Introductory Module

Introductory Module eJournal 1

a. reflections about

i) online learning and your role as a student of UPOU

As a student of UPOU, I should learn the materials independently.

I need to manage the time well so that I can study on time.

I need to take a initiative for learning every time to ask questions and discuss as a member of the course.

ii) the results of the tests you took in #3

a. What do the results of the tests say about you as a learner?

As a learner, I am focused, purpose-driven, and good at memorization.

b. What aspects of studying and learning do you find yourself lacking?

Results: Study skill Inventory,

Textbooks	30

Notetaking	11

Memory	32

Prep	46

Concentration	43

Time	15

SRC: 232

Time Management: 53

As a result, I lack time management skill and note taking skill for study.

c. How can you further enhance your skills in studying and learning? What changes are you will to do to make this possible?

As a working Mom with little children, I am so used to use my time for my work and children only. I will use my time more wisely so that I can be focused more in mornings. I will get up about 30 minutes earlier than usual and use my study time. Also I will reduce the time for social network to use for my study.

 b. pledge of commitment for this course.

As a student of EDS 111-Principles of teaching, I pledge to strive for excellence in the pursuit of wisdom, and to be of service to others in accordance with the ideals set forth in the Student Commitment.

Final E Journal/EDS 113

Final E Journal

 

This is the final course of my PTC.

Studying online was difficult. I could not hear any of the verbal lessons from the professor nor of the classmates. Unlike classroom study, online course was challenging because there is no verbal or visible interaction.

 

What am I taking home from this course? 

 In general, I have learnt how classroom setting is a very good setting for learning. Assessment should be done based on what they have learnt. Their learning is focused on the criteria of lesson plans. Therefore it can be designed thoroughly by using Table of specifications. I have learnt how to differentiate assessment of learning, assessment for learning and assessment as learning. I have created the rubric for the first time and it was helpful to see how I can assess the students.

 

How have my views (plans, aspirations, goals) changed? 

As the education settings are getting modernized, the assessments are more need to be aligned to student learning focused. My school is looking for changing the direction to PYP. It is student learning focused rather than traditional teaching and learning. I have learnt a lot through this course that informal and formative assessment helps to develop student learning even better.

 

Have I been inspired to move into action?

Yes. Changing direction needs to have courage. In the classroom setting, as a teacher, I would like to give more constructive feedback upon their tasks in the immediate level.

 

In conclusion, I am glad to complete this course with understanding of formal and informal assessment as well as creating rubrics in practical side.

E Journal on Module 6/EDS 113

E Journal on Module 6

What is the effective feedback for learning? Is feedback really helpful on learning?

I believe giving a constructive feedback is essential for building learning environment. Settling learning environment is good for learner to be motivated.

 

There are 20 ways to provide effective feedback for learning in the website.

https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/20-ways-to-provide-effective-feedback-for-learning/

In practical level, a teacher must know when and how to give feedback. If we give feedback too late for certain tasks, it will not be very motivating. Also it does not have to be written all the time. It can be immediate oral for the formative tasks. In other times, it can be done written format. As a primary school teacher, I have found the written feedback is not quite effective. Oral and verbal or visual feedback is much more effective to motivate them.

Feedback can be given in various times. It can be done on grades or the tasks by rubrics, too. Maybe interpreting rubrics can be little difficult for primary students yet it can be a good tool for self-assessment. Throughout this module, I have made the decision of creating transparent grading and giving constructive feedback to the students.

E Journal Module 4/EDS 113

E Journal Module 4.Types of assessment

 

As a learner, how broad have my experiences been with different types of assessment used in school? How would I describe my experiences with traditional and non-traditional assessments—e.g. in terms of affective or cognitive processes?

 

As a professional (e.g., as a teacher, instructional designer, administrator, supervisor, etc), how might I be able to influence practice so that assessment can be used in more productive ways in the classroom or beyond?

 

As a learner, I attended school in 1980s and 1990s where all of the assessments were paper exams. I enjoyed preparing the test because I achieved good grades. On the other hand, I didn’t really feel that I have learned through this process.

 

As a professional, I think balance is important to have formal and informal assessments. In my opinion, formal and summative assessments are important to see their achievement as an official record. Yet informal or non-traditional assessments are important in learning process. It will motivate students’ learning. To design student learning as student-centered, it determines the type of assessments as well.

 

In practice, I would use more formative assessment during the process. Hand-signal one to five, Exit tickets can be practical and simple to use.

I would use non traditional assessment such as portfolio, group project, oral presentation and performance. I guess to design the assessment and marking policy with the assessment would take more effort and creativity but it would be meaningful to teacher and students.

EDS 113 Module 3. The purposes of Assessment

This module is about three types of assessment; assessment of learning, assessment as learning and assessment for learning. Also assessment should align with what they have learned.

