Activity 12 - Problem Solving Skills

My experiences with problem-solving skills in class:

Students are always ready to share their ideas and discuss problems. As a result the use of Brainstorming as a problem solving strategy is effective, as this pools all ideas together and thus strengthens the discussion on how to solve a given problem.

Activity 11 - Encouraging learners to ask questions

My experiences with encouraging learners to ask questions in class:

When learners are actively engaged in the process of questioning, by allowing them the opportunity for them to form their own questions, it makes the lesson more fruitful/product.

Activity 10 – Promoting discussion

My thoughts on my experiences with discussion during lessons:

The type of questions and activities used determines how discussions will develop. As a result, it is of great importance that teachers facilitate discussions by providing the appropriate materials, resources, questions and verbal prompts necessary. However, teachers, should allow students to be the ones that actually engage themselves in the discussion with each other as they share their thoughts and listen to others as they too express their ideas and opinions. Therefore at the end of the discussion all the students would benefit from the activity.

Activity 9 - What questions do I ask and why?

What questions to ask?

Open ended questions, and higher order questions

Why ask these types of questions?

To promote critical thinking and not just recall of facts or information

To increase student involvement in creating their own knowledge

Activity 8 - Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

What I think I can apply to my teaching based on Piaget’s ideas:

Based on Piaget's ideas I can apply the use of differentiated instruction with varying resources and activities to cater for students at different levels of thinking: use objects, graphs, charts, books, games, toys, play-dough, manipulative, flash cards, puzzles, number pieces, songs, rhymes, poems, stories, drawing, graphic organizers, etc.

Activity 7 - Collaborative Learning

What I have learnt about collaborative/cooperative learning when teaching with ICT:

Cooperative learning when teaching with ICT will enhance students understanding as they work together via the ICT tools to complete a common task. As a result, students and teacher are able to share and create information through: emails, blogs, skype, videos, powerpoint presentation, word documents, spreadsheet, music clips, voice recordings, etc.

In addition general technology, communication and problem solving skills are increased as a product of classrooms with cooperative learning groups.

Activity 6 - Vygotsky's understanding of Cognitive Development

What I have learnt about verbalising and dialogue during this activity?

Language and social interaction is important for thinking to develop. Different activities tend to elicit from us a verbal response that cause us to express our understanding of information. Although, language is an ability which we should posess if we are not exposed to it from within our environment, it is more than likely we will not be able to use it in the socially accepted ways that are known within our culture. In addition, its development takes some practice over time with the right help of others. As a result, there must be some sort of dialogue with inner, to oneself, by oneself; or outer from oneself, to another. Finally, as educators our role is to provide the right environment with the appropriate instructional activities and life experiences to encourage or motivate verbalization and dialogue among our students.

Activity 5. Developmental Psychology

What have I learnt about caring for learners during this activity?

During this activity on developmental psychology, I´ve learnt that we all have a responsibility in helping the child to develop. An a part of our role rely upon collaboration and cooperation in catering or meeting the needs of the child. In addition, the child´s development is not just the physical development, it is also cognitive and psychosocial. It is therefore, evident that there are different aspects of each type of development that affect the other types of development. For example, if the brain is not develop physically to it´s full capacity this affect the way the child grows physically, the way the child grows physically may affect the way how the child interacts socially, the way the child interacts socially will affect the way the child communicates emotionally and psychologially.

What can we do to help the child when the child is faced with life difficulties due to the varying aspects of development not being catered for properly?

We can definitely try our best to work together to provide the appropriate things, which could be in form of material things: food, clothing, shelter, or emotional things, love, care, motivation. Although these things may not be actual, academical needs, they affect how the child will function within the teaching learning process. Often times we look at a child is unable to read, unable to complete mathematical tasks, unable to express themselves/feelings, unable to behave in an appropriate societal expected way, but when we look at these challenges, instead of us giving the solutions, why don´t we be proactive and apply the solutions to make things change for the better.

