Posts Tagged "PD"
Dear Friend…
For work at the moment we are reading “Flourish” by Martin Seligman. The book looks at Positive Psychology and creating your own Happiness. At the begining of Chapter 2 it recommends that you remember the face of someone who is still alive that did or said something which changed your life for the better. You are then to write a letter of gratitude to this individual and deliver it in person. You must then read your letter and discuss the content and the feelings associated with it.
Now I really struggled with this task. The person who first came to mind was my Mum. However she passed away over 17 years ago. The next person who came to mind was my Omie. Unfortunately my Omie is not doing so well and will likely not let me read the letter to her as most of the time when I visit she cannot remember who I am. And the last person who comes to mind is a dear friend who now lives in another state. So my solution is to use modern technology and read the letter over the Internet…
Dear Friend…
I have worked for many, many people in my short and interesting career. I have experienced many different leadership styles however none of them let me grow and mature into the teacher and person I have now become… quite like you did. On many occasions you pushed me and prodded me in the right direction. None more so than the day the ELF job was announced to the staff. I sat listening to the explanation of the job thinking I MIGHT one day be able to do that job. That perhaps one day (way into the future) I would get that job. If you hadn’t leaned forward that day and said “That job is perfect for you JA” I may never have applied. It was your belief in me that I could in fact do the job that prompted me to take the time to write my application letter. Before that day I did not believe that I was even a good teacher let alone a great teacher. Even as I went through the interview process still not 100% believing that I was the right person for the job. I had even convinced myself that I wouldn’t get the job because there were so many more talented people at school than me.
The affect your belief had on my confidence you may never completely understand. If I had never applied I would still be happy to teach in my economics classroom and I still would have incorporated all the wonderful technologies that I have discovered however I would not have grown to believe in myself quite the same way. I would still believe that how I teach is average not exceptional as I am now discovering. The more people I meet the more I realise that the view I had of myself and my abilities was just so way off base. For this I need to Thank You.I am now experiencing so many different things that it is hard to put in down in words. I am attending many conferences and presenting on everything from PLN’s to Multi-modal Presentations. I have even been asked to present rather than putting forward a paper and hoping to be selected. And I am now even proud of myself and my accomplishments.
I remember on nearly a daily basis that day when you leaned forward and said that simple sentence “That job is perfect for you JA”. I will be forever grateful of the belief you had and still have for me.
Thanking You Forever
Mrs Angell
Will update you in the future how the rest of the book goes…
Image by woodleywonderworks via Flickr
Peanut Butter and Lettuce – Who Said They Don’t Mix?
I have just returned from Expanding Learning Horizons (ELH11) where I presented a paper on Problem Based Learning (PBL). I love teaching using PBL as it means I can take a step back and allow the students to take control of their learning.
Here is the description of the session…
At a time when we need to let go of the need to be the sage on the stage and give students control of their learning come and find out how to set up and assess students through Problem Based Learning. This presentation will focus on the who, what, when, where and how of PBLs – software, options, set up and how to find the resources you need.
And while your at it give Peanut Butter and Lettuce a go – it’s surprisingly good…
Presentation
Support Materials
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Image by purplemattfish via Flickr
There is no other way to explain it. Our school year starts on Monday that is two days away. As I sit here in the dark writing, its midnight on Friday night and I can’t sleep. I can’t sleep because I have never, ever, EVER felt so unprepared for Day One in my teaching life. I have been teaching for seven years and with the exception of last year (where I was on maternity leave for the first six weeks of Term One) I have never not had Term One planned to at least to Week Five. This year I am rushed. I am rushed because everyone is rushed. I am stressed because everyone around me seems to be stressing.
This year I’m doing my ELF role AND taking on an academic class and not just any academic class its a Year 12 IB Economics. Our PD days like every other year have been planned down to the minute. Usually this hasn’t phased me because I am planned and calm but this year I’m pushing my luck. This year preperation week seems to have just disappeared.
Day 1 – your general intro to the year and this is the direction we want to take includes a bit on our new e-learning environment and time management (this is funny!!)
Day 2 – Habits of Mind – something we so desperately needed – was a brilliant session and I learned a whole heap of things to take into the classroom
Day 3 – Public Holiday (yes a breather) – spent… you guessed it… working!!!
Day 4 – Understanding by Design and Differentiation – again a great session and I have a good tool kit to go into the classroom with
Day 5 – Department Planning, E-Learning Environments, and various meetings depending on what you teach. – today
This was the hardest day of all. As one of the E-Learning Facilitators I spent the day going from planning session to planning session assisting staff with their E-Learning Environments. This was great however as the day wore on and more and more things went wrong and patience was tested. It got harder. So now I need to write my to-do list and try and get some sleep so that tomorrow (well today now!!) I can try and plan at least my first lesson and hope that I find the time to complete the tasks on my ELF to-do list (132), my classroom teacher to-do list (62) and my parent to-do list (44).
And this just about sums it up….
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"What NO INTERNET?"
Last week I attended the BEA (Business Educators Australasia) Conference, the conference was really good. It’s always interesting to see conferences for various subject areas and the information you can gather. In a previous life I was a business teacher and it’s nice to network with teachers who have brilliant ideas in the teaching of business and any subject for that matter. In my new life I am at the conference as I’m one of their technology speakers. When I agreed to speak I asked if there would be internet access for delegates as this would form part of my presentation. I was assured there was. I asked if delegates would have their own computers and was shocked to hear that they would have access only through the computers offered during my session. But at least they would have a computer. I asked if I could use my own computer and would I have access to internet while at the conference. Yes we have wireless available for presenters. Awesome I would still have net access. However as I discovered when I arrived at the conference the access was only available during my presentation. Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Maybe I’ve been spoilt at the conferences I’ve attended in the past but in 2010 is it really acceptable not to offer net access to all your delegates? Especially a business educators conference when we are offering strands in incorporating technology? I have to admit three days without internet access has been hard and I feel very disconnected from the world and my PLN.
Missed you all!!
@MrsAngell
Read MoreBasic ICT Skills – Doesn't Everyone Have Them?
I had the opportunity yesterday to assist at a PD session on the use of Word, PowerPoint, and Audacity. Things that I’m sure a majority of teachers take advantage of everyday sometimes to the detriment of learning. Now this was a session for those who felt they had a beginner level. I was surprised. I have been spoilt working at a school with a high level of technology. Now I know that not all schools offer the PD that is required to keep up to date with the latest technology but surely at least everyone can use Word and PowerPoint. I was proved wrong yesterday. And was wondering if this was a major mistake of those of us in education – the assumption that everyone can use Word and PowerPoint. Do we ever really teach our staff or students for that matter the correct way to use these tools?
Basic skills such as inserting WordArt, Pictures, Symbols or manipulating these to display the way you want them to. Adding transitions and sounds to slides to make them viewable without the teacher. Just using these basic skills to make nicely displayed worksheets with lots of colour or using PowerPoint to create flashcards.
Perhaps our failure to our students is not making sure that our teachers have the basic ICT skills to create the resources which keep them engaged in learning.
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