PIDP3250 Resources

These are some of my favorite resources that I will refer to throughout my teaching career: 

• 10 characteristics of a highly effective learning environment 
• 34 quick icebreakers
• A book I would like to get on how the brain works
• A list of Web 2.0 tools
• An example of student self assessments
• APA style  blog a great reference 
• Building a lesson for your class around a TED talk
• Classroom management tips
• Copyright information
• Copyright info (in the US)
• Copyright info. Canada, publication for teachers            
• Copyright info. Fair Dealing Canada
• Copyright info. Supreme court decisions on Fair Dealing
• Critical thinking
• Encouraging creativity and innovation
• Fact sheet on meta cognitive processes
• Five characteristics of learner centered teaching
• Flipped classroom info. document
• Games that can be used for reviewing material before a test
• Glossary of Instructional Strategies
• Great video to play for icebreaker and to just get the class moving
• Icebreaker dos and donts
• Infographic: the education of tomorrow
• More tips on icebreakers
• More Web 2.0 tools listed and explained
• Nine ways to help students learn through mistakes
• Online Academy
• Sharing power in the classroom
• The flipped classroom explained
• The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain
• Training and the needs of adult learners
• Wonderful motivational video for anybody!

More Digital Storytelling Resources:

Links to videos

• The Power of Digital Storytelling TED talk
• Seven Elements of Digital Storytelling in Four Minutes Video
• TheEvolution of Digital Storytelling video
• Somegreat examples of Digital Storytelling
• Short video simplifying the art of Digital Storytelling
• Changing Education Paradigms by Ken Robinson
• HowTo Avoid Death by Powerpoint TED talk Video

Links to Articles:

• Seven Elements of Digital Storytelling

• Mindmap/Wolfquest game

• Definition of Digital Storytelling

• Another definition of Digital Storytelling

• 4 Inspiring Examples of Digital Storytelling

• Slideshow: Powerpoint tips

Digital Storytelling software:

• Prezi
• Powtoon 
• Adobe Flash
• Instructional Courses and Software

Digital Storytelling Key points

1. There are 7 elements for effective digital storytelling  (see link at bottom for webpage and/or video)

-          Point of view – be clear on your point of the story and who you are telling the story to.

-          Dramatic question – use at the beginning, engages viewer.

-          Emotional content – maintains interest, can create change in the viewer.

-          The gift of your voice – you may not like the sound, but others will!

-          The power of the soundtrack – compliments, and can enhance, emotion

-          Economy – keep it brief, use pictures to replace words.

-          Pacing – make use of rhythm, tempo and speed

2. Emotion and dramatic question appear to be the most challenging parts as per participants

3. Emotion is key for engaging the viewer

4. PowToon lays out a great sequence of steps: Write your script, record voice and then add images

5. There are many types of software, some higher grade and costing money but also some very good software that is free. (see resources section)

6. As instructors digital storytelling can be a powerful tool to break up the mundane, to teach course content, to inspire students in their chosen profession and to bring awareness of important facets of their chosen occupation.

7. When preparing a digital story keep in mind that you have seven seconds to engage your viewer(s), make sure you start with a bang! Identifying a problem they may have or asking a powerful question are great ways to start.

8. Only one participant had prior experience with digital storytelling

9. People are more likely to remember a message presented through effective digital storytelling, as opposed to just being told the message, which is especially due to the emotional component.

10. If using PowerPoint there are some very good points to remember in order to maintain the attention of your audience, and to increase retention of the information (see “How to Avoid Death by PowerPoint” video, there is also a great slideshow from a student to a teacher. Links are below)

11. Digital Stories should be about 2-5 minutes long.

References:

How To Avoid Death by Powerpoint TED talk Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwpi1Lm6dFo

Seven Elements of Digital Storytelling Document:
http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/page.cfm?id=27&cid=27&sublinkid=31

Seven Elements of Digital Storytelling in Four Minutes Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NipDAd3_7Do

Reflection on Active Learning and the Role of the Adult Educator

The role of the adult educator has changed over the years, from an expert that stood in the front

of the classroom presenting a long lecture, to a teacher/facilitator who provides opportunities for

the students to find their own solutions and methods of operation through active learning. Some

examples are discussions, role playing and group projects. Teachers, therefore, need to be more

creative and more student centred than they used to be.

Also, teachers aren't expected to give away all of their expert knowledge like they were in the past,

in fact, it is more important that they don't. They need to provide opportunities for students to find

their own answers as much as possible through active learning exercises. As a result, if a teacher

doesn't know an answer to a question, it's ok, they can just put it back to the students and ask them

to come up with the answer.

References:
http://www.fons.org/Resources/Documents/Journal/Vol3Suppl/IPDJ_03suppl_04.pdf

Reflection on Conference with partner regarding Active Learning

My partner and I chose to use "Active Learning in Teaching Adults" as a topic for this assignment.

Both of us work in Health Care, she is an RN who teaches LPN's and I am an LPN who will be

teaching Health Care Assistants (HCA's). Active Learning is a very necessary approach to teaching

in this industry in order to adequately prepare students for real life application of knowledge in

their future jobs.

I enjoyed our conference as it reinforced the ideas that both of us got from our research and it

provided an opportunity for us to teach each other things we hadn't found. Something new that I

learned from my partner was that the role of teaching has changed from teacher centred to student

centered. Before all the attention and focus was on the teacher and the teacher had full control

over what and how information was taught. Now, students have more control over how they are

to learn, and the focus and attention is a lot more on them as they engage actively through

conferencing, class discussion, partaking in role playing etc.; all examples of Active Learning.

Reflection on Trends of Active Learning in teaching HCA's

Teaching in the Health Care Industry, and many other industries, is increasingly involving Active

Learning strategies. Students today are more used to interacting while they learn

(Academy of Learning, 2014) and studies have shown that students learn better when actively

engaged in the learning process. Students need to be able to apply what they have learned, and be

competent in knowing what to do when problems arise. Therefore, a necessary component of all

HCA programs, as well as LPN and RN, is the practicum and preceptorship. This is a definite

form of active learning, where the students are applying what they have learned to real life

situations under the supervision of a facilitator. This has been around for a long time, however,

there is an increasing trend in employing active learning in the classroom as well. For example,

students are given realistic scenarios and asked to come up with solutions, thus developing

critical thinking skills that will be utilized in the future workplace. There are "Lab days" where

students go into a room set up as a real resident's/patient's room and they actively apply

techniques for resident/patient care, this helps them to remember tasks involved.

As a future teacher of HCA's I will be including all of the above in my teaching practice as well as

adding stories from my own experiences which we will then discuss as a group. I will be

continuously focusing on incorporating more active learning when designing lessons.


References:
http://www.academyoflearning.ab.ca/blog/active-learning-in-the-classroom/

Trends and Roles Websites

The roles of instructors of adult learners and active learning:
http://www.fons.org/Resources/Documents/Journal/Vol3Suppl/IPDJ_03suppl_04.pdf

Current or emerging trends of active learning:
http://www.academyoflearning.ab.ca/blog/active-learning-in-the-classroom/

Lesson Planning Websites

Characteristics of Adult Learners
http://elearningindustry.com/8-important-characteristics-of-adult-learners
Creating a Positive Learning Environment
http://www.brighthub.com/education/online-learning/articles/41064.aspx
Motivational Techniques
http://elearningindustry.com/17-tips-to-motivate-adult-learners
Instructional Process/Strategies
http://adulted.about.com/od/icebreakers/tp/toptenicebreakers.htm
Media (possible considerations)
http://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/media/why.html