Today was the day we had all been waiting for, the chance to hear from the rest of the experts in the class. The presentations seemed to flow from one into the next as if we had planned and agonized over the Ed 614 seminar as a whole. It was great to see the connections between theories and almost a time line of sorts from constructivism to connectivism.
I love Lorraine's idea of putting her personal pictures in her presentation. This opens the door for storytelling which often makes that teaching and learning more relevant and personal.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Day 3 - A TRUTH of the matter
I "teach" research and I "do" research, but in the grand scheme of things the research I "teach" and "do" is not the research that necessarily moves us forward. Sure, student research projects may spark interest and eventually turn into something momentous, and my statistical research may affect college projects and plans, but I want to participate in research that is meaningful and can make a difference. Often when we teach information literacy and the research process, we are looking for a regurgitation of facts and ideas to back up a predetermined hypothesis. I want to be the one to determine my own hypothesis and to encourage students I encounter to do the same.
Today we went on a quest for the truth, but the truth was not to be found. According to Gillian and Sue, truth is personal and each person's truth is different, therefore I have come to realize that I believe that there cannot possibly be "one truth". I believe that each of us have a version of the truth that works for us at that given time, some truths can last a lifetime, some truths are fleeting. This revelation is exciting for me because it forces me to look at the views and values of others and realize that they may not be coming from things at the same angle I am. This will be helpful for me as I continue to be part of a complex team at work that deals with people from all walks of life.
Today we went on a quest for the truth, but the truth was not to be found. According to Gillian and Sue, truth is personal and each person's truth is different, therefore I have come to realize that I believe that there cannot possibly be "one truth". I believe that each of us have a version of the truth that works for us at that given time, some truths can last a lifetime, some truths are fleeting. This revelation is exciting for me because it forces me to look at the views and values of others and realize that they may not be coming from things at the same angle I am. This will be helpful for me as I continue to be part of a complex team at work that deals with people from all walks of life.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Day 2 - Learning about theories
As employees in the field of education, it is essential that we be aware of the various theories of learning that have shaped our past and have brought us to our current place in education. The discussions surrounding learning theories was a great review for me and prompted me to think about how the theories of the past can be looked at in today’s educational world, one filled with technology, social connectedness and unknown possibility.
I can still remember sitting through a psych 101 class, in a lecture hall at UPEI, surrounded by 199 classmates, learning about the work of Pavlov and Skinner. And I do not remember much else. I assume the prof was using a behaviorist approach in a teacher centred classroom to convey learning of theories of development. This approach did not work for me.
“Learning is the new form of labour” (Quinlan, 2009). I love learning! If learning is a job, than sign me up. It is estimated that the average adult participates in 4-5 learning projects per year (Quinlan, 2009). I participate in 4-5 projects per year and would well exceed that number if I had more resources in the form of time and finances. I am a crafter, a techie, and a mom. These roles, coupled with my job as “information officer”, allow me great opportunity to take on both informal and formal projects.
Today in class, it was stated that some believe that the best way to learn something is to do it first. The experience should come first, the theory follows. I am so thrilled to hear this and will take this argument back to my current position and refer to it as I promote articulation agreements. Recently, with new changes to the kindergarten system, there has been some debate about the value of a college diploma compared to a university degree. This debate is not new, but it seems to be ongoing no matter how successful college grads become. One of the values of articulation agreements between college and university is that students can be exposed to hands on, practical, industry specific learning for two years at college and continue on with the theory portion of their studies at university if they so choose. This is an example of "learning to be" and then "learning about". It is nice to continue to gain more evidence to support what we are doing at Holland College.
I can still remember sitting through a psych 101 class, in a lecture hall at UPEI, surrounded by 199 classmates, learning about the work of Pavlov and Skinner. And I do not remember much else. I assume the prof was using a behaviorist approach in a teacher centred classroom to convey learning of theories of development. This approach did not work for me.
“Learning is the new form of labour” (Quinlan, 2009). I love learning! If learning is a job, than sign me up. It is estimated that the average adult participates in 4-5 learning projects per year (Quinlan, 2009). I participate in 4-5 projects per year and would well exceed that number if I had more resources in the form of time and finances. I am a crafter, a techie, and a mom. These roles, coupled with my job as “information officer”, allow me great opportunity to take on both informal and formal projects.
