More information on the Raspberry Pi

One of the biggest benefits of this incredible little device is the support of the user community. From young children, to retired folks with way too much time on their hands (he says jealously). People from all walks of life are happy to share their experiences with you to help you along your way.
Please checkout my links page to see many of the links that I access on a regular basis, and if you're wanting a quick look, here is the official homepage: Raspberry Pi Homepage
Thanks for visiting!
Robin

Raspberry Pi Podcast

I forgot to mention yesterday, that in addition to producing a Raspberry Pi infographic, I also shared a few words on this amazing little computer via a podcast. Please take a listen and let me know what you think?
Raspberry Pi Podcast
Thanks for visiting!
Robin

Raspberry Pi Infographic

As I've mentioned many times in my PIDP posts, I am a fan of the Raspberry Pi computer. It is a wonderful device for introducing computer concpts (Input & Output) and computer programming to a wide range of skill levels. From Elementary School students, to graduate students, to use in Industry. And the user community is simply fantastic!
One of my projects in PIDP 3240 is to try my hand at producing an infographic and I've chosen to take a brief look at the Raspberry Pi. Please feel free to check out my infographic at Raspberry Pi Infographic
And please feel free to let me know what you think?
Thanks for visiting,
Robin

Teaching Naked

It's funny how the title of a book can bring forth so many different responses....

When I started the PIDP3240 program we were informed that the required text was "Teaching Naked" by Jose Antonio Bowen (2012, Jossey-Bass).

Well you can imagine all the different visions that went through my head.... And no, not literally teaching naked, but remembering back to my first time in front of the class, when I felt I was the sole focus of 30 new students in that classroom. I felt intimidated, frightened, but would only admit to being "nervous" (grin).

As I have mentioned in my reflective journals this is, in my opinion, the best book I have read throughout my PIDP learning process. To boil it down to a single sentence, this book is about using our most valuable time, face to face time with our students, in the most productive way we can. How can we harness todays technology outside of the classroom, so that our students can focus their energy and attention on their learning journey.

If you are wondering how to "make more time" for your students, give this book a read, it will be well worth your time!

Thanks for visiting,
Robin

Interesting Read

This book, Fifth Discipline Fieldbook by Peter Senge, (1994, Doubleday) is making the rounds in our department here at SAIT. It is an interesting read on the strategies and tools for building a learning organization. It actually comes in 2 different formats; the original text which discusses the theoretical concepts for building a learning organization, and the fieldbook which cites many different real life examples.
I'm reading the fieldbook and it describes dozens of real world examples of the strategies and processes acutally used by companies on their path to a learning organization.
If you get a chance, give it a read!
Thanks for visiting,
Robin

That's just cheating!
Hehehe, part of our course requirement was to link to the School of Instructor Education website and Facebook page.
Since this blog has been used for previous PIDP classes, I checked, and yep, I had the links done for a previous class.
Another tick goes on the list (grin)

Thanks for visiting,
Robin

One of the amazing benefits of this course is to take a look at what others are doing!

Take a look at these blogs by my fellow classmates, in no particular order!

Wow, I feel humbled....(grin)

Jessica Kirby's Blog

Heather Burke's Blog

John Powszedny's Blog

Lindi Ntsiu's Blog

Tammie Barry's Blog

Dominique Marcotte's Blog

John Boulton's Blog

Brad Orr's Blog

Susan Olubunmi's Blog

Elena Torn's Blog

Some pretty cool ideas out there!

Thanks for visiting!
Robin

Well I was hoping to add another post last week, but our assignment for creating an Info Graphic was due and while I really enjoyed it, there was more work than I expected!

..... And I must admit that I was busy on Sunday.....
Volunteering with the Calgary Amateur Radio Association providing safety communications for the Kananaskis 2016 Road Rally on Powderface Trail.

New day, new week right?

