Foundation Blocks

On Wednesday 27^th July, in commemoration of UWI’s 50^th Anniversary, Dr. Conrad made a very inspiring speech addressing the issue of “Enhancing the Literacy Initiatives: It takes Village” – she being a strong advocate for literacy development. It was very, very unfortunate that so many of you were caught up in “the Web [2.0]” and were therefore, unable to attend. She addressed so many pertinent issues that a blog post would not afford me sufficient space to do justice to her presentation. You all should have been there, it was simply mind bugging. However, as I pondered over an issue to discuss with you in a blog post, I came across Heather Ifill-Homeward”s post, “Do you know what is Audioblox?” and this immediately caught my attention.

Upon reading her post, I thought it aptly addressed one of the pertinent issues addressed by Dr. Conrad that of recognizing that learning is a stratified process and that there are foundational learning skills which are of paramount importance to the success of future learning. Strangely enough, during my session with Mrs. Aisha Wood-Jackson (concerning Lessons) earlier that Wednesday, she also spoke passionately about what teachers are doing to scaffold how students learn those foundational literacy skills. She made multiple references to giving students enough time and opportunities to practice those skills because they are so fundamental to successful learning.

You have missed Dr. Conrad (she leaves us to return abroad), and Mrs. Wood-Jackson left our country this weekend, but you have Heather’s post available to you. Hence, I strongly recommend that you take a look at her post because I agree with her comment that “so long as one can master the foundational skills, then [mastery at] reading is possible.” I pray for fortitude for our goodly lectureres and for us all as we forge forward to deliver solid foundational blocks to our charges.

Teach Students the Learner Action Cycle

Hi Bloggers,

As I was searching for information for my Lessons, pertaining to the standards (as this is a new aspect of my Lesson Plans), and I came across the following information and found it to be interesting. I found that it was not only interesting for the Lessons but also for conducting the research project.

Taken from, Benson, 2003, p. 86-87 under the title

“Teach Students the Learner Action Cycle”.

Box 4.2 Students Using Learner Actions You have a new assignment so you access by listening, observing, reading, and researching, and what you have is a lot of information. So, you must interpret by selecting, classifying, outlining, sequencing, and comparing, and what you have is your focus. Then you must produce something by designing, creating, planning, building, or writing, and now what you have is a product and knowledge that you have to disseminate by teaching, presenting, and explaining to the audience for your learning. All along the way, you must assess your performance by reflecting, evaluating, and planning for the next time, and what you have is a goal and strategies.

Having students actively involved in the learning cycle of assessing, interpreting, producing, disseminating, and self-assessing is the secret to meeting the content standards now required by state and national documents. If teachers are going to teach the processes in the standards along with the content, they must take students through this cycle as many times as possible so that the process becomes a part of their natural programming. Once this happens, students will have a recipe for success whenever they have to learn something new and use it.

Hope you find it of interest.

(Benson, B. P. (2003). How to meet standards, motivate students, and still enjoy teaching: Four practices that improve student learning. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publication, USA.)

i-did-it

Hi Bloggers,

Well, I created my first book, and an e-book at that. I am so very excited about introducing this application to my students that I am anxious for school to reopen (and this is the first time in many, many years). As I am writing this blog, I think that I cannot wait for school to reopen so I will go to school next week and work with the lab technician and inform him about the various applications I learnt about in this course. I will also schedule some lab time for the new term.

Angela, Darrell, Shasta, Renuka and Terence all shared their experiences with e-books and from their various testimonies it can be seen that e-books have great potential for enhancing learning. I agree with Shasta that e-books have the potential to be extremely motivational to students; and I would like to add to Renuka’s comment – in that, it can not only be used as a “shared experience” between child and parents but it can also be a ‘truly’ shared experience between students and teachers. This is so because the teacher can use his/her voice over text for the child to learn.

This is yet another example of how the teacher can extend the boundaries of the classroom, into the virtual classroom.

Research is here!

Hi Bloggers,

I choose today to blog about “Research”. I went on Janice’s blogspot and she has placed some timely advice for us researchers. I commented on this blog but I am not sure how many of us are seriously taking heed of the advice to start our research early. Let us, I employ you fellow colleagues, take some hint from Dr. James’ urgent, desperate concern about the research process. Dr. James realizes the importance of an early start, and as such, he imported a Canadian lecturer to give us a heads-up on our research project. Putting aside the facts that his decision was done without consultation and it would greatly affect our vacation time, I think the onus is now on us to heed the advice/warning – start early.

