Reflections


 * __ Reflections __**
 * Please use this page to share your reflections, either about the professional development day or about your own learning journey. If you wish, you can post anonymously. **

​ //I was really happy with how the day went. As I looked around the room, I saw participants who were engaged and involved in inquiry-based activities about student-centred learning in the 21st century. Collaboration was evident everywhere, which was great. However, I felt like there was so much more that we could have done, but it would have required a couple more days! I hope that the collaboration and exploration of the theme will continue. I really believe that this theme is something that we all need to address. I have been inspired to try some new tools and hope that everyone feels the same - trying new things, developing their practices, creating more stimulating learning environments, participating in more PD conferences, workshops and other events. It is not only the students who are the lifelong learners, it is the whole school community - which means us too! It was great to meet up with everyone on Friday, let's keep the communication and collaboration going. :-)// **Sarah Elliott**

 With Fridays PD I feel we have entered a new era, at least I have! Before I used to think that you really need special IT-skills for applying some of these tools. Friday I learned that you only need to be a true inquirer, follow the instructions like following a knitting pattern - and practice. As with knitting you sometimes have to redo things, start again, get new knitting needles or simply adjust the pattern to your liking. In many ways applying the new tools is the same; we need to practice! The Friday PD was a real boost! Thanks again! Bente

//I think that all those who were at the PD day know what I think! The requirements of the students we are teaching today are clearly different from those of previous generations; they have always known the internet, and are already connected digitally in many ways. This is a challenging new world for us as teaching professionals, and it demands that we move forwards too. These new tools and technologies should be used to help us engage all students and allow us to consider different learning styles. It is important to remember that as teachers we need to have a wide variety of teaching strategies at our disposal, and we would be wrong to focus entirely on web2.0 in our classrooms, but at the same time, we must not seperate the digital environment students live in now, and are likely to work in in the future from their experiences at school. Jonathan//

Two weeks on, I continue to be insipred by the things I learned. I often come away from a course with a new sense of enthusiasm for my job, but this has given me some practical ideas for facilitating learning in the classroom and beyond. Small steps are the key, but even small steps are noticed by the students. As a teacher, there is often a sharp focus on age appropriate learning engagements, differentiated to enable pupils of all abilities to access. From this PD I have a new perspective on teaching in this age and the concept of accessability. Feedback from my students has been really positive, and it is this that counts more than anything.

Thank you very much for a great day with lots of useful ideas. I have tried out a number of the tools in my lessons since the day, and find them fun but also very useful tools. The students are very willing to try them out and I am trying to keep up with them (not always easy). Some starting problems setting all up, like google docs, but when it is all organize it is a great tool for colaboration! We shold maybe consider a discussion in school to structure which tools are useful in settings like project collaboration, information to the students E.g. science page, etc We should be careful about opening to many channels! It is confusing for the students to relate to information in so many places!? How do we best assemble the relevant pages for each class, subject etc. On its learning? Gunn

Sorry I've not added to the page before now but things always seem to get in the way. I'd like to say a quick thank you for the invite (I don't get out much these days;-) and for the positive atmosphere that everyone created during the day. I hope the session was useful and that you have had the time to implement a little something since the pedday. Like Gunn said, little steps! It's amazing how it all adds up. If anyone needs a hand let me know and I'll get back to you. Take care and hope to be invited back again some time. Jim