Reflective e-Learning Journal

Since the turn of the century, the integration of the internet into the daily lives of millions of people has revolutionized the way we seek information and communicate with one another, regardless of if we are in the next room, or half a world away. Computers are now a staple in the majority of classrooms a decade into the new millennium and their usage has inclined over the years with 26% of students beginning before the age of 7, and 51% between the ages of 7 and 10 (ABS). With these statistics in mind; one must consider what online tools and programs a teacher can utilize to develop the computing skills and knowledge of students as well as create an engaging and entertaining lesson.

Over the weeks of this course, I have been introduced to many diverse online tools and programs that have their individual strengths and weaknesses and in turn are suited to different age groups and levels of computer literacy. Each tool can have a place in a learning experience and when used effectively can be engaging and enjoyable for the students in the class. What one must remember is that although the use of ICT in the classroom has great capabilities to assist in teaching, it is to be used with discretion and only when it is deemed to be more suitable and effective than not using the tool/program. Sometimes using a ‘wizzbang’ program to teach a class how to structure a paragraph may be less effective at transferring the knowledge in comparison to a more traditional method that does not involve ICT. It comes down to how effective the tool is in regards to the age group and level of computer skills. I am working with high school students ages 12-18 who all have varying backgrounds in regards to ICT. Statistics show that on average students learn basic computer skills at school as much as they do at home; from simple exploration and experimentation of their home computer they develop their knowledge and skills. ICT in the classroom involves a similar mindset from the teacher, who must experiment with tools and programs to discover its full potential.

The teacher must also think about how the tool will benefit and improve the learning experience: is the tool enriching the lesson? Is using a Voki (shown at http://lachywalker.blogspot.com/) to explain the plot of Romeo and Juliet as effective as simply explaining it yourself? In this context it may not be, but if a student was absent, emailing the student a link to the Voki so they can catch up on the key points of the lesson. The teacher must consider not only the classroom lesson itself, but also what can be achieved outside of the classroom in regards not only to homework but self directed learning from the student and opportunities for students to access classroom work if they were absent or will be away for a period of time. In a high school context, there are a number of students who complete work experience during the week and subsequently miss days of school. Rather than the student fall behind or have to work harder in class to make up time, the student can be emailed the notes and activities from the lesson they missed and can catch up before the next lesson. Creating a blog that students can access 24/7 and uploading study materials, links to related sites, notes and assignment task sheets means students who were either away or lost a sheet/didn’t take notes can go to the blog and download any resources they need. Students can also set up their own blog and post their homework, assignments or pieces of work for the teacher to view and give feedback on via comments. This tool is handy especially around assessment time when students are completing multiple assignments and cannot wait until the next class to talk to the teacher. It also means the teacher can answer questions more thoroughly and post an FAQ on their own blog if applicable. The use of blogs depends on whether students have internet access at home, which is less of an issue when 85% of students have a computer at home. It will also require at least one lesson familiarising the class with the blog format and how to post work and utilize the various features. Similar to a blog is a Wiki: which has many more capabilities in relation to uploading information. When using a Wiki one can upload information and link many different sites and links. An entire database of information and study tools can be created on a single Wiki for students to access (http://lachywalker.blogspot.com/). An extra bonus to Wikis is that students can upload information on it; allowing them to add any resources or links they found themselves. A Wiki can have constructivist capabilities in that the students can take ownership of the learning by posting their own information and participating in online discussion.

The tools discussed so far have been directed mainly at learning outside the classroom, but there were also many tools shown throughout the term that can be used in class. The use of ICT should coincide with what pedagogical strategies the teacher uses in their class. To reiterate on a previous point; sometimes using a ‘wizzbang’ program is not justifiable when there is a better method. When applying Blooms Taxonomy, many ICT tools can be utilized to cater to the 6 cognitive processes. Power Point is a program with an extensive amount of capabilities that I myself did not realise existed. Power Points have the capability to create not only slideshow presentations, which can not only deliver information but include scaffolding for all 6 processes, the teacher can take it a step further and hyperlink questions and answers to create a quiz. Also including links to further information when students answer questions correctly prompts for further learning and self directed learning. According to Kearsley & Shneidermans Engagement Theory, ‘technology can facilitate engagement in ways which are difficult to achieve otherwise’. A normal quiz on paper appears dull and routine to some students, while an interactive quiz is more interesting and entertaining and can cater to different learning styles through sound bites, animations and click and drag activities which challenge knowledge processes with questions stemming from, ‘What happened after...?,’ or ‘Who was it that...?’, comprehension processes with question stems like, ‘Who was the key character...?’ and application processes such as, ‘Could this have happened in...?’. Activities such as an interactive quiz draw from both Blooms and Engagement Theory by prompting certain cognitive processes while using a technology that makes the content more stimulating and engaging.

‘Engagement theory is based upon the idea of creating successful collaborative teams’ (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999) that ‘emphasizes team efforts that involve communication, planning, management and social skills.’ A Year 9 English class will study topics such as values, ideologies, culture and social interaction throughout the year. When doing my EPL placement, I would often see opportunities for programs and online tools discussed in eLearning to be integrated into the lesson. In many cases students have to write a transformation or internal monologue in relation to the text they’re studying. Instead of simply writing the assignment, the class could use Xtranormal (http://www.xtranormal.com/makemovies/) to bring their assignment to life through directing a digital movie of their narrative. The program is simple to use but would require an introduction lesson so students are familiar with the setup and how to perform certain actions. Students can work individually, in pairs or in groups to write the script and direct the movie without any filming or voice recording. It is also an opportunity for students to take ownership of the learning by exploring the program independently and to be able to come to the teacher with new skills they have developed through experimenting with the program.

