Its a little bit too late for last post about ISUM... But better later than never! :)
On the last day of ISUM we were presenting our wiki pages. We all did good job and I`m happy for that. Later there was a closing ceremony, where I had to make a speech. I didn`t ask for that, I just couldn`t refuse Ivanchos kind request. :) We were four people making a speech, and I was "lucky" to share my vision of ISUM after boy from Kosovo, who made such a theater. It was fun speech, and public loved it! Its always hard to say something smart and be heard after entertainment like that. ;) I was waiting, when he will say: "Thank you, Academy, for giving me this Oscar!!!" all the time! :)
After closing ceremony we got our certificates. I got A!!! :) I realy hope I will go back to school some day and work there, but it will not happy soon. I have realy good excuse for that! ;)
The evevning I spent with Lina and Dmitrij on my balcony. We ate pumpkin seeds, singed a little bit and talked, talked, talked. I miss you, guys...
Bye, bye!!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
The end is near... :)
And its Friday again!!! Actually, I am already a bit tired and I want to go home - no matter how great Ohrid and ISUM is. I want to sleep in my bad, watch my TV, eat from my fridge etc. :)
Today we finished our wiki page. Well, we did it already yesterday, so today we just added some extra ideas and made some editorial work. We also made a lotery of wiki pages, which we will present tomorow. Lucky Ilija! He got the introduction page!!! :)
Discussing, what should be in our presentations, I was happy to find out, that we all have similar ideas about it. No wonder that we are the tallest part of course 12. :):) Actually, this is not the only similarity... I think we are realy good team!
The evaluation of our team members and ourselves was a realy smart thing from Bills side!!! Oh, yes! A good teacher knows how to get right information from these evaluations, even if all team members have put tens to each other. I have used this method several times. Students usually don`t like it or they get hyper happy for it. :) I always make them to write also short explanation of their evaluation. Only when it comes to final grades that teacher makes, they understand thats this evaluation of others, actually is evaluation of themselves. :)
Now I must prepare speech for tomorow... :~
Today we finished our wiki page. Well, we did it already yesterday, so today we just added some extra ideas and made some editorial work. We also made a lotery of wiki pages, which we will present tomorow. Lucky Ilija! He got the introduction page!!! :)
Discussing, what should be in our presentations, I was happy to find out, that we all have similar ideas about it. No wonder that we are the tallest part of course 12. :):) Actually, this is not the only similarity... I think we are realy good team!
The evaluation of our team members and ourselves was a realy smart thing from Bills side!!! Oh, yes! A good teacher knows how to get right information from these evaluations, even if all team members have put tens to each other. I have used this method several times. Students usually don`t like it or they get hyper happy for it. :) I always make them to write also short explanation of their evaluation. Only when it comes to final grades that teacher makes, they understand thats this evaluation of others, actually is evaluation of themselves. :)
Now I must prepare speech for tomorow... :~
Thursday, July 17, 2008
The short one...
Today it was all about team work - we deligated tasks and worked hard on our wiki page. Here is our todays creation http://lili2008.pbwiki.com/Connecting-sources-through-RSS RSS is not that interesting for me, since there is limited possibilites and its not that creative tool. Although very, very usefull!!! We are living in times, when information is one of the most important resources, and is not running out, but becomming more and more with every day. This is making one serious problem - finding the neccessary information, since number of sources is growing with it. RSS helps us to manage our sources and make effective search for new ones, and I absolutly love it. :) There is still some underwater rocks, like - not all sites, I use, have RSS feed, but the reality is, that only those sites will survive, which will accept the new situation and change within it. So, I hope that my favorite social portal will have RSS feed soon. I am even considering to ask them for that. :):)
By the way, I became aunt today!!! :):):)
By the way, I became aunt today!!! :):):)
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Team work today
The end of ISUM can be sensed already - we are not learning that much anymore, but hard work is not yet over.
Today we learnt how to add video to our wiki. As always, its nothing hard. :) We also made one video and added to our lili2008 wiki. You can check it here: http://lili2008.pbwiki.com/Wiki-for-education We spent some good time, working on the idea of video, but one thing that didn`t change during this process - the main idea that wikis and blogs actually save trees, since you don`t have to use paper anymore. If you have up to 200 students, then this is a realy big problem, because all of them must write tests, essays, reports etc. and the pile of paper in the end of semestre is realy, realy BIG. But wiki and blog solve this problem - you can make a group work on wiki, write an essay on blog etc. However I still believe that we should keep the hadwritten tasks as well - for a change, training and fun. :)
I love the way, how we are working with wiki in our group. I think, we have actually found the main idea of wiki itself. We come together and discuss, what should be on wiki, assign tasks for each of us, and then work on wiki. When one person has finished, we are back together again, discuss, what is done, and next person gets to work and does his/her part of work. And in the end there is nice wiki page for everybody to see. I think its a good way, how to work with wiki, especially the part of discussion. It prevents any misunderstandings and fights, because we all together decide, what each of us must do. There is also a possibility to skip few discussions and come together, when everybody have contributed the wiki, and only then discuss, what to do next. But everyone can find a solution thats suits group the best.
