Educating the Dragon

Is this the Scottish version of AfL or AToL ? – at least they’ve decided on the a name! http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/assess/aiflschool/index.asp

This is well worth having a go, 140 character book review

Go to Dangerously Irrelevent post here , and leave your comment.

Kevin Gamble wrote this and in response I’d just like to say that there are so many people who I have met and in some cases got to know through my blogging endeavours. And that is always worth it!

Add to fact that the whole ‘global audience, reflective practise’ thing is going on, it does enable a shift in ones perspective.

Mixed feelings this morning.

The session that was planned was entitled IWB2, it’s all about embedding Interactive Whiteboard practice into everyday teaching, focusing on the idea of supporting the Integrated Unit. This session follows on from, you guessed it, IWB1 which normally occurs a term before.

I began this session, as I begin every IWB2 session, with the words “I have about 32 pages here and a pile of tasks to do today, but I’d prefer for us to not complete all that and have you walk out at the end having your questions and issues resolved. “ – Or something like that.

Normally what happens is that as I move through the presentation I am heckled with question about: “How do you….?” Or “When I try to…it just….”

Today’s session however looked very different as I barely touch on the Integrated Unit concept when time was up. I’m not sorry that it went that way as the time was filled totally with answering queries and addressing issues on this or that. Even as I am educating the educators I have to be fully flexible to personalize the learning. At the end of the session I sensed staff were enthused once more toward incorporating the IWB into their classroom practice. And that, I feel is the greater goal than ticking the box saying “I delivered the IWB2 workshop today.”

Classroom practice has to be the same too. Addressing the needs of the students, ensuring they leave the classroom having learnt something today.

“ It is no longer adequate for the teacher to merely have taught something today… The learner needs to have learnt something”

The drive back along the Gisborne/ Napier road was long and slow. A little over 3.5 hours, it appears the logging trucks come out at dusk!

I wonder what colour the sky is on that planet?