How am I going to use blogs in my group lesson ideas assignment?

Write within 200 words: I'll do it soon...

What I have learnt from the session on using excel in teaching

I think it is important to really take time and "play around" or explore the excel features as well as to brainstorm what a teacher can use it for. Although there was little time, the session opened up some possibilities such as curve sketching and as a starter, I think it worked well. Upon further exploration of the functions in excel and how they can be used together, I was able to plot various graphs as well as try out some ways to generate x and y values to plot, through the use of the mathematical functions linked to the different cells.

With more ideas of what excel can be used for in the future, more options can be explored and tried and the numerous different functions available may become useful and appropriate.

How can blogs be used to support meaningful learning?

I think the most obvious and direct way that blogs contribute to meaningful learning is through 2 things: motivating the students to participate in the learning as well as encouraging reflection.

Blogging can motivate the student to learn since the blog belongs to the student: the student would naturally fell a sense of ownership and autonomy in writing what he/she wished to write as well as designing and making thte blog unique and personal. Since all these require skills, it facilitates the student to acquire these skills proactively (self-directed learning), and hopefully, the enthusiasm will spread over to the actual completing of the assignments related to blogging, whatever they may be. Blogging also encourages collaborative learning since students can respond to their friends' posts and also respond to others' responses on either their own posts or others'. This way, a feedback loop can be created, and if managed well by the teacher, it will be rather effective.

The second way is that blogging by nature is a reflective process where people usually blog upon reflecting on the events in their lives. If students are able to reflect both on what they have learnt (content) and their lives in general, it is a chance for them to evaluate themselves and their own actions and take a 3rd person perspective, enabling them to increase in objectivity, as well as allowing others in to their lives to add value and different perspectives through their responses as well.