I have learnt…

Well, I’m almost there… Just one more assignment to submit and this semester will finally be over! I’ve learnt as much about myself as I have the course content, I think.

I’ve learnt that despite having computers available to me whilst on prac, when they take the lesson to logon due to them being past their used by date (seriously), sometimes it’s just not worth the bother. It got so bad that my mentor decided to scrap the use of them entirely until they are replaced (it’s due to happen very soon).

I’ve learnt that sometimes you sit in the Replace/ Amplify part of the RAT framework because you just don’t have the time to think outside the box to come up with something that is challenging, inspiring and Transforming.

I’ve learnt that I know more about ICTs than I had given myself credit for. I knew how to connect my computer to the data projector when my mentor was away. I knew that the noise the data projector was making wasn’t a healthy one, inspiring my mentor to “log a job” once again. I knew how to get the students through a session on the computers when things were dragging along…

The noisy data projector.

Day 3

Day three is done and dusted and, after a bumpy first lesson yesterday, I’m pleased to report that today went so much better! Yesterday I felt like a dear caught in the headlights when I was teaching. I had a very detailed lesson plan, my mentor was extremely encouraging, but I got stage fright! That’s the best way I can describe it. Stage fright. I realised how important it was for me to work through the lesson from the perspective of a year 2 student. I had solved the problem, so I knew how to do it, I just hadn’t looked at it from what knowledge they would have. I solved it using multiplication and division – they aren’t yet at that point! On reflection with my mentor, I figure this comes with experience and I’m unlikely to walk into a lesson and make the same mistake again.

Today, after going over my lesson plan with a fine-toothed comb, went smoothly. I was confident with my content knowledge, I was confident in explaining strategies in multiple ways and most of all, I relaxed. It was fun interacting with the students and having a laugh with them along the way.

I like Kim’s outlook on pracs in that this is great experience. Even a lesson that goes south is experience. It gives us all a chance to reflect and work out how we might teach the lesson differently next time.

As for technology… I’m using a data projector daily – it certainly makes for much less writing on the board. The computer hub is very unreliable so during reading groups, I have been helping students to log onto studyladder and supporting them in the technology glitches. So far no “Transforming”, but I think, certainly “Amplifying”…

Day 1

I thought it might be a good idea to keep some kind of journal for my own records – what better way than to blog!

Today was Day one of prac, as it was for many of my fellow students. it was nice to begin the day with a few friendly faces of those I have completed pracs with in the past, and staff members I have seen around the ridges since I was a student myself.

The technology I have available to me is fairly limited, however I am utilising it – I think – to amplify learning. I’m not sure yet how I might be able to use it to “transform” student learning… I will endeavour to explore this when I get my head around the lesson planning once again.

At the moment I have available to me a data projector, however I am unsure if it is possible to plug it into my computer as it seems to need a fair bit of extra support to keep it running. But, I can adapt! A memory stick will work just fine, and I can plug this into my mentor’s computer.

The 8 computers are shared between two classes. However, only a handful of these work. Students use these to engage with Study Ladder activities set by the teacher.

Tonight I am planning my lessons. I have one done for tomorrow (using the data projector), and am currently working on the one for Wednesday.

I’m feeling a little more confident than I did last week, but we’ll see how tomorrow goes after I teach my first lesson.

Connect.ed Certificate

Well, I’ve finally completed my certificate for the connect.ed program. I found there to be a lot of useful information throughout the modules, information to be used to plan and implement lessons on cybersafety. I must remember to note the websites to go to so I can refer to them at a later date.

At the completion of the four modules, you are given a certificate to download and add to your portfolio. I have attached a link to mine below.

Connect.ed certificate

No time for Monday-itis!

Monday is fast approaching, the first day of prac. I’m hoping that I will be far too focussed to worry about the dreaded “Monday-itis”, but I’m sure it will be replaced with high anxiety levels, nerves, jitters, and everything else!

Today I met my mentor. They seem lovely and supportive and confident in my ability – I wish I felt that confidence! I took along my list of questions but thought of even more after I left.

I was reading through Amy’s post on some of the questions she had come up with to ask – quite a comprehensive list!

Through my meeting this afternoon, I have learned that I will have limited access to technology outside of the data projector in the room (Here’s hoping I will be able to plug my own laptop in to it!). I’m fortunate to have a technologically-minded husband so we have been brainstorming how I might be able to utilise the technology available to me and add a few bits from home to give me a few more tools to work with. I’m hoping I will be able to use strategies to solve any issues that may very well arise from this process!

