My will to bring to kansalaisopisto more...

Lately I have been thinking to use Skype to practice Italian with my intermediate group of students.
I found 3 hours ago through Pinterest this address https://education.skype.com/projects  and I contacted one Italian teacher in Honduras University. I hope we can arrange a lesson when the students can break the ice and introducing themselves in Italian. In fact the Italian will be the only language that they are going to use. It will be a big step for them in order to win the shyness. I have been thinking also to (re)motivate myself using more technology in my job. I think in kansalaisopisto the language learning is still too much in old fashion way. We have talented and devoted teachers. They are smart, they master their subjects (like languages) but they are not using enough other learning methods than book and games. In my opinion, to use platform as skype as a learning resource is one  of the most useful way to learn a language, a culture and built a net.
I have heard comments from my colleagues like this "The students in kansalaisopisto are there just for the company and fun not for real learning, especially languages. They want to learn how to order a beer or buy a postcards". Maybe for most of them this is true. But I know that there are others (maybe a minority) that they want to learn more than that. I know that I need to give them always something new and different. I can propose them stories, games, videos and much more learning exercises. However - to be a teacher means for me to give my students the best opportunities at the moment available. Why? because they deserve that. They choose to take part to my course and I want to give them the best service that they can have it. This includes all learning methods and resources that can be used to improve their language skills and build their self confident to use the language.
I think that - as a kansalaisopisto teacher -I should honor my students just for fact that they choose me as their facilitator. That´s the reason why I want to give them the best service as possible, 360 degrees way of learning Italian language, culture,food, people.Using all the material out there, having always in mind 2 things:
1) what is the best for their learning
2) having fun during the learning
Amen.  

My blended course starts next week: thoughts

Here we go again. Next week, little by little, all the courses will start. And with them challenging. I am full of enthusiasm and I am ready to begin. The real new adventure will be this on line Italian course: we will use "AnyMeeting" as platform. I don´t know the program but it´s cheaper than Adobe Connect. I though that I could use Google hangouts (as my colleague suggested) but I have at the moment over 16 students so it´s not the best solution.I spoke a lot in this blog about the e-learning and the advantages that e-learning can give to the students. However me and the principal we decided don´t take away the social part of the learning.The students will be in the same room and once in a month I am going to visit them. I will then understand the deeply meaning of evaluation: how to evaluate myself at first and how to evaluate the learning. It will be interesting.
I will try to use all the tools what I learnt from my path in OAMK but I am also looking forward the feedback from the students at the end and during the course.
How evaluation in e-learning can be done? by evaluation I don´t mean numbers, but I mean "how can I know that students are learning". And also: using the computer is going to be (for some of them) distracting from learning the language? with Adobe Connect at the beginning I had the feeling that I was learning something new and not related strictly with my field of work (education). At the end I realized that I can use the IT competences also in my classes. Not only books, teachers material form teacher guide.  I started to use programs as Prezi and Popplet also during my classes. Why not try on line course?
My work situation is changing so I have to change according with it. This is only the first step.

this picture is from:
http://virtualschooling.wordpress.com/2010/02/21/webinar-recording-blended-learning-make-it-work-for-your-district/

My teaching training: a semi serial reflection on the experience

My teaching training in Diaconia went very fast: one month, twice a week teaching Orientation English to Social Worker students. Total teaching hours: 20.
The group was very nice: talented, polite, ready for working in group and to use their English in all the situation that we faced during our path. It was indeed heterogeneous group: some of them just graduated from high school, some of them didn´t finish it. Some of them (even belong to religious group that doesn´t have easy access to TV or internet) could speak English rather well, others they had difficulties to follow what I was saying...It was a challenge. I took it 100 %. 

The tutor was huge help: for the first time since I started my teaching carrier I have got advises on how to improve my teaching...and it felt so good!
The tutor role is not simple and it requires a huge dose of patience and open mind: give to the teacher student an entire course is not easy especially if the student teacher doesn´t have so much experience.
My tutor was one of the special one: we could cooperate withouth problem and he gave me time after each lesson, giving me a feedback. 

The Orientation English is a mandatory course for those students that are studying to become Social workers and also work for the Parish.
My lessons were focused in theme such as: Finnish Welfare System, Family life, Adoption and Foreigner clients. We went through also practical things : dealing at the phone with no Finnish speaker, be able to make a conversation with the client in order to help him/her to face the difficulties in life. I found the group ready to face different situation and I provide my self the material based on the themes from the book and instruction given by the tutor. 

