Six quick tips for new teachers

I have had blog holidays this summer and I haven't posted anything, so now, that summer is over and we are back to school, it's the right moment to start again. So, ready, steady, go!

This is the video I choose to start a new school year. It's about six short tips for teachers who start their career. It's a little old-fashioned but anyway I have loved two of the tips explained.

I especially agree with tips number two and three:
- Plan together with one or two teachers or even your whole grade level.
But I don't agree with the reason why we should do it. It's not only that you don't get so much stuff to do, but that you learn from all your colleagues. Team work in schools will devolop professional development of all teachers working in groups.

- Try to meet with a fellow teacher that has been teaching for five years or longer. That way you can meet with someone that has some experience.
I really feel it's the right thing to do for new teachers: try to meet a mentor, someone you can rely on and ask for help, opinion and advice. New teachers need the expertise of someone who has been working for a long time to make them think on all important aspects in teaching.




See you soon again, and happy new school year!

Edupunk?

Edupunk, a new standpoint to analyze elearning that I have just discovered on a post by Jordi Adell on Twitter.
Edupunk was firstly defined by Jim Goom in 2008 as an approach to teaching and learning practices that result from a do-it-yourself attitude (Wikipedia)

Edupunk is about ulearning (Martin Ebner, Graz University). It's about learner's autonomy, a learner's centered approach based on a personal learning enviroment or PLE where the learner can choose the tools to collaborate, communicate and learn (Steven Wheeler, Playmouth University).
Wheeler radicalizes his speech when he says that Virtual Learning Enviroments or VLEs stop learner's autonomy as they are controlled. While Ebner isn't as revolutionary as he tries to find a way to open VLE to free contents and tools.

It's curious to know about Edupunk when lots of teachers are just getting started in introducing VLE in their lessons.I like this new concept as it can be another point of view when checking our teaching basis and improving the VLE that we offer to our students.

Edupunk

View more presentations from Martin Ebner.

Edupunk F-ALT 2008

View more presentations from Steve Wheeler.

A video about the past?

I hope so...

Certainly not the best teaching strategies but anyway, a really funny video.