It is also important, as Shelly-Ann mentioned in her comment to Janice’s blog entry, “we must also remember to prepare ourselves for the seminars (which are really our Oral Examination). Shelly-Ann quoted Mathias and Gale (1991) in stating, “Postgraduate research can be seen as a period of uncertainity, ambiguity and lack of structure. (However,) the task is not really complete until the Oral Examination is over.”

Hence, the purpose of this blog entry is to re-emphasis the importance of an early start. Do not let yourself be bugged done by Murphy’s Law (as a friend said to me, “Google it.”). To ensure you obtain your ‘Master Degree’ in good health, you must first master to some degree your dedication/commitment to doing the research. Take charge. Good luck and God’s speed and fortitude.

The "Invisible Web," or "Deep Web"

Hi Bloggers,

I posted a ‘Comment’ to Shelly-Ann’s blog with the same trend of thought as this blog post, but I found that I should not take it for granted that you will visit her blogspot and the information is so informative.

I agree that there is a lot of information on the World Wide Web. However, after doing my evaluation of Websites, I found that a lot of valuable (seminal) work was not published. Have you ever experienced trying to source some pertinent information and getting “This page is unavailable”, over and over. Isn’t it frustrating? What I realize is that there exists an “Invisible Web,” or “Deep Web,” which contains information that cannot be indexed by search engines because it is hidden within databases. Therefore, we owe it to students to make them truly understand that there is a great deal of information that they will not find on-line.

In general, students should be aware that any proprietary or copyrighted information is not generally available on-line for free, at least not legally. A good rule of thumb is that if an information resource costs money in print format, it probably costs money on the Web too, if it is also available there. A huge amount of information is simply not available via the Internet, for free or for a fee. This means that with the explosion of electronic information over the past few decades, there are electronic archives, research datasets, and personal and organizational records “out there” that may never be preserved, not to mention made public.

The significance of this blog is that while the Internet can be an excellent place to conduct research, relying on it exclusively will mean missing a great deal of valuable information.

A Pre-Destined Marriage

Hi Bloggers,

I was unable to blog after Wed. 14^th July because I hibernated for the STATS storm to pass. Now that I have obviously survived, I am back. I must say, this time was so much better than the last and (though the feeling of failure wasn’t a pleasant one) I am in a much better position to do any statistics, if it should be necessary, in my research. I view my experience of having to repeat statistics as a blessing in disguise.

After my research on blogging, I am convinced that there are various educational benefits to be derived from blogging. I believe blogging is one of the many Web 2.0 technologies we must introduce to our students. However, due to the words constraint in my Web 2.0 paper, I was unable to include some related sources on classroom blog service providers, hence this blog entry. RELATED RESOURCES

1. Edulogs – offer advertisement free sites that can allow the teacher to control comments and limit access to the site. They also offer templates for students that allow them to build their own blogs.

2. Class Blogmeister – this is a good site for teachers to connect with other teachers and classes.

3. ePals Schoolbag – offers varied design templates and useful templates for surveys, calendars, parents-only sections, controlled public access

Writing is seen as the medium for self expression and I view blogging as an excellent tool for self expression. Hence, therein lays a natural marriage.

A Case for the Challenged only?

After reading the article recommended for the creation of our E-books, I got the distinct impression that it conveyed the concern for Inclusive Education. It refers to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) which advocates the use of assistive technology to meet the needs of individual students with disabilities, within the regular classroom. This concern for Inclusive Education was mirrored in the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) Draft Policy for Information and Communications Technology [ICT] in Education (Sept. 2005, p. 33) when it was stated that,

“8.2. Inclusive Education

ICT represents a major opportunity for providing learners an opportunity to develop to their full potential.

8.2.3. The MoE shall use assistive technologies to support those who are physically and mentally challenged.”

What is a regular classroom?

“Today’s typical classroom might include students whose first language is not English; students who are not reading at their reading level; students with behavioural, attentional, nutritional (sic) and motivational problems; students from varied cultural backgrounds; and students classified as gifted. In addition, there are students with particular needs, such as limited vision, motor disabilities, emotional difficulties, speech and language difficulties, and learning disabilities.

(Rose, David H. & Meyer, Anne. (2002, p.5). Teaching every student in the digital age.)

