Professor Keri Facer presenting at Learning Without Frontiers 2012.

In her talk, Keri views schools as being “one of the last public spaces”, where communities can have a significant impact on shaping future learning; tackling the significant cultural, technological, environmental and economic challenges that we are facing in the 21st century. She suggests that, what we are beginning to see, is a move towards “educated hope” as “schools and universities realise what it means to release their power”.

Recommended reading: Keri Facer – Learning Futures: Education, Technology and Social Change

• What were the motives and experiences which led to my choice of profession?
• What were the motives and experiences which led me towards MA study?
• What are the specific areas which I am concerned about in MA study? Which gaps am I hoping to fill in my skills/knowledge/experience through MA study?
• Where am I now as a practitioner and what are my main concerns and challenges?
• How can the MA help me in these areas?

I am not completely satisfied with my response. I found this far more challenging than all of the assessments I have completed thus far. The word limit was particularly restrictive and as such I ended up making significant edits, impairing the quality of my writing IMO. Nevertheless, the assignment is available to read here:

• Opening Statement [Google Doc]

The reflective process itself was useful, helping me to further clarify what I hope to achieve through MA level study.

I would welcome any comments or observations that you may have, particularly with regard to my views about education and the direction of my research.

Blog Posts:

• Google Docs in the Classroom – Part 3: Assessment
• Google Docs in the Classroom – A Discussion
• (Tom Barrett) Marking work in Google Docs
• (Tom Barrett) Unobtrusive Collaboration in Google Docs
• (Oliver Quinlan) Personalising writing lessons with the new Google Docs
• (Oliver Quinlan) Collaborative assessment with Google Docs

MA Assignment:

• Does the collaborative functionality of Google Docs allow educators to better put formative assessment at the heart of their students’ learning?

While I will not be naive and proclaim that I am back full time blogging and tweeting, it is my intention, over the next couple of months, for normal service to resume. In light of this I felt it pertinent to give an overview of how I have been spending my time and what you are likely to be reading about in future posts.

The main reason that I have not been blogging and tweeting regularly is that I have been putting a significant amount of my time, outside of the classroom, into the MA in Education that I am studying towards. I am currently editing my final Module Assignment on Independent Learning, and have begun in earnest the preparation for my dissertation.

The current modules I am working through will be familiar to any of you who have completed an MA in Education.

• Reflective Professional Development
• Educational Research

As I plan to write my dissertation publicly online, I have also opted to write the multiple assignments (related to each of the above modules) publicly as well. The documents at the moment are in very rough form with ideas, notes and links being gathered as I research and complete reading.

• RPD Assignment – Google Docs:
• Opening Statement
• Literature Review
• Critical Review
• Closing Statement
• ER Assignment – Google Doc

I am thoroughly enjoying my studies. I did believe that I was already a highly effective learner in terms of research, reflection and criticality however the academic process has opened up a number of new approaches to learning for both myself and by proxy for my students. The impact my studies have had on my students is something I definitely plan to write about in future posts.

Moreover, I am particularly excited about the prospects of completing my dissertation and the depth of academic study that it is going to involve. I have tentatively begun to work on drilling down my research question. Currently it is too broad but as some of you may be interested, here it is in its current form:

“Are schools (as physical spaces) necessary to facilitate learning in the 21st century?”

In addition to committing more time towards the MA, I also felt that I needed to focus on two specific areas of my teaching. I am both Leader for Media Studies and Key Stage 4 English. Balancing the two roles can be quite difficult. They both demand my time cut come with very different levels of pressure.

While our A2 Media Results were excellent again, they were not up to the standard that I have come to expect. Having completed closer analysis of the results I found that the exam module was the weakest area. I decided that I would take on the teaching of this year’s A2 group on my own, in order to re-develop both the content of the exam module and to re-evaluate the learning structure that we have had in place for A2 students for over five years now.

The most significant change has been the development of the new exam module. I decided to move away from ‘Media Regulation’ and tackle something a bit more theoretical in the shape of ‘Postmodern Media’. While it has been time consuming, it has been a throughly enjoyable process completing the necessary reading and research before piecing together a scheme of work and resources. You can get an insight into how this is going (as well as copies of various resources) at: Media @ CCC.

I also wanted to focus on the continued development of the new KS4 English curriculum. It has been a significant (and welcomed) change for the department. Not only due to new texts and the introduction of the much discussed ‘Spoken Language’ unit but also, due to some restructuring in terms of Controlled Assessment and the timing of exam modules. I now feel that we are coming out of the back of that process far wiser and ready to develop it further in the future.

