Thinking About Teaching

Hi Everyone,

I have read all of the posts with interest. The posts are quite diverse and this paper has sparked a lot of thought.

The points made in this paper that I can most identify with are:

Universities must maintain their core values that include research-based teaching.

Teaching does not invent its tools; it uses those invented by others.

Using technology in teaching doesn’t make it innovative unless the tool enables a richer experience.

Teachers must become reflective practitioners.

I teach in an IBO school, which uses the inquiry method central to all teaching and learning. That means that the students pursue their learning through investigation. Reflection and making connections are key components. We follow a simple cycle of Choose-Act-Reflect. The teacher is the facilitator not the expert, but we must make sure that the curriculum scope and sequence has been covered.

Both of my classes (Gr 3 and 5) integrate ICT across the curriculum through using keeping blogs, creating websites and maintaining offline digital portfolios. The challenge is to create digital artifacts and not just digitalize paper-based learning.

My experiences so far with my current Masters online (my most recent experience of 'higher learning') have been really similar to the inquiry model that I am using at my school. In the courses that I have done so far I have been encouraged to choose, use it/practice it with my students and continually reflect on my learning. I have already started a blog for this course and it is at http://jane5601.blogspot.com/


Jane