Module 5 Activity 1: Reflection on the value of Social Bookmarking

While I am not entirely new to book marking, I am new to social bookmarking. In order to set up my account, I would have listened and viewed the tutor's presentation which was helpful in that the regard. I however encountered difficulty in actually bookmarking a page. I found this rather frustrating. I eventually got the hang of it with some online help. Downloading and installing the Diigo toolbar proved very helpful to me. With practice, I would eventually get better at bookmarking with Diigo.

What I have discovered from going through the help page, and bookmarking a few pages is that my online resources can be organized into lists or groups which makes saving and retrieving information easier. Diigo or should I say social bookmarking also makes it possible for us educators not only to store, manage and search online resources with minimal effort, it also allow us to share resources. This is perhaps the most important advantage of social bookmarking. The sharing of bookmarked resources with colleagues can help to improve our practice in the classroom. 

Module 1 Activity 10: Promoting Discussion

I have also enjoyed reading Activity 10 which focused on promoting discussion among student. According to the readings, a discussion is more than a casual conversation. It is meaningful, intentional or purposeful talk about a specific topic geared towards improving knowledge, understanding and or judgement. In this regard my role as the teacher is to help guide the discussion among my students. This can be accomplished by helping them to properly define a problem, providing stimulus material, asking well structured questions at strategic points, helping students to make linkages to new ideas, drawing attention to important points and giving prompt feedback. Here I am both managing and actively participating in the discussions.

I have found contrast to be a powerful strategy in getting students to ask questions which formed the basis of many discussions that we would have had. The pictures placed in juxtaposition would have evoked a wide range of responses among students. The old Chinese proverb says that a good picture is worth a thousand words is so true. In this case, the appropriate use of the pictures was worth more than a thousand words.  The Think-Ink-Pair and Share also proved quite useful. In all my ability to manage classroom discussion has improved as a result of having done this activity. 

Module 1 Acyivity 9: What questions do I ask and why?

Module 9 proved quite interesting focusing its attention on questioning as a teaching strategy. The activity demanded of me to examine the types of questions I asks and the reasons for which the are asked. Some of these reasons: include to find out if students; to test memory; to challenge and to encourage the sharing of ideas and so on and so forth.

The success of questioning as a strategy is dependent on the level of preparation of the teacher. Questions need to be prepared as part of the lesson planning process. Not only should they be prepared in advance, they should also be varied (convergent and divergent) and spread across the various levels of Bloom's taxonomy. Good questions by themselves are not enough to guarantee the success of questioning strategy or technique. A teacher must also know where and when to ask these questions. This should also form part of the planning process. Additionally, as one must cognizant of the fact that students need not be rushed into formulating answers to questions, hence the need for sufficient response time.

It is also important to that students be taught how to construct good questions. This is absolutely important as questioning promotes the learning and thinking process. If our students are to become self-directed, life long learners they must master the art of asking good questions and making sound decisions.

Module 1 Avtivity 12: Problem Solving

My students and I found this activity quite rewarding. After all, they do not get the opportunity on a regular basis to actively find solutions to real life challenges, in a focused, deliberate manner. Many acknowledged that they felt like adults based on the level of responsibility they had and would have demonstrated a high level of maturity in the execution of their responsibilities. The boys were especially delighted for the opportunity to showcase their artistic abilities in the designing of posters. It is obvious from this experience that as a teacher one cannot underestimate the abilities of our students. Given the opportunity with the right set of circumstances they can all achieve some level of success.

This module like many before it, prompted me to conduct further reading on the issue of problem solving. I do firmly believe that a more focused approach needs to be adapted in regards to equipping our students with the necessary problem solving skills. Their academic and social success is dependent on their problem solving and decision making skills.

Module 1 Activity 11: Encouraging Learners to ask Questions

It is of paramount importance that students be taught how to construct good questions. This is especially important if they are to become self directed, life-long learners. Activity 11 provided useful insight into questioning as a strategy, emphasizing the need for proper planning which involves formulating questions at various levels of the revised Bloom's taxonomy, asking a variety of questions,knowing when to ask questions and so on and so forth. I particularly found contrasting a useful strategy to stimulate inquiry in students. I will be sharing this with my colleagues at school.