Reflective Synopsis

Students in the 21st century or the ‘digital age’ have grown up surrounded by technology and all things digital. Prensky (2001) identifies these students as ‘digital natives’, due to the fact that students today are all “native speakers” of the digital language of computers, the internet and other digital devices. It is our role as Learning Managers to ask ourselves, how are we going to teach these students? Are we going to teach these ‘digital native’ students the old ways or should we as Learning Mangers learn the new? “The fact is that even if you are the most engaging old-style teacher in the world, you are not going to capture most of our students’ attention the old way” (Prensky, 2005, p.64). As John Dewey said (as cited in Fleming, n.d.), “If we teach today as we taught yesterday, then we rob our children of tomorrow.” Teaching in the Digital age means we must teach tomorrow's skills today.

Digital Pedagogy is defined as the combination of technical skills, pedagogical practices and understanding of curriculum design appropriate for digital learners. Digital Pedagogy used effectively supports, enhances, enables and transforms teaching and learning to provide rich, diverse and flexible learning opportunities for a digital generation (QLD Government, 2008). It provides the basis for engaging students in actively constructing and applying rich learning in purposeful and meaningful ways. This supports the fact that learning should be authentic; it should be embedded in a real context and should be connected to the world beyond the boundaries of the learning context. As Karl Fisch said, "We are currently preparing students for jobs that don't yet exist, using technologies that haven't been invented in order to solve problems we don't even know are problems yet” (Fleming, n.d.).

I believe that students today are challenging us as Learning Managers, to create and provide engaging learning experiences which cover the curriculum in a way that they can relate to. As Prensky discusses in his article, “Engage me or enrage me, what today’s learners demand” (2005), children’s lives these days are a lot richer in terms of media, communication and creative opportunities outside of school. Teachers must compete with the likes of video games, mobile phones, Ipods and the internet for student’s attention. So why not use some of these technologies in the classroom to enhance learning? As Palfrey and Gasser (2008) said, “Television didn’t transform education. Neither will the internet. But it will be another tool for teachers to use in an effort to reach students in the classroom. It will also be a means by which students learn outside the classroom.”

In order to engage my students in the classroom and be an effective and innovative Learning Manager, I will endeavour to incorporate ICTs in my classroom. To do this, I have begun to investigate different technologies through this course, evaluating each tool in terms of how it can be used in the classroom and have recorded this on my blog. It is important that I continue to explore these tools throughout my profession to ensure that I am up to date and am able to integrate the latest technology in the classroom.

With all these great flashy ideas out there, there are some challenges and barriers with regards to implementation that I will face as a teacher. When analysing the different tools, it became evident that some required a lot of computer time which is difficult when in most classrooms I have visited, there is only two computers and sometimes these are not even working. The school often only has one computer classroom which they are given access to for one lesson a week, making it essential that I use this time wisely when I teach. I need to be able to work around this issue, finding ways to incorporate technology into the learning experiences, whether it’s bringing my own laptop from home or sourcing equipment from other classrooms or libraries. Another challenge that I could face as a Learning Manager is making sure that I use these technologies for the right reason, not just for the sake of it. There needs to be a purpose for using the tool rather than just because it is fun and exciting. The question that I need to ask myself is, ‘How can I use this technology to enhance student learning and make my teaching more effective?’ These tools have the opportunity to transform learning, connecting students with their peers, not just in the classroom or the school, but across the world. Students can search and locate information, share and sort their own ideas, create multimedia projects, edit and manipulate pictures and graphics for example.
I have had the opportunity to investigate many different tools; some which I believe would benefit primary aged students and my teaching personally. One tool that I found intriguing is the blog itself. As described in my post found at http://s0154622.blogspot.com/2010/07/blogs-blogs-everywhere.html, one of the main characteristics of blogs is the ability to make postings. Blog postings are text entries, similar to a journal, which include the date and time of the posting, pictures, links and can be commented on by others. Blogs are an excellent tool for the classroom because they are easy to set up, can be worked on at any time which creates learning that extends beyond the classroom and they are flexible in design and can be modified easily. By creating a classroom blog, this can provide a highly motivating opportunity for students to participate in the classroom, recording their thoughts and what they have learnt, having the chance to collaborate with others, and communicate to parents and community members. With regards to Productive Pedagogies (QLD DET, 2004), this tool allows for substantive conversation in terms of intellectual substance and dialogue. Students are able to have topical discussions with their peers as well as with other classes who have set up blogs. It also allows for Connectedness to the World with the opportunity to connect to others around the country. A blog also encourages inclusivity, giving all students the opportunity to access and contribute regardless of their ability.

