"Children are like wet cement, whatever falls on them makes an impression."

I have no words…

Please take a moment to watch this video. Even if you as a teacher feel although you are not ” doing your job” the way you perceive yourself to be , it is worshipped and appreciated by all. Regardless of age these people still remember what great teachers were and how they shaped them. Teachers are so important and i am so excited to hopefully make lasting impacts on students also, it really is such a ” beautiful thing”..

October 23, 2015 0

My future career

As my learning space unit comes to an end i feel as though it is time to reflect upon the profession that i will be going into in 2 years time. They say teacher’s have one of the most rewarding yet challenging careers of them all. This small video is a simple yet effective way in which it presents teachers and their role and position.

Enjoy!!

October 23, 2015 0

Changing the way I learn / going out of my comfort zone:

Choosing this unit I know that I would be placed out of my comfort zone. As all my learning that I have ever engaged with was face to face and if I had an issue I would confront the tutor/teacher in person. At times I did however find this quite frustrating however the amount of support you get online from people posting similar questions to yours and Adam answering them so specifically and quickly made it so much easier. I really enjoyed this unit, as it was more so of a creative way to recognise and present content that you have learnt on engaging presentations compared with traditional subjects that always consist of a essays or other forms of writing pieces. It was such a great experience being able to be part of an online subject and it has broken down the comfort zone and I have enrolled in another for my studies beginning in 2016.
Word press:

Beginning my blog I was very frustrating and I felt quite lost. I did not understand how the blog worked and it was a very different experience for me. Once I researched how to navigate around it, I began to love it. I thoroughly enjoyed posting interesting content, photographs and videos that I had come across and share it with the rest of the world and my fellow peers. I loved looking through others PLN to see what they are posting and this created many mutual friendships along the way.

New advances in technology:

Before this unit I was unaware of all the different ways in which we can present content, photographs and more. I will now defiantly be finding other alternatives other than keynote or power point to present information for my future class as it is more engaging and interactive rather than the traditional presentation tools and applications.

Communities of practice

From the beginning of this unit I had no idea what a community of practice was, however throughout the course of the unit it has been clearly evident. This unit was particularly demonstrating a community of practice. I found that everyone enjoyed taking part in this unit and it was evident in the way that everyone interacted with each other and helped provide feedback and answer questions so everyone to strive to their full potential. I found that everyone was also able to express themselves explicitly and I found myself quite comfortable asking questions, as I knew I would be attended too. It was also amazing to see that people all over the world were viewing, commenting and liking posts on my blog which was great as it showed that agreed and supported my opinions. This gave me greater confidence in my work and thoughts.

Liminal learning space:

This was a concept that I believe took me a while to comprehend; however I now understand the practicalities of it. I was unaware of how important the future is and how important change is for not only students but also ourselves. I never really sat and thought about what the future holds and I was just focused in the present time. This was a real focus area on the refugee’s that we discussed throughout week 11. I found the content so confronting but interesting and how much change for the future needs to be implemented!

I thoroughly enjoyed this unit and has really opened my eyes and my learning to go out of my confront zone and try something a bit different and new. I have enjoyed the creative side this unit as provided as long essay and writing pieces weren’t incorporated and I was allowed so much freedom in the way that I learn and present my work and furthermore my own thinking process. Happy_face

