Day 3 of Prac

I actually started prac last Friday, so today marks Day 3 complete of my prac.  I have conducted 2 sessions of maths teaching so far and this will continue for the rest of the week.  So far so good I think.  My mentor is so great.  Just lovely and a wealth of information and assistance. 

My first session was ok, not spectacular, but ok. Although I was well planned and wasn’t a bumbling mess of nerves, I found keeping a consistent and on track flow to the lessons a bit tricky.   Today’s lesson was much better.  I made sure my instructions to the students was a LOT clearer so that they knew when they were to just listen (I DO), interact (WE DO) and explore concepts (YOU DO).

Onwards and upwards!  🙂

 

Getting ready for prac

I begin prac this Friday with a wonderful Year 4/5 class and a fantastic mentor.  For the past 2 weeks have been fortunate enough to do some volunteer work in the classroom to get to know the routine and the kids (I think I have all 30 etched in my brain – as long as the desks don’t get moved – ha ha!).  However, I am particularly nervous about the few ICT’s available in the classroom.  My prac classroom has one IWB and 1 Mac computer for student use.  There are digital camera’s available through the school and there is a whole school computer lab that can be booked.   The IWB is used heavily by my  mentor teacher primarily to engage students by displaying visual stimulus and modelling and explaining concepts.  The integration of this ICT in the classroom is well received and from my observations the students really enjoy and engage in material delivered through this means.  However, I am still unsure how I am going to effectively integrate ICT’s into learning opportunities where the students can become producers of information with ICT’s rather than just receivers.  Anybody else having similar concerns?

Digital footprints

Facebook.  Love it!  Fantastic way to keep in touch, share info, see what’s happening with my friends and love ones.  But wow!  I took the lollipop (see this site:  http://www.takethislollipop.com/) and I have just had the biggest reality check about what my security settings are on my FB account.  And what about my friends, how do they share my info and with whom?

Our digital footprint…….snippets of information that we purposefully provide or sometimes inadvertently leave behind online.  Each piece of information links together that can provide a profile of who we are, what we like doing, where and who we are socialising with.  I found this site provides a great (and short) video on what a digital footprint is and how it is generated.

I think this is very very important information students need to understand and feel as teachers we have a responsibility to ensure our students are well informed with regard to digital footprints.

As mentioned in previous posts, the Cybersmart website is a wonderful tool and  I aim to ensure I integrate learnings of digital footprints into my teachings.

Week 10 – Connect.ed

Connect.ed is an online resource that aims to help teachers understand the characteristics of the typical online experiences of their students, why their students use online technologies, what risks and social demands are associated with digital technologies, and most importantly, ideas and strategies that can help students as they navigate their digital world.

Week 10 of EDC3100 required us to complete 4 online modules of Connect.ed which has given me some fantastic insights, ideas and resources on how to safely guide student behaviours around online technologies.  The associated Cybersmart website is an incredibly valuable resource with a collection of ideas, strategies, tools, literature, interactives and approaches that myself as a future educator can draw upon to guide students to stay safe when navigating their connected world.

The modules asked me to think about my educational aim regarding cybersafety.  I see benefit in approaching cybersafety as a part of everyday teaching.  By doing this, it is a gentle yet powerful way to educate students to make quality and safe choices of their online interactions.  The inclusion of students, teachers, parents, extended family members and the community as outlined by fellow student Anouk, is also a very important aspect when integrating cybersafety approaches and one in which I aim to integrate into learning encounters for my future students.

Web 2.0

The interactive version of the internet making connections and sharing of information with the world just a click away.  According to the ACMA, the Web 2.0 gives users an “online presence”.

This article by the University of Melbourne is a great piece of information which outlines what the Web 2.0 is and what types of applications commonly used in today’s digital age.

So what does this mean for my classroom?  Well it appears that a digital culture is here to stay and developing a positive culture and spirit of ICT’s is integral by teachers.  There are so many wonderful tools available on the Web 2.0 that can be harnessed by teachers to bring learning alive.  My favourites include:

Blogs:  are a simple yet powerful tool that allow students to participate in discussions within a blogging community that may well in fact take conversations to the other side of the world.  The ultimate collaborative learning experience.

Skype: opening up the world of students beyond the classroom walls.  Skype can bring students face to face through a Webcam experts, other students, communities, professionals, etc that would normally be inaccessible.

Storybird: creating and publishing visual stories that can be shared online. 

Glogster:  creating and publishing online and interactive posters that can be shared online.

I am hoping my practical experience allows me to really integrate ICTs into learning experiences to enhance the student learnings.