When you work in a Web 20 world, the most unexpected opportunities appear out of nowhere!
Our validity unit has come to an end, and if you read my previous post, http://heidisiwak.blogspot.com/2011/04/when-i-am-not-learning-no-one-is.html you know that things have been somewhat unsettled in room 208 with EQAO looming over us. My students have two major units they are working on: one is to complete a work of fiction, the other is to complete an inquiry on exploration. Standardized test practice is interwoven. While what we are doing is interesting, the atmosphere does not approach the level of engagement that my students had during term 2.
That is until today. Today my student's first real-world learning project has been dropped into our laps thanks to Ian Chia in Australia. Ian has been following our work via my blogs and twitter. He has been inordinately helpful in pointing me towards excellent resources, interesting people and tools for curating my links. This week Ian has offered to work with my class. From Australia, he will guide them through the process of designing an app for their Iphones and Ipads that will be available for download. My students will be participating in a real world project, one with application beyond the four walls of the classroom. We will be designing a tourism app for our town, Dundas, Ontario.
Neither Ian nor I know how this project will unfold. It is new territory and we are both curious. The work my students will be doing is real. Teaching in a 21st century classroom means that we no longer need to invent activities that mimic the real world. I can't wait to see how this will alter their approach to learning.
Our validity unit has come to an end, and if you read my previous post, http://heidisiwak.blogspot.com/2011/04/when-i-am-not-learning-no-one-is.html you know that things have been somewhat unsettled in room 208 with EQAO looming over us. My students have two major units they are working on: one is to complete a work of fiction, the other is to complete an inquiry on exploration. Standardized test practice is interwoven. While what we are doing is interesting, the atmosphere does not approach the level of engagement that my students had during term 2.
That is until today. Today my student's first real-world learning project has been dropped into our laps thanks to Ian Chia in Australia. Ian has been following our work via my blogs and twitter. He has been inordinately helpful in pointing me towards excellent resources, interesting people and tools for curating my links. This week Ian has offered to work with my class. From Australia, he will guide them through the process of designing an app for their Iphones and Ipads that will be available for download. My students will be participating in a real world project, one with application beyond the four walls of the classroom. We will be designing a tourism app for our town, Dundas, Ontario.
Neither Ian nor I know how this project will unfold. It is new territory and we are both curious. The work my students will be doing is real. Teaching in a 21st century classroom means that we no longer need to invent activities that mimic the real world. I can't wait to see how this will alter their approach to learning.
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