To me flexible learning is not always about the media we use to deliver content, my first attempt to find a new way for my students to learn was to change the enviroment that they lean in, Im sure you, as I did sat in rank and file faced the blackboard at the front and listened to the teacher, how many of us still do this. Unit standards is about delivering a lot of text material the best and most interesting way we can inline with the course criteria. So the norm, (or old way) sit down, face the font, open your books, read. Yea. Okay the easy changes, move the furniture, create groups or cells, allow them to interact, Prior knowledge, promote one on one or group discussion with each other. Give the student the whiteboard let them write down what they know, each could write what they know or could expand on a fellow students prior knowledge there by building a bigger picture.
And what am I doing? I'm facilitating isn't that what we are supposed to do. Teaching, No thats not flexible
Resources;
Spare wall space, contact campus services for unused whiteboards, fill that space and provide more oppertunities.
Have you seen the Robertson Libruary yet, book one of their study rooms, change the enviroment.
Enjoy Fred
Fred you describe how change is possible, and by introducing more interactivity into the class, you can involve the students in the learning process. Really flexible learning is about changing the way we do things to respond to the type of students we are facilitating. The use of lots of whiteboards is a great idea. what do you see as the main characteristics of your learners, and how can you support their learning?
ReplyDeleteEngineers are required to work kinetically, to communicate and to be literate. Having the student’s use the whiteboards incorporate all of these facets and thereby prepares them better for their future, how often do you find that in a class, when you are looking to engage students in discussions that you find some will hold back. Try giving them a pen and whiteboard, you will find that they will start to open up in discussion, sort of a distraction to overcome mental blocks or shyness. When you have a number of students working a whiteboard discussion will automatically occur then as a facilitator and some well chosen phrases you can direct the conversations. For a number of students this is an innovative way of learning, it’s new to them and time moves really quick and what’s more you develop communication lines with your student.
ReplyDeleteResource help. Allow students to use cell phone cameras to photograph work.
Yes learning in action Fred, alright. I think it is very encouraging to get the students to photograph the whiteboard with their cellphones - the zoom feature works well, and it means they don't have to wait for the teacher to "load it on the Moodle course", or rely on having to access the Internet. I wonder if anyone else is harnessing cellphones and making them work to support students' learning. There is an open and free mLearning course starting on 2 April which I am keeping one eye on to pick up some tips. People from around the world are already drifting in to the email discussions. Yes learning in action Fred, alright. I think it is very encouraging to get the students to photograph the whiteboard with their cellphones - the zoom feature works well, and it means they don't have to wait for the teacher to "load it on the Moodle course", or rely on having to access the Internet. I wonder if anyone else is harnessing cellphones and making them work to support students' learning. There is an open and free mLearning course starting on 2 April which I am keeping one eye on to pick up some tips. People from around the world are already drifting in to the email discussions. free open mLearning course
ReplyDeletehttp://mobimooc.wikispaces.com/a+MobiMOOC+hello is the actual link for the free open mLearning course which is not showing up clearly. If you hold your cursor over the words - free open mLearning course - in the previous post, the link is active.
ReplyDelete