DebbieS

DebbieS

__//**Assignment #5 - PBL**//__ media type="custom" key="23141266" //__**Assignment #8**__// media type="custom" key="23057220"
 * 1) 1 - Elaine - I had the same problem with my husband's 'great' ideas! haha. I hope you wore a mask - spontaneous combustion and pregnancy don't go together! Your project looks great, and I enjoyed listening to your experience, however I am wondering what learner approaches you used other than the three websites you mentioned at the beginning and trial and error.
 * 2) 2 -Michele - It looks like the owner of your local wine store was a very valuable resource for you. What a great way to learn! Everyone seems to immediately go to the internet, which is a great resource, but having that personal teacher is so much better! I love that you tracked someone down to be your own expert!
 * 3) 3 - Marnie - My grandma tried to teach me to knit as well. I think I was too young, but it is definitely a dying art. So few people know how to do it now. I never did learn how to cast on or bind off. Grandma did that part for me, and I did the knitting! Great job on learning through trial and error, internet research and discussions with your co-workers/knitting friends. I also like that you identified further learning that you plan to do with knitting.
 * 4) 4 -Melodie - I love your prezi's Melodie - they look great! I like that you decided to do your blog on a personal topic instead of a work or school related topic. Having a Wordpress expert is a great resource!
 * 5) 5 - Tom - Wow, now that's a firepit!! Interesting that your findings showed the product didn't actually do what it claimed to do. Definitely lots of trial and error with a project like this. Safety is definitly a consideration. Great presentation. I like that you 'speak' through your presentations, and don't just read.
 * 6) 6 - Michael - From accordian to beer - interesting! I like that you used a book and the beer making store staff. I agree, the internet can bog you down and get very confusing and frustrating with the amount of information and often contradictory information.
 * 7) 7 - Donna - I liked that you focused on the learning and not necessarily the outcome in your project. You weighed the pros and cons and did your research, and came to the conclusion that this was not a do-it-yourself project. Well done!
 * 8) 8 - Gil - I will definitely be showing your presentation to my husband and son. They will enjoy it! Your project sounds expensive! :) I like your use of video but also the real objects to get your point across.
 * 9) 9 - Stephen - I really like your presentation style. Your slides are brief and include lots of pictures and you talk, instead of just reading.
 * 10) 10 - Brian - I appreciated your terminology explanations. Gun Bluing isn't something the average person knows about, and it was helpful to have you explanations of specific terms in the process. I also like that you show the packaging - a great way to clarify for your learner.
 * 11) 11 - David - This is a frustrating topic! I find by the time you figure out the camera, the picture you were attempting to take has moved or changed. I guess trying to get all the setting correct works on landscape or natural pictures, but not so well on potraits or 'moving' objects.
 * 12) 12 - Wade - I enjoyed your playing within your video. A great way to show us how you learned, from a distance.
 * 13) 13 - Roxy -great pictures in your presentation. Great topic too! I think I would have just bought a new tire, instead of fixing the old one. But cool to see how they do it.
 * 14) 14 - Brenda - Very interesting topic. You went all out, learning about this! I enjoyed your presentation. It must take a lot of patience and practice to get really good at henna tatoos.
 * 15) 15 - Barry - Interesting that you were not impressed with the results. Everyone has their own preferences, so even after people told you this sound was better, maybe just better for them.
 * 1) 1 - Elaine - The graphic organizer is a great idea with the gears. Very visual learning needed here, and I can see how drawing everything out would be a better learning experience than a straight lecture. I also like how you laid out all the instructions for the Webquest. The students questions should be answered by you level of detail on the instructions. Good idea to use the powerpoint as a summary of 'what to expect in this course' for your students!
 * 2) 2 - Michele - I like to use Case Studies as well. I feel they give a 'real life' experience, and yes, definitely bridges the gap! The Discovery Learning is a great way to help the students come to a 'aha' moment!
 * 3) 3 - Marnie - Discussion boards would work great, especially with distance learning. It gives students an opportunity to have more contact and communication with their peers, even at a distance. Since this is becoming such a popular way to study, it is a valuable way to learn. A role-play would be really fun with an auction! Some role plays are awkward, but I can see how the auction would be successful in a role play activity.
 * 4) 4 - Melodie - Researching and teaching each other through Google docs is a good alternative to handouts and assignments. You must feel added pressure to be more creative than your students, in your teaching! I like the idea of peer evaluations, but I would not put too much weight on them.
 * 5) 5 - Michael -Good example of using the flipped classroom in a course with time constraints, thereby allowing the students to have extra practice time. Very important in a program such as Practical Nursing. Putting the student in the shoes of the patient during role play is a valuable lesson. I like the activity of having the 'patient' research a health condition and the 'nurse' having to figure it out. Sounds like a fun experience.
 * 6) 6 - Roxy - Role play would be a great way to teach your students to really listen to their 'clients' which will be so important when they are in the workforce. The positive and negative scenerios is a great idea too! I love your Digital Storytelling activity with the era's - what a fun way to teach history.
 * 7) 7 - Donna - Write, Think, Pair and Share sounds like a good method to use when there isn't just one correct answer, but many answers that may be good solutions.
 * 8) 8 - Barry -PBL and inquiry is a great way to bring that creativity out in students. By giving them an example and questions related to that, allows them to find the answers instead of just guessing.
 * 9) 9 - Gil - I like the activity of having the students stand up and act as the shifting components of the transmission. That is a creative way to show your learning that students in this program probably don't often have a chance to do. I'm sure it left a lasting impression.
 * 10) 10 - Stefan - The webquest on wheel alignments is a great way to give your students some research time, out of the shop. I think they would appreciate the variety in learning a topic that is normally learned through lecture and shop work. The case study is also a great fit, with a real life scenerio of what your students will deal with in the workplace.
 * 11) 11 - Bryan - Lecture? I'm not sure if I missed something at the beginning, but I felt like this was a lecture and assignments. I'm not sure what the learner-centered approach was here.
 * 12) 12 - David - The jumping scaffolding activity sounds like a great learning opportunity for the students to apply their knowledge.
 * 13) 13 - Me - I did great! :)
 * 14) 14 - Tom - I love the puzzle idea. If I was your student, I would be excited to do this. I never would have thought of doing a Webquest for a job hunt activity as you have laid it out. very interesting. Nice Prezi!
 * 15) 15 - Brenda - Love the role play scenerios and the play money! Great game! And I love the lesson on travel deficit! So many people don't understand that.
 * 16) 16 - Wade - I like the cooperative learning activity with each student contributing to a cover letter. Building confidence and teamwork is very important and this is a good way to promote that.

