Comments for Mary's Blog http://www.coetail.com/marypkfish Just another COETAIL site Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:58:44 +0000 hourly 1 Comment on Connectiwhat? by abryrne http://www.coetail.com/marypkfish/2011/12/15/connectiwhat/#comment-1811 abryrne Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:58:44 +0000 http://www.coetail.asia/marypkfish/?p=80#comment-1811 Thanks for the post! I enjoyed it! Also, you got me thinking a lot about assessment. As you said, when you're teaching something that's low on Bloom's, assessment is very straightforward. But as you pointed out, knowledge-level questions are not all that important, given the technology we have. So problem number one is that we need to have ways of adequately assessing our students' abilities to comprehend, apply, analyze, and synthesize, which requires the use of more and better rubrics. This brings up problem number two, which is the pace at which content changes. As we move into those higher-order thinking activities, we tend to use the rubric approach. But using a rubric implies that you know what mastery in that particular topic looks like. If the available information and technology is improving every day, then you may not have the entire picture. Thanks for the post! I enjoyed it! Also, you got me thinking a lot about assessment. As you said, when you’re teaching something that’s low on Bloom’s, assessment is very straightforward. But as you pointed out, knowledge-level questions are not all that important, given the technology we have. So problem number one is that we need to have ways of adequately assessing our students’ abilities to comprehend, apply, analyze, and synthesize, which requires the use of more and better rubrics. This brings up problem number two, which is the pace at which content changes. As we move into those higher-order thinking activities, we tend to use the rubric approach. But using a rubric implies that you know what mastery in that particular topic looks like. If the available information and technology is improving every day, then you may not have the entire picture.

]]> Comment on Putting Learning into Practice – Looking Ahead to the Final Project by Mary Fish http://www.coetail.com/marypkfish/2011/12/17/putting-learning-into-practice-looking-ahead-to-the-final-project/#comment-1738 Mary Fish Wed, 27 Feb 2013 05:19:01 +0000 http://www.coetail.asia/marypkfish/?p=82#comment-1738 Here is an example of one of the Voicethreads that the students made. https://voicethread.com/?#u2700352.b3068491.i16555443 Yes, the students had to do a modified storyboard before they began. I made a table for the students. On one side, they had to put their texts and on the other side of the table, they put the image they wanted to use. Let's Skype soon to catch up! Cheers, Mary Here is an example of one of the Voicethreads that the students made. https://voicethread.com/?#u2700352.b3068491.i16555443

Yes, the students had to do a modified storyboard before they began. I made a table for the students. On one side, they had to put their texts and on the other side of the table, they put the image they wanted to use.

Let’s Skype soon to catch up!

Cheers,
Mary

]]> Comment on Putting Learning into Practice – Looking Ahead to the Final Project by Sanne Bloemarts http://www.coetail.com/marypkfish/2011/12/17/putting-learning-into-practice-looking-ahead-to-the-final-project/#comment-1581 Sanne Bloemarts Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:40:11 +0000 http://www.coetail.asia/marypkfish/?p=82#comment-1581 Well, aren't we all in the same boat!? As you know Mary, I am also keen in discovering how to complete my masters program. Let me know if you have any pointers and tips to share. How is your final project coming along? Did you have your students write digital storyboards before starting their 'movies'? What program are the students using? Did you leave them a choice of what to use in order to achieve the outcome? I'm sure you have created a Udb and I look forward to seeing what you and your partner have come up with. I also hope you'll be able to share some of the videos the students make. This is a great project idea and although I'm sure it's a challenge to find the time, a fantastic way to be collaborating with someone in a different subject area. Well, aren’t we all in the same boat!? As you know Mary, I am also keen in discovering how to complete my masters program. Let me know if you have any pointers and tips to share.
How is your final project coming along? Did you have your students write digital storyboards before starting their ‘movies’? What program are the students using? Did you leave them a choice of what to use in order to achieve the outcome?
I’m sure you have created a Udb and I look forward to seeing what you and your partner have come up with. I also hope you’ll be able to share some of the videos the students make.
This is a great project idea and although I’m sure it’s a challenge to find the time, a fantastic way to be collaborating with someone in a different subject area.

