ICT & Teaching Practice

So part of my new teaching journey involves putting together a portfolio of my teaching practise, and the sheer fact that I have to use ICT to put it together I feel needs a mention. Not only does the use ICT mean that the portfolio is easy to navigate through and clear to understand but the whole of my teaching practise is underpinned through using ICT. In fact I think it is key to mention at this point, that this blog shall be transferred to my tutor using an online admission tool known as turnitin, which I am also currently using to grade some of my own students work on.

 

 

The whole system is a plagiarism checker, (which is another modern day phenomena, as it is so easy to copy and paste from one web page to another) but also a good teaching tool. This system allows draft copies of assignments to be uploaded and feedback to be given electronically. This enables real time marking for the teacher and faster turn around on receiving feedback which may improve the paper for the students. The system is simple in many aspects, for example it is a simple data base which cross references every word which has been submitted by the student to check for any similarities with  anything which is online. This system also enables the deadlines of assignments to be closed after a certain time, so any late entries are easy to point out.

 

A lot of the lessons plans which will be within the portfolio I am currently complying will evidence the use of PowerPoint, this application has become my greatest companion, and the clever use of ICT within the University means during my lectures I have access  to TWO monitors, The primary monitor enables me to see notes which I have made upon the topic I am lecturing on, while the other shows only the presentation mode of the PowerPoint slides. I must admit I love this facility and it has made my first few weeks of teaching so much easier. I have even done a few Quiz type sessions in the lecture theatre with the PowerPoint showing the questions and then when I hit enter the answer pops up on the big screen. The students all of which fed back they enjoyed.

 

I am also able to then transfer the original lecture into a blended learning program for the students who are doing the single honours distance learning course. The likes of which would not be available without the use of ICT. I am also able to translate the seminar classes I am taking which are rather experiential over to the blended learning. The simple use of voice recording over the PowerPoint and time delays on the slide show enable me as the educator to provide reflective exercises which can be done anywhere, anytime.

 

One of the  modules I am teaching on have a first assignment due in a few days and they must use ICT to provide a portfolio of research they have under taken. The whole module is regarding employability skills and so it is paramount that the students are able to use ICT effectively for a good chance of being employed after they graduate. It is clear to see how the use of ICT is not just about education, but also the key skills which are needed now just to get by in life.  I found some very interesting research which had been performed regarding ICT and employability as I was interested in making my students aware of the use of doing well in the module wasn't just about getting through the degree but actually more to do with key skills.  The research which has a link to it above had many findings but one I felt was more relevant was that users which were attending their workshops on "how to use ICT" were there for vocational rather than social or recreational reasons. I was sure to point my students in the same direction.

 

The university that I am based within doesn't have online registration or record keeping procedures which use  ICT at the ground level. The paper system is still used. But I am sure this will all be changed as soon as they move to the new campus (in a few years) as most institutes now do most record keeping using ICT.  The last point I would like to make within this post is that I am able to offer students online tutorials within a time frame that suits then. Logging on to an online forum, such as Todays Meet, or even using the system they have on their own VLE (moodule) make it easy to touch base with everyone both on the full time or blended learning course, this makes the teaching experience very technological but very enjoyable.  

 

References

Goodison, T ., Green, A., Owen, D., & Rooney, S. (2004). ICT and Employability. Available: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/publications/2004/goodison_et_al_2004_rr534.pdf. Last accessed 01/12/2014 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 5 minute lesson plan

 So being in H E is tough as far as lesson planning goes, the lecture is a straight forward chalk and talk really so easy to plan for but doesn't really show depth of teaching strategy or application of teaching knowledge.  I am roughly spending about an hour per plan and that's time consuming as taking 9 hours of teaching on just my second week. So I found some very useful tools which I could use to speed my lesson planning up. The 5 minute lesson plan is perfect for me, As I have to spend a lot of time brushing up on my knowledge. Those undergrads take no prisoners.  The 5 Minute lesson planis now a daily feature in daily work.

I also found a quick guide to lesson planning which I have now posted on to my office wall until it becomes like second nature to think of my lesson aims and objectives. What I found more useful here was the evaluation section, we all hear the buzz word "reflective" and I am trying to evaluate each of my lessons at the moment as a tool to enhance my teaching so this will only make that "reflective" practise easier for me.