But did you ever have one of those days where you could have sworn that you did something previously, only to find out that it never happened? I've done that twice this weekend. First when I headed out to the rally and took a pic of the Awesome sunrise on my way out of town, then my iPhone lost it (grin, no idea what I did??). Second after I submitted my Info Graphic, I checked on my submission for this blog, and I did not send it in...(sigh).

Thanks for visiting,

Robin

Hello Everyone,
I started this blog during my PIDP journey and am now enrolled in the PIDP 3240 - Media Enhanced Learning class. So I'll be journalling my trials and tribulations of this course as it progresses!

First off though, I'd like to send a Shout Out for the book that we are using for this class. Teaching Naked by Jose Antonio Bowen. He has some wonderful ideas on how to improve student learning by taking technology OUT of the classroom (grin). And no, we're not talking about more lecture time, or additional airtime for our sage-on-the-stage!

Thanks for visiting,
Robin

Media - Simulations

We have a particularly challenging concept when describing three phase motors. How to generate the Synchronous Field. While we draw it on the board, it is hard to take a static drawing and describe a fluid process.

This article that I have come across "Using Simulations to help students learn" has helped me to understand the value in the simulation. As well as the benefit.

I have found a simulation that shows the synchronous field, and showed it to some students yesterday. They found the visual process easier to understand. An additional benefit was that I could start and stop the simulation and we could talk about it as the simulation progressed.

This is particularly helpful with electrical concepts, since electricity is invisible and a simulation can help to visualize what is taking place within the electrical circuit.

Instructional Processes / Strategies

I was thinking about how I develop a connection with our apprentices and the material that we are covering. I believe that comes from the Bridge-In that takes place at the beginning of the class.

This is a very interesting article on wikipedia regarding this as well. The article describes the BOPPS Model for Planning Lessons.

In the article they describe the intent of the bridge in and offer several examples that resonated with me: 

1)  Referring to something in the learners realm of experience

2) Linking current topic to material already studied or to future learning

I often look for a link to previous material already covered, or to a comment that an apprentice has made to help me bridge in the new material.

Now I understand the benefit of this type of bridge in and how it improves the buy in. This provides them with a justification or motivation to learn the new material being presented. 

Motivational Techniques

I've just finished reading a really interesting article on 9 different strategies to spark Adult Students Motivation.

I was drawn to this article because they help to identify the differences between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation within learners.

Often I find with apprentices their motivation is viewed as extrinsic; "I need the raise", or "I have to complete my apprenticeship". And while it is true that the government or their employer may be setting that expectation, really at the end of the day, it is the apprentice who will benefit from the learning and growth of their skills.

This piece has really helped me to identify the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic learning and how to help my students see the value in their learning rather than satisfying an outside source.

They list the following:

Encourage students to draw on past experiences and facilitate a dialogue of discussion with regular active participation.

Encourage students to share their own learning expectations and goals related to the course content

Provide announcements and emails with information about the resources available for struggling students (i.e., mentorships, coaching, or counseling services).

Provide real life applications through simulations, case studies, and role playing activities.

Provide visual aids or even field trips that enhance the students learning and application of learning outcomes.

Invite guest speakers that are experts in the field. Experts can pique students’ interests and highlight relevance of the learning concepts being taught.

Talk with students about how the class assignments are relevant to future careers.

Teach students to reflect and take control over their own learning by using weekly reflections (anonymously, if you like) to solicit feedback about their own performance and where they need to improve.

Empower students by teaching them where to find materials and how to use resources in an online college platform that will help them in areas where improvement is needed

Creating a Positive Learning Environment

I was surfing the web and found a like to an article written at the University of Saskatchewan. It's nice to be able to refer to Canadian content (grin!).
The article url is: http://www.usask.ca/gmcte/resources/teaching/environment

What I found most interesting is the first point that they brought up;
"Work Hard to Learn Students names".
With the apprenticeship program being 8 weeks in length, I get to learn 30 new names 5 times a year. And I consider this time well spent, I appreciate people calling me by name, and want to do the same for my students.

