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Exploring the All New Google Classroom

Chapter 32: Exploring the All New Google Classroom Date/Time: 8th February 2025 - Saturday , 12:36 pm This is yet another interesting post that explores the amazing new resources added in the Google Classroom over all these years. I had an amazing experience of conducting a training workshop for over 50 participants at the Beaconhouse Head Office in Lahore recently as a Google Certified Trainer , while working as an Education Lead at Tech Valley which is a Google for Education partner organisation in Pakistan. The feedback was simply fantastic and amazing. The reason was the way the training session was developed for the participants which were teachers, coordinators , school leaders and representatives from the head office. It was a practical hands-on experience where all participants worked together to not only explore the tools but create content for themselves and their learners.  It was a two day training session which focuses on exploring google for education tools that could...
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Chapter 29: AI in Education - Design for Inclusion

  Chapter 29: AI in Education - Design for Inclusion Date/Time: 17th Sep 2024 - Wednesday , 3:30 pm Sharing some thoughts on AI in education. I think AI has an imminent role to play in education. And AI can definitely help us as educators to create learning experiences that can benefit all kinds of learners. Usually educators are observed as using chatGPT to get access to ready made lesson plans or additional knowledge about a topic. Most people including me are also not aware of the vast functionality of chatGPT. I remember exploring chatGPT while writing one of the articles about chatGPT. It could find information on a topic, it could save the chat, it could summarise the information and maybe analyse to some extent. It could give you ideas on how to teach a topic. It could provide you with lesson plans with objectives, activities and methodology. I don't know if chatGPT could analyse your lesson plan and tell you which areas need to change because it may not lead to an effective...
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Chapter 28: Designing for Inclusion - Exploring the POUR Principles

  Chapter 28: Designing for Inclusion - Exploring the POUR Principles Date/Time: 17th Sep 2024 Wednesday , 2:34 am It has been an interesting ride exploring the third module of the ISTEU online course "Designing for Inclusion ". Sharing key points from the module. Numerous times  during the course I have wondered about how AI could be used to benefit the learners in the classroom that might be different or have difficulty in learning. These questions in this module made me think deeper. How could information be presented to them in a way that can be easily read, seen or heard? or how could information be presented to them in a way that can be understood easily? or how could information be presented to them that they could navigate easily without any difficulty. These questions are all related to the UDL representation principle. The module also introduces the concept of "accessibility" - how to make information accessible to learners with difficulty. The module ment...
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Chapter 27: Designing for Inclusion - Exploring Funds of Knowledge

  Chapter 27: Designing for Inclusion - Exploring Funds of Knowledge Date/Time: 12th September 2024 -  Thursday 3:46 am & 8:53 pm This is another interesting post exploring the concept of “Funds of Knowledge” that I came across while I was skimming through the content of module 2 of the ISTE online course about “Designing for Inclusion”. So my understanding so far is that having knowledge of the learners background and personal life experiences actually helps the teachers plan lessons accordingly. Maybe teachers can utilise the data they gather about students' lives at homes and plan more meaningful activities rather than ensuring compliance in classrooms. This is a new concept for me. I tried to explore a little more by skimming through a website. This concept was introduced by Luis Moll, Cathy Amanti, Deborah Neff, and Norma Gonzalez in their book titled Secondary Educators Theorising Practices in Households, Communities, and Classrooms (2001). The word “fund” refer...
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Chapter 26: Design for Inclusion - Exploring Intersectionality

  Chapter 26: Design for Inclusion - Exploring Intersectionality Date/Time: 10th Sep 2024 Tuesday , 4:10 pm Sharing another very intriguing and interesting concept I learned from the ISTE Course online " Designing for Inclusion" . Now to be honest the term "i ntersectionality " was new for me and I could not figure out what it actually means. I explored the content in the second module of the course, watched additional videos on YouTube and explored on the web. It took time but I think the exercise was worth it. As far as my understanding of the term intersectionality is concerned, it has something to do with our identities that are continually reshaped by our interactions with the various elements in the environment. These elements can be you relate to in family, friends, workplaces etc, this can also include the varying mindsets of the community, it can be related to norms a community sets for women and men, it can relate to your gender, skin colour, ethnicity, re...
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Chapter 25: Designing for Inclusion - UDL & Strategies supporting variability

  Chapter 25: Designing for Inclusion - UDL & Strategies supporting variability Date/Time: 7th September 2024 , Sunday 2:20 am This has been an interesting dive into the  ISTEU online course "Designing for Inclusion". I was able to complete the first module and write about interesting concepts learned from the course. I would agree unintentionally we might be using some strategies that support variable learning among learners. To begin with reflecting on myself, I usually turn on. the captions while watching YouTube videos. I observed several times that I lose attention span after a few minutes, I have to rewind and replay the video. Some time back I started turning on the captions and I read along with the videos. The good thing is I grasp more concepts and I stay focused because my eyes are focused on reading the text on the video. The captions though support people with hearing disability but it supported me too and I can hear well loud and clearly. I also observed whi...
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Chapter 24: Designing for Inclusion - Exploring barriers to learning for learners with disability - Part 2

Chapter 24: Designing for Inclusion - Exploring barriers to learning for learners with disability - Part 2 Date/Time: 5th September 2024 , Friday 7:38 pm Sharing some important learning points from the ISTE Course online "Design for Inclusion" module 1. There was an interesting image shared with 3 different individuals who had limb issues. The task asks you to discuss barriers to learning. Each of the individuals who have limb issues will suffer in some way. They might have writing issues, writing speed may be affected, shifting between multiple tabs can be difficult, creating slideshow or presentation will be challenging, coding or programming tasks may also have issues. Carrying devices and textbooks may also be a challenge and support may be required to do usual chores. There was an interesting video where a writer Sinead Burke talks about how her short height is seen as a disability and the problems she encounters on a daily basis. The simplest being the design of un acce...
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