edna.edu.au

Get students thinking. Sign up to participate in this MacICT project.

This is a project design to get students thinking differently.  We use LAMS software to teach students to become online teachers, from the planning through to the assessing learning.  All the teachers involved in this project have been surprised by the transformation of teaching and learning in their classroom through participating in this project.

Why you should participate:

• Increased student motivation and self-esteem
• Knowledge and skills in the application of ICT in the classroom
• Explicit teaching of meta-cognitive skills
• The opportunity to practice using technology to create an enquiry-based, collaborative curriculum for your students
• Meet other teachers who are interested in integrating technology in the classroom
• Individual feedback for students on learning designs provided by MacICT

This year our project will be focused on creating designs that are linked with the DET Year of Sustainability.

Click here to book your spot on the LAMS Basic training day.  Or email me concetta.gotlieb@det... for more information.

Tags: macict studentcentredlearning lams thinking
Posted at 11:27AM Feb 09, 2010 by Concetta Gotlieb  |  Comments[1]

Innovation

I really like the application of three of the ideas in this video to my project:

• Providing a prize as motivation to shift a thinking paradigm
• Providing a learning space where ideas cross over
• Providing a big challenge as a launch pad to learning

Tags: motivation lams innovation macict
Posted at 09:51AM Feb 03, 2010 by Concetta Gotlieb  | 

Student Learning Design Project 2010

Imaged from Flickr user  pandiyan CC licence

I like this picture because you can look at it in two ways - in a way letting students design learning for each other was a bit like sending students to tend to crocodiles.  But like the kid in this picture they also showed strength of character, calmness and passion that makes you remember what teaching is all about.  Click here to read a beautiful reflection by one of the teachers on the project.

Some of the successes of the 'Students As Learning Designers' project included:

• Gaining a better understanding of the choices students make when they use technology
• Uncovering the thinking processes behind what happens when students learn
• Developing empathy and teamwork skills in the groups that participated in the project
• Increased empathy and understanding of what the teacher was asking them to do in all learning tasks 
•  

[Read More]

Tags: lams macict learningdesign studentcentredlearning
Posted at 08:58PM Feb 02, 2010 by Concetta Gotlieb  | 

Students Participating in the Learning Design Process

I think one of my favourite projects this year has been the LAMS one where students where involved in designing learning activities using the software.

I have created a document reflecting on my experiences with this project.  Click here to read this document. Teachers please review this document and provide feedback as appropriate.

Also to keep the connection with your students and to reward them for all the hard work they have put in I'll be inviting them to participate in a fun online activity.  Sign up for Edmodo and join the Chet's Challenge group (code) is in the email. 

Tags: studentauthors learningdesign macict lams
Posted at 02:30PM Oct 02, 2009 by Concetta Gotlieb  | 

How have you put the student in the driving seat?

Write on my wall:

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Tags: lams web2.0 tools macict
Posted at 08:22AM Sep 22, 2009 by Concetta Gotlieb  | 

Students as Learning Designers LAMS

Today's session with Year 6 students was really very good. They are obviously really engaged in using LAMS and gave me lots to think about.


Structure of the day
* We created a rubrik for assessing good learning sequences
* Students provided some feedback to their peers
* Using some of their examples I led some discussions on what is good practice when
* We then discussed giving constructive feedback


What did they need to think about when designing sequences? (student responses)
* Putting more information at the front of learning experiences.
* Adding more instructions for using the tools such as PIXLR
* Adding more facts and less opinions or the opposite (getting the balance right)
* More options when people have to vote on something
* Adding more options to cater for a variety of abilities and knowledge



What do they like about designing sequences?
* Actually teaching something gives you a sense of satisfaction for knowing they have learnt something
* You learn as you teach
* Like learning how you learn with the tools
* Makes learning more enjoyable because it is never the same by providing a variety of tasks
* Interesting to see what others are trying to teach you
* You learn how to look for info
* Learn more about the world of teaching


What we didn't discuss enough of:

* What is the value of working with peers to create a shared understanding? - this is key

Tags: lams macict student-centred learning student-authoring
Posted at 04:17PM Sep 15, 2009 by Concetta Gotlieb  |  Comments[1]

LAMS Sharing Day

We are getting ready for the LAMS Sharing Day on the 17th Sept.