Much of what the web page refers to centers around mutual respect and I wholeheartedly agree with that. I can turn many of the points listed into questions to ask myself, to see what I can do to improve the positive learning environment in my class.

Characteristics of Adult Learners

I have found a very interesting resource to help identify distinct characteristics of an adult learner. In this web article, (Billington, D, Seven Characteristics of Highly Effective Adult Learning Programs).  Dorothy describes 7 key factors.

1) "An environment where students feel safe and supported, where individual needs and uniqueness are honored, where abilities and life achievements are acknowledged and respected"

2) "An environment that fosters intellectual freedom and encourages experimentation and creativity"

3) "An environment where faculty treats adult students as peers -- accepted and respected as intelligent experienced adults whose opinions are listened to, honoured, appreciated. Such faculty member often comment that they learn as much from their students as the students learn from them.

4) "Self-directed learning, where students take responsibility for their own learning"

5) Pacing or intellectual challenge"

6) Active involvement in learning, as opposed to passively listening to lectures"

7) Regular feedback mechanisms for students to tell faculty what works best for them and what they want and need to learn"

These points make sense to me and I would like to find many similarities with them in the classroom already.

I believe that these 7 factors can help to provide me with check-in points during my classroom time. By this I mean that I can ask myself; "Is this lecture paced correctly, and is it providing the intelectual challenge appropriate for these apprentices"? Or, "Do I need to lecture this point, or can we use the lab to reinforce this through active learning"?

Inside the Psychologist's Studio with Albert Bandura

Social-Cognitive Theories of Learning

Introduction to Learning Theories

This should be on a bumper sticker!

From page 5 of the book "Adult Learning, Linking Theory and Practice" comes a very interesting quote from a publication "Powerful learning: What we know about teaching for understanding"

Students need to be prepared as self-directed, lifelong learners "for jobs that do not yet exist, to use technologies that have not yet been invented, and to solve problems that we don't even know are problems yet" (Darling-Hammond et al., 2008, p.2)

And yet, when I really think about it and look back on my career, I had no idea when I graduated from SAIT, that I be using a computer on a daily basis (or even carrying one in my pocket!). Or that we would be globally connected via this electronic infrastructure called the internet, allowing us to connect and communicate around the world......

Interesting Thoughts

I've started reading "Adult Learning, Linking Theory & Practice" by Sharan B. Meriam & Laura L. Bierema.

I haven't yet made it past page 5 and there are some passages that I find very interesting.....

Preface, page viii
"One of the assumptions of andragogy is that because adults are self-directing in their work, family, and community lives, they can also be self-directing in their learning"

Hmmmm, In my classes so far, I have seen the self directed learners, and I have also seen a fair percentage (I would guess at least a third of the class) that wait for the direction of the instructional staff.

That's not to say that they lack the ability, but I wonder if our K-12 structure here in Alberta has conditioned the students to follow the direction of the instructors, rather than take it upon themselves.

Definitely something to debate over coffee.....

Trends

A fellow instructor here in the Electrical Department is trying new techniques with his students whereby he assigns topics to small groups to research and then present to the rest of the class. While only tried in one class, he commented that the students were quite receptive to learning for each of the small groups. Again it occurs to me that this is another use of peer learning within the classroom.

And there may also be a side benefit of peer pressure, providing the students with additional incentive to give a good presentation in front of their fellow students.

Additionally, I can see that this sharing of the students is a peer learning technique that I want to utilize whenever possible in my lab classes. Providing 2 benefits; 1) Confirmation for the sharing student that they understand the material, and 2) Assisting the learning student with another viewpoint or person whom they can learn from.

In theory classes, I've identified the strong students based on their results in the evaluations that I have. I'll check with them first to ensure they are comfortable with it and if so, then I'll mention to the class that if they are looking for some extra help, or an additional perspective, to go talk with these students who have a solid grasp on the theoretical concepts.