Kate’s ED1113 Blog

This week we looked at a reading called “Teacher Pedagogical Beliefs: The final frontier in our quest for technology integration” by Peggy Ertmer.

This reading is discussing the idea that everything is now running smoothly and is in place to lead the way for complete access to technology and integrating technology into a student’s education. However, high-level technology use still has very low usage, suggesting that there are more barriers perhaps relating to teacher’s educational beliefs are getting in the way.

It is known that a teacher using technology has increased in the classroom as access to technology has increased as well as the skills that teachers have in using technology has been developed. However, higher level uses of technology are still very limited. It is important that teachers are examined as to what beliefs they hold about teaching, learning and technology; as the integration of technology into the classroom is becoming an essential element of learning. Once an understanding is gained as to why teachers are not using technology to the full extent available to them in the classroom, then educators will be able to facilitate more appropriate support, providing more effective ways for teaching and learning in this modern world.

I think that teacher’s beliefs about teaching and learning and the beliefs they have about the importance of technology will be quickly translated into their classroom, with students mirroring their beliefs. However, there is also the view that teacher’s ideal for, and beliefs about, technology in the classroom does not always match their classroom practices. Rather, they may just lack the knowledge and skills in how to incorporate technology into their classroom or they are perhaps held back by some curriculum requirements that they think restricts them from the use of technology in all areas of learning.

“As schools continue to acquire more and better hardware and software, the benefits to students will increasingly depend on the skill with which some three million teachers are able to use these new tools” (President’s panel on Educational technology,1997, as cited in Ertmer)

Maths Online Game: Multiplication

(Prongo, 2009)

This week we looked at webquests through a reading called “Some thoughts about webquests” by Bernie Dodge (1997).

A webquest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the internet (Dodge, 1997). A webquest is a very effective tool for teaching and learning in the classroom as it is creating an independence with students so that they can be guided through various activities, projects, research and assignments at their own pace; but with a structured task and a clear goal in mind.

There are however many clear attributes that a webquest must incorporate in order for it to run effectively.

This includes: An introductionà A taskà Sourcesà Processà Guidanceà Conclusion.

I think that webquests are a very positive tool for students to be able to use in the classroom as it is enabling students to interact with information and resources on the internet and use them to build upon what they already know and learn about new things that they don’t know, and then apply all of this to the activities provided to them by their teachers. Webquests are also promoting many thinking skills amoung students such as; comparing, classifying, inducing, deducing, analysing, constructing and abstracting (Dodge, 1997)

Another reading we touched on this week was called “The question is the answer” by Jamie Mckenzie (2000).

When designing webquests I think it is important to incorporate the idea expressed in the above reading and that is that students should be putting original thought into the questions they are asking through their research rather than being told what questions should be asked and what specifically they should be researching. Students need to be able to use their higher order thinking skills and creativity to actually understand the meaning of the information and activities provided to them in the webquest they are guided through, a true reflection of whether or not this is happening is if a student can come up with their own questions and search queries in order to come across their own answers.

Online Game

Which learning style/s does this ICT support?

 This form of ICT will suit a visual learner and a mathematical/logical learner as an online game is allowing more depth to learning and understanding. Visually learners are able to watch, interact, be involved, listen etc, and Logical learners are given opportunities to navigate through a game, reach a goal, solve problems etc.

How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?

 An Online game can be implemented within the classroom to support a variety of different learning experiences. It is a tool that can bring to life the learning of any topic. It can be used as practice to familiarize oneself with a mathematics concept for example, or it can be used as an introduction into the basics of some other topic etc.

How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?

 Students are using creative aspects of their mind to complete online games as they are using an alternative way of learning. They are engaging and interacting with animations and forms of media in an educational learning tool, but with the added benefit of expanding their minds to complete these games through problem solving, thinking, communicating and interacting with one another.

Online learning Video 

Accelerated online learning summer program by Amazing Mysteries (Blip.tv)

The second reading focused on this week was called Preparing students for Elearning’ (2002). This particular reading was discussing the many schools and corporations that have taken on the role of online learning, and the struggle of increasing failure and dropout rates. As stated “The concept of anywhere/anytime learning often becomes never/nowhere” (2002).

