My action plan for Assessment 3
Framework: The learning engagement theory: Relate, create and donate
The inquiry: How could we conserve water in our school ? Create an action plan !
Week 1: 2 lessons: Relate: real world authentic problem: Water conservation - I will be using a web quest to structure/sequence the learning
Introduce sustainability through a YouTube, a Voki and an interactive learning object via IWB
Introduce students to a school that has actioned water conservation in their school via a blog/email,website or Skype: exemplar of task
Introduce the task – to present an action plan on water conservation in your school. – presented to the students through a web quest
Week 2: 3/ 4 lessons: Create: Students will work in teams of three researching through investigation the areas in their schools that could conserve water- the loos, the drinking areas and the gardens. Each student will investigate and report on an area to their team - blogging or wiki collaboration. The teams will collaboratively create an action plan to present to their class using ICT presentation tools.
Week 3: 3 lessons: Donate: students will present the action plan with a solution to water conservation with a PowerPoint presentation with ICT support in as many appropriate forms of ICT as they see fit – the minimum requirement is PowerPoint and hyperlinks but their assessment criteria will explain the higher achievement through more ICT support.
Essential Learnings:
ICT : Inquiring
Students:
Identify the inquiry focus, data and information requirements and possible digital information sources
Evaluate data and information gathered for usefulness credibility and relevance
Create
Express and creatively represent ideas information and thinking
Communicate
Collaborate develop organise and present new ideas
Ethics issues and ICT’s
Students develop and apply ethical safe and responsible practices when working with ICT’s in online and stand alone environments
SOCE
Ways of working
Students are able to:
• identify issues and use common and own focus questions
• Plan investigations using inquiry models
• collect and analyse information and evidence from primary and secondary sources
• evaluate sources of information and evidence for relevance, reliability, origins and perspective
• draw conclusions and make decisions based on information and evidence by identifying patterns and connections
• communicate descriptions, decisions and conclusions, using different text types for specific
purposes and the conventions of research-based texts
• respond to investigation findings and conclusions by planning and implementing actions
• apply strategies to contribute effectively to representative groups and to participate in civic activities
• reflect on and identify different perspectives, and recognise and clarify beliefs and values relating to social justice, the democratic process, sustainability and peace
• reflect on learning, apply new understandings and identify future applications.
Knowledge and understandings
Sustainability requires a balance between using, conserving and protecting environments, and
involves decisions about how resources are used and managed
e.g. “rethink, reduce, reuse and recycle”; renewable versus non-renewable energy sources.
English
Ways of working
Students are able to:
• identify and demonstrate the relationship between audience, subject matter, purpose and text
type
• construct non-literary texts to express meanings and messages, to identify causes and effects,
and to state positions supported by evidence
• reflect on learning, apply new understandings and
Knowledge and understandings
Speaking and listening
The purpose of speaking and listening includes advancing opinions, discussing, persuading
others to a point of view, influencing transactions, and establishing and maintaining relationships
e.g. debating or discussing a current topic from a particular viewpoint can persuade others. In presentations, speakers make meaning clear by organising subject matter, identifying their role
and selecting relevant resources
e.g. making use of a hyperlink in a PowerPoint presentation
Writing and designing
The purpose of writing and designing includes evoking emotion, persuading and informing
e.g. writing an advertisement to promote a school concert
The learning management plan:
LMQ 1: What do my learners know?