Finally, I am an avid reader of Patrick Rhone’s writing:

• patrickrhone/journal
• Minimal Mac

As a Minimal Mac patron, I have been fortunate to get a direct insight into writing of his upcoming book: Enough. As part of the research process for the book, Patrick would spend time evaluating his use of various tools and services – sometimes by not using them at all. I wished to get some perspective not only on my blog but how I organised/used my online life and the impact it was having (positive and negative) on my day to day life. To do this it was helpful to stop/tinker with the various facets of my online self. I am still reflecting on this and drawing conclusions. Sufficed to say that this will be something I will be writing about in future posts. One thing I am certain of. Blogging (reflecting) as a process is very important to me and is something that I plan to continue to evaluate my use of in the immediate future.

The time away from blogging/tweeting has been useful and allowed me to re-align my time and energy with what I believe to be my priorities. With that I will close. If you questions about anything I have discussed above please don’t hesitate to comment below or get in touch via Twitter @jamesmichie.

Sometimes the language we use in the classroom is peripheral, complicating meaning and/or understanding. After all, words such as ‘film’ and ‘advert’ are only generic terms, used to classify texts, in our dumbed down world, where we clamour to have everything fitted neatly into little boxes. Words such as ‘watch’ and ‘gaze’ do nothing more than describe states of being.

None of these terms are helpful in preparing young people to be literate in the 21st century. The values placed on texts such as ‘films’ and ‘TV programmes’, when combined with words such as ‘watch’ or ‘listen’, are predominantly negative. The implication being: ‘no reading is required’. However, any student of Media Studies, Communication Studies or Linguistics will tell you that, this is not true.

Moreover, children are being born into, and are growing up in a “media-saturated society” (Strinati, 1992) where the boundaries between high and low culture have been eroded almost entirely. This is a dangerous world in which young people are growing up. That is, if we don’t begin to treat supposed ‘lowbrow’ texts with the same critical reverence as we have paid to fine works of art, classical music and plays.

It is my contention, that we can take steps towards achieving this, by redefining (and using) just two words. Those words are ‘text’ and ‘reading’.

With my semiotic hat on, I would suggest:

• Text: Any work containing one or more sign.
• Reading: To decode the meaning within a text through the understanding of signs.

If we reduce our classroom language to these two terms and help our students to appreciate the above definitions then we can change the way they look at the world; opening their eyes to the depth of meaning that can be found within a Shakespeare play and Call of Duty. Moreover, we can remove hierarchal precepts and establish a level of equality, in which both (highbrow and lowbrow) texts are read (critically) not watched or played.

Following on from decreasing the number of peripheral accounts that I had. I set about redesigning my second blog. I added a more pleasing theme and retitled it ‘Et cetera’. I felt, that what was my other blog, lacked a clear sense of purpose. As such I’ve added the tag line: ‘…riffs, ramblings, snippets and pics’. These were not extensive changes but add clarity to the role this blog plays in my online presence. I also wanted to draw a bit more attention to ‘Et cetera’, so I added buttons to both jamesmichie.com and jamesmichie.com/blog.

This coincided with the removal of the Facebook page I set up to promote jamesmichie.com/blog. The page added limited value and very few additional readers. This also resulted in the deletion of my Facebook account. The continued uncertainty surrounding Facebook’s inability to take its customers’ privacy seriously, have left me under no illusion that it is better to be out than in.

I have made some minor changes to jamesmichie.com including adding a ‘bookmarks’ feed. Likewise, I have added the same feed in the sidebar of this blog. This change was prompted by Google’s decision to remove the sharing functions within Google Reader. The result? Google Reader continues to be my RSS reader of choice, however I laboriously reviewed the items I had shared (automated to Twitter via ifttt) and added any that I wished to keep to my Delicious bookmarks. I am now using this to both bookmark and share items – again, automated with ifttt. Initially, I was annoyed about Google’s decision but this has actually helped in the slimming down of my web presence – streamlining my sharing/bookmarking workflow.

What’s more, with the reduction of sources from which I am sharing information, I have removed the shared stream that was present on both jamesmichie,com and jamesmichie.com/blog.

Also, I have made some subtle changes to this blog, including the addition of text snippets in the side bar to further encourage people to subscribe to the blog and to also promote conference and events, at which I will be attending/speaking.

As I have taken each step, deleting accounts; cleaning up features; adapting my workflow, I have felt calmer, more in control, more focused. I can see that much of this has come as a result of the reading I have been doing this year – particularly the work of Leo Babauta. His books ‘The Power of Less‘ and ‘Focus‘ have had a profound effect in helping me to channel my energy into projects that matter.

I am not, now, opposed to trying out new tools or apps. However, I think it is important to limit your output – the more outlets that you are having to keep up is a form of distraction in itself.

Here are some of the selections I have made:

• Twitter NOT Google+.
• Posterous NOT Twitpic, yFrog and Mobypicture.
• jamesmichie.com/blog NOT Amplify.

Each of these choices have helped me to streamline my web footprint, reduce friction, and find focus – allowing me to fully appreciate the value of ‘less’.