For Elearning to be effective there needs to be a certain level of preparation so that it will work. The environment that the students work in needs to be appropriate; students need a computer, a quiet study/desk space and software. Without a proper set up students are going to spend too much time preparing then actually learning online, this is going to easily decrease their interest. Students also need to be prepared by having some basic technical skills, so students don’t experience frustration and confusion but rather they are fairly confident to use their computer and the internet to complete their learning experience. What students are learning is especially important, if students have no prior knowledge or interest in the subject matter then there will be little motivation to incorporate it into their online learning system. In addition to students having prior knowledge and interest, they also need the discipline and study skills to be able to concentrate and complete the desired workload as they will not be learning the same way they would in a classroom with guidance and push from those around them. Finally students will need some form of support so that when they do run into problems they have some way of fixing it and quickly moving on to the next activity.

One of the preferred aspects of online learning is the independence that comes with it; however this then means that students need to be very organized, self disciplined, self directed and internally motivated. Without these traits students will struggle with sticking to any schedule when it comes to online learning, they then quickly lose interest, fall behind the work and eventually drop out. I think that not only is online learning only suited to certain people, but it needs to be developed so that it still does suit various learning styles and there is constant direction and instruction from a form of support.

A Video Clip

Which learning style/s does this ICT support?

 The video clip that I have used in my blog best supports those who are visual learners. For those people who find it difficult to understand some form of information when it is in text, they are able to view the information described in my blog which helps them to envisage the idea that I am talking about. The video is a great way for people to become engaged in a key example of the written text as videos are interactive with sound and movement.

How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment? 

Video clips are a great example of ways that ICT can be used as a good cognitive tool with the classroom as I think that it could be used as an immediate way to engage students as an introduction to what is about to be learnt. It could also be used as a great motivational tool, with great images and sounds that can give students a positive feeling and view about what the teacher wants the students to be learning about. This ICT tool can create atmosphere and bring variety to learning.

How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?

 This form of ICT can bring creativity to the classroom as depending on what specifically a video clip is being related to; it is able to get the students visualizing and thinking about what is being presented to them perhaps in futuristic terms if it is trying to get a message across to the students, it may also create amoungst students a pathway of communication and sharing of ideas, or it may even trigger inspiration with students to complete certain tasks in unique ways.

This week we were given three different readings, one of which was called ‘Digital literacy and how it affects teaching and learning practices’ (2005).

This particular reading is focusing on an understanding of digital literacy and the major issues affecting the development of digital literacy in Australian education.

Digital literacy is being able to access growing selections of electronic or digital tools and using these tools to; find, manage, edit, communicate, engage with and view all different types of information that is passed on via these electronic and digital tools.

It is becoming increasingly important that people are able to access the digital world and that they also carry an understanding of different forms of digital media, as the internet is continuing to offer more and more opportunities for learning. The digital world is very different to the world that digital immigrants once knew, as there is a larger extent of information available, anyone is able to access this information or publish their own information, it is a very visual and engaging arena with multiple forms of media and communities available.

There are some major issues that are discussed in this article that are affecting the development of digital literacy in Australian education. The first is the adoption of free and open source software in Australian education. I believe that if Australian educational organizations created more free and open source software, then a person’s option to use desktop applications on their own home computers would become a much more practical choice as it would open up substantial access to educational sources and information that would be readily available.

The second issue brings focus to emerging technologies being content centric models of online teaching and learning in Australia. Large amounts of money are being invested into models for online learning where the content is centralized, closed and are relating to the curriculum; as opposed to students using the internet for research through search engines such as google. However debates have emerged saying that content centric models are not beneficial to teachers and learners, and is not an effective strategy for online learning and teaching. However, I believe that these newer models and learning objects that have been created have opened up a greater level of connection between students and their learning.

The third issue brings about discussion regarding the ease at which any individual can create and publish their own works by using forms of digital media. It has become a thing of the past to need to employ experts or use computer software. This change in communication online has started a huge creation of content on the internet that has now resulted in a vast range of digital content that is freely available and ever evolving. This change in the nature of information available signifies a key change in the nature of digital media itself.

