Monday 20 July 2015

Reflections - RH


Technology is not a solution for curriculum - to determine what students ought to study. However, it is an important consideration as digital technology is an increasing part of our environment that we live, work and play. Part of what students will need is the ability to survive - remain safe - in the digital environment. There needs to be a mental model for children to understand the digital environment and how to behave accordingly. More importantly, we'll need wisdom to achieve a balance between hope and despair for the future. Wisdom doesn't come with a manual, but we could look back and learn from History how civilisations have dealt with changes to society.

My thoughts - learning in a digital age


Reflection.......


Reaffirmed that it is important to understand the fundamentals of the tools and the eco system before designing lessons.  Creating a culture of support rather than blame will help students to thrive better.
Reflection:

1. Leaders need the moral courage to do what is right, even if it is hard and not popular

2. A leader has walked the roads of the student (this Principal came from a poor background, a school that is not a school) and thus felt passionately for the students. If she can break out from poverty, so can her students.

Yang Cherng's Thoughts

We talked about cyberwellness and the importance of teacher-student relationship this morning. These conversation were mostly teacher-centric.

It seems that parents are missing from the conversation.

What are their roles?
How can we get them involved?
What can/should they do?

There is abundant information outside the classroom in the networked world. Students can leverage technology to learn and tap community knowledge in the digital world. Teachers need to connect with their students and design learning that is relevant to them, and enable them to take responsibility of their learning.

Leaders in Digital Literacy

Leaders in Digital Literacy must go through the phases of a learner, problem solver and reflective practitioner. Without these stages, the progress to becoming a leader will be stunted. Similarly, the same space and free time must be given to learners in digital literacy. Let the learners try, let them experiment and let them explore.

Reflection from Alan Goh

Internet connectivity and advancement in tools enable us to design our learning space 1. Learning is personal – We take ownership of our personal or professional learning in the learning communities. We dictate what we want to learn? How we want to learn? Who we want to learn from? 2. Implications on being connected – tools, content, community. Self-awareness is critical as we are visible in the community. We should be aware how we represent ourselves when participating in the community exchange.

Reflection from Hidayah

As we move towards a shift in the education landscape, we have to be well equipped about the fundamentals and the ecosystem of how the tools and applications function. Only then can effective teaching and learning take place. As a teacher, we need to be prepared that what we want to teach may be taken to another level when our students explore other platforms to extend their learning experience. It is then crucial that the teacher be the pivotal point to assess what is relevant.

Reflection - Wen

Where there is fear, there is hope

What resonated was the Linda Cliatt-Wayman's strong passion and belief that there was possibility in every child and the potential of what each child could be.

The slogans were a good way to shape the school's vision and galvanise everyone to move in the same direction. I particularly like how she builds each person's self esteem through affirming her love for them. This was the core of her leadership and one that would remain even after the staff or students have left the organisation.


My Reflection (Valerie)

The internet is such a huge mass of connection and it’s crucial that kids understand what it means to be connected in the space. The right questions need to be asked to set them thinking about their role in the space and the potential danger they are setting themselves up for if they do not have a clear understanding of the social media space they are on. As educators we also need to be familiar with the entire digital ecosystem by being connected to a variety of online spaces. We need to know the affordances and norms of one space to another. In this way, we are at a better position when introducing different tools/spaces in the classroom. 

ComPassion

Linda Wayman is a woman of compassion and passion. Her motivation to persist in school reformation is the result of her background growing up in a school that is not a school. Refusing to let the school under her charge continue in a path that will be a reflection of her past experience, she has dedicated her life to help her students.

I am inspired by her resilience and courage to believe in her students and importantly her teachers to steer the school away from their seemingly destined path.

Jenny's Reflection

Technology is already available. How can we tap on it to facilitate, inspire and engage our learners? Every student or each group of students is a little different. As teachers, we must be ready to tweak our plans and processes to reach out to each and every child. We must be prepared to throw out our plan even if it is just for one student. Digital age is about problem solving, adapting, changing, communicating ideas, perspective taking, co-creating knowledge, questioning, creating.
     