In 20 hours wasn´t possible to cover all the book themes so part of the studies, the students did on their own time. I decide to approach in really practical way: problem solving, role activities, support of technologies for the theoretical part  I also promote quite much the collaborative learning: working in a group and as a group it´s a basic thing for a social worker and the best way for learning. I was also careful about the timing and give enough time for the discussion where it seemed to involve students 100 % but in the meanwhile had always ready extra activities in case that discussion wouldn´t start. 

I tried to cover all the learning styles: I used platform like Prezi and Popplet to support the visualist and the kinestetic learners. My tutor said that my strenghts are my social skills: how immediately I made the contact with the students and build their trust. My weakness? my English pronunciation.......I would like also improve the area of assessment and the observation of the group. I felt (even though I observed them for 30 hours) that I would need to observe other thing in order to get my core plan ready...well I guess I have to trust my memory. Lucky for me I eat fish twice a week ;) 

The difficult part for me was to evaluate their final test and give them a fair assessment: my tutor mentioned couple times that we were working in a University so the level of their English has to be proper for the studies curriculum. For the test please  look here: Test for Social Workers

The experience itself was great and exhausting and that´s why I wasn´t able to write anything until now. I need to breathe especially when at the evening I had long trips to go to work, a 3 years old to take care and housework to do it. A huge help came from my parents that spent 2 months in here without knowing English or Finnish, in the dark and cold December and January....to help me enjoying fully this experience. I would never thank them enough. 

the blog for the students

Nowadays my work and my training doesn´t let me so much time to write to every single emails that my students write me when they  miss the class. So here I am, providingfor them a new blog. The philosophy behind this blog is very simple. They can gather information about the classes, homeworks and also links and facts about Italy and Italian Culture.
Here is the link: http://studiamoinsiemeitaliano.blogspot.fi

Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL)’ and the use of Virtual Learning Environments suggest that learning at the vocational education level can take place completely on-line

The evidences supported by the planet Earth in the EduSci presentation on 12.12.12  (you can find them here https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1qUIXxB2VMAaFUnljLQ-J3WthN9YTgehO25U4lnCsTTc/edit#slide=id.p) about CSCL and Virtual Learning suggests that actually the learning can take place completely online. We have to be careful on the word "completely": Can we really teach some disciplines completely online? Yes we can. But we will need also some practice. That´s why we have a training period, which helps us to apply the theories.

Social aspects of learning online: and here we have to consider the meaning of two different words: cooperation and collaboration. Cooperation is when individuals are developing a single sub task and then put together the work. So as partners they don´t learn how to negotiate for instance. Collaborative learning in CSCL means that in order to design technology and build knowledge we learn how to negotiate, share things, sources and we synchronize the activities. 

Technology is different than online experience. Even using a pen is a form of technology. Nowadays there is no job without technologies. I see the good side on internet technologies: the use of Skype lets the students for instance work with students on the other side of the world. We also have to consider the global rising of the population: soon we won´t have any more financial resources to give to everybody frontal education and we have to reach the people on line.
Another statement that we debated was: All teaching at the vocational education level can and should have measurable outcomes.
I was not involved in the presentation but I had to choose a side.
First question: what makes a good measure and what is a bad measure?
Second question: How would for instance creativity be measured?

Third question: How the measure effect learning?

There are some facts that in a way measure teaching: for instance when pupils are looking forward to attend the teacher´s class, when the classroom is a place where learning happens through engagement with the subject being taught. Learning is seen as a collaborative effort - the teacher does not see him/herself as the "Giver of all knowledge". Also teacher engages in regular professional development - shown by the journals read, seminars attended and teacher regularly takes learning's outside the classroom. (do you mean he teaches outside…) When employed (used) carefully and thoughtfully student’s outcomes may contribute to evaluation of teaching. But learning outcomes are influenced by a complex interplay of factors particular to an institution, teaching context and student’s disposition. Learning is dynamic and constantly changing. Measurement of these outcomes must employ a variety of methods, both short and long term. In addition, the judgment of teaching should be conducted within a process of overall program evaluation that examines many dimensions affecting student learning outcomes.