Sustainability of local natural, social and built environments can be influenced by positive and
negative attitudes and behaviours
E.g. positive responses to water management can influence the quality of river systems; negative responses to town planning principles can lead to traffic problems
Students have been introduced to sustainability through investigations of pollution and the effect on water systems such as rivers
3 students are ESL
1 students has ADD
LMQ2
Declarative knowledge
Students will know:
what sustainability is
the impact responsible sustainability can have on resources in a community/school
My learners will be able to
Demonstrate how to sustain water in their school community
Present an action plan using speaking and listening skills (ways of working) to inform and persuade an audience
Use ICT resources and tools to inquire, present create communicate and inform
LM3: My learner’s learn best by:
The class are predominately visual learners with leanings to interpersonal – group work – collaborative learning small groups with mixed abilities exemplars and imagery presentations that can describe their learning or knowledge and understandings is how they learn best
Productive pedagogies:
Higher order thinking by combining facts and ideas to explain a solution by solving problems they gain understanding
Habits of mind: self regulation of behaviour
Attitude and perception;
Supportive classroom environment through student direction social support groups,
LMQ4: What resources will I use?
Web quest to present their task and sequence their learning
YouTube presentation and learning objects from the learning federation to interact with the sustainability concept and use as demonstrations and exemplars
PowerPoint as an exemplar of what is expected
LMQ5 what will constitute the learning journey?
Overview
This unit explores the concept of sustainability through water conservation.
Students will investigate how water is used in their school and how to conserve this resource to contribute to sustainability for future generations. They will use decision making skills to decide how to use and manage a resource. The intellectual quality of this unit is in students acquiring deep knowledge through inquiry, exploring, operating, communicating and creating using ICT resources and tools to gain knowledge make decisions by and investigate real life issues by
• communicating through presentations
• participating within groups and roles
• reflecting on self and peers by creating and presenting an action plan for their school on how to conserve water in their school. Students will present a PowerPoint demonstration with links to movies, interviews, podcasts etc
LMQ6: Who will do what?
LM will direct learning of knowledge required for tasks through direct teaching, scaffolding and a web quest
Students will direct their own learning through decision making and investigation
LMQ 7
Assessment
Summative task: presentation of action plan using ICT
Formative task – ongoing observation of weekly guidelines/timelines
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Reflective Synopsis
Information communication technologies (ICT's) and their purpose in a 21st century classroom is the main discussion and purpose of this reflection. I have begun a learning journey to experience and learn about the many ICT opportunities that are available to use in the classroom. There are so many wonderful communication tools that I may never pick up a piece of chalk!
The potential to engage students is unlimited and that in itself is exciting. ICT does have the potential to engage students that have in the past been detached from traditional learning styles that required immense amounts of reading and writing (Prensky, 2001). Many ICT's use visuals as the mode of literacy in their presentations and visual imaging is an effective 21st century way of communicating.
Dr. Rosie-Marie Thrupp's paper; ICT created diversity in the classroom, discusses another dimension to diversity in the classroom ICT's have created, claiming that not all students are engaged in technology and the social practices associated with ICT's are individual and must be associated with cultural and social diversity amongst students(2009). The learning manager can not assume that all 21st century primary school students are experienced and comfortable with high levels of ICT. As with all learning there will be levels of differentiation in ICT knowledge amongst students. The profiling of our students, their prior knowledge, learning styles and social practices with ICT's will be crucial to incorporating productive ICT into the classroom. We cannot assume all primary learners are digital natives (Prensky, 2001) as Thrupp's research has proved. In assessment students should be given a choice of the presentation style they are most comfortable that reflects creativity and and innovation, which does not always come from high levels of ICT.
I am a digital immigrant and as Prensky (2005) states it is highly unlikely digital natives will revert to the old ways of learning so I am going to be a smart adult immigrant and accept what I don't know and take advantage of the knowledge and skills of the digital natives in a learning environment.
I have seen the high levels of engagement in classrooms that incorporate the Interactive Whiteboard as the main teaching tool. I also take on board the findings by Margaryan and Littlejohn (2008) that suggest students use a limited range of technologies for both learning and socialisation, for example google, Wikepedia and mobile phones are used for learning and social technologies such as media sharing tools like face book are used socially, although their research was based on university students and not primary. However I have seen the levels of ICT's in workplaces and social practices and I do believe it is imperative that we as learning managers accept and embrace ICT's as tools for learning and as technologies to teach, both for ourselves and our students bearing in mind that they are not all digital natives. The disadvantages of using ICT's in the classroom come from the teachers perspective. As stated by Thrupp (2009) learners ICT identities are varied and complex. As stated not all primary learners are experienced and 'native' ICT users. I would perceive to include ICT's in the classroom ensuring to be aware with instruction of the differentiation amongst students as in all learning.
