Reflective Synopsis

At its most basic level, e-learning can be considered to be the use of information communication technologies (ICTs) to engage, support and transform learning in pedagogically sound ways (Waterhouse, 2003, as cited in Fasso’s week one readings, 2011). However, often ICT’s are simply integrated into learning rather than being viewed as an integral part of the process. Today’s learners have grown up in a world full of technology and as such a new form of literacy has emerged as they have entered educational environments. The report from the 21^st Century Literacy Summit in San Jose, California describes the world of modern learners and the new literacy that is emerging from the range of technologies now available to students. The new form of literacy is multi-dimensional and engaging, creativity is valued and success is awarded to those who can convey ideas using words, images and sound (The New Media Consortium, 2005). This new literacy moves beyond using Microsoft Word and conducting internet searches into new territory where students and teachers do not just use technology as a sideline but embrace the resources available to enrich each learning experience. As future learning managers we must examine these available technologies and consider how we can use them as integral aspects of the learning experiences we create for our students who are quickly becoming fluent in the new literacy. 

This reflective synopsis will inspect the four technologies that I selected for my previous blog entries and examine how these technologies can be used to enhance, support and transform student learning.

The first technology that I chose to explore was a wiki, a basic website that allows anyone to add, delete or revise content. Key benefits of any wiki include its versatility, openness and interactivity and these have been discussed in further depth in my blog entry - Group 1 Technologies Entry. As a wiki is so versatile there are a number of ways that it could be included into a learning experience to enhance, support and transform learning. A simple example would be to create a wiki page for the class, in this forum the learning manager could post the spelling words or focus ideas for the current unit or week. The learning manager could also create project pages to provide students with links to relevant websites or video tutorials and the students could then contribute their own information or facts found during their research. Students could also create their own wiki for group activities and this would then provide an excellent and readily accessible assessment base.  When used in this manner wiki pages can contribute to positive classroom climates, as recommended by Marzano and Pickering (1997), by creating opportunities for students to work with their peers and establishing a sense of academic trust amongst students and learning managers.

In my next post I explored the educational benefits of including multimedia, specifically video footage, in learning experiences (link - Group 2 Technologies Entry). A simple example of video footage and the supporting teaching resources available from the National Geographic Education website demonstrated how multimedia technologies can enhance the learning experience for all students. Students could be directed to the website where they are able to watch the video and answer questions at their own pace; they can then extend this knowledge by conducting further research using the online encyclopaedia and linked newspaper articles from around the world. Supporting theoretical knowledge with practical imagery can help cement the information students are receiving from the multimedia source. Psychology Applied to Teaching (Snowman et al, 2009) outlines research that shows that asking students to generate visual images as they read words or sentences produces higher levels of comprehension and recall as opposed to simply reading the text alone. In the context of multimedia technologies this would allow students the increased benefit of actually seeing the physical effects of something to cement the factual information and figures.

My Group Three post (link - Group 3 Technologies Entry) allowed me to explore the often overlooked benefits of Microsoft Power Point presentations. By examining a successful Power Point presentation I witnessed during practical placement I identified some key aspects to be included when using this technology to enhance, support and transform learning. The presentation used embedded activities to allow students to immediately use the theoretical knowledge they were gaining in a practical manner and the Notes function of the program was utilised so students could record their practical experience and any other knowledge they gained during class discussions. In this way each student could personalise the presentation to suit their own learning needs or style and then save the personalised copy to be used for reference in later aspects of the unit. Using Power Point in this way can be supported by Gardner’s Theories of Multiple Intelligences (Smith, 2008). By using visual and aural presentation methods while allowing students to record their own additional notes and keep an electronic copy of the presentation for later use caters to most of Gardner’s indentified intelligences. This method encourages deep understanding of the topic by exploring it from many different viewpoints and supports further exploration of the topic.

