Eileen Kennedy

Eileen Kennedy

Senior Researcher at UCL Institute of Education with the Future Education team at the RELIEF Centre:
https://www.relief-centre.org/home
Twitter: @eileenkennedy01
https://twitter.com/eileenkennedy01?lang=

Location London

Activity

  • @TessaJones actually no not too late! Many thanks!

  • Hi Collette - I think you will see in the subsequent steps this week is that we advocate keeping it as simple as possible - it is more about being clear what kind of learning experience you want to create for your learners. Then Padlet and google could be all you really need.

  • yes precisely

  • Good question - this is why when you adapt someone else's design, you can see their name as the originator of the design. So then it becomes a process of 'citing' someone's work - i.e. acknowledging their contribution - rather than copying. This is a bit like the way scholars cite each other's work in academic communities. For me, this gives more status to the...

  • Great to hear, Susan!

  • sometimes you can feel you are part of a discussion even if you don't take part - as long as you feel you could if you wanted to. Do you think online discussions like this are more or less inclusive than face to face ones in class? Sometimes people say online discussions are very helpful for shy participants who might be hesitant to speak up in class, for...

  • Hi Miren - this is a tool for teachers rather than learners. but we are starting to hear about the benefits of sharing a learning design with learners too. I guess this would be with older learners than yours. In terms of how many teachers use it consistently we have thousands of returning users of the tool, so there is some evidence people are using it. I...

  • sorry you couldn't post on Padlet - I think it was the settings on the Padlet which I have changed now. Here we have an example of your magic satchel perhaps?

  • I like this approach to sharing 'workarounds' at an institutional level. As for situations with no resources or connectivity - the combination of these may be too hard to respond to but situations often change. When some resources become available, even the connectivity issue can be addressed, as long as we know how best to spend the precious funds we have. In...

  • I don't think you missed the point, I think you are spot on! And at the current time we are seeing how central these tools are to us all.

  • @ImranAl-blooshi Thank you for such an interesting response - I agree that one of the best advantages children can have is to have their learning supported from a young age. When it comes to technology we are also potentially giving children the capacity to support their own learning later, and find meaningful employment. Digital capabilities will be critical...

  • This is great feedback particularly because you tell us in detail which ideas have been helpful and how. We need this feedback for our research to show people in power that MOOCs like this one can help teachers and other professionals. Thank you.

  • @ImranAl-blooshi well we can’t make anything compulsory on a MOOC - all we can do is to encourage :)

  • Post-it notes on the wall? But there might be no post-it notes either. Personally I think we should be exploring what are the possibilities with offline servers such as Tabshoura mentioned in Step 4.4 https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/transforming-education/2/steps/668422 but these devices are mostly used for supplying resources not for helping learners...

  • yes sorry about that - something happened with the settings on the Padlets but it should be fixed now. Incidentally, it was to do with the "share" settings if it ever happens to anyone here.

  • What I like most about the word cloud question type on Mentimeter is that it is nice and colourful and moves around - and that seems to get everyone in the room excited (not sure you can see that movement here because people aren't posting at the same time). So this is why now I would always use mentimeter if I wanted a word cloud.

  • yes - I agree! we have been having a conversation at another step about how best to keep in touch after the end of this MOOC. Our mentor, Katie, suggested in the webinar that we could re-imagine the Padlet linked here as a 'keeping in touch' Padlet for example. In another place we have been discussing the possibilities of a facebook group. What do you think...

  • yes especially these days it seems - the wave of disruptions to education around the world are being met with online responses. People are saying this is the time that online learning really takes hold!

  • @SandraAlChal I fixed the padlet now - you should be able to post

  • Which is why finding a small set of digital tools that you know will work and a good reason to use them is critical. The next steps introduce the Conversational Framework, which helps us make links between the learning experiences we want to create and digital (or traditional) methods of learning. One of the things that digital is good for generally speaking...

  • This is good to hear Kume. We also realise that teachers are busy and as the weeks go by, participants can't always fight to find the time to comment here. But it will help to know that the discussion is really appreciated by others. And there is a couple of weeks at the end of the MOOC to catch up if you fall behind. Everyone will have 6 weeks to take part...

  • Great suggestions here Ahmed!

  • Imran - it is clear you really are an advocate of learning technology- but can you say why you think it is so necessary that teachers and schools need to be accountable to parents if they don’t use it? What do they risk if they don’t in your view?

  • Can you explain why Marivan? I don’t hunk everyone would share this perspective. Why do you think we have to use technology as teachers?

  • Maybe we should have a Facebook group for this course ...

  • Yes this is key to ensure that our use of Ed tech is meaningful - otherwise everyone is put off - teachers and learners

  • Hi Rayan - I’ve added the link in the step now.

  • Hi Said - yes we did - please see the link in the step above.

  • yes - we need to build trust.

  • I found the setting that was the problem Sandra - thanks for flagging it!

  • This is an interesting experience you have shared, Sandra. Can you suggest a better way for the teacher to have responded?

