First essay
« The first of two peer-evaluated essays asks you to use the protocol 'connectextend-challenge' as a framework for assessing your own learning and possible applications to your teaching. »
First essay « connect – extend – challenge »
Jean-Francois CECI
CONNECT : How does this new information connect with what you already know, think, can do? EXTEND : How does this new information extend, build on, what you already know, think, can do? CHALLENGE :
How does this new information challenge what you already know, think, can do?
1 - Introduction: I discover with big interest this plan "Connect /Extend /Challenge" for Education. Indeed, I notice that a lot of my courses are formated in this way and that’s works. I shall say that some "very masterful" courses which I persist in dispensing without thinking too much and which do not respect this plan (or another reflexive plan) do not works. The students are bored for the greater part, and I get tired for few results in the end … Being rather empathic, I can feel easily the state of perception of my class what can be useful, but also stressful when the performance is not there! I suggest you during this presentation describing an atypical course that I had the opportunity to rise and which allows me to innovate in my educational practices. I shall show that it can be analyzed according to the plan " Connect / extend / Challenge ".
2 - A good training is a teaching which evolves… The DUTM (Multimedia Technicals Diploma of University) is a training for adults needing a complement to knowledge or to faires knowledges (in the multimedia field) to find some work. To teach adults (andragogy : 30 middle-aged years) is "difficult" because it is necessary to know how to particularly involve the learner in his learning, give meaning, respect his objectives and give to him " for its money" because in a short time (650 hours) he has to learn a maximum of knowledge / know-how, even assimilate skills. This training exists for 16 years. In its beginning, the courses were "very masterful" and slandered by the students. The very relevant claiming led the teaching staff to revise the model of training (syllabus).
JF CECI
First Essay - Foundations of Teaching for Learning 1 – Week 2
1/3
We decided : (legend : = connect / = extend / ♣ = challenge)
To create a common curriculum and to locate the students within this program : Organizing an information meeting on the job of à " multimedia developer ", learning outcomes, objectives of learning, tools to practice and projects to do. Supplying the complete program of the courses (syllabus and curriculum), the schedule, an indicative listing of the assessments and projects to do, at the beginning of the training. Revising the important notions seen in the previous course in the beginning of session.
To make produce out of the course (at home) to leave the formal learning and integrate of the informal learning (or by the peers) : Joining mini personal projects between 2 courses to spread the understanding Facilitating / encouraging the work in binomial or more important spontaneous groups Giving notes (assessments) only what is necessary to let express himself the creativity and to decrease the "penalty" effect
♣
Integrate annual interdisciplinary large-scale projects
To make our students have more practice, to give meaning and for it :
♣
To limit to the bare minimum the number and the length of the theoretical sequences To begin with practical sequences before theorizing To launch interdisciplinary projects to have common objectives to reach
To draw up the balance sheet on the curriculum of the year and for it : To make 2 diagnoses a year where the students express openly of what they think of every course and how make it progress To calculate a quality index with 10 questions dealing with diverse subjects such as the objectives, the expectations, the contents, the methods, the means, the animation, the relations between students and with the teachers, the progress, the effects of the training and the general organization. If the calculated index is lower than 80 %, the training is considered unsatisfactory and it activates a survey to remedy it.
JF CECI
First Essay - Foundations of Teaching for Learning 1 – Week 2
2/3
To integrate projects which also are challenges to raise :
♣
Organizing multimedia meetings welcoming a public of 200 persons in conference, on Hightech news headlines
♣
Organizing an evening show around students' best realizations, in front of professionals recruiters
3 - Balance sheet : a course connect-extend-challenge ? I wanted to describe you this training by illustrating by « bullet points » the plan " Connect / extend / Challenge ". Connect : The students are permanently guided within a complete curriculum with multiannual feedbacks. The training (course) evolves by taking into account remarks. Extend : Mini-projects in the process of formation allow the students to deepen with their rhythm the knowledge. The work alone or in a group is consequent and very practical.
♣ Challenge : The training is built around challenges and global projects which their allow to express themselves around multiple skills and in front of a varied public, even a professional and a public conference.. Students' testimonies, it often emerges that this training is intense, that it constitutes a real human experiment and that it is very rich apprenticed. The students usually feel a "blues" post-training, phenomenon of sudden lack of stimuli! The critics are not numerous and are often students' fruit not having found their way in this business sector. Quite it was possible thanks to a teachers' welded team and to a permanent will to make the pedagogy progress and the results of this training. Teachers' testimonies, it remains one of the trainings in which they have most pleasure to teach. The necessary investment to take up such a project is thus partially filled by the interest of a pleasant and gratifying work with motivated students. To conclude, I would say that the plan "Connect/extend/challenge" corresponds well to this training and seems to be an operational and promising plan.