Another useful tool I found in my research for quick lesson planning was a glossary of teaching strategies, this is perfect for seminar preparation when I am trying to think of ways to make learning experiential rather than just the normal boring look at a journal and discuss seminar work that I was victim too. All in All a few hours research has saved me hours of planning and thinking in the future.



 

Blended Learning becomes Real

So here I am scratching my head thinking how do I do a flipped class room lesson?

I have a cunning plan a little voice in my head says and off we go. You tube is first point of call for my cunning plan, I don't want to pester my mentor and feel I can work this out if I just dedicate a few hours to it. I have already at this point researched the topic I am covering so I know that's ready to go at least. I found a very useful little clip which enabled me to learn how to put audio on a power point with timings so the slides move as and when I want them too. It is at this point PANIC sets in. I haven't done a power point yet..... In my haste I overlooked the one thing I needed most. All I can do now is smile and start work on the power point presentation.

Qualitative research SMALL AUDIO pp from Sarah Rees

The power point was ready just a few hours later and hopefully you can see it here!  now I haven't worked out yet how to blog a Power Point with audio but I am sure I will no doubt work it. Anyway back to my story so after watching the You tube clip and finally completing my presentation I record my audio, It goes well and I am happy with it, but I can't get the darn thing to play back, nothing, not a word, so I record it again and then again and still nothing, panic and frustration set in. I walk away from the computer, stand back to take a deep breath, think, think, think, means I can't think.... eventually I check it is not on mute...bet you can't GUESS the issue... It was on MUTE... while I was happy and pleased, I felt so dumb, technology and me just don't seem to mix but I did learn a new skill and was super pleased sending the finished presentation to my mentor for uploading to the VLE.
It did make me think though about the pro's and cons of a blended learning program and I can across a good web page reagrding the Pro's and Cons of Blended learning.

 My own experience was overall a great one when I used a system designed by the Open University, but I can see how easy it would be for students to fall behind when registered upon a self-directed learning course. One of the benefits of seeing your students is that you remind them, encourage them and offer extra support, but when everything is done via email I think it may not have the same impact. Another issue would be how do you keep the students motivated if they are self-directed? It is a tough one for an educator to balance out but I am sure those are skills I will no doubt learn soon enough. The main pro for blended learning which makes me a great advocate for it is that Increases accessibility, which no doubt means individuals who may never get access to education surely have a better chance now.

References
Bright, S. (2014). Pros and Cons of Blended Learning. Available:http://www.digitalchalk.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-blended-learning . Last accessed 17/11/2014

Barriers to the effective use of technology in education.

Education was changing when I was in compulsory education just a few decades (cough, cough) ago. We had the choice between typing class or computer class, I opted for the later much to all my class mates amusement. Comments such as "we will never use it in work" "What's the point of it?" and "it will never take off" still make me laugh, and most of them were from staff. The computer or I T  teacher was not very clued up either if I am being honest.

Modern day education is technology driven and vice versa, but do the barriers that existed when I was a child still persist?  Going back into education after a long gap did provide me with an ability to contrast the old view of technology in education and the new view.

It is clear to see that while the number of computers in the classrooms increase that there is now  tremendous support for technology integration within academia, a major discrepancy exists between the level of technology which is expected of educators to be used  and the actual use and integration of technology in the classroom Semary,(2011)

I must admit through my own experiences of teaching in higher education it has been very difficult for me as an educator to involve technology. The students know they are READING for a degree, now if that reading takes place on a mobile device through the use of pdf's or online journals great, but as an educator I cant really incorporate technology in to my lessons. How can a lecture be made more interactive? Ramey, (2013) discusses one of the barriers as being lack of innovation and I agree, I feel clueless as how to integrate technology into my teaching.  Using technological tools requires a certain degree of creativity and I don't feel I am creative enough, I have basic understanding of most applications. The issue with technology is that is fast moving and changes hourly sometimes, through updates and newer versions, it is easy to see how those who are not so technology savvy can easily shy away from using technology in the classroom.

