christopher lovegrove's blog

SLT and a Personal Teaching Framework

I'm posting this but will be working on it later as it's really in draft form still. 

I have been playing around with Prezi in an attempt to compose a framework that I personally could use. I have inserted into Prezi a framework that comes from Laurillard's conversational model. To make sense of this model you will need to have and understanding of the flow and direction of flow used during the construction of knowledge.

For me to make sense of this model, I worked through it using a topic, in an upcoming workshop class that will be happening next term. While having a Student Centered Teaching approach when navigating the course.  I looked at how I could link in the use of emerging technologies. 

The  topic is "Setting up a grid".  The students will be working in three groups, with each group containing five team members. 

I worked through this conversational model in Prezi and as I weaved my way through it I used the power of Prezi to pose questions that might be asked in conversation with the students. These questions appear in Prezi as prompts at times and these prompts may describe tasks covered by the students in the past or that may appear in the future. The setting up of a grid involves prior knowledge from lofting and AutoCAD, these courses have been completed by the students, but the transfering of knowledge, linking, adaption of actions in the light of practice and theory will be put into play now.  

I found Prezi to be of great value in expressing, in a free format, what might happen in the construction of knowledge. 

While constructing the Prezi, from the back of my mind kept flashing forward three letters...

B  D  A  

which is a framework I use while allowing learning to happen. So I placed this next to the prezi and refered to this as and when I thought necessary. 

I have placed a link to this prezi in this blog, but during the construction of the prezi a warning appeared that the prezi was too large or zoom needed to be addressed. 

 

prezi

Watch this link as it opens you will need an inquiring mind to find the work in prezi! Good luck.

SLT Playing around with Prezi

How is it all?

Sick of death by powerpoint yet?

Have been playing around with Prezi for a while now and thought that I might use this to help me in constructing my personal teaching/learning framework. Have been thinking about what model best fits my teaching style. After several conversations with various people, I'm listing ( a marine term for leaning towards) Laurillards conversational model. So i googled this and discovered that this model ihas been presented in different formats and in different levels of complexity. So I thought that to make sense to me if I cut and pasted this into prezi, I could then use this to help decode this model so that I could gain an understanding of how I might/or not use this model.

Laurillards conversational model link.

 

So how is viewed? Can all see or only those that follow?
I need to know the answer?

PTR for SCL

How is it?

I thought that I had posted this but...

Have been working for a while, in collaboration with a few others, on designing a personal teaching framework. The purpose of this is to create a link between new and emerging learning technologies and social learning theories.

Download Ptf for scl

Second time lucky, I hope.

Feedback warmly recieved on this one.

Cheers

Slt Reading 8

How is it?

 Had problems finding the suggested read... found another by the same authors so have decided to read this one...

Authentic assessment in higher education : A major issue

Indeed assessment is, I've been thinking of the" how to " for a while so this reading should of great interest to me and perhaps my students and fellow teachers. At the moment I'm in the process of implimenting a new course in our Certificate in Applied Technology (CAT) Boatbuilding. The title of which is Small craft construction. So what learning might happen if this course is based around Student Centered Learning (SCL)? How assess this posses several questions that need answers and I'm hoping that these answers surface in this paper. Yes many of these surface under the headings of: context,student factors, task factors, indicators. As I read on about restraints of assessment policies and then onto alignment of task and assessment... but then bingo up popped Project management. Wonders never cease as the example given is from McLoghlin and Luca (2006). This talks but of task being authentic... yet for a fictional client, where as this course is authentic for real clients. I have asked the students to plan their roles and alot responsibilties for tasks they have scheduled over the build process...Some have begun to post blogs on this already...

Wei has a blog  post

McLoughlin and Luca (2006) described the authentic task students perform as they form teams to create...are assessed by the teacher and peer assessed by the other teams in accordance with the needs of the client, the proposed purpose of the website(in our case a small craft) and its quality.

References

 Herrington & J. Herrington (Eds.), Authentic learning environments in higher education(pp. 88-95). Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishing. ...

McLoughlin, C., & Luca, J. (2006). Applying situated learning theory to the creation of learning environments to enhance socialisation and self-regulation. In A. Herrington & J. Herrington (Eds.), Authentic learning environments in higher education (pp. 194-213). Hershey, PA: ISP.

SLT Reading 7

Almost but knot quitethere yet!

 Have now found out, by opening my eyes to see, that when you are in TypePad in Edit Post mode, there is a <<Previous Post and next to this a Next Post>>. What a time saver this should be if I use this function! Have found the change from Vox to Typepad hard going... have surfed the web, in my quite times this week, looking for another blog site that is fit for purpose... think I might of found one... watch this space for breaking news. Moving on as you need to.

