My name is Audra, the one in the picture on top of Kokanee Glacier on a beautiful day in September 2014. I am currently teaching at Selkirk College in the Pharmacy Technician Certificate Program and the National Pharmacy Technician Bridging Education Program. The majority of my instruction takes place online. Motivation and student engagement is vital to success of online students. I am looking forward to learning more about active learning strategies and creating better learning experiences for students in my courses.
Th purpose of this blog is to have a location that I can return to after PIDP 3250 is complete. It is important to review content from courses taken in order to improve educational strategies. I look forward to reading the blogs of my classmates and learning from their research and experiences.
The above equation helps clarify the significance of these three components. Motivation is either intrinsic or extrinsic and varies depending on the student. Active learning is the focus for this course and I look forward to understanding how to implement these activities into my classroom in order to increase student engagement.
Student Engagement Techniques; terms I need to remember.....January 20, 2015
Motivation - a force or influence that causes someone to do something
Active Learning - engaged in the instructional process by activities such as exploring, analyzing, communicating, creating, reflecting, or actually using new information or experiences.
Student Engagement - students that are thinking
Intrinsically motivated students have these three characteristics :
Autonomy - self determination in deciding what to do and how to do it
Competence - developing and exercising skills for manipulating and controlling the environment
Relatedness - affiliation with others through social relationships
Expectancy = Effort that students are willing to expend on a task is the product of the degree to which they expect to be able to perform the task
Value = The degree to which they value the rewards as well as the opportunity to engage in performing the task itself
Self-efficacy = If a student is confident in her ability to perform a task successfully, she will be motivated to engage in it.
Active Learning Your Tube Video= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsDI6hDx5uI&spfreload=10
Video discussing Covingtons' Self-worth theory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6nTGpLbCsw&spfreload=10
Adult learner characteristics presented by Martha in the first forum: http://www.assetproject.info/learner_methodologies/before/characteristics.htm
Heutagogy Learning how to learn.....January 23, 2015
Heutagogy?? It is a frightening thing for me to realize that I have never heard this term before. A term that is so relevant and related to being an instructor and a student particularly in online programs. Heutagogy (self-determined learning) was coined (2001) by Chris Kenyon and Stewart Hase. I came across this slideshare http://www.slideshare.net/fredgarnett/heutagogy101chriskenyon by Chris Kenyon at a conference in June 2014 . This helped me to gain a deeper understanding on how to shift the learning to the student.
Co-teaching....January 25, 2015
Interesting topic brought up today in one students discussion forum asking about team teaching. I just started co-teaching a course in January and this is very relevant for me and this course due to potential for increased engagement. Excellent link from Vanderbilt University on the subject found here: http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/teamcollaborative-teaching/ This link will certainly be shared with my colleague.
Metacognition = thinking about thinking....January 30, 2015
Before I responded to the discussion forum on metacognition I went for a cross country ski with a group of friends, all professional women in their 40's and 50's. I asked this question: What is your strategy when you are learning something new or trying to figure out a problem; How do you 'think about thinking'?
1. I need to be alone, and write it all down.
2. I need to be moving
3. I do my best thinking in bed in the middle of the night when I should probably be sleeping
4. It always helps to run or ski - I need to clear my thoughts before I can tackle new concept or issue
5. Switch gears, do something else and come back to the issue with a fresh perspective
6. Exercise always helps me think, I also need to take notes, research concepts, review and write it all out.
My 13 year old son, just last night while working on his algebra homework told me his brain was all muddled, he was sure that after he had a shower he would be able to finish his homework because that always works.
I believe that we all develop successful ways to think and become more efficient with our thoughts over time.
I found this interesting article called Thinking about Thinking; Reflection on Metacognition on the Heutagogy Community Practice Website (can you believe such a place exists?). The author discussed meditation as a strategy, for me this does not work however I can see that it could be very useful for people to clear their thoughts and start fresh. I believe running or skiing is the best way for me to think about thinking.
Barbara Oakley TedTalk video....February 1, 2015
One of my classmates just shared this excellent video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O96fE1E-rf8&spfreload=10 Both inspirational and informative, before posting this on my blog I sent the link to my son who will be graduating from high school in June. Lots of talk and wonder have been taking place in our house about education and opportunities however this may just be useful for him to see and perhaps utilize in his future. He will have more success and more confidence as his pedogagy turns to androgogy and hopefully sooner than later turns to heutagogy.
Instructional Strategy Video....February 6, 2016
So, I decided to post my video two days early in an attempt to stop obsessing and move on to participating again in the discussion forums and perhaps having a go with the mountain of laundry.