Digital literacy is always changing and developing, and educational organizations need to be able recognize these changes and be able to respond to any current or future needs of literacy, and create new opportunities for learning.

What we need by Suckamc (Flickr)

Graphics/Images

 Which learning style/s does this ICT support?

This graphic/image integrated into my blog supports primarily visual learners for the obvious fact that it is something you can see and view rather than just reading the text, but I also think it very much supports spatial learners as these type of learners learn best when visualizing, dreaming, and using the minds eye.

  How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?

This form of ICT (image) could be implemented into the classroom as another way for students to understand what is being explained to them, as it is supporting the explanation made through the text. This image is also bringing communication, questions and discussion amoungst students into the classroom and students are forming opinions about how the image relates.

 How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?

This ICT is enabling the development of creativity as it is enabling students to visualize in their heads and use their imagination to form their own meaning and understanding of them image. It is also allowing them to add more depth to the image with what they think it is missing, or simply come up with their own interpretation of it altogether.

This week we read through an article called ‘Translating Constructivist theory into practice in primary grade-mathematics’ By Jody Brewer.

This article was primarily discussing constructivist teaches who were being studied to basically determine in they could communicative a constructivist viewpoint of teaching and learning in mathematics, and if that viewpoint actually matched up to practices in the classroom.

After reading this article we began discussion about how social constructivist theory can relate to ICT learning experiences. The idea of constructivist teaching is that knowledge is not just passively received by the students but rather it is knowledge that is built upon and explored by the child through the teacher’s guidance. Hence, ICT becomes the perfect choice of learning for the inclusion of constructivism, as students will generally be at different confidence levels when it comes to ICT and teachers can enable them to explore this and make errors and corrections on their own, this keeps them engaged and in power of their own path of learning. As well as the fact that constructivist learning includes a process of exchanging differing points of views, discussion and problem solving; these characteristics of learning are valued when it comes to ICT. A constructivist theory is also able to provide teachers with a framework for teaching ICT as it will encourage communication and reasoning within the classroom, which can also promote a more effective learning environment for the students as students will be able to work together to create a greater understanding of ICT.

Therefore, the teacher in order to facilitate constructivist teaching and learning cannot directly transmit all the knowledge and answers to the student, but incorporate other forms of teaching into their ICT lessons to help the students build upon and navigate through their own found information. This can be done through various ICT programs such as a web quest

.

This week we read through an article called ‘the digital natives debate: A critical review of the evidence’ by Sue Bennett, Karl Maton and Lisa Kervin (2008).

The article was based on the idea that young people are known as the term ‘digital natives’, which means that they have been immersed in technology in society for most of their lives.

If you look at the young people falling under this category, you will find that they possess many technical skills and learning preferences in regards to using technology; as young people’s employ of ICT is bringing a distinction between them, previous generations of students and from their teachers. As previous generations of students and teachers are known as ‘digital immigrants’, these are people who are born prior to 1980 and they require more assistance in the technological ease that the digital natives possess. The education system is being viewed as not being prepared for this as they vision education and teaching requirements in a more traditional way. Hence, there are people today who are starting to question the need for educational modification and improvement, as without it there is a potential disconnect from young people.

It is being said that the digital natives are active experiential learners, proficient in multi-tasking, and very much dependent on technology for accessing information. Therefore it is stated that “today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach” (Prensky 2001 cited in Bennett 2008). However, I believe that the sudden push on education to reform and the idea that teachers are from a different generation and students can’t completely relate to them and their teaching strategies anymore; is an idea that we have to be careful is not coming across too urgent and strong, and is not giving the message that there really is no way to survive in this day and age without constantly having access to forms of technology within the classroom. I think there needs to be a balance so that young people don’t completely disconnect themselves from realities of life and social relations.

There is a lot of research that is yet to be done in this area, although we are starting to see that students do engage to a greater degree in their school work when it is done through digital media. Teaching professionals need to start looking at how to use games and virtual media etc as a tool of education and make sure that there is a sense of learning that is going on, and that the approach to incorporate technology in the classroom is done correctly.