On Lisa Nielson's blog called 'The Innovative Educator', she shares her opinions on how to improve the classroom experience for learners, as she felt school was boring and irrelevant. Her aim with the blog is to help create change.
I found her piece on the importance of learning being shifted to the learners very interesting. It really does make a lot more sense to involve the learners in every aspect of the teaching-learning experience. The learners should be made to feel that what they are learning is actually something they want to learn, their opinions should become important and seen as relevant when choosing teaching-learning material.
To access the article go to: http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.co.za/2015/11/the-teacher-is-not-most-important.html#more
Thursday, 26 November 2015
Are all online resources useful? | My views on Scoop.It
There are an abundance of online resources available to teachers, but not all of them are useful to teachers in the way they were intended to be. Especially in cases where teachers already have online resources they rely on.
As an aspiring teacher (graduation is in two weeks time) I already have sites I rely on to assist me, adding more to the list sometimes helps as they are more focused on education, while others are just another 'type' of resource, very similar to others. One such example would be, 'Scoop.It' - it is a very good resource, but preferably for someone who doesn't already have a Pinterest account as it is basically Pinterest. You do the exact same thing you would do on Pinterest on this site - where you 'pin' or as they would say, 'scoop' different resources you like onto your board, and you also have the option of sharing it to other social networking sites, for instance your Facebook page or Twitter account. With Pinterest you can create different boards, so if you already have an education board, Scoop.It seems unnecessary.
As one of the girl's in the short course so nicely put it, "it just becomes another password to forget", and this is especially true if you are already an avid user of the internet.
Here is the link to Scoop.It: http://www.scoop.it/ - check it out and let me know what you think.
As an aspiring teacher (graduation is in two weeks time) I already have sites I rely on to assist me, adding more to the list sometimes helps as they are more focused on education, while others are just another 'type' of resource, very similar to others. One such example would be, 'Scoop.It' - it is a very good resource, but preferably for someone who doesn't already have a Pinterest account as it is basically Pinterest. You do the exact same thing you would do on Pinterest on this site - where you 'pin' or as they would say, 'scoop' different resources you like onto your board, and you also have the option of sharing it to other social networking sites, for instance your Facebook page or Twitter account. With Pinterest you can create different boards, so if you already have an education board, Scoop.It seems unnecessary.
As one of the girl's in the short course so nicely put it, "it just becomes another password to forget", and this is especially true if you are already an avid user of the internet.
Here is the link to Scoop.It: http://www.scoop.it/ - check it out and let me know what you think.
Wednesday, 25 November 2015
Keeping track of learners | Online Resource | Edmodo
In today's fast-paced world and the ever-changing face of technology and online resources, what better way to keep track of your learners than through an online platform similar to something the learners are all used to using, called Edmodo.
What is Edmodo?
Edmodo is similar to Facebook in that you have sign up for it, you can upload pictures, statuses and the like, but it is used by teachers, learners and their parents to track any homework or assignments the learners may have to complete at home. With these assignments you can attach links to the rubric, reading material and so on.
How does Edmodo work?
The teacher creates a group for each of his/her different class groups, and will then be able to invite his/her learners to their relevant groups using unique group code. Within these groups the teacher can create different tasks, share links, statuses and create alerts for learners when an assignment or task is due.
Is Edmodo safe? Will it not be abused like Facebook or Twitter? What about cyber-bullying?
Edmodo is very safe as the teacher has complete control over the site and moderates all posts that the learners create. The teacher, therefore, sees the post before it becomes public and can choose to make it public or not. With this moderation in place the likelihood of cyber-bullying occurring is slim to none (unless of course the teacher is the bully - let's hope not).
How does Edmodo benefit parents?
It is an easy way for parents to keep track of what assignments or tasks the learners have due at school, and makes communication between teacher, learner and parent much easier.
Edmodo at a glance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-KBwriCO-Q
What do you think of Edmodo? Would you use it? Would it still be relevant even though homework may become a thing of the past with the recent success of a 'No Homework Policy at Sun Valley'? Link to Article and Sound Clip | No Homework at Sun Valley
What is Edmodo?
Edmodo is similar to Facebook in that you have sign up for it, you can upload pictures, statuses and the like, but it is used by teachers, learners and their parents to track any homework or assignments the learners may have to complete at home. With these assignments you can attach links to the rubric, reading material and so on.
How does Edmodo work?
The teacher creates a group for each of his/her different class groups, and will then be able to invite his/her learners to their relevant groups using unique group code. Within these groups the teacher can create different tasks, share links, statuses and create alerts for learners when an assignment or task is due.
Is Edmodo safe? Will it not be abused like Facebook or Twitter? What about cyber-bullying?
Edmodo is very safe as the teacher has complete control over the site and moderates all posts that the learners create. The teacher, therefore, sees the post before it becomes public and can choose to make it public or not. With this moderation in place the likelihood of cyber-bullying occurring is slim to none (unless of course the teacher is the bully - let's hope not).
How does Edmodo benefit parents?
It is an easy way for parents to keep track of what assignments or tasks the learners have due at school, and makes communication between teacher, learner and parent much easier.
Edmodo at a glance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-KBwriCO-Q
What do you think of Edmodo? Would you use it? Would it still be relevant even though homework may become a thing of the past with the recent success of a 'No Homework Policy at Sun Valley'? Link to Article and Sound Clip | No Homework at Sun Valley
Using movies to enrich teaching? Yes or no?
