Professional Learning & Good Teaching Practice

In response to AISV webquest on effective teaching strategies.

Having entered IT teaching only in the last few years, I have tried to seek out PD that will give me the skills I need to better student learning in the IT classrooms I work in.  As things have changed so rapidly in the online world, there have been a myriad of new things to consider.

One of my greatest strengths in utilising online technologies in teaching is my willingness to ‘play’ with new tools.  One of my colleagues once noted that I am ‘fearless’ in the classroom and will trying anything.  The same is true with web tools – I’ll try anything once.
The fallback on this is that sometimes things do fall over, or in my excitement at unleashing something new on the students, I don’t think things all the way through, and could produce a better model or a better prepared activity.
Another downside to this is losing track of the ‘big-picture’ in the culture we are trying to create within the classroom.  It is easy to lose sight of the bigger goal in favour of the exciting new tool.  One thing I can work on in regard to good practice is to always work back to the same teaching goal – better understanding of the topics at hand.

I am also a big proponent of the ‘play and learn’ approach.  Rather than standing and speaking from the front, I would prefer to build something that kids can work through or play with, and ‘learn while they are not looking.’  Unfortunately not all students are as creative as some, and prefer to hear information that they know is correct.  The other downside is that in leaving kids to work on something to get concepts into their head, they sometimes lack feedback unless this is diligently followed up.

The other concept that features in the source documents is research.  One thing that teachers struggle with in general is in finding time for the important but not urgent things that enhance effective teaching – reflection is one of these.  I have noted on many occasions that teachers have a habit of  ‘talking shop’; given a little time to consider the fruitfulness of their endeavours, they will always natter on for hours about their kids or what worked in class last week.  Formalise this with structured discussion and emprical evidence and we would have a powerful tool to see how well things are progressing in our classrooms.  But the time…….

The source document on research also points out that the public benefits when proper research and reflection is carried out.  I have sensed, as my skills in using online learning tools has grown, that it is of great importance to share this with others.  Being a PD leader in my school community, I try to drop tid-bits of clever tools to my peers whenever I can.  Yet there are probably ways of sharing new tools in a public way amongst my school community that can be effective on a wider scale.  I have considered using a public forum to drop new ideas and examples of neat things my peers are doing out there, but again it all comes down to hours in the day.

Bodybuilding

Okay, I have to admit it. I am one of these strange people who get out bed at a very unfortunate hour and wander down, bleary-eyed to a strange place where I lift heavy stuff. And with over 500 posts under the tag bodybuilding in wordpress alone, it seems I am not the only one.

Every now and then you have to ask yourself “Why do I do this?” What is going on in my head to make me behave in such a strange way?

I reckon weight-lifting is a guy thing. Strength is the epitome of a successful man – a man who can cope with anything that life throws at him. There is something very empowering about knowing you can lift something heavy that others can’t manage.  There is also an element of overcoming; achieving something that you couldn’t previously.  So in your head, you have control – you can beat things and overcome the odds.  The guy in the mirror is not the same person who peered out at you months earlier – this guy is stronger, fitter, more able to cope.

Then there is the feeling you get when you lift.  There are few sensations as overpowering as squeezing out that last rep knowing there is just nothing left.  Bodybuilders everywhere know that feeling, often 2 days later, when your muscles are aching because you pushed it the limit in your workout.  It is a nice pain, knowing that your muscles are developing under the strain you are exerting.

I didn’t grow up in a household dominated by sport.  We played basketball a bit, but exercise wasn’t high on the priority list.  On joining a gym to lose some weight, something clicked in my head – something I hadn’t experienced before.  That sensation of getting stronger, bigger, fitter is an addictive one.  I have had a break or two at times – ask my wife: I get grumpy!  Not only do you miss the familiar, noisy environment of your beloved gym, your body cries out to be worked and not neglected.

So find below a few shots of notable muscle men.  Few men cannot be impressed by the physique of a built guy – I think it is something all men crave for themselves.  It just becomes a question of whether you are ready to work for it.

The day Moodle died….

We had a storm here last weekend which took out our WAN. We arrived to work on Monday with no Email, no Internet and NO MOODLE!

As my computer tried to log on, I wrote a list of things to do for the day. On discovering that Moodle was down, I immediately crossed off half of the things on the list to be dealt with when the WAN woke up.

My morning then consisted of things I had been putting off for a while; sort out my budget, worked on some IT tutorials the old-fashioned way (in Word grrrr,) twiddled my thumbs trying to work out how my day suddenly became so defragemented…. .

Got to thinking about how much my day now revolves around access to Moodle.  With all my curriculum being replicated online, it made it exceedingly difficult to generate anything new.  I tend to be quite anal in my teaching resources anyway, so I make a lot of new resources. I have spent much of the last week developing tutorials for Access databases.  I decided it was time to fully embrace Web2 and do this online as a wiki.  I figure that I can then update my tutes over time with new ideas or better ways of doing things.  If the kids find a better way, then heaven forbid…they could add to the resources themselves.  Teacher losing control of class….ahhhhgh   With Moodle down, all that ground to a halt. Lots of our curriculum materials are now also stored or interfaced with via Moodle.  So the storm put an end to that as well.