__//**Assignment #10 - Webquest**//__ The Webquest I would develop for a course I teach, is the Financial Basics Workshop. This is a 6 - 8 hour workshop, delivered over 2 - 3 classes on personal financial basics. However, if this course was delivered in a longer timeframe, the webquest could be a useful tool in learning the course content. Creating a personal budget is the main activity in this class, while also learning about saving, spending wisely and investing. Typically the personal budgets section is tackled through a combination of lecture, powerpoint, class discussion and the student's practising on a worksheet. I can see how a Webquest could 'flip the classroom' and give the students a stronger role in researching and learning about how to properly complete their budgets. The purpose of the websites is to give the students a starting point for their research, while providing them with accurate, informative websites. Not all of the information available on the internet is going to be accurate or useful in this exercise. The text instructions allow the students to understand the assignment, what is expected of them, what and where to research. Some videos and pictures could also be added for interest sake.

This is what I have come up with -

Congratulations!! Welcome to college! You have just begun a new chapter in your life – post-secondary education. You will now need to create a monthly budget to show how you are going to manage your finances and avoid the ‘poor student’ pitfalls!
 * //__ Introduction __//**

You will need to create a budget, so you know where your money is going. Your job is to use the worksheet in the __resources__ section to create a budget for each month you are in college. Include the items mentioned below.
 * //__ Your Task __//**

Click on each link to research your options. You will need to keep notes as you go along. The worksheet should show your final budget for each month you are in college. You will need to identify all sources of income, as well as all expenses (regular and irregular) throughout the year. You will also need to summarize your choices of spending and why you made the decisions you did. Turn in both the budget and summary.

Objectives:
 * Understand the importance of budgeting
 * Properly prepare a monthly budget for each month in college
 * Make realistic decisions on spending
 * Justify decisions made

You will identify all sources of income for your school year, including employment income, sponsorship, Employment Insurance, government funding, government loans or grants, scholarships, awards and bursaries. In your summary include an explanation of how you plan to access as many sources of income as possible. [|www.canlearn.ca] [|www.manitobastudentaid.ca] [|www.assiniboine.net] [|www.scholarshipscanada.com] [|www.studentawards.ca] [|www.mmf.mb.ca] [|www.gov.mb.ca/employment]
 * //__ Process and Resources __//**

You will identify all expenses for each month – both regular and irregular. In your summary, show realistic estimates of unknown expenses and justification of all. [|www.pub.gov.mb.ca] [|www.ebrandon.ca] [|www.maps.google.ca] [|www.safeway.ca] [|www.caa.ca] [|www.ic.gc.ca] [|www.getsmarteraboutmoney.ca/tools-and-calculators]

You will summarize cost-cutting measures and explain how you will work them into your lifestyle. Please use the attached worksheet to create your budget. Budget Worksheet for Webquest.xlsx

You will have 1 month to complete your budget. During this first month you may choose to track your actual spending and income to assist in your estimates of the upcoming months. You will hand in a completed budget for each month you are in college, along with a summary. Your summary will include your decisions and justifications for expenses. Please see attached rubric for marking scheme. Rubric for Webquest.xlsx
 * //__ Evaluation __//**