Picture from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563202000572

References: 

• Gerry Stahl, Timothy Koschmann, Dan Suthers Computer-supported collaborative learning:  An historical perspective retrieved on http://gerrystahl.net/cscl/CSCL_English.pdf
• Centre for research on networked learning and knowledge building http://www.helsinki.fi/science/networkedlearning/eng/
• International Journal of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning http://ijcscl.org/?go=contents&article=77#article
• Pál, Pentelènyi Virtual Learning Enviroment Training Material retrieved on: https://docs.google.com/open?id=1e7a9ra4aSwxjSPx5glkgHVjXyVqg_fusrVRHIpdrhWJ5GVEkdGJ8JBDiqJaq
• Tara J. Fenwich, Using students outcomes to evaluate Teaching: A Cautious Exploration, 4 feb 2002 retrieved on  http://edweb.sdsu.edu/bober/montgomery/Article003.pdf

Use of Technology in my field of education

 "Curriculum integration with the use of technology involves the infusion of technology as a tool to enhance the learning in a content area or multidisciplinary setting. Technology enables students to learn in ways not previously possible. Effective integration of technology is achieved when students are able to select technology tools to help them obtain information in a timely manner, analyze and synthesize the information, and present it professionally. The technology should become an integral part of how the classroom functions — as accessible as all other classroom tools."
(The Intenational Society for Technology in Education. Their web site is available here http://www.iste.org/standards) 

It is a fact nowadays that the number of computers in the classroom continues to increase and tremendous support for technology integration exists in business, government and education institutes.

I think several questions we have to consider when we reflect on the use of technology in education:

1. What do we know about the use of technology in education?
2. How can we use knowledge of teaching to guide our use of technology?
3. What is the real level of the use of the technology respected (?) by the educators and the actual use of it in the classroom?
4. What is the role of technology in the future of education? 

We do know that in the current world there are very few jobs where the use of computers and technologies is not required. Even a reindeer breeder can use a GPS equipment to trace the reindeer.
Besides the business, also the way how we communicate changes all the time because of technology. We now communicate in the global scale. This is a direct result of advances in technology: the information and the learning are free and mostly available to anyone with the right technology. A common theme among schools mission goals is the preparation of students to be productive members of changing society. Much of that change is due to technology. Without a commitment to using technology in the classroom there won´t be teaching and learning. We will be unable to meet those mission statements.
Using technologies in education improves the results. What are the disadvantages? The students are growing up in a digital age where they have constant exposure to a variety of media which has an impact on the way they interact and use information.

In general I can say that I haven´t used so much technologies in my field of education. When I was a student in university we didn´t really use internet as source, but we were forced to go to the library and get there the material needed.
In my teaching job I use technology such as:
- audio sources > for instance iTunes
- video sources >> when I have to reach visual learners and I need to speak also about culture. In my studies we use platforms such as Skype and ac.
- blogging, mobiles and learning management system in my field of teaching are at the moment less useful since I am working in the Community Colleges. I asked to some of my students if they would like to have a blog while they are studying Italian but they denied the offer since they are too busy.

I notice some positive things anyway in using technology in my field of education. First of all I am more engaged in learning. I find these tools much more democratic and flexible.  I also think that internet gives much more opportunities to the students. I have used for instance many web sites to fill the gap in teaching part of the language that is not so deeply explained in the book: the phonetics.
As said before I wasn´t so into technologies because I have grown up with real old fashioned learning. With these studies I noticed that when I have to look up material for any kind of presentation or essay the use of technology covers also my weakest learning styles. In addition it can give me practice on core (main) content and skills. The online sources gave me also the opportunity to take learning outside the classroom. In internet, material can vary from small tutorials with small concept to large ideas taught in the class. Some material is free and anybody can access it.

I notice that I have more possibilities to discuss with my colleagues about a certain topic. The use of Skype and AC and virtual learning in general fits with my daily schedule: so while I am making my laundry I can hear same time a lesson about learning styles.
I think, as a teacher, technologies will give me also better means to organize and give lessons.

Here you have a video of positive aspects of using technology in education: TOP TEN REASONS TO USE TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION

Sources:

• Us Department of Education, Use of Technology in Teaching and Learning retrieved on http://www.ed.gov/oii-news/use-technology-teaching-and-learning
• Geer, R., & Sweeney, T. (2012). Students’ voices about learning with technology. Journal of social sciences, 8 (2). 294-303
• Ritchel, Matt. Growing up Digital, Wired for Distraction. The New York Times. 21 Nov. 2010. 
• Greenfield Susan Modern Technology is changing the way our brains work, says neuroscientist, Mail on line newspaper retrieved on  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-565207/Modern-technology-changing-way-brains-work-says-neuroscientist.html 
• Technology in Education. (2011, September 1). In Education Week November 9, 2011, retrieved on  http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/technology-in-education/
• Michelle R. Davis, Social Networks go to school, in Education week  Published on line 14 June2010, retrieved on  http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2010/06/16/03networking.h03.html 

Virtual session 3 Evaluating learning and competences

In my previous post I was really waiting to see, how the discussion about assessing the learning during the 21 century will end.
Yesterday we had a virtual session (we start really to own Adobe Connect and it feels soooo nice) about Evaluating learning and competences.
One first challenge in our presentation was to use Prezi. A new, but quite interactive program, which stimulates at least our creativity. Creativity in my opinion has to be part of teaching, so I don´t regret of choosing Prezi as a tool. I have in any case some concerns about our video about SOLO taxonomy. My concerns regard the vocational point of view. I think for the next presentation we should take care about the vocational point of view (when putting a video there). 
You can check our work following this link: How to assess learning
The other groups spoke about:
What are the central features of competence based qualifications and vocational skills demonstrations?and What is the role of the student's self-evaluation in vocational education?



