Hello folks,
While you are all putting the finishing touches to your design projects, I though I'll share with you a blog that is kept by one of very own just recently graduated from the CT programme lecturer. Here she blogs about her experience as an educator and it does serve for some compelling reading. She has kindly consented for her blog to be linked here. So enjoy reading and let me know if you have a blog that you keep or know of any good educational blogs to share. Cheers!
http://bloomsbureau.blogspot.com/
Thursday, September 25, 2008
21st Century Learning
Hi Folks,
Now that some of us are hard at work designing a mind blowing lap top lesson, I thought I'll share with you a video that my colleague was sharing with ESD on 21st century learning. The presenter of the video is Sir Robinson, a visionary and a thinker who has a sense of humour. Anyway, in this video he talks about what 21st century learning will be like. Watch and enjoy and leave a comment on what you think and how this impacts us as lecturers for students of the future.
This is the link. PS - Be patient when you download it as it is 60 MB. Cheers! Or you can watch it from the blog directly if you dont want to download a copy.
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=4ae41d9643a90bf37069484bded33bcd004ab91c478d7100
Now that some of us are hard at work designing a mind blowing lap top lesson, I thought I'll share with you a video that my colleague was sharing with ESD on 21st century learning. The presenter of the video is Sir Robinson, a visionary and a thinker who has a sense of humour. Anyway, in this video he talks about what 21st century learning will be like. Watch and enjoy and leave a comment on what you think and how this impacts us as lecturers for students of the future.
This is the link. PS - Be patient when you download it as it is 60 MB. Cheers! Or you can watch it from the blog directly if you dont want to download a copy.
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=4ae41d9643a90bf37069484bded33bcd004ab91c478d7100
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Something to Think About
I was surfing the web recently as we were doing the laptop project and I cam across this article that had some professors ban the lap top in their classroom because they felt that the lap top served too much as a distraction. Anyway, Professor Oscar Madison in his blog seems to counter these suggestions. More interestingly, a student has responded to the debate (you can read more on the blog HERE) and this is what he / she has said:
"As a student, I am relieved to see Althouse, Conglomerate, Nina and Oscar inject some sense into this completely overblown mess. This seems to be either about egos and/or generational stubbornness. Dynamic and engaging teaching styles grab students’ attention lowering the appeal of in-class surfing. This teaching style is more common among young faculty, who from what I have been observing, enjoy as a group a lower-than-average rate of in-class wireless activity. Those who don’t, let’s be honest, feel disrespected. A clear choice: either make an effort to get in tune with your students or get over it, or more appropriately, get over yourself. Generational stubbornness? Maybe. The sentiment implicit in ‘pissed-off’ faculty complaining about wireless activity tastes just like the out-of-touch excuses we get from the administration when addressing laptop usage in final exams and faulty wireless in the law school building… again, get over thyself for the good of all of us.So what about wireless sinners “distracting other students.” Let’s be clear, there is nothing viable/enforceable that can be done. Let’s say the class agrees on some in-class standard or kind of wireless activity. Now let’s assume I break it, will I get kicked out, docked a point or two off my final grade? Nothing, that’s what will happen to me; nothing outside of the disapproval of my fellow students and professors. Unless of course some professors have their way and take us back to the days when spanking a student in front of the class was okay. Etiquette and decorum already determine the norm of in-class wireless behavior! Let’s all move on."
What do you think?
"As a student, I am relieved to see Althouse, Conglomerate, Nina and Oscar inject some sense into this completely overblown mess. This seems to be either about egos and/or generational stubbornness. Dynamic and engaging teaching styles grab students’ attention lowering the appeal of in-class surfing. This teaching style is more common among young faculty, who from what I have been observing, enjoy as a group a lower-than-average rate of in-class wireless activity. Those who don’t, let’s be honest, feel disrespected. A clear choice: either make an effort to get in tune with your students or get over it, or more appropriately, get over yourself. Generational stubbornness? Maybe. The sentiment implicit in ‘pissed-off’ faculty complaining about wireless activity tastes just like the out-of-touch excuses we get from the administration when addressing laptop usage in final exams and faulty wireless in the law school building… again, get over thyself for the good of all of us.So what about wireless sinners “distracting other students.” Let’s be clear, there is nothing viable/enforceable that can be done. Let’s say the class agrees on some in-class standard or kind of wireless activity. Now let’s assume I break it, will I get kicked out, docked a point or two off my final grade? Nothing, that’s what will happen to me; nothing outside of the disapproval of my fellow students and professors. Unless of course some professors have their way and take us back to the days when spanking a student in front of the class was okay. Etiquette and decorum already determine the norm of in-class wireless behavior! Let’s all move on."
What do you think?
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Lesson Design Project Using Laptops - Registration Now Open!
Hi Folks,
the registration for the Lesson Design Project Using Laptops is now open. Please register via Easys. You will need to be in the SPICE environment to access Easys and register. Look for "CT Laptop Workshop". The class will be from 22nd Sept - 26th Sept and for 5 full days. As usual, please emailme if you have questions or leave a thought at the C-box at the side of the panel.
Thanks! PS - The programme is at the bottom of this post.
the registration for the Lesson Design Project Using Laptops is now open. Please register via Easys. You will need to be in the SPICE environment to access Easys and register. Look for "CT Laptop Workshop". The class will be from 22nd Sept - 26th Sept and for 5 full days. As usual, please emailme if you have questions or leave a thought at the C-box at the side of the panel.