Another tool which I found would be beneficial for students in primary school is the interactive powerpoint. As discussed on the blog, Interactive Powerpoints have replaced the traditional slide by slide powerpoint which I felt has been overused in classrooms in the past, well definitely from my experiences. This new type of powerpoint allows for student participation and easy use with the user able to click on the topic they wish to view rather than having to go through all of the slides. Powerpoints allow for the transfer of knowledge in an animated and colourful way, allowing for pictures, videos, hyperlinks and sounds etc to be viewed. I was able to locate a handy website which I linked to my blog called Powerpoints in the Classroom which steps you through how to create a powerpoint. It provides simple directions that even a novice computer user can understand and follow. This tool would be best suited to those in middle to upper primary school as it is quite time consuming to make and would be easier for these students.

I was able to have a meaningful and substantial academic discussion with my peers on the topic of interactive powerpoints. This challenged me to consider the views of others whilst keeping an open mind. My colleagues highlighted some crucial benefits that this tool offers that I had not considered, making me realise the other uses that this tool can have in the classroom.

Whilst researching in this course, I came across Wiki’s. When approached with this tool, my first thought was of Wikipedia, a website I became familiar with in high school due to the many warnings I received about its unreliability. My original concern with this tool is the ability for anyone to erase content or abuse the edit function of this tool, posting negative or fictional information on the site. Trying to keep an open mind, I created my own Wiki which I named with my university student number, s0154622. After a bit of research, I found out that to change the content on my page, a person must accept an invitation sent by the creator before this can happen. This made me less apprehensive about using the tool as I was able to see the benefits that this tool can have in the classroom. A Wiki provides a highly collaborative environment where users can work together and share their knowledge, encouraging collaborative learning. Many students find that their learning is most effective when they are actively involved in the construction of their knowledge. I can see this tool being beneficial for students working in groups to be able to communicate with each other both in class and outside of school.

With Wikis, I think it is important that Netiquette is also understood and followed. By creating guidelines for behaviour, content and editing and by stating explicitly what is not acceptable, this will reduce the amount of negative attention the Wiki receives and will make sure that students are aware of what is appropriate conduct.

A learning tool which I found interesting was the interactive whiteboard. Whilst I unfortunately haven’t been able to try this tool personally, I have heard excellent reviews stating that it is easy to use, appealing to intrinsically and extrinsically motivated students. As I highlighted in my blog post, there are many benefits of the interactive whiteboard in the classroom including accommodating for different learning styles which will improve chances of student understanding during the lesson, more memorable lessons because students are engaged and motivated and notes can be printed or saved for later use or distribution ensuring students are focused on the learning rather than on capturing everything through note taking. Having a display surface large enough for everyone to see encourages a high level of student interaction. The use of text and photos, animations and videos promotes visual learning with one teacher noting, “with our kids, what you want is visuals. You need something to grab their attention” (Cunningham et al., 2003). With kinaesthetic learners sometimes finding it difficult to engage in classroom tasks as they are generally visual or auditory related, the interactive whiteboard reinforces through exercises involving touch, movement and space. Pugh (2001) finds that the interactivity and visuals of interactive whiteboard also benefits students with specific learning difficulties or disabilities. What I find the most beneficial of this technology is the ability to plan lessons and resources prior to the class and simply bring it up on the screen.

