IICTI part 2, module 3 reflection: Research Project

In this post I'm supposed to share what I think I will do for my research project.  I am really lacking ideas at this point.  I obviously want to do something that relates to what I teach, or do in my school.  I also want to do something that will push my learning.  I don't want to do something in which the focus is a tool, but maybe...

OK,  I've been adding to this post for a whole week as I work through my ideas and talk to others and figure out what I want to do.  When I hit publish, it reverted to what I had typed on the first night (last Monday), and deleted Wednesday and Friday and this morning's additions and thoughts!!!



There is no way that I can recreate the visible thinking that I had done, but here's what I'm thinking now.






My research project will be about digital humanities.  Here's a little bit about how I got here...

Inspiration:  Alanna King (my ODLLC partner) handed me this article that she thought I'd be interested in.

Context:  I am teaching one section of the DHP next year, and it is taking up a lot of my energy thinking about what that means, and what I will be doing.

As a humanities department, my history colleagues and I have been concerned with the societal shift away from the importance of humanities.  We also struggle with how to make history more a "doing" discipline.

Process:
1) literature review/research
2) survey students in DHP class currently (or previous students) about what skills they've developed and the transfer they see
2 b) interview Asher (DHP teacher), Neil (DHP teacher), Pat (DHP Principal), Wendy (DHP VP and parent of former student) about their experience with the program.
3) play with the tools that are recommended for digital humanities
4) bring in what I've found by following #CDNcraft and what tools are currently being used in the study of aboriginal issues courses.
5) what digital tools are available and currently being used in making connections to Aboriginal studies and or history classes

In terms of the Planning, Acting, Observing, Reflecting cycle - I think the challenge for me will be the "implement your intervention" part of Acting.  But I think there is a way of working through the cycle without the actual implementation at this point.

Here is a link to my mindomo brainstorming.

As I work through this thinking yet again, I may have changed my focus a bit...  Let's see where this journey takes me.


















   

IICTI part 2 - module 2 reflection

Next year I have the privilege of teaching one of the 4 credits in the digital historian project.  I am unbelievably excited about it, and fairly scared as well.  So when I went to the edugains site to see what videos I could watch I obviously picked the one about the Digital Historian.

I was excited by the way Neil talked about assessment being continual and much of it informal as the students delve into their individual and group work.  

“I’m assessing the kids every day. I’m assessing each individual kid’s pathway to success, of which there is no one pathway." (Neil Orford, teacher DHP)

When people ask why I teach my standard answer is that I love seeing students learn to see things in a new light and broaden their perspectives.  In reality I’m not sure how much I actually see this happen in my regular classes.  There are moments of inspiration, and moments of awe as students appreciate things they’ve never thought about before, but they are not, unfortunately, the norm.  

“You teach for those teachable moments when kids say things, or they make connections or they synthesize ideas.  I used to be quite happy to see it a few times a semester.  I see it every day that I’m here in this program.” (Pat Hamilton, principal CDDHS)

One of the other things that stood out to me as being significant in its lack of focus is the Digital part of the Digital Historian Program.  I think this is the way it should be.  The only place it really came up in the video was when Neil spoke about his limited experience and knowledge of digital technologies.  I find it inspiring that although Neil felt uncertain about the digital technologies he still saw the importance of creating a new experience for students that embraced them.  He truly adopted the mindset that while technology/digital tools would need to be used in this program, but that they were the primary focus.  I think this speaks to the adoption of a TPACK balance whether or not Neil would be able to identify the model itself.   

With Neil retiring, Asher and I will be left with big shoes to fill. I am excited and nervous about it. I jumped at the offer to take on one of the sections as I've been following Neil's journey since he started the program. But it really is a new way of teaching. I think it matches what I believe to be important in teaching in the 21st Century, but it's a pretty big leap.

reflection: week one of iccti part 2 course

I'm taking a new course: Integrated information and Tech AQ, part 2.   My plan is to use this blog as a place to paste my reflections, but to actually try different tools to create the reflections.

I made quite a few notes as I worked and reflected on this week's module.  I've organized (some) of them into the following mindomo.  Partly I did this to force myself to be succinct, and partly as an excuse to see if I could embed the mindomo into my blog.
Here's a link to the mindomo that might be easier to read that way.  I'm not happy with the way this embedded - it isn't interactive at all.  You can't actually move it around within the blog.  If anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them.  I've pasted an image of the embed code I used below the mindomo image.


Make your own mind maps with Mindomo.

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