Now don't get me wrong I am all for technology in classrooms, I can see how my children are far more advanced than me when it comes to anything technological, but it must be said their are a lot of educators out there who lack the ability to use technology in education. As I have said it takes creativity to  integrate technology into the curriculum and there does seem to a resistance to change attitude from old school educators, Kappan, (2009).

 The issue of access to technological tools is a great barrier for many educational establishments. The cost of installing and maintaining smart boards and projectors in each class is a real concern, the black bored would have one cost and not much upkeep, but in comparison the technology is updated constantly, and when damaged or broken can be very costly. Take for example the cost of being connected to internet servers and running a virtual learning environment, it is expensive and requires constant up keep. Schools and colleges have tight budgets and this must be factored in when considering the  pro's and con's of technology in education. Many generations have been taught without the use of modern technology and this has been successful.

The list of barriers to the effective use of technology in education goes on and on, but I have given you a flavour of the ones I think are the toughest to face, without capital the technology cant be installed or utilized, without educators being willing to adapt and change their practises, and without educators being able to think outside of the box and be creative in the use of technology  for education, this debate will keep going round and round. I will be looking at my own barriers closely from now on, and use reflective practise to ensure I am giving my students the best chance possible to have technology integrated into their education.


References.

Kappan, P. (2009). What Can We Do About. Available: http://www.updc.org/assets/files/professional_development/umta/blue-guild/Coaching%20-%20Teacher%20Resistance.pdf. Last accessed 20/11/2014.


Ramey K. (2013 ). Barriers To The Effective Use of Technology In Education. Available: http://www.useoftechnology.com/barriers-effective-technology-education/. Last accessed 20/11/2014

Semary, H. (2011 ). Barriers to the effective use of technology in education: Case study of UAE University. Available: http://library.iated.org/view/ELSEMARY2011BAR. Last accessed 20/11/2014

How technology has changed the way we learn

Michael Gove the Education Secretary gave a speech recently about how technology is changing the way we learn, the speech started with a reflection of how technology has changed the world in general and Grove stated "“Most of us carry more advanced technology in the smartphone in our pocket than Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin used to reach the Moon" but he also went on to reflect how much technology has moved the world forward but how the education system has not really changed since the Victorian aged, He even went further to note that a Victorian teacher could probably work just fine in a modern classroom (Gov.uk, 2012).
Now Gove's speech was a few years back but I agree with most of what he said. The technology we use today in all walks of life is so advanced that we do not understand how they work. We have a generation below us who are more likely to learn differently from previous generations and therefore will need teaching in a completely new way. Education has to catch up to society or educators may has well be from the Victorian age for the use they will be to learners.

So what's the answer to the question of how technology has changed the way we learn? Lets go on a journey and find out shall we? I recently gave a lecture on Trans Humanism and how we are through the use of technology able to become more than human. Surely this is already the case for most of the western world and with more and more children being brought up in a technological society it means we must learn fast how to adapt so we don't get left behind. It wasn't so long ago that children learnt through face to face interaction, story books, play, and handwriting exercises. But in 2014 most of those methods are outdated, the use of mobile technology in schools has changed how the lessons are structured, the interactivity of  student and teacher are no longer paramount to learning as the students can be much more self directed with the use of technology.

Prof. Yoram Eshet, (2014) notes that research is currently showing that children already have a high dependence upon technology and computers,  and is currently at the forefront  of many studies on all facets of learning and technologies. One of the most important changes that as evolved from technology is the  shift from passive to active learning or from a teacher-centered to a student-centered approach. This a huge advantage for a student like me who has a learning difficulty, as it puts them in control of their own learning. I came across a great blog,  SHIFT's eLearning Blog written on the topic of technology and learning, the author gutierrez (2014) states "Technology, then, becomes a tool for active learning. Through it, learners are able to research, communicate and solve problems" and I tend to agree, however it must be noted that not everything about  the use of technology  in education is positive. There have been many ways in which we have made changes to the way we has a species learn. Technology can be used as crutch, spelling is no longer something we learn as everything is autocorrected and spell checked.

