Reflective synopsis

This semester I have come across many digital aids in order to help me engage and maintain the scope of attention of my current and future students. Prior to taking this course I never knew so many ICTs existed, especially for educational purposes. ICTs can adopt, if utilised in a student-centred manner, a new fundamental role in how students achieve success and adopt a globally enhanced view within the knowledge economy. Heath (2001) reveals that there has been change in how knowledge is perceived and it has detrimental effects on teaching. 'Much of this change will be facilitated by the development of new information and communications technologies', (Heath, 2001). He distinguishes the obsolete style of teaching as mode 1 and a new more applicable style, better equipped for the technological savvy knowledge economy that is mode 2. Heath believes that mode 2 knowledge is 'Produced in the context of application'. I think one of the most amazing rewards ICTs provides students is the project based processes, linking theory to the hands on approach of practicality.

I noticed many other GDLT students reflecting on Mahara and how it can be a great tool for teachers, but I think it can also be a method of relaying information for students; the information they have been exposed to in the classroom. In this blog post, I have shown the relationship Mahara can have with a wiki. I feel this relationship can produce work from students in an engaged manner as it not only provides a purposeful and authentic approach to learning but the mere use of a complex ICT (which students will find interesting and engaging) can incite excitement and motivation to produce great work. Kearsley and Shneiderman (1999) believe that students must be engaged in learning activities through interaction with others 'in the real world' and meaningful tasks.

In my ePortfolio assessment I have come up with the idea of students writing and creating the imagery for a picture book using the theory they have been taught in previous lessons. Within this scenario I think the two way process of publishing relevant information onto a Mahara view and then supplying students with a wiki page for each group to contribute the relevant information involved in devising the picture book is very effective one as two engaging ICTs are being deployed at the same time. Kearsley and Shneiderman (1999) also state that engaged learning should include working in groups that emphasises team efforts in order to solve problems and participate in decision and collaborative reasoning. Initially my intention was to arm the students with cameras and take pictures (or I would give them the choice to utilise illustrations). I would just like to point out here that giving the students choices in how they apply their learning is also very important. This concept of choice is elaborated by Marzano and Pickering (1997, p. 31). From the images and texts the students come up with, students will devise a story in a wiki. At the time of constructing this idea, I thought the wiki was the best ICT for students develop their ideas and come up with a finished product. I posted my action plan on the moodle website and waited for feedback. Natalie, a fellow GDLT student told me about this free Microsoft webtool Photostory in one of our conversations. What an awesome tool! I told some of the teachers at my EPL school and they had never heard of it! My Mentor Teacher who is the librarian is now thinking about integrating the tool into some of her learning experiences. Photostory is a very easy method of not only engaging students but providing active learning, giving reference to Dale's cone. What Dale's cone ascertains is that at the bottom of the cone is the most effective of teaching methods, one that comprises of direct and purposeful experiences as oppose to the top which merely incorporates relaying information through verbal symbols (something that dominates the teacher centric style of teaching). Using Photostory provides the students with not only that sense of authenticity, where it is related to life outside of school or in the workplace (Marzano and Pickering (1997, p. 31), but is hands on and incredibly interactive. In this instance, the students will feel what it is like to be an author of a picture book and the trials and tribulation associated with it. It will not only be enjoyable but it will be challenging, all things that are advised by Marazno and Pickering (1997).

Active and Engaged are just a few of the conceptual frameworks that underpin the use of ICTs in schooling. I pointed out in my post Avatars and their role in ICTs, that learning styles are one of the most imperative issues associated with education with prior acknowledgment in the teacher centric style hardly relevant at all. Avatars, like video, can really engage those learners whose learning style more suits those visual cues. But what about those students who prefer a more verbal approach to learning? I think both Avatars and video suffice this unity perfectly as they both embrace the visual and verbal student as both these ICTs disseminate visual and verbal discourse. Avatars and their role in ICTs also has more detailed information on multi-intelligences and how connectivism can be incorporated within learning management in terms of connecting pedagogy and the shifts in juvenile behaviour. Some other terrific sources of ICTs that incorporate these pedagogical digital frameworks which accommodate for the visual vs. verbal learning styles are included in some of my other blog posts picnic new sample1, Powerpoint presentation and reflection and mind map.

I have not had much of a chance to integrate ICTs into my pedagogy at my school for EPL yet, primarily due to time and resource restraints. One of the problems I have with using ICTs in the classroom and home-use encouragement is the socio economic status of certain schools. The school that I am working at is not exactly at a low socio-economic status but there are a fair proportion of students who do not have the internet access at home. Perhaps this could spell out a more enhanced relationship with schools and parents? The schools could disperse financially healthy optional plans for families to adopt and embrace the internet.

References

- Active Learning. (2000). 'Why use active learning?'. Retrieved 18 April, 2010 from http://www.acu.edu/cte/activelearning/whyuseal2.htm.

- Brown, J. S. (2002). Growing up digital: how the web changes work, education and the ways people learn, United States Distance Learning Association. Retrieved 22 April, 2010 from http://www.unt.edu/benchmarks/archives/2004/september04/eis.htm

- Felder, R. & Soloman, B., Learning styles and strategies. Retrieved 19 April, 2010 from http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm.

- Heath, G. (2001). Teacher Education and the New Knowledge Environment. Australian Association for Educational Research Conference. Fremantle December. Retrieved 19 April, 2010 from http://www.aare.edu.au/01pap/hea01582.htm.

- Kearsley, G & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved 22 April, 2010 from http://home.sprynet.com/%7Egkearsley/engage.htm.

- Marzano, R & Pickering, D. (1997). Dimensions of Learning: teacher's manual (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA, USA : ASCD.

- - Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: a learning theory for the digital age, elearnspace. Retrieved 21 April, 2010 from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm.

I have commented on the following blog posts

http://nataliearthurgdlt.blogspot.com/2010/04/cant-wait-to-get-my-hands-on-one-of.html#comment-form

http://learningjourneycaro.blogspot.com/2010/04/using-wikipedia.html#comment-form

http://learningjourneycaro.blogspot.com/2010/03/great-idea-for-wooden-pegs.html#comment-form

http://learningjourneycaro.blogspot.com/2010/04/glog-made-by-my-7-year-old-son.html#comment-form

http://learningjourneycaro.blogspot.com/2010/03/reflection-on-setting-up-eportfolio-in.html#comment-form

http://hillsnick116.blogspot.com/2010/04/wikipedia.html

http://hillsnick116.blogspot.com/2010/04/video-hosting-websites.html

http://chloetowns.blogspot.com/2010/04/google-earth.html