaker addressed some of the topics in the play sessions; liked the historical perspective, liked his passion; suggestion: have him come back for a longer time; nice style - good speaker
- The keynote speaker was interesting. He touched on a variety of information (some of which was food for thought) and his humor was enjoyable. Some people who were unfamiliar with the ideas did find it a little hard to follow because he jumped around a lot. However they left with some websites to check out.
- Keynote speaker was top-notch
- Keynote speaker: wonderful, informative and enjoyable speaker. He had lots of good info… very well chosen keynote speaker.
- Brian Lamb was excellent. Thank you for providing a speaker with so much technological/theoretical knowledge and experience. He posed some great questions and made me think of implications for possible field study work.
- SkreemR, great site. We liked Brian Lamb- Creative Commons. Interesting insight regarding how technology is impacting different industries.
- Brian Lamb - informative
- Impressed with keynote. We want more of the same.
- Brian was awesome; enlightening & informative
- We need more time with Brian. We enjoyed his candid lecture.
- The keynote presentation was fantastic. Many things to explore. The amount of “marketing” connected to the web (ie. facebook). Our group will definitely go back and look at his stuff. He has so much to share. We need to hear him again.
- Keynote was enjoyable- broad perspective-inspired us to try other “things” - not too much detail - models what he is presenting.
- Guest speaker was easy to listen to/ good knowledge
Plus several more just saying that Brian was really excellent. As I said at the end of his second presentation, this was my fifth time or so hearing Brian present and I am still learning each time. Thank you Brian.
For anyone that didn’t get it bookmarked today, Brian presented from http://wiki.elearning.ubc.ca/ComingApart
Blog entry still to come: What about those Play sessions?
Nov
7
Is Theme Day attendance mandatory?
November 7, 2007 | | Leave a Comment
The answer to the question is not really a simple yes or no. While SFU generally as a policy doesn’t require attendance, the philosophy behind self-directed learning definitely includes a curiousity to investigate and learn from opportunities which present themselves. Several of the capacities speak indirectly to this as well. For example being a knowledgeable educator, a critical practitioner and a reflective practitioner, all require involvement with current educational issues and trends so that the learner has opportunities for learning about and working with new ideas, current thinking and new ideas, As well, the capacities in TLITE include being a supportive colleague in both your school community and your TLITE community. To be supportive requires that you actively participate in community. Having said that, being an autonomous learner always requires that you are taking charge of your learning. Clearly a conference type event is not going to meet the learning needs of all of the participants and so each of them will need to decide for themselves how they will make best use of they day. For many the speakers and planned activities will be well suited to their learning needs. For others, the collaborative space and discussion times will be more valuable, depending who they are able to connect to and how they approach the day. For some, self study time at home might be more beneficial. So weighing in all of the factors, each individual learner will need to decide in conjunction with her/his mentor how mandatory the Theme day is.
Having said all of that, our mission in planning Theme Days is to offer opportunities which will meet the needs of the learners in TLITE. When learners feel that they are not meeting their learning needs we would welcome those learners involvement in the planning process.
Above all else, life happens. There will always be times when no matter how much a learner wants to participate in any particular “community of practice” we have to take care of our selves and our families. Given that, again students should be in communication with their mentors with regards to what is going on for them.
Nov
4
Just trying out Edublog here to see if it would be useful for documenting ideas, changes, successes and feedback as we work to strengthen the TLITE program. Clearly as educators move more and more into exploring Web2.0 it makes sense that as educators of the educators, we use the same tools. While our Moodle classroom on SCoPE offers us some of those tools, it is limited to those who can sign in and has other limitations in terms of layout. A newletter type blog here could prove useful. Please watch for updates and feel free to comment on what we post.
