PracTICE: Using Blogs for Critical Thinking and Proactive Thinking

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. KEYWORDS FOR THIS FREE COURSE AND WHAT YOU WILL LEARN: . Blog, blogging, Flow Chart, Learners Interests, Respect of the learners, Learning by Doing, Proactive Thinking, 21st Century Tools, Sustainability, motivation, engaging your learners (students), Learning to learn, respect, e-Citizen, Digital-Citizen, Copyright, Mindmapping, competencies, Professional Development (PD), Life-Long-Learning Strategies, Curation, Critical Thinking, Quality Publishing, How-To use the 21st Century Tools, The SUCCES of our learners (students) depends on our knowledge, Peer-Review, Peer-to-Peer-Learning, WE as teachers, professors, educators, instructors can always improve, WE as professionals are not allowed to have a “lazy bone attitude”, WE as professionals need to protect the reputation of our profession by providing quality content, Accessibility, Blogging, stay out of the box, adapt to new technologies, nobody is perfect… ===> “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” – Marie Curie – <=== ===> The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. -Aristotle <=== .

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What Teachers Will Learn in this Project: Professional Development

By using this “Project“, Teachers and Learners will both benefit from it, together they can learn and improve their knowledge! I recommend it for teachers to grow their “Professional Development“. Even when NOT having already the knowledge for this “Project”, teachers have a lot of time between the different courses to learn what is needed for the next session. They will grow together with the Learners while working on that “Project” and won’t have any pressure if they organize well up from the beginning, making a good preparation!

By using this “Project“, teachers will acquire knowledge of Education 3.0, including: Blog creation, Curation, Creativity, Motivation, Challenge, Critical Thinking, Proactive Thinking, Internet-Safety, knowledge of the use of great tools for community work, Copyright, Learners interests, Learning by Doing, Peer-Review, Peer-to-Peer-Learning, Mindmapping, the use of Flow Charts, good preparation, sustainability, Accessibility…

I actually advise teachers to take this opportunity, learning together with the learners as a Challenge! Create yourselves ALSO a Blog about YOUR interests and let it ALSO get “Peer-Review” by the learners! YOU don’t have anything to loose, YOU can ONLY win, winning on experience, winning the confidence of YOUR learners, winning on Team-Work, winning of knowledge, winning on getting more courage, winning on learning new stuff… YOU can show the learners ALSO that in the 21st Century it is NOT anymore “Us v Them“, BUT “Us & Them” to go for a “Win-Win Situation” by accepting this way; which I think (my personal meaning) is the BEST. I did it ten (10) years with adults, seniors and teens and it was a great experience which worked perfectly! Get the courage and jump into it 😉 You will have a lot of fun by learning from each other and YOU will make a strong “Community” by continuing in the same way with other “Projects“…

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Remember the above quote when creating YOUR blog, please! Created with QUOZIO

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PS: YOU might have noticed that I highlighted the word ===> “Creativity”, WHY!? <===  Creativity boosts the way of Learning!

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What is the most important for the Students, Learners when creating a blog?

When you teach your students, learners for the first time to create a blog; ask them what their interests are. Read more here about interests: How to Fuel Students’ Learning Through Their Interests.

Then show them some blogs, different ways of publishing:

• Text ONLY.
• Text with ONLY one image.
• Creative blogs.
• Blogs using nearly ALL possible multimedia included.

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I will give you some chosen examples here below so that you could have an overview:

• http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=Blogging

And my own blog using “comics“, in case of someone would be interested to create a blog with “comics“:

• https://gustmeesen.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/why-ict-security-why-the-need-to-secure-a-computer/
  

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Knowing now what possibilities they have to create their own blog, give them ALSO a short introduction about Copyright, tell them that they are NOT allowed to copy & paste everything what they find on the internet. My blog below could serve as a guide:

• What YOU should know about Copyright
  

I recommend you to use the following infographic, which you might also distribute to the learners:

• http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=Guide+to+The+Use+of+Blogging+in+Educatio
  

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Why should WE as Teachers choose that way as described above?

