Start-up days in Oulu
Anticipations
Day 1
Getting to know one another
Well, the day started with kimmo and Riikka (Mentors) introducing themselves and the OAMK School of Vocational Teacher Education. This was not a traditional classroom setting with chairs facing the teachers, but we were sitting in groups around different tables. Then the student introduction started and the whole idea of "introducing not one´s own self but the person next to you" was interesting as it proved to be helpful in breaking the ice and allowed us to focus on and really listen to what another person has to say. Asking questions and in the process finding similar interests and hobbies was refreshing. It was interesting to listen to what the person sitting next to you has to say about you. Overall, the first impression was that they are a bunch of nice people with interesting personalities, who despite different cultural and educational background are working to achieve the same goal.
Listening to the other people made me realize that I was not the only one who felt the way I did. Most of the people in the room had similar concerns, doubts, fears and expectations. For example, there was this one girl who said that she woke up twice the night before and then there was someone who said that their motivation was making a network and someone else said that they expected to gain a multicultural perspective about teaching. I myself found it really motivating to have been given the chance to be a part of a multicultural group with different teaching techniques, methods and knowledge to share among ourselves. More than anything, for me, this campus meet-up lessened the feeling of isolation and loneliness that I talked about in my previous blog. I felt connected, heard and being a part of this community.
The crucial difference between human cognition and that of other species is the ability to participate with others in collaborative activities with shared goals and intentions.
Tomasello et al., 2005.
Understanding competence and ways of showing it:
Previously, when I thought about competence, I got a lot of confusing ideas and questions like how do I know if I have that particular competence or not? How do I develop it? In what ways can I show it? What if Kimmo or Riikka can´t see it? How do I show that I know something? We were made to do an exercise where, on the basis of given scenario we had to develop the competence goals for a cyclist and then judge his competence on the basis of what could count as a proof of that particular competence. For example, a delivery guy could display his competence of investing in maintenance by providing maintenance log of his bicycle, or records of how often he changed the tyres and chain on his bike. This exercise really helped in grasping the whole concept of having the competence and displaying it and it also reminded me of the old Chinese proverb: I hear, and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand (Confucius).
Day 2
Reflecting on previous day and making groups
The 2nd day was a lot better and reassuring in the sense that the realization hit me that I am not alone in this journey. There are people who share the same journey as me. I felt encouraged, motivated, and connected. The mentors divided us in four groups, and we got a chance to bond and work closely.
The first lesson that we planned as a group was a success in the sense that we got along well, shared our ideas and came up with a final plan. Our task was to create a lesson plan as a group for the topic "What difference is there between teacher/tutor/mentor/guide/facilitator?". Though, there were a few glitches like our first presentation got deleted and we had to start anew but still we managed to finish in time and executed our plan successfully. I came to know about a very useful app named “Mentimeter” which helped me to engage my students in a fun and entertaining way (as the feedback suggested). We involved the students by asking them what do they think about it? what role would they place themselves or the person delivering the lecture or even what they think Kimmo and Riikka are? We asked them to brainstorm and come up with one word for each concept and enter on Mentimeter by using a code. We discussed each shared word to see if it fits just one slot or can be used for more. Thus, concluding the discussion that all these terms are converging and displaying synonymous concepts.
 |
| Image: Menti cloud made by the words students provided. |
The whole concept of "jigsaw groups" that sounded like an alien concept turned out to be simple. Practicing it during the session helped a lot and we learned by actually doing it. The members of jigsaw group, that I was part of, used different techniques to involve and engage the students like starting with a question, asking the audience to brainstorm and writing their ideas and then discussing, showing a video and asking for the opinions and thoughts. Asking to write our strength on a piece of paper and keeping it safe in a pouch to look when things get difficult. After that we gave feedback to each other, and I got to know about the areas which needed more attention, and which were right on spot.
The last Day
The last day was optional and reserved for technical stuff. We got to know OSSI in depth and what are we supposed to do further, where to find each and every thing, where to start and whom to contact. Kimmo did a very good job of reminding us again and again that Teams is our best friend, and this is where solution to everything lies. Gryffindor got 10 points for reminding everyone that in case of any difficulty, we just have to "Ask" 😁. Moreover, we talked about optional studies, "Micro Credentials" and Digital badges. Our group took some time to plan ahead, discussing "when, where and how" of planning and pondered on how to cope up with time difference of 8 hours between Columbia and Oulu. Discussions are still in progress; stay tuned for the further updates🙏.
Comments
Post a Comment