Trying to keep the pace has been the biggest challenge this year. Things went in different directions early on the 1st trimestre and although I managed to grab a lifeboard, it wasn't what I expected it to be at all. The learning curve abrupt!
However, it has been an important learning experience for me, one that will serve me for many years to come. There will be for me always an opportunity to learn; my motto being, if I can't learn anything, or grow from the experience, it's time to move on. In the academic world most believe it is all a matter of either getting credit or recognition. I believe this year has been for me a Phd in life management and skills, 21 century skills!!!!
I am changing professional gears and going head into business training and development. I have been on that track the last few months and closed the year with a Conflict Management Workshop in Barra da Tijuca, Brasil. A big bang and from the top closure to otherwise hard and unfulfilled year.
I'm starting 2010 with new training to be a consultant/coach and will continue on with developing courses and facilitating contents in business management and skills.
To all a very Happy Holidays and a fruitful 2010 too.
Cheers!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Updating and Regrouping
It's been a while and many things are going on...many others just took a different turn.
I'm on an independent adventure now... Still working on curriculum development and editing. I miss working the classroom a lot and feel that the creative sparks dim out when not able to try things out at once... That's me thinking out loud...
Standards... It seems that we fall short (or too long, really!) when thinking about what should be done in the classroom and what actually happens thereafter. I truly believe that both sides are right, only that it should be more a matter of options. Standards...keep them to the point: short and precise and let teachers elaborate and adapt as required. Should there be a national standards, Yes, and by all means international too. We need to agree on the minimum to get our generations prepared for the future; NO, we don't need to spell out every little detail so that we suffocate creativity, adaptability and flexibility.
Textbooks... Uhhh the irony!! When I was in college, the one thing that kept turning my budget inside out was the issue of books. I still want to kick myself for shelling out the $$$ for a handbook that I should have kept dragging just one more semester out of the Library.... after graduation I never went back to it... Textbook buying or not can keep students without sleep or making it through a course, and there is no easy way around that either; however, the Internet has changed all this and publishers have to come to terms with it. Students need not buy a whole book if what is needed is 2 - 5 chapters.. let them get it on line for a fraction... "Oh, but these mean students dare to share!!" Oh come on, you'll think something to make up for it! If the music industry has been able to do it, so will the publishers... Besides, we all know that information goes by, and knowledge changes so fast, that editing and printing textbooks cannot possibly get done at the same pace. That doesn't mean that the classics and new novels shouldn't be printed... on the contrary, those are a different matter and should be treated differently altogether. I couldn't imagine my world without a good novel to curl up with on a lazy afternoon.
Until next time
I'm on an independent adventure now... Still working on curriculum development and editing. I miss working the classroom a lot and feel that the creative sparks dim out when not able to try things out at once... That's me thinking out loud...
Standards... It seems that we fall short (or too long, really!) when thinking about what should be done in the classroom and what actually happens thereafter. I truly believe that both sides are right, only that it should be more a matter of options. Standards...keep them to the point: short and precise and let teachers elaborate and adapt as required. Should there be a national standards, Yes, and by all means international too. We need to agree on the minimum to get our generations prepared for the future; NO, we don't need to spell out every little detail so that we suffocate creativity, adaptability and flexibility.
Textbooks... Uhhh the irony!! When I was in college, the one thing that kept turning my budget inside out was the issue of books. I still want to kick myself for shelling out the $$$ for a handbook that I should have kept dragging just one more semester out of the Library.... after graduation I never went back to it... Textbook buying or not can keep students without sleep or making it through a course, and there is no easy way around that either; however, the Internet has changed all this and publishers have to come to terms with it. Students need not buy a whole book if what is needed is 2 - 5 chapters.. let them get it on line for a fraction... "Oh, but these mean students dare to share!!" Oh come on, you'll think something to make up for it! If the music industry has been able to do it, so will the publishers... Besides, we all know that information goes by, and knowledge changes so fast, that editing and printing textbooks cannot possibly get done at the same pace. That doesn't mean that the classics and new novels shouldn't be printed... on the contrary, those are a different matter and should be treated differently altogether. I couldn't imagine my world without a good novel to curl up with on a lazy afternoon.
Until next time
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Price Is Right 2009 Etech
Check out this SlideShare Presentation: Chuckfull of tips on resources for teachers.
Price Is Right 2009 Etech
View more presentations from plarval.