Started reading Sheely, S. (2008) and under the heading The social construction of knowledge (p.1) Latour identifies process we seem to go through during the stages of exceptance. 

Latour (1987 )  Negative modalities suggest an idea is contested and place it in the context of an ongoing debate. Positive modalities suggest an idea is settled and accepted and place it in the context of an established fact or even assumed knowledge. 

Is this part of being human and when confronted with something new, I am naturally suspisious until through the process he suggest I may or may not move into a different modality? Some when viewing this process in me  can percieve this to me be being a rebel or stirrer, when in fact I may be being a seaker of, but unable to at present make, sense. Or nor do I have a unquestioning framework that is comforable to except new facts or knowledge at a rate percieved as others do. I value this is me as this is who I am at present and I am who I am...

Prensky’s eloquently words my description above as me being a Digital Native!

 

 

So students welcome to my world, but I'm changing... Look out for this change because I know this is happening. "Andragogy Rulz."

 One of the many great things about blogging is that you can publish and at a later date go back and add more. As your understanding, knowledge grows... great the inserted text is going to be the foci of adding to this blog. I have underlined this to acknowledge incomplete post.

So this is where I'm at in the moment in the digital landscape.

Andragogy is a learning theory that is usually based on transaction. Theories of transmission work on the basis of filling deficits in student knowledge and comprehension of their environment, while theories of transaction work on the basis of addressing the immediate, practical needs of context-dependent learners. Andragogy is different from pedagogy in that it is a learning theory and not a teaching theory.

 

 

 

 

Reference

Sheely, S. (2008). Latour meets the digital natives: What do we really know. Paper presented at the Hello! Where are you in the landscape of educational technology? ASCILITE 2008. from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/melbourne08/procs/sheely.pdf

SLT Reading 5

How is it?

Started off a new with this blog on another required reading... but this time I opened Easybib at the beginning to site the reading... problem one am now down again to dial up speed as I have exceeded my data cap... Phoned provider... more cost incurred... still if you have to then so be it.

 

 Lang, J., Vargas, J., & Conover, C. (2007)

Have presented their work in the form of a PDF presentation. This appears at first to be in the form of being Student Centered from the perspective of the teacher. I'm thinking that this is to inform the student of the programmes delivery style. The slides all have a main theme and this varies as you progress through them, with the first being Academics, then progressing to Campus Services, Social life.

This layout seems to be upfront in how and what and why programmes are to be delivered in this manner.

Starting with Academics and slide 4 says

Overview 

• How we communicate vs. how our 

instructors communicate 

• Social Learning 

• Information 24/7

Slides 6 - 10 expand on this overview with slide 11 being set aside for questions... so with this layout I'm predicting that this slide show is shown either prior to the programme starting or on the first day.

So perhaps this layout has been decided upon to help explain the pedagogical approach they have choosen to delivery the programme? With this in mind I will now skim through the rest of the slides and determine if this is so.

Within 5 more slides it appears to me that this has been written from a students needs/requirements perspective.

Under Campus Services slide 18 aims to explain other applications of the use of IT

Other applications of IT 

• Online parking 

information 

• Online books 

• Laptop check-out 

• Mobile device 

services

 

 For me being able to present this overview, at or before a programme started would be of benefit for both teachers and students.

McLoughlin and Lee (2008) mention many higher education institutions are discovering that new models of teaching and learning are required to meet the needs of a generation of learners who seek greater autonomy and connectivity as well as opportunities for socio-experiential learning.

 

References 

Lang, J., Vargas, J., & Conover, C. (2007). A Net Gen Perspective: Technology in Higher Education Retrieved 9 May, 2007, from http://www.educause.edu/LibraryDetailPage/666?ID=ELIWEB075

A Net Gen Student perspective:Technology in Higher Education

 "What is Web 2.0? Ideas, technologies and implications for education (TechWatch report) : JISC."JISC : Supporting education and research. 17 Sept. 2010 

SLT Reading 2 from Evernote

 

 

Reading 2 Alexander,B. (2006, March/April)

I've got Evernote open and floating while I'm reading the below article. I'm finding this easy to use and next week I intend to try and move,copy,link to a blog.

http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERM0621.pdf

Web 2.0 A new wave or innovation for teaching and learning.

Down to dial up speed as have over cooked the stated amount. Phoned in to increase but up north good things take time. Will also look at increasing the speed of the broad band. But at what cost?

In the opening statement Alexander mentions that perhaps Web 2.0 label is just that, and the concepts,projects and practices are of greater importance.