  • @AhmedHosam we used flipgrid in the Arabic version of this course because the platform is less 'social' in feeling. So participants can leave a video message. If it works out well maybe we can use it in this platform. It is great to know you are using it in Yemen!

  • A very sad story Clara. It is good that you know about this very traumatic experience that he has had (which is probably still affecting him in emotional and practical ways). That is something - you made yourself available to talk to him. Can you influence the school to develop a strategy to deal with this kind of issue? Otherwise it is all down to you, and it...

  • Thank you for your reflections Alassan and for sharing with us your personal experience. You have a very good insight because you can see the issue from the perspective of the parent.

  • Hi Eduardo - there are ways. For example, a course leader could create a blended learning version (e.g. download the videos and create face to face discussions around them). In week 4 we show a device that allows people to make online resources available offline - so that might be possible too. Are you thinking of a specific group of teachers, or asking in...

  • Great to hear Samuel - we would love to hear more about your current context.

  • Thanks to you for taking part Ahmed! Yes we have a range of different experiences here. We want to talk about all kinds of challenging environments in the hope that the insights can be transferred from one context to another, but always remembering that some things won’t work and we have to adapt. As professionals, the more stories we tell and hear from...

  • That’s great to hear - do you have some ideas to share with us to show how?

  • Welcome Pierre!

  • Welcome Shams! Great to see you here.

  • Welcome to you Nour and to your colleagues!

  • Welcome Ashok. A very challenging environment indeed.

  • This is great - sometimes sport can emphasise only the winners and losers. It can build up confidence of winners but make others feel left out. But your approach is all about everyone taking part! Making explicit steps like this to be inclusive rather than leaving it to chance is the lesson here.

  • Yes this is critical - teaching is a difficult and challenging job and if we don't recognise that and schools do not support teachers we will lose them and the valuable work they do. Does anyone have good examples of environments that do effectively support the wellbeing of teachers?

  • Hi Sandra - I checked it and I can't see anything wrong - could you maybe try again?

  • yes!

  • Welcome Kayane! Your words are very powerful and insightful about the ways emotions can flow through generations. Please continue to share your experiences. We can all learn from each other here.

  • Welcome Alassan! This is a very interesting context. Looking forward to hearing more about it.

  • Welcome Avva! We can also learn a lot from your experience.

  • Welcome Waafa! Please do share your experiences with us in these discussions.

  • Welcome to the course Maulid! Looking forward to hearing more about your experience.

  • Hi Guiliana - how interesting. You are a teacher-researcher which is a great thing to be!

  • No, not too late - thanks so much!

  • Hi Tracey. I hope you are still getting notifications from FutureLearn. Thanks for your engagement in this discussion on Blended Learning Essentials. After many runs of the course, we are currently writing a paper about the kinds of value it created for participants. Many people have said they enjoyed learning from the discussion and I would like to quote your...

  • Hi Tessa - I am hoping you are still getting notifications from FL. Thanks for your engagement in the discussions in Blended Learning Essentials. After many runs, we are writing a paper about the kinds of value it created for participants. Many people have said they enjoyed learning from the discussion and I would like to quote your comment here as an example...

  • @EHannan thanks for your engagement in this discussion. After many runs of blended learning essentials, we are currently writing a paper about the kinds of value it created for participants. Many people have said they enjoyed learning from the discussion and I would like to quote your comment here as an example of value in discussion. If you still get...

  • A good example of working at micro, meso and exo system levels

  • Hi Sarah - sorry I realise I hadn’t got the settings right. Hopefully it works now.
    Eileen

  • Thanks for posting the link to your article Janaina! This is great to hear!

  • This is an interesting story. There is much to be gained by seeing the potential in technology and trying it while also knowing we could do something more conventional if it doesn’t work. You sound like a very calm teacher Rana - I am pretty calm about these things now (I mean the tech going wrong for whatever reason) but I wasn’t always! It would be good to...

  • @SandyKinninmonth thanks for your comments. I really hope we haven’t communicated that technology should be promoted as a magic wand - we believe the opposite. Only by careful learning design can we understand the best way technology can support learning, and that is very hard to do. It often appears, particularly in situations where children lack access to...

  • We have just posted the final Educators' Summary of the Week! Thank you all for your participation and excellent comments. We will be following up with some of you asking for permission to use your comments in our research and to promote more participation in this course. You can also fill out the form linked above to give us your permission to use your...

  • LOL

  • The problem is that IE is a very old browser that is no longer being developed by Microsoft (similar situation with Safari for Macs). As a result, most web applications, including the Learning Designer, recommend that you use a modern browser such as Chrome or Firefox @SandyKinninmonth

  • Thanks for all these ideas about how we could develop the tool @HaythamKaawash @JanainaHirata @AmelSayegh

  • @HaythamKaawash @LaraElKhoury yes this is a free tool for all teachers to use and share their best ideas - developed through a research project so not commercial. Great that you like it - will you share it with your colleagues perhaps?