The fourth and final entry on technologies was centred on Interactive Learning Objects (link - Group 4 Technologies Entry).  An Interactive Learning Object is a resource available online that allows students and teachers to participate in learning experiences that may be otherwise too difficult or expensive to provide in the classroom. They are particularly valuable in a modern learning environment as they allow students to acquire and integrate knowledge, following Marzano and Pickering’s Dimensions of Learning 2 (1997). A Learning Object like Froguts (2009) enables students to acquire information and concepts while demonstrating processes and skills. In these Objects students must often read and comprehend the theoretical information (declarative knowledge) in order to correctly complete the practical task (procedural knowledge). Unlike real classrooms, students cannot progress to the procedural stage without acquiring the declarative knowledge. Interactive Learning Objects need not only be about acquiring practical knowledge, Objects like Darfur is Dying (2009) would be an effective tool to help students build understanding of the plight of refugees and allow them to experience scenarios outside of their usual frames of reference. In this way Interactive Learning Objects, while not as readily available as the other technologies discussed, could be the most effective tool for enhancing, supporting and transforming student learning as they provide opportunities that are often not possible for many students.

When implementing any of these technologies into the classroom it is of utmost importance to give consideration to the legal, ethical and safety regulations or requirements associated with the use of any materials on the internet. The Queensland Government’s Department of Education and Training (DET) website regarding Risk Management provides a large amount of information on this subject as well as policy documents and pertinent sections of the Child Protection Act 1999. Each school in Queensland is required to have procedures and guidelines in place relating to child safety, web publishing and supervision of students when using the internet (Queensland Government, 2002). Before undertaking any of the technology activities discussed in this assessment, learning managers should consult the relevant school and DET policies to ensure that they are in accordance with these requirements and the safety of the school’s students is not in jeopardy.

Within these blog posts I have really only grazed the surface of what is possible in e-learning and new developments are being made all the time. It is essential that as learning managers our focus shifts from using ICT tools and skills to ways of working in the digital world. With the development of the new technological literacy every student’s ability to find and evaluate information and construct new knowledge can be enhanced, supported and transformed through the use of ICT’s. By connecting with the outside world in varied ways, students are exposed to new experiences and possibilities that can enable them to build new knowledge, regardless of their learning style or level of ability (Queensland Government, 2008). This assessment has truly opened my eyes to the engaging and meaningful content I can embed in my learning experiences using ICT’s that are easily accessible from my home lap top or school computer and will effectively reach my students. Through the use of ICT’s my students and I can explore the new literacy together while participating in worthwhile learning experiences.

References

Fasso, W. (2011, term 2). Active learning, diversity and the theory. FAHE 11001 Managing E-Learning. CQUniversity. Viewed 15 August 2011. http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=186311

Froguts Inc 2009. Froguts. Viewed 15 August 2011. http://dissect.froguts.com/

Marzarno, R & Pickering, D 1997. Dimensions of learning: teacher’s manual (2nd ed.). Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning, Colarado.

MTV Networks Inc 2009. Dafur is dying. Viewed 15 August 2011. http://www.darfurisdying.com/index.html

The New Media Consortium 2005. A global imperative: the report on the 21^st century learning summit. Viewed 17 August 2011. http://archive.nmc.org/pdf/Global_Imperative.pdf

Queensland Government (DET) 2002. Risk management. Viewed 18 August 2011. http://education.qld.gov.au/web/schools/riskman.html

Queensland Government (DET) 2008. Smart classroom bytes: eLearning for smart classrooms. Viewed 18 August 2011. http://education.qld.gov.au/smartclassrooms/pdf/scbyte-elearning.pdf

Smith, M 2008. Howard gardner, multiple intelligences and education. Viewed 18 August 2011. http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm

Snowman et. al. 2009. Psychology applied to teaching. John Wiley & Sons Australia, Milton.

Group 4 Technologies - Interactive Learning Object

This entry was an open ended response and after looking through the readings I found one technology that caught my eye. An Interactive Learning Object is a resource available online from a variety of sources that allows students and teachers to participate in learning experiences that may be otherwise too difficult or expensive to provide in the classroom. Being the nerd that I am the link to Froguts immediately drew my attention. Froguts is an Interactive Learning Object that provides virtual dissections on a variety of animals, insects and plants. The full version is available via subscription but a basic demonstration is provided on their website.

Let me just start by saying that even this basic demonstration was huge amounts of fun! I wasted a lot of valuable study time virtually dissecting a poor little frog and I don’t regret a single minute of it.

