Education and new technologies!

I have been spending time on courses about web tools 2.0, online learning, virtual learning, blended learning, flipped classrooms etc. for about a year now. I have to admit this has been the best thing I have done for my professional development for ages! What I have learnt has open new horizons for me. It has changed my perspective as a teacher no matter how exaggerated this may sound! The way I see it now, the role of the teacher should change or at least adapt to the new conditions.

 Times change and we, as educators, should change, too, if we wish to stay close to our students. The place of the teacher among a group of students should change as well. The teacher should act more as a  facilitator, a helping hand in the students' journey of dicovering the knowledge. Let's face it. We are not the only source of knowledge for our students any more, neither we nor our textbooks! Students are bombardised with loads of information everywhere, everyday. So we have to take advantage of the abundance of sources on the internet and incorporate this to our teaching. Use lots of and various means to teach. Use Google Drive, Padlet, Storybird, Pinterest. Be creative, be inventive and let our students follow our example! Teach them new intriguing ways to learn, make them believe learning is a worthwhile experience.

 At first, it may sound difficult to accept, give in our "authority status" in the classroom. It may come as a surprise, but we are not omniscient, we are not the omnipotent creatures we want our students to believe! :) And you know what? I personally feel relieved that we are not, that we don't have to be! Because this takes the anxiety off me about my students' expectations. Not my responsibility towards them, only the anxiety!

So taken that our students see a more humane face of us-besides that of the bad guy who give the marks,or the one who smirks at a wrong answer- they will see someone who wants to make them learn while having fun, they will start appreciating us more and even respect us more. They will even say hello to us when they meet us on the street! Because if they don't feel our "authority",they won't have to question or challenge it! And we all know how children tackle authority. They feel the need to test it all the time!

I have decided this year to take on an etwinning project. It takes lots of time and effort but it's worth it! This way I have esperienced together with my students the pleasure of being connected with others via the Internet, the fun and creative way of using English for a real purpose -our project-and the beautiful feeling of cooperation for a common goal! Moreover, I have seen the sparkle in their eyes, when they express their ideas and the smile on their face everytime we meet! All these is the reward for me! All these make me urge everyone who hasn't tried tecnology to go for it! It's really worth it!

Character Education

What is character? Virtue Ethics in Education
University of Birmingham

You still have time to join.
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/what-is-character

My story: A story of Gratitude!

I never really thought I would become an English teacher. I was really good at English at school, yes, but  teaching, no, had never crossed my mind. When I succeeded  in the university exams in the English Department I loved everything about it! I enjoyed my studies,but yet I couldn't imagine myself in front of an "audience" teaching! I thought it would be hard.

However, when I finished my studies I got my first job as a teacher. And it was not that hard! In fact, I started enjoying it more and more. But in May I got fired! I got fired from my first job! I couldn't understand what went wrong and I got really depressed. A friend of mine suggested that I forget all about it and try to look for something new. It got me some time to get over it but when I did, I got really organised, prepared a new C.V. and started sending it to schools. I remember sending it to about 15-20 schools. I also did some interviews. There was one school in particular, which made an impression on me. So big, so organised, with an inspiring atmosphere! I caught myself thinking "This is a place I'd love to work at!" .Moreover, the director of studies seemed so friendly but at the same time so professional. I liked her instantly. She told me she would call me, but she never did.

 A couple of months later, sometime before September, this same school had an ad looking for teachers, again. And I was still unemployed. I got tempted to try again, but I was hesistant. She didn't call me the first time, why try again, I thought. This same friend that was there for me the first time urged me to go for it. "You are still unemployed, and they are still looking for teachers", he said. "And you really liked this school." In the end I got convinced. And I went again. I remember the look in her eyes, when she realised she had seen me not so long ago. "We've talked again",she said. I admitted it. "But, you've changed your hair",she noticed. I had! "Why have you decided to come again?" she asked. "I turned you down the first time". "I really liked your school", I said. "I'd love to work here". She smiled and said "I like your persistence! I will give you a chance!" She asked me to do a class observation and then do a demo lesson myself. I did. And I got the job! I was delighted! 

It turned out my instict was right! The school was absolutely perfect. The director, Tasoula, also became my mentor, teaching me all she could. She is a generous person, who's not afraid to pass her knowledge to others. She trusted me, giving me full time from the beginning, and always was there for me through difficulties. She was the reason I have become a lifelong learner, she inspired people by her incessant desire to always learn more and do better. She was a pioneer in many ways. What is more, the people she chose to have by her side were exceptional, too. Eleni, Kyriaki, Angeliki were great people and talented teachers. They also shared their knowledge with me generously. All in all,we were a great team. I was so proud to be part of this school! I am really grateful to these people, they really made me what I am today. I often rememebr the days we had together, now that our lives are separate. Thank you girls!

The Heart of Teaching: What It Means to be a Great Teacher | Edutopia

The Heart of Teaching: What It Means to be a Great Teacher | Edutopia

A word for 2015 challenge: MOOCs

I read about this challenge on Vicky Loras' blog and it seems to me as the best way to start the year and this blog in general. (2012 has been called 'The year of the MOOC' by the New York Times-3 years later I'd like to believe that  every year from now on will be the year of the MOOC for me)

It's already been a year since I started enrolling in MOOCs. What  a year! I consider myself a fervent lifelong learning advocate and when I learned about the existence of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) the word became immediately synonym to "Open Sesame"for me . It opened the door to a whole new world of learning that I knew nothing of. My first course about online and blended learning also came as a surprise to me! I had no idea people learned this way. (Please , don't get me wrong!I love my job and I used to get informed about everything new but during the past ten years I have been a full time mummy to 3 children and I had to slow down with my job for a while-everybody knows the frenzy a teacher lives if she wishes to be a good teacher!) But of course I was about to find out more about it all by experimenting what it is to be part of an online learning community upon joining this first course. The whole experience was thrilling! I couldn't wait every Monday for the new week readings, videos and assignments. My instructor's help was immediate and conducive to my intent to do better and better. The communication with colleagues from around the world and from my own country of course was eye-opening! I successfully completed the course and I soon enrolled in a new one and another one and then another one...Needless to say, I attended some very interesting things! There were some courses I enrolled and never had the time to complete but I was determined to complete those I found exciting enough! It was like an addiction to me. When a course ended I immediately started a new one. Sometimes I attended 2 or even 3 at the same time. At the moment I am attending 3. To cut a long story short: I am Maria and I love MOOCs! They have become a part of my life for a year now and I plan to keep it this way for 2015 and the years to come- I hope!