Today we learnt how to add video to our wiki. As always, its nothing hard. :) We also made one video and added to our lili2008 wiki. You can check it here: http://lili2008.pbwiki.com/Wiki-for-education We spent some good time, working on the idea of video, but one thing that didn`t change during this process - the main idea that wikis and blogs actually save trees, since you don`t have to use paper anymore. If you have up to 200 students, then this is a realy big problem, because all of them must write tests, essays, reports etc. and the pile of paper in the end of semestre is realy, realy BIG. But wiki and blog solve this problem - you can make a group work on wiki, write an essay on blog etc. However I still believe that we should keep the hadwritten tasks as well - for a change, training and fun. :)
I love the way, how we are working with wiki in our group. I think, we have actually found the main idea of wiki itself. We come together and discuss, what should be on wiki, assign tasks for each of us, and then work on wiki. When one person has finished, we are back together again, discuss, what is done, and next person gets to work and does his/her part of work. And in the end there is nice wiki page for everybody to see. I think its a good way, how to work with wiki, especially the part of discussion. It prevents any misunderstandings and fights, because we all together decide, what each of us must do. There is also a possibility to skip few discussions and come together, when everybody have contributed the wiki, and only then discuss, what to do next. But everyone can find a solution thats suits group the best.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Uuuuu.... Wikipedia!!!!
There is one thing about Internet that we can`t do - we can`t put an intonation in the text. Like the title of this post - its suppose to be sarkastic...
I work in school for three years. I teach subjects like history of culture, politics and law, and comercial sciences (smth like that). Its lots of subjects for one teacher, its lots of topics and also lots of methods. During three years I have extracted the core of methods I am using as a base, and, whenever I find out about some interesting new method, I try it as well. Like all the Internet tools Bill has showed us. I will definatly try them out. :) During these short three years, I have already noticed that every new year, students are different, so also my core of methods are changing as well. Basically, I am changing my methods, according to characteristics of my students, not according new method itself. I have one bad example of how a method, forced in schools, can ruine everything: two years ago a delegation from Ministry of Education and Science went to Netherlands for experience exchange. They brought back one idea, forced it in schools and its not working, and now, instead of learning three different subjects, kids must learn one mystical subject about everything and in the same time about nothing. There is no respect for subject, for teachers, and no results in the end.
I like to call my methods "the old school" (however there are also pc and Internet based methods as well). What Bill is teaching us - "the new school". I understand the enthusiasm of Bill, because he knows, that his methodology is working, but mine is working as well. Unfortinately, I`m starting to feel like a bad person, because of sticking to my way of working and not becomming a "worshipper" of Wikipedia and Co. I didn`t join Jehova witneses, nor Latvian Peoples party and I will not become a fan of Wikipedia in this exact moment. :) I realy believe, that instead of forgetting about "old school", we should combine them both in new core of methods and let time to make changes there. As it is for me, I will let my methods change according my students and their needs, possibilities and interests. I will try everything, I have learnt here and only then I will say: "Oh, yes! Its great!" or the opposite. If there will be such... :)
I work in school for three years. I teach subjects like history of culture, politics and law, and comercial sciences (smth like that). Its lots of subjects for one teacher, its lots of topics and also lots of methods. During three years I have extracted the core of methods I am using as a base, and, whenever I find out about some interesting new method, I try it as well. Like all the Internet tools Bill has showed us. I will definatly try them out. :) During these short three years, I have already noticed that every new year, students are different, so also my core of methods are changing as well. Basically, I am changing my methods, according to characteristics of my students, not according new method itself. I have one bad example of how a method, forced in schools, can ruine everything: two years ago a delegation from Ministry of Education and Science went to Netherlands for experience exchange. They brought back one idea, forced it in schools and its not working, and now, instead of learning three different subjects, kids must learn one mystical subject about everything and in the same time about nothing. There is no respect for subject, for teachers, and no results in the end.
