Inspirational Video

I was feeling a little lonely for my classmates(our community based cohort) tonight and I came across this video and it just cheered me up. Do not worry! Dr Love won't hug you that way on graduation day.

Enjoy!

My Major Project

PD on Blogging

Ongoing Professional Development

I reviewed the PD K-12 Online Conference and I particularly like the presentation done by Kathy Cassidy and Patrick Lewis "We Like Our Blogging Buddies: the Write Stuff With Blogging Mentors". The pre teachers in the Faculty of Education and Grade One students join in partnership using blogging. The Grade One students had day-to-day opportunities to practice their literacy skills and the teachers were to see their blogging buddies' writing progress unfold.

This will help teachers improve their teaching abilities. In addition, the presenters stated that the Grade One students became very articulate. I would like to introduce this concept to the NORTEP instructor who instructs teachers on how to improve their teaching ability. This is something I can do in the future.

Professional Development

I picked the "The Savvy Teacher" for my professional development because I have a growing interest in finding ways to get our teachers more engaged. If we do not engage our teachers, our students will never have the opportunity to use the web to enhance their learning, creativity and especially their self confidence!

This is also very timely because my major project is a professional development day for engaging middle years teachers on the importance of using the web to help bring them and our students into the 21st century. They can learn to enhance their teaching and expand strategies to allow them to teach to the multiple intelligences. Our students need to be opened up to a variety of opportunities and to explore their learning styles, to learn and express themselves in ways which are meaningful to them.
Research shows that kids playing video or online games are faced with decisions every 1 to 2 seconds and they are rewarded for those decisions, positively or negatively, every 7 to 10 seconds. This is the world they live in. We need to be able to engage them in a way that matches that world. We can only do this by using technology to engage them, help them create in ways that are meaningful to them and allow them to connect to others in the same way.

Wordle - check it out

Please check out the gadget at the bottom of my blog page - I made a wordle with my last blog posting

What the heck is copyright anyway?

After viewing the video I felt worried that I shouldn't be doing anymore because I didn't want to break the law. So how do I turn it around - Instead of being disempowered by copyright, how do i make this work?
In pondering this question (in response to my own questions), I realize that i am not claiming these ideas as my own, but they are important enough for me to want to pass on. So how do I do this so i can teach this to other teachers and students?
My ideas -
put things into my own words (this also helps make sure I understand it)
make sure I cite it so people can tell where I got it
ask if I'm not sure
learn to live with guilt!
Too bad I can't use "Innocent until proven guilty!"
I'm glad I've learned this because it has made me more aware and cautious and I plan to look into it more.

Cooking With Arlene

Filling A Vacuum Creatively

The local newspaper story in Colorado provides lots of fuel for discourse. First and foremost, rather than looking at the fall of this community treasure as a tragedy, we can look at is as a challenge ripe for interjecting diverse ways of gathering and sharing knowledge and perhaps even running a failing business.

We can enhance the level of community input and community control, for instance. We can also go back to traditional ways of sharing knowledge and skills as well as wisdom, and help to overcome inherent biases for which newspapers are notorious. Newspapers allow for minimum feedback and interaction. They are typically a one-way transmission of limited facts, valid or invalid, from the journalists and editors to the readers.

Youth might fill a vacuum created by the fall of the newspaper by creating digital newspapers, digital newsletters, and other forms of digital communication (e.g., digital story telling, blogs, glogs, wikki, twitter, face book, bebo, and the like). Other members of the public can do so as well. Members of the general public can become informal journalists, finding, creating, and sharing stories themselves.

On a related note, the newspaper might also be handed over to its readers in the form of a community coop, giving the readers a bigger say in how the paper is run, what news is shared, and how it is shared.

When All Goes Well In The Land Of Cyber Technology

In response to the educator’s blog, The Fishbowl, I too was excited by the level and diversity of technology used in the conference.

There are both pros and cons associated with such sophisticated use of technology, nevertheless. If all the technology is working well, there is no problem with technological compatibility, and all participants are proficient with its use, then it can be a very empowering approach to learning. If one or more of these factors proves problematic, however, the learning experience can have the opposite effect, i.e., it can be both frustrating and disempowering. This is why we have to ensure that our students and especially our staff are proficient in the use of this technology and that we have reliable and ongoing access to competent experts in digital technology itself.

When all is well, there are so many pluses to using such technology. For example, it allows for more extensive sharing of knowledge. It is also very interactive and flexible as well as creative and enjoyable for its users, i.e., the educators, students, and other participants. Moreover, it is able to increase the type of knowledge shared including, for instance, the wisdom of Elders and all sorts of traditional Indigenous knowledge.

Well all fails, there is nothing wrong with good old fashion face-to-face communication; it has worked marvelously for Indigenous peoples for thousands of years.