JF CECI
First Essay - Foundations of Teaching for Learning 1 – Week 2
3/3
First essay « connect – extend – challenge »
Jean-Francois CECI
CONNECT : How does this new information connect with what you already know, think, can do? EXTEND : How does this new information extend, build on, what you already know, think, can do? CHALLENGE :
How does this new information challenge what you already know, think, can do?
1 - Introduction: I discover with big interest this plan "Connect /Extend /Challenge" for Education. Indeed, I notice that a lot of my courses are formated in this way and that’s works. I shall say that some "very masterful" courses which I persist in dispensing without thinking too much and which do not respect this plan (or another reflexive plan) do not works. The students are bored for the greater part, and I get tired for few results in the end … Being rather empathic, I can feel easily the state of perception of my class what can be useful, but also stressful when the performance is not there! I suggest you during this presentation describing an atypical course that I had the opportunity to rise and which allows me to innovate in my educational practices. I shall show that it can be analyzed according to the plan " Connect / extend / Challenge ".
2 - A good training is a teaching which evolves… The DUTM (Multimedia Technicals Diploma of University) is a training for adults needing a complement to knowledge or to faires knowledges (in the multimedia field) to find some work. To teach adults (andragogy : 30 middle-aged years) is "difficult" because it is necessary to know how to particularly involve the learner in his learning, give meaning, respect his objectives and give to him " for its money" because in a short time (650 hours) he has to learn a maximum of knowledge / know-how, even assimilate skills. This training exists for 16 years. In its beginning, the courses were "very masterful" and slandered by the students. The very relevant claiming led the teaching staff to revise the model of training (syllabus).
JF CECI
First Essay - Foundations of Teaching for Learning 1 – Week 2
1/3
We decided : (legend : = connect / = extend / ♣ = challenge)
To create a common curriculum and to locate the students within this program : Organizing an information meeting on the job of à " multimedia developer ", learning outcomes, objectives of learning, tools to practice and projects to do. Supplying the complete program of the courses (syllabus and curriculum), the schedule, an indicative listing of the assessments and projects to do, at the beginning of the training. Revising the important notions seen in the previous course in the beginning of session.
To make produce out of the course (at home) to leave the formal learning and integrate of the informal learning (or by the peers) : Joining mini personal projects between 2 courses to spread the understanding Facilitating / encouraging the work in binomial or more important spontaneous groups Giving notes (assessments) only what is necessary to let express himself the creativity and to decrease the "penalty" effect
♣
Integrate annual interdisciplinary large-scale projects
To make our students have more practice, to give meaning and for it :
♣
To limit to the bare minimum the number and the length of the theoretical sequences To begin with practical sequences before theorizing To launch interdisciplinary projects to have common objectives to reach
To draw up the balance sheet on the curriculum of the year and for it : To make 2 diagnoses a year where the students express openly of what they think of every course and how make it progress To calculate a quality index with 10 questions dealing with diverse subjects such as the objectives, the expectations, the contents, the methods, the means, the animation, the relations between students and with the teachers, the progress, the effects of the training and the general organization. If the calculated index is lower than 80 %, the training is considered unsatisfactory and it activates a survey to remedy it.
JF CECI
First Essay - Foundations of Teaching for Learning 1 – Week 2
2/3
To integrate projects which also are challenges to raise :
♣
Organizing multimedia meetings welcoming a public of 200 persons in conference, on Hightech news headlines
♣
Organizing an evening show around students' best realizations, in front of professionals recruiters
3 - Balance sheet : a course connect-extend-challenge ? I wanted to describe you this training by illustrating by « bullet points » the plan " Connect / extend / Challenge ". Connect : The students are permanently guided within a complete curriculum with multiannual feedbacks. The training (course) evolves by taking into account remarks. Extend : Mini-projects in the process of formation allow the students to deepen with their rhythm the knowledge. The work alone or in a group is consequent and very practical.
♣ Challenge : The training is built around challenges and global projects which their allow to express themselves around multiple skills and in front of a varied public, even a professional and a public conference.. Students' testimonies, it often emerges that this training is intense, that it constitutes a real human experiment and that it is very rich apprenticed. The students usually feel a "blues" post-training, phenomenon of sudden lack of stimuli! The critics are not numerous and are often students' fruit not having found their way in this business sector. Quite it was possible thanks to a teachers' welded team and to a permanent will to make the pedagogy progress and the results of this training. Teachers' testimonies, it remains one of the trainings in which they have most pleasure to teach. The necessary investment to take up such a project is thus partially filled by the interest of a pleasant and gratifying work with motivated students. To conclude, I would say that the plan "Connect/extend/challenge" corresponds well to this training and seems to be an operational and promising plan.
JF CECI
First Essay - Foundations of Teaching for Learning 1 – Week 2
3/3