IDEA precludes a separate educational agenda for students with disabilities and holds teachers responsible for ensuring that these students demonstrate progress within the general education system, however, doesn’t the above definition of a regular classroom describes most, if not all, of our students? Shouldn’t the factors discussed for the enhancement of students learning then be equally applicable to all learners? Wouldn’t you agree? Share your thoughts.

Literacy for the 21st Century

At the end of last term, my Principal encouraged us to participate in the MoE’s 3^rd Annual Professional Development Workshop for Teachers: July – August 2010. There are a host of workshops and teachers were asked to register for 2 per teacher. I registered (done online) for “Critical Literacy” and “Creating the 21^st Century Classroom”. I observed a lot of teachers registering for the latter. Since then I have been reading and these are two (2) definitions put forward by Braunger & Lewis (2006, p.3) for “Literacy for the 21^st Century”:

· “Reading comprehension is an interactive process involving the reader, the text, and the activity or purpose for reading. These elements interact in and are affected by the larger sociocultural context. Learning to read well is a long-term developmental process. At the end point, the proficient adult reader can read a variety of materials with ease and interest, can read for varying purposes, and can read with comprehension even when the material is neither easy to understand nor intrinsically interesting.” (RAND Reading Study Group)

· “Being literate in contemporary society means being active, critical, and creative users not only of print and spoken language but also of the visual language of film and television, commercial and political advertising, photography, and more (images, icons, graphics, etc.).” (International Reading Association [IRA] & National Council of Teachers of English [NCTE])

Can you gleam the scope and depth of the literacy demands contained in these definitions? I hope you have taken the opportunity to participate, or if you have missed it this time look out for it next year June/July, as you continue to map your professional growth. Look out for my blog about the workshop.

Braunger, Jane, & Lewis, Jan P. (2006). Building a knowledge base in reading. International Reading Association, USA. www.reading.org

I NEED Word Processor

Hi Dear,

Remember I told you in my earlier blog how anxious I am becoming for my students? Well, adhering to blogging etiquette, I had to cease my discussion on the importance of exposing students to Word Processing as early as possible. Allow me to present a typical case for this pertinent concern.

Home Management CSEC SBA: Students were required to design and make a brochure for removing a mud stain on a pair of trousers; and prepare and serve 2 dishes; and clean and decorate a room for a specific occasion and prepare and display a recycled item in 2⅓ hrs. It was obvious that it was taken for granted that these students were advanced, competent Word Processing experts. Just think about all the technological skills required to complete a brochure, from the typing of the necessary/appropriate information in a succinct manner to putting your mark on it to show ownership and printing it (with information back and front).

One student didn’t even know how to use a flash drive with confidence and she panicked during the examination. Thank God, the Moderator was sympathetic and allowed me to calm the student down and when I was guiding her along, believe it or not, the child knew how to use the flash but because using a flash was not habitual, she panicked. Hence, this is just another plug for the need to expose students as early as possible to the technologies on a regular basis. It should become part of them. They still get overly excited when they have to go to the Computer Lab. About 15 minutes of critical teaching time is wasted settling them down in the presence of the technologies.

I don’t have to tell you, most of them did not complete the assignment. I am panicking for my students next CSEC.

EQUALITY AND EQUITY?

Looking at the Ministry of Education (MoE) call for equality and equity in education, I am seriously becoming anxious for my students. With the renaissance taking place with even the term ‘Literacy’ to ‘Literacies’, the literacies skills required of students going forward into a highly digital world; into a fast-pacing technologically driven society/workplace; is so much different from what was required many years ago. I am seeing the digital divide getting wider and wider and the possibility of our students leaving our shores to live and study elsewhere in the world is as real as real can be. Yet, schools are not fully equipped with computers; teachers are not all trained in the use of Web 2.0 technologies. Are we cheating our students’ in terms of their technological literacy?

Take for instance, the basic skills necessary for accessing the World Wide Web or for engaging with Word Processing: opening up a document; typing using touch-typing skills; editing; saving and storing; navigating the web; organizing into files/folders; using graphics; importing photos/diagrams; rearranging information on a page; importing information from the web; and I can go on and on.

Are we truthfully equipping students with the necessary skills to face the high-tech world with confidence? How many of our students can we say we have been influential in ensuring that they are equipped with these basic skills? Is the MoE/Are we taking our children’s lives/future for granted? How close is the MoE in providing support to all school, for all students, in terms of access to technology? Shouldn’t Technology/Information Technology be on the Curriculum even from as early as the Pre-School?