My experience with this course has taught me the potential of many ICT's as learning tools. Some of the many benefits apart from engaging the digital natives are knowledge accessibility, connectedness to the world, student controlled learning, collaborative learning, peer evaluation, self reflection, creativity and innovation; productive pedagogies and proven teaching strategies to promote higher order thinking.
I have reflected on any disadvantages ICTs may have to learning as a whole rather than as individual tools as there are no particular disadvantages if the correct learning is planned for the correct ICT. They have particular uses which is discussed in under each ICT that I have experienced. The learning frameworks are identified when discussing the advantages of the ICT's to learning and how they are effective learning support tools for particular pedagogies.
My Blog and the contents
My assignment for E.Learning was to begin a blog and research concept mapping. There are many advantages and uses of blogging in a classroom as a learning tool.
From a teacher's perspective, blogs can provide links to course content and organise class discussion. The objective for teachers in students creating and working with blogs is for students to use the processes of constructing and evaluating - high levels of Blooms taxonomy.
Blogs can also benefit students by encouraging interactivity. Blogs create opportunities for students to offer opinions. As a student teacher and a beginner blogger I will hopefully learn the technical aspects of blogging plus any possibilities they represent for my students by experiencing other blogs. I will be able to model blogging to my prac class by demonstrating the how and why plus examples.
I see the advantages of a wiki as an interactive learning tool where students can collaborate on the one assignment or project. While the blog is useful for teachers to link course content, organise class discussion and or lessons and for students to use as a journal to construct and evaluate their learning, I would encourage the use of a wiki for the collaborative group work assignment.
I found the website the best ICT for promoting a person or a product or a cause as in web quest for SOCE which was about water waste and how to prevent it.. I would use the website as a site that contained all the learning that students should link to for a unit of work. I have used the website in this case as a site about me.
PowerPoint can engage with video, audio, images charts and animations as well as text assisting all learning styles. I have used PowerPoint on a few occasions and find it has all the features required in a presentation, it is simple to construct and has the potential to be as visual and interactive as many other ICT's. Comparing the PowerPoint to the Prezi as a presentation tool I personally prefer the PowerPoint as the Prezi's Zoom feature has the potential for motion sickness!
I used bubble us.com to construct a concept map. I am sure students will far more engaged using this ICT tool to construct knowledge on an innovative and creative tool such as this.
Digital video is one of my favourite ICT's for the classroom. I use YouTube videos to engage my students in real world relevance for their learning. I actually made a movie using movie maker using pictures and an emotive song to influence people on the plight of polar bears due to global warming but after attempting to upload it on numerous occasions I gave up. I loved making it and have seen this tool used in schools. It is a creative and effective tool for visual literacy's. A picture tells a thousand words.
Learning Objects retrieved from the Learning federation website are an ICT tool that I use in my planning. They are animated and from a student teacher's perspective very helpful with the sequence of learning and the explicit teaching process especially the questioning techniques. For the student they are visual and interactive.
Learning Management Systems (LMS) are software applications for the administration, documentation, tracking and reporting of training programs classrooms and online events.I have researched LMS's as there functions and abilities are a factor in the availability and support of classroom ICT resources.They are used by educational systems to enhance learning and support classroom teaching by assembling and delivering learning content rapidly. The availability of ICT resources in a classroom is dependent on the LMS that school has. Digital Immigrants Dairy blog explains well the advantages of an LMS to a flex student.
