The Role of Language - el papel de la idioma
One of the most difficult and important parts of adapting to a new culture is learning the language. In Colombia, I needed to learn Spanish in order to communicate with everyone around me a day-to-day basis. At first, even the most basic things (such as ordering a coffee or going to buy groceries) was complicated, but as I learned more vocabulary, I was able to communicate my basic needs. Gradually, I was able to create phrases with my new vocabulary and grammar, until eventually I was fluent enough to have complete conversations with friends, colleagues, and strangers alike on every topic under the sun. Then I began to think in Spanish.
The language of Constructivism
Language, or terminology, is a very important part of the MET program. At first I had to review basic terminology and theories (the grammar of MET, as I like to think of it), and then I had to apply this knowledge to what I was doing on a daily basis. Eventually, it became second nature, and I started to think about applying these theories to practice without even realizing that I was actually doing it. This can be seen as I reviewed one of my lesson plans for ETEC 530: Constructivist Strategies for E-Learning. This was a lesson plan that was similar to work I had previously done, but I was forced to look at it using my new language and the understanding of what it means and how it relates to the use of technology in learning. I explain this further in the artifact below.
Recuerdo - Constructivist lesson plan
The lesson is based on material we have studied in class and is in preparation for an exam, which requires a comparative commentary of two unseen texts. I thought it would be good to expose students to samples of text types they could come across in the exam and I gave them some guides for analysis. I provided links to information that students could review on their own to support and build on what they already know. By working in groups, they could collaborate and discuss the information together to determine what needed to be included in the study guide. I gave them resources, but also the freedom to find their own resources as they saw fit.
The students started by identifying their own knowledge. They then were required to explore additional resources to add to their existing knowledge and through collaboration with their group members explain this knowledge to their classmates via the study guide.
They extended this knowledge by looking at the sample paper and sample paper response (an example of what an exam answer would be) to construct an understanding of how the information from the study guide is applied in an exam situation. They then had to evaluate their past performance on a mock exam and, using the information from everything in the lesson, determine a course of action in order for them to improve on the actual exams. I believe this corresponds quite well with the Constructivist Instruction Model (CIM) which was explored thoroughly in ETEC 530.
Overall, my lesson is student centred, allows for inquiry, collaboration, social negotiation and emphasizes the process of learning rather than a final outcome. The fact that students are working together to compile a study guide for an exam also creates a sense of ownership and empowerment.
View my lesson at: http://missashleytes.wordpress.com/2014/03/30/paper-1-review/
The students started by identifying their own knowledge. They then were required to explore additional resources to add to their existing knowledge and through collaboration with their group members explain this knowledge to their classmates via the study guide.
They extended this knowledge by looking at the sample paper and sample paper response (an example of what an exam answer would be) to construct an understanding of how the information from the study guide is applied in an exam situation. They then had to evaluate their past performance on a mock exam and, using the information from everything in the lesson, determine a course of action in order for them to improve on the actual exams. I believe this corresponds quite well with the Constructivist Instruction Model (CIM) which was explored thoroughly in ETEC 530.
Overall, my lesson is student centred, allows for inquiry, collaboration, social negotiation and emphasizes the process of learning rather than a final outcome. The fact that students are working together to compile a study guide for an exam also creates a sense of ownership and empowerment.
View my lesson at: http://missashleytes.wordpress.com/2014/03/30/paper-1-review/
The language of theories |
Recuerdo - online resource |
Education has many theories (including constructivism) that are explored and researched in order to improve it. As educational technology has come along there has been even more technical terms that teachers need to understand in order to be able to effectively communicate in this new culture. The course ETEC 510: Design of Technology Supported Learning Environments explored these theories and how they apply to the online world of education. An area that I felt lucky to explore was the economics of educational technology and the ways that open source vs. closed source software affects the future of education. This is explored further in an online resource that I created in collaboration with a group of classmates.
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Please click the image of our online resource and you will be taken directly to the site we created in ETEC 510.
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Recuerdo - High School Literacy
ETEC 511: Foundations of Educational Technology built upon the learning of ETEC 510 and had connections to my ETEC 532 and ETEC 540 courses as well since I decided to focus on the effects of technology on student literacy. This course is a core course for the program, but allowed each student in the class to explore an area that they were interested in. As you can see through the types of assignments I have done in the different courses, my focus was on literacy, which as an English and Spanish teacher is extremely important. Without all the necessary literacy skills and individual cannot fully participate in society, which is why language skills are a key part in adapting to a new culture.
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