I chose to learn how to use my Nikon D7100 DSLR camera for my inquiry project and present it using Prezi. Here is the link to my prezi: A Journey in Basic Photography. You may require the following link To follow along remotely.
Mahi: Interesting topic! I've also wanted to learn how to sew. Great flow of information. My only comment would be to show the process step-by-step through pictures.
Wendy: You are a great speaker. I would have liked more pictures of the process.
Amanda: I liked the fact that you brought props and looked like a baker. Great video of all the pictures. I appreciated the how you incorporated the concepts of learning early on in the talk. I would have liked it to be at the end of the talk as a reflection.
Melinda and Kelly: I enjoyed the step-by-step process with photos. I liked the idea of social learning - obtaining information from others by watching.
Sajjad: I would have liked a break down of your study and maybe some diagrams showing your data. That way, I understand why you chose to learn MS- Access. This seemed very complicated. I am amazed that you learned it solely for the project.
Cara: The powerpoint was quite advanced - you couldn't tell that it was your first. Great work! Maybe next time, have a set un-timed so that if the audio doesn't work, you could still do your presentation.
Hussam: I liked how at the beginning of your presentation you asked us to reflect on our teaching. I had a similar experience when I used a youtube video to assist me in learning how to use my camera. The 10 minute video took me several days to work through - I don't think I've mastered the techniques.
Darcy: I liked how you recruited a team to help you. That task seems quite daunting and a great team does go a long way in helping you learn. Each person brings in there own area of expertise. It would have been nice if you could have walked us through your website.
Jenna S: You make me want to go back to crocheting. I liked how you suggested that students should take a breather and revist the problem with fresh eyes. Nice pictures. I would have liked to see the pattern or have shown us your go-to youtube video.
Jenna B: I liked how you realized that this method of instructin wasn't for you, but since you are able to see the purpose (the BIG picture) of this, you still want to continue with the learning process. Maybe that is something we need to stress to our students.
Find the big picture or relate the information to your own life.
Cynthia: Great use of video and pictures. I appreciated the story you told of the process and great reflection. I also liked the personal story you told at the begining of your presentation.
Shauna: Great use of pictures - the before, during, and after shots. I also liked how you kept us waiting to see the final result. I found that really kept my attention because I wanted to find out! My only comment would be that some slides are wordy. You were able to explain everything quite well on your own.
Vanessa: I liked how you used a story-type format for your presentation. I agree that sometimes you need to master the first task and then move on to the next and not to jump around too much.
Leonard: What an interesting topic! You got me hooked with the prospect of controlling your car remotely. I think sometimes you need to hook your students in somehow in order for them to become engaged in the learning. My only comments would be to watch your grammar and at times your audio was quite soft.
Assignment #4: Webquest
Here, I will review the web quest entitled, "Human Body Webquest" on Zunal.com. I chose this particular web quest because of its possible application to the courses I teach.
This web quest asks students to develop a brochure, quiz, and presentation on the eight systems of the human body. Students are to research on each of the systems and decide on what information they are to present. This is something that I really liked about the web quest as students must critically think about what the salient points are of each system and determine how to share their findings. To aid in their research, resources have been provided to them in the form of link to certain websites as well as instructions on how to make a brochure, and rubrics explaining what is expected of them.
There are a few things that this web quest should work on. One is that it is quite an extensive assignment. I teach Anatomy and Physiology and believe that having a student synthesize all this information on their own may be quite daunting to the student and unrealistic. I don't see them doing this adequately within the time line. What I would do is split the classroom into several groups and have each group present on the particular system. At the end of the course, there should be a cumulative exam covering all the systems. Because all the resources were supplied, I think students may not go above an beyond the requirements. I would also suggest that they search for their own resources too. Additionally, there were a few issues with sentence structure which I found a bit off putting and the rubric failed to supply a distribution of marks (ex. beginner 1-1.5 marks).
Overall, I appreciated the concept. This would be great for an online course which are generally longer than one that is face-to-face. I would make the aforementioned adjustments if it were to be used in face-to-face setting.
Assignment #6: Classroom Management
Abusive student attitudes and behaviours:
I had a rather difficult situation when I first started teaching. One student, after receiving a poor mark on his test became quite verbally abusive to me and disruptive. He threw the test back at me after I returned his test to him, mimicked my behaviour, and rolled his eyes every time I spoke.
My solution to the problem was to give the entire class a break which gave me the opportunity to speak with the student privately. I'm not sure how I kept it together, but I told him that I felt that he was extremely disrespectful to me. He denied it but I have him examples of what he had done and told him that if he is ready he can join the class or he can leave. I also let him become aware that he may not get away with this behaviour with another instructor. In retrospect, I should have reported the student as it still bothers me how I handled the situation.