As a teacher of children and adolescents I have a duty of care to protect their safety. The ongoing consideration of safety can effect the opportunities of online exploration but id not adhered to children are at risk of exposure to offensive and dangerous material which could be pornographic, sexually explicit, hateful and/or violent. Education awareness of the perils of Stranger danger are available. Teachers should be aware of legislation in regards to Internet use in schools.
ICT's transform the scope of learning. Many Educational courses are flex or online requiring no face to face human contact. Information can be primary, sourced from immediate references. A third world school could be the sister school for a school in Australia with immediate evidence available. This could be excellent source of information for KLA'S such as SOCE and English.Students will be able to 'see' how they can make a difference to the lives of children living in the disaster of the Pakistan floods. This can be made real and relevant via instant YouTube video's or contact via ICT's with people on the ground in Pakistan. Students can see the immediate results of an election in their classrooms and read and offer opinions globally on world issues via Blogs,Wikis,emails or web cams such as Skype. I have completed a whole course at CQUniversity in Rockhampton from Airlie Beach with the only contact through Skype. I have instructed ESL lessons with a student in Japan via Skype.
References
Eisenberg, M. & Berkowitz, B.(2001).Big6 skills overview. Retrieved fromhttp://www.big6.com/2001/11/19/a-big6%E2%84%A2-skills-overview/
Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement theory. A framework for technology. Retrieved from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
Margaryan, a. & Littlejohn, A. (2008).Digital natives a myth or reality?: students use of technology for learning. Retrieved from http://www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/anoush/documents/DigitalNativesMythOrReality-MargaryanAndLittlejohn-draft-111208.pdf
Marazano. R.J. & Pickering. D.J. et al(2006). Dimensions of learning: a teachers manual.(2nd Ed). McREL
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants: from on the horizon. Retrieved 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 from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0553.pdf.
Smith, R., Lynch, D.,& Knight, B.A. (2007). Learning management: transitioning teachers for national and international change. Frenchs Forest. Pearson Education Australia
Thrupp,R.(2009).ICT created diversity in the classroom: the contemporary learner. retrieved from http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/file.php/4033/ThruppAcec.pdf
The potential to engage students is unlimited and that in itself is exciting. ICT does have the potential to engage students that have in the past been detached from traditional learning styles that required immense amounts of reading and writing (Prensky, 2001). Many ICT's use visuals as the mode of literacy in their presentations and visual imaging is an effective 21st century way of communicating.
Dr. Rosie-Marie Thrupp's paper; ICT created diversity in the classroom, discusses another dimension to diversity in the classroom ICT's have created, claiming that not all students are engaged in technology and the social practices associated with ICT's are individual and must be associated with cultural and social diversity amongst students(2009). The learning manager can not assume that all 21st century primary school students are experienced and comfortable with high levels of ICT. As with all learning there will be levels of differentiation in ICT knowledge amongst students. The profiling of our students, their prior knowledge, learning styles and social practices with ICT's will be crucial to incorporating productive ICT into the classroom. We cannot assume all primary learners are digital natives (Prensky, 2001) as Thrupp's research has proved. In assessment students should be given a choice of the presentation style they are most comfortable that reflects creativity and and innovation, which does not always come from high levels of ICT.
I am a digital immigrant and as Prensky (2005) states it is highly unlikely digital natives will revert to the old ways of learning so I am going to be a smart adult immigrant and accept what I don't know and take advantage of the knowledge and skills of the digital natives in a learning environment.
I have seen the high levels of engagement in classrooms that incorporate the Interactive Whiteboard as the main teaching tool. I also take on board the findings by Margaryan and Littlejohn (2008) that suggest students use a limited range of technologies for both learning and socialisation, for example google, Wikepedia and mobile phones are used for learning and social technologies such as media sharing tools like face book are used socially, although their research was based on university students and not primary. However I have seen the levels of ICT's in workplaces and social practices and I do believe it is imperative that we as learning managers accept and embrace ICT's as tools for learning and as technologies to teach, both for ourselves and our students bearing in mind that they are not all digital natives. The disadvantages of using ICT's in the classroom come from the teachers perspective. As stated by Thrupp (2009) learners ICT identities are varied and complex. As stated not all primary learners are experienced and 'native' ICT users. I would perceive to include ICT's in the classroom ensuring to be aware with instruction of the differentiation amongst students as in all learning.
