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bookmark_borderNotes from an MYP Humanities Workshop
I attended a three day MYP Humanities (Category 2) workshop in Melbourne, 24 – 26 Sept 2012. Below are my personal notes. I am sure there are many more elements that I missed or should have written down, but these are just my take-aways. As usual, I met some wonderful people. Special thanks to Jessica, Lana and Alexia; my ‘table mates’, such a privilege to work with them.
Monday 24th of September 2012
Day 1
Session 1
New Criterion: difference between KNOWLEDGE and Knowing and Understanding.
Going from a noun to a verb. Continue reading “Notes from an MYP Humanities Workshop”
bookmark_borderIB History Category 2 Workshop, Auckland, July 2012. My personal notes.
Table of contents:
Day 1 | Paper 1 | Extended Essay | Day 2 | Paper 2 | TOK | IA / HI | Day 3 | Paper 3
Day 1
09/07/2012 (My Personal Notes)
IB History workshop, Category 2, July 2012. Auckland.
Key issues we’ll discuss during this workshop:
Marking, exchange ideas, using criteria, IA
- Don’t count too much on the doubling up in P1, P2 and P3, you need to really have a spread of topics so that students are covered for everything. You may get a false sense of confidence if you rely on doubling up too much. G2 form allows you to give that sort of feedback to IBO.
- It seems to be getting harder to get a 7 in History, this is a real issue for teachers and students who may both lose confidence. 68% as a grade boundary. No essay seems to be getting more that 16 marks.
- Internal Assessment: Make the question evaluative, to what extent.
- History is no a one answer subject, ever changing perspectives, continual developments, historiography. Global World.
After tea break session:
- Teacher should aim to deliver a holistic education, include TOK. What is History? Create different perspectives (Note: Any examples?) i.e. Moroccan Crisis radio program seen from different countries’ perspectives. Or use the Japanese History book, look at how they interpret History (Get that PDF from Beate?).
- Look at leaders through the Learner Profile. (i.e. Was Napoleon a risk taker?)
- How does it fit with TOK?
- Students should take ownership of own learning.
- There is just written assessment, why? Oral would be good too.
- Values in teaching: Inquiry, Cooperation, International Mindedness,
- Suggestion: Speak and Response cards. I did a quick search: http://www.ehow.com/info_7933461_effects-response-cards-classroom.html seems interesting, must look more in to it.
Continue reading “IB History Category 2 Workshop, Auckland, July 2012. My personal notes.”
bookmark_borderFair assessment?
bookmark_borderFirst World War.com – Feature Articles – If Germany Had Won World War 1…
Full article here: First World War.com – Feature Articles – If Germany Had Won World War 1…
What a great and thought provoking read. This article, written by John D. Riley, presents an alternative view of history. What would have happened, if Germany had won WW1? Below are my highlights from the article:
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In a way, this is a more interesting hypothesis than the more commonly asked question about what the world would be like if the Germans had won World War II.
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As a preliminary matter, we should note that the actual outcome of the First World War was a near thing, a far nearer thing than was the outcome of World War II after 1941.
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Germany had knocked Russia out of the war
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General Luddendorf panicked and demanded that the government seek an armistice.
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While the Germans were not militarily defeated, or even economically desperate, the government and general public saw no prospect of winning. Presented with the possibility of negotiating a settlement, their willingness to continue the conflict simply dissolved.
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The Germans were defeated by exhaustion. This could as easily have happened to the Allies. Continue reading “First World War.com – Feature Articles – If Germany Had Won World War 1…”
bookmark_borderEducation is the most effective form of defence spending there is – Kofi Annan
bookmark_borderBYO – next wave in the eRevolution
BYO – next wave in the eRevolution
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How are schools to keep up in this fast-changing world? One answer is BYOT. Bring Your Own Technology. The concept is simple: if a student already has a preferred technology at home, bring it to school rather than duplicate the cost and time spent learning to navigate a new device issued or mandated by the school. -
Manor Lakes is one of many school’s operating on a similar model known as BYOD — Bring Your Own Device — that limits the technology to a specific product. The next step is obvious — students will be given the freedom to bring to the classroom technology already available at home.
