APERA Conference @ NIE on 28/12/08

My coursemates & I from Med858 with the presenters of KF from Marsiling Secondary School.

Reflections - 30th November 2008

1.Researchers in Education & Psychology we ought to know:

Sigmund Freud, John Elliot ( Father of AR ), Pavlov, Vygotsky, Skinner, Piaget, Barry Fraser, Darrell Fisher etc...

2. Assessing LE

Modify, customize & critic. Need to pay attention to no. of questions, length of qn., relevance to area of study, importance of scale - if it helps to answer research qns, when modifying - not to make too drastic a change... I was thinking of some of the questions. These were really challenging. Teacher's have to have a different mindset & explain what is expected when such questions are asked. Being the typical teenagers in neighbourhood schools......they are blunt & crude in their answers. It will definitely be good to modify such questions.

3. Case Study

Group presentation - Creating Effective Learning Environment

After all the presentations, I realised that it is the P who sets the tone in the school. If the P has a clear direction, then the school climate & culture will be conducive to teaching & learning.Group 4 presented the idea in a different perspective. It was really interesting. It was a re-enactment of what goes on between parents in everyday life. I truly felt that despite the tremendous changes our education system has gone through to provide a holistic education.....parents are still harping on the 5Cs. Are we really EDUCATING them?

4. APERA Conference

Witnessed a presentation on Knowledge Forum (KF) in the teaching of D&T. With a very small audience, I think the presenters did a gd job. I thought that E-Learning platforms are workable with Language, Math & Science. With our present generation, learning platforms such as ( WIKI, BLOGS, FORUM, GAMES, PODCAST etc) these will surely lend us a helping hand in engaging them in class. The LE will definitely be addressed.

Though MED858 is heavy going, Dr Quek's classes are really interesting. Her activities are well-paced. She is a role model for LE.She also has our well-being in mind. To most of us who are not familiar with this NIE campus... she is bringing us around to show that there is more to it than the concrete jungle in this remote area.

Thank you very much, Dr Quek.

Reflections - 27th November 2008

26/11/08 - Started the day by adding my coursemates in my Blog List. All this was gone after I made an attempt to make my Blog look pleasing.
Ended the day on a terrible note. My computer went blank. Gosh....... there goes my homework on wetpaint and research on Wubbles.

27/11/08 - Came in earlier to Computer Lab to key in my reflections. Rushed through in my search for information pertaining to Wubbles. Felt terribly disappointed. Sakun reassured me that we can get this done.

Session 4 - started with Dr Quek's sharing.
She highlighted on how to identify good Journals ( Australian websites ) She also emphasised on ethical issues in relation to Questionnaires. She went through the Journal entitled "Learning Environment, Attitudes & Achievement ........." by Stephen J.Wolf and Barry J. Fraser.
I am better equipped now as far as Journals are concerned. She elaborated on Qualitative & Quantitative research. Importance of 3 areas conforming to Moos scheme was also discussed.
WIHIC instrument is the latest instrument in the field of research and Research questions must be measurable.
Next...
Groups shared on GURUs of LE. ( Walberg, Kurt & Lewin, Moos, Wubbels) using wetpaint.com
This sharing was useful as it was self directed learning.
In short...
Gained knowledge about the definitions, scope and instruments in the psychosocial field of Learning Environment. The learning environment is divided into 3 broad categories. They are the physical, student and social environment.
After preparing dinner....
With my neighbours help ( used her computer for a while) did my reflections and searched for info on Wubbels. Managed to locate a website. Decided to share this with my group. Looking forward to tomorrow.

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Reflections - 24th November 2008

Points to note:

1. Keywords...

School climate, School Culture, Perception, Human Behaviour,

LE, SLE(Sch. Climate) & CLE

2. Design of LE centred around...

Learner, Knowledge, Assessment & Community

3. Gurus' of LE

Reflections:

Teachers need to move away from traditional setting as student profile has changed tremendously. Design of LE is very important for effective teaching & learning. This would in turn produce all rounded students. Understanding LE is crucial as it is the foundation of teaching & learning. LE should be constantly reviewed to meet current trends. Teachers need to adopt appropriate teaching strategies to cater to the needs of their students. The IT savvy generation has to be challenged with interactive & interesting lessons. Teachers have to consciously & continuously upgrade themselves for the betterment of our future generation.

Learning Points from Articles

Classroom Learning Environments (CLE)
1. Classes have to be more conducive for teaching & learning
2. Student outcomes might be improved by CLE
based on CLE preferred by students & created by teachers.

QTSS Immersion Trip to Chennai

From 18th Oct to 25th Oct 2008.

Students really enjoyed themselves.

It was a powerful learning experience.

My experience in creating a new WebPortal

Initially wondered why I'm leading the Team.

Really learnt quite a bit working on this project.

Felt good about feedback from staff, students and parents.

Welcome to Med 858

Dear Friends

Went through alot of trouble creating this.
Feel free to pen your thoughts about this module.

Thiilcreate

17th November 2008

Hi Friends.... welcome to my blog that I've just created.

I'm teaching at Queenstown Secondary School.
I've been teaching for the past 20 years.
Feel free to pen your thoughts.
I've learnt quite a bit. Class is interesting.