Tag: curriculum

kirsten.ries4Leave a comment

ETL523: Assessment 2 Part B Critical Reflection blog post

At the time of writing this final reflection, our school returns to virtual learning at a 2/3 capacity. I believe that one day I will look back on this time, the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, and see it as a true factor in speeding up an already ever-changing technological and interconnected world (OECD, 2020). Something that stood out to me during this course, interacting with my fellow students, and during Assessment 2, was how lucky I am to be teaching in a context that is so well equipped with technology and has access to Read More …

KirstenLeave a comment

Part B: Critical Reflection

Designing Spaces for Learning (INF536) has been a very interesting and challenging course. I’ve been taken out of my comfort zone but also found common ground with design approaches and how I use them every day as a classroom teacher. I feel like I brought my strength of knowledge in early childhood education to meet my new learning about design processes head-on. It has left me with agreeing with the phrase that “Design has become too important to be left to designers” (Brown & Katz, 2011, p. 381). Kelley’s TEDtalk (2012) about creative confidence opened Read More …

KirstenLeave a comment

Sustainability: Environmental consciousness and the physical learning environment of the future and for the future

In response to Module 4. This year my goal is to promote environmental consciousness within my classroom and school community. Recently, a few trips to the beach have been shocking as the amount of trash that is washed up on the beach is just heart-breaking. Living and travelling in Asia has really opened my eyes to the epidemic that is plastic pollution of our ocean ecosystems and I hope that by leveraging my position as an educator I can help to bring these issues to the forefront of our student’s minds as they grow and Read More …

Kirsten1 Comment

Assessment 7B: Critical Reflection. Self-awareness and a need for change.

My mindset in regards to technology, while as passionate as ever, has expanded dramatically over the course of this subject. With my background in Early Childhood Education, I began to make connections from the videos and readings on 21st-century learning (John Seely Brown, still an awe-inspiring favorite) to Play-based curriculum methods. One such method is the teacher in the role of a coach or a facilitator of play (Frances Hanline, 2010). Starkey (2011) also mentions the moving away from “teacher talk” to the role of coach so the teacher is readily available to help aid Read More …