This prac placement has been my first opportunity to integrate learning with the Interactive Whiteboard.

What a great resource it is.

The Interactive Whiteboard can be used for playing videos, warm ups, interactive learning experiences.

The options are nearly endless.

I must admit, I have not mastered the art of using the Interactive Whiteboard for writing instead of the good old fashioned whiteboard.

Maybe in my next placement that will be my aim.

I think as time goes on and I become more comfortable in my ability to integrate the Interactive Whiteboard in everything the class does it will be a very valuable tool for learning.

Here are some fun Interactive Whiteboard Activities to check out.

Erryn

Well I’m sad to say that prac is over for another couple of months.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this prac experience although at times I wondered if I would ever get things right.

The school I am at is using the Explicit Instruction Teaching model.

This is the best model for planning and teaching.

Students have the same lesson format no matter what the subject.

Students know the format and respond well, once they are used to it.

This is something, that I believe, should be taught at university to prepare us for teaching in the real world.

Sometimes I honestly don’t understand what blogs and other assessment items have to do with teaching.

There is nothing better than getting out there and standing up in front of a classroom.

 

I found the iLearn Technology website via Tina’s blog.

Very interesting website I thought. It is also a great way to look at another way of integrating ICTs into the classroom.

I would envisage a resource like this to be something used over several lessons and something that the students get to used to working so that the technology side of things does not get in the way of valuable learning time.

I am hoping to be able to get some spare time to have a really good look at the website.

Its a shame I only just found it now at the end of my prac placement.

Erryn

I found it very interesting to see Laura pick up on the fact that we are turning away from the traditional books and using electronic media such as kindles, ipads and ereaders to read.

It reminds me of a conversation I had with my Uncle.

He said that he loves nothing more than going to a second hand book store and buying a book that has ‘that smell’ and has someone’s name in the front cover. He questions, who has read this book before me? Where has this book been?

We cannot get that same experience when using electronic media to read books.

I think it is a fair assumption that one day books will be a thing of the past. Take video rental stores for example – one down the road from us closed this week. We now do not have a Video Ezy in my town.

Will our town libraries be a thing of the past also? Most probably, but I hope not in my lifetime.

I personally love reading a hard cover book. I, like Laura, love turning the pages. I have a kindle, av lab and ipad. Nothing beats reading a book.

Interesting  food for thought that’s for sure.

 

Erryn

Wow I knew that the Interactive Whiteboard had many purposes, but the extent to which they could help provide a better educational experiences for students is endless.

In Mrs Poulters blog she provides many ways to use Interactive Whiteboards within the classroom. Including mentioning that the Interactive Whiteboard can be used to not only view lessons but they can also be used record lessons.

Distance Learning is the biggest stand out for me, due to living in a remote location myself.

Imagine the possibilities for those students who attend ‘School of the Air’ or those in remote schools who attend certain subjects externally?

No longer does being a distance education student have to mean losing valuable face-to-face time between educators and students. And for those students who are ‘visual’ learners Interactive Whiteboards are bound to enhance their learning outcomes.

Visual learners will find that information ‘clicks’ when it is explained with the aid of a chart or picture.

This applies not only for school children but also for Distance Education University students, like myself. For me to be able to watch a teacher explain concepts on the Interactive Whiteboard would definitely enhance my learning and understanding. Reading blogs such as this one reinforces the importance of the role educators play in ensuring that we are giving students the best possible learning outcomes.

Kyra’s blog explains the Interactive Whiteboard a little bit further.

 

What a day yesterday was, my first day at my fourth placement.

A new school, fresh faces and a totally different approach to teaching.

My mentor is well experienced in teaching however as most people would know the new Australian Curriculum combined with ICT’s and Explicit Teaching is new to everyone. Our teachers are learning for themselves how they can teach students to the best of their ability using the new resources and criteria that they have been given.

Personally I believe the new curriculum has taken away the flexibility in classrooms that we used to see. Teachers can no longer plan for themselves and teacher to an ‘end of year criteria’. It is sad to see the way that teaching is going and that the fun is being taken out, in particular for students in the lower grades.

There is a lot to factor into our placement as Sophie states.

Is it just me or do schools have so many acronyms that you spend a lot of time trying to understand?

My first couple of hours in the classroom this week was spent with my jaw open. It was then I decided to blog about the acronyms used in the classroom.

Hopefully this resource will continue to grow, not only throughout my placement but ongoing. And please if you think of anything else please comment and I will endeavour to add it in. I have also included links where I can to direct you to further information.

Granted, some resources are better than others. If you find a better resource please also feel free to comment so that I can update and provide the best resource.

 

 

Acronyms:

1. QAR = Question Answer Relationship

2. WALT = We Are Learning To

3. WILT = What I’m Looking For

4. LSCWC = Look Say Cover Write Check

5. ASD = Autism Spectrum Disorder

6. ADHD = Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder

 

The time is nearly here that I wait all year for…

Placement!

This year I feel more excited than ever to take on the challenges and show my growth and learning’s from the past 4 years at uni. This year I feel better prepared although the ICT incorporation is scaring me more than anything.

My mentor has contacted me and told me that she will have a program done up for me (first time ever) prior to starting. She is also a very experienced teacher. I think the most exciting thing about placement is to get out of the routine that is my ‘other’ job. Although all my annual leave it taken up with placement it is still something I look forward to.

So this week as I prepare for placement I am gathering all my resources together and fine tuning everything there is to know about my school, class and mentor so that I can engage and begin teaching the students as soon as I can.

This school is also the school that I hope to get a job at out of uni. I’m feeling the pressure but I feel that I am ready to tackle my dream and impress everyone.

Wish me luck.

Whilst completing Assignment 2 for EDC3100 I decided to incorporate Bloom’s Taxonomy as the framework for developing students knowledge.

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a strong framework which provides the necessary steps to ensure students can link prior knowledge, gain new knowledge and display understanding of the new knowledge.

Julia Cornwell is another pre-service educator who believes that Bloom’s Taxonomy is a great framework for encouraging student learning. An interesting point that Julia makes is the importance of ensuring that student learning and teacher questioning progresses in the correct steps (within the framework) in order to ensure optimum learning outcomes are achieved. It is also important to ensure, as always, that student learning is at the correct level.

Julia introduces an interesting thought, that planning questioning is as important as planning the lesson.  Below is an extract from Julia’s blog to expand on this:

“I believe that planning questions is just as vital as planning the lesson (Barry & Kind 1998) as it adds to the growth to students academically and personally. I recognise that higher cognitive questions must be introduced sequentially and match student level but I do support Barry & King’s (1998) theory that we should include half of the total number or questions asked as high cognitive thinking questions. If students are not challenged by thinking in higher cognitive ways they can easily plateau. By getting students who struggle to extend themselves in the other ways of thinking, it creates an avenue for teachers to encourage their learning so they can move into higher cognitive levels.”

To view the complete blog click here.

 

What do you think?

Should we be developing lesson plans with a questioning column?

I believe so.