I hope you enjoyed this exercise! Budgeting is a very important tool to use for your personal expenses, especially as a student. We will review your budgets at the midway point of this course and allow you the opportunity to make any adjustments at that time. Good luck on your way to financial success!!
 * //__ Conclusion __//**

//__**Assignment #7 - Role Play and PBL**__// Role Play - As a student, role play has been one of my least favourite methods of learning. I have had teachers through the years that have tried role play exercises, and I have always felt they turned out to be an uncomfortable experience with little learning involved. However, this article has explained the method of role play in a new light. Interestingly I now wonder if my experiences were a result of teachers not investing enough time in the direction, but rather sending students off on their own to figure it out. I like the example the author uses, the course material of 'domestic politics of foreign countries'. Not your most interesting topic, and typically taught through a long, droning lecture. I can see how students would not be completely engaged. By setting up a role play and identifying the main players, the decisions they have to make and guiding the students with class by class instructions, the author has set up a much more interesting and fun way to learn about the domestic politics of foreign countries. Guaranteed the students will actually remember the material by having the opportunity to role play, but also with that very important teacher direction. PBL - I love using real-life scenerios in teaching! Problem-Based Learning is an excellent example of this. That age-old questions of 'when are we ever going to use this' will never come up when using real-life situations. I think that PBL gives students not only knowledge about the topic or content, but knowledge about problem solving, working together as a team, research, and that ever-important 'common sense'. The student will engage in working in a group to solve a problem, they will research, debate, and ultimately come to a conclusion regarding the problem presented. This can be used either in a quick short assingment, such as a case study done in 15 minutes, or it can be done in a longer research-based group project over a number of weeks. I think PBL is an excellent way to teach students a number of very valuable skills, while focussing on real-life situations.

Donna- I too was disenchanted by role playing exercises as an early learner. It was a little like being thrown into it without enough direction. I do find the key to success in most learner centered teaching techniques is providing the correct structure. Feedback from the class is also advantageous, I find they often have unique ideas to make the experience more interesting and beneficial.


 * David-** I never even taken into account that students would not find this rewarding, I see your point and now think I will ask my students if they have any sugestions on ways to improve the method since some like yourself may find this uncomfortable and not productive. Thanks


 * Wade - RE:** That age-old questions of 'when are we ever going to use this?' Problem-Based Learning is also one of my favorites strategies too when it is necessary to inject some fun into things that may not be that interesting to students. Teaching students to think, problem solve, research and share findings is the goal even if they are "never going to use this".

//__**Advanced Instructional Methods Assignment #4 - The Flipped Classroom**__// The article I read was 'Looking for Flippable Moments in Your Class'. [] I found this to be a good resource for helping instructors to see where 'flipping' the classroom could be used. Often the instructor will understand a concept of a new teaching practice, but won't necessarily know how or when to implement it. And as we all know, if something new is not implemented at the right time and goes poorly, the chances of us trying it again are pretty slim! So although the concept of flipping a classroom, or moving the responsibility of learning to the learner through their own research, discovery and evaluation is a good one, it may not always be introduced at the most appropriate times. This article summarizes 4 instances where an instructor can successfully implement a flipped classroom in order to further the learning of the student through their own motivation and resources. I found the 4 'flippable moments' of looking for boredom, confusion, the fundamentals and extra credit opportunities to be excellent examples of when to introduce this teaching strategy. This article provides some valuable direction of not just what is a flipped classroom, but how to implement it successfully!

My thoughts on the 5 core principles of learner-centred teaching - //1 - Shift the balance of power to the learner.// The idea of online assignments and using technology to practice and master material is one that has merit. Students would then have the opportunity to learn at their own pace, and review concepts when necessary. I do think the learner would need to be motivated to get to the level of mastery on their own. //2- Use content to organize activities.// I agree completely! Technology is an excellent resource for organizing materials. Students have access to the materials when they need them and as often as they need them. //3- Think of teaching as facilitating learning.// It is valuable to be able to teach students in a variety of ways. With students who learn at different rates, are located in different areas, and have many different 'life' demands, technology can be an excellent way to reach them all. The student can learn at their own pace, on their own timelines with an instructor available to facilitate and assist in the learning, without always leading it. //4 - Responsibility for learning rests with the learner.// The idea of learner-centered teaching does move the responsibility of learning from the teacher to the learner. I can see this being more successful with adult learners who may have more self-direction and motivation than a younger learner might. //5 - Evaluation provides a way to foster learning.// I can't say I completely agree with the idea of allowing students multiple attempts to pass graded quizzes. I think if they are non-graded practise quizzes for preparation for a graded test, then they are valuable. However I feel by allowing students to 'guess' at answers until they get them correct does not make for a valuable learning experience. Overall, I think a good combination of teaching strategies will have the best result for learners. The learner-centered approach is just one of all the strategies that should be implemented for a successful learner.
 * __//Assignment #2 Journal Reflection// //How Technology Can Improve Learner-Centred Teaching//__**