I think this module needs more practice. Although we know what it is, it is not easy to apply things in the classroom setting. So I actually searched some classroom examples to practice those assessments. As we know, assessment of learning is quite common and familiar with us. So I will pass that topic.

Assessment for learning

1. Analyzing student work; teachers take time to analyze student work, they gain knowledge about a student’s current knowledge, attitudes, and skills about subject matter.
2. How and why questions; effective formative assessment strategies involve ask students to answer higher-order questions such as “why” and “how.” Higher-order questions require more in-depth thinking from the students.
3. 3-way summaries: Students can work in groups. In response to a question or topic inquiry, they write three different summaries: 10-15 words long/30-50 words long/ 75-100 words long.
4. Think-pair-share; The teacher asks a question. Students write down own answers. Then placed in pairs to discuss their responses. Teachers are able to move around the classroom and list to various discussions.
5. 3-2-1 countdown; They are required to respond to three separate statements. a) 3 things you didn’t know before, b) 2 things that surprised you about this topic, c: 1 thing you want to start doing with what you’ve learned.
6. One-minute papers; students work individually or in groups here. They must answer a brief question in writing. Typical questions are around main point, most surprising concept, questions are not answered, most confusing area of topic and question from the topic might appear on the next test.
7. Creative extension projects; a poster or collage, a skit or podcast discussing the topics, and keynote presentations

Assessment of  learning

1. Literacy mentoring among students; a tool to review reading strategies and metacognitive skills in reading for grade 4/5 students and to have them in turn, mentor grade 1 students. The grade4/5 students became adept at using both teacher-criteria and their own criteria and were able to mentor grade 1 students through the process.
2. Attendance Procedures;Having students record their own attendance as late or absent on a class posted list. The teacher would have continued discussions around class expectations for attendance and the impact of tardiness or being absent on learning. Students will have opportunities to reflect upon and make changes to their attendances and punctuality.
3. Work habit rubric; Introduce rubric and modify criteria with students to fit curriculum expectations. Have students self-assess and peer-assess at intervals throughout a unit. Guid students through setting goals to improve. Provide feedback throughout the unit and asking guiding questions.

 

Good assessment should be aligned with what they have learned. Otherwise meaningful learning will not occur in some extent. In order to have good assessment, assessment for learning and as learning could be a good habit of doing in classroom setting.

 

Reference:

Assessment as learning-ETEC 520-University of British Colombia

10 innovative formative assessment examples for teachers to know by Lee Watanabe-Crockett

EDS 113 Module 2

In this module, I have learned about assessment cycle; Identifying needs-planning learning-facilitating-Assessing-Evaluating.

Assessment is related to teaching and learning process. Assessment needs to be used for improving teaching and learning process. In order to do so, Gravells suggests about the cycle that I have mentioned above.

In practice, I think this process can be little bit vague unless it is systematically supported. If the teaching is focused on delivering what the teacher prepared, this cycle would never work.

In order to use the cyclical assessment, teaching practice must be changed.

So-called learner centered approach needs to be facilitated. If the teacher uses the fixed curriculum regardless of what the learners achieved, this assessment means nothing. However, when do we use this assessment result for what? If we need to know what to implement in the lessons according to the learner’s needs, learner-centered teaching will follow eventually.

In conclusion, I think I was a bit teacher-centered teacher in my class. In next term, our school is implementing PYP program which is totally different set of teaching-learning process. It is inquiry-based learning that will lead me to do learner-centered program anyway. I am looking forward to seeing the new program and supported system.

E Journal / Module 1-Introduction to assessment

EDS 113

E Journal / Module 1-Introduction to assessment

As I grew up in the education which focused on the result, assessment was not enjoyable at all. I think I enjoyed the result but I did not really enjoy the learning itself. As an educator, how can I imagine that assessment can be made meaningful for students?

First of all, the learning goal should be clear while we are teaching. If we do not focus on the learning goals, there is no way of assessing them.

Secondly, assessment itself should be meaningful material. The way of exam, types of question and the frequency are the determining factor.

Lastly, assessment feedback is also important. I hated the assessment because there was always punishment upon what we missed. Constructive feedback what they have done in assessment will motivate students to learn.

Assessment can be meaningful and enjoyable when the educator meets the learning goal, the various way of testing and constructive feedback.

Final E Journal

Final EJournal

 

In my final paper, I had shared all my application.

Key words after this course could be motivation, peer learning, and facilitating student based learning.

Our course defined learning as change in behavior or understanding through experience. Through this course, did I learn? If so, what have I learned?

 

I guess I had more conviction about my teaching practice than gaining new insights. I think social learning theory and constructivism inspired me a lot in this course. Students learn by observing others like teachers and peers. Also they construct their learning through assimilating and accommodating their cognition and perception. They construct their learning by social activity. This belief and conviction would lead me to design peer learning and student based learning.