During the course of the year many of my lecturers have discouraged the use of movies to enrich teaching. I understand where they may be coming from since many movies are mere interpretations of events in History or of the novels covered in an English class. However, during my teaching practice I noticed that most of the teachers made use of movies to give the learners a visual representation of the work covered or teach the concept of a review, for instance.
I do feel that it can help the teaching-learning experience if used correctly and with caution. In my search for answers, I stumbled across a site called - Teach with Movies, which provides guidelines as to the correct type of movies which should be used, how they should be used, along with a lesson plan. The site can be found at: http://www.teachwithmovies.org/index.html
Quick question - as a teacher, future teacher or parent - what is your standpoint on using movies to enrich the teaching-learning experience?
I do feel that it can help the teaching-learning experience if used correctly and with caution. In my search for answers, I stumbled across a site called - Teach with Movies, which provides guidelines as to the correct type of movies which should be used, how they should be used, along with a lesson plan. The site can be found at: http://www.teachwithmovies.org/index.html
Quick question - as a teacher, future teacher or parent - what is your standpoint on using movies to enrich the teaching-learning experience?
Making History relevant and relatble | Online Resource | ClassTools.net
History is one of those subjects where learners seem to be dozing off in the corner or having their own conversations while the teacher teaches. It is also one of those subjects that many learners choose not to take on during their Further Education and Training (FET) years because they find it boring and irrelevant.
However, History isn't boring and it will always be relevant (this coming from a future History teacher), but the learners do not all see the sense in learning about the past. This makes the teacher's job a unique one because there needs to be a way to make the work more engaging and relatable to the learners.
Look no further than ClassTools.net. I stumbled upon it during my teaching practical in September, it is a fun way to create either memes or a spoof Facebook page relating to different parts of History. This online resource could either be used to create funny historical memes on posters for the History classroom or as a tool for the learners when completing assignments - a fun spin on things and a move away from the stiff, boring assignments normally associated with History.
ClassTools.net can also be used to create quizzes, games and other activities. All this without having to sign up or pay for anything. The website can be found at: http://www.classtools.net/
And yes, I know I'm relating this to History, but this tool could also be used in any other subject, including Mathematics and the sciences (Physical, Natural and Life Sciences), and imagine the amazing things you could with this resource for an English novel or play.
However, History isn't boring and it will always be relevant (this coming from a future History teacher), but the learners do not all see the sense in learning about the past. This makes the teacher's job a unique one because there needs to be a way to make the work more engaging and relatable to the learners.
Look no further than ClassTools.net. I stumbled upon it during my teaching practical in September, it is a fun way to create either memes or a spoof Facebook page relating to different parts of History. This online resource could either be used to create funny historical memes on posters for the History classroom or as a tool for the learners when completing assignments - a fun spin on things and a move away from the stiff, boring assignments normally associated with History.
ClassTools.net can also be used to create quizzes, games and other activities. All this without having to sign up or pay for anything. The website can be found at: http://www.classtools.net/
And yes, I know I'm relating this to History, but this tool could also be used in any other subject, including Mathematics and the sciences (Physical, Natural and Life Sciences), and imagine the amazing things you could with this resource for an English novel or play.
 |
| Some of the fun things you can do on ClassTools.net! |
Thursday, 19 November 2015
Worksheet Cloud | Online Resource for South Africans
With the recent protest action at South African universities across the country, there has been no time for my blog since my exams were all pushed back. However, they are drawing to a close and now I'm back!
While preparing for my English Curriculum Studies final exam, I stumbled across a wonderful resource for teachers and parents for grades 1 to 12, which includes worksheets for English, Afrikaans, Mathematics and Natural Science. The worksheets are downloadable at a small cost to parents - R120 once-off and R50 per month to assist their children at home. Schools can also have regular access to worksheets at a once-off cost of R9500 to the school, where all teachers can have unlimited access to the service.
Schools or parents can sign-up at: http://www.worksheetcloud.com/sign-up/
To take a tour of the services offered by worksheetcloud.com go to: http://www.worksheetcloud.com/
Hope this helps you and your school!
Lisa :)
While preparing for my English Curriculum Studies final exam, I stumbled across a wonderful resource for teachers and parents for grades 1 to 12, which includes worksheets for English, Afrikaans, Mathematics and Natural Science. The worksheets are downloadable at a small cost to parents - R120 once-off and R50 per month to assist their children at home. Schools can also have regular access to worksheets at a once-off cost of R9500 to the school, where all teachers can have unlimited access to the service.
Schools or parents can sign-up at: http://www.worksheetcloud.com/sign-up/
To take a tour of the services offered by worksheetcloud.com go to: http://www.worksheetcloud.com/
Hope this helps you and your school!
Lisa :)
Sunday, 11 October 2015
Why 'A Whole New World'?
I chose this title because for me education is a whole new, different world. I always knew that I would become an educator, but I never realised how much I would actually feel at home in this career path. I knew my prac wouldn't be easy or fun every, single day, but I put my all into it and made sure that I enjoyed at least one thing in my day.
Since I have chosen education as my field of work, I have noted that the field of education changes every day, there are always new and innovative ways of teaching, that are different to the norms and traditions of the past. The face of education is ever-changing - this blog will note these changes, share fun, innovative ways to use technology in the classroom and share experiences faced by educators. Enjoy!
Since I have chosen education as my field of work, I have noted that the field of education changes every day, there are always new and innovative ways of teaching, that are different to the norms and traditions of the past. The face of education is ever-changing - this blog will note these changes, share fun, innovative ways to use technology in the classroom and share experiences faced by educators. Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)