Husam: Great presentation. I liked the idea of a simulation so students get the answer immediately to a problem without reliance on the instructor.
Wendy: I liked how you incorporated a pre-lab video.
Cynthia: I really liked the discussion board that involves self reflections. I believe in sharing experiences and information. Information is no good if kept to one's self.
Vanessa: Using a journal is such an important tool. My colleagues use this technique while students are out on practicum. Students also find it cathartic after working through a challenging day.
Sajjad: I liked how you will have students propagate their own plants i.e. having them set up their own experiments. It gets students to be creative (finding their own way of doing this or at least researching how to perform the task) and critically think about their procedure. It is really easy to become robotic and not think about why you are doing these things.
Darcy: Great idea with the BYOD! That is quite an app. Great way to introduce a new tool to your future students.
Jenna S: Very nice Prezi! With regards to the mind maps in groups, it is easy to have the completed one presented on the screen so students can take pictures of it. That way they have the completed map immediately.
Kelly: I really liked the idea of recording the scenario/role play. Students can then critique themselves and see how they interact with others.
Amanda: I really liked the idea of giving students a choice of how to tackle their assignment. I especially liked choice 1 - design your own center and present it to the investor. How creative!
Jenna B: I liked the idea of practicing on different people as anatomy will very slightly from person to person. You've incorporated real life to your teaching. I wonder if the technology exists where you could do a simulation. - position the students, get an "X-ray" (simulated x-ray) and have them determine if it is acceptable for a diagnosis? Or what ifs? What if the body was positioned this way... could you get an adequate image? Why or why not? I also liked the idea of a blog for your more remote students. It keeps everyone connected.
Shauna K: I liked how you suggested that a blog can be used as a networking tool. Networking is so important and something that I don't think is stressed enough in school.
Cara: Your webquest is quite a project for Grade 12 students! What a fantastic way to have students think about real life.
Melinda: I liked what you said about having a number of strategies for dealing with a particular situation. Have a toolbox. I agree that role-playing could help develop that toolbox.
Len: I liked how students are to generate their own case studies or document their findings with video for classroom review. Proper documentation is so important. It is a great study tool that I think students lack.
Assignment #2a:
Here is a link to my blog. My first post is my response to the article "How Far Should Student-Centered Learning Go?" by Liana Heitin.
Assignment #3: Inquiry-Based Learning
I chose to learn how to use my Nikon D7100 DSLR camera for my inquiry project and present it using Prezi. Here is the link to my prezi: A Journey in Basic Photography. You may require the following link To follow along remotely.
Mahi: Interesting topic! I've also wanted to learn how to sew. Great flow of information. My only comment would be to show the process step-by-step through pictures.
Wendy: You are a great speaker. I would have liked more pictures of the process.
Amanda: I liked the fact that you brought props and looked like a baker. Great video of all the pictures. I appreciated the how you incorporated the concepts of learning early on in the talk. I would have liked it to be at the end of the talk as a reflection.
Melinda and Kelly: I enjoyed the step-by-step process with photos. I liked the idea of social learning - obtaining information from others by watching.
Sajjad: I would have liked a break down of your study and maybe some diagrams showing your data. That way, I understand why you chose to learn MS- Access. This seemed very complicated. I am amazed that you learned it solely for the project.
Cara: The powerpoint was quite advanced - you couldn't tell that it was your first. Great work! Maybe next time, have a set un-timed so that if the audio doesn't work, you could still do your presentation.
Hussam: I liked how at the beginning of your presentation you asked us to reflect on our teaching. I had a similar experience when I used a youtube video to assist me in learning how to use my camera. The 10 minute video took me several days to work through - I don't think I've mastered the techniques.
Darcy: I liked how you recruited a team to help you. That task seems quite daunting and a great team does go a long way in helping you learn. Each person brings in there own area of expertise. It would have been nice if you could have walked us through your website.
Jenna S: You make me want to go back to crocheting. I liked how you suggested that students should take a breather and revist the problem with fresh eyes. Nice pictures. I would have liked to see the pattern or have shown us your go-to youtube video.
Jenna B: I liked how you realized that this method of instructin wasn't for you, but since you are able to see the purpose (the BIG picture) of this, you still want to continue with the learning process. Maybe that is something we need to stress to our students.
Cynthia: Great use of video and pictures. I appreciated the story you told of the process and great reflection. I also liked the personal story you told at the begining of your presentation.
Shauna: Great use of pictures - the before, during, and after shots. I also liked how you kept us waiting to see the final result. I found that really kept my attention because I wanted to find out! My only comment would be that some slides are wordy. You were able to explain everything quite well on your own.