Outcomes of the day:

• Share your stories and reflect on the data collected
• Discuss implementation of the strategy with a larger group

What you should be doing to prepare:

• Make sure the students have authored at least one sequence.
• Students take on the role of teacher sharing their sequences and analysing the results
• Students modify their sequences and share them with another group
• Complete the 2nd survey analysing how their attitudes have changed

Remember:

• You still have your own professional development days you could use to help you work on this project
• I am available for a visit for those schools who have started designing

What do you need?

• A visit to help students analyse the results of their sequences?
• Technical support?
• More time?

Tags: macict lams
Posted at 10:00AM Aug 28, 2009 by Concetta Gotlieb  | 

LAMS Student Authoring - Thinking Skills Sequences

Today we had Year 5 Students, Designing Thinking Skills Activities for their peers.  This was an exceptional activity. 

Students designed a sequence to help other students think about how to solve a problem, make a decision, make assessment or design something.  The most popular activities included:

• Designing a TV show
• Deciding on an item to use in a rescue
• Alien landing
• Nuclear weapons
• The simpsons are an ok family

Student Approaches & Activities

• Use Pixlr to draw pictures to show how the items could be used in a rescue
• Show the aliens landing point on a google map
• Chat about whether homework should be banned and then vote on the topic
• Survey the students regarding how much like the Simpson's their own family is and in what ways
• Manipulating images of Atomic Bombs

Things to think about:

• More on thinking skills
• More on how to identify when your learner has learnt

Interesting discussions/comments:

• If I create a Google Map and getting them to mark a point where the aliens land can you divide the learners into groups depending on where they mark on the map.
• How can we divide the learners into random groups so that we can have a debate?
• I want to have a question that has no right answer.

Tags: macict studentsauthoring lams thinkingskills
Posted at 09:13AM Aug 07, 2009 by Concetta Gotlieb  | 

Critical Thinking & LAMS Student Authoring

I'm really looking forward to session 2 with this group.  Session 1 was all about determining which tool was best for gathering info.  The students learnt that teaching is about finding out what students know.  It was a great session as my partner in crime Mitchell explains .

Next session: Students scaffolding critical thinking on a topic

A selection of topics - thinking skills questions ranging in difficulty.   A range of topics to be selected by the teacher.  Students will be able to select one they feel they know the most about.

Process:

• Determine what they want their students to do
• Look for key words
• Create a learning plan - 2 or 3 activities/
• Look for supporting info
• Deliver sequences
• Change sequence
• Deliver sequence to different learners
  

Eg: Comics are the best part of the newspaper?

• things to do
• analyse a newspaper
• vote
  

Criteria for assessing the sequences

• Usability
• Ease of use
• Understandable
• Sequential
  

Aiming to:

• enjoy the activity
• do well at the activity
• did you improve the design

Tags: engagement studentauthoring macict lams criticalthinking
Posted at 03:28PM Aug 03, 2009 by Concetta Gotlieb  | 

LAMS new tools

Features and difficulties of some of the new lams tools

• Pixlr - edit a photo from within LAMS.  One thing to watch out for is that you have to upload pictures seperately, students can't upload on the fly.
• Mindmap - use a noticeboard for any instructions, give them as much space to design as possible.
• Google maps - you can have a support map
• Collect data on a google map - eg survey
• Assessment tool - has lots of different assessment options

Also the planner is very effective for adding content really quickly to explore some different implementations of pedagogy.

Tags: lams macit tools
Posted at 02:00PM Jun 18, 2009 by Concetta Gotlieb  |