    

Vera's reflection from AM session

I had a good reminder of why we should integrate technology into teaching and learning. The reality that students thrive in now is different. Technology is now a way of life and schools cannot just "try" and catch up. Schools have to be relevant and make learning authentic for students. If we want students to learn with technology, we must first know what that entails and show them.

Farly's Thinking....

I think the problem is that we do not spend enough time walking the talk. We do not understand each tool enough - play, familiarize and make mistakes with it for us to know what we can do with it. We also do not give enough time for us to represent our ideas about each tool or how to use it the way we want to.. so much of the knowledge does not stay nor owned.

How can we creatively do this? When I think deeper, into the context of work that I am doing with teachers, I agree that while we want to cater to individualised spaces for learning, we also want to know what the learning is and about. How can teachers represent what they know in a way that is meaningful for them? How do I empower my learners to acquire knowledge, build it according to how they define it and then continue on it so that they get more out of it than they initially started.

My insight

The morning session reinforced the importance to know the ins and outs of the internet to be an informed educator. One can stay ignorant but he will become irrelevant and disconnect from his students. Educators function in an ever-changing context and profile of students. Hence teachers' professional development should include digital competency too. 

Reflections from Aza

The extent of how vast one's tweets can reach out to calls for a more critical self-awareness of what one tweets.

Reflections from Serene


With greater learning and potential of new forms of communications made possible by emerging technologies, it is vital that teachers comprehend how these tools may be leveraged in the designing of purposeful integrative learning experiences to crystalize students’ digital competencies and not merely subject mastery.

Pauline's Insights...

One question that struck me this morning is 
"How to engage those who don’t know what they don’t know?"

It seems that we may be sometimes assuming that our students know how to learn in the ICT-enriched learning environment, especially as they are supposedly "THE" digital natives". But why is it still so difficult for teachers to seamlessly integrate technology into T&L? Maybe we should rethink how we can do this better by considering the needs of our students who may not know what they don't know before even thinking of how to engage them in this learning environment to design for learning to happen. 

So maybe the first step for myself would be to reflect how differently I am learning now (either at work or building my interests) vs how I used to learn when I was in school... 

Nelson's mind....from morning 20 July

It suddenly dawned on me that knowing who owns what social platforms, online tools and communication tools in the digitally connected world is important and we need to share this with our students. This is critical as media companies merge and acquire each other, they own tremedous amount of personal information too. As these personal information in each platform are mapped together, they can form full digital image of an individual or a community.

Digital privacy can be compromised if all eggs are put together due to mergers and acquisitions.Disturbing global trends. Information in the hands of a few.or in a One super company.

Lily's Reflection for Morning's Session

This morning's session reminded me the importance of making things concrete from abstract for our students. The challenge we face is how to equip teachers to with the skills  to facilitate this. 

I like the example of how teachers need to explain the concept of internet through a simple analogy of a city ie how it is connected, with good and bad people, with places are like cinema and different norms. 

This really makes it relatable and easier to understand for the students.  It is good reminder for us to consciously role model this for our teachers in our PD sessions.


What is professional is also personal...

Always believed that you can never separate your personal life from your professional life. It is impossible to split the person unless you are not fully immersed in it.

Reflections from XT

We tend to be overwhelmed by big stuff that we have to tackle on a daily basis that we sometimes lose sight of our purpose. It is always easier to go with the flow of things rather than to challenge the assumptions. Do we still dare to dream as we once did as a child? Have we truly made meaning out of our purpose as an educator in school or in the headquarters? How connected are we to the ones who truly matter - students?
Linda Lim:
Reflections from Linda Cliatt-Wayman's TED talk

The whole notion of the school as a 'ecosystem' could not be more poignant. The school leader has the mandate! If your role 'is to lead, LEAD'. Dont skirt around it! Take the responsibility and lead. The learning environment in the school is the responsibility of the leader.... 'breathless'. ...

"So What -- Now What?"

"If nobody tells you today that you are loved.... remember I do!" Tough! Fearless Love!

