Week 8& 9 Evaluation and implementation

Students were encouraged to use traditional assessment packages to evaluate performance formatively and summative.
Very importantly, an implementation plan was structured so as to avoid any short-commings. Teachers then use all their skills and resources to devel;op the lesson.

Week 6 and 7 12th and 19th October 2011.

Objectives and strategies.
Here we looked at Objectives in the three domains that were General then specific. Since the lessons to be witten were instructive. sequencing is very important and all objectives are now related to the lessons as strategies for teaching these lessons were then focused on. Emphasis was placed on psychomotor skills for our swimming lesson.

Week 3 The ADDIE MODEL

The needs analysis bore some resembelance to formulating a challenge as we normally do for Technology education classes at school. Here the stage is set for the making of a problem statement and marks the beginning of the instructional design process.
Context analysis allows for the processing of relevant information on the audience and the environment.
Content analysis ensures that sequenced relevant information is directed to the class and we practice doing this so that this skill will fit in well to our final project.

Week 1 and 2 Theories and models 7th and 14th September 2011.

We met in the lower computer lab to begin this course. There we were introduced to the course. Individual members were signed onto blackboard and given a password. We diffrenciated between theories and models and did a group activity.Most of the theories were familiar but the design models were new.
It was interesting to see the theories in their different categories and their entirety.Good notice was made of notes given as they would proove to be important reference for future lesson planning.

Instructional technology class wk. 5

There was a better understanding of blackboard and how to source information for out topic (swimming - the foward crawl in free style). This topic is prooving to be difficult but I am confident that my group will be sucessful. I think that the other members of the group are getting "the hang of things", however there is plenty of work to be done. I am indeed thankful for the patience and guidance of our instructional lecturer.

Instructional technology class wk. 4

This class was very eventful because we had to put a presentation together and members were finally able to meet. Keith had serious car trouble but still managed to make it. We are thankful for the patience of the Lecturer. One member of our group, Javan, droped out of the school today, I hope that he finds some other activity or study to which he can commit himself to. One thing I remember him saying last week is that he found the lecturer to be very beautiful. We were in full agreement with this, but that cannot help him now as it is only hard work and application that will see us through this course. O, yes I did look at her hands, she has nice hands then I stopped looking for fear of being carried away.
As far as the work goes I am now settleing into the course and I find the course very appropriate and interesting. Good bye, C Queen and may God continue to bless you.

Dreaming of a White Christmas

Do you remember the warm fuzzy feeling that Christmas songs would evoke? Songs such as Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman and Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, made little school children wish to celebrate Christmas in countries where there was snow.  Traditionally the expatriates and their families as well as those educated in North America and Europe would make the trip to visit friends and experience snow. Those left behind would feel that they were making do in the heat and faux snow.

But there is another side to the story.  The cold weather means inconvenience as the heating bill increases, the roads are blocked with snow and fallen trees and the airports are snowed in.  In those conditions it becomes a miserable Christmas.

Note that this is the second time this year that there has been chaos at major airports across the world because of natural hazards.  There was the Icelandic volcano eruption that spread ash clouds across Europe and today, the weekend before Christmas, many travelers are stranded because of the blizzards. Flights across the world are once again delayed or cancelled.

I am glad to be here at home in sunny Trinidad and Tobago and I would like to extend warm wishes to all the teachers and children this Christmas season.