a useful Chrome browser function

發現Chrome 這個新增(?)的功能對我很有用，通常一堂兩個半小時的課，我預先開定的網頁隨時十多二十個，以便省時，但看着tab bar上十多二十個tab,自己也覺得混亂。這個功能讓我把開了的tab依據課堂的發展預先分組，然後去到某一階段click 那一組的label, 那一组的tab才打開，那便不會被太多的tab擾亂了。

Practising what I preach

 So, I did use this quote to wrap up last night's refresher training course, to encourage the teachers to continue to explore e-Reading. I also mentioned what I myself had just started to explore (using VR in language teaching). I should also have mentioned that the first time I touched a computer, I was already 39 years old.

Every expert was once a beginner

Will use this quote tomorrow evening to conclude the 6-hour course on e-Reading for secondary teachers, to encourage them to continue to explore and try out e-Reading even if they are newbies today.

喜出望外

這真有點喜出望外。收到出版社通知，康文署和香港書刋版權授權協會合作，推出智慧圖書館系統，把本地出版而由本地作者撰寫的書的其中部分電子化(例如目錄及read a sample)，放上公共圖書館網站供市民試閱，計劃因而給予出版社及作者象徵式的撥款。撥款分兩级，第一級是去年全年借出量最多的二萬本，第二级是其餘書籍。

喜出望外的，不是收到(很象徵式)的撥款，而是我和歐陽偉豪合著的兩本書都屬第一级，即這兩本2011年出版的書，到去年仍是全港公共圖書館借出量最高二萭本的其中兩本!

Teachable moments

 A former teacher-student had a most satisfying time using this text to develop his students' higher-order reading skills: (1) seeing the writer's choice of words; (2) identifying the writer's underlying intentions; (3) making inferences from vague expressions, ...... Why 'saddened' and not 'sad'? Why 'learn' instead of 'know'? What is 'recollections may vary', and why put it this way? ... He succeeded in firing his students up who then kept probing deeply into the text. 

As teachers, we know that such teachable moments do not happen every day.

Kahoot as self-paced task

 前天才說過經學生提示，才知道可以裝ad blocker的chrome extension, 以避免上課時到訪某些網站而畫面卻出現令人分心的廣告。

昨早上課時又有類似的情況，我上網課如果進行quiz competition，則一定選Quizizz而不選Kahoot,  因為Kahoot 需要學生同一時間看着兩畫面，這在網課時不方便，Quizizz便沒有這問題。

怎知昨天學生告訴我，現時Kahoot game 也可以用Assign模式執行，學生毋須同時看着兩個畫面。

e-learning app不斷更新，永遠也有忽略了的功能。

iPad proficiency

 今早觀課，這一班中一學生運用ipad的純熟程度，我也望塵莫及。(我工作時大部分時間用電腦，只是從學生角度試做已製作的interactive task, 或純瀏覽時，才用iPad。)

後記：此校利用關愛基金，開展BYOD, 學生每天帶iPad回校。

e~learning 和edtech永遠也學不完

 e~learning 的點子真是永遠也學不完，例如我昨天才知道可以裝ad blocker 的chrome extension, 以避免向學生展示網站時出現不良意識的廣告。又例如昨晚上Rachel Chan的workshop, 才知道建立Google Form時，可以把word 上的問題(例如MC)直接copy and paste into Google form, 在Word 上打字，當然比在Google form 打快得多，兼且可以保存word file 作容易参考的紀錄。

昨晚另一參與老師問在pear deck 學生可否upload 圖片作回應，我翻查一下，應是不能的，但又發覺Google Form 內的MC题，distractor可以是圖片，例如問題是一表述，然後請學生選出正確的對應圖片，這在英文科教visual literacy或multimodal reading 時應該是不错的主意。

e~learning 和edtech, 永遠也學不完。

Better learning experiences, not better lecturing

 Came across this line while viewing a video. It happens to be my current teaching maxim, too, as evidenced by my decreasing PPT time, and increasing use of microlearning units in a class session.

Is true inclusion possible in Hong Kong?

 Two days ago, I posted about the experience of a teacher friend who recently switched from mainstream school teaching to serving in a special school. Two former education students, who are now teachers in Canada, responded with their experience in teaching in Canadian schools. One of them mentioned the inclusion model that Canada adopts, whereby students with special needs go to the same schools as other students. 

I have heard a little about that. And in a way, I'm not taken aback, because in my impression , Canada is an egalitarian society which values social equity. (The only 2 places in Canada I have set foot in are Vancouver and Victoria, as a tourist.) A place's education system is an epitome of its people's ethics and values. Extensive inclusion is difficult to implement in HK because, let's face it, we are a much more competitive, and even elitist to some extent, society. If our own children are academically successful, or if we belong to the middle or upper class, we don't want (our children) to mix with the disadvantaged or the 'losers'. 

Which has started me contemplating: How did this egalitarian culture and tradition begin in Canada?

