New course with different start

Last Tuesday I started my new course with my beloved instructor Dr. Joy. I am sure that if it was the first session with her I will get a “Big Shock”. I think this is the feeling of some new members in 503. Starting exactly on time, small break, a lot of tasks, challenging ideas, using technology, lot of questions need answers…… etc. This is Dr. Joy.

We didn’t understand Dr. Joy way of teaching except after a long time. That is way I feel that we will have much more benefits this course as we pass long way out, as we started to understand each other.

by the end of 504 course, I decided to do three things with my students.

①Build self motivation inside my students.

②Make a CBL project per term.

③ Give than daily brain teasing activity.

④ Answer the question with a question (not for teasing J) but to let the student  depends on himself finding his. Also may he find more creative and brilliant answers than mine. He needs directions not answers

What I gain from the 1^st session in my new course (503):

① We have to use the experience (or the back knowledge) of some students to help their colleges in group working.

② I start to use the blackboard (which is a new technology to me).

If this is my 1^st courses with Dr. Joy, I am sure that I will be disappointed as it concentrates on literacy and I am a Math Teacher. But with her I am sure I am going to learn more than what I expect.

N.B.

I still start my blog with “last Tuesday” and share zit Monday Night: D

Reflective learning Journal # 10: Finally :)

Last Tuesdays (as I always start with last Tuesday) I learned a lot. When I took a tour in my blogs I found myself started with a “Big shock”, mainly from the CBL project and using blogger, which was a start for a series of a technology program. When I read this blog I felt as if I was a kid going to the school for his first time. He doesn't know what he has to do to be a good boy. He is suffering from his first home work and by it he took a bad feeling for the whole school and all the teachers :). When I read the second reflection I laughed a lot and remember myself when my friends talked about their teenagers’ students and I heard them as if I am in the wonder land. By the third reflection I knew that most of us are suffering in this course and not motivated. Actually this encourages me as I am not the only one :) I think Dr. Joy felt it; it was obvious in the 4^th blog how we start to enjoy our sessions.

No comment on the 5^th and 6^th reflections. They were the most suffering time for me in this course, as I struggled to reach the course. I was very disappointed, but our supportive teacher asked me to look to the bright side and always be ready with plan B.

When we discussed the CBL projects in the 7^th session, it was the first clue for the interior motivation :). I didn't think that I will have answers for questions like “What is the Egyptian education system gaining? What is the world gaining? “But the CBL project carried a lot of answers. I felt that a lot of doors and windows opened in front of me. In the CBL project presentation day, we weren't motivated to the course only but the whole diploma. We gain a lot of ideas and learned a lot of experience and techniques for motivations. We finalized our course with abnormal ending (skype) which let me think that I must always prepare plan B

Thanks Dr. Joy for all what we learned from you in motivation or as teachers. Thanks to all my colleagues. They are the best. 

Reflective learning Journal # 9 : Amazing session

Last Tuesday I took a totally different session. It was my first time to use the skype. I was very anger to use it as I never had a chance before. I had account but I never travel abroad also there is no one from my family members or my friends travel abroad. I spend an hour to organize my place and the laptop and I discovered that there was no need for all this worry.  

After the session I discovered two things.

The 1^st on that during this course we used..

1)Bolgger            2)Turnitin             3)Blackboard               4)AUC Library

5)Skybe               6)Dropbox

And all these programs or sites are new to me. Also we used

1) youtube                   2) word doc.                3) Power point             4)google search                   5) mail     …… and may be more

All these programs in 10 sessions only!!! That is with average a program or site each session. I didn't think ever that I will learn all these in one course. The point is I am ready to learn and use more. Really I enjoyed them all.

The 2^nd thing is how cleaver is our instructor. Her plan “B” for the session wasn't less organized or less useful to us. She achieved all her goals for this session by away or another. Some times when we loss a lesson with our student, we become proud of ourselves if we find a way to overcome half its goals. Really this was amazing and very useful to be a sample to our future lesson plans.

Reflective learning Journal # 8 : CBL Presentations

Last Tuesday I went to my session very happy, just because I finished all my tasks by this day. I thought that I have a poor presentation related to the incredible ideas I heard from my colleagues. Put I knew that it is not related to the idea; it is related to the work in the project.

