How can you engage your learners in authentic learning that develops their …
How can you engage your learners in authentic learning that develops their 21st Century skills and that makes space for ICTs to be leveraged to maximum effect? There are many answers to these questions but one important answer is to be found in Project Based Learning (PBL).
This unit is part 1 of a 2 part series on PBL. In this unit, we will cover the basics of what PBL is, what its key components are and why it is such a powerful teaching methodology. In part 2, we will dig into some of the details of how to design a project for your class.
This unit is Part 2 of a 2 part series on project-based …
This unit is Part 2 of a 2 part series on project-based learning (PBL). In unit 28 we looked at the basics of PBL and what makes for good and effective PBL. You ended unit 28 by writing the driving question for your own PBL project. If you have not yet completed unit 28, you should complete it before continuing.
So far in this module, we have learnt what learner-centred teaching is …
So far in this module, we have learnt what learner-centred teaching is and why it is important that we try and teach in learner-centred ways. It is learners, after all, that need to do the learning. Therefore, it is important that we put the learner and their needs at the heart of what we are doing.
In this unit we will have a look at some ways in which technology can support our efforts in putting the learner at the heart of things as well as some general principles for designing great technology enabled learner-centric learning activities.
ICT is useful for all learners, but it is particularly valuable because …
ICT is useful for all learners, but it is particularly valuable because it can be effectively used by learners with different abilities. This unit will teach you how to use ICT in the classroom to support students with special needs.
In this unit, we will investigate how we can use social networks …
In this unit, we will investigate how we can use social networks to help us communicate with our wider school community. `We will be looking at two social networking tools: Facebook and WhatsApp.
In this unit we will have a look at a special type …
In this unit we will have a look at a special type of community, called a Community of Practice (CoP). You will be provided with some ideas of how you can join an established CoP or create your own CoP.
In the same way teachers encourage their learners to be curious about …
In the same way teachers encourage their learners to be curious about the world, teachers need to regularly update their own knowledge and skills. This unit focuses on how teachers can enjoy lifelong professional development opportunities by linking to teacher networks and online courses.
This is the first unit in this course module on assessment. Therefore, …
This is the first unit in this course module on assessment. Therefore, this unit is going to 'set the stage', as it were, for the rest of the module. In this unit, we are going to take a closer look at what the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) say about assessment. Just by their name, one assumes they have some important things to tell us.
We are also going to look at the overall cycle of assessment. Assessment is not a once off event like a test or exam. That test of exam is just a part of the assessment cycle. We will go into more of the details of parts of the assessment cycle in later units.
Assessment is an essential process that provides information about what learners know …
Assessment is an essential process that provides information about what learners know and can do. In this unit you will learn about suitable summative and formative assessment strategies.
Whether you’re evaluating an assessment, skimming a favourite unit of yours, or …
Whether you’re evaluating an assessment, skimming a favourite unit of yours, or using it as a walk-through instrument to get a feel for the level of student thinking in a classroom, Bloom’s Taxonomy is a powerful tool for any educator at any level.
This is the second last unit in this module on assessment. In …
This is the second last unit in this module on assessment. In it, we are going to look at 2 separate, but related, parts of assessment. The first is how to set high quality exams and tests. The second is how to analyse the results of exams and tests to learn more about what your learners are struggling with. This is called error analysis.
Assessment is one of the most important parts of teaching. After all, …
Assessment is one of the most important parts of teaching. After all, it is the best way we have of knowing what our learners are learning. It is not necessarily the same as what we are teaching.
Doing assessment well (whether it is formative or summative), requires that we are clear about what we are assessing and what success looks like. If you area assessing a learner’s answer to a Math problem, this is relatively straightforward. What is correct and incorrect and quite clear.
But what if you are assessing a piece of creative writing, or a presentation, or a group project or a piece of art. In these cases, assessment is far more subjective. Rubrics are simple but powerful tools that help us with these kinds of assessment and help us to assess fairly and consistently.
As teachers, we are able to use a variety of ICT tools …
As teachers, we are able to use a variety of ICT tools in our classrooms. Many of us have access to computers, whiteboards, tv, tablets and cellphones. These digital resources can all be used for teaching and learning. But, how do we protect expensive technology but also serve the syllabus requirements in the best way possible? How do we organise digital resources in the classroom so we get the most to support and reinforce learning activities and social interactions?
This unit will look at these issues and policies around them.
In this day and age, virtual communication means that you can contact …
In this day and age, virtual communication means that you can contact people in many ways. Modern technology is so amazing that something called “video conferencing” has been invented as a means of communication.
This unit will focus on video conferencing and how it can be used.
All of us are constantly surrounded by multimedia, all the time. It …
All of us are constantly surrounded by multimedia, all the time. It has become a hugely pervasive and important feature of modern life – for good and ill. Multimedia is also an increasingly important tool in education and, when the right kinds of multimedia are used in the right ways, it can provide tremendous benefits.
In this unit, we will learn about some of the features of multimedia and what role it can play in our classrooms. We will also learn specifically, how you can create your own multimedia resources that do exactly what you need them to do.
Instructional design is basically something you do every time you plan a …
Instructional design is basically something you do every time you plan a lesson. You are designing how the instruction will take place. You consider what the objectives of the lesson are, what actions you will take, what actions your learners will take, how you will assess what your learners have learnt and in what sequence all of this is going to happen. One benefit of doing this in a physical classroom is that you can change direction whenever and however you need to based on how your learners respond.
In this unit, however, we are going to consider instructional design for the online environment, where your interaction with learners is more limited and it is harder to change things in the middle of a lesson. For this reason, your planning needs to be more careful and considered.
In this unit, you are going to set up your own online …
In this unit, you are going to set up your own online Learning Management System (or LMS) using the free Moodle Cloud software. We are also going to use what we learnt about instructional design in Unit 43 to evaluate the quality of the units in this course. If you have not yet completed Unit 43: Instructional Design, you should go back and complete it before continuing.
In Unit 44 you would have learned how to create your own …
In Unit 44 you would have learned how to create your own online learning environment. This allows you to experiment with moving some of your teaching and class activities into an online environment.
While you might not be physically present while your learners work through the materials online, you will still need to facilitate your learner's online experience and be available to assist them if they have any questions or concerns. This unit will introduce you to the basics of online facilitation.
Google Classroom is a blended learning platform and learner management system (LMS) …
Google Classroom is a blended learning platform and learner management system (LMS) for teachers. Using a Google account, Google Docs and Google Drive, it simplifies e-learning, and allows paperless assignment submission and marking.
In this unit, you will learn how to set up a Google Classroom, and how it can save you time, and help you communicate and collaborate with learners and other teachers.
The main idea behind Facebook is that it creates a community where …
The main idea behind Facebook is that it creates a community where people can share ideas, feelings and content. Facebook’s community pages allow you to communicate with your community in an effective way. In this unit, we are going to learn about how to use Facebook community pages in the classroom.
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