  • Thank you @HananShehab

  • @SandyKinninmonth yes there are lots of tools out there - too many to investigate each one. I find that thinking of them in terms of the learning types they support does act as a sort of filter, so you immediately narrow down what you are looking for, and in the Padlet, the other participants have helped with this. But even so, all a teacher needs is a small...

  • Hi Rana - yes someone mentioned this before - thanks for further information. It sounds great. It would be wonderful if you could add it to the Padlet ....

  • @joumanaHassaf @SandyKinninmonth yes a training course and if it was a MOOC they could see for themselves the benefits. Not easy to get it on anyone’s agenda though.... we need to get government backing.

  • This is a very good point - digital methods enable us to collect data so that we can use evidence to transform our practice, and persuade others that we should make that change.

  • Yes - often the people who make the decisions in the organisation are not familiar with technology. How can we get them to understand the potentials?

  • Thank you

  • Thanks and yes of course. Please send us the link to your article. We would be very interested.

  • Thank you!

  • Thanks for another great week, everyone. Just to let you know we’ve now posted the Educators’ summary of the week in the Step.

  • @SarahHamdar you will see that I am including part of your post in this week's educators' summary of the discussion. Each week we would like to make a blog based on these summaries. Can you let me know if you agree to us including your comment in a published blog or article? And, if so, whether you would like to remain anonymous, or how you would like us to...

  • @WassimOmarSidani you will see that I am including part of your post in this week's educators' summary of the discussion. Each week we would like to make a blog based on these summaries. Can you let me know if you agree to us including your comment in a published blog or article? And, if so, whether you would like to remain anonymous, or how you would like us...

  • @JanainaHirata you will see that I am including part of your post in this week's educators' summary of the discussion. Each week we would like to make a blog based on these summaries. Can you let me know if you agree to us including your comment in a published blog or article? And, if so, whether you would like to remain anonymous, or how you would like us to...

  • @ClaireArnott you will see that I am including part of your post in this week's educators' summary of the discussion. Each week we would like to make a blog based on these summaries. Can you let me know if you agree to us including your comment in a published blog or article? And, if so, whether you would like to remain anonymous, or how you would like us to...

  • Dear Hanan - you will see that I am including part of your post in this week's educators' summary of the discussion. Each week we would like to make a blog based on these summaries. Can you let me know if you agree to us including your comment in a published blog or article? And, if so, whether you would like to remain anonymous, or how you would like us to...

  • Let us know how you get on with that Lea - I think it is an excellent idea. It seems to me that it could be very beneficial to enable students and parents to understand better how the teacher has designed the students' learning.

  • Hi Maha - great you can join us as valued mentor.

  • Hi Matt - lovely to see you here!

  • Welcome Mona and all our new joiners! It is great to have you here. You will see that contributions from the participants are what is making this course very special.

  • so is it ok to use your comment in the blog we are writing? If so, would you prefer to be anonymous or named? @MustafaKhattab

  • Many thanks Sandy

  • Thanks for your comments Janaina - and there is nothing like experiencing online learning as a learner yourself to figure out how to design a good online course. Please keep letting us know what you like and don’t like (and that goes for everybody!) because we are also researching what can work best to support participants online.

  • That’s great to hear Mariam! These are my two favourite tools at the moment - there are many to choose from, but not so easy to find Ines that present no obstacle for learners to engage - no sign ups, logins, needing a computer etc. Those are the ones we need to collect together - when you find a tool you know will work it is priceless. And we can share other...

  • Thank you, Jihan - and one of the good things about a course like this is that it can be a bit flexible to take account of all your other commitments. You have an extra two weeks (in addition to the 4 weeks of the course) at the end to complete. It is great to see so much motivation to continue.

  • Thanks for a great week’s discussion everyone. It has been really impressive to see the way you all made use of the theory in relation to your own practice. I have posted the educators’ summary in the step above, but we will still keep an eye on the discussion as it continues to unfold.

  • @SandyKinninmonth you will see that Elaine included part of your comment in this week's educators' summary of the week. We are trying to make a blog post each week based on these summaries. Would you allow us to publish a blog or article including your comment? If you would, would you prefer to be identified by your name or to be anonymous?

  • Great examples Amel. Wiki tools like pbworks are a really great for helping learners understand how building knowledge together can be better than working alone.

  • Hi Lara, do you know of cases where this is done?

  • Hi Stephanie - that is an interesting idea. Developing parents’ digital capabilities maybe just as important.

  • thank you for sharing this very difficult situation Widad and your careful planning and perseverance to improve things.

  • This is a very powerful example Chinyere. It shows that by making changes within the micro, meso and exosystems surrounding one child, many children can be helped.

  • @SarahAh As you will see, Elaine included your comment in this week's educators' summary of the week. We are trying to make a blog post each week based on these summaries. Would you allow us to publish a blog or article including your comment? If you would, would you prefer to be identified by your name or to be anonymous?