For the last two weeks I have been in the first person in the hotseat as part of 15 minute CPD which is one of the products from the Open University / eLearning foundation collaboration titled Vital CPD.
Malcolm Moss has summarised the discussion and I've copied it below as a record. You can still view the discussion threads and the direction of the conversation over on the Vital Site but the forum is now closed to new comments.
Stephen Heppell is the next person in the 15 minute CPD slot.
Summary of 10/01a: The Changing Learning Landscape Hotseat with Ollie Bray
complied by Malcolm Moss
There were seven discussion threads with an inevitable crossover of content.
Professional Development focused on tools for teacher CPD which could encourage confidence, cooperation and creativity. Ollie referred to his blog posting on the ‘Sheep Dip versus Drip Feed’ approach. Reference was made to a parallel discussion in the ‘Interest and Engagement’ thread, a future Showcase on TeachMeet and Stephen Heppell’s views on the topic.
Computer games in classrooms attracted a long list of favourites and what they can offer learners. There was a strong emphasis on the pedagogical approach to developing skills knowledge and understanding which may not always be obvious.
Respondees mentioned the impact of games in terms of independent learning, role playing, problem solving and persistence, gamers striving hard to overcome difficulties for themselves. The strong social aspect was considered important too.
Fear of not covering points needed to ensure exam success and the teacher not being the font of all knowledge were considered potential deterrents to their use. Tools for students to create their own scripts and games were then discussed with the potential to lead into computer science.
How do we provide real audience for students work? Virtually every form of media was mentioned including student radio and TV stations. A link to Web tools for teachers was offered as a resource. That led to the question of audience such as their own peers and outlets for the products including film festivals and competitions.
BETT 2010 - ICT hardware Bett 2010 ended as the hotseat began and there was considerable interest in outcomes from that. A useful exchange of information about products that had captured the attention of the hotseat participants followed. Voting pads figured prominently.
BETT 2010 - ICT software Ollie raised the issue of commercial companies needing to provide a ‘tool box’ of tools that teachers can ‘pick, choose and adapt’ themselves rather than a ‘locked down’ finished product. Several items of software and their source were then offered together with useful insights into their value. Web 2 or cloud applications were covered. They were often provided for general public use but examples were given of how they had been exploited by teachers for learning.
Interest and Engagement Stressed the importance of the fun factor in learning.
Social media in schools A range of social media tools were explored including blogs, wikis, Twitter and texting. Many applications are not within the school ICT environment. This topic raised the issue of esafety, cyber bullying and responsible use. Points were made about the threats, learning potential and the balance needed as students are educated in the use of the real world internet. There was some confidence that students rose to the challenge.
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