In my Adult Learning class, we learned about Tuckman's Model. Tuckman's Model shows us 5 stages: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Ajourning.  When working on any kind of team, you are bringing many different orientations and individual learning and working styles to the table.  In the Forming stage, you are walking into a situation where the purpose is not yet clear, no one had agreed to anything, and guidance is needed to begin pointing everyone in the right direction for the task.  Next comes the Storming stage where everyone starts to add in their opinions and beliefs.  There are power struggles and conflicts, but progress towards a better understanding of the purpose of the task should be made. Then comes Norming where clear roles and responsibilityis handed out.  People come to an agreement and a facilitator is in place.  Performing shows the clear vision and purpose of the group with everyone focused on the common goal.  Last is Adjourning where the task is now complete and everyone can bask in a job well done. 

I found a video where Tuckman's Model was used with the movie Remember the Giants!
Really enjoyed it!  Hope you do too!!

Attribute 6 - Motivation

Our final Attribute 6 - Motivation talks about how important it is for the adult learner to be motivated. Many adult learners are forced to continue their education in regards to whether they need to enhance their skills, keep their jobs, get a job or continue their career goals.  In order to motivate them, it is necessary to make them a part of their learning activities. This is especially true with the adult elearner.  Their learning activities must be engaging and meaningful.  Here is a link that gives you 17 tips on how to motivate the adult learner!

Our Piktochart this week shows you how you can motivate and what motivates the adult learner!! 

Attribute 5 - Orientation

This week's Attribute 5 - Orientation focuses on how the adult learner not only wants to know why they are learning something, but how can they use what they learned now in their day to day lives.  The adult learner not only has a trigger to begin their learning, but are very specific as to what they choose to learn. They will not engage if they feel what they are learning is not relevant to them personally. When working with the elearner, it is best to offer how the subject matter will help them solve problems immediately by offering real world problems and scenarios.  Our Piktochart this week shows how you can inspire the adult learner to learn! We also added a link with tips on how to engage and inspire the adult learner.

                                                                         Hope you enjoy! 

Attribute 4 Readiness

Even though Spring Break is here, we are still going strong with our attribute maps in Adult Learning! Attribute 4 is about Readiness.  In our map for this attribute, we focused on the tools the adult elearner need to help them to be ready for what they need to accomplish.  In their learning experience, adult learners gravitate towards learning experiences that provide a social development benefit.  In order to be ready, it is necessary to add social and collaborative tools to your toolbox.  For the elearner, this is especially beneficial because it will help them to build their social network and collaborate with others who share the same interest.  Our Piktochart reflects how important this collaboration is and gives an example of how everyone carries a piece of the puzzle. 

Here is the link that we provided for great free social and collaborative tools that you can add to your toolbox!  

                         Here is a picture of our map for Attribute 4!

Attribute 3 "Experience"

Adult Learning is cruising along as we look at Knowle's 3rd attribute which is "Experience".  My partner Karen and I focused on the elearner and how experience should be the foundation of all tasks and activities of the elearner.  As adult learners we all approach learning new things differently and we use our experiences to help us in our learning.  It is through the trial and error of these experiences that help us grow as learners.  Here is a really great Discover your Learning Style quiz! Give it a try!


                                         Here is our Piktochart for Attribute 3 "Experience"

Attribute 2 "Self Concept"

This week's attribute for Adult Learning class was "self-concept".  Our theme for our maps is elearning and how Knowle's attribute theories relate to and help the adult elearner.  We provided a really great meta-site that has over a 100 tools that the elearner can use to help them in their continuing education!!  Take a minute and check it out!  I know you will enjoy!

                                       Here is what our map looked like for "Self-Concept"!

Attribute 1 Need to Know

Hello everyone!

Our concept maps are up and running and this week in our Adult Learning class we began with the first of Knowle's Learning theories "Need to Know".  This first attribute goes over the questions that adult learners ask before they begin their continuing education.  Check out this website with tips on how to apply these theories to elearning!

Emaze

Hello!!

I have dived in this semester and am neck deep into my Adult Learning and Visual Design classes at Stockton!! No matter how much work it is, I love it!! We are currently working on a few projects and I was able to look at a program called emaze and it is amazing!!  Really loved it and I am looking forward to incorporating it into my classroom!  It is a fun way to present your projects and very user friendly!! Best of all it is free! Hope you take a moment to check it out!!

Adult Learning

Hello again!!

My new semester at Stockton has begun and I am now sharing my blog with my Adult Learning class!  Very excited to see what the new semester brings!! Can't wait!!  Here is a great chart that I posted with my partner in our icebreaker for class! Very informative! Enjoy!  So in order to express my excitement in starting the new semester, I am going to get my Snoopy dance on!!! :)

Parent-Teacher Conferences

It's the most wonderful time of the year......  LOL!!  Parent/teacher conferences are underway and I think it is a painful process for all involved!!  The students are going home on half-day schedules begging teachers to have mercy, while teachers rub their hands together in anticipation of finally meeting their students' parents... (if they show up!!)  No matter what, in the end all I can say is that we all (hopefully) have the same goal of doing what is best for the student to make it through their current grade!!  