  Harven (2013) even goes further and states "This may be a larger issue of technology on our memory and brain-strength, but if we are using the Internet in schools, then kids are being taught to use Google to answer all their questions and to essentially, copy and paste their knowledge.  Education needs to figure out how to use technology in a way that does not replace knowledge, but reinforces it." so how do we do this as educators and get a good balance? The way I see it is that education and technology are both tools to improve society and as educators I feel the two should work hand in hand.  In agreement is Gillis (2014) who addresses the fact that technology is a tool and tools work best when used for the purpose they were designed for. Much of technology used in classrooms today is in it's infancy and the efficacy of those tools wont really be known until a generation has passed.

 One thing is for certain that technology has changed the way we learn and the way we teach. Teaching is now an exciting profession to be entering as who knows what the future of learning holds.

 
 References

Gillis, S. (2014). Finding a balance between technology and teaching. Available: http://www.classroomtechnologyhelp.com/finding-a-balance-between-technology-and-teaching-style-in-your-classroom/. Last accessed 13/11/2014


Gove,M . (2013). Michael Gove speech at the BETT Show 2012. Available: Michael Gove speech at the BETT Show 2012. Last accessed 10/11/2014

Gutierrez,M. (2013). How technology has changed us. Available:http://info.shiftelearning.com/blog/author/karla-gutierrez . Last accessed 11/11/2014

Harven, M . (2013 ). Top 5 problems with Technology. Available: http://edtechtimes.com/2013/11/06/top-5-problems-technology-education-today/. Last accessed 09/11/2014.

Review of Learning with E's Blogging!

I spent a good few nights sat at my desk in the dark with just the only light coming from my screen to illuminate my face, looking for a good blog which I felt would be useful to me in my teaching  endeavour. There were so many to plough through (almost like a needle in a haystack), lots of  good pictures, catchy titles and great information but nothing really got me locked in. Until one night just by chance I stumble into this page  I am hooked. He uses all the right buzz words for me and my brain.

Steve Wheeler  states "I'm working through the alphabet of psychologists and theorists, providing a brief overview of each theory, and how it can be applied in education" and this fits perfectly with my outlook on teaching, I love theory and so need to read more on it but just don't have time, now I can read one post a day and all will be revealed.

The blog is set up in such a easy to use way and even has the options to change the design and layout which I think make it so interactive and for my dyslexic issues it makes it easy to read (as I can change the options which suit me best). He looks at how effective are the P L E 's and has posts regarding  the future of technology in education which can be seen here. Every post I come across I find I am super involved and just wish to know more for example what is digital learning.  The blog not only will be useful to enhance and assist my own teaching skills, but I feel the blog has such amazing insights and information it would be useful for almost anyone. I am very excited to have found his blog and that either makes me need to get out more or fully committed to my new role as an educator in the 21st century. Maybe I should let u decide?

Micro teaching: Change Blindness.

Microteaching 1.1.3 from Sarah Rees

Slideshare is a fantastic application for sharing resources, and gaining information.
First before I could write about my lesson I needed to work out how to get my power point slides upon my blog. I found this website which enables you to upload your power point. It was easy to use and upload but I had an issue trying to work out how to get the power point to show upon my blog rather than just the embedded code. Slide share is a fantastic tool but it does have it's draw backs, once you have uploaded your power point you have let go of your intellectual rights on it. This means anyone can access and use your work in future, now I am not big headed enough to think I am so clever I don't want to share unless for a benefit, but it does mean your work is no longer your own and that I may disagree with.  I  have  posted the webpage I found which taught me how to upload my power point. I think this may be useful to myself and others in teaching.

Now onto my lesson.

I have a passion and love for Psychology. I decided my lesson plan would be based around trying to teach others why psychology is important. The phenomena of change blindness is fascinating and I knew it would engage my class fully. I have posted a quick you tube clip of this below.

I found this website very useful as a starting basis for my research.
 It is important for research to be performed upon such an area so to enhance the understanding of where it may have practical implications.  It would have great importance in the class or lecture room, especially for trainees who are trying to take in a lot of new information at the same time.

My lesson went well, I was nervous and felt I spoke very fast to start with, but I soon fell into a good place when I trusted I knew my subject and that others would enjoy my lesson. I had planned the lesson and had a range activities for everyone to engage with. After an explanation of what psychologists do we did some experiments. I think everyone enjoyed, I know I did.

