I Googled "Professional International Teachers Associations" and found a list. Vietnam did not have an association for teachers, ESL or otherwise, so I chose 3 to investigate: 

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• KTESOL (For English teachers in Korea) https://koreatesol.org/

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• FORTELL (A journal for teaching English language and literature)  http://fortell.org/

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• IATEFL (International Association of Teachers fo English as a Foreign language) https://www.iatefl.org/

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And down the rabbit hole I went. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I read about annual conferences, special interest groups, scholarships, teacher associations, membership perks, and opportunities to share ideas and resources. 

 

KTESOL offered a $70usd membership which provided a subscription to many interesting and relevant articles about teaching ESL. I immediately noted the list of committees I couldn't belong to because I lived in another country, and the conferences I would not be able to attend for equally daunting geographical reasons. The job listing was scarce and the discussion forums bare (though I suspect I would have access to more conversations if I were a member). They did provide opportunities for publication submissions and I spent the next several hours pouring over their suggested reading list which included a 126 page eBook titled a "A Guide to Academic and Scientific Publication" by Linda Olson (2014), and a variety of other articles with titles like "How to get your writing published online", "Guidelines for Effective Professional and Academic Writing" and "A Quick Guide to Writing Journal Articles".

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FORTELL immediately looked too academic for my taste (read: level of confidence) so I didn't spend much time on their site except to note they had some great articles I would like to read but I couldn't imagine contributing in any worthwhile way due to my lack of knowledge and experience.

 

IATEFL looked like a great resource for articles and opportunities to contribute. I was particularly interested in some of their special interest groups such as Global Issues, Materials Writing, Research and Teacher Development. They offer membership to 2 of these special groups for approximately $100usd, but I couldn't see how spending that money would benefit me in the long run other than to fulfill course requirements if I didn't keep up it.

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I reflected for a long time about how joining one of these associations would help me and how I wanted to develop professionally. I figured this might be a better way of figuring out what association I want to join in order to share the knowledge I've gained form this course. 

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I believe that technology can be used to support all conceptions of design and incorporate it as much as I can in the classroom. I am working on a series of Mr. Bean English lessons that include videos and PPT presentations and games. Inspiration was drawn from ESL Videos and Waygook. This upcoming semester I want to introduce coding to my 3rd graders. Perhaps I should redirect my online search for something that better suits my current interests?

 

I'm afraid to say my search led me a bit everywhere. From my notes I recognize sites from Facebook pages, more academic journals, Canadian and American teacher associations, religious and alternative schools. I had also amassed pages of submission ideas, titles, and notes. But I was still grappling with deciding which context  professional practice I wanted to participate in. 

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I finally searched for Code.org (https://studio.code.org/) and knew I had found what I was looking for.

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Suffice to say that technology has progressed so much in the past 15 years that it permeates all of our lives, starting at a very young age. It's not uncommon these days to find two years old capable of playing games and streaming videos on iPads. It is therefore natural that this revolutionary influence of technology has effected irreversible changes in our education system. It's not only affected the way we communicate, but also the way we learn. 

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I see value in using technological resources in the classroom and see them as an effective tool to expand learning potential. I was very impressed by the experiments conducted by Sugata Mitra. His summative video: "The Child Driven Education", demonstrated not only the importance of student-centered, self-directed conceptual practices but also showed how technology facilitates, accelerates, and reinforces (when collaborating) the learning process. This makes me ponder on a much deeper level how technology is redefining how we should - or need to - educate.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Code.org is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching computer sciences. The site has been recommended to me several times by other teachers, but it wasn't until now that I really engaged with the site. They offer comprehensive, staged lesson plans for every grade level and modules for students to work through at their own pace. I went through a lesson in a few hours and was impressed with the accompanying videos, tutorials and and opportunities for learners to create their own individualized outputs including simple apps, games, videos and picture designs. There were tutorials for teachers and signing up was free and easy! (Apologies for sounding like an ad).

 

I returned to the Sowell reading (Conceptions of Curriculum, 2005) and tried to connect technology within the conceptions that were identified (even though technology was categorized separately). 

 

*Cummulative tradition of organized knowledge - the basics of coding

*Social releveance/Reconstructionism - ability to incorporate global problems and issues that are important for students (ideas include creating a recycling app, designing a game about pollution, creating awareness posters)

*Self-actualization - students have autonomy over what they explore and produce, at their own pace. Teacher's role is to facilitate and assist with trouble shooting strategies.

*Development of cognitive processes - lessons emphasize steps and stages of learning, problem-solving abilities, task driven objectives, sequencing and processes that develop reasoning and deduction. 

*Technology - Sowell (2005) wrote about technology from a systemic standpoint which highlights how technology can be used to aid in the predictable ways of learning. I can't disagree but tend to expand on that view. Perhaps instead of a separate entity, technology should be seen as an integral, supporting component of each curricular conception and design model. 