success

Tonight on 60 minutes…

After watching 60 minutes tonight they were discussing whether or not homework is beneficial to a child and how some parents and classrooms have banned some or all aspects of home work. I strongly believe that rigorous homework of an evening should also not be part of a child’s life. Childhood is so important for children it is about them discovering the world, being independant and ultimately having no strict responsibilities that cause stress, fear or contribute to high anxiety levels. I have been on a few observation and teaching round placements and as soon as those students are settled by their classroom teacher of a morning the word “homework” is used. When a teacher says after the end of a session or school go home and complete this task and bring it back tomorrow it automatically sends stress to a child. That child may then go home attempt the homework if they are unable to do it they seek advice from their parents or careers and if they are unable to assist the child in that task that child already knows the negative consequences with not finishing their homework, which already sets them up for an unpleasant morning. I am a strong believer in a home learning approach, when i become a teacher i would rather use the word learning then work. When i first heard this saying in my class a few weeks ago i didn’t ultimately understand the significance the word work or assignment/ assessment has on a child until i realised how i felt myself when a tutor or teacher says the word to myself. I would strongly suggest teachers and other educators to implement a home learning approach as Mr black did in his Grade 2 classroom. The students in Mr Black’s class are given small weekly tasks of learning measurement through cooking, conduct a science experiment, research an animal or find out information on something you find of interest and present it to the class. These small tasks do not carry the negative stigma of homework however tasks that are life experience based and that the children will use for future life skills and are realistic. Children need time to be children and teachers giving students loads of homework is stopping these future generations of experimenting, exploring and having freedom to learn and experience the world based upon their own personal selves. However looking upon some teachers points of views homework can be used as an assessment tool of how well or if the student does not understand the content , while homework being used to reinforce content that was learnt in a season or a days work. However making it fun and not as a chore will make students think more positively about their work as from my own personal experience and learning if the work i am learning does not influence or benefit my learning or future in anyway chances are i will be highly disengaged and not want to take part.

Was such a great story, when the video comes out i will post it onto my blog!

http://www.mamamia.com.au/parenting/60-minutes-meet-the-family-who-are-saying-no-to-homework/

October 11, 2015 0

My own personal future learning space Poem:

Children come to school to learn for their future

And this is where the teacher becomes their booster

Children are unaware of where they are in their schooling and unaware of what hold upon their future

Every child needs an opportunity to experience this gift of an education while being emersed into safe climate

There are so many people in this world that are not so lucky

And there are so many people in our society that take life for granted

We need to stop and think that there are people out there who would do anything to change places with us

So Lets hope that one day we are all treated as an equal and that education becomes a must!

Lets join together and support us!

October 11, 2015 0

” Education in India, such a moving video”

It is amazing of how powerful an education can be not only in Australia but all around the world. This video is based upon children in India. These children are aware of how powerful, important and are so grateful to be receiving and education in order to be ” successful”. This video really puts life in perspective as children in Australia and other developed countries do not value their time at school and appreciate the importance of their schooling experience and ultimately how lucky they are to be going to school. Every person should have access to an education regardless of race, financial stability, gender or what country they live in. Maybe one day every child, adult or teenager can be educated so they can achieve to their full potential.

October 10, 2015 1

Liminal learning spaces of the future..

My understanding of the term ‘liminal space’ is a stage that encounters change, transition waiting and the unknown. This is the stage that we are in between and ultimately either going to be challenged Print or growing in personal achievement. In the world we know it today change is everywhere and change occurs with or without our control and whether we approve or disagree. In terms of a learning space a “liminal space” is an environment, which enforces creativity, experiment and ultimately freedom. These type of learning spaces are becoming evidently the way of the future for today’s learning and teaching. Not everyone including children accept change and the concept of “the unknown” well so they must be demonstrated to the students so students can become more resilient to issues occurring at home, classroom and their school.

DeWall, J. (2015). What is a liminal space?. Inaliminalspace.com. Retrieved 27th September 2015, from http://inaliminalspace.com/about/what

September 27, 2015 0

‘Teachers are the largest professionally trained group in the world – the key local catalysts of change and hope. Teachers Without Borders connects teachers to information and each other in order to bring about social change—worldwide’.

No matter where you go in the world there is always students wiling to learn and achieve. I want to emphasise on the world willing, in today’s 21^stcentury we still have children not being able to enrol in schooling or have other limitations that is jeopardising them from achieving something that is so vital. However we always have teachers and volunteer teachers and facilitators that try and break the cycle and change the world. Us as teachers have such a fundamental role in educating and helping shape today’s future generations. Teaching seems to be such a collaborative occupation as with more experience, knowledge and ideas students can ultimately benefit and succeed. Teaching is such a large responsibility, however we have such a large impact on children so why not make their experience positive.