Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from February, 2016

5.5.4 On knowledge building

In this section of my learning, I have broadly realised - building from my background knowledge as an educator - that there are no proven methods of educating people to be producers of knowledge. Knowledge creators of the past have been too few and too exceptional in their talents to provide much basis for educational planning. In what is coming to be called the “knowledge age,” the health and wealth of societies depends increasingly on their capacity to innovate. People in general, not just a specialized elite, need to work creatively with knowledge.  Knowledge is socially constructed, and best supported through collaborations designed so that participants share knowledge and tackle projects that incorporate features of adult teamwork, real-world content, and use of varied information sources. This is the most widely supported approach at present, especially with regard to the use of information technology. Knowledge building provides an alternative that more directly address

Engaged learning 5.3.4

Learner engagement is key for effective learning to take place. Learners are engaged not only when we see participation, activity, use of a piece of technology here and there but when, after evaluation of the engagement process, we are able to note without reason to doubt that there is: Creativity; critical thinking which generates new ideas and opinions/questions; application of knowledge to solve real problems in the local and global communities; collaboration between learners to create new and relevant content using a series of platforms e.g. google docs; ability of the learner to evaluate themselves in a series of tasks that the teacher gives from time to time. To mention but afew. These and a lot more can be used gauge effectiveness of learner engagement. Much as presence of technology in a lesson in itself is not proof of learner engagement, the role of technology in ensuring learner engagement cannot be down played. Phones have been used by teachers to engage learners throu

VENN ILLUSTRATING ENGAGEMENT IN LEARNING

ENGAGEMENT

REFLECTING ON MY INNOVATION NEED 5.2.4

My view about innovative teaching is revolutionizing and very quickly. The exposure I got from the first part of course 5 was one that gave me a glimpse of what was in store as regards teaching with innovation and now that I have completed 5.2.3, I consider myself to be, to  a greater extent, ready for my next innovative lesson. In talking about innovation, I now see that it is about allowing the learners to freely learn in social groups created either virtual or physical and facilitating them with guidelines that enable them to create knowledge on their own as they go about with pre-designed tasks. This kind of collaboration exploits learners creativity abilities and has lead to results we had never imagined would ever be realised. In engaging learners in these tasks they are prompted to critically think - another skill - and come with solutions to the challenges before them. The role of the teacher in this regard is narrowed to seeing to it that a lesson is designed in a way that it