Perhaps more than "brainstorming," this post will be an example of my "brainfogging" as I have a haze of competing (and intersecting) topics bouncing around in my head in terms of exploring professional goals around digital technology and 21st century learning.
[a curious effect noticed by the end of my blog post: as I typed this up, I began to revisit each (originally) short item below, adding to it, until I had a more firmly developed focus than I had originally thought—Shazam!]
Some keywords or themes or ideas are as follows...
Explore further the educational theories/ideologies of connectivism, constructivism, and constructionism.
Finish Richardson's book, Why School?: How Education Must Change...," to see if I find he offers concrete suggestions we can immediately implement—to see if I agree with his conclusions and suggestions. Often 21stC learning receives tons of hype about myriad possibilities, yet little in the way of clear "how-to" advice.
Delve deeper into newlearningonline.com's videos about Design and Modes of Meaning; although the technologies they are demonstrating at the time of airing are now somewhat outdated and quaint, the substance of the ideas is of potential value to me in designing tech tool lessons with artistic sensibilities...technology as artistic engagement with learning.
Focus especially on the use of developing student creativity: hands-on art, building objects, thoughtful layout, creating tutorial video clips, and using oral language matched with images as a way to demonstrate learning—artistic sensibilities unlocking knowledge and opening up new learning...merging art and technology...incorporating art as a form of play in learning...merging the "isms" mentioned above with Design and Modes of Meaning mentioned above.
Explore more of the Top 10 Videos on 21st Century Learning found on the Educational Technology
and Mobile Learning site. See which go beyond the ubiquitous/mandatory whiteboard sketching hype about the necessity to let kids use ICT (interactive communication technology?), to actually showing examples teachers can apply. Telling teachers they must do this, the future depends upon it, everyone they do is antiquated, is a depressing message that needs mediation desperately. Curmudgeonly Luddites is all that will come of the current attitudes that go semi-viral through the Ed community.
Keep exploring Place-Based Learning. Build upon my lessons for primary classes on community by focusing on local community changes...go beyond then-and-now Piccollages from archival photos to adding student commentary via audio recordings in Puppet. Strengthen place-based learning in my Gr 4 lessons around First Nations—the focus on local Sto:lo culture...continue with more guided drawing, the Longhouse visit, the Aurasma app project, but delve much deeper into the virtual Sto:lo village website and the First Voices language website (create solid lessons there rather than just exploring for fun). Continue focusing on the local as a way of increasing relevance in student learning. Incorporate technology tools, especially in reflecting on or demonstrating knowledge after explicit teaching, such as students using the iPad to snap photos or screenshots, import them into Puppet or an iBook creator, and then commenting on them and their significance through audio recordings.
Continue exploring incorporating artistic activities as a way of aiding self-regulation in students. Often tech tools are espoused as a method of increasing self-regulation due to a magical focus and engagement that will occur when an iPad hits the hands of a student, yet often we witness the opposite effect...a crazed "fun" random clicking without much learning occurring. Mesh traditional visual arts exercises with tech tool art to create multimodal products that engage kids via creativity, via truly making something.... I've seen that making art has a calming effect, a settling effect, even when it causes students to be jazzed and energized simultaneously; it provides a calming self-
satisfaction, a focus and direction for the mind, a reflective chance to make connections in the brain while the hand is occupied.
Great post. albeit all too much for just one class! You will need to prioritize just a couple, or few, of these topics to explore in the coming weeks, you won't be able to address them all, but they can be on-going interests for exploration on your own. Lots to comment on, but most interested in self-regulation, deeper meaning construction, constructivism and connectivism. I think you will find much on the web, in blogs, journals and articles. Also, really pleased to see so many resources using video and other media to share their learning. Overall, a great start and detailed discussion of your interests and goals.
ReplyDeleteThanks Aaron.
ReplyDeleteI hope that my next post does seem to focus many of these interests into something logical and "do-able." I think I've managed to do that.