I do have some experience making videos, last semester I used PowerPoint and presented using brainshark. I learned a great deal from the experience and decided to try my hand at using Powtoon in order to continue my quest of learning new things. I spent a great deal of time trying figure out how to manipulate and navigate and feel that I have improved from last semester however I realize that I have a long way to go in becoming comfortable with my creative side. I do plan to utilize my new found video making skills in my classroom however I am going to have to put in a lot of energy in order to produce a suitable instructional piece. As I worked my way through this assignment ideas for future projects simmered...hopefully I will have a new video ready for students before fall semester starts.
The feedback provided by my instructor was excellent, he pointed how I can bring my presentation together more effectively and advised me to reference concepts throughout the presentation rather than just at the end. I will take his advise as I try and utilize this new skill when I prepare for my next class.
Essential Questions...February 13, 2015
I purchased this textbook on December 10th in preparation for PIDP 3250. I put in on my stack of books next to my bed under Ken Folletts' latest novel Edge of Eternity which I read over Christmas break and proceeded to let it get dusty until the discussion forum on Questioning Techniques started. More than one of my classmates referenced McTighe and Wiggins and their handbook for teachers when it dawned on me that I should have already read this book. Well, I dug in and couldn't put the thing down. How very relevant and appropriate for an instructor trying to engage students and provide a meaningful experience during the course. I was unable to contribute to the discussion forums for a few days because I was completely engaged in this book. This textbook is written for people like me. It provides lots of encouragement, examples, and a step by step process on how to design your course around essential questions.
My forum post on the subject discussed the need to encourage questions from students and how to teach student to ask better questions. I found this site on the web by Santana and Rothstein to be very informative and I plan to find a copy of their book Make Just One Change. I wasn't the only student to find this interesting...it appeared that we all have an interest in getting our students to participate more fully.
Frankly all this information is overwhelming. I have been clicking links, videos, researching the library articles and book available on the subject and asking questions. I know a lot of educators and appreciate their insights to the evolving education system. This blog will be useful in the future as I work on strategies in my classroom and find the right fit for me.
Quiet....February 15, 2015
I picked up a copy of the book “Quiet” by Susan Cain on Wednesday of this week and find it hard to put it down. I am alternating between this book and Essential Questions at the moment. Cain's book reinforces the fact that independent work is important to encourage in a classroom in order to promote creativity and understanding. However collaboration is useful and is an important skill that needs to be encouraged as well. Susan Cains book has struck a cord, she is talking about the differences between introverts and extroverts and the way they learn and how they communicate. She is discussing the fact that at one point in post-secondary education (not that long ago) extroversion was expected and it was the students job to conform and become an extrovert.
I have been reading through the discussion forum today on Group Work and I cannot stop thinking about Susan Cains book, I have facilitated courses with group work and this strategy is effective as it teaches collaboration and can be beneficial however it can be very stressful as well. Just this week one of the groups had a bit of a breakdown and frustration was apparent. According to the post from one my PIDP classmates this is called 'storming', makes sense....the other groups are becoming more organized and efficient however life happens and the storming might happen to one of the other groups next week. I am going to read some more before I tackle this discussion forum, I am not quite ready to comment....
Th purpose of this blog is to have a location that I can return to after PIDP 3250 is complete. It is important to review content from courses taken in order to improve educational strategies. I look forward to reading the blogs of my classmates and learning from their research and experiences.
The above equation helps clarify the significance of these three components. Motivation is either intrinsic or extrinsic and varies depending on the student. Active learning is the focus for this course and I look forward to understanding how to implement these activities into my classroom in order to increase student engagement.
Student Engagement Techniques; terms I need to remember.....January 20, 2015
Motivation - a force or influence that causes someone to do something
Active Learning - engaged in the instructional process by activities such as exploring, analyzing, communicating, creating, reflecting, or actually using new information or experiences.
Student Engagement - students that are thinking
Intrinsically motivated students have these three characteristics :
Autonomy - self determination in deciding what to do and how to do it
Competence - developing and exercising skills for manipulating and controlling the environment
Relatedness - affiliation with others through social relationships
Expectancy = Effort that students are willing to expend on a task is the product of the degree to which they expect to be able to perform the task
Value = The degree to which they value the rewards as well as the opportunity to engage in performing the task itself
Self-efficacy = If a student is confident in her ability to perform a task successfully, she will be motivated to engage in it.
Active Learning Your Tube Video= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsDI6hDx5uI&spfreload=10
Video discussing Covingtons' Self-worth theory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6nTGpLbCsw&spfreload=10
Adult learner characteristics presented by Martha in the first forum: http://www.assetproject.info/learner_methodologies/before/characteristics.htm
Heutagogy Learning how to learn.....January 23, 2015
Heutagogy?? It is a frightening thing for me to realize that I have never heard this term before. A term that is so relevant and related to being an instructor and a student particularly in online programs. Heutagogy (self-determined learning) was coined (2001) by Chris Kenyon and Stewart Hase. I came across this slideshare http://www.slideshare.net/fredgarnett/heutagogy101chriskenyon by Chris Kenyon at a conference in June 2014 . This helped me to gain a deeper understanding on how to shift the learning to the student.
