Pre-Break work

Thanksgiving break is approaching and I am fairly excited for a break. I gained some valuable information from the redaings this week but the article, Partners in Cognition: Extending Human Intelligence with Intelligent Technologies, was a little dated. "The report discusses research in another five areas that are relevant to teaching and environments that support effective learning: the importance of social and cultural contexts; transfer and the conditions for wide application of learning; subject matter uniqueness; assessment to support learning; and the new educational technologies.
Teachers have a critical role in assisting learners to engage their understanding, building on learners' understandings, correcting misconceptions, and observing and engaging with learners during the processes of learning."

"The most effective learning occurs when learners transport what they have learned to various and diverse new situations." We have placed much emphasis on specific techniques and theories
this semester but what it all really boils down to for me as an educator is that I want may students to learn and apply what they have learned. I want them to look back on their college experience five to ten years from now and value what they have learned. I want them to find knowledge useful because if people do find knowledge useful and beneficial to them then they will probably continue learning.

Reflection in general

Another weekend of reflection. I only wish this reflection stuff wouldn't creep into my personal life. Looking in a mirror and analyzing what you see is tough sometimes.

Entering the Final Stretch

I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed for this coming week. There is the project presentation for class this weekend, and the reflective paper due the week after Thanksgiving. I haven’t had any direction on that paper so I’m a little apprehensive about that project. On top of that, I still have to Blog, do readings and corresponding postings, research social network sites, and continue the project development. Well, that’s enough of that. I will persevere.

The readings this week were insightful. They were both related to learning environments in a way and they tied in well with my group project. The framework for designing learning environments helped the most. What’s really cool about this project is that I get to have one of my classes involved. The interest from the class stands at about 50%. I will give them this week to continue blogging and then we will begin assessing the educational value of the Bolg.

Fired up

Higher education continues to amaze me. We learn about formative and summative evaluations, learner-community-assesment- and knowledge-centered learning environments, and life long learning, yet administration, and political factions for that matter, fail to invest in the main staple for learning-the TEACHER. What happens to administrators once they asume their position? Do they forget where they came from? Do they succume to the status quo? WHAT? I am fired up about the fact that only 1-3 % of budget are earmarked for professional development. Where's the incentive for learning, especialy on a teacher's salary.