As my friends said in the course, we have a lot of ideas for different projects that we can use for a good period of time. Also we have different ideas for facing different challenges we can face while we do our projects. Dr.’s idea of distributing some tasks among different students, time manager and technician, I didn't face in other courses. It was a very very very useful day.

Notes:

·        I thought I have to restrict with the power point presentations

·        Sorry Assad I didn't attend your presentation.

 

Reflective learning Journal # 7 : Cheer up

Last Tuesday I went to my session 4:35. J This was my 1^st cheer up as I lost half of the last two sessions.

When I was upset in one of our sessions, Dr. Joy asked me a set of questions I have to ask myself. “What are you gaining by being in this course? What are your two children gaining? What are your students gaining? What are your colleagues in class gaining? What are you work colleagues gaining? What is your school gaining? What is the Egyptian education system gaining? What is the world gaining?” I tried to find out the answer for these questions for a long time but I failed till last session and that is 2nd resign for my cheer up J

Last session for more than one hour we were discuses how we can serve our community. Then while I was returning back to home I heard in the radio a whole program about the resigns for most of the problems that we have in Egypt like traffic jam , steeling , harassment …..etc. They relate all the problems that happen to the lake of ethics especially for youth.

Most of us thoughts of how to serve the community is to give out money, food, closes , pay for something to buy or to make …..etc. All are money takes. That led the poor people to feel with this gap. As will we insure it to ourselves. There is a different between the poor and even the middle class. We never see a guy insult or bather any one of his neighbors or from his carrier. We never hear about harassment in poor areas or from middle class youth. That because they know that is wrong and they can’t accept for their family or class. Put they hate the other class and that appear in their way of dealing.

Yes, I can’t accept my son go there especially when he is 8 or 10 years old. Put I can take the other guy to spend a day in different community.

On Friday there was a robot event in Mall of Arabia. It was for free. I thought if I took the son of the door man with me alone for a place he will never thing to go to what will happen? What will happen when he starts to try to make his own robot and see other education he never hears about? Then I developed the idea. What will happen if each building was responsible for their door man family? If they went to a similar event they took them. In the Eid they collect from each other and one of the resident and his wife take the doorman family to buy the eid clothes (not just give them money or even new clothes). When other family goes outside in a park they took them there and left they do whatever they want. They can collect the money to let the doorman children go to an experimental school in state of the public school. I think that will make them feel as if we are the same. We have to let them live the life we live not once but as much as we can. And when I send my son to them they will deal with him in a way I will never be afraid of.

I know that our government is responsible for this gap but we can do a lot. 

Reflective learning Journal # 6 : Depression

Last Tuesday I went to my session after a lot of suffering in the traffic. Then I found the AUC gates closed!!!!!!!!! After more suffering for 45 min I entered to my session finding half of it finished!!! Will, I start to get used for this kind of suffering in this course.

I suffer also in my assignment to meet my Doctor needs, but still I can’t do my work as perfect as she I would.

We pass more than half of the course and still I didn't find my why on it. The only mark I took, I never took like it in any course before, while I make more effort in this course.

All the assignment starts to be a big burden. I hope I finish this course as soon as possible and start a new one.

Reflective learning Journal # 5 : Technology

“Computer-based technology and Motivation” I was waiting for this session since I read the syllabus first time. But last Tuesday was a disaster. I was awake for two consecutive days to finish my reading summary in the way “I thought” it is required. I was fasting as “I thought” it is the 1^st day in thee Alhiga. I went to a trip with the school to the compound of religion near the AUC then I return to the school (at 6-of October) to go back to the AUC ?????? . “Traffic jam” …. No comment.

While I was sitting in the car for 2 hours I called by sweet friend Amal to know what happen in the session. She told me that they have a nice drawing activity. They enjoying their time drawing and I enjoy the traffic jam L I left the car and try my best to catch what I can from the session. I entered the class while they were watching a movie about technology. Before the movie, “I thought” that I know almost most the teenagers interest on net, but I found that I almost know nothing. I have to enter more sites and go deeper to know how I can use technology in class in different ideas.

This topic is very rich and interesting. I think I will make my next reading summary on.