I was really excited to be up and out for my Mind Lab session today. It feels such a positive and safe learning environment and I was looking forward to catching up with the friends I seem to be making. It is hard to believe that I have only been going for 5 weeks. I feel like I have learnt so much and I just love being in a climate where everyone is so open and supportive and friendly.
Today it was my turn to pass on the knowledge and understanding I had now gained about making a video using 'movie maker'. That seems a crazy statement to make, seen as I am pretty sure it was only last week I was in a fluster and feeling stressed that I did not know how to make a movie and complete my first assessment using this tool. But here I was showing another how to 'voice over' and use the 'snipping tool'. Exactly the things others had shown me last week.
The session started with a quick introduction to Scratch...I had heard this word around but I had no idea what it was, except it was something to do with computers. I found it a bit confusing first off but eventually got my 'cat to meow'... I have to admit I just had another quick go on this and I can't wait to play around on it. I hope I can get it on the kids ipads on Monday as I think they would love to have a go on this.... I have actually printed off the Virtual and Augmented reality innovations we were shown the other week and plan to hopefully have some fun with my Science classes next week with them.
We were also shown 'Makey Makey's'... I have to say although I didn't get my head totally around how it all worked I was totally hooked and can't wait to buy one to play around with.
We were set to task to make our own magical musical machine using scratch and Makey Makey - with the recital being in 50 minutes. I'm the group this week we had my good companions Meeta and Karima and also Linda. We had the idea of taking Roger the Robot and turning him into a singing and talking Christmas Robot. Luckily a Karima and Linda could sing...so they took themselves of to record some festive numbers whilst Meeta and myself set about setting up the circuits so that things would run smoothly when they returned. So here is our finish video... hope the sound is OK, as usually we had a blast being innovative and collaborative and it was a real pleasure to work with these lovely people.
From left to right...Meeta, Karima, Roger, Me and Linda.
The end product of our musical instruments using Makey Makey and Scratch
Once we had recovered from giggling so much and congratulating ourselves for managing to complete the task - and in good time we settled down for the second half of the session.
We reflected on what collaboration was and how to develop it with our students. It got me thinking about when we put fixed roles on who will be in a group and the role that each student must fulfill, rather than allowing students to work out those things for themselves. If we control things so much within the students learning environment then what do they really learn? Are we restricting and controlling the amount of positive opportunities for students to learn to negotiate with others and communicate effectively with each other successfully as well as experience the host of other 21st Century skills. I have been reading about creating a collaborative classroom all week and reflecting on how best to achieve this goal.
We also reflected on what a Growth Mindset was and what that really entailed and if intelligence was fixed from the start.
We spoke about intelligence being more that just academic. This video below about riding the backwards bike is very interesting and demonstrated so clearly that although we or our students may have the knowledge that doesn't mean they have real understanding. He knew how to ride a bike, but it didn't mean he could ride it. Although this question I think was really posed around changing our own mindsets and considering our leadership role when working with others. It also made me think about the learning that goes on in a class, particularly when preparing for NCEA examinations. I often wonder how many students have really got a clear and real 'understanding' of what they are learning about, that is a deep learning experience or what percentage of students have knowledge but no real understanding but they pass the test or exam by just regurgitating the knowledge that the teacher have instilled into them.
I know things are changing in education and we are now entering a time where we are encouraged to offer a learning environment that allows for deeper understanding to take place within the students learning, but my question is how, when or will the examination constraints that teachers are faced with change in order to allow this to happen in the more senior levels of a students schooling.
Knowledge if not understanding!
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