A wake-up question

 Yesterday, I posted the story of Daisy, who by chance switched from teaching in the mainstream system to teaching in a special school. I then followed up by asking Daisy in what ways her life has changed. This is her reply: 

"I will feel happy more easily compared to the past. The students here always remind me of 知足常樂 as they are true and simple.

And the school environment makes me feel more relaxed."

Of course, this is not to say that teaching at a special school is 'easier', or definitely more satisfying, than teaching at a mainstream school. It has a lot to do with one's values and disposition, especially what one is after in life. 

I remember that after teaching for 5 years at my first teaching school, I began to feel a lack of job satisfaction, as I thought my students were not paying me back with equal effort. Out of impulse, I applied to a special school, and was quickly offered a teaching post. At the very last moment, the principal asked: "Do you think you're really prepared to go into special education?" That was a truly wake-up question. I realised I just wanted a change; I was not prepared for that switch. I turned down the offer, and continued in my original school. I then changed my mindset: Instead of expecting my students to reciprocate with equal effort, I concentrated on what I myself could do to bring out their best. 

And I guess that's why while I revere people who find satisfaction and devotion in special education, I will also avoid romanticising working in the special ed sector to my education students. For me, the first questions to ask are: Who am I? What are my life values? What am I after in life? What kind of person am I? .......

生命教育寶貴的一課

 教師Daisy在因緣際會下,由主流學校轉到一所照顧身體弱能及傷病學童的特殊學校任教，起初還是抱着試試的心情，萬萬想不到這轉變完全改變了她對教育的目的，師生關係，甚至生命價值的看法。

首先，她得以重新拾回教學的樂趣，以前她教的是地區名校，為了催谷學生的成績，她需要給予大量的功課，然後是永遠完不了的批改，覺得自己只是一部改簿機器，但在這所特殊學校，沒有追逐成績的可能，結果反而將目標放在如何盡量發展每一個學生的潛能，再加上每班人數少，需要批改的功課不多，結果Daisy 可以將時間主要放在備課上，現在她課餘時間，不是花在無盡的批改，而是設計教學活動，製作教材，這令她重燃教學的動力，重新享受教學的專業感。

這不是說課室教學容易，相反，由於學生有限的學習能力，Daisy  要不斷嘗試不同的教學策略，要有超级的耐性和堅毅，幸好學校以人為本，沒有預設的學習成績目標，只求引導每一學生發揮其最大潛能。

這以人為本的氛圍，亦展現於每天下午放學後的工作會議，老師、職業治療師、物理治療師、言語治療師坐在一起，討論每一個學生的情況和所需要的支援，最令 Daisy感動的，是這些不是形式化交差式的會議，而是專業和實在的溝通，而且出席的同事，都是本着關懷每一個學生的成長而提出意見和想法。

這個以人為本的氛圍，還體現在學校上下一心對學生的照顧， Daisy 觀察到學校無論是教師、教學助理、各種治療師、校工,和校車司機，都對學生有發自內心的關懷，我問 Daisy 這團隊精神從何而來，Daisy一時間也想不出，還敘述了很多實例，看到老師和教學助理如何為了學生學得更好，做了大量的額外教學準備和活動。

我想在特殊學校任教，會否令教職員傾向沉鬱，相反，Daisy 說同事都是樂觀，活潑，和團結的一羣。

在這所特殊學校任教，還令Daisy學會珍惜生命，和與學生所處的時光。學生中有一些是嚴重身體問題的，如果病發，可以在很短時間內離開這個世界。我自己也有不只一個前學生早逝，當然明白這種哀痛。  現在，Daisy更知道幸福並不必然，更珍惜她的學生。

我問Daisy 會否從此留在特殊教育工作，她說她也不知道，總之這次的因缘際會，令她上了生命教育寶貴的一課。

I experienced Murphy's Law again this morning

This morning, I experienced Murphy’s Law again.

Earlier on, I had invited Miss Angel Yu to join this morning’s Zoom class session to share her experience in flipped learning with the teachers enrolled in my Master’s course. I had sent Angel the Zoom link and password three days before, scheduled her sharing to start at 11:15 this morning, and was assuming that she would be able to join my Zoom session at the specified time smoothly.

At 11:10, I still didn’t notice Angel’s request to join the Zoom session. I checked my Messenger and Whatsapp, and was shocked to see that Angel had just texted me urgently, as the Zoom system rejected her entry, on grounds that she was not a registered member of the CUHK Zoom system.

I was caught totally unprepared for that scenario. I literally freaked out as her sharing should start in a couple of minutes, and I absolutely had no idea how to fix the problem. In my confused mental state, I just sent her the Zoom link again, and of course to no avail. I was just totally stranded and couldn’t figure out what to do next clearly.

Luckily, at this point, one teacher in the class suggested that I ask Angel to create her Zoom session and that we should all join her instead. I followed his suggestion, and Angel’s sharing got off the ground, albeit ten minutes later than scheduled.