Thanks! PS - The programme is at the bottom of this post.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Lesson Design Project Using Laptops
Hi Folks,
This entry is just a reminder for you to mark out your dates for the CT Lesson Design Project Using Laptops. It is scheduled to run from 22nd September to 26th September 2008. The link to register will be sent soon. Essentially, as you will no doubt already know, SP has made buying of laptops compulsory for all students. The question is, are we harnessing the power of these laptops in our classrooms? Well, this workshop will hopefully give us a few ideas on how this can be done. In the coming weks, I will be putting up these ideas here via video for your comments and also for us to get a few creative ideas. Basically the programme will be as follows:
Monday 22nd September 2008
AM - Lesson Design Using Laptops incorporating the Core Principles of Learning
PM - Lesson Design Maps
Tuesday 23rd September 2008
AM - ETools as suggested by participants
PM - Left to groups to design their project
Wednesday 24th September 2008
AM & PM - Left to groups to design their projects
Thursday 25th September 2008
AM&PM - Left to groups to design their projects
Friday 26th September 2008
AM & PM - Presentation of Projects by group members and peer evaluations
*PS - ESD staff are available throughout the week for help and consultations.
See you guys on the 26th! By the way please feel free to share ideas on technology by posting ideas, links, pics in the comments page!
Monday, September 1, 2008
On This Day!
HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY!!!!
On this special day, I would like to share with you a poem my students gave me which I still have till today. Enjoy your special day!
Why God Created Teachers
When God created teachers,
He gave us special friends
To help us understand his world
And truly comprehend
The beauty and the wonder
Of everything we see.
And become a better person
With each discovery.
When God created teachers,
He gave us special guides
To show us ways in which to grow
So we can all decide
How to live and how to do
What's right instead of wrong,
To lead us so that we can lead
and learn how to be strong.
Why God created teachers
In His wisdom and in his grace,
Was to help us learn to make our world
A better, wiser place.
CT COP Reflections
Hi Folks,
I hope you have had a good weekend. I know some of you are desperately marking and are looking forward to a good holiday. Hang in there, the holidays beckon! I thought I'll send you guys off into the holidays with some reflective thoughts on the session. Firstly, I thank you all again for coming and it also occurred to me that most of you rated the session as very enjoyable but when it came to networking amongst your colleagues, mist of you felt that you did not have enough of an opportunity to do so. How can we improve the session the next time? In other words, how can we allow for more networking? Maybe play a few games? I would appreciate it if you could leave a comment on how this can be done.
Secondly, I would like to thank the presenters again for their sharing. I think the one thing that caught my attention was how each of you have this desire to make your classes fun and interesting for your students. I salute you. Please feel free to use this blog to share teaching ideas with your colleagues. This is your platform. I think now as you guys and gals start to hone your teaching skills and start to raise the teaching bar, I would like to challenge you guys and gals to go one step further to aim higher, what else can you do to be truly effective lesson designers? What can you do to create the "WOW" experience for your students? It is at this point I will shamelessly point you guys and gals to the Core Principles of Learning again. Have a closer look at the Core Principles and see what you think. Revists often bring new perspectives.
Thirdly, I think there are a lot more of you who have interesting stuff to share and I would like to urge you to share them with the rest. I have a former colleague from MOE who is now ith Temasek Poly and I have been trying to get him to get his lecturers to begin a COP as well so that we can move across institutions. I think that might take some time though as he is a nw staff there and he is just settling down.
Lastly, the Lap Top Design programme is on and see you on the 22nd of September. I am sorting out the groups and will be sending you the link to sign up soon. Cheers and have a good and restful holiday!
I hope you have had a good weekend. I know some of you are desperately marking and are looking forward to a good holiday. Hang in there, the holidays beckon! I thought I'll send you guys off into the holidays with some reflective thoughts on the session. Firstly, I thank you all again for coming and it also occurred to me that most of you rated the session as very enjoyable but when it came to networking amongst your colleagues, mist of you felt that you did not have enough of an opportunity to do so. How can we improve the session the next time? In other words, how can we allow for more networking? Maybe play a few games? I would appreciate it if you could leave a comment on how this can be done.
Secondly, I would like to thank the presenters again for their sharing. I think the one thing that caught my attention was how each of you have this desire to make your classes fun and interesting for your students. I salute you. Please feel free to use this blog to share teaching ideas with your colleagues. This is your platform. I think now as you guys and gals start to hone your teaching skills and start to raise the teaching bar, I would like to challenge you guys and gals to go one step further to aim higher, what else can you do to be truly effective lesson designers? What can you do to create the "WOW" experience for your students? It is at this point I will shamelessly point you guys and gals to the Core Principles of Learning again. Have a closer look at the Core Principles and see what you think. Revists often bring new perspectives.
Thirdly, I think there are a lot more of you who have interesting stuff to share and I would like to urge you to share them with the rest. I have a former colleague from MOE who is now ith Temasek Poly and I have been trying to get him to get his lecturers to begin a COP as well so that we can move across institutions. I think that might take some time though as he is a nw staff there and he is just settling down.
Lastly, the Lap Top Design programme is on and see you on the 22nd of September. I am sorting out the groups and will be sending you the link to sign up soon. Cheers and have a good and restful holiday!
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