When the learners work based on their own interests they are learning BETTER, quicker and with motivation. They should get even told that they can make mistakes and that later the whole class together with the teacher will talk about what these mistakes are and how to avoid them in the future. The learners will work on a “Learning By Doing” base, which helps them to develop their creativity and helps also to develop their personality…

Check also:

• How to Fuel Students’ Learning Through Their Interests
• http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=Learning+by+doing
  
• http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=Motivation
• http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=Creativity

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By choosing the mentioned way above what else could WE expect?

While you are explaining the learners about how to create a blog, make sure also that they have already a bit knowledge on how to search on the internet by using the search engines such as Google. Most of them will probably know a bit about it, but give them a deeper insight about it! I recommend viewing together the new interactive website from Google itself here, “How Search Works“:

• http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=How+Search+Works+-+The+Story

And also Google-Search-Education here:

• http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=Google-Search-Education

As the learners are anyway searching information for their blog and that this information needs to get stored somewhere, I suggest to teach them also about Curation. You will find the necessary links on the bottom of this blog!

At the same moment tell them ALSO that on the internet are dangers, that websites could be infected and by visiting them they could ALSO infect their computers. I suggest that you show the learners my following blogs:

• Get smart with 5 minutes tutorials/IT-Security/Part 4: Surf more secure-which web sites to trust?
  
• Visual IT-Security/Worksheet-Secure Surfing
• Visual IT-Security/Worksheet-Secure Surfing-part2

Check the above mentioned blogs and you will see that it is very easy, there are ONLY 2 programs to install which take ONLY 5 minutes and who will show the learners by their search adventure which websites are trustful and which websites are malicious! They will learn then also how to surf on a safe way… Check also the video below and show it to your learners.

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Now WE can bring in Critical Thinking ALSO!

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Once the learners finished their blog, let them make a Peer – Review and let them make also constructive critics to each other! Use a  mind-map later where they could bring in their global thinking.

• Learn about Peer review
• Peer-to-Peer Learning

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WE can use the blog also for Proactive Thinking, HOW!?

Prepare a mind-map where the learners could bring in their Critical Thinking, let them make brainstorming and then let them bring in their reflections on the mind-map. This finished coach them on How To make Proactive Thinking. What could have been avoided up from the beginning and how! Let them use also a mind-map for this task, perhaps the same while using a different color for Critical Thinking and Proactive Thinking! Talk to them now and ask them some questions about Proactive Thinking and what they learned…

Choose  a mind-map of your choice and practice a bit with it, here below a non-exhaustive list:

• http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=mindmapping
• http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-tools-for-teaching-people-and-learners?tag=mindmap

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The different tasks for the teacher – the preparation

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As you certainly have remarked it on above mentioned steps, there is a lot of preparation to do. Find below the detailed tasks which you have to prepare and to planify:

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• What you need to know about blogs and blogging:
  • http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=Blogging
• Chose a blog platform, public or ONLY on the school server (NOT public).
  • http://blog.teachercast.net/kidblog-is-todays-hottest-blogging-platform/
• Explain how to search with search engines.
• Show the learners how to install the programs for more secure surfing.
• Explain and show the learners about trustful websites and malicious websites while showing the videos.
• Explain the learners about Critical Thinking and why it is so important, you may use my curation below:
  • http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=Critical-Thinking
• Explain the learners about Proactive Thinking and why it is so important: sustainability, Cyber-Security…
  • http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=Proactive+Thinking
  • http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=Sustainability
• Prepare also some Infographics, they are a great way to learn very fast, you may have a look at my curation here:
  • http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=Infographics
  • http://www.scoop.it/t/securite-pc-et-internet?tag=Infographic
• Choose  a mind-map of your choice and practice a bit with it, here below a non-exhaustive list:
  • http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=mindmapping
  • http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-tools-for-teaching-people-and-learners?tag=mindmap
• You need also, my advice, tell the learners about Curation. Check below about what Curation is:
  • http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=Curation
  • And my own Curation ===> http://www.scoop.it/webwizard
  • I use the service http://www.scoop.it
  • Here the FAQ’s: How It Works
• When the learners have finished their blog, tell them about Accessibility, find below my curation about it:
  • http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=Accessibility
• I suggest you this tool to check for best Accessibility: “Wave“ WAVE is a free web accessibility evaluation tool provided by WebAIM.
• Learn more about how to use the tool here:
  • https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/how-to-prepare-for-giving-a-good-course/
• You may, my advice, create a Flow Chart on how you give the course. This will be helpful for your next courses and you can share it also with others. Check below for resources:
  • http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=FlowChart
  • http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-tools-for-teaching-people-and-learners?q=FlowChart
• Prepare your timeline when you will do what.
• Prepare also clipart and images which your learners could use (FREE of copyright). Check below to find resources:
  • OpenClipArt
  • https://gustmees.wordpress.com/2012/04/23/howto-find-license-free-images-with-google-search/
• Some help for your preparation:
  • http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=preparation

