GROUP ACTIVITY
Divide up into your teams. Your task for the next thirty minutes is to reflect on the discussion that we just had.
Ask yourselves these questions:
If you had the opportunity to redesign education- design your own school, what would be the most important issues you would need to consider in order to achieve a sense of community and of student belongingness? How would the themes that we have consistently touched upon in our course discussions, identity, community and design, play a part in your considerations?
Each team will have a role, Team 1 will be the students, Team 3 will be the teachers and Team 4 will play the role of administrators. Now, you should look at this activity as an opportunity to redesign the current system, feel free to also move away from traditional language. For example, students can be labeled as "Learners", teachers as "Guides" and administrators could be "Organizers".
In each of your teams, develop a Vision or
Consider the following questions for discussion in your groups:
1. How could the
design of the school/classroom lead to a more engaging environment?
2. What types of
technology can help create a greater sense of belonging within, and
perhaps outside of, the classroom?
3. Does a sense of belonging increase
engagement/productivity/learning?
Should a price tag be placed on education?
Individual Team discussion questions:
Team 1 (students/ learners)- When do
you feel more belongingness at school? Which learning environment makes you feel more
comfortable and productive?
Team 3 (teachers/guides) - Will you consider technologies as part of
your community building and student belongingness objectives? How can technologies be integrated to facilitate links
to communities and tie them to school lessons?
Team 4 (administrators/organizers)- How
can you facilitate student belonging...transitioning to society/community?
Would you create, adopt standards that include technology? What would be a common definition of
"productivity" ? Should there be more
relevant and meaningful measures of learning goals and costs?
Rethink learning, assessment and teaching
Overall Purpose:
To create a school environment that helps students feel part of not only the
school community, but as important members of larger society. (Help them become
engaged, active members of a national and global community)
Consider.....
What
kinds of technologies might be used to this end? (blogs, wikis allow parents,
adult experts to contribute to students' learning)
How
would your added measures affect/contribute to learning?
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