Competence based qualifications were new things for me: it seems also that in our break session only one had experiences with specialist in competence basic qualification.
The pro in CbQ is that it prepares people straight for labor market (even though the students are adults) and the con is actually the really short training period that students are going to get. The students have to be demonstrated during a practical exam. So candidates are evaluated with a scale from 1-3 and the candidate gives also a self -evaluation.
I found that really strange: does each student need an evaluation? And what kind of evaluation? We spoke in our presentation about this: we read quite much academic material about how to assess learning. I found the material good in theory but not so effective, when they were speaking for example about the different kind of tests you could give to a large or small class,
Assessment in learning is important both for teachers and students:  Students need to be evaluated all the time, but we should use correct tools. Teachers need to be monitored during the whole process. Portfolio is a good thing to use, and now that I am writing one it seems to have logic. 
Through this teachers and other students can read, comment, give feedbacks. So the students are actually stimulated all the time and willing to learn. The motivation is also really a big factor in self-evaluation and we all agree that self-evaluation is not always easy when we speak about teenagers who don´t know how they feel about something they made. So, sometimes it´s just a matter of methodology.  Through games you might reach them and they might evaluate what they have learnt. 
Self-evaluation anyway requires suitable method and should be qualitative: I couldn´t agree more that self-evaluation is really a big part of of the job learning. It motivates the students and lets them to find the strength and - why not - the passion to go on. 
I should also do my own self-evaluation, editing my personal study plan. Read it again and laugh aloud and write  over and over. 

During the session I found very useful to go through this: we need to evaluate ourselves and others in order to learn together, in order to be ready to the labor market in practical issues.

This is really lifelong learning.


References:
- Biggs J., Teaching for Quality Learning at the University,  Formulating and clarifying curriculum objectives, Open Univ Pr; November 2007 edition, Society for Research Into Higher Education. 
- Jarvis P., Adult Education & Lifelong Learning abstract Assessing and Evaluation Routledge Falmer 2004 
-Wankat P., Oreoviz F. Teaching Engineering, chapter 11 Testing, Homework and Grading 
https://engineering.purdue.edu/ChE/AboutUs/Publications/TeachingEng/chapter11.pdf

VS 2: All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn´t hurt!

I find myself eating a piece of chocolate while writing reflections on VS2.

GIVE: I think me and Peter  handled pretty well the session. We were in schedule, we gave possibility to everybody to share opinions and we acted as active listener. We supported each other.

GET: My expectations for the VS2 were pretty much the same as for VS1 with one exception: this time we were going to be a chair group. So I was prepared for the worst....To be a chair group is not as easy as it looks like: you have to be careful in many small details including the tecnical problems (and last time we indeed had them).
Team Earth opened the session. Even though there wasn´t so much to learn in their video, it was absolutely funny and a relaxing way to open the session. After that I was really full of energy and relaxed.
They presented the theme using popplets: what PI (Progressive Inquiry) and PL (Project learning) mean? They were using beforehand material. It was useful for me to have a little back up and during the session the same sand box where to make the castle. It was pity that my computer crashed...in the middle of everything. Based on this experience with planet Earth I am definitely going to insert popplets wherever it is possible and try to fix my computer...I still don´t understand why this machine doesn´t let me in the popplet page.
Team Jupiter present reaaaalllly delicious theme: they choose practical example to speak about how the skills of PI and PLE can be taught - They taught us how to make chocolate. Their presentation went also really well. It was important for me to see the differences in practical ways between PI and PL. The theories are pretty similar in many ways but Jupiterians gave me better ideas.
Saturn: the last but not the least. They chose to show us a video and also a blog:  How lecturing can be enriched in virtual learning? In the blog there were videos that showed how to use google drive (for instance). I believe lecturing in virtual learning is possible in all fields - also for those who are really hard to believe that technology can be used in all kind of levels. If you are studying to become a farmer - where do you need technology? Well for example using iPad to track some animals like reindeer for example or to make some video which teaches the younger ones how to drive a tractor.
So from all presentations I have got something and from some, how can I see the big picture step by step. I am almost tempted to write down again my Personal Study Plan from the beginning.