Now down to business. Aside from just feeding my curiosity I also chose to investigate this particular Learning Object because I feel that it, and other programs like it, help students follow Dimensions of Learning 2 – Acquire and Integrate Knowledge. DoL2 is primarily made up of two parts as we should all know; declarative and procedural knowledge. A Learning Object allows students to acquire information and concepts while also demonstrating processes and skills. For example; the Froguts program shows the theory information underneath the image of the frog, students must read and comprehend this information (declarative knowledge) in order to correctly follow the dissection steps (procedural knowledge). Students cannot advance to the procedural stage in the program without acquiring the declarative knowledge and this is where I feel that an Interactive Learning Object has an advantage over its real world counterpart. If students were performing dissections in the lab some could easily skip ahead without properly acquiring any declarative knowledge at all. Hopefully the screen shot below is clear enough to demonstrate my idea, if not, please follow the link at the end of this post and try out the demo. 

This Interactive Learning Object is clearly intended for use in a Science or Biology class but other programs of its kind are available for other subjects. The Moodle site lists another interesting Object called “Darfur is Dying” where students must perform tasks as a Darfur refugee living in a camp. This type of activity would have the most impact in a S.O.S.E or Civics class or used in conjunction with an English novel study about refugee life. In either subject area the Object can expose students to the realities of life for refugees and increase their understanding of those groups.  

Now that I have had my fun dissecting a frog, here is a SWOT table on the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of the Interactive Learning Object.

Strengths -       Students can engage in learning experiences with minimal cost or inconvenience. Distance or disadvantaged students would especially benefit from this. -       They are detailed and engaging. -       Activities can be conducted as part of a class or individually. -       Caters to a variety of learning types.	Weaknesses -       Most Objects are available through subscription only. -       Students may see the Object as a game rather than a learning experience and therefore not take the information seriously.
Opportunities -       Allows students to build skills and use knowledge meaningfully. -       Engages a variety of students. -       Promotes student/teacher relationships as students can view themselves as working ‘with’ the teacher instead of ‘for’ them.	Threats -       It may be difficult or expensive to find an Object specifically related to the topic being covered.

As always, stay wonderful!

Froguts - Dissection Demo

Group 3 Technologies - Power Point

In this post I’m going to introduce you to the wonderful world of Power Point! *Cue groans from audience.* Now, don’t be fooled by all those ‘death by Power Point’ presentations you’ve sat through before! I promise that Power Point can be a valuable teaching tool; it just needs to be used right.

As I am currently completing my placement in the Business Department of a local high school I have been able to see Power Point used fairly regularly and one presentation in particular stood out as truly wonderful. When I first heard that the Year 12 class needed to sit through a long presentation on Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) I cringed inwardly, the opportunity for failure and boredom was rife! However, after seeing the presentation in its entirety I am extremely impressed. The presentation used the following features to enable the learning manager to engage their class:

• Embedded Activities – links to relevant websites and research activities were placed on slides within the presentation. In this way, when the learning manager reached the slide the students could then take a break and direct their own learning. The students were able to place the information that they found in the notes section of the presentation and then save this copy to their own work folder for later use.
• Consistent Formatting – the designer used the same formatting and theme on all slides thus creating uniformity in the presentation and allowing students to easily view the information without competition from contrasting fonts that may cause eye strain.
• Concise Information – all information on the slides was presented in note form or short sentences. Large blocks of text would make the information harder to read and so this was avoided.
• Notes Function – students were advised to use the notes function in Power Point to record any extra information or useful examples. As they will be able to use the presentation as reference material later in their unit, these notes could prove very useful.
• Humour – almost every time there was a change of topic the author had included a slide with a humorous image relating to OH&S. Sometimes it may be a cartoon, at others it may be a photograph of hilariously bad OH&S practices. Not only did these images provide comic relief to the students but it created talking points so the class was able to stop for discussion. The learning manager would ask simple questions such as “What is going wrong in the picture?” and facilitate the discussion from that point.