Other tools that I investigated throughout this course were Wordle, Websites, Google, Concept Maps, Vokis, Multiple Intelligences, Learning Styles and Prezi. I was also able to have other meaningful academic discussions with my peers, some of which can be found at the following links:

http://ictsineducation1.blogspot.com/2010/08/spell-check.html#comments

http://ictsineducation1.blogspot.com/2010/08/all-knowing-google.html#comments

http://e-learningtoolkit.blogspot.com/2010/07/website-vs-wiki.html#comments

http://s0175732.blogspot.com/2010/07/playing-with-wordle.html#comments

http://s0154622.blogspot.com/2010/07/my-learning-style.html


In conclusion, at the beginning of this course, I would have to say I thought I was a pretty techno savvy young person, having just completed high school where I studied and achieved highly in ICT related courses. For me, setting up the blog was quite easy with the assistance of the website blogger.com and the straightforward menu it provided, making choosing a visually appealing background and text simple. During the lectures for this course, I was able to investigate and evaluate different ICT tools which opened my mind to what is out there and the endless possibilities that these tools can have within the classroom. I now realise how limited my knowledge is and that indeed we never stop learning, even after high school. I will now be able to use what I have discovered in my classroom to enhance student learning.

References for Synopsis :)

Reference List


Cunningham, M., Kerr, K., McEune, R., Smith, P., & Harris, S. (2003). Laptops for Teachers: An Evaluation of the First of the Initiative. Retrieved August 22, 2010, from www.becta.org.uk/page_documents/research/lft_evaluation.pdf.

Fleming, J. (n.d.). Challenges of teaching in the age of the Internet. Retrieved August 25, 2010, from
http://www.helium.com/items/1310228-teaching-in-the-internet-or-digital-age

Palfrey, J & Gasser, U. (2008). Born Digital: Understanding the first generation of digital natives. New York USA: Basic Books.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. Retrieved August 20, 2010, from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf

Prensky, M. (2005). Engage me or enrage me: What today’s learners demand. Retrieved August 20, 2010, from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0553.pdf

Pugh, M. (2001). Using an Interactive Whiteboard with SLD Students. Retrieved August 23, 2010, from http://ferl.becta.org.uk/display.cfm?resid=1393&printable=1.

Queensland Department of Education and Training. (2004). Productive Pedagogies. Retrieved August 23, 2010, from
http://education.qld.gov.au/corporate/newbasics/html/pedagogies/pedagog.html


Queensland Government Department of Education, Training and the Arts. (2008). Elearning for Smart Classrooms. Retrieved August 24, 2010, from
http://education.qld.gov.au/smartclassrooms/pdf/scbyte-elearning.pdf

SMART Technologies Inc. (2006). Interactive Whiteboards and Learning: Improving student learning outcomes and streamlining lesson planning. Retrieved August 25, 2010, from
http://www2.smarttech.com/NR/rdonlyres/2C729F6E-0A8D-42B8-9B32-F90BE0A746D8/0/Int_Whiteboard_Research_Whitepaper_Update.pdf

Interactive Whiteboards

Gone are the days of the old chalkboard and white chalk! We have now been introduced and blessed with whiteboards and markers and now recently, the interactive whiteboard. An Interactive whiteboard is an interactive display that is connected to a computer and projector. The projector allows the computer's desktop to be projected onto the surface of the board where the user can control the computer using a pen or their finger.

The following is a PMI (Plus, Minus and Interesting) I have developed on Interactive Whiteboards:

Pluses
- They make it easy for teachers to enhance presentation content by easily integrating a wide range of material into a lesson, such as a picture from the internet, a piece of text from Microsoft Word, a video file from Media Player in addition to student and teacher annotations on these objects.
- They allow teachers to create easily and rapidly customised learning objects from a range of existing content and to adapt it to the needs of the class.
- Students are able to absorb information more easily.
- Students can participate in group discussions easily.
- They allow learners to work collaboratively around a shared task or work area.
- They allow the Learning Manager to prepare lessons beforehand and just open them up the beginning of the lesson.
- There are many programs and resources that have been developed specifically for this tool.
- Caters for the different learners - kinaesthetic (hands on), visual and auditory. Tactile or kinaesthetic learners can benefit from touching and marking at the board, audio learners can have the class discussion, visual learners can see what is taking place as it develops on the board.

Minus
- Interactive whiteboards are more expensive than conventional whiteboards
- With all technology, if there is power outages this can cause difficulties with using the interactive whiteboards.
- Teachers can often become reliant on the interactive whiteboard and forget about other methods of teaching.