I feel all grown up!!!

The worry and stress of the last week has been overwhelming. It seems I didn't have a placement for me to teach on and observation week was to commence. I was left feeling lost and confused about what to do next. The response of my classmates was one thing I didn't bargain for, I was overwhelmed at their kind words for me and their support. After a weekend of worry a place was found for me within the university upon the degree which I have just graduated from. It is like a dream come true. I was able to meet with my mentor who was my favourite tutor in the degree and I being given the opportunity to have a huge input in to the course content. I have been out this week having an observation week and it has been breath taking. Walking into a lecture hall as a student was exciting but walking into the same hall as a trainee lecturer took my breath away. The room looks so much smaller now than it did before but I think that may just be my perception.
 

I will be doing blended learning course which is so exciting. I shall be given an opportunity to learn many different types of teaching techniques all of which will require the use of technology. I really feel so lucky and blessed to have been given such a unique opportunity that just a few weeks ago would have been unobtainable for me. Blended learning Is the Future.

I have found some interesting websites regarding blended learning and distance learning and will add anything I find in the future. So my blended learning journey starts here.

The value of mobile technology in teaching and learning

It is difficult to find a corner of the western world which hasn't gone mobile in terms of technology. We have a generation which carries around their computer, access to the web, cameras and means of communication all in one device in their pockets.  So it can been seen why it would be of special interest to educators to find a means of  exploiting this mobile technology for use in learning.

Going back a few years to when I was in education the thought of mobile technology was so foreign. The personal computers (pc) we had just back in the last decade were desk tops and had black and green screens.
  

Jump forward to the modern day and well it is a stark contrast.

 

If it is easy to see the impact of mobile technology on the way we live as a species then it seems obvious to see the value of mobile technology in the way we teach and thus learn.

Bright (2014) suggests that a more blended approach to the way we teach is more likely to cater to everyone. Now I am in agreement with Bright due to the fact I myself am teaching upon a blended learning program which involves some face to face teaching but mainly the use of technology for teaching where ever the students wishes to learn. One of the benefits of using mobile technology to teach is that of ease of access, mostly everyone now has access to 24/7 up to date knowledge at the touch of a button. So everyone is constantly tapped into some form of information base most of the time. This can be utilised and as Nasmith (2014) suggests whether they are welcome in the classroom right now or not, mobile devices are finding their way into classrooms in children’s pockets, thus it wold be good educational practise to find a way to incorporate these technologies. The infrastructure of education needs to change to adapt to the demands of the learners.

It is clear to see one of the main values of mobile technology for learners is the "anytime, anywhere" capability that mobile devices encourage. The learning gets taken out of the teacher led classroom environment and thus becomes student lead. This may however present a significant challenge to conventional teaching practises.

Weldon (2013) looked at two distinct studies which found that mobile technology did indeed make a difference in learning and teaching. Some of the findings of the study suggested that students had greater access to learning resources and their use of the devices for education purposes exceeded the researcher's expectations. Teachers increased their communication with students and

 Students changed their learning behaviour. It is clear to see with these results that there is great value to mobile technology and learning, but me being the critical thinker I am I looked further, this study was funded by sponsored by Kajeet, a wireless service provider that focuses on educational technology, so what did they expect for their money? We have to be careful when we are putting education behind money and not the other way around.

One way to make certain of the value of technology in teaching and learning will be to work in collaboration with learners, educators and content creators to ensure all technology is accessible and relevant to users. Usability should account for those who will be using the mobile devices for teaching in relation to those who will be using it for learning. If all bases are covered then the value will doubled for all users.

We all know the key to transforming societies is in education but is the way to change education now through mobile technology?  Each new generation changes the direction in which society develops and it should be of no surprise that young people want to employ mobile devices to make education more engaging and personalize it for their particular needs (West ,2013). It can be said that Technology-rich activities can sustain high levels of student engagement and peer collaboration compared to less technology focused activities. I can even see this at play in my own home with my own children, they grunt at each other most of the time but use applications to chat and collaborate ways to get money out me constantly. I think the key now is educating the educators to be open and accepting of the vast value mobile technology now has in the realm of teaching and learning so the new generation have a opportunity to change the direction of western society for the better. 

