week 10 - NEVER say HELLO to GOODBYE

ten weeks ago , this , final post in week 10 to my blog was sooooo faaar way ....
well, for me it was amazing experience. It was my fourth time to work and learn in the international surrounding , and this time it was pretty hard, intensive  and sometimes stressful ,  but, definitely it was worth of effort and engagement.
During this ten weeks I met professionals from all around the world and was in the positions to learn , share and participate with most remarkable discussions, ideas, and projects. starting from the very first blog,  over effective web searching and defining ABCD objectives through assessing different skills over internet and using of precious delicious site and technology oriented lessons to preparing and step by-step building your own projects ....actually, you cannot separate any topic that was not useful ....ah, webquests, power points, prezzies, and not to forget our students that should (must) be in students' centered one computer classroom dealing with their collaborative MALL activities together with the resourceful teacher who is aware of their learning styles and multiple intelligences .... a  perfect course for 21st century teacher who decided to feel updated instead of outdated.
This is our last task during the course , but I don't want to say goodbye. I do believe that saying goodbye necessarily leads to going away, and going away means forgetting! I really don't want to forget our precious group of enthusiastic teachers who have done this course with pass grade A +

As I always say , see you online ...

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greetings from Serbia
zeljko
www.facebook.com/zeljkoa
tweeter: Zeljko18061973 
    

preety intensive and busy WEEK 9

This was pretty intensive week for me. I received feedback on my final project from Karim and I was very satisfied with it. Actually he pointed out some more details I didn't pay attention on so much. I also was in the position to give my feedback to Alex and that was absolutely new and exciting experience for me. I read Alex's final project and was delighted with it. I immediately find one more reason for cooperation and correlation with my project.  It gave me more inspiration for some other projects in the future. When I started finalizing my current project, I realize that this kind of process is absolutely precious. As many times as I was reading I always tried to add one more detail, one more situation that will probably define answer to the question more specifically. I added some more specific comments and unique reactions of my students that , hopefully, will help reader to understand and come up with the process that my students and me have passed through.
We had to read some more information on learning style and multiple intelligences. I was pretty sure that I do know what kind of learning style and intelligence I posses more, but what I decided to go through the quiz on learning styles and multiple intelligences , I was pleasantly surprised. I actually found out one new intelligence developed (mathematical), I was a little bit scared and very proud at the same time. Actually, I immediately used my new discovered intelligence and

instantaneously calculated if it is possible to finish this week blog by the end of Friday,  travel to Belgrade on Thursday, participate in British Council training over the weekend , and come back to Kraljevo on Monday and continue with our last week activities. Well, calculations were, so far, very good. I came to Belgrade yesterday (Thursday), it is almost Friday midnight , I'm writing the blog, I have prepared myself for tomorrow presentations and planning to survive this speed up to Monday to be save and sound in Kraljevo. Wish me a luck! how did you feel about your projects, feelings , thoughts ..... 

see you online .... greetings from Belgrade.....zeljko 

reading, reflective and evaluative WEEK 8

this week was especially hardworking. Starting from last Friday, when I started to collect and arrange pieces for the puzzle called final project, I was under constant action and pressure. It is kind of positive pressure , but still it sometimes feel not very pleasant when you have to prolong or put off some little things that mean a world to you, especially for the weekend. But, never mind, the goal I have in front of me is more important and achievement of success is brilliant to be felt.
Writing final project is one of the most complex things, especially because it is expected to be done with a lot of care and dedication. The structure of project template also helps to define my goals and to be more specific with my ideas, but at the same time it doesn't give me the freedom what I want  to express every single detail from the project. Anyhow, the most important thing is the process and change to be seen. Process must happened both in heads of teachers and students , but change should be more visible with the teacher. If the process and the change are  happening at the same time that's the trigger for new vision of education and development.
I did hope that the week 8 is not so reading oriented week as the weeks before were. This week was , in fact very creative week. Our sources online for teachers were amusing, and motivated that  I created a web site that I'll implement into classroom ASAP. It gave me so many creative ideas and all educative and creative sites offered this week should be implemented through this web site. I also presented a wiki page that I was very proud of,  because this was my very first online project with my students. I also created a padlet for this blog, so you can leave comments both here and there. 
As there are three in my group I have to read Karim's project and give them appropriate feedback. So , I have to go  now... how about you?  have you done your homework ? :()         

week 7 - wonderful and sucessfull week

looking back to week 7, although it hasn't finished yet, reminds me on very hard and challenging   but interesting and useful work, we have had during past weeks. This week my choice of topic was one computer classroom. Actually, this is my current situation, and I wanted to find out more about ideas , theoretical background and other experiences that colleagues from all over the world have already shared with us. I come across very interesting and applicable ideas on one classroom computer usage , especially on this link where, clearly it is explained every possible situation where and how to use your precious one classroom computer.

Another idea that I was dealing with during this week was much more applicable for me is MALL. I found our tons of useful apps and sites where my students and I could find and download learning tools that will make learning process more interesting and memorable. I like so called "technology-driven pedagogy," why not ?

