Helping students with their Journals

Since the beginning of this “e-Portfolio” thing, I have been relying a lot on Journals in Mahara as evidence of student growth and to promote reflective learning. So far, so good, except for the fact that students keep forgetting how to do it or sometimes, do things in a way that is not really what I want. So, last year, in the Global Citizenship Course, I made a video that showed the whole process: from writing a journal entry to Read More …

Introduction to Global Citizenship: At last, the material

Finally, the material for my ICT module is ready. It took me a while and although not perfect, it is good to go. Today we have our third class in the course where we discuss what a global citizen is. Next week I am changing classroom and will start the ICT module with a different cohort. So far so good, except that, for my lesson to go well, I need next week students to prepare for the class!!! This will Read More …

Introduction to Global Citizenship

Today I decided to start preparing for the “Introduction to Global Citizenship” course starting next semester. The course will have 17 classes from which 9 will be taught by me, and 8 by other 2 teachers. As a “shared” course, I will be teaching 4 classes to each of the other 2 sections. Introduction classes (3) Shared classes (4) Shared classes (4) Shared classes (4) Review classes (2) “Preparing” is not really the term I should have used since I Read More …

Conference on Global Higher Education

Beginning of June, me and Debra presented at the “The Third Annual Conference on Global Higher Education at Lakeland College Japan”. It was nice to be in a conference again and exchange ideas with other scholars. More pleasant was the fact that I was presenting about something that is having an impact on our students and actually working in practice, not only theory. [display-posts tag=”moodle” image_size=”thumbnail”] This time, I was showing how active learning and critical thinking are achieved through Read More …

First version of ICT badges

Our class is a living laboratory: First we decided to use Mahara and the new e-Portfolio server in it. Later we started using the rubrics I developed at the end of last year. Now, we are using badges to award students achievements AND to keep class motivation. Syllabus for this class with the evaluation rubrics and badges is available on the MIC website: http://www.mic.ac.jp/pdf/syllabus/SCI151-2.pdf

Electronic whiteboard, here I come.

At the end of November I applied for a special fund within our university. The fund was intended to be used to improve instruction in the classroom. Anyway, I was awarded with it, and my proposal was to improve A.L. and tablet usage in the classroom. The package arrived today. I intend to use it to record whiteboard activity and hopefully make class content available online so students can review it anytime, anywhere. For those who have no idea of Read More …