  








References


Bright,S. (2014). Pros and Cons of Blended Learning. Available: http://www.digitalchalk.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-blended-learning. Last accessed 15/11/2014


Nasmith, L . (2004). Mobile Technologies and Learning. Available: http://www2.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/lit_reviews/Mobile_Review.pdf. Last accessed 15/11/2014.

Weldon, D. (2013). Recent studies confirm value of mobile technology, tablets in classroom. Available: http://www.fiercemobileit.com/story/recent-studies-confirm-value-mobile-technology-tablets-classroom/2013-12-05. Last accessed 15/11/2014

 West, D . (2013). Mobile Learning: Transforming Education, Engaging Students, and Improving Outcomes. Available: http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2013/09/17-mobile-learning-education-engaging-students-west. Last accessed 15/11/2014.

bubble.us

Today we worked with an application known as Bubbl.us. I must be honest I couldn't see it being used much within the area I am teaching within apart from my own personal use. It would be useful as a tool to plan a series of lessons with the overall objectives clear to see.  I have also looked into why others would use brainstorming.

  I also have a program upon my laptop mind maps which is a tool directly linked to my dyslexia. I have not used this program but will be trying to work my way around it in future.
This application can be used for reflective practise within the field of teaching. An idea can be developed from one single word or theme.

I think this application would be an effective tool to use in lesson or scheme of work planning and I am going to develop one upon a  10 week scheme of work I am currently working on.

Once I started playing around with the application though I started to see uses for it within my subject field. In counselling theory classes it can be used to develop a students understanding regarding a subject or concept which has been taught. I did this as an example and used the Snippet Tool to place into my Blog

  This is a useful source for anyone who is a visual and kinaesthetic  learner.  I myself find I prefer to do rather than read, using colour also engages part of my brain which reinforces the learning.
I also found that when I tried to use Bubble.us again I had forgotten a little so found this little tutorial on YouTube which helped.

Q R

This was a lesson on Q R Codes, I found them very easy to create but a little more difficult to embed into a blog and poster. I was interested that the fact that they are quick response codes as they are very quick to scan and create a link to a wealth of information at the touch of a button. In regards to using this tool in teaching I found a good few links

power point of interactivity of power point

So we were asked to do some group work and put together a PowerPoint which showed the interactivity of PowerPoint. We were then asked to blog and embed our PowerPoint within a blog post. While the group work went very well and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know members of my cohort better, I did notice my presentation skills needed a lot of work. I found it easy to put the power point presentation together and enjoyed researching the interactivity of power point. I feel this will be very valuable to my teaching experience as I am able to make my subject interesting and enjoyable for all. I found embedding the PowerPoint into my blog a little more tricky but as I am part of a friendly and helpful group I was able to ask for help. I was shown by another member of the group how to get an embedded code via using Goggle docs.

The use of microsoft applications.

I have used many microsoft applications over my life long love with technology. I dont think I could cope with the daily struggle of life without the use of the microsoft applications.

 

 

 

 

I have used many applications such as Microsoft Word and it has many internal tools and features, such as spell check and  synonyms. As a dyslexic student I am so grateful for certain tools such as the ability to change fonts and text size as my brain does not like a white background with certain fonts. Thus these features have become invaluable to me and I feel will aid and assisit me so much in my teaching role. It also has utensils such as bold, underlining and highlightening text which again is a such a great tool for teaching as it can direct the eye of the student almost instantly. Lets not forget the amazing applications such a reference builder, biblography and table of contents all of which make learning a great deal easier.

 

I do not have experience at working with excel and the application doesn't feel user to me,  the interface between user and program I feel has been overlooked and therefore i avoid this at all cost. This would be a learning opportunity for me for my CPD to start to using the program and develop my skills further.

 

I love using windows 7 and find it very user friendly, I am not a huge fan of XP or windows 8 and once again this can be used as an opportunity for growth. Not all educational establishments will use the programs I am most comfortable with so I must make sure I am able to adapt to new situations and forms of technology or applications  which i may find myself teaching in so it would not make an impact upon the efficacy of the lesson.