 

Before I took this course, I thought distance learning and E learning is not very different from classroom. Yet as I experienced further, I got the conviction that classroom learning is far more effective than E learning. E learning is asynchronous since we all have different pace and it decreases motivation to be connected. Verbal communication is actually very low percentages for whole communication. Then what about the text itself communication excluding our verbal and nonverbal expression? I experienced that it is really limited. Although I tried hard for group work, I felt total despair and discouragement. If we had discussed verbally face to face, the group work must have been much easier. Even face to face group work is challenging because everyone has different schema. That’s what I experienced this time.

 

Although the technological development gave us various chances to access learning material, social interaction through face to face is actually far more effective. I would never miss this point when I facilitate learning in the classroom that I need to use the opportunity of unique strength as a classroom.

E Journal Module 7

Module 7 EJournal

 A. ComplexLearning

1. Reflect on your learning habits and strategies. In what ways might you have you been either nurturing or neglecting your own complex thinking processes?

I am engaged with something new always. I start learning about the common things that everyone should know. Yet I try to find something new or different from the basic. I think I am nurturing my complex thinking processes to find new and unique feature of every matter.

2. What strategies are you currently using to promote critical thinking among students (peers/ siblings, if not yet a teacher)? Are your current teaching methods effectively meeting / approaching critical thinking goals? How do you know that your students are utilizing critical thinking strategies?

In my classroom, I use peer assessment a lot. At the end of activity, students mark peer’s work by success criteria. It gives them to think critically. Also I use KWL strategy for every first unit study. Students will examine their knowledge about what they know –What they want to know- What they have learned. In this process, students use brainstorming about the topic and get engaged actively.

B.Motivation

1. Describe the circumstances behind learning situations wherein you were (a) highly motivated to pursue your goal and (b) strongly unmotivated to achieve at all. Use motivation theories to help you understand or explain why your motivations differ in each of the circumstances.

I was highly motivated when the goal is clear and the activity is quite achievable. I got good feedback and encouragement from teachers. It paved me to go further steps. I was not motivated in PE lessons through entire of my life because I realized how much I was bad at every activity. I did not get any encouragement in PE lesson at all, and I was never be able to be motivated.

2. Reflect on your own experiences of flow. What were important features of the task that facilitated the experience? What was it like for you to experience flow?

I think I am on flow when I design Math lesson plans. Although I was not really good math students, that experience inspires me to design generally good lesson plans. It is challenging to design good lesson plans to attract Math haters yet it is really interesting job to do.

E Journal module 6

E Journal Module 6

 

How in the past might you have failed to learn or facilitate the learning of others, because constructivist principles were not activated?  How you will now want to approach the ways you personally learn or facilitate learning?

 

Constructivism tells us a lot of things. First, students learn from each other. Second, they learn through assimilation and accommodation. Third, scaffolding may be used for facilitating learner’s ZPD. It can be summarized as learner-centered education.

 

If a teacher does not have conviction about this theory, it would be difficult to facilitate the student-centered learning. Teachers would like to control the lesson because we are more like drivers. It is not easy to give steering-wheel away while we are in the car. Student-centered learning is more like sitting next to the driver and watch the driver drive. Students should own the learning. Although I know how to drive and it is easy for me to drive a car, teacher must give direction by scaffolding. A driving instructor is sitting besides, watching the trainee drive, and helping in case of emergency. Teacher’s role might be in a same way in the classroom.

E Journal Module 5 Cognitive learning theory

Until I graduated university, computer was not prevalent to our generation. On my university paper, I had never used computer data for reference. I had to find the things manually. Now when I compare my learning ability to computer, I don’t think I can ever beat computer in terms of accuracy, speed and memory. Computer can find things easily and never make mistakes remembering things unless there is system damage. But it can be copied and removed easily. So I am better in this matter. Human brain is quite unique that it is not easily copied to anyone. It is associated with experience rather than programmed data. So humans can have different variables in terms of learning which can create something beyond the data.

Unlike computer, everyone is different. I would say every person is unique learner. In this module, learning about attention and cognitive load theory was quite beneficial to reflect on my teaching journey. Everyone has different attention span in terms of auditory, visual and working memory. As a teacher, I guess it is my responsibility to remove the foggy learning environment so that they can start engaged in learning. In a classroom setting, getting their full attention is always challenging. Although I know how to enhance their attention skill and working memory, it is not easy to put it into practice. Also engaging them into learning can be a huge task for the class teachers regardless of situation.

I guess it is the point that we are different from machine learning. We have the different variables so it can lead us to collaborate things into creative work as a group. It is the strength that we can distinguish from machine learning.