Assignments, Assignments, Assig… What’s happening on facebook?

As with many of you, I am overwhelmed with assignments to complete… And I get distracted so easily! Helloooo Facebook! This week has been the first week where I have been able to focus for any length of time, yet I still find myself going around and around in circles. Yesterday I spent a whole day focussing on one assignment only to realise that I hadn’t actually achieved anything! Hopefully I’ll get on a roll and it will all be done in no time – especially given that prac starts in less than a week! OMG!

I was reading through some blogs today and noticed Sam’s post about an app he put me onto last year called RefMe. It enables the user to reference a book  by scanning the barcode using their phone. There are multiple referencing styles to chose from as well. As with any of these programs, it comes with some flaws, for example, this app doesn’t italicise the title. But it sure is handy when you’re at the end of an assignment and you need to formalise your referencing.

TPACK… T-What???

Holy Moly! Teachers are well known for their uses of TLAs – Three Letter Acronyms, or just the over use of acronyms in general. This week we are learning about TPACK, or Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge. As I understand it, this is broken up into Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), Content Knowledge (CK), and everywhere these overlap, so we have Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), Technological Knowledge (TK), Technological Content Knowledge (You guess it, TCK), Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK). These all overlap to form TPACK. I’m trying to get my head around it all, but this video provided within the learning path breaks it down a bit.

Feel free to share what you understand of TPACK.

Photo fear…

I am madly trying to catch up on workbooks from previous weeks and well as complete assessment, and have come across a page on taking photographs whilst on prac. Due to studying part-time, I have seen quite a change in technology. When I began my first prac back in 2009, I was still fairly new to facebook, and I had one of the first generation iPhones. I can recall a hail storm where the students, teacher and myself rushed outside and I took photos of the end result – photos of the kids playing in the ice! And the only camera handy was my phone. There was a student who had been away, quite unwell. Her classmates decided to dress up her desk chair as if she were still there and pose for pictures – I took these pictures with my phone. This was considered normal, and totally fine. At the time. What has happened then to produce such fear where we are asked not to take photos unless using a school camera (I’m sure there are many schools with cameras with such old technology, my iPhone 6 can capture clearer images)? Where has the trust in the professionalism of teachers gone? Is it a lack of understanding? Or is it a case of a few having ruined it for the majority?

A quick search on the internet brings up a range of documents and policies explaining reasons behind why workplaces are banning use of personal devices such as the camera phone. This is just one of those documents. To me, rather than an looking to educate staff, students and families, it is approaching the issue by banning mobile devices at their establishment.

A different way of learning

For another course I am doing, we had a group assignment… While I know many cringe at the thought of completing such tasks, I actually enjoy them! I love learning from my peers. Although, I have been pretty blessed to be part of some really good groups.

For this assignment we had a case study child and were asked to compile a powerpoint presentation on how we might approach the teaching of an EAL/D (That’s English as and Additional Language or Dialect – formally known as ESL) student. As we had three members living locally and one in Western Queensland, we collaborated through the use of Google Docs (I think I’ve mentioned this in a previous post), then used Google Slides to work on the presentation. From here we had to post our presentation to a forum and then engage in professional discussion with fellow course members. The second part of the assignment was to take all of our posts and highlight where we felt we demonstrated an understanding of the difficulties faced by EAL/D students. We had to lead and monitor discussion within our own thread as well as initating discussion within the posts of others. I’ve never completed an assessment piece in this way but I felt this was moving into the “Transform” part of the RAT framework in using technology to transform our learning. How else would we be able to engage with course members across the world – or even campuses?

Apps, apps, apps

Have you ever searched for apps or webpages for something specific, found what you were looking for only to realise after downloading and installing any extra technology required to run such a program that it won’t do the job at all?
Searching the internet and app store for programs to use in year 2 maths lessons has tripped me up. Assessment time seems to turn my brain to slush and I’ve found that I’ve been searching around and around and wasted so much time, and not found anything that does exactly what I am after!
I thought I’d found a wonderful app that could teach some of the concepts I would like to focus on, and while it has many positives, it is Americanised and uses a Maths language not really suitable to the early years in Australia.

Take a look for yourself and let me know what you think! Grade 2 Math.