 

 

Power point is another amazing application from microsoft and it can be used in all sorts of settings such as business, education, recreationally. Powerpoint has many applications which can aid in teaching. It enables a educator to have a lesson planned and use the power point as a template for the lessson to run from. The power point can have embeded videos and images which enhance the learner outcomes and the teaching experience. Powerpoint has the capacity to enage the visual learner and it can become interactive.

 

Is this for me?

Ok so after two weeks of the PECT course I feel very anxious and nervous about my life choices. I am apprehensive if this is the right path for me or have I made a big mistake? The overwhelming feeling of failure (as I have learnt today is a barrier to learning) has got me into a state where I want to turn and run and never look back. After speaking to a few of my friends who have become educators it seems apparent that a feeling of not knowing what you are doing is normal when you first start but it doesn't make it any easier for me right now.

I keep thinking if I didn't care if I was going to be successful within the role or if it didn't matter to me that students do well then that would be a strong indictor that this wasn't for me. But given the facts that I do worry and care, surely shows that I would be suited to this field of work. This complicates things further. I am in panic that my micro teaching will be a blur and no one will have learnt anything at all and that I will feel pure anxiety about my abilities even though I know I am a great planner and will have the session planned methodically. So I decided  to investigate how other trainee educator's have felt to see if I can recognise any of the insecurities that lie within myself.
I found a very useful forum which enables you to have contact with others who are in the same situation and it has a live q & a facility which I found to be very helpful.  There is a  site which has links to the blogs of other trainee educators to. I will keep this thread running for my own purposes and use it as a tool for reflection to hopefully enhance my own experience which in turn may one day be used to inspire others. For now I am happy to research the internal way I feel and the external world in which I now find myself, which is all new and strange.
I also found this Ted talk which made me feel so much better !

Back the furture in my home !!!!

Well where do I start, what technology do I have in my home? the hoover, the iron, the window, the bed, they are all forms of technology even the front door. But in regards to the more advanced current up to date forms we have them all, (well it feels like anyway) we have an Ison, a 12 year old boy who is constantly plugged into some form of an apple product, and we have a array of smart devices which communicate with each other. The smart TV can do everything our PC can and when hooked up to games consoles is even more accessible than any blue ray player or DVD (We haven't used DVD in our house for about 3 years). We have all the mobile technology you could ask for (who wants to talk to the people you are sitting next too anyway?) and every room is linked to the internet in some shape or form. When I was a teenager I would watch movies about the future and the promise of all the great things that would come and I agree the social world has changed a lot and that can clearly be seen in the home but I still await flying self drive cars and the hoover board.



My son is not happy unless he is surrounded like this!

Does Technology do as it promised?

I love this ted talk as it really makes me think about what I expected from technology and has it given me all it has promised. As a youngster who was sci fi mad. I would watch star trek and dream of a future where mobile technology would connect us to anyone in the universe at a simple click, and while it hasn't been invented for the universe as of yet, I am happy with the phone I carry in my pocket. My smart phone which has more power than NASA  did when they landed humans on the moon that is.

 

The ted talk is informative and the speaker presents so well, he is charismatic and I found it very easy to engage with the talk, I will b using some of those technics in my lectures in future for sure.

Speechless!

First Post! 16/09/2014

Well what do i say? A first for me to be speechless but here i am thinking of what to say! Never thought i would be a blogger but never really had the need to blog either so now i am blogging i think i may just enjoy it. I love to share ideas and thoughts at any opportunity and with such a huge amount of resources out there it may be worthwhile having them all in one easy place.  It is a little overwhelming to be sat here on a teaching course after just taking a few classes about 6 years ago, each level i have always said this would be my last but i have a funny feeling i am far from done yet.

 

Never thought this was possible for me after being out of education for over a decade, but i did it and must admit it i loved every moment and made some true friends forever which I never even considered. 

My love for  psychology has taken on a whole new meaning from a hobby and it still makes me laugh everytime i say my degree subject the responses differ from "so your are reading my mind now" or "bet you think i am weird huh"