Aside... i wonder... if the ecosystem notion of the school is a real and strong one, perhaps, we cannot 'fault' the teacher if he / she do not want to open up the boundries of the classroom. He/she may not want the culture of the school to 'infiltrate' his/her classroom.


My reflections:

Donaldson’s Review:  literacy, numeracy and digital competence.  It is interesting that he emphases on “digital” as it seems normal to many that we are already living in a digital world, why need to?  With fast and the evolution of technology, and with our kids the fingers and thumbs generation, it is imperative to educate them digital as part of holistic education and we should not underestimate the power and influence of the “1s and Os”.

Reflections from Hwee Hwee

As teachers, we need to understand our students well. This includes building good rapport with them and tapping on their familiarity in the digital space to enhance their learning. We need to believe in our students and not to show any biases towards any one.

Teachers need to be brave to explore the different types of technology so that we can tap on the affordances of the technology for teaching and learning. Being familiar with the tools also helped teachers to be able to provide the necessary and appropriate advices to students.

Morning thoughts and reflections

We should always be fully visible online. True?
Is it true that when we are online, we need to always be fully visible always? Not neccessarily. We engage in different spaces for different purposes. In some spaces, we may lurk but it does not mean learning does not take place. We should be authentic online, but it doesn’t mean you have to always reveal your real identity.
Is the internet one space?
Online communities are disparate non-homogeneous communities. Different tools and services have different rules and engagement. We need to understand the affordances of each of these social tools and how we can leverage them for professional development. A tool can be both a service and an environment.
If you had no limitations, what's possible?
I really liked Linda's second slogan of "So what, Now what?" I think many times we let considerations and limitations prevent us from seeing possibilities. If we can operate from a place of seeing what can be done, instead of how difficult it is to get things done, alot more can happen. This applies in teaching, schools, work and life in general. 

Insight from PD (AM)


Knowing what we don’t know and providing a top view. To get teachers to try out integrating technology in teaching & learning, they first need to know what they don't know about the internet. E.g. use of private and public online communities for learning. 

      The question is whether we know what we don't know. 


My Reflection So Far....

The belief of a teacher is critical to shift anything. When we are not bounded by our own mindset that  that the insurmountable are insurmountables, we could really move the impossible to possible. Afterall, they are not really insourmoutable, they only seems to be. So it is the same, when we believe  our students have limitless potentials in them and our job is to unleash their potentials, and we I still this thinking in them, making them to believe in themselves, our students will definitely change for better. What is education really for? We have to constantly ask this ourself.
My insights

We are at a crossroad to advocate serious thinking about the role of technology in teaching and learning. Knowing that technology is already an integral part of children's lifestyle, educators have the responsibility to ensure that technology is purposefully and ethically harnessed to complement and enhance their lives. It is no longer the situation of with or without technology, but to what extent.

Reflections

It is important for us to bear in mind the paradoxes when integrating technology into Teaching and Learning.  While students see a disconnect between their private world and school, as teachers, we need to help bridge that disconnect.  Moreover, students may not know the rules of engagement in the Internet and need to be taught digital competence.

Insight of PD(AM)

Ultimately, it’s about putting the students at the center when we talk about the design of learning. Teachers are used to design taking consideration of what they want to teach, how they want to teach. It’s important to design start from analyzing student’s needs and how they learn. Linking to my current work with schools, it is key to get teachers to observe and reflect on what students have learnt instead of what they taught during the lesson.  

Insights for the session

1. Leverage
Use the versatility of the digital technologies to connect stake owners to enhance the education system.

2. Guided
Structure learning with guided information to ensure meaningful learning and teaching.

3. Focus
Address on the challenges that can be resolved with the use with technologies

Reflections from Boon Haur


I realised that I have a very limited view and expectations of what teachers need to know about digital literacy and the use of online tools. My focus has largely been on the pedagogical use of digital tools and the students’ learning outcomes. But learnt this morning that “the message needs to be more complex … “ to learn not only about the digital space but the ecosystem. Need to start thinking about what teachers need to know if digital literacy is expected to be infused in their regular lessons. Need to move on from just being in the space to understanding the space itself.