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

Meeting a new group

Meeting a new group is always a matter of breaking the ice in the good or wrong way. It´s easier when is big one: if some of the people doesn´t like my way to approach they stop to come to the class and they are still enough people so the course continues.
In this new group I have 17 people: the youngst is probabily 9 and the oldest 80 years old with different methods and learnering tecnique.
I don´t know yet what kind of learner I have in front of me but for the first time  I divided them in groups. In every group was a person that studied Italian before from 1 to several years (even long time ago that has the task to check how people writes those words) and I asked them to write in 5´all the italian words that they know. From those words we started to speak about phonetic. I gave them some rules about it and then I wanted them to work in group: read each others words, correct them, and then with a really difficult toungue twister read to me.
I use group working quite much: not only for the reason that Italian we are socials and we need to make contacts with other people; I use group work because I truly believe that from your class mates you can learn/notice/ improve much more than just passively sitting and listening me. In add, people doesn´t like to be in the centre of the class, they prefer try with the person who is sitting next to them (who is eventually in the same boat).

Finnih people needs time to find the courage to read aloud all by themselves in front of the class: but they are enought brave to read their class mates.
I have anyway to consider the different way of learning: that´s why next time I am going to start with the book, so that the visual learners can start to see and to remember stuffs and the auditory (after my reading) will probabily be able to read descently.
I use tecnology every now and then but not all the time if for tecnology is considering Internet. Material in Italian language is quite few and in summer time I don´t have the power to make on my own. I use usually videos when we speak about culture (events in Italy for instance) or when we want to learn gestures. I will try to use it more: people might enjoy (at least the young ones).

working day 1

After long break here I am back again. The nice students came to the class worry that there was no class cause we didn´t have the minimum number. I was really surprised how much they remember: usually after summer they come to the course with the same sentence in their mouth: "I forget everything!" . This time is different.
I have also got a new group: or actually a group of beginners that joint a group of 3 years studies in Italian....it´s a  challenging  for me trying to get them to the same level.
We did couple reviews exercises after my 10´of monologue in Italian (for them listening and comprehesion): the last part of the lesson was for me the most intresting: I asked them to share with  their pair their learning experience in last few years on Italian language.
After that they were ready to follow me in the activity of GIVE- GET -AVOID.
Give: what am I going to give to my class mates, to myself and to the teacher during this year?
Get: what I want from me, from them and from the teacher?
Avoid: what I am not ready/ I don´t want to talk about in the class?
I asked then what kind of learners they are, especially for the new members, and most of them they didn´t know. I am planning for next week to propose them to learn or review a single theme with the 3 learning styles:auditory,visual, kinestetic.
I don´t know yet what will be but for sure I am going to make them a test on what learners they are and try to figure out what method is more suitable for them.

Our presentation is also ready and today I study more the Kolb theory and I am ready to get in AC (even thought I think I won´t get on time tomorrow) and see what happen.