Admittedly this was a fairly basic Power Point presentation, the author didn’t include any animations or fancy slide transitions but it was EFFECTIVE! The students were engaged in what is normally a very boring unit of work and they were able to adapt the information to their own needs.

Below is a short ‘Plus, Minus and Interesting’ on the benefits, negatives and potential of Power Point presentations in the classroom.

Plus

• It is an easy format to use; students can pick up the basics quickly if they haven’t used the program before.
• Information can be presented in a variety of ways including images, videos, text and graphs.
• Students can add their own notes using the notes function.
• The presentation can be quickly updated if information or figures change.
• It can be used as part of assessment either as a standalone document or an oral presentation to build public speaking skills. The program is also an excellent tool for use in group activities, thus encouraging students to work together and encourage communication and cooperation.

Minus

• There is a high chance of ‘death by Power Point’. Presentations should include the aspects mentioned earlier to avoid being bland and the learning manager should make their expectations clear to the students from the outset.
• While it is a staple of Microsoft Word the technology is a little dated. Students could achieve the same results by creating a website or wiki depending on the assessment.
• Training needs to be provided to students so they can incorporate videos, sound clips and graphs effectively.

Interesting

• The notes function allows students to personalise the information.
• The Microsoft Word website provides easy to follow tutorials to help students and learning managers get the best out of Power Point.

It was so refreshing to see a Power Point in action that actually made an impact on the students and was useful for their learning experiences. In the future I won’t shy away from using Power Point but I will definitely be sure to incorporate the key aspects that I identified from this one.

Stay fabulous dear readers! 

Group 2 Technologies - Images, Video and Audio Tools

Group 2 Technologies focus on “multimedia” technologies such as images, video and audio tools and considering that today’s students are bombarded with this kind of stimulus all day, every day it is strange that learning managers don’t incorporate this kind of technology into classrooms more often. A report from the 21^st Century Learning Summit (2005) also discusses this issue, “Schools do their students a disservice when they fail to teach literacy in the expressive new language that their students have already begun to use before they even arrive.”

So as an experiment, let’s attempt to find multimedia resources that can be easily included into a lesson and speaks in our learner's 'language'. A quick Google search for the National Geographic website (link below) and a mouse click on their Education tab links me with hours of video footage on all manner of topics from Critter Cams (cameras capturing action footage of animals in their native habitats) to a behind the scenes look at Barack Obama’s administration. A piece called Earthquakes 101 catches my eye and upon further investigation I see that the page not only includes a web video on how, where and why earthquakes occur but also focus questions (with answers!), fast facts and vocabulary words. 

Above: screen shot of the video and resources tab. 

The video is also far more interesting than the boring graphics I remember from high school as it includes real footage and photographs taken as earthquakes happen. Students can then use the National Geographic Online Library to find information on earthquakes in the encyclopaedia or newspaper articles from around the world.  The site even has blogs and vlogs (video based blogs) made by students for other students. In ten minutes I have managed to find quality educational information in a multimedia format that my students can use for research activities or other classroom situations and put them in touch with students and scientists from all over the globe. This is a truly amazing resource and there are many others out there depending on the subject matter required.

To be honest, I didn’t even put any real effort into conducting that short experiment and it certainly wasn’t because I don’t care about the topic. Group 2 technologies are so widespread that learning managers simply need to narrow their searches to pathways that would be specifically useful to their student cohort and lesson topic. The benefits of images and video to learning should also be already evident to learning managers. Psychology Applied to Teaching (2009) outlines research that shows that asking students to generate visual images as they read words or sentences produces higher levels of comprehension and recall than simply reading the text alone. Actually seeing the physical impacts of an earthquake would then help cement the factual information relating to earthquake strength.

However, when using multimedia technologies like these it is important to remember to follow school privacy guidelines when using or taking images. Learning managers may need to seek special permission to take photographs even if no students are shown in the shot or footage and students should never be identified online. It is also essential to remember that not all information provided online will be factual or useful, learning managers should ensure that they have thoroughly examined websites, blogs or videos before they ask their students to access them.

Finding a goldmine of information like the National Geographic website inspires me to do more to include that kind of technology into my own classes. While searching I also found a link to image galleries for the Australian Geographic magazine and there were some truly amazing images that could be easily used as English writing stimulus. I can’t wait for the opportunity to use these!