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A Great Checklist for Your Project

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Credits to http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/03/a-great-project-based-learning.html

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Useful links:

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• http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=Creativity
• http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=Curation
• How-To prepare for giving a quality course
• Is My Professional Development Up-To-Date?
• http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=Digital+Literacy
• http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=Information+literacy
• The image on the top of the blog was created with WORDLE:
  • http://www.wordle.net/
• The used clip art on this blog is from the license free OpenClipArt:
  • https://openclipart.org/

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Practical Examples

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Check out below practical examples:

• http://www.joachim-scholz.com/2013/01/21st-century-teaching-methodology/
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Creativity: How To use it with Young Kids – the practice – Example 1

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MAUSI, the smart computer mouse. Gust MEES’s creation, realized by Chantal MAQUET

Very long time ago already, in 2002 I created MAUSI, the mascotte of my working place. I did it for the pleasure of the kids who visited my courses together with their teacher(s). The idea came as I explained a whole primary class (3d year, 9 years old) what a computer is and what one could do with a PC. It was the beginning of the computer era and at that time most people didn’t know how to work with it. So I decided to use Windows Paint to draw, a creative action. I first explained to the kids what the computer mouse is fore and asked them what they wanted me to draw. They wanted a mouse, as I showed them the computer mouse their answer was logical…

As I have some talent for drawing and painting, so I switched on the beamer and they saw how I created MAUSI in real time, by explaining them and their teacher any taken step also on how I did it.

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They were all fascinated and me happy that I was able to create it, here is the result:

• http://www.homepages.lu/gust.mees/mausi/

Later I created an animated GIF as shown left hand side and in above website and showed it to the teachers and to the kids, they became later all addicted to the computer, I awakened the desire to learn to work with a computer, I felt happy! Primary school classes visited twice a week my working place to work with the computers and also to learn about how to work with them; at that time the school didn’t have yet computers in the classrooms, that came very more late because of budget.

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The animated GIF is the original MAUSI, so as I created it and the right hand side image is the color version who was created later by Chantal MAQUET, who did the job for the Ministry of Education in Luxembourg. I created different courses about domestic IT-Security for the Ministry of Education where MAUSI (in color version) was integrated, check here, please:

•  http://www.myschool.lu/home/mS/publications_fiches.asp

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By the way: the name MAUSI means “little mouse” in my language…

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Here below some different images:

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How Did I do it that quick with MS Paint, is there a Trick?

I get often asked how it was that quick created (in 40 minutes), especially when also explaining it to others!? Well, that’s practice! I was working a lot around with MS Paint to find out about How To work BEST with it and on the quickest way as possible. I do this with any program that I use, I call it “Making a good preparation” for getting BEST results later, thus meaning: one needs to invest the first time to save time later 😉

So how did I create it then so quick!? I was using the magnify tool and the rubber (a lot of times) to adjust while drawing with the mouse. YES, drawing with the mouse, it’s possible, but it requires a lot of patience and a strong will…

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How To create animated GIF’s?

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Check below for some tutorials and picture editing programs who allow to create animated GIFs:

• Creating Animated GIFs Tutorial
  
• PhotoScape which is my favorite and also FREEWARE

• How To Make An Easy Animated GIF using Photoscape
  

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So with this little story about my practice, you will have learned a bit what creativity can have as positive effect to young learners! Creativity makes it fun to learn, your learners will learn even more as you want because they will talk around with the parents and friends and try out themselves and/or with the parents…

The positive side effect with my little adventure was, that adults (the parents of the kids, plus friends and neighbors) who never wanted to use a computer at that time made an inscription to visit my courses about the usage of the basics of ICT later and are now also digital citizens 😉

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Stay tuned for next blogs about the practice with creativity, already in preparation…

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