Bringing It Together

Week 11 – EDUC471D100 – November 17, 2017

Today was our LAST student-led Warm-Up Activity, WildCard Activity, Oral & Written Reading Reflection, Journal Reflection, and TBA Activity. Whew!!! We are approaching the end of the course. I was so impressed with the LAST student-led learning activities. The first one needed tables moved (and so we did) so that we can play charades/pictionary collaborative-competitive game. It was so engaging. Once again, the 3 core competencies in action and we were having FUN. Lots of laughs and students were so willing to participate and activate. The second student-led learning activity involved MATH.

Choose a number from 1 to 100, write it on a piece of paper, and the average of these numbers x 2/3 will be calculated. The number closest to this number wins a PRIZE!!! The learning intention from this activity was to think about other people’s thinking and decision making. I loved this facilitation, the discussion between students, and what’s possible. So simple and so engaging. The class ends with “2 truths & a lie” facilitated in small groups. You know the activity went well when the room got louder and louder.

I am proud of this class and how wonderful and diverse the student-led activities were. The oral presentations, written reading reflections, and class summaries were equally done well. My students were contributors to our course. Together we developed our core competencies, built our learning community, and strengthened our interconnectedness.

Journal Reflection Questions

Who is/was your champion? Why did you pick this person?

My mom. It feels good when you know when someone has your back. My mom has always had my best interests in mind and could always see my strengths, especially when I could not. She had a gentle approach, even though I may have wrote many papers during my masters program about my mom that were not so friendly. The more I get to know her as I get older, the more that I understand that she was doing the best that she could and her love for me was relentless… I just couldn’t see it. I am grateful for her unconditional support and encouragement. She never wants credit, but she rocks. I want to also say that members of my doctorate examining committee also exemplify qualities of my mom. I have friends and colleagues who also have my back. I feel very lucky.

Who was your favourite teacher? Why did you pick this person?

Dr. Geoff Madoc-Jones. What I love about Geoff is his authenticity, his willingness to be bold, and his deep care and love for students and their well-being to reach their potential. To some students, Geoff was perceived as an A-hole… which I could understand because he had a deep understanding of the subject matter and terrible bed-side manner at times that it would give someone a bad impression. Personally, I knew that it was only his public persona or guise. Truth, he only wanted to make a difference. And, he did. He made a HUGE difference in my life. He was instrumental in making me believe in myself and what I am able to do. He believed in me and encouraged me all of the way. He was part of my masters program on the Sunshine Coast and brought me into my doctoral program (twice, but that’s another story). His kind and gentle soul was appreciated.

Who was your least favourite teacher? Why did you pick this person?

Maybe my Math 100 professor… but I had no connection with him anyway. He was my least favourite teacher because he gave us his unpublished math book as the learning resource, he asked how many people took Calculus in Grade 12 and started at a point in the course I was nowhere near, and I recall this lengthy solution to a problem that ended in an answer of ZERO. This is not to mention that the class enrolment declined rapidly over time, but I did not pick up this social cue until after the fact. I was disengaged and confused. It was not a good experience or feeling. All I can say is, it could have been much better… which it was in the next semester with my other Math 100 professor.

MY REFLECTION

Solace. We are unofficially done “the learning” and heading into Summative Assessment. In Weeks 12 and 13, students will be presenting their #EDUC471D100 Big Aha as an IGNITE presentation. Their journal reflections and summary of these personal reflections are also due in addition to a final paper or unit plan. All three summative assessments are THREE different opportunities to demonstrate what they have learned in this course. What brings me solace is the the full understanding of how this course was designed, assessed, and implemented. In Week 10, I was feeling uncertain and uneasy. With only 3 weeks left in the course, students started to feel uncertain and uneasy about how they were going to be evaluated. After that class I felt that my students wanted CERTAINTY with their final assessment, but does a “multiple-choice final exam” create certainty?

A long rant made short… no it does not. A multiple-choice final exam would have changed how the students learned the content, how I would have taught the content, and how students engaged during class time. It puts the locus on control ALL in my hands and personalization would have been impossible… developing the core competencies with student-led learning activities would have been non-existent… and, the concept of STUDENT CHOICE would only happen during the multiple-choice exam by choosing A, B, C, or D. Much of what we do in this class is “going META.” Meaning, we are learning as we are doing. We are experiencing what we are learning.  Students collaborated, composed, and selected the curricular competencies to be evaluated on. I wanted to put the locus on control into the students’ hands to empower them via student agency.

I think we get it. Bringing it together. I look forward to learning about what they have learned in the next few weeks. This is the LAST journal reflection journal on my part. I enjoy reflecting as my students reflect. I will be composing my final journal reflection at the end of the course. I will post some intermediate blog entries for Week 12, Week 13, and possibly Week 14 (extra) before I submit my “summative journal” for this course.

PS. I was inspired to get my EDUC471D100 Week 11 done ASAP because the Week 11 class summary was handed in ASAP. So, thank you Jessica for getting things done!!!