I’m aware that technical problems may arise when I use technology in my classes, whether online or face-to-face. So I always turn up in the classroom, or open a Zoom meeting, at least 25 minutes before a class starts, to check the technical set-up. But on this occasion, I was still not careful enough, and didn’t do something to ensure that Angel could get access to my Zoom session smoothly.

Hence, this morning’s scenario is a good reminder to me: “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”

Create safe and distraction-free youtube video links

 Just found a free tool for creating safe (no inappropriate previews of other videos on the right-hand pane), and distraction-free (nothing else but just the video you want to show in class) links to youtube videos to show to students in class. 

https://video.link/

I tried inserting a link created with Video.link into Sutori, and it embeds properly on Sutori!. 

Here's the link I created: 

https://video.link/w/VBePb

I recommend this service to teachers. Furthermore, like some other apps with a similar function, this one is free, and does not impose a limit on the number of links that can be created. 

Undergraduate students vs Postgraduate students

 這幾年都是教碩士班和part~time教育文憑，學員都比較成熟穩重。今學期有機會再教undergraduate, 兼且是二年班，昨天下午步入班房，第一秒已經感受到那青春氣息，他們有些外貌還像中學生呢!他們的活力，一颦一笑，同學之間的親和，所營造出來的classroom vibes,令我也覺得好像年青了一點呢。

Obtained Adobe Creative Educator Level 2 today

 

Livebinders vs Notion vs Google Sites

The three apps serve the purpose of presenting the materials that one has collected in a systematic manner. 

I have tried creating Google Sites and Notion notebooks. Google Sites are now easy to create. The app conveniently integrates with other Google apps. 

Notion looks more like a textbook, or an organised course. I think Notion has more tools available than Google Sites. But Google Sites, like any website, seems to be more versatile and flexible for viewers to find things they may be interested in. Notion, as pointed out above, looks like a textbook. If that is the intended purpose, then Notion trumps Google Sites. 

I haven't tried creating anything with Livebinders yet. It looks like a Google Site, and presents 2 levels (free plan) or 3 levels (paid) of content. The interface is straightforward. A content page can embed another webpage (though some web pages refuse to be embedded), which will show up automatically. This is not the case with Google Sites. 

So far, my impression is that if Livebinders is easy to use, then it may be used for conveniently creating a collection of resources to use with other people. 

http://www.livebinders.com/

Gorilla PD - a noteworthy platform for teacher professional development

 I came across the platform Gorilla PD (https://gorillapd.org/) by chance some time ago. It's a platform for teacher professional development, and there were some features which looked promising. This afternoon, I signed up, and took some time to explore the platform. Below are some quick observations. 

The platform is mainly for online PD. An interested teacher: 

1. signs up for a free account, 

2. browses the units available, 

3. enrolls, and choose a mentor from the provided list, 

4. starts learning working through the materials, self-paced, 

5. produces evidence of learning, 

6. submits it to their mentor for feedback, and

7. completes the course (presumably with endorsement of the mentor). 

==============

Each course is like a learning journey, which consists of: 

- reading materials

- videos (from Youtube, for example)

- tasks

====================

The design of each course reminds me of other apps like: 

- GoConqr

- Loops Education

- or even Google Forms (with Sections)

    However, one major difference is that with Gorilla PD, to get the course 'credits', one needs to work under a mentor. If the mentor approves the work submitted by the mentee teacher, then the teacher will get the official credit. 

    That is the case with the workshops run by the NET section of EDB on this platform. A teacher who completes a NET section course on Gorilla PD with the 'assignment' approved, will get the requisite CPD hours from EDB. 

    This is particularly a useful arrangement as currently, because of the pandemic, few PD workshops can be held face-to-face. 

==============

Currently, there are a few major course providers on Gorilla PD, and the NET section is a very active one. Even if you do not enroll on a course, you can still look through the course content to get some useful materials or ideas. For me, one benefit is of course getting inspirations for designing my own PD workshops for teachers. (But at the moment, the platform is still not 'open' enough as there is no arrangement for non-official course providers to create their own course.)

Fancy Zones in Power Toys

 多謝Bryan Ka Yue Leung介紹Power Toys Fancy Zones，你現在看見的就是五個我開的視窗出現在同一電腦畫面，可以随意進入其中一個視窗及返回這總視窗，不需要逐個視窗resize。是否有利工作暫時未知道，但肯定很好玩。(And theoretically, you can work on all sub-windows on the same overview window.)

Wordwall

 Today there are so many e-learning apps around that there will always be ones that have escaped our attention. I've been using Bookwidgets and Educaplay for creating standalone interactive tasks (matching, pairing, sorting, sequencing, diagram labelling, etc.), and my latest favourite is LearningApps.org. 

But a couple of days ago, former student Margie alerted me to Wordwall, which has immediately become my new love. It can create many types of interactive tasks and games, and it has a very appealing user interface. 

E-learning keeps me humble. 

https://wordwall.net/