This activity touched a part of me that has always been an area of concern. As a result, I felt very passionate as I read other persons views/opinions and shared mine.

I believe my colleagues have shared a wealth of solutions in how we can inform parents in helping their children with difficulties.

Successful interaction, with the right interventions, the peoples´ interest will indeed achieve our goal of informing parents.

Activity 4. Behaviourism

Dear Colleagues,

The most powerful lessons that I learnt about learner behaviour during this activity:
How we as teachers react to students appropriate and unappropriate behaviour determines if it will increase or decrease based on the choices (consequences) we present them with. Therefore, students may only have a change in their behaviour according to how we manage their behaviour.

Activity 3. Social Cognitive Theory - Reading 2

Dear Colleagues,

The most powerful lessons that I learnt from my learners during this activity about learning and teaching are:

1) Learning and teaching is a two way street
2) Learning and teaching involves observation
3) Learning and teaching depends on the environment created
4) Learning and teaching involves background knowledge
5) Learning and teaching is a ongoing life-long process

In addition from reading the self-activities I became more aware of the importance of Modelling.

As a result, my learners look at me as a role-model. Therefore, I must try and model the appropriate behaviour that I would also like them to exhibit, for example:
1) puntuality and regularity
2) confident in content
3) ability to collaborate and cooperate
4) ability to provide appropriate and timely feedback
5) ability to apply knowledge in given situations

In this day and age where information is so readily accessible by many, it is how persons are able to process the information allows them to construct meaning of their world and thus be able to survive within it.

Activity 2. Information Processing Approaches

Dear one and all,

Students need to know how they learn. The strategies and tactics that they may use to assist them to learn is important. As a result, facilitators of learning should help students to know what are their learning styles and methods that are appropriate for them.

Everyone have their strengths and weaknesses, however once they know what they are and how to work towards their learning goals, they will improve over time.

Activity 1. What is learning?

Dear one and all,

There are different theorist whose views on learning depend on their own thoughts and life experiences as a result, I believe that learning is a permanent change in behavoiur based on experiences that allow the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes.

In order for learning to occur there are many things that educators need to take into consideration. To mention just a few: students individual differences; mental processes, physical faculties, learning styles, motivation, values and beliefs, inter and intra-personal communication skills, personal experiences, previous knowledge and socio-economic background.

Therefore, it is important that the process of teaching and learning is based on responsibility, respect, trust, confidence in self and others, humility, affection and knowledge of the content and the how to apply it, and why it is important.

The self activities made me realize how much I know about how I learn, and still how much I need to know about learning and learners.

Just to give an example, doing this activity was a learning experience for me.

It showed clearly that everyone thinks, reasons, and perceive things based on their experience no matter if they are given the same information to read. As a result, it is really the way we incoorperate what we have observed, imitated, made connections with, memorized or inquired about that change us as individuals, and determines if we have learned anything.

Hello Activity

Dear one and all,

This is Terry-Ann Marsh-Roberts from the twin island state of Antigua and Barbuda, where tourism is everything; with the sun, sea and sand we have to offer from our 365 beaches.

I am an Educational Psychology and Research Methods lecturer at the Teacher Education Department of the Antigua State College.

I enjoy reading, cooking, travelling, hiking and swimming in addition to that, I love life and the people who I am blessed to share it with.

As a result, the students who I facilitate are aspiring teachers and seasoned teachers from a wide gamma of public and private institutions in Antigua and Barbuda.

Therefore, I strongly believe I will gain a variety of competences in this course as they relate to the teaching and learning process with the integration of ICT.

In relation to computer access, I have two computers at home, one faculty member laptop, along with a 20 computer equipped classroom (at one of the two Teacher Education locations).

In addition to the before mentioned information, there is one other thing that I have now found enjoyment in, that is participating in this CCTI course as it allows interaction between other educators and acquisition of ICT knowledge, etc.