Curricula in Technology -CURITE an organizational and educational simultaneous learning solution for students and teachers
SlideShare Team to me
Hi gviller,
We've noticed that your slideshow on SlideShare has been getting a LOT of views in the last 24 hours. Great job ... you must be doing something right. ;-)
Sppose so... Been under the weather lately so this kind of perks things up a bit. There are more likeminded people out there than I was thinking...Mmm =)
Hi gviller,
We've noticed that your slideshow on SlideShare has been getting a LOT of views in the last 24 hours. Great job ... you must be doing something right. ;-)
Sppose so... Been under the weather lately so this kind of perks things up a bit. There are more likeminded people out there than I was thinking...Mmm =)
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Assessments should measure 21st Century Skills
Hi, I believe that we must give assessments a total new spin. It is necessary to make sure that we aren't measuring by old standards but by what truly matters today,which is that new generations master 21st century skills. Therefore, it is important we find the way to include technology applications in assessments. Think of it as open books tests, where it isn't just the content knowledge that is being assessed. I recently read the document "Assessment: A call to action" download.microsoft.com/download/6/E/9/6E9A7CA7-0DC4-4823-993E-A54D18C19F2E/Transformative%20Assessment.pdf It was truly inspiring and I recommend it be read, for it focuses on the important issue of including 21 century skill assessments for overall education transformation.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The Inagurational Speech: A different perspective on the most popular topic today
As a foreigner, but one whose formative years were spent in the USA, this was a priceless moment. I confess that living overseas I couldn't listen to the speech live, so I read it last night. Mr. Obama speaks to our generation, the one that has ridden the fast years as kids and young adults, looking up at the older generation for clues of what went wrong and what was rightly done. I also confess I shed a tear or two reading the speech; for although a foreigner, my values were shaped in America; honor and hard work were principles that lead to success, and anyone had the right to a dream and the means to reach it. That's the reason why many foreigners, far away from their own countries look up to this moment as the moment they've all been hoping for, a moment of reckoning and of dreams again being possible.
I have no idea werther former presidents spoke or not to their generations as Obama did with this speech, but this one really did it for me. I believe our generation was robbed of their innocence and dreams before their even had a chance.The forecast today looks promising...
I couldn't vote for Barrack Obama: but had I been an American citizen, I most surely would have, and would feel as elated as I do now. I just hope we're not thrusting upon his shoulders all the dreams and hopes for him to bear on his own (or the blame when tougher times continue to arise), but that America and foreign countries alike are willing to share the load and ready to shoulder in themselves to help this man meet all our expectations.
I have no idea werther former presidents spoke or not to their generations as Obama did with this speech, but this one really did it for me. I believe our generation was robbed of their innocence and dreams before their even had a chance.The forecast today looks promising...
I couldn't vote for Barrack Obama: but had I been an American citizen, I most surely would have, and would feel as elated as I do now. I just hope we're not thrusting upon his shoulders all the dreams and hopes for him to bear on his own (or the blame when tougher times continue to arise), but that America and foreign countries alike are willing to share the load and ready to shoulder in themselves to help this man meet all our expectations.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
eLearn 2008 Part II
Ok, that was long enough between part I and II. I apologize for that.
One of the subjects that was most drawn on presentations was that of Online gaming as learning environments and that of course included Second Life.
It is to be understood that Physical gaming as opposed to virtual gaming requires at least a temporary portioning of the physical environment for the game or simulation to take place, the laws of physics apply to all players and people typically behave with socially construed rules and norms continuously maintained. Virtual games on the other hand are free of many of these restrictions or variables; however the minute you get into the augmented realm that is that of Second Life for example, the situation isn’t all imaginary and a temporary positioning of a physical (although virtual) environment is required as much as design laws apply to possible interaction. Likewise because of the virtually physical environment, socially construed norms and rules virtually permeate the interaction!
Having said the above, we find from the paper presented for a University Curriculum for Second Life Course (Calif. State University) that authentic context and activity are built in, there is access to expert modeling and performance, there are multiple roles and perspectives available, with collaborative construct of knowledge that allows scaffolding, reflection and coaching of individuals, including authentic assessment possibilities.
I also attended some good presentations on design and development of web-based formative peer assessment, on open models that addressed multilingual aspects of online participation and e-learning. However, the most outstanding discussions from my personal perspective are the ones I have mentioned in PartI and here.
One of the subjects that was most drawn on presentations was that of Online gaming as learning environments and that of course included Second Life.
It is to be understood that Physical gaming as opposed to virtual gaming requires at least a temporary portioning of the physical environment for the game or simulation to take place, the laws of physics apply to all players and people typically behave with socially construed rules and norms continuously maintained. Virtual games on the other hand are free of many of these restrictions or variables; however the minute you get into the augmented realm that is that of Second Life for example, the situation isn’t all imaginary and a temporary positioning of a physical (although virtual) environment is required as much as design laws apply to possible interaction. Likewise because of the virtually physical environment, socially construed norms and rules virtually permeate the interaction!
Having said the above, we find from the paper presented for a University Curriculum for Second Life Course (Calif. State University) that authentic context and activity are built in, there is access to expert modeling and performance, there are multiple roles and perspectives available, with collaborative construct of knowledge that allows scaffolding, reflection and coaching of individuals, including authentic assessment possibilities.
I also attended some good presentations on design and development of web-based formative peer assessment, on open models that addressed multilingual aspects of online participation and e-learning. However, the most outstanding discussions from my personal perspective are the ones I have mentioned in PartI and here.
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