I agree with him here that Web 2.0 used to effect in communicating projects, expressing concepts and visible through practice has created a major shift in the pedagogical approaches in higher education.

Concepts

So if Wikis are all about user modification, then what/where/when are these used in learning/teaching? How does allowing students/teachers to modify, change the way in which learning happens? What is also of interest here is how, if at all, was/has this done in the past?

So allowing blogrolling (need to look up the definitive meaning of this) , hyperlinking and also discussion threads forms a new social learning/teaching experience. Only by being part of this new practice can one reflect on its true value. Seeing might be believing but participating is even more convincing.

The second paragraph was one of the light bulb being turned on experience for me. Alexander explains that Blogs are not looked upon as pages in a book but rather as post of microcontent.

His explanation of Wikis also helps clarify in my mind there purpose. I have not as yet created a Wiki but have experienced what they look like, but as stated above I have a desire/need now to participate in the using of.

We have a new course starting in 3 weeks that should dovetail well into this new wave of innovation. Having an understanding firstly of the concepts is helping me to sketch out the framework of how this might come-about.

So that's what Folksonomy is all about! I've wondered about Tags and have only just begun to understand what the main purpose/reason for these are. Alexander gave an example that I can now relate to. Also why the use of del.icio.us as a reminder is explained in context. My understanding of this is starting to make clear links now. Were as perhaps reading this, as close as two weeks ago, would not have help with the linking.

Projects and Practices

My thanks goes out to Joshua Schacter, for firstly seeing the need and then for creating del.icio.us. The social bookmarking application has come up in conversation over the past several weeks. I now intend to investigate installing this into my system next week. Alexander has again helped me to understand. So Del.icio.us is a folkonomic site! So the use of this needs to be investigated in the framework. Or perhaps another... have a look in Wikipedia under social bookmarking.

I remember back in time Richard Elliot would send us/me emails with links and points of interest. Oh if he could only have had access to social bookmarking!

Again Alexander explains to me clearly how might social bookmarking play a role in higher education with five examples. 

Wikis... Having started to blog with the group of students using Vox, which allowed groups to be formed, so isolating others, or perhaps another way of looking at this is allowing a focus group to happen. But... Vox closed down and so the shift to TypePad. This has I think created new problems, but an opportunity for creating a Wiki might be raising its head.

Blogs again here my understanding of there use by firstly myself... connecting people through a shared topic, vocabulary, or interest in information.

 

JISC (2009) Higher Edu in Web 2.0 World

Yet another reading.

JISC (2009) Higher Education in Web 2.0 world

Have been in general conversation over the last little while, the main topic being the readings we have been given... Over a video chat we had this morning we spoke on what would it be like doing a reading and commenting over collaberatively using a video link as the medium? Some times talking about this live with another raises a different perspective. 

Supposedly assessment one has a part in it that asks us to do: 10 blog posts that begins to document your pedagogical journey. It is my belief that this has been now slightly modified to read: blog on 10 readings... I used to coach rugby for about 6 years and one thing you learnt being a coach was never change the goal post settings. If you want the team to score, achieve the goal, then the playing feild and the rules should be on the level.

So moving on what's in a blog post, or what can be a blog post?

I see that in the body part I can...

There is available in a blog a variation of mediums, other than plan text, insert link, images, insert video, insert audio...

Scott and I have firstly video chatted and as we are both social animals we thought both along the lines of... doing the same reading for a set length of time... then connecting up through a video chat, and videoing this as it occurs... then uploading this to Youtube... then inserting this video into our blog and both then submitting this as one of our blog posts.

We video chatted for an hour or two over what might be the immplications in a learning environment of this behaviour, how this chatting can help in creating knowledge as well as how this might be assessed... plus many other thoughts that spring to mind...

Isn't great being able to learn in a save environment that we have created for us to learn in?

The report from..... in its execuative summary states

Essentially, these are Web 2.0 or Social Web technologies, technologies that enable communication, collaboration,  participation and sharing. (p5).

 

 

 

JISC no 1

 

JISC no 2

 

 References

"Higher Education in a Web 2.0 World : JISC." JISC : Supporting education and research. 28 Sept. 2010 <http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/generalpublications/2009/heweb2.aspx#downloads>.

JISC (2009).

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/generalpublications/2009/heweb2.aspx#downloads

SLT From small beginnings

How is it?

Blogging has opened up an avenue that in the past has only been for me a gut feeling. So this blog represents some of my thoughts, at the moment in time as well as representing my feelings.

Have read through this report several times now and I keep coming back to a section under JISC (2009). (p6). Learner expectation... Is this from a student centered perspective ? Something in this section attracts me.