I'm sure that I speak for all teachers that we all pray our conferences do not end up like this!!

GOOD LUCK!!! 

NJEA!!! Whoo Hoo!!!!

What an amazing experience it was presenting at the NJEA Convention yesterday in Atlantic City!  A big shout out to my co-presenters Karen, Elsann and Sandy!!  Most especially to Amy Ackerman for giving us this amazing opportunity!  What a turn out we had!!  The crowd was HUGE and they were so interested and engaged in what we were presenting to them!!! All the hours and hard work we put into preparing for this was so worth it!!  Highly recommend to anyone Amy approaches to do this!! Now.. back to work and finishing the semester with an even bigger bang! LOL!!!

To stress or not to stress?

Today we are going to present our group presentation in class and all I can say is "Thank God it's almost over!!"  Don't get me wrong.. the class is very interesting and the assignment was fun... it was all the other stuff like work, home, etc.. that made it so stressful!! No matter what, I still had fun working with my group and I believe that working through the stress gave me the added benefit of making good friends out of co-workers!! Can't wait to present and get it all done!!!

On a lighter note... this will be me after tonight's presentation!! LOL!!! 

Work, School, and Projects!

This week has been very stressful!! At work, my students are still trying to get into work mode (it's a slow and painful process for all of us!) At school, trying to juggle 2 graduate classes has it's challenges, assignments are in progress and projects are coming up...but no matter what I love the fact that I can still discover a new program and have fun with it!  This week I played with Workflowy and I love it!  It is a wonderful way to stay organized and on task, especially if you have more than one project or assignment due!  Even better if you are working on a group project, you can share your document and everyone on the team can edit and add to the document as necessary! Try it out if you can!! On a last note.. thank God for sticky notes!!  I would be a mess without them! :)

Teacher Self-evaluations.... Oh MY!!

This week our teacher self evaluations are due.....  I'm sort of at a loss on what else to say!!!  I feel in just stating the fact that our self-evaluations are due is enough!!! Soooo enough said!!! :)

Technology that WORKS!!

This week has been a test on getting the technology to work in our classrooms!!  My poor teachers have been struggling to get either their computers, Smartboards and anything else that involves technology to actually work!! Sometimes I feel that any minute I'm going to see computers come flying out of classrooms!! In the end no matter how frustrated we get, at least we can laugh with each other (even though I know our students are laughing AT us!).  I'm hoping that the week can only get better and hope that we are not tempted to destroy the technology that we have now!! Keep your fingers crossed!!! :)

Whew! Is it June Yet??

Here we are working on the 2nd full week of school and all I can think is "Is it June yet?"  LOL!!! It seems like everyone is struggling with getting back into the groove of things, but I continue to hope that my class and I will fall into our routine and get going!!!

On another note!!  I wanted to share with everyone an App that I use called Splashtop.  I love love love this app because it allows me to control my computer and Smartboard with my ipad!!! You do have to pay for the App (I think its $3.99) and download the program into your computer (which is free), but once you have it you are ready to go and I cannot tell you enough how much it is worth the cost!!  I can be at my desk or anywhere in my room and have complete control of my computer and Smartboard without being anywhere near it!! Check it out if you get a chance!!! :)

Back to School!

Hello Everyone!

I've decided to continue with my Bilingual Blog page!  I am a bilingual teacher at Millville public schools and am very excited to be started off a new year with my students.  I teach 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students in varying levels of learning the English language.  I have so much fun with my students and they always give me a reason to laugh everyday.  These first few days have been about getting used to the routine, welcoming new students into our class "family" and learning the different programs that we use with technology.  One of my favorites is Reflex Math which helps students work on their math fluency.  They are loving the program and just having fun being in school!  The best thing about the program is that it is available in English, Spanish and French!!

Pearltrees

Thank you Karen Simmons on your tip for pearltrees.com! I am completely addicted to this website that helps you organize your own Personal Learning Network (PLN)! It is so user friendly and easy to use!! I just had to give a shout out on this web tool and to my co-worker for recommending it!! Love love love it!!

Round two for RAC Testing

Hello Everyone!

Well here we are back at school!!  The holidays were wonderful and we all needed that much deserved 4 day weekend!! Now back to reality!! Preparing for the second round of RAC testing and going through the curicullum at a thousand miles an hour!  So frustrating because it seems that we have less time to do many of the projects I'm used to doing with my students. :(  School is not as much fun as it used to be!!! (at least for me!! LOL) Well I wish everyone luck and hope you are as determined as I am to make this an awesome year for my students!!!

November! Falling leaves.. Thanksgiving and GASP! parent-teacher conferences!

Ok everyone!!  Here it comes!!!! Parent-teacher conferences are around the corner!!  Students are anxious, parents are ready and the teachers????  Bring it on!!  No matter how much we dread these conferences, ultimately its for the best of the student.  All I can say is hang in there and lets all pray for quick and painless meetings with the parents of our students!  And even though it may not seem like it at the time... they do appreciate their children's teachers!!