Today in class, it was stated that some believe that the best way to learn something is to do it first. The experience should come first, the theory follows. I am so thrilled to hear this and will take this argument back to my current position and refer to it as I promote articulation agreements. Recently, with new changes to the kindergarten system, there has been some debate about the value of a college diploma compared to a university degree. This debate is not new, but it seems to be ongoing no matter how successful college grads become. One of the values of articulation agreements between college and university is that students can be exposed to hands on, practical, industry specific learning for two years at college and continue on with the theory portion of their studies at university if they so choose. This is an example of "learning to be" and then "learning about". It is nice to continue to gain more evidence to support what we are doing at Holland College.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Day 1 - Expectations of and for a Masters Student
Today I begin my journey as a master of education student. After a few years away from formal learning and much informal learning, I am starting another phase in my educational career. I have officially joined a cohort of learners from across Canada, with varying jobs and unique experiences. I hold the master of education distinction in high regard and as a masters student, I have high expectations for myself. My goals are to participate in some co-creation of new knowledge. I would love to create something publishable or presentable and I aim to adopt some new techniques and tools to help me be a leader in my current position at Holland College.
To prepare for this course, I studied and explored a learning theory that I had been introduced to last summer, during a CAE course. Communities of practice is a recent rethinking of social learning theory that allows me to consider a learning theory in close connection to the world I live in. I appreciate technology and I value the IT tools and techniques that help me do my job and live my life more efficiently and effectively. The communities of practice theory advocates co-creation of knowledge, sharing of resources and opportunities to connect and support learners with similar passions; technology makes all this possible. Throughout my research I heard about the synergy produced by the communities of practice. Interestingly enough, synergogy was mentioned during our databases search session. It was interesting to see how things were starting to become connected already. My aspiration is to participate in synergogy during my course experiences and gather some more synergogic tools for my conceptual toolbox.
As a former librarian, and really, a researcher for life, I appreciated the session about creating a conceptual framework for research. I am a visual learner and tend to create concept maps, symbolizations and visual cues as I participate in learning. After thinking about conceptual frameworks for research, I am going to continue to frame my research, but will do so in some new and different ways. However effective it may be, the “center bubble and surrounding bubbles” diagram may not always be the best design. I will begin to incorporate some hierarchy, arrows, flow and creativity into my conceptual models.
So my journey towards my master of education is off to a great start. I have outlined my expectations for myself and I think I have set some attainable goals. I am excited, not necessarily about the content of the program, but at the potential to create some new knowledge with a great group of peers and facilitators.
To prepare for this course, I studied and explored a learning theory that I had been introduced to last summer, during a CAE course. Communities of practice is a recent rethinking of social learning theory that allows me to consider a learning theory in close connection to the world I live in. I appreciate technology and I value the IT tools and techniques that help me do my job and live my life more efficiently and effectively. The communities of practice theory advocates co-creation of knowledge, sharing of resources and opportunities to connect and support learners with similar passions; technology makes all this possible. Throughout my research I heard about the synergy produced by the communities of practice. Interestingly enough, synergogy was mentioned during our databases search session. It was interesting to see how things were starting to become connected already. My aspiration is to participate in synergogy during my course experiences and gather some more synergogic tools for my conceptual toolbox.
As a former librarian, and really, a researcher for life, I appreciated the session about creating a conceptual framework for research. I am a visual learner and tend to create concept maps, symbolizations and visual cues as I participate in learning. After thinking about conceptual frameworks for research, I am going to continue to frame my research, but will do so in some new and different ways. However effective it may be, the “center bubble and surrounding bubbles” diagram may not always be the best design. I will begin to incorporate some hierarchy, arrows, flow and creativity into my conceptual models.
So my journey towards my master of education is off to a great start. I have outlined my expectations for myself and I think I have set some attainable goals. I am excited, not necessarily about the content of the program, but at the potential to create some new knowledge with a great group of peers and facilitators.
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