SOLO Taxonomy

Keeping track.

Sonya Van Schaijik SOLO Taxonomy , ,


One of the changes in my thinking that has taken place over the past few weeks is about online work. I have so many learning sites that it is a challenge to keep track of them all.

One way I do this is to create a list using my wikispace. I do have a delicious account for keeping track of websites however my online spaces have a different purpose. I have two different personas. One persona is as a teacher and online school administrator and the other persona is for personal learning. Sometimes my spaces merge between the two personalities and sometimes I feel that they need to be kept separate. I also want a third online personality for keeping my digital photos and videos tidy and out of my computer. I am struggling not to create another space.

So here is one way I have chosen to show my learning self and that is using http://flavors.me/ulimasao.

I place this link onto twitter. Initially, I added my personal youtube video space and picassa photo folders. However when I was checking out information, I realized that the sites chosen did not match my twitter persona. So I adapted and merged my teacher sites with my personal blog. Even that does not feel correct as I have been channeling our teachers learning onto our school youtube account. A few of the videos are not ones I have created.

The second change in thinking is regarding online writing. Initially I wrote for an audience and was hesitant about publishing. But realize that writing for myself is a more powerful tool This came about with myportfolio work with teachers who do not want anyone reading their work or seeing what they have been doing. I teased them and said good luck getting anyone coming to read your work. Because I know that unless teachers live on social broadcasting sites like twitter or blogger how are they ever going to channel traffic to read their work.

I use blogger and myportfolio for my reflections. Personally I enjoy myportfolio as this is my teacher self shining through. At the same time I like using blogger because the site looks better.

When I reflect using SOLO Taxonomy I know that making connections is relational thinking. Therefore I think my blog writing often sits at relational thinking because I use my writing to make connections with my own learning. In order to shift my writing to extended abstract I need to shift to the next level and give feedback on other peoples writing. So in relation to what I have been doing this term with teachers my next steps include encouraging them to blog about their learning and give them written feedback on what they are doing. I also can write about my new learning.

Thinking maps

Sonya Van Schaijik SOLO Taxonomy ,

http://www.mapthemind.com/aboutus/bio/hyerle.html
I was remembering the work of David Hyerle when I was a Diploma of TESOL student with Sue Gray. I had read his previous work on Thinking Maps: Tools for Learning so was researching further ideas he might have that would help me further my understanding of HOT maps. David is the developer of the Thinking Maps model. I really like the way that the Hot team have taken the Thinking maps and levelled them against SOLO taxonomy. Now when I look at a thinking map, I can see how to make modifications in order to raise the level of cognition and even how to have children help me when we co-construct our success criteria rubrics. Further on in researching I found this little gem of a website that takes some of David’s ideas and has a variety of maps that can be used some of the thinking process. For example: for compare and contrast. http://www.educationoasis.com/curriculum/graphic_organizers.htm
Then taking what I am learning with SOLO from the HOT team, I have applied all this to help me construct my learning intentions for each of my own maps. I know that these will evolve as I put into practise some of these ideas. I am creating a mapping resource that can be taken and easily modified for teaching and learning. I discovered this little tool in Power Point that has enabled me to quickly create some thinking maps.
My next step is to modify the assessment rubrics from the HOT team to fit my current unit of work.

Reflecting on practice

Sonya Van Schaijik SOLO Taxonomy ,

A while back I had downloaded a reflective survey on how we are using SOLO Taxonomy from the Hooked on Thinking website and when I punched in the title into google so that I could reference it for my wiki, I ended up on Wesley Fryer’s website.
I was blown away by his creativity and dedication to teaching and learning. One important gem I picked up was placing a disclosure policy on my blog. I read with interest his extensive work over the years using web 2 tools. I liked the way he regularly records his thinking and reflection. He had heard Pam Hook speak at a recent conference about reflective practice. Again reflective practice keeps surfacing.

I was mentoring a young teacher recently and we were discussing the importance of ongoing reflection and having the opportunity and time to do this is so important.

(Wendy, have I said thanks again for giving me this opportunity this year.) I have currently cut back my hours so that I can reflect more on my own teaching and learning. I feel energised and remotivated with children’s learning. The upside is my own learning has exploded.

So back to completing that reflective survey. The current way of completing this survey would be to create a wiki for my school in preparation for our next milestone report and link our 5th wall evidence to it. I will think more on the process of this.

I keep reading about Technorati so must find out more about what this is. I also keep reading about moodle, I want to also understand tagging and labelling my pages better and finally this week I must follow up with wall wisher as was blogged by Dorothy, Bring on Wallwisher . Hey Luke, you really did bring tears to my eyes with your blog on Teachers can be the worlds best coaches. I always enjoy reading these two educators’ blogs.