The natural means to learning is to construct knowledge through enquiry, altering our previous knowledge only when we have proven to our own satisfaction that the new knowledge is sound. This is natural.
There are so many (at first taste) conflicting, yet paradoxically confirming streams of information I have evaluated recently that to say I've a firm framework is to be somewhat trite. The reality is that the conflictions ultimately prove to be merely complexities.
The very notion of a 'framework', for instance, flies in the face of the open construct I'm determined to develop within my teaching methods.
I much prefer to view a framework as a 'scaffold', the difference to me, being that a scaffold is removed after its' usefulness has served it's purpose. A 'framework' infers rigidity and permanence.
So... 'What' am I trying to develop as a teaching style and 'Why'?
I wish to model my style around that of a 'constructivists model'.
Such a model is student centred first and foremost, I believe it enhances the direction we appreciate as appropriate in the modern connected world in helping people develop within themselves the capabilities around self efficacy: to be community minded, collaborative as they choose, enquiring, and able to build new knowledge from a variety of different resources and inputs.
So... I see the Moodle environment as a repository for course and resources general information and launching pad linking to 'Tutor environments'. Moodle therefore is a structured rigid "Framework" this is necessary of management and recording but not strictly a learning tool.
Moodle therefore is set up as a "Framework"
The 'Tutor environments' link from the Moodle and here we start to develop a culture/community by using a 'Scaffold' with practice lessons in house, review videos for review online etc... to allow for iterative learning when necessary.
A familiarity of process also needs to be included to allow for some comfort and expectation to be part of the norm.
I see the use of a wikipedia building of trade terms and the discussions we can have falling out of this trade terms in-house construct, will be a comfortable and exponential group experience that can have individual values negotiated within the assessment criteria.
The redevelopment of our CAT Boatbuilding "TTEC4000 Professional Development" course, to allow a full year for students to build upon their experiences and gain comfort in using web 2.0 tools and the constructivist pedagogy they will be experiencing. The intention is also that they will discover more about themselves on this journey. The TTEC4000 course assessment document is a document where three students collaborate to develop the first three L.Os' the next two L.Os' are individual reflections and analysis of the collaborative process. Google docs lend themselves very well to this end.
Along side the use collaborative documents each student regularly posts in to a blog that is to record and reflect on their year's experiences. The blog is not assessed directly but is intended as a voice, Tutors are invited to follow and as time and competency develops tutors may encourage students to open the access of their blogs to more people and allow public access if they feel comfortable in this. This is a start to societal input and expression.
I strongly agree with Anne Bartlett-Bragg (2003) "Blogging to Learn", in her 5-stages of Blogging Process.
1, establishment. 2, introspection. 3, reflective monologues. 4, reflective dialogues. 5, knowledge artifacts.
These stages are exactly my own experiences.
REF: Blog post; Reflections on Reading #7 "Bearing Witness"
Another inspirational pedagogical framework 'in action' came from reading:
Audrey, Gray. "Constructivist Teaching and Learning." Saskatchewan School Boards Association ». 1997. 07 Oct. 2010 <http://saskschoolboards.ca/research/instruction/97-07.htm>.
REF: Blog post; "Eureka!!!"
REF: Blog post; "Eureka!!!"
The final environments outside 'Moodle' and 'Tutor environments' are environments that are natural to the students. 'Societal' environments. It might be good to use Moodle as a facility for class group form posts, these asynchronous systems however should be recognised as not being timely and therefore more as a place to negotiate or record negotiated changes and agreements effecting all students.
The tools for students' to discuss, and share outside Unitecs' structures and settings is essential and nature. It must be encouraged. Developing the capabilities for these activities can be built into our Unitec delivery and practice sessions but the use is open to student interpretation/freedom. The only proviso is that in order to manages assessment events, grading and moderation of courses we at Unitec need the final presentation of student work to be in a limited number of options.
How the learning happens though must be as open as the student desires. e.g. Live chats, video recordings, interviews, texts, F2F, tweets, g/e-mails, discussion boards, etc...
An analogy of these frameworks working in conjunction might be the photo of the Chinese ball where Unitecs' Moodle might be the inside ball, the Tutor environments might be the outer ball and the societal environment is the support structure holding it all up. Each surface(environment) is complexly interlinked with the next and viewable through each other.
Collaboarative 'Google docs' and blogging are therefore the two main web 2.0 tools that I'm developing activities around to encourage the constructivist attitudes to teaching.
Examples trialled this year follow:
Student built blogs;
http://bcublogbook.blogspot.com/
Tutor overview blog;
http://bmerfunitec.blogspot.com/
Google presentation collaborative document (type of wikipedia around boatbuilding terms);
https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AXEFXZnIY1A5ZGR4dmpyMmtfOTM3am10OHFmYw&hl=en_GB
Google doc TTEC3000 student constructed collaborative assessment document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rFsDWd0V1FUnWzzbJS3_2A9HiBcPqnCFog-_k_Nq0EI/edit?hl=en_GB#
In closing:
To all #SLT10 group members
I have been remiss in finishing some of my reflective write up postings around suggested readings.
The reason is; in reading other colleagues postings, their posts summed up very well my own fledgling understandings and viewpoints. (I must add my views at some date and hope I may refer to my colleagues post as support). Thanks to Muks and Lita in particular for a couple of very well reflected postings, Chris for e-mailing me Grays paper (Eureka moment), Steve a.k.a. Scott for the 'one fact a day concept' and all group for mucking in and opening up on their prospective views.
Thanks to Thom and Vickle for the demos and managing to direct us to readings that prompted good discussion. (Not as arduous to read as I'd imagined)
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