Co-teaching....January 25, 2015
Interesting topic brought up today in one students discussion forum asking about team teaching. I just started co-teaching a course in January and this is very relevant for me and this course due to potential for increased engagement. Excellent link from Vanderbilt University on the subject found here: http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/teamcollaborative-teaching/ This link will certainly be shared with my colleague.
Metacognition = thinking about thinking....January 30, 2015
Before I responded to the discussion forum on metacognition I went for a cross country ski with a group of friends, all professional women in their 40's and 50's. I asked this question: What is your strategy when you are learning something new or trying to figure out a problem; How do you 'think about thinking'?
1. I need to be alone, and write it all down.
2. I need to be moving
3. I do my best thinking in bed in the middle of the night when I should probably be sleeping
4. It always helps to run or ski - I need to clear my thoughts before I can tackle new concept or issue
5. Switch gears, do something else and come back to the issue with a fresh perspective
6. Exercise always helps me think, I also need to take notes, research concepts, review and write it all out.
My 13 year old son, just last night while working on his algebra homework told me his brain was all muddled, he was sure that after he had a shower he would be able to finish his homework because that always works.
I believe that we all develop successful ways to think and become more efficient with our thoughts over time.
I found this interesting article called Thinking about Thinking; Reflection on Metacognition on the Heutagogy Community Practice Website (can you believe such a place exists?). The author discussed meditation as a strategy, for me this does not work however I can see that it could be very useful for people to clear their thoughts and start fresh. I believe running or skiing is the best way for me to think about thinking.
Barbara Oakley TedTalk video....February 1, 2015
One of my classmates just shared this excellent video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O96fE1E-rf8&spfreload=10 Both inspirational and informative, before posting this on my blog I sent the link to my son who will be graduating from high school in June. Lots of talk and wonder have been taking place in our house about education and opportunities however this may just be useful for him to see and perhaps utilize in his future. He will have more success and more confidence as his pedogagy turns to androgogy and hopefully sooner than later turns to heutagogy.
Instructional Strategy Video....February 6, 2016
So, I decided to post my video two days early in an attempt to stop obsessing and move on to participating again in the discussion forums and perhaps having a go with the mountain of laundry.
I do have some experience making videos, last semester I used PowerPoint and presented using brainshark. I learned a great deal from the experience and decided to try my hand at using Powtoon in order to continue my quest of learning new things. I spent a great deal of time trying figure out how to manipulate and navigate and feel that I have improved from last semester however I realize that I have a long way to go in becoming comfortable with my creative side. I do plan to utilize my new found video making skills in my classroom however I am going to have to put in a lot of energy in order to produce a suitable instructional piece. As I worked my way through this assignment ideas for future projects simmered...hopefully I will have a new video ready for students before fall semester starts.
The feedback provided by my instructor was excellent, he pointed how I can bring my presentation together more effectively and advised me to reference concepts throughout the presentation rather than just at the end. I will take his advise as I try and utilize this new skill when I prepare for my next class.
Essential Questions...February 13, 2015
I purchased this textbook on December 10th in preparation for PIDP 3250. I put in on my stack of books next to my bed under Ken Folletts' latest novel Edge of Eternity which I read over Christmas break and proceeded to let it get dusty until the discussion forum on Questioning Techniques started. More than one of my classmates referenced McTighe and Wiggins and their handbook for teachers when it dawned on me that I should have already read this book. Well, I dug in and couldn't put the thing down. How very relevant and appropriate for an instructor trying to engage students and provide a meaningful experience during the course. I was unable to contribute to the discussion forums for a few days because I was completely engaged in this book. This textbook is written for people like me. It provides lots of encouragement, examples, and a step by step process on how to design your course around essential questions.
My forum post on the subject discussed the need to encourage questions from students and how to teach student to ask better questions. I found this site on the web by Santana and Rothstein to be very informative and I plan to find a copy of their book Make Just One Change. I wasn't the only student to find this interesting...it appeared that we all have an interest in getting our students to participate more fully.
Frankly all this information is overwhelming. I have been clicking links, videos, researching the library articles and book available on the subject and asking questions. I know a lot of educators and appreciate their insights to the evolving education system. This blog will be useful in the future as I work on strategies in my classroom and find the right fit for me.