Interesting
- The first interactive whiteboard was manufactured by SMART Technologies Inc. in 1991.
- Australian researchers investigating interactive whiteboards have also found an increased potential for interactive engagement in classrooms where ICT is integrated (Kent,2003) and indicated that teaching with interactive whiteboards is “more fun, more engaging, more exciting and [is] impacting on the enjoyment, speed and depth of learning” (Lee and Boyle, 2003).
- Lee and Boyle (2003) reinforce the notion that it is the tactile nature of the interactive whiteboard that makes it such an attractive medium for teaching children, due in part to “that ready ability to engage with the material on the board and for the children to use their finger ... to open files, to write or simply to highlight a point.”
(Lee, M., & Boyle, M. (2003). The Educational Effects and Implications of the Interactive Whiteboard Strategy of Richardson Primary School: A Brief
Review. Retrieved August 23, 2010, from www.richardsonps.act.edu.au/RichardsonReview_Grey.pdf)

My Learning

At the beginning of this course, I would have to say I thought I was a pretty techno savvy young person, having just completed high school where I studied some courses based around ICTs. Through investigating and evaluating different ICT tools, it has opened my mind to what is out there and the endless possibilities that these tools can have within the classroom. I now realise how limited my knowledge is and that indeed we never stop learning, even after high school. I will now be able to use what I have discovered in my classroom to enhance student learning.

Teaching 21st Century Learners... What does it take??

Just thought I would share a very interesting and inspiring video I found on 21st century learners. Enjoy!!

Prezi

Netball on Prezi

Prezi is an ICT tool that allows you to create a presentation in the form of a canvas in a fun and interesting way. It’s an entirely flash based application that lets you break away from the approach of most presentations. It instead allows you to create a non-linear presentation where you can zoom in and out of the canvas, create motion paths, embed images and video. What I enjoyed about Prezi is that it is easy to use and is flexible. I think that it is an innovation on the standard concept web or powerpoint presentation. Above, is a simple Prezi I created on a topic of interest to me, netball. This is a very basic one as I began to investigate this tool and understand its functions. I can see this tool being used in the classroom for upper primary and high school students.

I highly recommend you try this tool and let me know what you think!!

Death by Powerpoints??

As a recent school leaver, I am very familiar with Powerpoint with a majority of my school life being filled with endless powerpoints to the point where you thought your head was going to explode. So when entering university, you could say that I was a little unenthusiastic to say the least when I found out that a majority of the course information was being presented in powerpoints, with one to read per subject per week.

With this in mind, I do see the benefit of using powerpoint within the classroom as a way of conveying information instead of the blackboard and chalk approach. If used correctly, they can be fun and engaging with the use of images, video clips, hyperlinks, funky font and audio. I found this great website that steps you through creating a powerpoint from adding slides to images and sound. The website is http://www.actden.com/pp/.

I have recently discovered interactive powerpoints which are another form of powerpoint but in this case, the user is able to choose what they view by clicking on hyperlinks set up on the page. On a normal powerpoint, the viewer would be transported from one slide to the next until they reach the end with no discretion on what they see. Interactive powerpoints make finding information easier with the opportunity to navigate through the powerpoint at their own leisure, choosing what type of information they wish to read. For example, the image below is an example of the front page of a interactive powerpoint on Sugar Gliders. To find out about their habitat, instead of viewing the entire powerpoint which is what you would have to do in a traditional powerpoint presentation, the user simply has to click on 'Habitat' on the left hand side and will be directed straight to that page.

Whilst interactive powerpoints may have many benefits in the classroom, one drawback is that they are quite time consuming to make. I think that if used effectively, it would be worth the time spent to enable an engaging and interactive learning experience.

Wordle

While I have had previous experience in wordle before, I thought it necessary to investigate this tool again. Wordle allows the user to create word clouds from text provided, creating a summary of the text. Words that appear more than once in the text are emphasised by appearing larger in size. The cloud can be modified in regards to colour, layout and font type to make it more aesthetically pleasing. Wordle pictures can be printed out or can be saved by taking a screenshot and can then be used in the future. This tool is very simple to use and would recommend it to others.