What was really usefull for me was that all groups gave practicial examples. This is probably what I haven´t noticed in my previous virtual sessions.

I am still thinking pros and cons of PI and PL. Does it depend from the group in front of me what am I going to use? Which methods are suitable for my actual students? They both seem to be working.

AVOID: for the future sessions I would avoid watching videos. We definetly can do that beforehand and use our time in building and learning something new. If pre material has to be studied, I suggest to give at least one week’s time to the people to read it.
If we are using popplets we must be sure that everybody is invited.
Using popplets instead of writing a chat is faster.
One must definitely use three different sessions instead of that one with three breakouts.
If someone isn´t able to come (for really, really good reason) to the session give him/her extra material that can also be visualized in Optima so that others can also find ideas and learn new things.


Of course while you are reading at this post you could also listen to: 
All you need is love (Beatles)

from Espoo to Oulu

I create this qr code few minutes ago and I am still working on it.

My first experience in these studies and taking ´"a class" was  in Espoo last week.
One thing that it really impressived me about the course was how much technologies could be used for learning. I noticed that until now I haven´t use so much technologies during my teaching (I use mostly games and group/pair work) and I think that some platforms could be used very well in some of my classes. Of course it would be the best if one day I could teach history to a class of youngsters and apply all these technologies for learning purpose. Using these tecnologies suplies were important to me because I could find a way to be in touch with youngsters and get them involve and engage into the learning. As an adult teacher it was also important to me notice that some of most platforms it requires time and a big effors for those who don´t know what facebook is or an i-pad.
The experience in Espoo I liked a t all: I found very important for me sharing experience with other people, discuss with them and try to find solutions together.
I found also very inspring the Monday class: Group dynamics. Most of the activities what we did in the class I tried already with my students. Me stressed the importance of comunication (so important in a group) and also the role of leader. Me as a leader for a group (what kind of leader I am) make me think quite much. Jana, the teacher from Lubjana sent us her PPT. Now they are also available in my Google Drive folder.  If you are intrested to read those please feel free to ask.

Me and technology

My first comic!!!it looks like a crap but I can definetly keep work on it....to be continue.

My very first virtual session

The virtual session about learning and tutoring was really interesting and inspiring. I am really satisfied about Teemu and I, we could manage without technical problems and we were able to present all our material in about 25 minutes. I also would like to thank the rest of team Mars for giving time and energy for this presentation. I was really nervous (my nails know something about it) but in my really first virtual session I was brave - first in breaking the ice at least. What I found very interesting was - besides the technical problems and how easy it "should be" to use the Adobe Connect - the themes that we were speaking about. I noticed anyway that our theme was pretty similar to the Jupiter group’s: both of us (in one point) spoke about learning styles. We investigated different points of view indeed, but still I was worried that we were covering same theme. I found very stimulating also the discussion at the end of each session and also I really enjoyed the interactive parts such as videos and polls (when they worked).
The videos (here you have one of them from team Mars learning styles and movies ) were important for me; I learn best by doing and also I am a visual learner. This session was important for me also because I had a possibility to think about how I am going to use my weakest learning style during my teaching, or how important is the curriculum and updating it. Most of it - regarding our presentation - was very fascinating and surprising to me - how late learning theories are applied to the teaching and educational world.
Nowadays it is normal for learners calling by mobile or to use internet. So right now it is important to stop and think about learning methods and styles.
The history or learning theories and learning styles tell us that we can investigate the learning of an individual if we consider the importance and the mutual influence between the external factors and the internal ones. In other words, is the acquisition of knowledge, ideas and abilities the result of the environment or is it the result of an internal mechanism?
I had the idea that most people don´t need technologies in learning, especially when you teach a subject like history. I was wrong. We have to find the way to use them in order to involve more the new generation and older ones as well.
In the discussion someone asked me: “What about adult learners or old learners?” It´s true that they are more skeptical to learn using ALSO technology but if we give them ALSO AND NOT ONLY THAT they will learn something. A modern teacher is more a facilitator, not anymore a source of knowledge. He or she recognizes the strength of the learners, tries to use different learning styles and tools during the teaching. A teacher should be flexible for the audience and should cooperate with the students, should participate in learning process. A teacher should also consider the background, culture and needs of the students, update the curriculum in order to give the basics for the labor market.
Well, based on this virtual session experience I change my idea on using technologies, role of the teacher during learning process. I will apply this knowledge from now on.
(...to be continuing...)


If you want to have still fun and check what is your learning style check here:
Find out your learning style