For learning to appear valuable to the learner, there must be a real world context for the students to relate to. If an English class is studying the novel ‘Tomorrow When the War Began’ by John Marsden, it would be beneficial for the class to be able to meet the author and learn his approach to writing and answer questions on his career. Of course it would be almost impossible to be able to have John physically visit the school; but it is still possible for him to interact with the class. Vyew is a video conferencing program that could link the class to Marsden vie Vyew and be able to interview just as they would if he were physically in the room. Talking to a respected author and having the discussions relate to the curriculum can give the unit a solid link to real world relevance as well as engaging the learners on a more personal level than showing the class an interview or a transcript of an interview.

ICT integration in to classrooms is something that will become more and more common as technologies advance and it is prudent for teachers to keep up with the technologies available to benefit learning. With so many learners having access to computers and the internet at home computer literacy skills are gradually climbing, both in relation to home use and school based lessons on computing, ICT tools will become a staple in classrooms in years to come.


References

Bloom B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives, handbook I: The cognitive domain. New York: David McKay Co Inc.

Australian Bureau of Statistics. Real Time: Computers, Change and Schooling. Viewed 23/08/2010 at
http://abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/featurearticlesbyCatalogue/D34A3B2E9ED5BC12CA2569DE0028DE8F?OpenDocument

Kearsley, G & Shneiderman, B. 1999. Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Viewed 24/08/2010 at http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

Yr 9 English Ways of Working/TPAC

Using Bubblus I mapped out 4 Yr 9 English Ways of Working and linked them to TPAC Activities for English.

Blabberize

Wordle-MicroSkills

Voki

Get a Voki now!

Weebly

I missed the lesson containing information on Weebly as I was sick, but I visited the site and had a play.Weebly at first appeared to be simply another blogging site that just made blogging easier and simpler. My initital reaction was that it would be great for both younger and mature age learners who have not had the experience with computers that high school and late primary students have.

It is also handy that you can create either a website or a blog using their templates, which again makes it easier for students who have not experienced this type of interface. It is not limited to the easiest possible way and advanced users can create layouts and tweak their site or blog however they wish.

Although it is simply another blogging server, it is a simpler interface then that of blogger or wordpress and when teaching can be explained in simpler terms for the learners who have not used it before, and those who have can begin blogging straight away.

Wikis

Wikis are a great tool for allowing students to work in a group even if they are not in the same room. For classwork a Wiki can be used to upload the covered in a lesson so students who were away are able to keep up with what is happening in the classroom and be able to return to class without missing the key learnings that the teacher needed the students to have. The students are able to show the teacher that they have followed along by posting their work on the Wiki for the teacher to give feedback on. It is also handy for other students who access the Wiki to see how their peers have interpretted the learnings. It is also a space for students to discuss or even form a group discussion about a topic with the added benefit of having the teacher able to input also.

A homework Wiki means students have access to links and the homework requirements without needing sheets or to remember to bring their homework. They can simply upload their homework to the Wiki for the teacher to mark.

Here is my wiki containing deBonos 6 Hats

Power Points

Last week we focused on PowerPoint and how they can be used in the classroom. Having used the program since I was in high school I already had a fair understanding of the workings of PowerPoint and what it can be used for. However, there were still tools I had not figured out how to use in the past that proved to make a big difference how effective a teaching tool PowerPoint can be.

PowerPoint can be used as presentations, as slides containing information, can be interactive for the students and videos can even be made using this program. What struck me as being a great about PowerPoint is it can cater to all learning styles through simple variations in the way the slides are created. Visual learners will benefit from the links between slides and the images and data chosen, soundbites can be recorded and included in the presentation, which is great for when a student is unable to attend school and misses the lesson's information, even when they have the PowerPoint they can hear the teacher narrating and explaining the information further (great for auditory learners).

A use for PowerPoint I had not even considered before was using it as an interactive activity for learners. Hyperlinking sections can create an interactive quiz that has the potential to be engaging for all learning styles. You can also link the slides to websites containing further information which encourages independent learning and research.

I recently used PowerPoint to teach a Year 10 class the basic functions of Audacity, an audio recording program. With it I was able to include videos, a sound recording of my voice, images of the program in action and links to tutorials for advanced users. I was planning to use another PowerPoint, but did remember that the use of this tool depends on the context of the lesson and it is not something to be overused. Like all e-Learning tools; it is to be used appropriately and not simply because it is there.

E-Learning Map

Blog

Blogs are a simple way to communicate information and express ideas. A positive factor to a blog is that readers can comment on what you have said and express their own feelings directly towards you, others can build on previous comments and an entire discussion can occur based not only on what you have blogged but also how others have commented on it, whether it be positive or negative feedback.

For a person in charge of a course or learning experiences, blogs allow them to keep track of the progress of the students and not only what they have learned, but also how frequently they blog and the tools they use to improve their entries.

First Entry