A blog for all the little things I notice
Hi, My name is Dean Groom, and I write Design 4 Learning to help educator’s transition from traditional classrooms. I am interested in renewing curricula and professional practice by embedding new pedagogical classroom practice to create authentic, realistic and relevant learning for today’s learners.
I started my first blog in 2004, to help me better understand how technology changes learning. I now help educators deal with the rapid changes in technology, social media, games and virtual worlds.
I’ve co-authored two books about Learning with Technology with long time friend, Judy O’Connell, whom I regularly work with to provide professional learning for teachers and executives.
My career prior to education was in Advertising and Marketing, specializing in interactive design and media, as an Art Director and Typographer.
I am now Head of Educational Development Design at Macquarie University, and previously Head of Information Technology at a Sydney High School – passionate about creating workable ‘Web2.0’ classroom environments.
I run regular workshops, provide advice to educators and mentor teachers beginning to explore the pedagogical impact of technology – and blended, enquiry approaches to learning. I work with a diverse range of educators in all sectors, participate and speak at conferences and symposia. I have particular interest in virtual worlds and game based learning.
To contact me : please email deangroom@gmail.com
PSP room
http://news.hiperia3d.com/2009/09/virtual-worlds-in-playstation-portable.html
Oh it will never happen, they'd be lucky to sell 3 (million) as IBM once remarked. Crazy, virtual worlds on portable devices. Rubbish. Please press [deny] now.Comments [0]
Vegemite and new name | Kraft and vegemite | Julian Lee
Band wagon; grandstander; cyberparrots and marketers. If you ain't doing it, then you ain't gonna get it.
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Reflective learners
Reflective learning
Reflective learners need to be critical thinkers (Aitkins, 2000). A reflection is not a recount or repetition of facts in a past tense. Teachers must build in opportunities to do this in the design of learning. A ning for example, used by teachers to ask questions and students to answer them does not promote this. Students must develop critical thinking by: aquiring a strong sense of self awareness; learning to critically analyse their learning environment; exploring thier feelings in a constructive way; questioning the status quo; consider relevant innovation options (tools, methods) to improve their learning evironment. The development and maintenance of an ePortfolio can be used to promote this reflection. Scenario based learning using reflection. A scenario based learning approach promotes the use of declarative knowledge through students working through a proceedural problem. In doin this, there are opportunities to deliver underpinning skills and information (content/demos). Scenario based and reflective learning allows the teacher to shift the learning away from core curriculum content (janning, 1997) and into incidental, passion and interest ideas of students. The design of the learning requires careful consideration and design to allow students to uncover learning. The objectives aim to have students deal with a scenario and then extrapolate their findings into a context that mote directly relates to the outcomes being saught, and assessed. Playing games (the scenario) and then using a pre, during, post reflective process allows a teacher to immerse students in opportunities to synthesize situations and seek solutions. By designing methods to provide feeback during this learning process, based on reflection, teachers can undertake formative and summative assessement. Airkins, S (2000), "developing underlying skills in the move towards reflective practice' in Burns S and Bulman C (eds), reflective practice in nurisng (2nd Ed.), Oxford: Blackwell Science. Janing, J (1997) assessment of a scenario based approach to facilitating critical thinking among paramedic students', Prehospital Disaster Medicine, vol. 12, no.3,pp.215-221Comments [0]
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