We looked at expectation from the perspectives of nature and level prior to entry to higher education and then  response to the actuality on course. Our key findings were that: 

• Present-day students are heavily influenced by school methods of delivery so that shifts in educational practice there can be expected to impact on expectations of approaches in higher education 

So we, being the school, have a major influence on methods of delivery, and if, as we are moving towards engaging in the living curriculum era, also influence how we are to approach higher education. So we had better get this right, as learning is for life, and the experience that these students get from us on day one help set the scene towards the future.

•  Face to face contact with staff – the personal element in study – matters to students 

Face to face (f2f), if this is not a good model of student centered learning then I don't know what is. We are social animals, part of the journey of learning is with others, as this is a safe place to access knowledge when required. We need to ensure that students have, as a right, access to f2f when required. We as staff choose to allow this to happen or not, but if this f2f matters to students, then both will be worst off if this does not occur constantly throughout the journey of study. I'm need to be in a save place before I allow this to happen. Trust needs to first be built. I have been asked by my teachers ... if your require f2f then make an appointment. No thank you not at the moment!

•  Imagining technology used for social purposes in a study context presents conceptual difficulties to learners as well as a challenge to their notions of space. They need demonstration, persuasion and room to experiment in this context  

Making sense and giving purpose to the "whole" is one off our key roles as educators, when being so focused on detail some times we need to step back and take a good look at the bigger picture, and in modelling this regularly to the student, we are giving exemplars of learning. Being brave enough to expose ourselves and try to model what could be. So we construct the space and for the student this space is full of boats, but wait there's more, also in this space is learning. Good learning at different levels and at different times. The boats are vessels that support, as well as create learning. We look at the end product with great satisfaction and endearment, seeing  what we have created, knowing intimitely that has gone on, during the process of creation.

•   Staff capability with ICT is a further dimension of the digital divide, and effective use of technology, ie to enhance learning, is as much of an issue as practical operation, ie getting it to work 

This takes me straight away to the part of the living curriculium that is Self-Efficacy. I have blogged on this in Blogger( another blog site I use) this blog I have cut and pasted below.

Self-Efficacy
Learning is focused on the development of confidence and capability
I've been having problems knowing how to set up pages...
Tried googling and found in the end a good web site. So I cut and pasted this site and placed it on my blogg. With the cut and paste came the links...
One of these explained how to add pages... there is no add pages icon or button in blogger... but what you need to do is go to the dashboard ( if you don't know how to do that then contact me) and in the dashboard pick on... edit posts...then... edit pages... this then takes you to the place where you see the option to add a new page!!!
See I can do it myself... well sort of...
• Teachers ensure that learners are supported to develop foundational knowledge to aid their learning
• Learners are helped to become independent self-monitors of their learning
• Teachers engage in ongoing development of their teaching practice

•  Students’ practical skills with ICT can be harnessed by staff to good effect in both domains – operation and effective use in delivery

Good looking C

Learner expectation = student centered learning (SCL)

                                        or

Learner expectation = Teacher centered teaching (TCT)

I'm in a quandary at the moment. Shall I organise how the next course shall look?(not SCL)

Or do I wait and help the students construct the outline, with me coming onboard as and when required by them? They have the course document and we have, as a class looked at what this means. Perhaps some have a better understanding of the document than others.

We have had two pre-course disscussions and to date...  more to come on this as and when learning occurs...

My teacher Thom was right, again,... I have cut and pasted from a document (one of the suggested readings) and am blogging my thoughts on this... He said in class that we need to correctly reference and we should do this as we go...( he stated that "this is a level seven course and correct referencing is expected of you") he spoke here I think from past experience as he said that re-finding were/ tracking down source material is very time consuming... don't you just hate it when someone tells you not to do and then you go ahead and do it anyway... then look back when you then know its wrong and hear them saying ... I told you so... or...  If only I had listened... So this lesson here I've learnt about the value of referencing. Lesson two is learning how to do it ! I've seen the assessment rubic and guess what? Yep referencing is part of it.

So there is a process that will allow this to happen, I need to practice this and get the correct sequence sorted out. I'm thinking that when this happens then my grades will go up. 

So what can I take from this?... Is the assessment on the correctness of the product or on the learning that is and has taken place?

I have easybib now available and intend to use this in the future. I need to get it to work!

References

"Higher Education in a Web 2.0 World : JISC." JISC : Supporting education and research. 28 Sept. 2010 <http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/generalpublications/2009/heweb2.aspx#downloads>.

 

JISC (2009). Higher Education in a Web 2.0 World (http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/documents/heweb2.aspx): JISC.