My experience with this course has taught me the potential of many ICT's as learning tools. Some of the many benefits apart from engaging the digital natives are knowledge accessibility, connectedness to the world, student controlled learning, collaborative learning, peer evaluation, self reflection, creativity and innovation; productive pedagogies and proven teaching strategies to promote higher order thinking.
I have reflected on any disadvantages ICTs may have to learning as a whole rather than as individual tools as there are no particular disadvantages if the correct learning is planned for the correct ICT. They have particular uses which is discussed in under each ICT that I have experienced. The learning frameworks are identified when discussing the advantages of the ICT's to learning and how they are effective learning support tools for particular pedagogies.
My Blog and the contents
My assignment for E.Learning was to begin a blog and research concept mapping. There are many advantages and uses of blogging in a classroom as a learning tool.
From a teacher's perspective, blogs can provide links to course content and organise class discussion. The objective for teachers in students creating and working with blogs is for students to use the processes of constructing and evaluating - high levels of Blooms taxonomy.
Blogs can also benefit students by encouraging interactivity. Blogs create opportunities for students to offer opinions. As a student teacher and a beginner blogger I will hopefully learn the technical aspects of blogging plus any possibilities they represent for my students by experiencing other blogs. I will be able to model blogging to my prac class by demonstrating the how and why plus examples.
I see the advantages of a wiki as an interactive learning tool where students can collaborate on the one assignment or project. While the blog is useful for teachers to link course content, organise class discussion and or lessons and for students to use as a journal to construct and evaluate their learning, I would encourage the use of a wiki for the collaborative group work assignment.
I found the website the best ICT for promoting a person or a product or a cause as in web quest for SOCE which was about water waste and how to prevent it.. I would use the website as a site that contained all the learning that students should link to for a unit of work. I have used the website in this case as a site about me.
PowerPoint can engage with video, audio, images charts and animations as well as text assisting all learning styles. I have used PowerPoint on a few occasions and find it has all the features required in a presentation, it is simple to construct and has the potential to be as visual and interactive as many other ICT's. Comparing the PowerPoint to the Prezi as a presentation tool I personally prefer the PowerPoint as the Prezi's Zoom feature has the potential for motion sickness!
I used bubble us.com to construct a concept map. I am sure students will far more engaged using this ICT tool to construct knowledge on an innovative and creative tool such as this.
Digital video is one of my favourite ICT's for the classroom. I use YouTube videos to engage my students in real world relevance for their learning. I actually made a movie using movie maker using pictures and an emotive song to influence people on the plight of polar bears due to global warming but after attempting to upload it on numerous occasions I gave up. I loved making it and have seen this tool used in schools. It is a creative and effective tool for visual literacy's. A picture tells a thousand words.
Learning Objects retrieved from the Learning federation website are an ICT tool that I use in my planning. They are animated and from a student teacher's perspective very helpful with the sequence of learning and the explicit teaching process especially the questioning techniques. For the student they are visual and interactive.
Learning Management Systems (LMS) are software applications for the administration, documentation, tracking and reporting of training programs classrooms and online events.I have researched LMS's as there functions and abilities are a factor in the availability and support of classroom ICT resources.They are used by educational systems to enhance learning and support classroom teaching by assembling and delivering learning content rapidly. The availability of ICT resources in a classroom is dependent on the LMS that school has. Digital Immigrants Dairy blog explains well the advantages of an LMS to a flex student.