Becker (1991) states, “Perhaps no other technology resource has had as great an impact on education as word processing.” How do we go forward? Please share your thoughts.

On the Mechanics of Writing

After reading Sheldon's posts (and trying to comment on the one on 'Writing' and getting an 'Error in Sending' message) I have decided to research and discuss this business of the mechanics of writing. Sheldon stated in his post that the students should concentrate on both the content and the mechanics of writing when they are writing. But in my opinion, I think the students have the previous knowledge and experiences to satisfy the demands of the content but demanding that the students concentrate on the mechanics of writing is where the major problem to our students' relunctance to writing lies. Unintentionally, teachers tend to channel students' writing to conform to a particular style or type of writing (as they prepare the students to be successful, academically, at their written exam). However, according to the Board of Education of the City of New York (1999), "To some degree, writing is an idiosyncratic process. How students learn to write, the tools they prefer to use, the style they ultimately develop, the strategies they routinely use to revise and edit - all of these vary from student to student."
Most of our students do not want to write - and writing as we know it is putting letters and words on paper. There are many reasons for this, such as, some of them have messy handwriting and are embarrassed by it; some find the mere process of forming the letters difficult; what they have written would be viewed and critiqued by the teacher, and some are threatened by that prospect. What needs to be done is to find ways and means of keeping the students motivated to write outside of the pen and paper mechanics/experience. One such avenue, of which I am presently researching, is through blogging. Through blogging students are offorded the opportunity to create, collaborate, edit, publish and share content, not only with the teacher but with a whole social, community of users.
Due to my intensive research into the prospect of blogging, I anxiously await the day when the powers to be realize that students can succeed, academically, in their written exam with whatever style and/or type of writing they think would be most appropriate to convey their desired meaning.

Autogenic Training

As promised, here is the basics to Autogenic Training. Firstly, 'autogenic' means "self-regulation or self-generation". Autogenic Training therefore, refers to the way in which your mind can influence your body to balance the self-regulative systems that control circulation, breathing, heart rate, and lots more. The benefits are similar to other meditative and relaxation techniques. Autogenic Training allows you to control stress by training your autonomic nervous system to become relaxed.
The technique involves the daily practice of sessions that last around 15 minutes; usually done in the morning, at lunch time, and/or in the evening. During each session, the practitioner will repeat a set of visualizations that induce a state of relaxation. Each session can be practiced in a position chosen amongst a set of recommended postures (e.g., lying down, sitting meditation, sitting like a rag doll, etc.). The technique can be used to alleviate many stress-induced disorders.
Whenever I practise this technique, I find it to be very calming and extremely helpful in trying times. There are lots of information on the internet about Autogenic Training because it is not new and it is very similar to yoga and meditation. For more information on this technique, I invite you to visit my other blogspot at www.hearts-relationships.blogspot.com
Relax and enjoy.

A Necessary Evil?

As I struggled to manage my homelife and my family; my blogs and comments; getting started on the Web 2.0 paper; and reviewing the demands of the five Lessons assignment (all this within the mind set that I am on vacation) I started to feel a bit overwhelmed. The longer I sat and stared at the computer screen, the closer I came to pulling out my hair in frustration (according to Colin Karr). I wanted to cry and give up but the inner voice in me asked, "What did you do when you were pursuing your Dip. Ed. and you reached this point? What did you do to overcome that feeling?" Then I distinctly remembered Dr. Pierre's recommendation to engage in 'Autogenic Training'. After engaging in a few sessions, I felt so light and refreshed that I had to share this recommendation with you all.
I felt it important to share this recommendation with you all because I do not know how many of you realise how very important this ICT course is to the continuance of your career and having to deal with the 21st century students. You must come to realize that even if you are feeling overwhelmed, you must do something to overcome that feeling because we can not entertain the option of giving up. If perhaps you are experiencing this feeling, I recommend a few sessions of Autogenic Training and I garantee you will feel a difference. In my next blog I will venture to explain what Autogenic Training is and discuss some of the many benefits to be derived from engaging in such an exercise. In the meantime, just keep doing little by little.

TO BE OR NOT TO BE?

Assignment to add to BlogSpot from Clara De La Rosa-Blackman, who is at present in the M Ed. Reading Programme (2009 – 2011)

DATE: Wed. 16^th June, 2010

WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO BECOME A READING SPECIALIST?