Quiet....February 15, 2015
I picked up a copy of the book “Quiet” by Susan Cain on Wednesday of this week and find it hard to put it down. I am alternating between this book and Essential Questions at the moment. Cain's book reinforces the fact that independent work is important to encourage in a classroom in order to promote creativity and understanding. However collaboration is useful and is an important skill that needs to be encouraged as well. Susan Cains book has struck a cord, she is talking about the differences between introverts and extroverts and the way they learn and how they communicate. She is discussing the fact that at one point in post-secondary education (not that long ago) extroversion was expected and it was the students job to conform and become an extrovert.
I have been reading through the discussion forum today on Group Work and I cannot stop thinking about Susan Cains book, I have facilitated courses with group work and this strategy is effective as it teaches collaboration and can be beneficial however it can be very stressful as well. Just this week one of the groups had a bit of a breakdown and frustration was apparent. According to the post from one my PIDP classmates this is called 'storming', makes sense....the other groups are becoming more organized and efficient however life happens and the storming might happen to one of the other groups next week. I am going to read some more before I tackle this discussion forum, I am not quite ready to comment....
Active Listening...February 23, 2015
This week I did some research on Dr. Thomas Gordon, he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in in 1997, 1998, and 1999 for his contribution to the betterment of humanity. His research led to the 'Gordon Method' which results in listening in order to get people to open up and avoid misunderstandings. I am a good listener, I understand the need for eye contact, to nod occasionally, to give undivided attention however I do struggle with trying to fix or provide solutions to problems that come up. This research has helped me to understand that I am NOT the one who should be coming up with solutions, this needs to happen naturally. By using statements that start with Tell me how you went about...How did you prepare...What was your starting point... will get the student in my case to open up and come to a realization on their own. I need to utilize this strategy more frequently while interacting with students. This will help develop extrinsically motivated and self-directed students. YouTube video on The Listening Bias |
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More Dan Pink....February 26, 2015
I can't wait to go to bed! I just picked up Dan Pink's book called Drive; The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. For some reason I just can't stop everything and read however as soon as 9:00pm hits I am free to crawl in bed with my book (no questions asked). This week my PIDP partner Donna and I are facilitating a discussion on Motivation and the contributions by the students in our 3250 course has been fantastic! If only I took the time to read this book before perhaps my ability to guide the discussion would have been more meaningful particularly with the aspect of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. I have seen Pink's famous video on motivation a few years ago and was completely astounded how motivation works. I am beginning to get it...teenagers in the house help however I find that each time I meet with a student in one of my classes my understanding deepens. I want to be that teacher who can ask the right question and encourage students to enjoy the content as much as I do.
I keep watching over the discussions in our motivation forum waiting to respond and learn from the posts of my classmates. I cannot wait to see what resources I receive from the dedicated instructors taking this course!
Happiness....March 3, 2015
Well I have one more self-assessment to write and this course will be complete. I have certainly put my heart and soul into this one as I was engaged in what I was learning and excited to make changes to my courses. I have much to reflect on and review as I continue to process what was discussed over the last eight weeks. I decided to share this video from Christine Carter with the class. I receive an email on how to lead a happier life once per month. As a general rule I am a happy person however much like motivation one needs to continue to strive and remind in order for this to continue and evolve. I am truly grateful for this enriching course and realize that I have my work cut out for me.
http://new.livestream.com/accounts/2635433/events/3845334/videos/78773320
I can't wait to go to bed! I just picked up Dan Pink's book called Drive; The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. For some reason I just can't stop everything and read however as soon as 9:00pm hits I am free to crawl in bed with my book (no questions asked). This week my PIDP partner Donna and I are facilitating a discussion on Motivation and the contributions by the students in our 3250 course has been fantastic! If only I took the time to read this book before perhaps my ability to guide the discussion would have been more meaningful particularly with the aspect of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. I have seen Pink's famous video on motivation a few years ago and was completely astounded how motivation works. I am beginning to get it...teenagers in the house help however I find that each time I meet with a student in one of my classes my understanding deepens. I want to be that teacher who can ask the right question and encourage students to enjoy the content as much as I do.
I keep watching over the discussions in our motivation forum waiting to respond and learn from the posts of my classmates. I cannot wait to see what resources I receive from the dedicated instructors taking this course!
Happiness....March 3, 2015
Well I have one more self-assessment to write and this course will be complete. I have certainly put my heart and soul into this one as I was engaged in what I was learning and excited to make changes to my courses. I have much to reflect on and review as I continue to process what was discussed over the last eight weeks. I decided to share this video from Christine Carter with the class. I receive an email on how to lead a happier life once per month. As a general rule I am a happy person however much like motivation one needs to continue to strive and remind in order for this to continue and evolve. I am truly grateful for this enriching course and realize that I have my work cut out for me.
http://new.livestream.com/accounts/2635433/events/3845334/videos/78773320