Here are a few ways that Wordle can be used in the classroom:

• 
  
  Spelling Activity - I have seen wordle being used as a rotational activity for spelling where students would enter their spelling words to create a word cloud.
• 
  
  Beginning of Unit - Students brainstorm what they know about a topic at the beginning of the unit by entering words they relate to a topic. For example, the wordle above are words that I relate to the internet.
• 
  
  Self Reflection - Students can reflect on learning using a word cloud.

After researching Wordle, I found this great website which provides 46 different ways to use wordle in the classroom. This can be found at http://clifmims.com/blog/archives/2626.

I would be interested in hearing other ways that this tool can be used in the classroom.

My very own blog and wiki.... what could be next??

After creating my own blog and wiki, what other ICT tools could I possibly investigate next? Well, the next ICT tool I have explored is a website, created in Weebly. With a website, visitors are unable to change the content like they can in a Wiki. Rather, a website is a series of web pages published on the World Wide Web. I can see that a website could be of benefit to upper primary school students as they are simple to create and easy to update. Students could create websites of their own or as a class.

My very own website can be found at http://s0154622.weebly.com/. This website is very basic at the moment but as I become more familiar with its functions, I will add more to it.

Just Google It!!!

If you don't know the answer, just Google it!! This is a common phrase in the 21st century and one that I must admit I say regularly, if not daily. Before the Internet, we would turn to books as the first port of call when we needed answers, but due to the increasing use of technology and the internet and its easy access, those times have changed. Instead, we are teaching children to jump on the computer and look for answers on the World Wide Web. This does have it benefits but we need to ensure that students still use important resources such as books and encyclopedias. It needs to be explained that not all information on the Internet is an accurate or reliable source, for example, Wikis. Anyone can put information on the Internet and it is our job as users to sort through this information to find what is meaningful and relevant.

Wacky Wikis

I have well and truly delved deep into the World Wide Web with my own blog and now my very own Wiki. I was apprehensive with developing a Wiki as I had limited knowledge of its purpose and functions. The only knowledge with regards to Wikis was my understanding of Wikipedia. Wikipedia is an online resource that is written by its users which means that anyone can write or edit an article on wikipedia. As university students, we are discouraged from using this website for assignments due to its lack of credability. I agree with this due to the fact that people can edit and add anything they want, whether its fact or fiction.

With regards to the classroom, I am in favour of using blogs rather than Wikis, however, I do think that Wikis are a tool that can be used, if structured correctly. The fact that people can remove things from the site makes me apprehensive when using it. I think that it is up to the learning manager to scaffold the learning around this site to ensure that it is used effectively.

Feel free to check out my Wiki which can be found at http://s0154622.wikispaces.com/.

Concept Mapping...

What I learnt in Week 1.......

Well, I was finally able to access the Bubbl.us website to create my very first concept web using this tool. This tool allows students to create their own diagram, representing their knowledge and showing the relationship between concepts. I found this tool to be quite challenging and finicky compared to using the traditional paper and pen.

Using this in the classroom would require a lot of scaffolding and patience, however, after a few practises, I am sure that the students would be able to get the hang of it. Students would be able to manipulate their concept web, changing the colours to make it more visually appealing. Once students have completed their concept web, they are able to save it, print it out or use it on the classroom blog to be used at a later time. I think that this is important as often when we brainstorm we throw out our notes where this is a way to store them for future use.

Why we shouldn't rely on technology...

I was sitting in front of my laptop, getting ready to publish my next post when I was faced with a dilemma. This post was meant to include a concept web using the Bubbl.us tool covering what I learnt in Week 1, however, after many unsuccessful attempts, I was unable to access the website. It just goes to show that technology, our best friend, is not always reliable and we need to have a back up plan when things just don't go the way we want.

I will attempt to use this tool again in a few days to see if the company has fixed this problem. Stay tuned!!

Blogs, Blogs, Everywhere!

Recently I have been introduced to the wonderful world of Blogs. I have found it challenging enough to keep up with Facebook (my friends say I'm a Facebook addict) and the many notifications a day I receive, let alone updating my blog on a regular basis and commenting on my fellow peers work. The major difference when writing on Facebook compared to a blog and the thing that I found the most challenging is the language used. Blogging requires the use of formal language, without the use of abbreviations and Internet slang which is common on Facebook. Alternating between these two different tools has required a lot of concentration to ensure that the right language is used. Often I find myself blogging using abbreviations like 'lol' (laugh out loud) or using emoticons like smiley faces :) and poking tongues :P before realising what I am doing.

