I want to call the following to your attention. It is a comment left yesterday by Dorothy Burt, eLearning Director at Pt. England School in Auckland, New Zealand. Please especially note Point 2 below.
Manaiakalani has left a new comment on your post "Honest Reflection is Required":
As an outsider (both in terms of your class and culturally) I have been fascinated by this post and the following conversation. Which I must hasten to add has occured in a public space and so I am adding my 2 bobs worth....
Two comments:
1.Ten years into the 21st century I am amazed by educated folk who still haven't understood that once you start using digital tools most of your acts are traceable. So it is getting almost impossible to lie about events online. I must assume that ZZZ is one of the people who most needs this course because s/he hasn't yet understood about digital accountability. I administer large domains for teachers in my district and I am amazed by teachers who fudge about having been online and attempting to do a required task because in my Administrator's page it tells me the last date/time they logged in!
This is something that teachers and students need to get their heads around urgently.
2. This point is dear to my heart because many of you students have been leaving comments on blogs of children who I work with. I wish I could come over and meet you (or bring you all over to NZ) and explain to you what a HUGE profound difference you make in the lives of individual children when you affirm them by reading their work, looking at their graphics, watching their movie, or listening to their podcast AND leaving them a comment. The positive affirmation is fantastic, but you people go beyond that and leave feedback which indicates that you did listen and you connected with what they were trying to say. That simple act has the power to change lives. I know you need your A grades, but our kids need people such as you to interact with them and their learning.
Please don't let this just be about grades - whether we are talking about this course or teaching as a career - make it ALWAYS be about the kids.
Dorothy
Auckland, NZ
Posts
Good day Ms. Burt, I am a student at the University of South Alabama in Dr. Strange EDM310 class. I would like to thank you for the comments on our blogs. It is gratifying to know that our comments have such a profound impact on your and other classes; I am really touched.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with Ms. Burt more! I do think that many student and teachers for that matter lose sight of the real reason we are all here, and that is to make a difference in a childs life. One of the most enjoyable parts of the EDM310 class, for me, has been leaving comments for students. It truly warms my heart everytime I watch a video or read a post, and it reminds me why I'm doing what I'm doing. Children need positive role models in their lives and it is our job as future teachers to be those positive role models. It's about making a difference, and that is something that I, and the rest of the EDM310 class should be very proud of.
ReplyDeleteIt IS about the kids! I'm glad that we've been able to connect with them (in a way that would never be achieved without technology). I agree with Alicia, the comments4kids is one of the best things we've done in the class, for me, and solely because it was JUST FOR THEM! Dorothy, thanks for visiting our blog and commenting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. i really appreciate it that you shared with us such a informative post..
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