While I have been studying for the Masters in Education (Reading) I felt that I was at a disadvantage because I had no concrete background in reading, only my training at teachers college which I attended over 22 years ago. The internet really helped me to understand the basic concepts in reading. I was able to prepare myself for classes by reading dozens of articles all for free on the internet.
I spent several hours searching the net for lesson plans on the five areas of reading to really understand what they were and how they could be applied.
The internet not only introduced me to factual knowledge but to a variety of ways to use tools available to teach the areas successfully. One of the major highlights for me on this course was being introduced to Cloud Computing.
I am glad that this can be used and it has changed my perception on how schools can prepare their physical infrastructure to accommodate the use of computers within the school environment. I have looked at how lap top computers are used and distributed during our own classes and I see this method once introduced can work very well within the school system.
The effective use of net books can be used within our school system once internet access is available. I can see the use of free software being used to enhance the teaching of all subject areas across the curriculum. This wireless technology has the potential to thrust our schools ahead in our quest to close the digital divide.
Zandra, don't think you're at a disadvantage. Many of us had formal reading training at Teacher's College only. Despite working in the primary school system for many years, I still feel frustrated at times when everything I try seems useless when dealing with illiteracy. It's simply a case of trying something new everytime, for each child is different. Now that we are all connected via the blogs, even when we leave UWI, we can connect and share problems, ideas, possible solutions etc. There are many positives to this ICT in Reading course that will endure way beyond June 30th, 2011.
ReplyDeleteCLOUD COMPUTING (Response by Abigale Singh)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you! The internet really contains a wealth of knowledge and it is virtually at your fingertips. I am like you in a sense because I was uncertain as to whether or not this was the right career path for me. The internet played a tremendous role in helping to clarify things for me. Without the internet, I think I would be lost. The fact is that reading professionals across the globe are relatively new and therefore there are a lot of “grey areas” regarding roles and responsibilities. The internet has really helped me to capture the true essence of reading and the functions of reading specialist.
“Oh mi gosh!” I absolutely love cloud computing. I share your joy having encountered this aspect of technology. Imagine all you need is a computer and internet access and all the information is there. We no longer have to worry about flash drives and e-mails when doing projects. I am sure you guys can vividly remember the frustrations of editing documents. And... even there is no internet, then you can work offline and when you connect your changes are effected. Neat, huh? That’s what I thought when I met with this in class. I get so excited in this class. I’m not all that techno savvy, so when I encounter stuff like this I get sooooooo..... excited. I absolutely could not wait to get to school and talk to my principal about cloud computing. And when I did, he was as fascinated as I was and pledged to seriously look at how this could fit into our vision as a school and that of the Ministry.
All members of staff recently got personal profiles for staff computers in school. So right now the administration at our school is on par with the Ministry in providing teachers with the resources to implement technology use in the classroom across all content areas. I found cloud computing so interesting to allow teachers and students the opportunity to share their views about documents/ policies, etc, by editing accordingly. Thus, even when it is not possible to physically meet, teachers and students alike, can share their perspective from wherever they are – at home, at a different location on the compound, etc. Imagine that everyone’s views can be heard from anywhere even if we face physical challenges in terms of resources on the compound and time. I can definitely see this fitting into our school culture. So...I urge you to join the bandwagon so we can widen our communication ring and network among schools too. I am sure we can all learn from one another. This is Fabulous!!! Right?