My Personal Experiences of Using Web 2.0. Tools.

I have been following the blogs throughout this course and each time I go through all the blogs, I am amazed at all the creativity, knowledge, gifts and talents in my classmates. I am truly thankful for the knowledge that each of you shares and it helps me grow in technology. It creates in me the desire to explore more and lastly, it challenges me to use more Web 2.0. tools in the classroom.

In the past three weeks, I felt that I was very challenged and at one time, reached my breaking point when it came to exploring the Web 2.0. tools. It took me two days to create a movie and go through the whole procedure. I thought to myself, at this rate when will I ever become a movie producer. I even tried to hire a tutor and let her know that I would pay her a good hourly rate. She cancelled at the last minute; therefore, I had no choice but to do it myself with all the expertise of my classmates posting very useful information.

I forgot to mention that I am still married after all the time I have been spending on the computer. There have been many supperless nights and the laundry has finally reached its limit, “to the ceiling”. I did find out that when it comes to technology, I am more determined than I ever thought. I just refused to give up!

I enjoyed making my movie the most although it was the most challenging. I liked arranging the pictures and writing about them. I tried to do a digital storybook but the computer that I was using asked me to buy it after I was done making the storybook. I inquired about why I could not download it to my blog and found out that I am supposed to buy the program that makes digital books. I am planning to buy this program and use it with my Kindergartens to enhance their literacy skills. I think they will find reading and writing to be more fun if it relates to them and their personal experiences.

I enjoyed going on YouTube the most! I found such wonderful music and videos. I also joined Twitter and I am still getting comfortable with it. I have to remember prior to this, I never went on bebo, facebook, and ordered anything on line. My husband is getting worried because I mentioned that I could start buying things on line using kijiji and eBay. The old visa will be just smoking!

I am still planning on using a voice thread and uploading a digital storybook on my blog in the next week. I feel that I still need to learn so much more but will take more time than just three weeks to do so.

I am finding the responding to blogs a bit challenging. I go through them, read them daily, and just really enjoy what I am reading. I need to take the time to respond and let people know how much I enjoy what they have to say!

I will be working on my project starting Monday and I am looking forward to it. I find that I am more confident and look forward to the challenge.

Using my blog to learn and share the learning

Hi
This is a sample of how we could use the blog with our students to help them learn more about technology.

I just figured out how to do the Youtube movie right in the blog so ---- here goes!

One of my favourite inspirational songs! Enjoy!

Movie of the Week

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4nsVwEC0Zs

This is just a short movie of my home, school and community. You will need to copy and paste the URL in order to see the movie on Youtube. If anyone has a way to directly place the movie clip on my post, I am really interested in learning if there is another (easier) way than this.

"Techno Nugget"

The cyber world enables people to be active participants in the world of communication rather than passive recipients of knowledge. The cyber world provides an open forum for active and interactive participation of all individuals making up a learner’s living and learning environment.

The Empowering Role of Technology

The Validation of Digital Forms of Technology in the Far North


In response to my blog on the use of technology for effective and culturally relevant communication for Aboriginal and Northern peoples, I discovered an article that validates my understanding. This article “Connectivity in Canada’s Far North: Participatory Evaluation in Ontario’s Aboriginal Communities” by, Ferreira, Ramirez and Walmark (n.d.) stresses the importance of Indigenous peoples, especially in more remote areas, being connected to the cyber world. They specifically refer to the empowering role of digital video and photo voice.

Due to such technology, students could remain in their communities while they learned rather than being shipped out for ten months of the year, the latter resulted in distancing them from their families, communities, and culture. By remaining in their communities, students were able to maintain their traditional culture and language, giving them a strong position in both the European and Indigenous worlds.

Moreover, such forms of technology served as invaluable tools to promote positive development from the grassroots up, which gave residents an active role in policy formation, decision making in general, and actions that ensued. Thanks to technology, it literally gave them a voice. It also served as a significant means of empowering some our most disempowered people.

"Twitter You This"

In response to “Twitter Me This”, this technology helps to diversify the sources of knowledge available to us and extends its well beyond our immediate surroundings.  It is vital, however, that we ensure this external knowledge augments, rather than replaces, our local knowledge and sources of knowledge.  

It is necessary, therefore, that we strike a balance between our Métis ways of knowing and connecting to the cyber world. As students and teachers rely more and more on cyber based knowledge and on sources of knowledge in the cyber world we become in danger of loosing our local culture and perpetuating a new form of colonization.

Furthermore, we should see this cyber world as a venue for us to share our knowledge, skills, and wisdom and take our rightful place in the larger world.  Our voices count as well and this cyber world belongs as much to Métis people as any other peoples.  We also have to ensure our students and teachers can interface with this technology so we can keep up with and relate to other peoples using this form of media.  In other words, Métis people are not passive recipients of knowledge but important contributors of knowledge.