]]> Comment on Connectiwhat? by Daniel Bench http://www.coetail.com/marypkfish/2011/12/15/connectiwhat/#comment-447 Daniel Bench Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:02:28 +0000 http://www.coetail.asia/marypkfish/?p=80#comment-447 Reading your summation of Connectivism is quite gratifying for me. The past month, or so, I have been trying to wrap my head around this theory of knowledge and learning. I am starting to see the wisdom in the idea that knowledge is in the network, and that individuals are only able to digest parts of this knowledge. Stephan Downes, a close cohort of Siemens, gave a great analogy of connectivism in relation to knowledge. He likens connective knowledge to a flying 747. No one individual can explain how this huge structure flies. Sure certain people, like the engineers, might have more knowledge than others, but even the engineers can't tell you how the different parts are made or how the economics work to make this type of flight fiscally viable. However, the planes are still in the air and all the knowledge has been in some way laced together to produce this plane's ability to fly and keep flying. This plane, in a way, represents the physical connections that contain the whole knowledge. The connections, how they relate to each other, and what emerges from them are the knowledge. It is scary, but also freeing, to think that know one can own complete knowledge; we must rely on others. I think teachers should really start viewing the process of learning as connecting to the network/repository of valid knowledge. Open internet tests seem to be a way to encourage this. Quite frankly, I am 13 years removed from my last high school test; I couldn't tell you what it was about. Should I make the test the ends to itself for my students? Do they really need to know how to take a test in a problem solving world? Wouldn't it be better to help them form patterns of thought that will help them know how to look for the answers and solutions to the test. Perhaps, what is needed for the classroom is a shift to the idea that my subject/course is a community of practice. As the teacher, I could construct the classroom in a way that connects the students to the sources of knowledge and to each other, so as the class unfolds the content and skills, I can guide and shape the learners patterns of making sense through the use of technology and well-placed resources. Not only this, but I become part of the network, and a fellow learner in the process. Perhaps, we as teachers just need to be a rung (a very supportive one) in the scaffolding latter supporting the students development in their interests and life long learning skills. Students still need to be exposed to the various academic disciplines, so they might find those things that interest and spur their passion. If we as educators equip them along the way with the current and future connective practices and tools, they will become quite a resourceful, useful, innovative node within the networks they find themselves connected to. Thanks for the post...your ideas have helped me process and digest a little more of the connective theory. Reading your summation of Connectivism is quite gratifying for me. The past month, or so, I have been trying to wrap my head around this theory of knowledge and learning. I am starting to see the wisdom in the idea that knowledge is in the network, and that individuals are only able to digest parts of this knowledge. Stephan Downes, a close cohort of Siemens, gave a great analogy of connectivism in relation to knowledge. He likens connective knowledge to a flying 747. No one individual can explain how this huge structure flies. Sure certain people, like the engineers, might have more knowledge than others, but even the engineers can’t tell you how the different parts are made or how the economics work to make this type of flight fiscally viable. However, the planes are still in the air and all the knowledge has been in some way laced together to produce this plane’s ability to fly and keep flying. This plane, in a way, represents the physical connections that contain the whole knowledge. The connections, how they relate to each other, and what emerges from them are the knowledge. It is scary, but also freeing, to think that know one can own complete knowledge; we must rely on others.

I think teachers should really start viewing the process of learning as connecting to the network/repository of valid knowledge. Open internet tests seem to be a way to encourage this. Quite frankly, I am 13 years removed from my last high school test; I couldn’t tell you what it was about. Should I make the test the ends to itself for my students? Do they really need to know how to take a test in a problem solving world? Wouldn’t it be better to help them form patterns of thought that will help them know how to look for the answers and solutions to the test. Perhaps, what is needed for the classroom is a shift to the idea that my subject/course is a community of practice. As the teacher, I could construct the classroom in a way that connects the students to the sources of knowledge and to each other, so as the class unfolds the content and skills, I can guide and shape the learners patterns of making sense through the use of technology and well-placed resources. Not only this, but I become part of the network, and a fellow learner in the process. Perhaps, we as teachers just need to be a rung (a very supportive one) in the scaffolding latter supporting the students development in their interests and life long learning skills.

Students still need to be exposed to the various academic disciplines, so they might find those things that interest and spur their passion. If we as educators equip them along the way with the current and future connective practices and tools, they will become quite a resourceful, useful, innovative node within the networks they find themselves connected to.

Thanks for the post…your ideas have helped me process and digest a little more of the connective theory.