Happily, our technicians restored access to Moo by lunchtime, so the universe righted itself once again.  The experience made me realise how much we now rely upon online content to get through our day.  I was also reminded how much I have come to rely upon the tools and resources that Moodle does so well.

Oh Moodle!  How shall I ever live without thee?
In fact, a colleague of mine turned down a job offer in another school as they didn’t have a decent LMS.  Well not Moo anyway.

Reading Tolkien again…

Well folks, the time has come around again. Time to begin my yearly reading of LOTR.

Am beginning right at the beginning with The Silmarillion this time around.  I figure that I cannot be a true Tolkien aficionado and not be familiar with the history of Middle-Earth.  Plus it drags out the amount of time that I can be reading the thing…

Having got a hundred pages in, I am quite taken with the character Feanor.  He may be the closest thing to an angry elf – tis nice to have some of the blanks filled in, and understand some of the grief that you hear the elves speak of from time to time.

So what of the simarils?  A metaphor for the greed of mankind maybe?  One man made them, but everyone desires them, to the detriment of all.

I’ll go back to my reading now, or at least juggling with a copy of the text that is falling apart…I have two bulldog clips holding the thing together.

Here is a nice post on The Silmarillion from another blog in word press.  (Added 19/3/09)

More on Blogging

..or was that MORON blogging. 

Finding time to add to your blog is very much ‘Quadrant 2′ stuff. 
You know, not urgent but still important.

It’s right up there with reading a good book, planning a holiday, reading your bible, taking your wife out for dinner, wrestling on the floor with your son.  All really important things that can be easily shoved aside.

Blogging is a nice way to organise your mind, put some thoughts in concrete, and then share with them with others.  Reading someone’s blog can open you to new ideas.  Perhaps I should find a few nice blogs to add to my blogroll?

If only there were more hours in the day…..

“If there is no gardener, there is no garden.”
Steven Covey – First Things First

Craig Lowndes

One of my passions is motorsport – in particular V8 Supercars.  Me and my buddies try to get together and watch each round on the telly, and aim to get to at least one race weekend per year.  (This year we are going to Bathurst, about which I am very, very excited…but that’s another blog entry.)

As you wander about the pits, you get to know some of the personalities and see people at their best and worst.  Some racers are there for the fans, some are just there for themselves.  One of the people for whom I have developed a deep respect is Craig Lowndes.  Aside from being a great driver, CL is also one of the nicest guys you are ever to meet.

What impresses me most about CL is his ability to keep reality in a crazy scene.  Always grinning from ear to ear, Lowndsie always has time to chat to the fans, sign things and hug people.  I know this for a fact as I have had a Lowndsie-hug, simply because I asked for one.  (Probably sounding a little weird now….)  I just love his trademark “Okaaay” in response to a transmission from his pit crew over the team radio – hope to set it as my email notification one day.

A defining moment:  December 2006, last round of the series and the championship has all come down to one last race.  If CL finishes in front of Rick Kelly, he wins the lot.  Of course racing being what it is, there is drama and Wick can’t resist an opportunity to spin CL around – the race is over, championship lost.
What would you do next?  Scream and shout? Punch Rick? (I know I would have!) Complain loudly to the nearest microphone?  Not our Lowndsie. 
After the race, and a quick  stint in the team trailer  (probably to scream and shout,)  CL came out to the pits and spent half an hour with the fans.  We tried to make him spit on Rick, but he wasn’t listening and only replied with “well there’s always next year.” 

Now that’s character! In any trade there are good blokes and losers.  CL may be no angel out there, but he always has time for people and has never forgotten that sport should be as much about the fans as about one’s own success.

So the influences bit?  As a person, my nature is to always try to be of good cheer, whatever is going on.  I would love people to say of me that I was always grinning, and whatever the circumstances that I could take it on the chin and still enjoy the moment.  That’s what JOY is all about.  Now that would be a good legacy to leave.

 

Rick tags CL - Championship over

Jesus

When I first began this blog, I decided then to do an influences category, discussing the people who have played a part in shaping who I am.  I quickly developed a little list, noting the personalities who have played this part.

Despite being a ‘Christian’ all my life, I didn’t immediately put Jesus down as one of these influences, to my own chagrin.  I had to spend a minute or two asking why this may be the case.

If I was being kind to myself, I would suggest that JC has always been part of what I do, and he always will.  I have ‘tried’ to dump my faith at times, but I just keep waking up every morning knowing that God is real and this world cannot have just happened by accident.

I suppose if I was to be truthful, I would have to accept that my faith could be more in the fore-front of my mind as I go about my daily stuff.  Funny to say, especially when you work in a Christian school, wear a cross around your neck and call yourself a ‘follower.’

I guess we are all imperfect people, and if we are serious about our walk through life, then we need to work a little harder to ensure that we make our lives and our relationship with the Lord all it should be.