 

Singularity University

 

For me, Singularity University seems to be a venue for an elite few who turn to technological fixes at the expense of listening to expertise from diverse individuals from diverse groups with diverse knowledge and ways of knowing and doing.  It is the antithesis of community based learning as we have discussed in this masters program.  

No one group has all the answers and no one group can make decisions for all.

There are many different types of intelligence and an infinite numbers of ways of learning and sharing knowledge and skills, and we must never forget the essential role of wisdom.  We need experience and experience in the real world to acquire wisdom. 

I do agree that we have to relate this technology to primary and secondary school students and teachers.  We should question, however, the potential negative impact such an elite approach would have on students who do not fit this elite world and who do not have this type and level of knowledge and skills.  The message we should be giving our students is that all have something special to offer and all are capable of helping the world to create healthy environments for all.

For decades now, the European approach to overcoming global problems is to focus on technological solutions, primarily quick fixes.  This approach seeks to justify the ongoing mass destruction of our ecology, cultures, and ways of living by luring people throughout the world into believing that we can continue to live in the manner we are today.  How can technological fixes fit into people centred development, to grassroots, participatory, appreciative, and empowerment approaches to development?   What ever happened to connectivism and constructivism? 

Making Connections to the Course

This course is increasing my ability to keep up with my students and meet them on their own turf. In an age where new information and innovative ideas are constantly being fed to our learners, our learners are becoming more spontaneous and accepting of diversity.

In the past, our Elders and parents were our first educators and our knowledge was very limited but also valid and practical for our communities and quality of life. Through technology, we can extend our learning due to having more sources of learning and add to this source of knowledge. Technology will allow us to contribute wisdom as well as knowledge and skills to the rest of the world.

To Construct and to Connect Construction that is the Answer!

Wow! I am just amazed at how this course and its contents have validated the way I teach, especially as an Indigenous educator, and how I can co-learn through cyber space. It has enhanced my ability to co-construct knowledge through technology, reflect, and share knowledge. I believe that knowledge is constructed through interaction and listening to others.

The opportunity to read and interact with my classmates’ blogs has significantly enhanced my level of understanding of this course. Technology and the use of wikis and blogs has given me and endless array of cyber critical friends. My students now also have this potential.

Connecting My Learning

My participatory action research is raising the level of awareness in my community regarding the importance of literacy. Through this course, I have come to appreciate digital storytelling and the use of technology to share my Aboriginal ways of learning and knowing. Digital story telling, for example, is an extremely effective means of giving a voice to Indigenous peoples, especially our Elders, and extending our reach into the world in general.

By helping Indigenous educators to use technology, we have the ability to develop an appreciation of Indigenous as well as non- Indigenous ways of learning and the sources of this knowledge.


In learning more about constructivism and connectivism, I came across a related concept, which is axiology, i.e., “the study of the nature, types, and criteria of values and of value judgments especially in ethics” (Meeriam-Webster Online
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/axiology). This new concept is highly related to the concepts of epistemology and ontology and all three of these concepts are integrally related to Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing and doing and the way I teach.

This course has not only reinforced my ways of teaching, but has enhanced my ability to learn and share knowledge interactively. Using technology significantly enhances the diversity of knowledge and sources of knowledge available to my learners, which adds to their ability to construct, especially co-construct knowledge.

My Learning Beliefs

Examining the Foundation- Where Are You Now?



My present beliefs about how learning takes place is as follow. When there is interaction, respect, shared learning, and when you can be the person that you want to be, learning is at its best. All these elements of learning will produce self-confidence, a respect for another person’s beliefs, and an openness to learning from one another.

I firmly believe that teaching should embrace a participatory, appreciative, empowering, and community based learning approach. I find that this approach to learning is well suited to our community in that it is an inherent part of the Indigenous way of life in Canada. In the past, knowledge was passed down to Youth from Elders and other adults in the community. Learning was experiential, hands on, and relevant to the children’s lives and their communities.

My current uses of technology are very limited. It is only through the community-based master’s program that I am being exposed to all the creative things we can do to incorporate technology into our efforts to produce higher-level achievers. As I mentioned in other postings, the potential for students, parents and the community to communicate with each other and partake in our learning is going to be more effective as a result and will better suit the new generation of a technological society.

My beliefs are that we need to make students enjoy what they are learning and make learning appropriate for our culture. I believe that if we use technology to enhance communication with the parents, community and other professional learning communities we would have a broader range of opportunities for our children to learn. Our learners would be more exposed to community-based education that extends well beyond just opening up our classrooms to the community. It would truly enable the whole community and its learners to collaborate in the learning process. I would say in my community we are well on our way to expanding our boarders in regards to teaching with technology.

arlene created a blog

I wish I had my grade five students helping me!