 

MODULE 4 QUESTION  

 

1. Issues I encountered when trying to gain access?

Geographical (not having any professional associations in my city or country), not being certified or having enough years teaching experience (unable to access certain provincial or state teacher's associations), not being of interest or relevant to my work or goals, cost of membership fees.  

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2. How I overcame these issues? 

Kept searching! Asked different questions, modified my search, clarified my objectives. 

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3. Issues that need further attention? 

Now that I've selected the context of professional practice in which I want to engage I need to learn more about it, engage in discussion within that community to seek out assistance and mentorship, and I need to 'give back' by sharing what I know and am learning about how computer sciences can fit into different conceptions of curriculum and design.     

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4. Why I selected the context of professional practice that I did? 

I'm interested in the different ways technology can be used to facilitate and expand learning in the classroom. Personal interest and professional foresight as STEM and STEAM education is becoming increasingly popular.

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5. What professional contributions do I hope to make in this space and how can this space contribute to my growth as a professional? 

I will begin by engaging in conversation and reading up on the articles posted on their site. I will contribute to discussion on their forums in way of questions or by sharing experiences and materials. My intention is to incorporate the foundations of curriculum philosophies, conceptions and design into these discussions. I will also take advantage of their online workshops and training programs. I hope this space will contribute not only to my knowledge and skills set, but also enhance the classroom experience for my students.   

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6. What mode of communication best suits this space? 

Participating in online communities and taking workshops (networking potential?). 

 

 

 

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ANALYSIS OF CODE.ORG 

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I completed courses 1 -4 in Code.Org's elementary school program "Computer Science Fundamentals" over the next few days. A curriculum overview was provided online and I used it to connect it with what I have learned so far in this course. 

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Though the education framework touches on philosophical foundations of Realism (to cultivate an intellectual and competent person), Social Reconstructivism (Code.org challenges the inaccessibility of education by targeting female and underrepresented minorities), and Idealism (focus is on conscious reasoning and cognitive development) it is grounded most predominantly in Pragmatism. Pragmatism emphasizes personal experiences and aims to prepare students for the future (social roles and responsibilities).

 

Their curriculum is Learner-Centered, though it follows conceptions of self-actualization and development of cognitive processes. It emphasizes students' needs and interests by providing the opportunity for individual practice and creation, and by using images such as Angry Birds and Zombies in their materials. Cognitive, emotional, physical and social needs are considered as part of their design because they have lessons divided into grade levels (elementary/middle/high school), areas of interest (games, apps, design), lessons are comprehensively staged and learning is built upon, alternatives are provided if students don't have access to computers or internet (overcoming obstacles!), and collaboration is encouraged.

 

Teachers are provided with lesson plans, additional resources such as videos and worksheets, and online support networks which enhance the learning environment which places them in a better position to react to the needs and interests of students.  

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Within each lesson, objectives such as cognitive thinking, social relevance and self actualization are addressed through components on problem-solving and perseverance techniques, societal impacts of computing and the opportunity to create outputs and share their work. 

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Please find below a link to my electronic journal which includes a summary of the communication between myself and my professional communities.

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This process has been difficult for me because I am participating in an area filled with experts and feel I have more to learn than to contribute. However, after exploring, engaging, and sharing within this comunity, I am committed to being a part of it and taking what I've learned back to my colleagues and my students in the fall.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Comparison of Professional Communities

 

I chose to compare my professional community, Code.org with Gagan’s professional community, Edutopia. I currently subscribe to Edutopia through Facebook and find their articles and resources informative, helpful and inspiring.

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The biggest distinction between the two is that Code.org focuses solely on teaching coding while Edutopia covers a wide range of topics and issues related to education. Code.org offers free pre-designed courses and prompt feedback regarding one’s learning progress. Edutopia doesn’t make specific course available but they do offer a plethora of articles, videos and webinars for those interested in a more self-directed learning approach. Edutopia doesn’t necessarily offer feedback or assessment, but they do provide a better opportunity to share and collaborate with other educators.

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Edutopia and Code.org are grounded in the philosophical foundations of reconstructionism and pragmatism. They both follow conceptions of social reconstructionism and self-actualization, though in addition (and in comparison) Code.org draws on technology and the development of cognitive processes to a larger degree. Their curriculum designs are learner and problem-centered which promote social, political and economic development, along with the needs and interests of the individual.

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Code.org has much clearer lessons, guidelines, and criteria in their online courses. Feedback is easy to receive and students work at their own pace. Edutopia’s learning is much more self-directed and though it doesn’t require much accountability it does offer several learning strategies. Though Code.org is specifically computer science based, it has a more holistic approach when it comes to planning, instruction and assessment and clearly states how each module meets subject standards whether it be in mathematics or language arts. Code.org has ready-made lesson plans and forums on which teachers can share ideas about how to best deliver these. Edutopia provides forums in which teachers can create and share their own lessons, rubrics, lessons and materials.

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