Mandy Medhurst - Assessment 2
Managing E-Learning
A learning journey that has been very interactive, frustrating at time and a lot of 'light bulb moments'. Technology in the classroom has not been seen a lot in the school that I have been in. They have mostly used YouTube (to death), PowerPoint and created worksheets using tools such Excel. I wonder if learning all of this is going to be of any significance to me in the future.
Synopsis
There are times when learning information that you mind automatically switches off and you forget what you have just learnt, with the new technologies of today hopefully this will not be happening with these tools for students or teachers.
The learning theories that now underpin my journey with my students will greatly change due to completing this course. I was already using social constructivism with Bloom's taxonomy, I will now look more closely at behaviourism and connectivism. Though I am sceptical of 'connectivism' as seen in my blog Learning Theories. Behaviourism was an eye opener for me, after looking at online tutoring programs such Reading eggs, it does not allow for the student to look outside of the box, they do not develop higher order thinking. The whole program is step by step. These sort of systems are probably best for ROTE learning and the basis for laying the foundations of the scaffolding for future years of learning. I found the Prensky article very interesting and discovered my multiple intelligence's refer to blog multiple intelligence and Prensky for more information. The multiple intelligence is very subjective it really does depend on the day you are having and how much really take notice.
Using the correct tools to have students achieve their best
result requires planning, correct strategies, differentiation for each student
and achievable goals that can be extended.
Having students engaged is the key with Information Computer Technology's (ICT) in the classroom. Preece and Davies (1992 as cited in Bochner, Duchesne & Krause, 2003) state 'ICT can do much to foster learners' construction of meaning and their own learning experiences, whether they are working at their own pace or in collaboration with others. However, if not informed by sound educational principles and theories, computer based learning resources can impede learning, waste valuable learning time, and become a distraction rather than an assett.' The learning
theory’s will greatly influence the outcomes of the students. They no longer want to be ‘boxed in’ they
want the freedom to challenge themselves and look at different ways of doing
tasks and completing work. I know as a student myself and I am bored by PowerPoint presentations and today's student wants to see information presented in a way that
brings them in, and this is how I will change my teaching strategies in the
classroom. Although I I was already
using social constructivism with Bloom’s Taxonomy I will give more
consideration to connectivism using Googledocs for example. See Blog written in red for Why Googledocs? for use with connectivism.
As a Learner Manager I need to ask questions for planning ICT's in a lesson:
As a Learner Manager I need to ask questions for planning ICT's in a lesson:
- Is ICT the best way of delivering a concept?
- Is there an easier way to get the same result?
- Am I doing this just to use ICT or is there a real learning opportunity here?
- what role does this ICT tool play in the learning design. (Knight, Lynch & Smith, 2007, p 54).
The following tools that I had most engagement where
Tool 1- Blogs,
Tool 2 - Weebly, example My Weebly
Tool 3 - Podcasting example minipodcast and
Tool 4 - Prezi example My Prezi
and I have included there links for more indepth presentations on them. Blogs are a useful tool for students to engage with reflecting and completing peer comments on others work and thoughts. This is a tool that I can see being used widely in classes as students become more reflective on their work and ideas. Blogs can be used as connectivism, through the use of commenting on others work and giving opinions on where else they can find information and what they have discovered. Weebly's for students can be so much more than just being in the classroom. As a teacher this can be used to set up homework for students (if they have a computer and internet) and allow for greater differentiation. This can be demonstrated that each student has their own page and you can set the minimum and the students have to work out their answers and direct themselves to the answers. This can be also be set up as a behaviourism theory by not allowing the students to go any further and developing no higher order thinking or simply making them flick and tick quizzes. Podcasting as a tool was not at all overly impressed with, just reminded me of a fancy PowerPoint. The benefits of these they can be viewed over and over again and every student receives the same information. The student that has missed the class can then view the same information as everybody else and not be disadvantaged. I just did not find this interactive enough and this could lead to boredom which means students become disengaged to the learning. Prezi on the other hand was absolutely interactive. For myself as a student I liked that you could see the overall information and then move to the finer points. I found this very easy to navigate and emb pictures and PowerPoints too. As a teacher for the future this will allow for presentations that give the 'wow' factor and students then make their own, once I had modeled in class how it may look and feel. Whilst I was 'trolling' the internet looking for more tools that I could use in the classroom for students I came across ClassDojo which is an interactive behavioural chart example class, ClassDojo blog.
The overall arching learning theories that I have gained from these tools is that they are as useful as you make them. If the proper strategies are not used they are useless. The students will not connect if they do not understand why they are using them and the outcome that is expected. The classroom requires collaborative 'learners learning through interaction with learners, or learning through scaffolding provided by the teacher in an atmosphere of caring, collaboration and dialogue in which students are encouraged to inquire, challenge, express feelings and opinions, and reflect on their own work.' (Brady, 2006, p 11) The issues of cyber safety and acknowledgement of where information came from are also paramount when considering ICT's in the classroom. As a teacher I will have to demonstrate and model cyber safety by not giving my information to unknown sites and asking students to do the same. Though schools have filters to try to eliminate the risk I need to be aware and even look at sites before hand to make sure they are appropriate. To make an effective learning tool the learning theories of constructivism and connectivism really need to be considered so as my students will engage and will use their time constructively. Blooms' Taxonomy and Debono's six thinking hats should be aligned with the strategies to have all learners participate.