I leave with this thought:

“Most of what we say and do is not essential. If you can eliminate it, you’ll have more time, and more tranquillity. Ask yourself at every moment, ‘Is this necessary?” – Marcus Aurelius

Module 1: School-based Enquiry

A long and thin module that began in September and finished in June, it afforded me the opportunity to conduct a detailed classroom-based investigation. I found writing the essay to be quite difficult. With far too much to say, I felt that the resulting essay was some what disjointed. As such I feel that the garde I achieved was more a reflection of that than the actual research that I conducted. Moreover, on reflection the focus I chose for the module was perhaps too broad.

Researching into the impact Google Docs can have on formative assessment was, however, thoroughly enjoyable. It has left me convinced that Google Docs is a perfect tool to develop meaningful AfL practices with students in the Secondary English and Media Studies classrooms. Furthermore, it added validation to a number of conclusions I had already begun to make.

While the grade I achieved does not measure up to the high standards I set in Module 2 or Module 3, this unit taught me more about how to conduct effective classroom-based research and collect data than either of the other two. I believe that this learning process will stand me in good stead as I begin the preparations towards my thesis later in the year.

You can read the assignment here: Does the collaborative functionality of Google Docs allow educators to better put formative assessment at the heart of their students’ learning?

Further information about the module is available here.

Module 3: Developing eLearning

This was (perhaps unsurprisingly) the most enjoyable module of the three I undertook. It certainly played to my strengths, exploring a significant amount of material that I was already well versed in. While this could have negatively impacted on my enjoyment, it actually resulted in providing me with an opportunity to debate and test ideas that I have held for some time.

Like Module 2: Assessment for Learning, this unit ended up being quite personal, giving me the opportunity to evaluate existing practices and to challenge myself to put my money where my mouth is – considering the real benefits of using technology in the classroom. I set my stall out to challenge myself to develop a ReLP that incorporated technologies, enhancing the learning/progress of my students.

The project incorporated iPads + Garageband, Moodle and Google Docs. Writing the essay was far easier, the process of reflection and evaluation in this case was more straightforward. Moreover, learning from the School-based Enquiry, I did a better job of collating and selecting evidence to analyse.

The assignment is available to read here: Design, construct and evaluate a re-usable learning object or process that fulfils a relevant curriculum objective and responds to the learning needs of your pupils. Include a commentary to provide context and explanation of the considerations that you took into account, including relevant points from the literature. References and appendices are here.

More information about the module is available here.

Should you wish to discuss any aspect of the research that I undertook in any of the Modules I have completed, please don’t hesitate to comment below. Alternatively, you can get in touch via email or Twitter.

“Independent Learning is learning that is self-directed. The learning is defined, organised and completed by the learner. Educators (experts) may act as facilitators or guides. However, the learner is encouraged to plot their own path and to value their own research as well as input from peers on the same level as information and guidance that they may gain from teachers (experts).”

Having just hosted #ukedchat where the topic was Independent Learning, it was clear that the 194 educators who joined in with the discussion all had different views on what IL is. As such I am under no illusion that my definition above is one of many interpretations.

In order to get a fuller understanding, I wish to complete a brief investigation and ask you to share your own definition of Independent Learning.

Do you agree with my definition? Would you add to it or change it in any way? Perhaps, you disagree with the way I’ve defined it, or see IL in a completely different way? Please comment below and share your definition of Independent Learning.

I have the distinct pleasure of hosting #ukedchat this evening.

The poll is closed and the winning question is:

“Can we really help our students to become independent learners or are there too many constraints?”

In order to address this question effectively, I wish to begin by considering first what is meant by ‘Independent Learning’? What does an ‘independent learner’ look like? One of the strengths of #ukedchat is that the educators who get involved represent a diverse cross-section of the education landscape; from KS1 all the way up to HE. I’m sure that we will all have different perspectives on what an ‘independent learner’ is.

I then wish to address the winning question and consider if it is possible to help the students in our classrooms to become independent learners.

• What are the constraints (if any) that get in the way of students’ becoming independent learners?
• How can we as educators (and the students) overcome those constraints?
• What skills do students need in order for them to take ownership of their learning and become effective independent learners?
• What strategies do we use to teach and/or facilitate independent learning?

I hope that you will be able to join in with this evening’s discussion – proceedings get underway at 8pm on Twitter. If you’ve never taken part in #ukedchat before, there is advice here on the best ways to get started.

[Update: Saturday, 15 October] This was the 67th instalment of #ukedchat. You can read a summary of the discussion here and download a PDF archive of all the tweets here.

Thank you Steve, I was never fortunate enough to meet you but as my fingers tap away on a product you and your amazing team at Apple brought to the world, I can honestly say that I came to know you very well.

The elegance, precision and sheer wonder encapsulayed within every Apple product I have bought is a testament to the standards you set for yourself and those who were fortunate enough to work with you. Many articles will be written for months to come reflecting on your legacy. In no short measure though, each one will speak the truth when they innevitably conclude that you changed the world for the better.

Your vision, your courage, your unrelenting determination to keep changing the game was an inspiration to all of us.

Rest in peace Steve.