As a teacher of children and adolescents I have a duty of care to protect their safety. The ongoing consideration of safety can effect the opportunities of online exploration but id not adhered to children are at risk of exposure to offensive and dangerous material which could be pornographic, sexually explicit, hateful and/or violent. Education awareness of the perils of Stranger danger are available. Teachers should be aware of legislation in regards to Internet use in schools.
ICT's transform the scope of learning. Many Educational courses are flex or online requiring no face to face human contact. Information can be primary, sourced from immediate references. A third world school could be the sister school for a school in Australia with immediate evidence available. This could be excellent source of information for KLA'S such as SOCE and English.Students will be able to 'see' how they can make a difference to the lives of children living in the disaster of the Pakistan floods. This can be made real and relevant via instant YouTube video's or contact via ICT's with people on the ground in Pakistan. Students can see the immediate results of an election in their classrooms and read and offer opinions globally on world issues via Blogs,Wikis,emails or web cams such as Skype. I have completed a whole course at CQUniversity in Rockhampton from Airlie Beach with the only contact through Skype. I have instructed ESL lessons with a student in Japan via Skype.
References
Eisenberg, M. & Berkowitz, B.(2001).Big6 skills overview. Retrieved fromhttp://www.big6.com/2001/11/19/a-big6%E2%84%A2-skills-overview/
Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement theory. A framework for technology. Retrieved from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm
Margaryan, a. & Littlejohn, A. (2008).Digital natives a myth or reality?: students use of technology for learning. Retrieved from http://www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/anoush/documents/DigitalNativesMythOrReality-MargaryanAndLittlejohn-draft-111208.pdf
Marazano. R.J. & Pickering. D.J. et al(2006). Dimensions of learning: a teachers manual.(2nd Ed). McREL
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants: from on the horizon. Retrieved 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 from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0553.pdf.
Smith, R., Lynch, D.,& Knight, B.A. (2007). Learning management: transitioning teachers for national and international change. Frenchs Forest. Pearson Education Australia
Thrupp,R.(2009).ICT created diversity in the classroom: the contemporary learner. retrieved from http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/file.php/4033/ThruppAcec.pdf
Sunday, August 22, 2010
The Learning Frameworks
The learning frameworks I have researched and linked the use of the technology to are, the Engagement Theory,which emphasises collaboration amongst peers and states that engagement involves active cognitive processes such as problem solving, reasoning, decision making and evaluation. The authors,Kearsley and Shnerderman, state that technology can facilitate engagement in ways that are difficult to achieve in other ways (1998). Learners should be actively involved in practices of inquiry research and design in collaborative groups to design tangible meaningful artifacts. As stated the design e.g. the PowerPoint, the blog and the wiki, is the anchor around which the learning unfolds testing the viability of individual and collective understandings of the project. Authors of the Big 6, another learning framework, believe technology should be used as a tool for communication problem solving organisation (Eisenberg & Berkowitz,2001).
The Dimensions of Learning, is a practical framework that teachers can use to improve the teaching and quality of learning in any content area. In this framework learning involves a complex system of interactive processes that involves five types of thinking ( Marzano & Pickering, 2006). They are:
1. Attitudes and perceptions: effective instruction helps students to have positive attitudes and perceptions about learning
2. Acquire and integrate knowledge: when students learn new knowledge they must learn the model or steps then shape the skill and practice the skill to perfect it.
3. Extend and refine knowledge: students extend and refine their knowledge by making new distinctions clearing up misconceptions and reaching conclusions.
4. Use knowledge meaningfully: students use knowledge to perform meaningful tasks by using 6 reasoning processes to construct tasks: decision making, problem solving invention experimental inquiry investigation and system analysis.
5. Habits of mind: students should develop powerful habits of mind that allow them to think critically think creatively and to self regulate their thinking.
Technology tools can be used for the five thinking processes of the dimensions of learning. Concept mapping can be used for models of acquiring and integrating knowledge, with programs like Bubble Us .com.
