February 9, 2008

Back for 2008

Well I have rather a lot on my plate this semester. I am completing another unit for my Graduate Diploma of Education (Charles Sturt University) called Literacies for Learning. I am also doing my second practicum, hopefully at Belmore Boys School, from the 28th April to the 19th May (Term 2). Lastly I am working on the Harvard Online Education Course - Teaching for Understanding

I began today sorting all the paperwork from the Harvard course, it is really well done. All the syllabus material including calendars, timetables, glossaries, unit guides etc are available online so I have saved all these for reference later. I am working with two colleagues at my school, both in the HSIE/Social Sciences area and I began our work together by posting our first message to the forum that we are to use to communicate with our coach and others doing the course. The textbooks is constructed in such a way that you can ready it in any order. The chapter headings are:
  1. Understanding Understanding
  2. The Teaching for Understanding Framework
  3. Generative Topics
  4. Understanding Goals
  5. Performances of Understanding
  6. Ongoing Assessment
  7. Tips and Tools for Planning and Teaching
  8. Teaching for Understanding and other teaching practices
I think it will be a worthwhile course. It is covered over 12 weeks with two week cycles and 6 units of study with 4 pieces of assessment in each one. You are required to read the question, discuss with your group, post your answers, discuss with the coach and other students and provide feedback to others.

Today I read Chapters 2 - 5 and am getting an understanding of some of the key terminology such as through lines - major themes - and overarching goals - unit goals. I thought it would be useful to post some of my ideas to the 1st chapter that, like all the chapters, has a list of Reflection questions at the end of it.

How do you know that you understand something?
I can successfully use the knowledge to apply to different situations at different times.
I can explain/relate my understanding to other people

What helps you develop that understanding?
Practice
Application to real life situations
Discussion with others
Experimentation
Learning from demonstration/explanation by others

All for now, have to read some more - then see about the first assignment that we have to complete by Tuesday.

Oh...and also get ready for the Iron Maiden BBQ we are having at our house today...in the rain!

1 comment:

Mary said...

Understanding understanding LOL - I get it and it made me really think about what I learned today and do I understand it. Must do more study :-)