Webinar that happened last night was absolutely something I needed. As I've already mentioned , I'm going to use mobile phones in my final project, and this presentation helped me a lot . Some of data presented there I'll use to scaffold theoretical knowledge of the project. 

Another important and useful Google meeting with my co-partners from Portugal (Alex) and Morocco (Karim) has resulted with a lot of new creative ideas , but we , actually decided to be focused on first draft. So , this weekend will be writing project weekend ..... if you survived , please comment to this blog to find out if I survived ....    

in WEEK 6 I really enjoyed ....

This week was one of especially good weeks for me. Power point is one of my favorite "toys" in the classroom. I tried several time to be "creative" in using PPP , but in most cases I use it as presentation tool that sounds and look attractive to me, but just in some cases I gave chance to the students to play with it. This week , I've learn that interactive PPP is very powerful tool that could change my classroom into very active learning field. I created one interactive PPP and found out that creating such a interactive tool is extremely challenging and time consuming process, but also it is very useful and rewarding when you see satisfied faces of your students at the end of the class.
Another important fact happened this week. As it was suggested , I started my final project with my students. What is even more important, is that this is going to be an international project. My friends and project partners  Karim(Morocco) and Alex (Portugal) agreed that this is a chance to engage our students at international level and let them out of their classrooms, make them cooperate and collaborate. A week ago , Karim posted an invitation to the project  on blog writing he's going to do, as his final project, at the end of the course. Alex also posted her link , with her idea on final project and , finally I was there with my final project on WQ.  We're developing a few of several possible ideas at the moment, so in the weeks to come, we'll define it and, hopefully come to the final result by the end of week 9.
I also presented (my final) project to my students. First of all, I introduced them the idea of the project four days before the official start. A asked them to visit WQ , think about the project and ask me any possible question that might look confusing them. There was just few of questions concerning things I mention , but they didn't read carefully. Our next meeting students were split into the groups (AN OLD KRALJEVO ;  MODERN KRALJEVO ;  FUN IN KRALJEVO ; AN ART IN KRALJEVO ; SPORT IN KRALJEVO ; FUTURE OF KRALJEVO). On my surprise, nobody protested or didn't feel well in the group, on the contrary, most of them were very happy to be in their groups. I presented our WQ and carefully explained that this project is going to be at an international level, so they have to be very careful in what are they speaking , filming and presenting.
We agreed, for next week, to have something more specific like scenarios or first drafts or very first frames of their clips .... to be continued .....   

excelent week 5 .....

week five was excellent week for me. I finally found out what will be my final project about and set some standards for the future. I really found out myself in this week topic. during this thirteen years of teaching, I've passed the way from teacher (control freak and self centered ) via teacher (knowledge keeper), to teacher focused to the students education and development. It was really hard to step out of my comfort zone , but hopefully I did it.
Creating rubrics was something that confused me. At first I didn't know how to set criteria , but , step by step, I created list of rubrics. It was fun and challenging at the same time. I'll revise it again, just before the project start.
WebQuest is real discovery for me. When Iryna posted link to her WebQuest I was amazed. How the hell did she do that?  To be honest, I spent half an hour searching on how to create my own WQ. Finally, I had to sign in on the site , and the gates of WQ opened. I immediately recognized it as my chance to create WQ for my final project. It's excellent web tool for the students. I was double-minded if I ask my students to create WQ or I will create WQ for them? As it was our extra credit this week to make a WQ, I decided to do it myself and put all my ideas on the future project there. I have to add some more details, clarify some details and ask my students to join me on the WQ.  I think this will be excellent opportunity for them to learn, enjoy and develop themselves.
writing blogs, really reminds me, every time,  on my development path I've passed so far ....  I'm pretty satisfied up to now, how about you?        

wow - weeeeekkk 4

This week 4 was absolutely amazing. I'm doing my best, but feel I need some more time to spend in front of my laptop reading tens of useful and brilliant posts on Nicenet .

First of all, our reading part was very useful and straight to the point. Using technology is something I like to experiment very much on my classes, and this week, I finally got resource book that  tells me in details how to do that. Reading our literature for this week and discovery of "five finger rule" was absolutely fantastic. Of course , I tried it out in my class , and it worked perfectly.

Discussion and posting posts on Nicenet  is always first task I have to do. That's the hardest for me. I think when I post my first comment on Nicenet, on Tuesday afternoon or evening, I somehow feel a relief , kind of the feeling that half of job is done. Comments, tasks, project work will come itself. :)

Very well structured text on how to write a technology enhanced lesson plan was very helpful.  At the beginning, I started writing my lesson plan according to the technology I'll use, than text , actually guide really carefully through the process of writing and that was it. I created lesson  that use technology as a helpful tool in order to achieve objectives gained. Also I created another version of  this blog using prezzi.com. It is absolutely free and feel free to use it.

I also tried to define (describe) my problem (issue) in a class and I think that I did it pretty good.  I, actually know, even now, what will my project look like, but , hashhhhh, that 's secret ....

Writing blog has , believe it or not, recently become my favorite part. This really shows me process of development and gives me real review of what has been done during the week. And , one more thing, blog is my favorite activity  because I know that more week is at almost end, and another challenging week is just in front of me .