Students can extend and refine their knowledge by learning through project based learning that requires problem solving. The technology tools such as the web and websites can be used to research and compare knowledge. It can be used to analyse different perspectives in particular peers through Wiki's and Blogs.
In attitudes and perceptions ( Dimension 1) students must perceive tasks as valuable. Students must be engaged and see tasks as valuable and interesting. ICT's will be one of the engagement strategies but they must also have the ability to facilitate learning. One of strategies that Marzano and Pickering (2006) suggest in engaging students is to allow students choice. For example in assessment tasks, students should be given a choice of the presentation style they are most comfortable that reflects creativity and and innovation.
The Dimensions of Learning, is a practical framework that teachers can use to improve the teaching and quality of learning in any content area. In this framework learning involves a complex system of interactive processes that involves five types of thinking ( Marzano & Pickering, 2006). They are:
1. Attitudes and perceptions: effective instruction helps students to have positive attitudes and perceptions about learning
2. Acquire and integrate knowledge: when students learn new knowledge they must learn the model or steps then shape the skill and practice the skill to perfect it.
3. Extend and refine knowledge: students extend and refine their knowledge by making new distinctions clearing up misconceptions and reaching conclusions.
4. Use knowledge meaningfully: students use knowledge to perform meaningful tasks by using 6 reasoning processes to construct tasks: decision making, problem solving invention experimental inquiry investigation and system analysis.
5. Habits of mind: students should develop powerful habits of mind that allow them to think critically think creatively and to self regulate their thinking.
Technology tools can be used for the five thinking processes of the dimensions of learning. Concept mapping can be used for models of acquiring and integrating knowledge, with programs like Bubble Us .com.
Students can extend and refine their knowledge by learning through project based learning that requires problem solving. The technology tools such as the web and websites can be used to research and compare knowledge. It can be used to analyse different perspectives in particular peers through Wiki's and Blogs.
In attitudes and perceptions ( Dimension 1) students must perceive tasks as valuable. Students must be engaged and see tasks as valuable and interesting. ICT's will be one of the engagement strategies but they must also have the ability to facilitate learning. One of strategies that Marzano and Pickering (2006) suggest in engaging students is to allow students choice. For example in assessment tasks, students should be given a choice of the presentation style they are most comfortable that reflects creativity and and innovation.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Learning Objects.
The learning objects I have used from the Learning Federation are examples of digital, animated learning games that involve the active cognitive process of creating, problem solving reasoning decision making and evaluation ( Kearsley & Shneirderman,1998). I have used learning objects for Literacy, Mathematics, science and technology. The animated videos were used to enhance students observations of experiments, surveys, graphing and report writing.
Friday, August 20, 2010
The Voki experience
The Voki experience is valuable as an engaging tool to introduce learning. As the Voki only delivers the 'spoken word', it is a tool that is beneficial to audio and visual learners and promotes the learning of audio skills, oral fluency and technology skills. When evaluating the Voki using the learning framework of the Big 6 (Eisenberg & Berkowitz, 2001) it is useful in task definition particularly in online courses or on the homepage of a website, in defining the task and identifying the information needed to complete the task. For example defining the problem based learning: "the confectionery company has received a letter of complaint that the lolly packets have different amounts of lollies in them. The lolly packets are sold for the same cost. You are a quality controller for the company and you need to investigate this problem and report back to the company." This information can be put on an Avatar and spoken to the students. It is a tool that engages students with classroom tasks (Marzano & Pickering, 2006).