Stay tuned for more fabulous adventures in e-learning! 

National Geographic - Teachers Homepage

Group 1 Technologies - Wikis, Blogs and Websites

So to begin my long exploration of ICT’s in learning design this blog will discuss the Group 1 Technologies that include blogs, wikis and websites. Each of these technologies allows students, teachers and other collaborators to upload information and communicate with each other but the methods used for this vary between the mediums. This blog entry will focus on the use of wikis in the classroom and the benefits or problems associated with them.

The ever reliable Dictionary.com (2011) tells us that a wiki is a website that allows anyone to add, delete or revise content. Some basic principles of the wiki include:

• Openness – any reader can edit the page
• Versatility – the tools used to edit and organize the page are the same on any internet browser
• Observable – any changes made to the page can be monitored
• Fun – everybody is able to contribute
• Interactive – readers are able to interact with each other even if they may never meet in person.

I feel that these basic principles help to outline why wikis can be such a valuable classroom tool. Students can be placed in groups and use wikis to collaborate and develop their information and because a wiki is versatile they can work on the project at home, no special programs are needed. Any changes made to the wiki can be monitored by the page creator simply by them opting to receive email notifications, in this way the learning manager can be aware of any changes so students are less inclined to erase others work. Perhaps the most important aspect of a wiki is that it is fun and interactive which means that students should be more engaged with the content.

My two teaching areas are English and Business Studies (including areas such as Business Communication & Technology and Accounting) but I feel that I would most likely incorporate this technology into an English class. Using a wiki I could provide students with “to-do” lists for each lesson, including things such as spelling quizzes and scheduled exams. I could also have students create individual wikis to gain appropriate feedback from myself and other students on creative writing activities. For my last practical placement I had to teach a Year 8 English class about debating and a wiki would have been the perfect forum for students to collaborate on their debate arguments, structure their speeches and provide links to their sources. I could also use this forum to monitor the participation of group members and take action as necessary.

However, as with any technology, wikis do have their downside. Depending on the cohort of students, the page would need to be monitored fairly heavily to ensure that no inappropriate content is uploaded and that student work is not being removed or edited in a malicious manner. Because of this I would recommend that students save a copy of their contributions to their own computer files before they upload the information onto the wiki as ‘insurance’ against these negative aspects of the technology.

Despite their downfalls I would not hesitate to incorporate wikis into my classroom if the lesson was appropriate. They are functional, easy to use and available to all students. Better still, they are infinitely more interesting than staring at a white board while the learning manager prattles on.

This is the link to the Wiki that I created - http://emilylawlesspyne.wikispaces.com 

This is the link to the Weebly web page that I created - http://fahe11001-emilyswebsite.weebly.com/ 

Stay wonderful!

                                                                                             

PS. No new shoes at the moment for me :( sigh... I’ll just have to appreciate the many pairs I already have! 

Mobile Phones Wiki Forum

Hello darlings,

Here I am back, nose to the grindstone again with more thrilling insights for you! Up for discussion today: mobile phone use in the classroom and wiki forums.

To begin with here are my De Bono’s Thinking Hat thoughts on the use, or possible use, of mobile phones in the classroom.

Black Hat (negative) – not all students may have phones with the same capabilities so would standard phone be provided by the schools? Also how would behaviours such as bullying or looking at/sharing inappropriate content be monitored?

Blue Hat (process) – currently mobile phones are seen as the bane of every teacher’s existence and their use is hard to police in classrooms. However, it may only be a matter of time before they are incorporated into classrooms. It was not long ago that mp3 players weren’t permitted during classes and now they are commonly used, if not encouraged.

Green Hat (creativity) – it would be quick and easy to include mobile phones into lessons, some ideas are below but the list is almost limitless.

• ·         Using calendar features to provide assessment dates.
• ·         Sharing information with the class such as videos or pictures.
• ·         Reminding students of due dates with whole class text messaging.

Red Hat (intuitive) – while it would take some time to establish and much initial policing from teachers and parents incorporating mobile phones into the classroom is inevitable. There are so many possible uses and benefits from this technology that it can’t be ignored any longer.