Vanessa: I liked how you used a story-type format for your presentation. I agree that sometimes you need to master the first task and then move on to the next and not to jump around too much.
Leonard: What an interesting topic! You got me hooked with the prospect of controlling your car remotely. I think sometimes you need to hook your students in somehow in order for them to become engaged in the learning. My only comments would be to watch your grammar and at times your audio was quite soft.
Assignment #4: Webquest
Here, I will review the web quest entitled, "Human Body Webquest" on Zunal.com. I chose this particular web quest because of its possible application to the courses I teach.
This web quest asks students to develop a brochure, quiz, and presentation on the eight systems of the human body. Students are to research on each of the systems and decide on what information they are to present. This is something that I really liked about the web quest as students must critically think about what the salient points are of each system and determine how to share their findings. To aid in their research, resources have been provided to them in the form of link to certain websites as well as instructions on how to make a brochure, and rubrics explaining what is expected of them.
There are a few things that this web quest should work on. One is that it is quite an extensive assignment. I teach Anatomy and Physiology and believe that having a student synthesize all this information on their own may be quite daunting to the student and unrealistic. I don't see them doing this adequately within the time line. What I would do is split the classroom into several groups and have each group present on the particular system. At the end of the course, there should be a cumulative exam covering all the systems. Because all the resources were supplied, I think students may not go above an beyond the requirements. I would also suggest that they search for their own resources too. Additionally, there were a few issues with sentence structure which I found a bit off putting and the rubric failed to supply a distribution of marks (ex. beginner 1-1.5 marks).
Overall, I appreciated the concept. This would be great for an online course which are generally longer than one that is face-to-face. I would make the aforementioned adjustments if it were to be used in face-to-face setting.
You can find this on my blog.
Assignment #6: Classroom Management
Abusive student attitudes and behaviours:
I had a rather difficult situation when I first started teaching. One student, after receiving a poor mark on his test became quite verbally abusive to me and disruptive. He threw the test back at me after I returned his test to him, mimicked my behaviour, and rolled his eyes every time I spoke.
My solution to the problem was to give the entire class a break which gave me the opportunity to speak with the student privately. I'm not sure how I kept it together, but I told him that I felt that he was extremely disrespectful to me. He denied it but I have him examples of what he had done and told him that if he is ready he can join the class or he can leave. I also let him become aware that he may not get away with this behaviour with another instructor. In retrospect, I should have reported the student as it still bothers me how I handled the situation.
Assignment #7: Learner-Centered Approaches
Learning-Centered Approaches
Lucid Chart
Dissection Wiki
Webquest
Husam: Great presentation. I liked the idea of a simulation so students get the answer immediately to a problem without reliance on the instructor.
Wendy: I liked how you incorporated a pre-lab video.
Cynthia: I really liked the discussion board that involves self reflections. I believe in sharing experiences and information. Information is no good if kept to one's self.
Vanessa: Using a journal is such an important tool. My colleagues use this technique while students are out on practicum. Students also find it cathartic after working through a challenging day.
Sajjad: I liked how you will have students propagate their own plants i.e. having them set up their own experiments. It gets students to be creative (finding their own way of doing this or at least researching how to perform the task) and critically think about their procedure. It is really easy to become robotic and not think about why you are doing these things.
Darcy: Great idea with the BYOD! That is quite an app. Great way to introduce a new tool to your future students.
Jenna S: Very nice Prezi! With regards to the mind maps in groups, it is easy to have the completed one presented on the screen so students can take pictures of it. That way they have the completed map immediately.
Kelly: I really liked the idea of recording the scenario/role play. Students can then critique themselves and see how they interact with others.
Amanda: I really liked the idea of giving students a choice of how to tackle their assignment. I especially liked choice 1 - design your own center and present it to the investor. How creative!
Jenna B: I liked the idea of practicing on different people as anatomy will very slightly from person to person. You've incorporated real life to your teaching. I wonder if the technology exists where you could do a simulation. - position the students, get an "X-ray" (simulated x-ray) and have them determine if it is acceptable for a diagnosis? Or what ifs? What if the body was positioned this way... could you get an adequate image? Why or why not? I also liked the idea of a blog for your more remote students. It keeps everyone connected.
Shauna K: I liked how you suggested that a blog can be used as a networking tool. Networking is so important and something that I don't think is stressed enough in school.
Cara: Your webquest is quite a project for Grade 12 students! What a fantastic way to have students think about real life.
Melinda: I liked what you said about having a number of strategies for dealing with a particular situation. Have a toolbox. I agree that role-playing could help develop that toolbox.
Len: I liked how students are to generate their own case studies or document their findings with video for classroom review. Proper documentation is so important. It is a great study tool that I think students lack.