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Digital video
YouTube - Human rights- Free and Equal - can you tell which of these children were not born free and equal? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2kIYgrGi5o&feature=channel I am working with a class that are learning a unit of work; Making a difference, that concludes with an expo on the 40 hour famine. The KL A's particularly English and Literacy learning are based around the Human Rights Declaration and what your rights are as a human being. Do you know what they are? These videos were informative and assisted in connecting me with the concept of human rights and some of the background knowledge required for the unit. The movies or digital video's are also an example of how to convey a strong message through limited but emotive text and emotive visuals. I learnt as much through watching the short movies as I would have by reading thousands of words. The movies emphasise the power of visual literacy's; literacy that communicates well with 21st century learners. In using The Big 6 learning framework for E Learning, learning managers would use this technology to inform students. Students could also use the technology skills involved in creating by using movie maker, photo story or storybook to present their information in the synthesising stage of the learning framework. I have made a movie using free images from google image and a song from my computer music collection. This movie took 5 minutes but shows the impact of powerful images with emotive music.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Imaging
This was an easy 'tool' to use and very useful to make pictures your own by re imaging the paintings or pictures - would be great for story board.
The koala had an oil painting re imaging applied.
Just go to
http://www.picresize.com/
This technology skill would be used in synthesising information(Eisenberg & Berkowitz, 2001) in presentation. In art and English it could be used as a resource to 'read' visual literacy'.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Powerpoint presenting chance and data
This PowerPoint presents a survey format, a frequency table and a graph as a visual example for students to follow.
PowerPoint is a multi modal tool that is used in many presentation situations. Due to its multimedia abilities,it is a tool that assists in presenting to a variety of learning styles with audio and visual components. It is used for students to present their learning and for teachers to present information/learning. Through designing this tool to present information, students are actively engaged in the practice of technology;investigation,ideation, production and evaluation. The learning advantages of this tool are the ability to engage the constructor and the user friendly functions that allow students of all ages to 'create' a presentation using its multimedia and animation functions. It is used in the create phase of learning ( Blooms Taxonomy) bearing in mind that the technology tool is the 'anchor' for which the learning is communicated organised and presented ( Eisenberg & Berkowitz, 2001).Thursday, August 5, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The weebly experience
Constructing the website 'elearning' felt innovative, creative and a good idea as an introduction to websites. There are many opportunities here for students be creative and innovative. A website can be something that introduces learning to students. I see a lot of potential in students creating a website to introduce/present many aspects of their learning to other key personnel. While the Blog and Wiki are interactive and collaborative, I see the website as more individual for students. The website is an excellent resource tool for teachers to introduce a subject and many different layers of learning for students to access from one website, for example introducing food chains is a wonderful visual topic for student to access from a website as well as making their own website as evidence of their knowledge and understanding.
Click this link to view my website and to create your own.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
The Concept Map
This is an example of a concept map. This concept map was constructed using bubble us.com. Concept mapping or graphic organisers assists students to organise information in a cognitive process. Teachers can assist in organising the concept map by organising the pattern around a word. The concept map begins with a concept e.g. ELearning and the students then organise the information under headings that grow like tree branches or in this case bubbles. It is a tool for organising declarative knowledge (Marzano & Pickering, 2006) as well as brainstorming.
My Wiki experience
We (my partner Surene and I) have joined the Mackayelearninggroupwiki and experienced the difference in the functions by changing our groups using the edit save buttons - the main difference between the Wiki and the Blog is the ability for the contributors to change the content by editing.
This concept map brainstorms the functions and learning connections that are features of the Wiki. As demonstrated by the map, the Wiki promotes collaborative learning, communication and knowledge management amongst it many functions. The Wiki is a powerful tool for collaborative learning as demonstrated in this YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdq83SWTnOM
The best example of a Wiki is Wikepedia.
Learning styles
This is my learning style graph.
I think that my personal learning style depends on my mood and experiences at the time of doing the test!
Knowing your student's learning style is an important factor in planning learning for a class. It is the basis for the design of instruction and is one of the factors that should be profiled in the profiling phase of the Learning Management Plan designed by Lynch, Smith and Doe ( 2006). This tool is engaging and students and teachers would benefit from completing the experience.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
e.learning
Well, here I go. My first ever blog. A very simple set up experience - thank goodness! I hope it all works.
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