Before the courses began, I was a little perplexed at how learning online would work for me. When I was taking my courses at Hopkins for my Reading Masters, I really enjoyed going to class. I wasn’t sure how we could build the camaraderie that comes from class discussions and group work in an online forum. I needn’t have worried! I do feel like I am getting to know my classmates and not like I am learning in isolation. The checklist feature has been invaluable for me to keep on top of assignments, I’ve begun making checklists for work too!
The topics we have covered so far are instantly applicable to a classroom setting. The debunking of neuro-myths has been eye opening but also reaffirming. I believe students should be taught in a variety of modalities not just the ones they ‘prefer’. My teammate and I are planning our next unit of inquiry using the BTT model and it fits in really well with the Primary Years Progamme (PYP) curriculum that I teach. BT-3 is especially helpful and coincides with the PYP. We start with a central idea that is a broad global statement of what we are to learn about and then conduct our inquiry through specific lines of inquiry that help to focus our study. Then as you mention in BT-3, we utilize brain mapping (with images and words), graphic organizers and data charts to help organize our thinking.