At present, I am a Home Economics/Technology Education teacher at the Diego Martin North Secondary School. I have been at this school for over 13 years (and I have been teaching for 25 years), and over the years I have had the experience of encountering students who have great difficulty managing the content necessary to excel in my content area. Since I view my content area as a vital part of any individual’s existence, I became increasingly alarmed at the complacency with which this issue has been dealt with by the parents/guardians of these struggling students.

Over the years, I have tried desperately (and will continue to try desperately) to equip these struggling students with the necessary literacy skills that would better help them better cope with the demands of the Home Economics/Technology Education curriculum and by extension, enhance their self-confidence so that they are better able to face the world. I am ever concern about these struggling students, more so now, because they would have to function in the 21^st century, information explosion, and technocratic learning community. Hence, when I became aware that there was a programme which aimed at training teachers to become Reading Specialists who would ultimately “make the nation’s secondary students proficient readers so that they will be able to function effectively in the world of work and their personal lives” (Master of Education in Reading Handbook 2009 – 2010, p. 1.), I could not help but embrace the opportunity to become a Reading Specialist. I welcome professional help anytime.

I am of the opinion that in this way, I would contribute to enhance my country’s ability to compete in the ever increasingly competency-based global market (UWI, School of Education), which is characteristic of our world today

AS THE OUTLOOK ON LITERACY CHANGES

The more I do research for this course, the more I feel less confident about my 21^{st Century literacy skills. Research into the field of literacy reveals that the definition of the term ‘literacy’ is constantly changing and to be literate in the 21st century is not the same as being literate, as we know it, in times past. As I go through this challenging experience of learning how to use the various ICTs, I constantly have to remind myself that I have to complete this course successfully because I do not want my students to look at me as an illiterate.}

The thought dawned on me that while we, as educators, are busy trying to educate our students in our own little corner, in our traditional ways and becoming frustrated; the students are equally becoming frustrated but with us. The students are looking at us and wondering, "Why don’t teachers use the technologies (which we, the students, are using on a daily basis because we are interested in them) to make teaching and learning more interesting?" In this sense, while we are looking at the students as illiterates, the students are looking at us as illiterates. As we prepare students for the future we too, must be prepared to embrace the future which is upon us.

As I struggle to become fully functional in this 21st century technological world, I will inform you further, in another post, of the various critical 21st century literacy skills which we must avail ourselves in order that we are not deemed illiterates. I wish to personally thank the lecturer, the tutors and all who made this course possible. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to empower myself and so redeem my status as an illiterate, as the outlook on literacy changes.

Concept Mapping #2

Hi bloggers,

On Tuesday 29th June, we learnt about Concept Mapping via the Concept Mapping Software Program called 'Mywebspiration'. Murella, our tutor, simply showed us how to use some of the basic, basic features and i can't begin to explain to you how that whet my appetite. I foresee great potentials for its use in my classroom, school and for next semester when I have to organize training sessions for teachers. Wait till I introduce this software program to my colleagues. I listened and viewed Dr. James in admiration when he used this sort of program in his Power Point presentations last semester (mind you, his program was the 'paid-for' version), but I will try, first, with the 'free' version - which will definitely appeal to my Principal and colleagues.
All along in this course, I thought that I had to print all the handouts but I especially liked when Murella kept insisting that, "we do not have to kill the trees". She kept reminding us that the purpose of the Concept Mapping Software is for collaboration and editing online. My challenge now is to get accustom to 'reading-on-screen', and because I read anywhere and at anytime, I realize I would have to start walking and using my laptop as my note pal (which is the true purpose of having a laptop anyway).
Another challenge I foresee is that of having each student use a computer when I am introducing the concept to them. At my school, we do not yet have computers in every classroom, and the one Computer Lab we have is timetabled for use by the whole school. However, I do not intend to get stuck, so I will take full advantage of my lab time with my students, with the little we have.

CONCEPT MAPPING

Assignment to add to BlogSpot from Clara De La Rosa-Blackman, who is at present in the M Ed. Reading Programme (2009 – 2011)

I have just created this blogspot for my M Ed. Reading programme. I had one before for my Dip. Ed. Programme, but unfortunately, I did not continue to blog after completing my Dip. Ed. and as such, I lost my spot as a blogger. This is something I have to keep in mind - always blog, otherwise you will lose your spot.