Core 2A Assignment 1

DOC	Role of the Educator	Application	File Name
1	Mediator	MS Word	Mediator.doc
2	Pastoral	MS Word	Letter to parent.doc
3	Assessor	MS Word	F4 EOT 1. doc
4	Scholar	PowerPoint	Introduction to Porfolios (Part 1).ppt
5	Administrator	MS Excel	CCTI Assignment 5.xls
6	Specialist	MS Word	Lesson plan.doc

Reflections

Thus far I am very much enjoying the course however I do see a number of challenges.

1.       I love the idea of using technology but I feel as though that it will be more beneficial if students were the ones using the technology to learn. Thus I recognize I need to structure my lessons to give students an opportunity to use the technology themselves. The biggest hurdle would be for me to get permission for students to use the hardware necessary for these classes since the hardware is considered for use only by teachers; there was even a contract to be signed indicating this.

2.       Another hurdle comes from within- my own insecurities about using applications like excel  because it involves Mathematical formulae. I am deathly afraid of Mathematics and this has prevented me from ‘excelling’ in this particular application. However I found that although my Principal is often busy, I could easily rely on him for help since he is quite versed in using the application. I will definitely be asking for help. I know what I’ll learn will definitely make reporting of analyses easier.

3.       There are still a few other applications that I recognize may be beneficial for my students. I really hope that this course will expose me to all of the areas of Microsoft suit in a way that will benefit both me and my students.

I feel as though the classification of the roles of a teacher given in this course allows for me to be much more focused on what is needed in an Educational system. This makes it easier for me to create action plans that will improve my performance in each of the areas stated.

Social Networks...WHY????

For everyone who truly knows me, they'll know never to waste their time trying to find me on some social forum. I am utterly averse to this form of communication for many reasons:

1. It is too impersonal; too many persons who 'exist' in this cyber world have serious problems when it comes to face-to-face interactions with human beings. They seem to malfunction when they realise that in the real world you need to work on issues with people rather than simply 'unfriending' them.
2. These sites don't have real rules. According to my father, who incidentally LIVES on Facebook, the internet is the 'Wild, Wild West'; there are no rules of engagement. I find this utterly chaotic since it seems as though people post whatever they like, whenever they like regardless of audience, convention etc. Most of the popular social networks I view as encouraging immorality....almost anything goes. Yes, yes in the sign up agreement there are some nice words suggesting some form of censoring....YEAH RIGHT!

I have many more arguments against these sites but time does not permit. I cannot encourage my students to be part of the madness that is 'Social Network' (they really don't need to ben encouraged to join anyway since most if not all are members of Facebook). I know as teacher it is my responsibility to guide my students on the correct way of using these sites and I do but I feel as though societal pressure, even from those who should know better, leaves them vulnerable to the ills of these sites; I'm fighting a losing battle.

Personally I resist talking to strangers online. It took much out of me to send that first email out to the CCTI group. Since then I haven't sent group emails although I often send personal emails to people within the group. I don't want to make a mockery of social interaction. Even when I look at the tone of my first email, when compared to many persons who'd sent emails before, I recognise that my email is dripping of my PERSONality; it's anything but generic. I can't help it. *sigh*

Maybe one day, after much indoctrination by a social network junkie, MAYBE I will be more open to the idea of cyber social networking.

Excel experience

So I've used excel for years but I've never ventured too far away from the basics: addition, weightings etc. Due to the course, I had no other choice but to venture out of my comfort zone to create formulae to execute certain functions.
If anyone can delve into the mind of an English teacher, you will soon realise that ANYTHING to do with Math/functions/formulae tend to offset much anxiety and terror in the mind of the English teacher. I won't lie, but most times when it comes to Math there's a switch in my brain, like an electricty breaker switch, that automatically turns off to avoid damage/stress.
I was glad that the tutorial on spreadsheets came later in the assignments because had it come earlier I suppose I would have or at least been tempted to drop out.
I opened the spreadsheet tutorial at least 7 times on separate days before I decided that I had to try it. Honestly every time I opened it I felt as though I was reading some unintelligible language.
ONLY because I know tomorrow I needed to hand in all assignments, did I force myself to understand the tutorial. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to follow the instructions and make things work. There is still a part of me that believes that if I try the EXACT thing another time, it wouldn't work....somehow today was magic and I was able to complete the task with ease...(except for the formula that showed semi-colons instead of commas which kept giving me an error message).
Anyway, after my experience this afternoon I feel more confident to venture into creating more complex formulae that will help with the creation of my analyses as an administrator.

CCTI & School demands

So I just completed week 2 of the school term. It has been difficult balancing the demands of school, family and the course.

Thus far the assignments have not been too challenging since many of the things required I already do at school. I'm apprehensive about the evaluation though; I want to make sure that I do the correct thing.

I must admit this whole online experience has been interesting thus far.

Activity 1

I don't know why I was procrastinating at completing activity 1. I've never done a course online and for some reason I feel really 'out of my element'. I'm used to reading lists, face-to-face tutors, a cold auditorium, strangers all around me....I'm actually enjoying this course.

When I thought about activity 1 I realised how much I already use ICT in all of my roles as an educator. I am personally against social networking sites although I see that it can be a valuable resource. Unfortunately to this point, I have never seen a group that I believe is focused on teacher/education issues in a truly meaningful way (then again I don't search that much).

I definitely see how ICT saves me much time in executing my duties as a teacher.

CCTI

Yesterday, I attended the CCTI Orientation at MOE, London St. I should have been able to create this blog then but for some reason the system was not allowing me to.

Anyway, I am cautiously optimistic about the course. I hope things go well.

(I have to try to figure out how to allow ppl to see my posts....)