As a future learner and teacher I must interact with ICT's to engage the 21st century student. Means & Olsen (1997, as cited in Bochner, Duchesne & Krause. 2003, p. 314) state 'computers can be particularly useful for teachers interested in understanding learners' cognitive and thinking processes, since computers can make students' thinking processes visible for teachers in a ways that others of learning cannot.' 'For instance, students' choices about how to use a particular computer application can reveal their thinking and problem solving strategies' (Bochner, Duchesne & Krause. 2003, p. 314) and this is what I have to beware of when using ICT's in the classroom. It is about authentic learning that requires the student to make real life links as to why they are learning. The classroom of the future is not constituted by the four walls that we learnt in, it is about the whole world and being connected to it.
References
Tool 1- Blogs,
Tool 2 - Weebly, example My Weebly
Tool 3 - Podcasting example minipodcast and
Tool 4 - Prezi example My Prezi
and I have included there links for more indepth presentations on them. Blogs are a useful tool for students to engage with reflecting and completing peer comments on others work and thoughts. This is a tool that I can see being used widely in classes as students become more reflective on their work and ideas. Blogs can be used as connectivism, through the use of commenting on others work and giving opinions on where else they can find information and what they have discovered. Weebly's for students can be so much more than just being in the classroom. As a teacher this can be used to set up homework for students (if they have a computer and internet) and allow for greater differentiation. This can be demonstrated that each student has their own page and you can set the minimum and the students have to work out their answers and direct themselves to the answers. This can be also be set up as a behaviourism theory by not allowing the students to go any further and developing no higher order thinking or simply making them flick and tick quizzes. Podcasting as a tool was not at all overly impressed with, just reminded me of a fancy PowerPoint. The benefits of these they can be viewed over and over again and every student receives the same information. The student that has missed the class can then view the same information as everybody else and not be disadvantaged. I just did not find this interactive enough and this could lead to boredom which means students become disengaged to the learning. Prezi on the other hand was absolutely interactive. For myself as a student I liked that you could see the overall information and then move to the finer points. I found this very easy to navigate and emb pictures and PowerPoints too. As a teacher for the future this will allow for presentations that give the 'wow' factor and students then make their own, once I had modeled in class how it may look and feel. Whilst I was 'trolling' the internet looking for more tools that I could use in the classroom for students I came across ClassDojo which is an interactive behavioural chart example class, ClassDojo blog.
The overall arching learning theories that I have gained from these tools is that they are as useful as you make them. If the proper strategies are not used they are useless. The students will not connect if they do not understand why they are using them and the outcome that is expected. The classroom requires collaborative 'learners learning through interaction with learners, or learning through scaffolding provided by the teacher in an atmosphere of caring, collaboration and dialogue in which students are encouraged to inquire, challenge, express feelings and opinions, and reflect on their own work.' (Brady, 2006, p 11) The issues of cyber safety and acknowledgement of where information came from are also paramount when considering ICT's in the classroom. As a teacher I will have to demonstrate and model cyber safety by not giving my information to unknown sites and asking students to do the same. Though schools have filters to try to eliminate the risk I need to be aware and even look at sites before hand to make sure they are appropriate. To make an effective learning tool the learning theories of constructivism and connectivism really need to be considered so as my students will engage and will use their time constructively. Blooms' Taxonomy and Debono's six thinking hats should be aligned with the strategies to have all learners participate.
As a future learner and teacher I must interact with ICT's to engage the 21st century student. Means & Olsen (1997, as cited in Bochner, Duchesne & Krause. 2003, p. 314) state 'computers can be particularly useful for teachers interested in understanding learners' cognitive and thinking processes, since computers can make students' thinking processes visible for teachers in a ways that others of learning cannot.' 'For instance, students' choices about how to use a particular computer application can reveal their thinking and problem solving strategies' (Bochner, Duchesne & Krause. 2003, p. 314) and this is what I have to beware of when using ICT's in the classroom. It is about authentic learning that requires the student to make real life links as to why they are learning. The classroom of the future is not constituted by the four walls that we learnt in, it is about the whole world and being connected to it.
References
Bochner, S., Duchesne, S. and Krause, K. (2003) Eductional Psychology for learning and teaching. Southbank: Thomson
Brady, L. (2006) Collaborative Learning in Action. Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education Australia
Knight, B. A., Lynch, D. & Smith. R. (2007) Learning Management. Transitioning teachers for national and international change. Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education Australia
Brady, L. (2006) Collaborative Learning in Action. Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education Australia
Knight, B. A., Lynch, D. & Smith. R. (2007) Learning Management. Transitioning teachers for national and international change. Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education Australia
