I will start by introducing myself. I am a 24 year old Woodbridge Native who recently moved to Niagara Falls to live with my Nonna (grandmother in Italian), while I attend Brock University. After completing my BA Honours in French Studies at York University, I continue to be passionate about learning languages and education and hope to integrate the two within my own classroom. Pursuing a career in the field of education is the only dream I have ever envisioned. From an earlier age, I believe it stemmed from a love of learning. I have always enjoyed learning new things, even if it meant tirelessly treading through the "mud" and rising to new challenges before arriving at the final destination - the big, fatty, at times indigestible, LESSON. Enriching my life with more wisdom and knowledge is worth being fond of. This is why I refer to myself as an "Eternal Student of Life", as there are simply always new things to discover in this big, beautiful world.
Fun fact: I survive all challenges and life lessons without a single drop of coffee. That's right. I love tea more than any other hot beverage on planet earth, and quite enjoy a good tea pun every once in a while. (Hence the name of my blog- TEAcher.) I mean, the word tea is within the word 'teacher' itself - it's as if I was meant for this field all along. ;) Tea makes me feel weirdly philosophical each time I drink it...I wouldn't be surprised if I am sipping on tea with each blog post I compose. Currently it is a lavender tulsi tea - yum! Anyways, enough rambling about tea. I am here to create a space where I can share - you got it - what I have learnt and continue to learn during my journey, here in the Teacher Education program at Brock University.
As a Teacher Candidate, I am just now dipping my toes into the vast ocean of what educating the younger minds entails. I expect to learn valuable things each day while being introduced to new philosophies, innovative ideas, and methodologies from various professionals. Today has been especially eye-opening for me in my Teach Digital Learners in the Digital Age class. I am not the most tech-savvy person in the world, despite owning a Macbook and an iPhone. This happens to be my VERY first blog post. Not bad, huh? An accomplishment of mine for this class already!
Today, we learned about a concept called 'Genius Hour'. This refers to the allotted time (at least 20% of the school day), given to students so that they may have the opportunity to express their passions and deepest desires. David began the class with an interesting video and exercise - creating a drawing in only 10 seconds. We then attempted the same exercise but were given a few extra minutes. The result - both in the video we watched and in our own classroom - was a more detailed, creative approach to the exercise, knowing we had more time. This is the exact concept Genius Hour promotes: allowing more time for students to express creatively and authentically, because that is when the real magic happens. Students then feel more inclined to share ideas with their peers because they have created something on their own terms, about something they feel particularly excited for, as it will derive from their personal interests. Productivity levels will also increase when a student has so much freedom to feel inspired. This self-manifested sense of purpose is definitely a student-centred approach I aspire to implement in my own classroom some day.
Our instructor, Dave, presented an additional `Genius Hour` inspired activity for us to complete. We were introduced to a digital resource called ``Google Draw``, where we designed a Passion Heart Map. Individualized to what we love, we had fun brainstorming and releasing the energies conjured up during this expression and momentum of freedom. Surrounding the heart (or whatever shape(s) we preferred), were words representing people, places, or things of deep significance to us. It was wonderful to see what every one had created.
This diagram accurately depicts the aspects of Genius Hour that were put into practice today:
I hope this post inspires you all to get out of your comfort zone and expand your digital identity, or your perception on teaching methods, in the same way I was challenged to do so. I am confident in knowing the course Teach Digital Learners in A Digital Age will benefit my future career.
Until next time,
Have a beau-tea-ful evening!
Miss Capano
Hi Giuliana!
ReplyDeleteI'm loving your blog layout! The colour scheme and background work well together, not to mention your blog title and sign off name. It makes your audience go through an experience when viewing your blog. Overall great work!