Blogs, which I have just learnt is short for 'web logs', are a website where you can post items on a frequent basis that are shown in chronological order. Maintaining and updating a blog is considered 'blogging'. Articles written on a blog are called 'posts' or 'blog posts' with the person who posts these referred to as a 'blogger'. Within a blog, you can include images, text, links to other pages, videos and audio files. Blogs can focus on a topic of interest, anywhere from people's personal experiences to professional topics.

For more information on a blog and blogs in the elementary classroom, watch the following video:


From what I have learnt and discovered about blogs, I think that creating a classroom blog would be an excellent idea. Students would be able to add to the blog regularly by adding images, videos, audios and text. Blogs can be used to; motivate students, especially those who otherwise might not participate, provide opportunities for students to read and write and collaborate and participate in worthwhile discussions. With proper scaffolding by the teacher, blogs can be a powerful tool in the classroom. An important part of creating a blog is the connection that it creates between home and school with students being able to access the blog from anywhere. Blogs can be used as a way of communication between parents and teachers, with parents being able to see what the students are learning in the classroom.

Blogs can be used for any or multiple Key Learning Areas whilst incorporating ICTs which is an important part of the Essential Learnings. The use of this tool would require scaffolding by the teacher with students needing to be taught the importance of Internet safety and what is appropriate to communicate on the web.

My Very First Voki!

Today I created my very first Voki. I was really impressed by this tool and how easy it was to use. It has definitely opened my eyes to the endless possibilities that it can have in the classroom. I would use this tool in my classroom blog as a way for students to express themselves, being able to become a new character. This is an inclusive tool which is available for all learners to access, keeping identities of students private.

I recommend that everyone has a go at creating their own Voki.

Multiple Intelligences

Another quiz to allow us to see how we best learn is the Multiple Intelligence quiz which can be found at w.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks1/ict/multiple_int/what.cfm.
It was interesting to see the results of this quiz when I performed it. As you can see in the graph below, the style of learning that suits me is the Interpersonal style which is said to mean your People Smart. Being people smart, you enjoy mixing with people and are good at sharing.

I agree with the results of this quiz and believe that it matches my personality and learning style exactly. This quiz also backs up the results to the Learning Styles quiz discussed in the previous blog.

My Learning Style :)

With regards to teaching and learning, it is important as Learning Managers that we understand our students and their learning styles. To better understand how students learn, it is necessary to know and understand our own personal learning styles.

After completing a learning styles quiz, which can be found at http://www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory, it was determined that my learning style was definitely a social style with 20 out of a possible score of 20, indicating that this is the style that I use often. The following graph represents my learning style in a visual manner, clearly showing the lean towards the Social style.

Whilst reading through the characteristics of this style, it was interesting that I was able to mentally tick off most of the traits mentioned as they related to me personally. This information highlighted the fact that I communicate well with others, often have people coming to me for advice, listen well and understand other people's views, prefer learning in groups or classes and like to spend one-on-one time with the teacher, prefer social activities then doing things alone and enjoy sports and games involving other people.

Whats fascinating is that teaching is one of the pursuits that people with a strong social style follow which is what I am currently studying at the moment.

With this learning style in mind, it is important to examine how these type of students best learn and how to cater for them. As a social learner, the aim is to work with other people as much as possible. The use of mind maps, role plays and diagrams may also assist learners.


The importance of understanding learning styles and their impact on the teaching and learning process is paramount to ensuring success in the classroom. It is key that Learning Manager realises that the classroom is filled with diverse learners and ensures that they cater for these in their learning experiences.

Making of the Blog!

Wow, what an effort. Who would have known that making a blog could be so difficult, well at least in my case it was. After several attempts at creating a blog and the same error message appearing, my patience was quickly escaping me. Twenty minutes later, I was finally able to create my very first blog! A very exciting thing for me! Whilst this is just a minor technical glitch and my first hurdle with regards to this project, I am very enthusiastic to begin exploring ICT's and develop my repertoire of strategies and tools. I just need to remind myself that patience is a virtue!