Thoughts about WEEK1's readings and ICTs in learning.

Okily Dokily Folks. 

Let's start by setting our clocks back a little, ok a lot, so that we may pretend this post is being written at the end of week 1. I'll give you a moment... Done?   OK. 

So, week waa-ha-ha-n: Oh Em Gee. I am positively exhausted. Getting into the swing of things really shouldn't have taken me this long- especially on account of not actually having had a holiday, I was never out-of-the-swing of things so to say. But here we are at the end of *week 1*, check your clocks if you don't believe me.
I found the readings this week to be incredibly interesting, no joke, I'm actually a bit of a nerd like that- But you'll keep my secret, I know you will.

Brain Imagery Probes the Idea of Diverse Intelligences. MRI scans show that human abilities come in many combinations. By Grace Rubenstein 

The above reading was fascinating. There is great benefit to the learning manager to have proof, through brain imaging, that different domains of "intelligence" (such as Mathematics, Reading, Music, Personal relationships and, Athletics) are independent of each other.
The Dunce, dunce, double D, who cannot learn his ABC and who often sits in the back corner distracting his peers throughout your history lesson may be a most gifted and engaged mathematics student. This reading, for me, emphasised the importance of respecting all learners as individual, holistic beings with diverse strengths, weaknesses and above all- the ability to improve within a setting of non-judgemental teaching practices. The practical indications on learning management reiterate my personally held belief that there are no bad students only poor teachers. We, as LMs, can help our students by designing lessons which introduce a concept through a learner's strength then challenge them through a domain they struggle in. By this strategy the LM will be helping the learner to engage in the concept AND to develop his/her weaker domains.

Edutopia Webinar: How the Brain Learns Best

Strategies to Make Learning Stick

(there's a transcript for those of us who either prefer reading or are time poor)
Dr. Judy Willis makes the point that learning won't occur if learners think they're going to get eaten by the teacher, or was that the little fox's fear?
Seriously now: The pre-frontal cortex is where conscious, reflective thought occurs. Learners take in information in the form of sounds, sights, touches, etc. Not all of the information we take in makes it to the pre-frontal cortex. Early in its journey, the information reaches the Reticular Activating System (RAC). The RAC is the filter which determines what information will pass further into the brain. In the same way as the rest of the Animal Kingdom, the human RAC has a top priority of ensuring survival. The RAC notices threats and sends them on the fast track to... everywhere, subconscious everywhere so that we can rely on reactive instinct, this means the end of the line for any potential learning. In the absence of anything threatening, the RAC will notice the novel and curious, sending it further toward the conscious pre-frontal cortex.
From the RAC information is sent to the Amygdala (if, like me, you incorrectly remember the Amygdala being referred to in a popular 1998 film, see here for proof of our error). The slightest discomfort (stress, unhappiness, anxiety, boredom, tight knickers, concern, frustration, etc.) will sent any info to the reactive brain once again, where the instinct I previously mentioned has us humans react in one of three ways: fight, flight or freeze. (Dr. Willis draws the parallel to Oppositional-defiant, ADHD and total disengagement-petit mal seizure style respectively.)
The Practical implications for teaching include keeping students comfortable, relaxed and curious, or *lightbulb* ensuring a "sense of comfort and order". For more detail, go on and read the transcript. :)

Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?   

As for Sir Ken Robinson's TED talk, it is a fascinating chat, highly recommended by this pre-service teacher. HOWEVER: I'd like to share two anecdotes in response.
1. ICTs can be a harsh mistress. For a recent Practicum I had an amazing Grade 9 statistics and probability unit planned, incorporating one of my favourite online Math tools: Khan Academy. My first lesson began with my being blocked on the school network from my "coach"'s account due to its link to a Facebook address. All the lessons I had planned, saved and linked were inaccessible. Thinking on my feet, and having already done the groundwork, I quickly set up another account and gave the students a tutorial on how to set up and join their own accounts to it, while the students were off-a-joining I endeavoured to use my mobile phone to access and link the lessons to my new (school accessible) account. Once all set up I walked my students through their first task, a Math pre-test. And then my lesson fell apart. The school Internet was too slow to allow for the use of the site, some laptops had viruses, some ran out of battery and some students really didn't know how to use their laptops at all. I went home to rethink my entire unit plan. ICTs need to be incorporated as a regular tool for learning, from the start, not just as a novelty.

2. Fear of failure. A mentor of mine conducted a survey of her classes ranging from grade 8 to grade 12. The survey had students answer one question. "Have you grown up doing any of the following, or anything similar? Going camping, playing outside without adult supervision, exploring, adventuring, being "wild" in the outdoors-y sense". The results were compared to the instances of homework being attempted for each student. My mentor found a bilateral symmetry to the comparison.
->Those students who answered yes, took risks and tried to complete their homework, whether the tasks were challenging or simple, the students attempted the questions even when they were unsure of the answers. Consistently.
->Those students who answered no, did not take risks and did not attempt their homework unless the tasks were simple and the students were sure of the answers. Consistently.

That evening I told my son to go play outside then sat to read a book, inside. If this blasted degree wasn't so intensive I'd dust off the tent this weekend too.

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed are subject to change. Change may occur as a result of any stimuli. Stimuli include but is not limited to: experience in the "real world" of education (in the case of the above opinions this may well be any contact with the "dunce"), further reading, and contact with real life registered teachers (hereafter referred to as the "big kids"). The big kids often scoff at my learned theories, at times I've come to agree with the opinions they've formed through experience and at other times I've written myself a mental note to never, ever let myself be so dragged down by the profession that I allow such detrimental mindsets to take a foothold in my teaching philosophy.