Filomena Bianco's Learning Diary by Mena https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3 Learning Diary for the MOOC “Yes I can” – Empowering Student Learning en-us 2019-01-21 16:12:41 UTC 2025-11-15 07:24:14 UTC hello@padlet.com Course Timeline and deadlines! menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322721106 2019-01-21 16:17:20 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322721106 Who am I? menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322721472 My name's Filomena Bianco. 
I am from Naples,  south of Italy. 
I live in a town in the north of Naples, Giugliano in Campania. ]]> 2019-01-21 16:18:53 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322721472 What do I do? menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322721786 I am a teacher of English at the Junior Secondary School "G.B. Basile" in Giugliano (age 11-14). 
I have taught English for 19 years! I have also published textbooks of English culture and summer review]]> 2019-01-21 16:20:13 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322721786 What do I like? menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322723996 I love reading, listening to music, meeting my freinds and travelling. 
I also love speaking foreign languages and to learn more about different cultures and life styles.]]> 2019-01-21 16:28:33 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322723996 Why have I joined this MOOC? menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322724405 I love my job and I like to improve my teaching skills. The world has changed so much and students learn in very different ways. I am interested in knowing new methodologies and ICT tools to improve my teaching practice and be able to motivate and involve my students as much as possible in the learning process.]]> 2019-01-21 16:30:07 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322724405 Learning Objectives menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322725930
  • reflect on my own learning and that of my students;
  • learn about the concepts of formal, non-formal and informal learning;
  • discuss how to create links between these learning settings in order to empower your students’ learning.
]]> 2019-01-21 16:36:39 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322725930 Aim of the course menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322726554 The aim of this course is to learn how I can empower our students to learn in different settings in and out of school. ]]> 2019-01-21 16:39:10 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322726554 How can students’ learning experiences in non-formal and informal settings be important for their learning at school? menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322731775
  • The learning taking place there can be powerful as these settings stress the practical value of learning.
  • Non-formal education focuses on the process, the emotion that it brings out in you and how you are learning.
  • Non-formal and informal learning settings can unlock students’ creative potential.
  • Fostering such learning can support more flexibility, both at the level of personal relationships between teachers and students, and the actual teaching and learning process.
  • Enabling students to create links between the learning in different settings can empower them to become the drivers of their own learning (foster students’ autonomy and active participation) and make their learning more enjoyable and fruitful.
  • Students that can integrate informal learning experiences (own interests) into their formal learning in the classroom will be more motivated to learn in class.
  • Non-formal and informal learning approaches help to focus on the benefit of new learning spaces outside of the classroom, both inside and outside the school.
  • Likewise, students learning 21st-century skills such as learning to learn and collaborating with others can also use these new skills in informal learning settings outside of school.
    •  

    ]]>     2019-01-21 16:56:43 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322731775     Starting from students' interests menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322734389  In this video students from Portugal, Romania and Poland share how they like to learn. That's a pity I can't understand all that they say because they don't speak English! ]]> 2019-01-21 17:07:56 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322734389 What are your own students’ interests and learning preferences? Do you think that you already know them for all or some of your students? How do you think you could find out more? menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322739144 I teach English to students who learn how to play a musical instrument as a curricular subject. They are interested in music and technology. They love using devices and tools to listen to music, download it and even write it! When we study English i always refer to a song which contains the language I want to introduce to them. 
     I usually ask my new students at the beginning of the school year about their interests and what they do in their free time. It's very useful to choose topics and arrange materials and lessons. My students also love eTwinning projects: they like working in small groups and getting to know their peers from other European countries. ]]>     2019-01-21 17:28:45 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322739144     1.3 What is formal/non-formal/informal learning? menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322741736 Most students do not actually make the link between their learning experiences inside and outside of school.]]> 2019-01-21 17:41:24 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322741736 Formal, informal and non - formal education menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322742663
  • Formal education: at school, through national curriculum, it is assessed through tests and exams, the focus is on what you learn.
  • Informal education: at home. with family and friends, everyday situations, it may change your values.
  • Non-formal education: it takes place in different situations and environments, it is student-centered, voluntary and purposeful, it is flexible,e.g. extracurricular activities, youth clubs, sport-drama-music activites. The focus is on the process, how you learn. It is a combination of formal and informal education/learning.
    • ]]>     2019-01-21 17:46:33 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322742663     A survey: 70% score! menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322744439 Sort these 10 statements into the category formal, non-formal, or informal learning.]]> 2019-01-21 17:55:48 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322744439 Think of three instances when you learned something in a formal, non-formal or informal way menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322746964 Formal: I studied a syllabus at a University of Cambridge course to get a Language Certificate in English.
    Non-formal: I have attended several MOOCs on School Education Gateway and European Schoolnet Academy
    Informal: I have learned how to make an apple pie watching a tutorial on YouTube.]]>     2019-01-21 18:04:34 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322746964     An interesting video menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322747915 Formal vs informal learning, non-formal learning]]> 2019-01-21 18:09:25 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322747915 Strategies to empower students in their formal & informal learning menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322748667  In the first video, Diana Rhoten, Social Science Research Council based in New York, explains her vision on how to spark children’s interest with informal learning. ]]> 2019-01-21 18:13:01 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322748667 menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322749007  The second video gives some ideas on how to move towards students’ ownership of their learning. 

