Get ready for your weekly serving of what’s been happening in my head and life!
Ed-Tech I’m Using
I used Mentimeter for the first time whilst delivering a workshop at ISPP in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I first came across this on a bright morning podcast. The host, Elena Aguilar, said that a great way to start a session with people you don’t know is to declare some psychological safety. So I used Mentimeter to ask everybody to pick a core emotion, listed on the projector, of how they were feeling that morning. It was awesome to be able to see and share emotions, and it helped me adjust my pitch a little after seeing how many people were tired, and at the same time, I was motivated by the 2 people who said that they were excited about the session.
Teaching Practice I’m Trying
I came across this awesome teaching strategy on the cult of pedagogy pod. The strategy of “building thinking classrooms” by Peter Liljedahl is an approach to teaching and learning that emphasizes the development of students’ thinking skills and engagement in the classroom. The strategy involves creating a classroom environment that is designed to promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration among students. Key elements of the strategy include using vertical non-permanent surfaces (VNPS) in the classroom, implementing group problem-solving tasks, and fostering a growth mindset in students. The ultimate goal of the strategy is to create a classroom culture that supports students in becoming independent, self-directed learners who are capable of thinking critically and solving complex problems.
YouTube Video I’m Watching
Recommended to me by a friend, The Core Quadrant® model by Daniel Ofman is a tool for self-awareness and personal development. It consists of four elements:
- Core Quality
- The Pitfall
- The Challenge, and
- The Allergy.
The Core Quality is a person’s unique positive trait, while the Pitfall is the negative aspect of that trait when overused. The Challenge is a trait that complements the Core Quality and helps to balance it, while the Allergy is a trait that the person strongly dislikes and is often a reflection of their own Pitfall. The goal of the Core Quadrant® is to help individuals recognize their Core Quality, avoid their Pitfall, and develop their Challenge, leading to greater self-awareness and personal growth.
Check out the video here.
Things I’ve Learned
I had another go at practising the memory palace, this time for memorizing all 25 criteria of the ISTE standards. I’m currently training to be an SD trainer, and I’m sometimes struggling to remember all of the different criteria. So I’ve been reading Moonwalking with Einstein, and the book talks at length about how to use the memory palace. I have to say it was amazing, and a total blast. I will follow up soon with the crazy memory palace that now stores all 25 ISTE criteria.
The String I’m Pulling
Identify existing problems in education, and then using a problem tree analysis, break down what the problem is until you can go no further. It is at this point, identifying the problems, that you can start coming up with solutions.
Quote, I’m Pondering
‘The toe you step on today could be connected to the ass you’re kissing tomorrow’ by Aryeh Bourkoff on Tim Ferris