]]> Comment on Connectiwhat? by Daniel Bench http://www.coetail.com/marypkfish/2011/12/15/connectiwhat/#comment-446 Daniel Bench Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:01:50 +0000 http://www.coetail.asia/marypkfish/?p=80#comment-446 Reading your summation of Connectivism is quite gratifying for me. The past month, or so, I have been trying to wrap my head around this theory of knowledge and learning. I am starting to see the wisdom in the idea that knowledge is in the network, and that individuals are only able to digest parts of this knowledge. Stephan Downes, a close cohort of Siemens, gave a great analogy of connectivism in relation to knowledge. He likens connective knowledge to a flying 747. No one individual can explain how this huge structure flies. Sure certain people, like the engineers, might have more knowledge than others, but even the engineers can't tell you how the different parts are made or how the economics work to make this type of flight fiscally viable. However, the planes are still in the air and all the knowledge has been in some way laced together to produce this plane's ability to fly and keep flying. This plane, in a way, represents the physical connections that contain the whole knowledge. The connections, how they relate to each other, and what emerges from them are the knowledge. It is scary, but also freeing, to think that know one can own complete knowledge; we must rely on others. I think teachers should realy start viewing the process of learning as connecting to the network/repository of valid knowledge. Open internet tests seem to be a way to encourage this. Quite frankly, I am 13 years removed from my last high school test; I couldn't tell you what it was about. Should I make the test the ends to itself for my students? Do they really need to know how to take a test in a problem solving world? Wouldn't it be better to help them form patterns of thought that will help them know how to look for the answers and solutions to the test. Perhaps, what is needed for the classroom is a shift to the idea that my subject/course is a community of practice. As the teacher, I could construct the classroom in a way that connects the students to the sources of knowledge and to each other, so as the class unfolds the content and skills, I can guide and shape the learners patterns of making sense through the use of technology and well-placed resources. Not only this, but I become part of the network, and a fellow learner in the process. Perhaps, we as teachers just need to be a rung (a very supportive one) in the scaffolding latter supporting the students development in their interests and life long learning skills. Students still need to be exposed to the various academic disciplines, so they might find those things that interest and spur their passion. If we as educators equip them along the way with the current and future connective practices and tools, they will become quite a resourceful, useful, innovative node within the networks they find themselves connected to. Thanks for the post...your ideas have helped me process and digest a little more of the connective theory. Reading your summation of Connectivism is quite gratifying for me. The past month, or so, I have been trying to wrap my head around this theory of knowledge and learning. I am starting to see the wisdom in the idea that knowledge is in the network, and that individuals are only able to digest parts of this knowledge. Stephan Downes, a close cohort of Siemens, gave a great analogy of connectivism in relation to knowledge. He likens connective knowledge to a flying 747. No one individual can explain how this huge structure flies. Sure certain people, like the engineers, might have more knowledge than others, but even the engineers can’t tell you how the different parts are made or how the economics work to make this type of flight fiscally viable. However, the planes are still in the air and all the knowledge has been in some way laced together to produce this plane’s ability to fly and keep flying. This plane, in a way, represents the physical connections that contain the whole knowledge. The connections, how they relate to each other, and what emerges from them are the knowledge. It is scary, but also freeing, to think that know one can own complete knowledge; we must rely on others.

I think teachers should realy start viewing the process of learning as connecting to the network/repository of valid knowledge. Open internet tests seem to be a way to encourage this. Quite frankly, I am 13 years removed from my last high school test; I couldn’t tell you what it was about. Should I make the test the ends to itself for my students? Do they really need to know how to take a test in a problem solving world? Wouldn’t it be better to help them form patterns of thought that will help them know how to look for the answers and solutions to the test. Perhaps, what is needed for the classroom is a shift to the idea that my subject/course is a community of practice. As the teacher, I could construct the classroom in a way that connects the students to the sources of knowledge and to each other, so as the class unfolds the content and skills, I can guide and shape the learners patterns of making sense through the use of technology and well-placed resources. Not only this, but I become part of the network, and a fellow learner in the process. Perhaps, we as teachers just need to be a rung (a very supportive one) in the scaffolding latter supporting the students development in their interests and life long learning skills.

Students still need to be exposed to the various academic disciplines, so they might find those things that interest and spur their passion. If we as educators equip them along the way with the current and future connective practices and tools, they will become quite a resourceful, useful, innovative node within the networks they find themselves connected to.

Thanks for the post…your ideas have helped me process and digest a little more of the connective theory.

]]> Comment on Technology Integration – What does it really mean? by Chie Mizukoshi http://www.coetail.com/marypkfish/2011/12/15/technology-integration-what-does-it-really-mean/#comment-443 Chie Mizukoshi Sun, 22 Apr 2012 07:06:37 +0000 http://www.coetail.asia/marypkfish/?p=76#comment-443 Thank you for having revealed your inner thought about how hard the dilemma is. I could see your genuine educational philosophy as a teacher and the constraint of a teaching environment, which has got its own registered or authorized educational purpose to stay as an authentic school. In a way, a school needs to be sustainable or acknowledged enough to be applied to the reality of world(, which means that it has to follow the track to be correspondent to the next level of education as one’s getting into university.) I know we would have to be flexible to the up-dated trend of social needs, and the environment needs to be coordinated with it. The analogy is that a constitution in our country should be revised according to the necessity of an era. Thank you for having revealed your inner thought about how hard the dilemma is. I could see your genuine educational philosophy as a teacher and the constraint of a teaching environment, which has got its own registered or authorized educational purpose to stay as an authentic school. In a way, a school needs to be sustainable or acknowledged enough to be applied to the reality of world(, which means that it has to follow the track to be correspondent to the next level of education as one’s getting into university.)