I like to call my methods "the old school" (however there are also pc and Internet based methods as well). What Bill is teaching us - "the new school". I understand the enthusiasm of Bill, because he knows, that his methodology is working, but mine is working as well. Unfortinately, I`m starting to feel like a bad person, because of sticking to my way of working and not becomming a "worshipper" of Wikipedia and Co. I didn`t join Jehova witneses, nor Latvian Peoples party and I will not become a fan of Wikipedia in this exact moment. :) I realy believe, that instead of forgetting about "old school", we should combine them both in new core of methods and let time to make changes there. As it is for me, I will let my methods change according my students and their needs, possibilities and interests. I will try everything, I have learnt here and only then I will say: "Oh, yes! Its great!" or the opposite. If there will be such... :)
Monday, July 14, 2008
The wiki time!!!
Second and last week of ISUM has begun! Today we learnt about wikipedia and more about wikis. We actually made a wiki by ourselves! You can check it here http://lili2008.pbwiki.com/
Wiki seems to be a fun thing to do. And if it is fun, children at school will definatly like it.
For me it means one more tool for teaching. Creating a document together, raises responsibility and gives space for self-evaluationa, as well as evaluation of others, and that is teaching to be responsible of what you are doing as well.
When creating a wiki, for example, as a class project, you must use different sources of information. During my work at school, I have faced some problems with using preferences. Children very often forget to put them. Wiki, however, is not a simple printed school paper, which will end up somewhere. Wiki will be seen for everybody, which makes preferences to be a very important part of whole document.
One more nice thing about wikis, if you are creating it together with others, you have limited space for your part of work. Therefore you must learn to extract the most important information, you must do an evaluation not just for information itself, but also for the sources you are using.
As a conclusion for todays post, wiki is all about responsibility. Making your part of work on time, information you are putting in, sources you are using and simply a good result in the end of project - you are responsible for that all!!!
Wiki seems to be a fun thing to do. And if it is fun, children at school will definatly like it.
For me it means one more tool for teaching. Creating a document together, raises responsibility and gives space for self-evaluationa, as well as evaluation of others, and that is teaching to be responsible of what you are doing as well.
When creating a wiki, for example, as a class project, you must use different sources of information. During my work at school, I have faced some problems with using preferences. Children very often forget to put them. Wiki, however, is not a simple printed school paper, which will end up somewhere. Wiki will be seen for everybody, which makes preferences to be a very important part of whole document.
One more nice thing about wikis, if you are creating it together with others, you have limited space for your part of work. Therefore you must learn to extract the most important information, you must do an evaluation not just for information itself, but also for the sources you are using.
As a conclusion for todays post, wiki is all about responsibility. Making your part of work on time, information you are putting in, sources you are using and simply a good result in the end of project - you are responsible for that all!!!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Thank God, its Friday!!! :)
Five days have passed and I can`t believe it - five days in beautifull Ohrid are gone!!! :)
Today we learnt about wikis - new tool to make teaching/learning process more advanced and interesting.
As I understood, wiki is an online document, that everybody, who has access to it, can change it and improve it. Its good for people, who are far away from each other, to work together.
For me it means more possibilities to create interesting way of exploring and learning for my students. Wiki can be a space, where students put the outcomes of their researches together. And to make it more interesting, when their wiki is ready, publice it also on blog. Therefore they would have to use two Internet tools.
I`m a bit tired, since its Friday and I worked hard all week, so I will stop typing now. :) But just to finish, I realy like all these possibilites that Internet gives us! And whats more, I realy believe that all these tools can help teacher to show, how interesting and usefull can be also the "old school", like books, library, drawing etc. For us teachers, it is very important to find a way, how to combine old and new in one attractive method.
Today we learnt about wikis - new tool to make teaching/learning process more advanced and interesting.
As I understood, wiki is an online document, that everybody, who has access to it, can change it and improve it. Its good for people, who are far away from each other, to work together.
For me it means more possibilities to create interesting way of exploring and learning for my students. Wiki can be a space, where students put the outcomes of their researches together. And to make it more interesting, when their wiki is ready, publice it also on blog. Therefore they would have to use two Internet tools.
I`m a bit tired, since its Friday and I worked hard all week, so I will stop typing now. :) But just to finish, I realy like all these possibilites that Internet gives us! And whats more, I realy believe that all these tools can help teacher to show, how interesting and usefull can be also the "old school", like books, library, drawing etc. For us teachers, it is very important to find a way, how to combine old and new in one attractive method.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
