Thursday, February 3, 2011

Goal #3 - What do you believe about learning?


Quote
“The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught,as that every child should be given the wish to learn. ”
by John Lubbock

Goal

Short-term-Make a bullet list of what you believe regarding how you and others learn. In this reflection, think about how being part of online professional development has redefined the way you learn.

Long-term- In what ways will you ensure that your belief of how your students learn is reflected in your classroom?

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I do not wish to make a list of how we learn that is obvious.  We are familiar with Multiple Intelligences, Bloom's Taxonomy, etc.  Regardless of our learning styles, I believe that some things are shared commonalities when it comes to learning.  This is my quick list... bet you can think of things to add to it!


We learn by

Getting our hands dirty
Indulging our curiousities
Failing, falling, and getting back up again
Asking questions - endless questions
Putting away the ego and jumping into the fray
Being open to other perspectives, views, and ideas
Feeling safe enough to open eyes, ears, and minds to possibilities



The online development opportunities are phenomenal and I have taken advantage of many!  My Masters degree in Technology in Education was conferred through a program conducted completely online at Lesley University.  Additionally, I completed an Advanced Professional Certificate (APC) in Online Teaching through the same format at Lesley.  My Twitter PLN is strong and I try to participate often, including the #edchat discussions.  I have attended online conferences, presentations, demonstrations, book clubs, training, and even a children's summer camp!

Obviously, there is a monetary savings when I can attend a conference without leaving my house.  There is a global audience to tap into that would never happen this easily without the online component.  For me, however, is the simple fact that I really stink at small talk and I find it awkward to become part of a live group when at a physical conference.  I tend to stay in the shadows and listen (OK, OK... I lurk).  The online world allows me to open up more and be a part of the conversation.  I have time to think about an answer or response before I type it - much longer than what happens in regular conversation.  This is a bonus for me.

Freedom of Choice
I have my students hands-on doing projects for the majority of their time with me.  I let them explore, be creative, see me fail (and recover), and find how the technology works best for each one individually.  We talk about what works, what doesn't, and the bumps in the process.

I get them online to get their feet wet in an online class environment so they can be comfortable choosing that option in the future.  I show them how educators conduct webinars and bring them in to add their own opinions.  I am passionate about opening up the world to students, giving them options, and helping them find what works best for their own learning styles.

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Photo by:   Krzysztof Poltorak

1 comment:

  1. Love your list! I do believe you're right about getting our hands dirty. So many educators come into the field wanting to change the world and don't realize just how tough that is. They don't realize we get really, really dirty....

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