    The Shift from Engaging Students to Empowering Learners

    ]]>     2019-01-21 18:14:36 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322749007     Both videos mention some concrete ideas such as the slogan “consumption, production, participation”, the importance of (online) communities, and moving from the teacher asking all the questions to the students asking their own questions. Starting from those ideas, what would you like to do to empower your students to learn? Try to describe 1 or 2 concrete ideas that you could implement in your own classroom. menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322753919 I would like my students to think about how we can change the world starting from our communities. I think the aim of education should be to change students' attitudes towards hot current issues, like refugees and climate change. Our students need to be aware and active citizens of the world. It could start with a brainstorming activity about the most urgent problems in the world and then they could ask about each problem what they can realistically do in their communities (family, school, clubs) to start the change and how to do that.]]> 2019-01-21 18:37:05 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322753919 Try to think of your own students: Can you share the story of one student who struggled to get good grades, but succeeded in another field? How did you / could you help the student? menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322755418 One of my students had some difficulties in getting good results in some school subjects but he was very talented with playing the flute. He won several local and regional competitions during the school year. He managed to get admission to a secondary school specializing in music. I tried to encourage him to study English by showing him that he could use English all over the world and that it was useful for his career, when having concerts and contests abroad.]]> 2019-01-21 18:42:04 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/322755418 Learning Objectives menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/327114531 In this module, we will explore how implementing personalised learning approaches can help your students to become drivers of their own learning. 
    I will:
    ·         learn about the concept of personalised learning

    ·         learn how to empower your students to learn according to their own abilities & learning preferences

    ·         learn how to adapt your teaching based on your students’ learning preferences

    ]]>     2019-02-03 21:49:28 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/327114531     Activity menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/327114728  Do you already want to put yourself in the shoes of students who learn in a personalised way? Then write down 3 more learning goals for this module – for example, in your Learning Diary – and, at the end of the module, check which of those you have actually reached.
    1. I expect to know what personalised learning is.
    2. I expect to understand how to empower my students to learn according to their needs, interests, abilities
    3. I expect new suggestions for how to adapt my teaching practice to my students' learning styles    ]]>     2019-02-03 21:51:22 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/327114728     What is personalised learning? menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/327115417 My favourite answer:
    The term personalised learning does not really make sense, because really all learning is personal. Personalised instruction is trying to imagine the greatest amount of ways that you can customise a curriculum to the abilities and the interests of the individual student. – Randy Bass, GeorgeTown University]]>     2019-02-03 21:56:38 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/327115417     Why personalise learning? menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/327117804  Video 1: Types of Learners 
     Video 2: Personalized Learning: Teaching to the Students in the Back Row   
      Video 3: Different Intelligences
    Activity:
     I imagine we have to create a powerpoint presentation of an English-speaking country. Some kids are low at spelling, grammar and writing skills but they are excellent in technology (download, upload photos, etc.). Others are very good at writing and love searching for information. The second group will get the task of searching for infomation on the web, write texts and check spelling and grammar. The first group will have to read the texts of the previous group and according to it, they will have to find proper pictures and audio files to integrate the texts. I imagine also a sort of peer tutoring.]]>     2019-02-03 22:16:49 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/327117804     Formative assessment – identifying what your students know and need menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/327118107 Howard Winneshiek School District discusses personalized learning and its connection to Common Core. Devices are essential to their methodology as is formative assessment to show growth over time.

    ]]>     2019-02-03 22:19:10 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/327118107     Formative assessment to initiate personalised learning menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/327118453 A very interesting video ]]> 2019-02-03 22:22:08 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/327118453 Activity menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/327118914 How could you collect this information more systematically and make better use of it to support your students’ learning? And how do you assess your students’ learning throughout the whole process? After you've answered, browse through your colleagues’ contributions and "like" at least 2 others that you find particularly inspiring.
    I collect information in 3 ways. First I use a personal diary where I take notes even during the lesson. Then, I use some useful grids of observation. Finally, I encourage students to self-assessment through questionnaires.]]>     2019-02-03 22:26:09 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/327118914     Six Examples of What Personalized Learning Looks Like menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/327977378 Personalized learning is:
    1. Incorporating Self-Reflection and Goal-Setting
    2. Flexible & Intentional Master Schedules
    3. Using Digital Content and Tools in a Purposeful Way
    4. Incorporating Personalized Playlists
    5. Planning for Flexible Seating
    6. Involving Students in Grading Conversations]]>     2019-02-05 19:17:59 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/327977378     How much autonomy do students need in their learning? menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/327990551  I think students need a lot of autonomy in learning, indeed one of the key competences to develop is learning to learn. I think they have to be autonomous when they plan (the teacher should be a facilitator), they find reources, they arrange materials and choose tools and finally evaluate the process. The teacher has to be just a guide and a supervisor of the learning process, more interested in how students learn, rather than in what and how much they learn.]]> 2019-02-05 19:40:40 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/327990551 Flexible Classrooms: Making Space for Personalized Learning menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/328033506 How you arrange your seating can be an asset for differentiating instruction. Summit Prep, in Redwood City, California, uses different seating configurations for independent work, collaborative work, mini lessons, and large-group discussions. ]]> 2019-02-05 21:25:32 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/328033506 Webinar menabianco https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/328039628 In the webinar, José Alberto Lencastre will discuss the following questions: Every teacher has the right to teach classes in his or her own way. Really? In addition, what about the student's own unique interests and endeavours? ]]> 2019-02-05 21:48:17 UTC https://padlet.com/menabianco/2ezqgs3ebpv3/wish/328039628