I know we would have to be flexible to the up-dated trend of social needs, and the environment needs to be coordinated with it. The analogy is that a constitution in our country should be revised according to the necessity of an era.

]]> Comment on Technology Integration – What does it really mean? by cmizukoshi http://www.coetail.com/marypkfish/2011/12/15/technology-integration-what-does-it-really-mean/#comment-441 cmizukoshi Sat, 21 Apr 2012 09:27:22 +0000 http://www.coetail.asia/marypkfish/?p=76#comment-441 You have enlightened my understanding of the integration of technology into whatsoever the curriculum in a practical sense, which I find difficult to know unless you are a teacher(since I am not a teacher.) Thank you for having revealed your inner thought about how hard the dilemma is. I could see your genuine educational philosophy as a teacher and the constraint of a teaching environment, which has got its own registered or authorized educational purpose to stay as an authentic school. In a way, a school needs to be sustainable or acknowledged enough to be applied to the reality of world(, which means that it has to follow the track to be correspondent to the next level of education as one’s getting into university.) I know we would have to be flexible to the up-dated trend of social needs, and the environment needs to be coordinated with it. The analogy is that a constitution in our country should be revised according to the necessity of an era. You have enlightened my understanding of the integration of technology into whatsoever the curriculum in a practical sense, which I find difficult to know unless you are a teacher(since I am not a teacher.)

Thank you for having revealed your inner thought about how hard the dilemma is. I could see your genuine educational philosophy as a teacher and the constraint of a teaching environment, which has got its own registered or authorized educational purpose to stay as an authentic school. In a way, a school needs to be sustainable or acknowledged enough to be applied to the reality of world(, which means that it has to follow the track to be correspondent to the next level of education as one’s getting into university.)

I know we would have to be flexible to the up-dated trend of social needs, and the environment needs to be coordinated with it. The analogy is that a constitution in our country should be revised according to the necessity of an era.

]]> Comment on Digital Storytelling by Joy Seed http://www.coetail.com/marypkfish/2011/11/06/digital-storytelling/#comment-399 Joy Seed Fri, 16 Mar 2012 23:53:16 +0000 http://www.coetail.asia/marypkfish/?p=65#comment-399 Mary, Thanks for sharing your take on the readings for this week. I like the way that you highlighted the fact that visual literacy is more than deconstructing images, it is also the ability to construct them for a purpose and audience. I think that digital stories are a great way to practice this but it seems like it was a very complicated process for you. Did your students end up using voicethread to digitize their personal narratives? How did it go? Mary,

Thanks for sharing your take on the readings for this week. I like the way that you highlighted the fact that visual literacy is more than deconstructing images, it is also the ability to construct them for a purpose and audience. I think that digital stories are a great way to practice this but it seems like it was a very complicated process for you. Did your students end up using voicethread to digitize their personal narratives? How did it go?

]]> Comment on Visual Literacy: My Reflections by Mary Fish http://www.coetail.com/marypkfish/2011/11/07/visual-literacy-my-reflections/#comment-394 Mary Fish Thu, 15 Mar 2012 03:01:04 +0000 http://www.coetail.asia/marypkfish/?p=68#comment-394 Thanks so much for sharing <a href="http://photopin.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Photopin </a>site. It looks great, and your sharing it with me is very timely. Just this morning, I was talking to my students about finding images for their digital stories, and some of the challenges that they are facing with finding appropriate ones. I am going to share this site with them tomorrow!! I am glad that the lesson plan format is useful to you. I too was getting confused by some of the formats out there and found that this one worked the best for me. Thanks again. Mary Thanks so much for sharing Photopin site. It looks great, and your sharing it with me is very timely. Just this morning, I was talking to my students about finding images for their digital stories, and some of the challenges that they are facing with finding appropriate ones. I am going to share this site with them tomorrow!! I am glad that the lesson plan format is useful to you. I too was getting confused by some of the formats out there and found that this one worked the best for me. Thanks again. Mary

]]> Comment on Visual Literacy: My Reflections by Britt http://www.coetail.com/marypkfish/2011/11/07/visual-literacy-my-reflections/#comment-393 Britt Wed, 14 Mar 2012 22:54:26 +0000 http://www.coetail.asia/marypkfish/?p=68#comment-393 Hi Mary, you wrote to me before about places to find pictures. I recently came across http://photopin.com/ Have you used this one? It is so simple. Also, I love the way you wrote up your lesson plans and I borrowed your format. The format from Jeff for my current Cohort 1 is too much for me. Thanks for your helpful posts. Britt Hi Mary, you wrote to me before about places to find pictures. I recently came across http://photopin.com/ Have you used this one? It is so simple. Also, I love the way you wrote up your lesson plans and I borrowed your format. The format from Jeff for my current Cohort 1 is too much for me. Thanks for your helpful posts. Britt

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