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The BYOT model is fairly new, with only a handful of schools around the country using it. Backers say schools that have adopted BYOT are experiencing better results from a more personalised education, and enhanced engagement between the home and school. But words such as equity and access keep cropping up.
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Mr Barclay says it makes sense, both financially and academically, for students to bring their own devices to his school — especially as it grows. Continue reading “BYO – next wave in the eRevolution”
bookmark_borderSuccessful Teachers – 6 Traits of Successful Teachers
Successful Teachers – 6 Traits of Successful Teachers
What We Can Learn From Successful Teachers:
1. Successful teachers hold high expectations:
The most effective teachers expect great accomplishments from their students, and they don’t accept anything less. In education, expectations form a self-fulfilling prophecy. When teachers believe each and every student can soar beyond any imagined limits, the children will sense that confidence and work with the teacher to make it happen.
2. They think creatively:
The best teachers think outside the box, outside the classroom, and outside the norm. They leap outside of the classroom walls and take their students with them! As much as possible, top teachers try to make classroom experiences exciting and memorable for the students. They seek ways to give their students a real world application for knowledge, taking learning to the next action-packed level. Think tactile, unexpected, movement-oriented, and a little bit crazy… then you’ll be on the right track.
3. Top teachers are versatile and sensitive:
The best teachers live outside of their own needs and remain sensitive to the needs of others, including students, parents, colleagues, and the community. It’s challenging because each individual needs something different, but the most successful teachers are a special breed who play a multitude of different roles in a given day with fluidity and grace, while remaining true to themselves.
4. They are curious, confident, and evolving:
We’re all familiar with the stagnant, cynical, low-energy teachers who seem to be biding their time until retirement and watching the clock even more intently than their students. That’s what NOT to do.
In contrast, the teachers I most admire renew their energy by learning new ideas from younger teachers, and they aren’t threatened by new ways of doing things on campus. They have strong core principles, but somehow still evolve with changing times. They embrace new technologies and confidently move forward into the future.
5. They are imperfectly human:
The most effective educators bring their entire selves to the job. They celebrate student successes, show compassion for struggling parents, tell stories from their own lives, laugh at their mistakes, share their unique quirks, and aren’t afraid to be imperfectly human in front of their students.
6. Successful teachers emphasize the fun in learning and in life:
The teachers I admire most create lighthearted fun out of serious learning. They aren’t afraid to be silly because they can snap the students back into attention at will – with just a stern look or a change in tone of voice.
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
bookmark_borderPedagogy Science | Pedagogical Reflections
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Summary below. See the full blog post here: Pedagogy Science | Pedagogical Reflections-
Teachers and educational organisations need to ensure that the pedagogy which we employ and condone is grounded in evidence-based research.
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Pedagogy needs to become more scientific
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Teachers Make a Difference: What is the research evidence? by John Hattie (2003)
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Hattie looks to ‘highlight that which truly makes a difference’ and identifies particular practices which – backed by extensive research – are most likely to enhance student learning. His first point, however, establishes the role of teachers as a key source (30%) of variance in student achievement – second only to the student themselves (50%). This means that, according to Hattie, the home, school, principal and peers make very little difference to student achievement.
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Hattie then goes onto list the influences in order of effect on student achievement: Continue reading “Pedagogy Science | Pedagogical Reflections”
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bookmark_borderUsable Knowledge: What is Teaching for Understanding?
What is Teaching for Understanding? That’s the title of a Harvard site named “Useful Knowledge” I was naturally intrigued by the title, but as I read on, I was disappointed. The site describes that the Harvard Framework is designed to keep teachers focused on student understanding. I can not discover how this ‘framework’ adds anything new to the discussion about effective teaching. The site is summarised below. Make up your own mind. I’d love you to explain to me that the good people at Harvard have not just stated the bleeding obvious: Continue reading “Usable Knowledge: What is Teaching for Understanding?”