Yellow Hat (positive) – for most teenagers, their mobile phone is almost an extension of their hand and they are almost never without it. By using this technology within the classroom or as a means of communicating with them we are engaging with them on their level and I feel that (if used correctly) the positive results would be evident.

White Hat (objective) – we know that most students have mobile phones and we also know that there is a large range of cheap mobile phones available that we could use to provide standard phones to a whole class (similar to how many classes are provided with lap top computers).

I think that the wiki forum is linked closely with constructivism (the theory that humans generate knowledge through interaction with their experiences and ideas) and connectivism (the theory that knowledge exists out in the world rather than in the head of the individual). The wiki allows us to share knowledge of our experiences and opinions and then also gain knowledge from others through their contributions. My experience of the wiki has been through individual and group contributions and this has led me to believe that a wiki forum provides opportunities for the sharing of information and the development of individual knowledge.

Wiki forums could be easily incorporated into classroom activities and it would allow students to share their ideas and opinions. It would be especially useful in group activities so that students who are not at school during a class can still participate and contribute. Also the opportunity for students to use technology and for them to feel that they are contributing information to the internet would make the lesson or activity far more engaging as students could see that their input has an affect outside of the school environment. However the activity should be tailored to the needs of the specific contingent as work can be easily lost when others are editing the page and detailed instructions may be needed, often it may not be enough to go over the information just once.

I’m going to go back to waiting for my mail man now; he’s overdue with a shoe delivery for me!

Stay tuned.

First Post (you know.... ever!)

So here I am making my first ever contribution to the world of blogging and to be honest, I'm a little disappointed with myself. I'm a frequent reader of several comedy and fashion blogs so I guess I thought that if I was going to enter this world it would be in a hilarious and witty manner poking fun at the many fashion faux pas of the general public. However, being thrust into this world dragging my heels (Tony Bianco, cobalt blue, peep toe stilettos in case you were wondering) has reminded me of the impact the internet has on the students I teach. I don’t think a class goes by without somebody mentioning Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr so why aren’t more teachers harnessing the benefits of this gigantic and largely free resource? Luckily for us courses like this one are being included in Learning Management degrees to help teachers use their student’s fascination with technology to their advantage and create engaging learning experiences for modern classrooms.

So let’s begin the hard stuff.....

Our first task in FAHE11001 Managing E-Learning was to nab ourselves a partner and create or update a Wiki article to show our findings on a reading. I was lucky enough to have two partners, both students I frequently study with out in the ‘real world’ and it was our task to examine Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences and then briefly discuss the Plus, Minus and Interesting points of the topic. We were already familiar with Gardner from previous educational theory courses and I personally find his theory an interesting one. He proposed that intelligence is not a single factor but is made up of several elements in varying quantities. These multiple intelligences are linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, bodily-kinaesthetic, spatial, interpersonal and intrapersonal (the exact classifications are still under debate but these are Gardner’s original ideas). From an educational stand point we can use this theory to assess which intelligence is most prominent in a student and then convey the information in the way that the student will respond to best. For example, a student with strong logical-mathematical intelligence may respond best if a task is set out in logical steps or a useful pattern can be indentified in the information that may be then used to discover the answer. Today we take this information for granted as we have been exposed to the theory and its associated teaching strategies for many years but Gardner’s theory was originally quite controversial; up until that point it was widely believed that our intelligence was a blank slate until outside influences developed our ability. A detailed knowledge of this theory will help me to deliver more personalised learning experiences to my students that will encourage and engage them so they are able to reach their full potential.

Aside from getting to know a little more about Gardner’s theory, this activity also gave me a useful teaching strategy. I had never encountered the Plus, Minus and Interesting idea before and it would be excellent to incorporate it into a research activity or lesson for my students. It would give them a simple and clear method of gaining the best out of any article or piece of information they come across.

That’s my piece for the day readers, I hope you enjoyed it! To stay true to my roots I think I’ll try and incorporate a little humour and a little shoe love into each and every post, just to give you something to look forward to.

Stay fabulous dahhhlings!

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